Jan
30
Jan
29
Canada’s Don Valley East (Ward 33) city council candidates speak
Saturday, November 4, 2006
On November 13, Torontonians will be heading to the polls to vote for their ward’s councillor and for mayor. Among Toronto’s ridings is Don Valley East (Ward 33). One candidates responded to Wikinews’ requests for an interview. This ward’s candidates include Zane Caplan, Shelley Carroll (incumbent), Jim Conlon, Sarah Tsang-Fahey, and Anderson Tung.
For more information on the election, read Toronto municipal election, 2006.
Jan
29
Make Sure Your Contracts Attorney In Colorado Springs Has Experience
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byAlma Abell
It can be hard to find an attorney who you feel comfortable with. Most attorneys have studied law for many years and so they understand how the laws work and they know how to help people in need, but they aren’t all the same. The best way to find a Contract Attorney in Colorado Springs is to use one, who you know has experience. If they have worked on all types of cases, and they have been practicing for many years, then you most likely will feel comfortable with their work.
David M. Koppa is an attorney who has been practicing for 24 years. He has worked on bankruptcy cases, divorce and family cases, and he also works with businesses to draw up legal contracts. In the business world it’s extremely important to make sure contracts are clear cut. There are amicable contracts, that are simple for any attorney to draw up, and there are also business disputes which can get kind of messy. The best way to make sure everything is handled professionally, is to work with an attorney who you trust.
Communication is one of the main keys in any business relationship. It can be really difficult to work with someone if you don’t ever understand what they are saying. Some business partners get an attorney to mediate, just so they are sure about what’s being said. Most attorneys have free consultations, so you can see for yourself if they can help you with your legal problems. If you feel they can help, and if they seem to understand your problems, then you can settle on a price for their services. Attorneys can be expensive, but they are worth the money, if they can help settle your case quickly.
If you need an attorney in the cut throat business world, then go online to davidkoppa.com. This website has the many areas of expertise that David Koppa works in, and it also has a phone number for you to call to set up a free half hour consultation. If you need a Contract Attorney in Colorado Springs, then go to this website first. You may find all the legal services you need, to move forward in your business.
Jan
28
US Marine killed after vehicle capsizes, sinks in Oceanside Harbor, California
Saturday, January 15, 2011
An amphibious vehicle belonging to the United States Marines capsized and sank to the floor of the Del Mar boat basin, California at 1130 PST (1930 UTC) resulting in one death and three injures.
Three instructors and three students were conducting driver training when the vehicle capsized and sank, trapping them inside. Three injured individuals were transported to hospital and two were uninjured. The deceased Marine was rescued at around 1415 PST and was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1447 PST. Oxygen was being pumped into the vehicle for hours in an attempt to keep the Marine alive.
Captain Daniel J. Thomas revealed that “There will be a thorough investigation into this mishap that occurred.” He continued, “[there will be] reports that come, lessons learned in terms of preventing anything like this from happening.” Major Thomas said that training would not be stopped, but “We’re going to take a look at this and the commander will then make a decision before anything goes back into place to make sure any safety briefing that need to be given are conducted.”
The identity of the dead Marine has not yet been revealed; the family have yet to have been notified.
Jan
28
California meat packing firm recalls 143M pounds of beef
Sunday, February 17, 2008
| I am dismayed at the in-humane handling of cattle that has resulted in the violation of food safety regulations at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. | ||
In a press release today, California-based Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. indicated that it has voluntarily recalled just over 143 million pounds (65 million kilograms) of raw and frozen beef products, which is considered to be the largest single recall of beef products in U.S. history. The move follows an investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) into allegations of animal cruelty and mishandling of cattle destined for the human food chain.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) had determined that beef products produced by the Chino, California company were unfit for human consumption as the cattle had not received “complete and proper inspection.”
The recall has been designated as Class II, which the USDA describes as “a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.”
On Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer indicated that charges had been laid against employees of the plant alleged to have taken part in the mistreatment of cattle. “Today [Friday], the San Bernardino District Attorney filed felony animal cruelty charges against two employees who were terminated by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company,” said Schafer. “It is regrettable that these animals were mistreated and I am encouraged and supportive of these actions by the San Bernardino District Attorney in response to this mistreatment.”
The USDA learned of the possible inhumane handling of non-ambulatory (disabled) cattle at the packing plant on January 30 and has since suspended activities at the plant. “We continue to conduct a thorough investigation into whether any violations of food safety or additional humane handling regulations have occurred,” said Secretary Schafer in a press release. “On February 8, our Office of the Inspector General took the lead on the investigation. At that time, USDA extended the administrative hold on Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company products for the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations while the investigation continues,” said Schafer.
The FSIS reported that Hallmark/Westland had not contacted the FSIS public health veterinarian, as required, when cattle became ill or disabled after undergoing ante-mortem (slaughter) inspection, putting the company out of compliance with FSIS regulations. “Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection FSIS has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,” explained Secretary Schafer.
The cruelty charges stem from an undercover video that reportedly showed sick cattle being moved by crews using forklifts.
“Words cannot accurately express how shocked and horrified I was at the depictions contained on the video that was taken by an individual who worked at our facility from October 3 thru November 14, 2007,” said Steve Mendell, President, Westland Meat Co. and Hallmark Meat Packing. “We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures. We are also cooperating with the USDA investigators on the allegations of inhumane handling treatment which is a serious breech of our company’s policies and training.”
The USDA stressed that it is “extremely unlikely” that the cattle involved were at risk for Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad-cow disease due to the employment of multiple safeguards. The USDA felt the recall was required, however, as the plant had allegedly violated USDA regulations.
The recall involves raw and frozen beef products produced on various dates from February 1, 2006 to February 2, 2008. For further information about the recall, consumers, media, and distributors are encouraged to contact Hallmark/Westland’s Plant Manager Stan Mendell or Food Safety Consultant Steve Sayer at (909) 590-3340 or the FSIS website, www.fsis.usda.gov.
Jan
28
Learn Spanish In Spain: How To Speak Spanish Like A Spaniard
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Learn Spanish in Spain: How to Speak Spanish Like a Spaniard
by
Chris Hart
If you want to learn the language, why not learn Spanish in Spain and do it properly? Learn how to speak Spanish like a Spaniard does? Most people learn languages from books or audio courses, and some attend courses once or twice a week. How long will that take you to learn and how well are you going to learn? Forget it, and do it the correct way where you won’t forget what you learn because you don’t have time to.
The problem most people have with learning a language is that they do it part time. They go to courses once a week and are given homework to do. They come back a week later and try to remember what they have learned while at the same time being given new lessons and more vocabulary to learn. You will not learn vocabulary that you are not using, and you certainly won’t understand what a Spanish person is saying to you unless you are used to hearing the words in his accent, and not in yours in your head!
Learn Spanish in Spain, and you will be speaking in Spanish all the time. You will be immersed in the language 24/7 and this is accepted by everybody as being the best way to learn a language – bar none! This is particularly true if you learn in a group: a group of like-minded people wanting to learn how to speak Spanish and prepared to talk in the language whenever they can and whenever they are forced to. It’s amazing how quickly you learn when everybody around you is speaking the same language and you can’t understand a word!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xedDscOi8Gc[/youtube]
You can’t buy anything in the shops, you can’t order in a restaurant and you can’t even read the road signs let alone the newspapers. Believe me, you learn fast. By choosing to go to Spain to learn their language, you will give yourself a fabulous benefit that no school kids have when they learn at school. You will be speaking to your tutors, your classmates and everybody else using the same language, and if that doesn’t get you speaking Spanish quickly, then nothing will.
Not just schoolboy Spanish either, but how to speak Spanish like a Spaniard speaks it. You will learn how to converse in the language, using all the colloquialisms that confuse everybody learning in school or trying to teach themselves. But what if you have a specific reason for wanting to learn, such as if you are a professional having to be able to read Spanish texts or reports, or maybe you are getting work as a tourist rep or are buying a bar in Spain as many people do?
This is ideal for you, because you can combine your general Spanish lessons with tutoring in your specific specialty. Not only that, but you meet others with the same reason for learning as you have. There are courses that enable you to learn on a residential basis, so that not only are you truly learning on a 24/7 basis, but you can also immerse yourself in the Spanish culture: their food, history, architecture and entertainment. Once you begin to be able order from your own menu, speak to people in the shops and understand the jokes in the Spanish night clubs then you know you are getting there!
This is not to infer that you will not be learning the academic side of the language. You would also learn the grammar and proper sentence construction that makes the language what it is, but you will not get bogged down in that as you would in many class-based courses in your own country. A language is a living thing and changes with time. Just consider the way that your own grammar and vocabulary have changed over the years, and even the use of vocabulary. Certain words have changed in accepted meaning over the years, ranging in English, for example, from ‘sophisticated’ that once meant ‘corrupted’ or the current meaning of the word ‘gay’. It is no longer used to mean ‘happy and carefree’. These are things you learn when you learn Spanish in Spain.
It is well accepted that to immerse yourself in a language of any country, and in the customs and culture of that country, then you will learn to speak fluently very much quicker than if you learned any other way. It is almost impossible to speak like a resident of Barcelona, for example, unless you live in Barcelona while learning.
In fact, you can generally choose from a number of Spanish cities in which to learn the language. If you are moving to Spain, you are advised to learn in the nearest city to your new home. That way you will be able to learn Spanish in Spain using a dialect that you are most liable to hear and to use. If your want to speak Spanish like a Spaniard, then you have got to understand what others are saying to you and also enable others to understand you. It is more than just being able to read a language, so learn the right way and learn to speak Spanish the only way to enable you to speak it correctly.
Further information on learning languages in their own country is available on
languagesinaction.com/learn-spanish/
where you will also find more detailed information on how to
Learn Spanish in Spain
with a perfect dialect.
Article Source:
ArticleRich.com
Jan
28
Standard Operating Procedure changes at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
In an investigation reported on first by Wikinews, Wikileaks today revealed another chapter in the story of the Standard Operations Procedure (SOP) manual for the Camp Delta facility at Guantanamo Bay. The latest documents they have received are the details of the 2004 copy of the manual signed off by Major General Geoffrey D. Miller of the U.S. Southern Command. This is following on from the earlier leaking of the 2003 version. Wikileaks passed this document to people they consider experts in the field to carry out an analysis trying to validate it. Following this, they set out to assess what had changed between 2003 and 2004; including attempts to link publicly known incidents with changes to the manual.
Wikinews obtained the document and did an in-depth analysis. The American Civil Liberties Union had previously made a request to view and obtain copies of the same document, but was denied access to them.
One of the first notable changes to the document relates to the detainees themselves. Previously they read the camp rules during admission processing. Rules are now posted around the camp in detainees’ languages. The English version of the rules is as follows:
Your decision whether or not to be truthful and comply will directly affect your quality of life while in this camp. |
Of concern to groups such as Amnesty International who campaign for the camp’s closure, or Human Rights Watch concerned about prisoner handling under the prisoner of war aspects of the Geneva Convention, is the fact that policy for newly admitted detainees still allows for up to 4 weeks where access to the detainee by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) may be denied. In addition, guards are not to allow ICRC staff to pass mail to detainees.
A new process has been formed which allows guards to determine whether or not a detainee receives awards, or is punished. The form is called a GTMO Form 508-1 (pictured to the right). According to the manual, the form “is used to determine which rewards the detainee will lose or gain,” but “special rewards” can also be earned, outside of the process. One special reward is time allowed outside. Another special reward is a roll of toilet paper, but the detainee cannot share it with others. Doing so will result in “punishment” and confiscation of the roll. If the detainee already has a roll of toilet paper, he is not allowed to have another.
“Guards need to ensure that the detainee doesn’t receive additional toilet paper when the detainee already has it. The amount given to the detainee will be the same amount as normally distributed to the detainee,” states the manual.
No matter how bad a detainee may act, “haircuts will never be used as punitive action” against them, but they can have hair removed for health reasons. They can, however, be segregated from other detainees.
“If a detainee has committed an offense that requires segregation time, even if a segregation cell is not available, the detainee will receive a shave and a haircut for hygiene and medical reasons. If the detainee is IRFed, the haircut and shave will follow the decontamination process,” adds the manual. Barbers are also part of cell searches.
Despite these changes, a great deal of effort has gone into ensuring the furore over detainee abuse does not recur. Rules governing the use of pepper spray (Oleoresin Capsicum, or OC) appear at an earlier point in the manual with considerable expansion. Infractions such as spitting, throwing water at, or attempting to urinate on guards appear as explicitly listed cases where pepper spray may not be used. Extensive decontamination procedures are included in the document, including immediately calling for a medical check on any detainee exposed to pepper spray. This was not previously present.
As a counter to the clearer instructions on use of pepper spray, Wikileaks asserts that many of the stricter rules for guards (referred to as Military Police or MPs in the 2003 manual) aim to reduce fraternisation that may improve detainee morale and adversely influence any interrogation process. Guards are informed in the manual not to take personal mail and parcels within the detention blocks or at any other duty stations. All electronic devices except issued materiel are prohibited, and guards may face disciplinary action should they keep detainees apprised of current affairs or discuss issues in their personal lives.
Additional restrictions on the detainees’ chaplain are included in the revised document. Wikileaks speculated that many of these changes might have stemmed from the widely publicised case of James Yee. Captain Yee, a West Point graduate, served at the Guantanamo Bay base as a Muslim chaplain to the detainees and received two Distinguished Service medals for his work. Following discovery of a list of detainees and interrogators by U.S. Customs in Florida Yee was charged with sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, espionage, and failure to obey a general order. Eventually all charges were dropped with national security concerns being raised should evidence be released.
The most notable changes surrounding the role of the chaplain include its removal as a permanent position on the facility’s Library Working group and its exclusion from the decision process on appropriate detainee reading material. Wikileaks contacted lawyers representing detainees in the camp to perform their own analysis. Their opinion of the changes were that the library operation had been considerably tightened up. Duplicate books are required for the individual four camps to prevent covert use of books to communicate between camps. Periodicals, dictionaries, language instruction books, technology or medical update information, and geography were additions to the prohibited material. Instructions indicate such books must be returned to the source or donor.
The revised SOP manual makes considerable progress on documenting procedures, even those that are remote possibilities. A lengthy addition details rules to follow in the event of an escape or escape attempt. Laced throughout this procedure is an emphasis on having any such incident fully documented and – wherever possible – filmed. The procedure is explicit in how to recapture an escaped detainee with minimal use of force. One additional procedure covers the admission of ambulances to the main base area. A detailed security protocol to ensure only expected and authorised traffic gains access is included, as is a procedure streamlined to ensure the ambulance arrives on the scene as quickly as possible.
Unchanged from the 2003 manual is the set menu of four ready-to-eat meals (Meal, Ready-to-Eat or MRE) issued to detainees. However, additional steps are to be taken for “MRE Sanitization”; supply personnel must remove anything that can damage waste disposal systems— presumably a military term for toilets. Under normal camp conditions, detainees should be fed hot meals as opposed to MREs, but no details on the variety of menu are included.
Wikinews attempted to get feedback on this. US Southern Command passed a query on to Rick Haupt (Commander, U.S. Navy Director of Public Affairs, Joint Task Force at Guantanamo) who responded that “questions were forwarded along with a request to authenticate the leaked document; a response is pending.” At this time no response to emails has been received from the ICRC or Human Rights Watch.
The Pentagon has requested that the document be removed from Wikileaks because “information with the FOUO (For Official Use Only) label is not approved for release to the public.” They then state that the document can be “made available through a Freedom Of Information Act request through official channels.”
This story has updates See US military confirms authenticity of Standard Operating Procedures for Guantanamo Bay
Jan
28
Polish mine explosion kills 8
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Methane gas was blamed for the explosion deaths of 8 miners in southern Polish‘s Halemba coal mine Tuesday, November 21. Officials say at least 15 are missing.
Rescue efforts were halted because dangerously high levels of methane gas returned, according to Zbigniew Madej, spokesman for state-owned Coal Co., which operates the mine.
The missing miners’ locater devices were not emitting signals, increasing rescurers’ concerns for their well-being. Grzegorz Pawlaszek, head of Coal Co., said the 15 missing miners’ fate is “not known,” but added that “there is a chance to find someone still alive.”
“This is a tragedy. People have died here,” Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said when he came to Ruda Slaska to see the blast.
Earlier Wednesday, a reconnaissance rescue team descended 3000 feet toward the blast scene, only to retreat because of safety concerns related to high methane gas levels. Rescue digging efforts were also halted because of explosion concerns.
The missing men were aged 21-59. One of the miner’s family members, Andrzej Pytlik, 30, remained on scene with his sister, hoping and waiting for news of her husband, Krystian Gaszka.
Pytlik, also a miner, said through teary eyes that, “I work in the mines and I know that hope is scant because that’s the truth.”
The explosion occurred in a closed portion of the mine where the now-missing miners were working to retrieve abandoned equipment. According to Pawlaszek, the value of the equipment was $23 million, adding that “It was new equipment and that is why we decided to retrieve it.”
He indicated that the recovery work was performed under the supervision of gas detection specialists, and that the bodies of the recovered miners were difficult to identify because of the severity of burns and because their ID tags were blown away in the explosion.
The Halemba mine, located in Ruda Slaska, has produced coal for nearly 50 years, has been fraught with safety concerns and has a track record of serious accidents. One of the oldest mines in Poland, it is centrally located in the industrial Silesia region.
Earlier this year, a miner was trapped underground in the Halemba mine five days after a cave-in. In 1990, 19 miners were killed and 20 hurt in a gas explosion, and five were killed in collapse in 1991.
Inside, priests and mining officials were comforting and counseling with distraught relatives. Outside, eight white candles flickered on a main gate wall.
Jan
27
Smart Tips On How To Set Up E Commerce On Your Website
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By Danny Wirken
The innovation of the Internet has made it possible for business opportunities, like e-commerce, available to just about anyone who wish to try it. In the old days, opening a business is such big commitment. This is mainly due to the high financial risk involved.
But today, business opportunities are available to just about anyone who are willing to put in time and effort in order to learn about the world of e-commerce. What’s great about it is that you can start an e-commerce business with low capital and very little risk.
However, be warned though that creating an e-commerce website does not automatically mean website sales. Furthermore, setting up your own e-commerce site is no simple process. Keep in mind that in creating a successful e-commerce business, setting up the site is just the first step. What will determine the future of your e-commerce site lies on how you would promote it. Not only will the promotion of your e-commerce site determine how much profit you make on the first month, but on the first year as well, and for the life of the business.
Finding your Niche
But first things first, to set up your e-commerce site you need to make some decisions. You need to decide who is your target audience? It is imperative that you should know who your customers are when taking into consideration the design of your e-commerce website. Then you need to find your niche. It might be a good idea to choose one that you have a passion on. If you are still undecided then seek advice from your friends and family.
Researching on the Demand
The next step is to conduct a research on the demand. Once you have a few business ideas then start researching on the demand for your products or services. If you plan to cater to the general public, you might want to find out how many people are looking for your products or services. Keep in mind that as a small business owner, you will not have the marketing funds necessary to create a demand for a product. Therefore, it’s safer that the products you sell must already be in demand. A great way to determine product demand is to see how many people are searching for a specific product.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtjMZ59Xv2A[/youtube]
Sniffing Out Your Competitors
It might be a good idea to learn something about your competitor’s websites. As the old clinch goes, forewarned is forearmed! So spend some time exploring each one, know if they have to special offers and the such.
Opening your Own Business Bank Account
Since now own a legitimate business, it’s time to open your own business bank account. All you need to do is take your court documents to the bank and open a business checking account. Most banks usually offer a variety of business accounts. Choose the one the best meets your needs. It might be a good idea to start with their least expensive account, after all you can always upgrade in the future.
Creating Your Website
While you’re still waiting for your bank account to open, you can start building your website. The first step here is to register a domain name. Names that end in ‘.com’ are best. If possible include one or more of your target keywords in your domain name.
One of the keys to successful e-commerce businesses is a professional website. Remember that your website is the only impression your visitors will have of your business. A professional website can be the difference between your visitors viewing you as a home-based business operating out of your garage and a multi-million dollar business with hundreds of employees. Fortunately, you do not need to be a web programmer to create a professional website. There are companies that sell professional website templates at an affordable price. There are also some website templates available for free.
Most website templates can be customized with common HTML editors and a simple graphics program. Templates can be edited without having to invest a lot of time and energy into learning how to code web pages. Also, you want your website content to target specific keywords. This can be achieved by creating articles, product reviews, product comparisons and detailed description of your products.
Hosting Your Website
Once your website has been created, then the next step is to find a company to host your website on their servers. You should be able to find a good hosting company for just $10 a month. This fee normally includes technical support and email accounts along with your domain name. Domain name-specific email accounts are important for a professional image.
As for your website files, you can upload it using a simple FTP program. The hosting company’s technical support personnel can walk you through the steps to upload your files and launch your website.
Implementing a Shopping Cart
An e-commerce website is not complete without a secure shopping cart. There is a lot of shopping cart options available. Avoid making the mistake of using Pay Pal to accept payments. This will immediately tell visitors that your company is very small and not professional. A good alternative is a remotely hosted shopping cart. Remote shopping carts take the burden of maintaining security and credit card numbers off your shoulder.
Promoting Your Business
Once your website goes live, you are open for business! Therefore, the next and most crucial step is promoting your website. The key here is to have a lot of people know about your website. The easiest way to do that is through search engines. So, you need to submit your website to search engines and directories like Yahoo!, DMOZ, Excite, and others.
Setting up your own e-commerce business is sure a lot of work. But if done properly, it will all be worth it and more. Now making it successful may prove to be more challenging. So, if you feel like giving up, just think of the pay-offs. It can really be rewarding!
About the Author: theinternetone.net
Source: isnare.com
Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=91980&ca=Business
Jan
27
Nokia Inc. announces plans for iPhone rival
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Announced early Wednesday morning at Nokia’s GoEvent, in a plan to expand the company’s revenue, Finland-based company Nokia Inc. is developing a mobile phone similar to its rival iPhone, which will be available in the near future for Nokia customers. The phone is expected to be available by 2008.
Most of the features are the same as the iPhone’s. They include music, games, and many other features, even ones that the iPhone may not have. Ovi (in Finnish meaning “Door”) will be the door for more than 2 million songs and games available for download on the new device. Users will be able to download wirelessly in their own home or anywhere there is access to a computer.
But this is not the first time Nokia has made an attempt like this to increase its revenue. In October of 2003 the company revealed the N-Gage, a game-playing cell phone, but was “stocked-out” due to poor sales. The N95 smartphone, which was released in the U.S. on April 7, 2007 (before the iPhone on June 29, 2007) includes WiFi, a GPS, a music player, and a 5 megapixel digital camera. The three other phones that were revealed at the event in London will be in-stock next quarter. The new N81 and the modified N95 smartphones were among the revealed at yesterday’s event; the N81 is a new member to Nokia’s smartphone family; the N95 has been modified by having more memory and a sleeker LCD screen.
When Nokia was asked about the striking similarity between this and the iPhone, Nokia’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Multimedia, Anssi Vanjoki, said, “If there is something good in the world then we copy with pride.”
Nokia first demoed their iPhone rival August 29th. During their demo they omitted the fact that the demo was for the software to be in use, not the actual hardware.[1]