Calderone had been a photography student and worked with fresh flowers during her graduate school years. Her floral design portfolio secured her a job with Perennial Designs where she worked for seventeen years, until the store closed the doors of its downtown Needham location last spring.
At that time, Calderone was forced to ask herself what she would do next. “I loved the flowers and the clients. I realized that I didn’t want to do anything else.” So, last fall, she negotiated for a piece of the business and began to run the silk flower arrangements component out of her home studio.
The garden level of her Newton residence is now lined with workbenches, containers of materials, and tools. Just like florists who work with fresh flowers, Calderone makes routine trips to the Boston Flower Market for a selection of in-season blooms. She works with all different textures and styles, and can create silk flower masterpieces for small spaces or grand foyers.
“Faux flowers used to be a faux pas,” she chuckles, “but the quality has improved so much that it really does fool the eye.” The key, she says, is to design the arrangements as if they were fresh. “Bouquets have to make sense; seasonal flowers should work together, and the right container must be paired with the right flower.” She enjoys collaborating with her clients to realize their ideas and inspirations, and the forgiving nature of the silk allows her significantly more creative freedom than she would have with live plants.
Beyond direct client orders, Calderone’s Perennial Designs products are showcased at Volante Farms and Taylor’s Stationery in Needham. Rustic tables contrast dramatically with their displays of lush and beautiful blooms - from petal pink peonies, lavender lilacs, cream duchess roses and fuchsia clematis, to fistfuls of white camellia, cobalt blue hydrangea, and apple green viburnum.
“Perennial Designs lives on. While there is no shop to walk into, nothing has changed in terms of the quality, style, and service of the business. It is still very much focused on exceptional, face-to-face customer experiences,” Calderone said.
Perennial Designs caters to residential, corporate, and retail clients, and offers seasonal and event services. Please visit perennialdesignsma.com for more information, or contact Lisa Calderone directly at 617-559-0719.


A fake army officer who bears the name Bartholomew Paul, and specialises in smuggling cars into the country, has been arrested by the Kogi State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
It was alleged that the accused was posing as an army officer in the state.
The suspect was paraded yesterday along with seven others for their alleged involvement in pipeline vandalism, vandalism of telecommunication cables, illegal dealings on transformer cables and illegal possession and dealings in firearms and ammunition.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Lokoja, the state Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Everestus Obiyo, said the alleged impersonator was arrested at the Nigeria Army check-point at Ayere in the Western part of the state.
Paul, according to the commandant, has been smuggling cars from Seme Border using the military uniform.
In his statement, Paul told journalists how he was caught by security agencies in Kogi State.
According to him, â€œI am a driver who usually buys cars for people. At the military checking point, the soldiers stopped me because the car that I drove was tinted. They asked me who the owner of the vehicle was, quickly I responded that I am not the owner but it belongs to my brother. Then, they insisted that they are going to search the vehicle. When they searched the vehicle, they discovered where I kept the military uniform inside the boot with my fake military identity card. My friend advised me to do the fake military identity card to prevent security men from stopping me on the road while smuggling fairly used cars into the country.
The suspect alleged that one Sergeant Sanni Bello attached to 323 artillery brigade in Akure, Ondo State, helped him to make the fake identity card.
â€œSergeant Bello said I should keep the identity card and the military uniform inside the vehicle so that wherever I am, there wonâ€™t be problem with security officers stopping me on the road,â€ the suspect added.
Items recovered from Paul are Black Lexus SUV, full military uniform, two number of military uniform passport, dependent military identity car and two number identity cards, bearing different name.
Other suspects paraded by the command for pipeline vandalism and illegal possession of fire arms and ammunition are Mohammed Adamu, Abubakar Abdulkareem, Hafiz Musa, Faruk Ibrahim, Oseni Yau, Adamu Asuba, and Gideon Isaac.
All the suspects, according to the commandant, will be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.


Notwithstanding all the attention attracted by Anna Hazare and his team’s call against corruption, several hard-hitting legal, political and social realities cannot be ignored. Undeniably, Hazare team has succeeded in gathering thousands of people at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. It is also true that peaceful demonstrations have taken place in several parts of the country in support of Hazare team’s call against corruption. The seating capacity at Ramlila Maidan is approximately 50,000. The number of people displaying their support for Hazare has not crossed one lakh in any part of the country, except once or twice in Delhi and Mumbai. Statistically, the support from across the country for Hazare-team can at most be presumed to be that of few lakh people. With India home to 1.21 billion people, this number does not represent a significant proportion of the country’s population. And this raises the crucial question: -- who do Hazare and his team actually represent?
There is no denying that Hazare team has succeeded in securing substantial media attention. But so what as even numerical statistics of supporters behind Hazare are not sufficient to accord him stature of a national leader. Certainly, Hazare and his team have the freedom and right to raise their voices and also protest against issues they feel concerned about. They also, like any other Indian citizen, have the political right to suggest measures to correct problems they feel disturbed about. In fact, it is the duty of Indian citizens to draw people and government’s attention to problems they are aggrieved about. Corruption is one of the many such problems, which the entire country is concerned about.
Constitutionally, politically and socially, with the right to protest against corruption, among other issues, Hazare and his team also have the right to suggest proposals for correcting these problems. Democratically and legally, however, they do not represent any institution or authority to dictate their terms to an elected government. They are not legislators and are not from any angle representative of even a significant percentage of the country’s population or any segment. Raising the corruption issue is one aspect. The course being adopted to tackle the same is another. The latter, including hunger strikes, marches, “sit-in” demonstrations outside parliamentarians’ residences and other such activities, is not in keeping with the country’s constitutional fabric. The situation would have been different if India was not an independent country with a written constitution as per which it is a democratic and socialist republic. If instead of a democratically elected government, India was governed by a dictatorial regime, Hazare team’s fight against corruption may have been viewed as that of perhaps “rebels” quest for democracy. This is not the case.
With an elected government in power, the country’s legislators have authority to enact new laws and also amend old ones to rid the system of the corruption malaise. But when any group, as seems to be the course adopted by Hazare team, opts to “dictate” terms to them, it also amounts to abusing the democratic spirit of the country. After all, parliamentarians have been elected by the country’s voters. Statistically and democratically, the electoral prowess of the Indian voter holds far more value than that of several thousands collected together by Hazare team to apparently pressurize the government to yield to what they desire. Yielding to the latter would be equivalent to bowing to almost dictatorial commands of a handful of citizens, who do not have the authority to wield such powers. It would be an abuse of the country’s parliamentary system. It would also set an unhealthy precedent encouraging extremist elements to perhaps consider violence to pressurize an elected government to yield to their agenda.
Considering that India is home to many religions, castes, tribes, classes and regional communities, it may not be a difficult task for extremist elements of any group to excite their community members and follow the course that Hazare team is taking. If the government can give in to Hazare team, their logic would be, why cannot it yield to their demands? In other words, if an elected government yields to Hazare team, in addition to being an abuse of the country’s constitutional system, it would be an unhealthy and dangerous precedence, which must be nipped before it develops roots.
Irrespective of whether Hazare indulged in plain rhetoric or not, when he said: “If you (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) cannot get the bill, I ask you to leave the chair,” the underlying meaning cannot be missed. Hazare is not above the country’s Constitution and political system to assume that he can ask the Prime Minister or any other person to quit office, if his conditions are not adhered to. The Prime Minister cannot be dismissed even by the country’s highest office holder, that is the President till he and his party lose support in the Parliament.
Against this backdrop, with their course of action being devoid of democratic legitimacy, it is time some attention was paid to what has prompted Hazare team to assume their role as greater than that of India’s constitutional system?


Startled pigeons might not appear to epitomise the wonder of evolution, but a study has discovered that the birds can communicate with their wings.
When a crested pigeon is startled into flight its wings produce a whistling sound which serves as an alarm call.
The pigeons have "modified wings" that produce the whistle as they fly, but only this sudden take-off creates the alarm that causes other birds to flee.
The team report their findings in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B.
Robert Magrath at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra led the study.
He and his colleague Mae Hingee took sound recordings from the birds.
"We audio recorded the sound of birds flying off from a feeder in routine flight and compared those sounds to those produced when we scared pigeons into take-off with a gliding model hawk," explained Dr Magrath.
The birds that took off in alarm produced louder whistles with a more rapid tempo of "notes", he told BBC News.
The researchers played back both alarmed and routine whistles to flocks of feeding pigeons.
"We found that they only fled to cover after hearing the alarmed whistles. [They] could tell the difference, and acted appropriately in response," said Dr Magrath.
He described how the birds' "modified" wings create the sound.
"The birds have one very narrow primary flight feather, which we suspect vibrates during flapping flight to produce the whistling," he said.
Sue Anne Zollinger, an animal communication researcher from the University of St Andrews who was not involved in the study, said the "playback" element of the study was revealing.
"Lots of people have studied sound production by birds' wings, but here the researchers have actually been able to put it into a context, [and] shown that the sound has a communication role," Dr Zollinger told BBC News.
She added that this information would help researchers to understand why being in a flock might be useful for some birds.
The ANU researchers pointed out that while scientists understand some evolutionary advantages of a flock, such as having more pairs of eyes to spot predators, this has clarified exactly how the birds understand that one of their flock has spotted a potential threat.
Dr Magrath concluded: "We'd like to find out more about the mechanism of sound production, try to work out whether it evolved specifically as an alarm signal, and see if other birds also use wing sounds [as alarm calls]."


This commercial property is a former retail location with a hood and several storage and processing rooms as well as a show room. There is great visibility to this property from Rt 30 and it is on a corner. This sale also includes the attached 3 bedroom home and full size swimming pool and is tenant occupied with seperate utilities and entrances. There is also included 12 Summit and 17 Hemlock, both located behind this property. There is a 3 car garage and plenty of free parking in the rear on the paved parking lot. The lot is a double sized lot and has a side street entrance as well as access from Rt 30. Both homes are tenant occupied. Store can be owner or tenant occupied. Great income maker.


The keynote speaker at the annual Rocky Mount Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast used the podium to take a different approach to honoring the slain civil rights leader.
Instead of focusing on more notable aspects of King's legacy, such as federal civil and voting rights laws, N.C. Justice Center Executive Director Rick Glazier spoke about how King might view four issues of the day: Immigration, the environment, health care and education.
Glazier also spoke about King having emphasized the importance of service while speaking at the event, which was held Monday morning at N.C. Wesleyan College.
On the issue of immigration, Glazier said, "We seem to be in our nation no longer a nation known as a welcoming place, a nation of bridges to and from other lands. Now, in the current environment, we seek to replace bridges and open arms with walls and closed fists."
Glazier cited remarks by civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. Lewis’ remarks were in the midst of the 50th anniversary of when King was cut down by a sniper in Memphis, Tenn.
Glazier told the gathering that Lewis said King would be speaking up and saying America needs to do the right thing to look out for all people nationwide and saying America is one people and one family.
Glazier said King believed people are made in God's image and said he believes such a factor would have under-girded King's teachings related to immigration.
Glazier said King recognized social justice couldn't be achieved without environmental justice and said King's actions led to the clean air, clean water and endangered species acts.
He also said King spoke about humans' scientific power too often outrunning humans' spiritual power. He noted King having once said, "We have guided missiles, but too often misguided men."
Regarding health care, Glazier noted King blasted the American Medical Association and others for "a conspiracy of inaction" in the maintenance of medical apartheid.
He also pointed out one of King's most notable quotes came when King said, "Of all the inequalities that exist, the injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman."
Regarding education, Glazier said in the nearly 51 years since King was assassinated, King's dream of an educational system providing equal opportunity to all children remains unfulfilled.
He said he believes King would say the best chance to impact student achievement isn’t with more standardized tests, more vouchers, more charter schools or the educational reform of the day.
He said he believes King would instead advocate devoting attention, love and time to every child.
Glazier went on to call for emulating King's emphasis on service to others, which he said is an ethical and moral commitment going beyond religious barriers and political ideologies.
"It is helpful for us all to remember that if we had just one more hour to live, it would not be that we would wish for a bigger house, more cyberspace to explore, more money to spend,” he said. "But instead, I suspect it would be to spend one more hour with the family we love, with our friends and to do something to leave the world after us a better place for us having been here."
Michael Hunter, who works in the corporate world, afterward said he believes what Glazier had to say "truly personifies what Dr. King actually stood for."
"And if we truly want to make a change, we have to be intentional about our actions and to be intentional about what we need to do," Hunter said. "I think we all understand and know how to love, but I think we love each other in the way we love each other, versus the way God sees us, which is his love is unconditional. It's limitless and boundless."
Jaedon Kearney, 12, said he believed Glazier's speech was good.
"It's really life-changing," Kearney said. "It gives me a new perspective of how I can be in my community — and how to help others out."
During the event, the Rocky Mount Human Relations Commission presented the panel's 2019 Service to Humanity Award to the Frederick E. Turnage Chapter of the American Red Cross.


As the summer is winding down (I know, I can’t believe it’s already August), many of you are probably getting ready for your last weekend away, or maybe returning home after a long vacation. Either way, you’re likely to spot a lot of travelers at the airport. Some will be friendly and fun to sit next to, and others, well … not so much. As you jet-set one last time before coming back to Georgetown, look out for these eight types of people you’ll see on planes.
He’s not sitting in first class (shocker) because he’s probably a junior exec. who hasn’t quite reached that six figure salary. He’ll be hammering away on his laptop the whole flight, and the flight attendant will have to physically pry it out of his hands as you’re landing: “Sir, you must turn off all electronic devices NOW”. He won’t talk very much, except for the occasional muttering under his breath. If you plan on getting any sleep but you happen to sit near him, you’d better not mind the sound of keys clacking.
He’s probably been asleep ever since you got on the plane. Valid question: How did he get on here anyway? And you won’t see him wake up until the flight attendant shakes him at his destination. His snore can be heard throughout half the airplane and he’s slumped over on the poor person next to him (which could be you!). Especially if he’s in the aisle seat, you’ll be holding him the whole flight. Get ready to get cozy!
Traveling with three, four or five young kids is hard. You definitely respect her – but that doesn’t make her brood any less noisy. The kids are adorable to look at, but you know during takeoff and landing, they’re going to cry and scream. If you’re sitting next to them, you’ll have buddies to color and play cards, but no way are you getting a wink of sleep.
She’s a little afraid of flying, so how does she cope? Alcohol. She’s already had a cocktail or two, and as soon as the beverage cart comes around, she’s ordering wine. She’ll be slurring her words, stumbling to the bathroom and maybe even imitating Snoring Guy at the end of the flight. You’re slightly jealous of her and her dedication to turning up, but she doesn’t make the best travel companion.
They never leave each other’s side. They’re adorable and clearly going on some romantic vacation but their lovey-dovey babble makes you want to throw up. Watching them kiss and hold hands for several hours straight is even worse than the turbulence. Also, you might be secretly envious of them (mile-high club anybody?).
Her bags are twice her size, and it requires two other people to help her get them into the overhead compartment. Her hair is completely tangled and she looks as if she ran all the way to the gate. If you sit next to her she’ll be very sweet and apologetic for her appearance that is currently in shambles. Still, she will definitely spill her soda on you and elbow you on her way to the bathroom – whoops.
The complete opposite of the mess, the betch in heels is completely put together – lipstick and jewelry ready to go. Her makeup and clothes look flawless even though she’s on a six hour flight. Nothing she’s wearing looks comfortable, especially those four inch heels she’s got on. Is it possible to pick someone up on an airplane?
Usually a woman, she’s adorable, tiny and wrinkled – the epitome of the perfect grandmother. She might have cookies in her bag, but to score one of those, you’ll need to divulge every detail of your personal life. This is including but not limited to your major, summer internship, siblings, pets, hometown and relationship status. You’ll get some lively conversation, but sleep is probably not an option.
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R&B singer Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds.
With less than 10 weeks left before the hugely anticipated Groovin In The Park concert at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens on June 24, organisers report that ticket sales are 'brisk' at all the outlets in the Tri-State area and online at EventBrite.com.
"We got off to an early start this year, and I am happy to report that we are ahead of schedule in ticket sales and areas that are critical to having a successful festival," said Christopher Robert, founder and CEO of Groovin Inc.
Over the past seven years, the annual festival has presented a dazzling array of R&B and pop talent, including international legends Michael Bolton, Air Supply, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Babyface, Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle, Billy Ocean, Brian McKnight and R Kelly. From the reggae fraternity, they have had Beres Hammond; Freddie McGregor; U Roy; Jimmy Cliff; Steel Pulse; Bob Andy; Morgan Heritage; Chronixx; Mavado; Toots; Marcia Griffiths; Judy Mowatt; Beenie Man; Stitchie; Busy Signal; and many other luminaries.
One subtle change patrons attending the 2018 concert will observe is a bigger focus on reggae. "This year we are putting the focus solidly on reggae," Roberts stated.
"In our informal survey that we conduct each year, patrons have consistently asked to see more reggae acts. With the focus squarely on reggae, I am pleased to announce that for the first time in the history of the festival, a soon-to-be confirmed reggae artiste will be the closing act," he continued.
Groovin in the Park has received a written commitment from the New York Department of Parks and Recreation that the show will go until 9:30 p.m., 90 minutes longer than the normal 8 p.m. cut-off time.
Among the confirmed acts for Groovin In The Park 2018 are; Grammy Award-winning artiste Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds, Busy Signal, Romain Virgo and Capleton.


MESA, Ariz. — Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo did some quick math when he saw reports of the six-year, $43 million contract outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez agreed to with the White Sox.
majors in the last month — five in the last week.
Third baseman Alex Bregman got a five-year, $100 million extension with the Astros. Third baseman Nolan Arenado got eight years and $260 million from the Rockies. Outfielder Mike Trout’s deal with the Angels was more than those two combined.
Hell, outfielder Mookie Betts reportedly turned down a $200 million extension offer from the Red Sox last year.
It’s almost enough to make Rizzo, a three-time All-Star, wonder what his life — and portfolio — might look like if he had waited before signing what turned into one of the more team-friendly deals in baseball.
‘‘It definitely pops up [in your head], but it’s in and out quick,’’ Rizzo said. ‘‘Because at the end of the day, you’re set.
Rizzo will make $12 million this season in the final guaranteed year of his contract, thanks in part to a $1 million escalator clause for two top-five MVP finishes. The Cubs have team options for each of the next two seasons.
The deal was signed within months of Starlin Castro signing a long-term extension with the Cubs. Both deals were completed in the first 19 months of Theo Epstein taking over baseball operations. Six years later, the only other multiyear extension the front office has been able to get done was a modest, two-year deal (plus an option year) with reliever Pedro Strop.
Rizzo said he wants to finish his career with the Cubs. But what an extension might look like — or even when — is anything but certain.
What’s clear to him is that he has no regrets about signing a contract that became a below-market deal as soon as he made his first All-Star team in 2014, even as the game is awash in mind-numbing extensions.
Rizzo, who shared a spring-training clubhouse with Jimenez before the Cubs traded him to the Sox in the deal for left-hander Jose Quintana in 2017, suggested Jimenez’s new deal will be good for him, even if it turns out to be a steal for the Sox.
‘‘That’s a good feeling as a player, knowing that you don’t have to be looking [over] your back, that you have the security,’’ he said.
The deal already assures Jimenez no longer has to endure service-time manipulation to secure an additional year of club control, so he can open the season in the big leagues.
Rizzo has an .864 OPS, two Gold Gloves and a World Series ring with the Cubs, almost all of that since signing his deal.


Titre 4 : La société civile, actrice majeure dans la lutte contre la corruption.
Section 2 : À l'endroit du citoyen : le rôle de sensibilisation.
"Le 8 juin 2018, le Ghanéen Daniel Batidam dépose sa lettre de démission du Conseil consultatif de l'Union africaine sur la corruption, en dénonçant notamment le manque d'intégrité au sein de plusieurs départements de l'institution continentale. Ironie du sort, la démission est révélée au moment où l'Union africaine est réunie en sommet à Nouakchott pour travailler justement sur le thème : "Vaincre la corruption, une voie durable pour la transformation de l'Afrique" Cette démission pointe du doigt un phénomène qui semble ne pas reculer même au sein des instances chargées de le combattre. Malgré le discours politique engagé, les divers textes adoptés et les énormes ressources mobilisées, la corruption continue d'exister dans les États africains, comme si de rien n'était. Cet ouvrage présente les institutions anti-corruption mises en place au Niger, puis met l'accent sur les obstacles essentiellement politiques qui freinent leur pleine efficacité. Les avancées véritables dans la lutte contre la pandémie seront proportionnelles à l'amélioration de la gouvernance."--Page 4 of cover.
Glienicke : Galda Verlag, 2018.
"This book evaluated the underlying principle of retributive theory of punishment behind the application of death penalty fort the offenders and appraised the practice of death penalty by assessing the administration of death sentence through the mode and manner of execution. The study found that death penalty met some objectives of punishment; retribution and deterrence, although there are divergent public views and opinions on the subject. The author concluded that Nigerian society still needs death penalty system against the backdrop of incessant brutal killings, violent crimes, insurgencies, hate crimes so rampant and prevailing in recent times while identified shortcomings in its operation should be addressed in order to make it more functional; and that it is the system of trial rather than the punishment is prone to errors."-- Back cover.
Book — vii, 82 pages ; 24 cm.
In Freedom of Religion and Its Regulation in Nigeria: Analysis of Preaching Board Laws in Some States of Northern Nigeria, Ahmed Salisu Garba provides an account of how states in Northern Nigeria have enacted laws to regulate religious preaching in the spheres of influence. The work examines the debates surrounding the laws and how the state in collaboration with dominant religious groups persecuted members of minority religious in the states. The author applied an argumentative approach to raise and analyse issues relating to the reasonability of the laws in Nigeria, reasons for their enactment, judicial review mechanisms employed in the determination of the reasonability of the laws in democracies, and how they accord with the freedom of religion clause in the Nigerian Constitution.
Book — 56 pages ; 22 cm.
Book — xxix, 247 pages ; 24 cm.
If Nigeria fails to prosecute the crimes recognised under the Rome Statute, then the International Criminal Court (ICC) will intervene. The ICC is only expected to complement the criminal justice system in Nigeria and is not a court of first instance, but one of last resort. This is what is known as the principle of complementarity. Before the ICC can step in, it must make a finding of `unwillingness' or `inability' on the part of Nigeria. It is only after this finding is made that the ICC can take over the prosecution of the crimes recognised under the Statute from Nigeria. This book examines the criminal justice process in Nigeria and discovers that the justice system is latent with the requirements of `unwillingness' and `inability.' The requirements, which serve as tests for assessment, are as they are laid down by the Rome Statute and interpreted by the ICC. This book offers recommendations as to what Nigeria must do in order to avoid the ICC intervention by reversing those parameters that give rise to `unwillingness' and `inability.' The International Criminal Court and Nigeria: Implementing the Complementarity Principle of the Rome Statute offers a contribution to the advancement of international law and will be of practical use to African countries. It aims to sensitise policy makers in different African countries in respect of policy options open to them to close impunity gap in their respective countries. This volume addresses the topics with regard to international criminal law and comparative public law and will be of interest to researchers, academics, organizations, and students in the fields of international law, governance, and comparative criminal justice.
Champaign, IL : Common Ground Research Networks, 2018.
Lagos : Malthouse Press Limited, 2018.
Since the revolution in modern telecommunications that followed the invention of the telegraph, telecommunication networks have provided channels for the fast delivery of communications across national borders. This transnational nature of telecommunication networks have led to the establishment of international regulatory regimes on the subject. On the other hand, developing countries consider regional economic integration as a major strategy for promoting trade and development, telecommunications have been seen within this context as a strategic tool for facilitating regional economic integration. This has also led to the establishment of regional telecommunication regulatory regimes that aim to promote regional integration and regulatory harmonization. This book discusses telecommunication regimes established by international and regional organizations such as the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Trade Organization, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and the Southern African Development Community, among a number of others. It will be relevant to policy makers, regulators, lawyers, law students, investors and telecommunication operators, as well as any person interested in international and African regional telecommunication regimes.
Ajetunmobi, Abdulsalam O. (Abdulsalam Olatubosun), author.
Lagos : Princeton & Associates Publishing Co. Ltd., 2017.
Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria : Zubic Infinity Concept, 2017.
Book — xxvi, 361 pages ; 21 cm.
Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria : Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 2017.
[Nigeria] : Al-Hakim International, 2017.
[Lagos] : Department of Private & Property Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, 2017.
Akinwunmi M. N. (Akinwunmi-Othman Mohammed Nurudeen), 1972- author.
This book contributes to the discourse on post-colonial and globalization theories, focusing on Nigeria's transition to a federal system of government. The project analyzes 10 years of civil rule in Nigeria, between 1999 and 2009, and its constitutional arrangements while also engaging in comparative studies of other socio-political developments in Sub-Saharan Africa. The collective influences of the judiciary on the polity was improved and strengthened through globalization. In addition, organized pressure groups, non-governmental organizations, as well as the Civil Society Organization, have played significant roles as vehicles of socio-political change and transformation. They continue to act as buffers for the sustenance of democratic rule, well beyond the period in question.
1. Nigeria: The Giant of Africa2. A History of Islamic Law in Nigeria3. Islamic Law after the Independence4. The Structure of the Islamic Courts in Northern Nigeria5. Christian Response to the Application of Islamic Law in Nigeria6. Is the Application of Islamic Law in Zamfara State a Success or a Failure?
This work analyzes the history of the application of Islamic law (Shari'ah) in Nigeria. It analyzes how Islamic law emerged in Nigeria toward the beginning of the 19th century and remained applicable until the arrival of the British Colonial regime in Northern Nigeria in 1903. It sheds light on how the law survived colonial rule and continues until today. Dr. Yushau Sodiq analyzes progressive elements in Islamic law over the past two centuries. He goes on to discuss many objections raised by the Nigerian Christians against the application of Islamic law, as well as how Muslims respond to such criticism. In a world that is often saturated with Islamophobia and ignorant misconceptions about Islam, this book aims to clarify and respond to many important concepts and ideas within Islamic religious tradition.
Is the application of Islamic law in Zamfara State a success or failure?
Ibadan : Spectrum Books Limited, 2017.
Ikeja, Lagos : Princeton & Associates Publishing Co. Ltd., 2017.
Abuja, Nigeria : Caltop Publications (Nigeria) Limited, 2017.


NOTE: This recruitment is open until the position is filled, with a preferred filing date of December 1, 2018. Applications submitted by this date will receive first consideration. This position may be filled on a part-time or full-time basis.
Arlington County is seeking a Senior Analyst to serve as a strategic business partner to County hiring managers in assigned County departments and subject matter experts offering Human Resources expertise and guidance in the areas of selection as well as recruitment, sourcing, and outreach. This Senior Analyst will collaborate with hiring managers, and Human Resources Department team members to develop assessment centers and work simulations for promotional processes, to identify staffing needs, and to develop recruitment, sourcing and outreach strategies, especially for executive-level recruitments, designed to promote efficient and quality talent acquisition.
Our HR team recognizes the value of quality hiring decisions, embraces opportunities to innovate our hiring, sourcing, and selection processes, and strives for creativity especially when the result is greater efficiencies, enhanced effectiveness or improved outcomes.
Guides and defends efforts associated with the validity of selection processes.
Responds to inquiries from applicants and maintains relationships with hiring managers, subject matter experts, and top candidates during all phases of the recruitment and selection life cycle.
Enhances Arlington's brand as an Employer of Choice in key and specialized markets and social media outlets.
The successful individual will possess strong oral and written communications skills and the ability to build partnerships and collaborate with a variety of internal and external business partners on selection efforts as well as recruitment, sourcing, and/or outreach efforts for a variety of positions. This Senior Analyst has experience identifying and executing innovative solutions to difficult organizational challenges in recruitment and selection and possesses strong knowledge of test development and validation strategies, employment and case law, and professional standards that impact recruitment and selection practices.
Minimum: A combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Human Resources Management, Public Administration or a related field plus professional level experience in selection and recruitment for a variety of occupations that includes building and managing trusting, working relationships with internal and external customers and applicants.
Substitution: Additional experience may substitute for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.
Human Resources certifications or licenses such as CCP, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
Applications submitted by the preferred filing date of Thursday, October 11, 2018 will be given first consideration for interviews. Applications received after the preferred filing date may be considered for interviews if a hire is not made from applications received by the preferred filing date. The application process will close when the position has been filled or when enough qualified applications have been received.
Work Schedule is Monday through Friday but a flexible work schedule and telecommuting are encouraged. Some weekend and work after normal hours may be required.
This position is part of a broad band, competency-based pay system, and may be filled at any level, including entry level, within the established broad band depending on qualifications. Entry salary within the band is based on a review of qualifications and experience. The pay band above encompasses entry through senior-level work. Pay potential will be based on performance and employee development.
Please complete each section of the application. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application. Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the selection (or application) process and are required for this position. Please do not give "see resume" as a response to the questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered.


PwC Augment is a business which supports clients on a range of implementation and support projects across financial services and, after a period of exponential expansion, is moving into a new phase of growth. Automation and technology is at the forefront of development for a lot of our clients, and to continue to provide world-class services we are positioning ourselves to support the market with these projects. To this end, PwC Augment is developing a new Digital Delivery hub, which will work with our clients right across the UK, both in financial services and in the wider public and private sectors, to aid in the delivery of software development projects, testing services, embedded agility environments and service delivery. This is a unique opportunity to join a vital and significant business function with excellent opportunities for personal and professional development.
Technical Project Manager candidates will have been involved in multiple projects that involve major application development/integration, infrastructure or service improvement delivery. You will be able to speak confidently about the detail of full life cycle projects that they have had a lead role in delivering. This will include ability to discuss project objectives, technologies, design, delivery and the project management approach taken. We would expect the candidate to be able to talk very lucidly on these topics for past projects. Experience in the use of Agile methodologies to deliver large and complex projects is particularly helpful.
Taking the lead on software delivery projects.
Leading teams that may have elements of on site / near shore / offshore / multiple UK locations.
Creating and collating the project collateral and presenting it to senior stakeholders including requirements, timelines, progress, risks and issues.
Ensuring alignment between clients and delivery teams and ensuring that commitments are both meaningful and achievable.
Resourcing - ensuring the project has the correct number staff and skills in order to successfully deliver.
A flexible benefits scheme that be tailored to suit your (and your family’s) needs. Provision of a group pension plan with additional funding provided by PwC.
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate where they have taken a lead in managing teams and delivered operational improvements. This will include concrete discussion of cost savings, operational efficiency improvements, team management changes and, above all, a focus on customer service and stakeholder communication.
They will possess a strong background in technical project management or team leadership for IT delivery for blue chip clients. Ideally, the candidate will have carried out successful project recovery of failing projects.
Project Managers must have a good working knowledge of multiple IT disciplines – e.g. Development, Testing, Infrastructure, Support - and demonstrated technical excellence in at least one of these. The candidate will understand the key drivers in successful IT delivery and support.
Significant experience of successfully managing a range of complex, high value projects and programmes from requirement definition through to project closure.
Experience of dealing with senior client and stakeholders within the business.
Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines, managing a directing a team, strong negotiation and influencing skills.
Practical knowledge of agile/iterative development methodologies (e.g. scrum, XP, DSDM, RUP etc.), operational frameworks such as ITIL and CoBIT and project delivery methods such as PRINCE2. An understanding of the pros and cons of each and of how to apply them usefully.
This role will be based in Belfast but there will be a requirement to travel depending on the needs of the role. We will take your situation into account and discuss this in more detail as your application progresses.


CHRIS RAMSEY is the man QPR to keep them in the Premier League.
The caretaker-manager took charge after Harry Redknapp quit last week - and the club are poised to announce that he will remain in control until the end of the season.
Ramsey led the club to their first away points of the season following Tuesday's 2-0 win at Sunderland.
That clearly strengthened his case - and Rangers midfielder Joey Barton took to Twitter to endorse the decision.
Barton wrote: "Good news also on Chris Ramsey. Very good since he has come in. Got group back on track. Lots for us all to do now to keep club in the league."
The 52-year-old former Brighton defender joined the Rangers coaching staff in November after spending a decade working as part of the coaching set-up at Tottenham.
And he made it clear this week he wanted the job when he said: "If the job's available and I'm the right man for the job, then I'll do it."
But Ramsey's appointment comes as a surprise after club chairman had been expected Tony Fernandes expected to go for a more experienced name.
Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood and Real Madrid number two Paul Clement were both early front-runners for the job before ruling themselves out.
Fernandes then took to Twitter on Tuesday and wrote: "I think I have got my dream manager. Not what anyone thinks. Take a while. Still a bit to go but I'm very happy."
That led to former Swansea manager Michael Laudrup - now coaching in Qatar - being installed as favourite.
But Fernandes and club director of football Les Ferdinand have clearly been convinced Ramsey is capable of steering Rangers away from the bottom three.
A last-minute Southampton winner condemned the Hoops to defeat in Ramsey's first game in charge.
But the win at Sunderland leaves them outside the bottom three on goal difference ahead of the visit to fellow strugglers Hull on February 21.


"We will not allow an international force to act against us."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to oust international observers from Hebron on Tuesday, thereby breaking a 22-year agreement that has helped hold in place the 1997 division of the city between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The observer force, known as the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), operates under a mandate that is renewed twice a year by both sides.
The mandate was due for renewal at the end of this month, but Netanyahu has been under pressure from right-wing politicians and Hebron’s Jewish community not to renew it.
Netanyahu said in November that he would review the situation, and decided on Monday that Israel will no longer support the presence of the 64 international civilian observers from Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
“We will not allow an international force to act against us,” Netanyahu said in a statement to the press.
The Hebron community immediately thanked Netanyahu and the ministers who persistently spoke out on the matter, including Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, and Strategic Affairs and Public Safety Minister Gilad Erdan.
“Together we proved that it is possible to bring an end to the injustice and folly that has lasted for many years,” Hebron’s Jewish community said.
TIPH is tasked with monitoring compliance with the 1997 agreement that split the city of over 220,000 Palestinians, handing 80% of it to the Palestinian Authority and maintaining 20% under Israeli military control.
Its observers operated mainly in the section under Israeli military control, where the Jewish community of about a thousand people lives. TIPH produced reports about alleged Israeli abuses against Palestinians, and patrolled the city to give the Palestinians a sense of security.
Prior to Netanyahu’s decision, Erdan had handed him a secret report on TIPH.
On Monday night, Erdan issued a congratulatory statement in which he also charged that TIPH member had interfered with the work of IDF soldiers and the police, created friction with the settlers, and cooperated with extremist left-wing organizations that promote the delegitimization of Israel.
It was a charge he had already issued in the past as part of a campaign against TIPH.
That campaign had relied heavily on two highly publicized incidents that were caught on video. In the first, TIPH’s legal counsel can be seen slapping a 10-year-old Jewish child in Hebron across the face. The second showed a staff member slashing a tire of a car belonging to a Jewish resident in Hebron.
The spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas slammed the move, noting that it proved Israeli contempt for international agreements.
“The Israeli government’s decision means it has abandoned the implementation of agreements signed under international auspices, and given up its obligations under these agreements,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh.
A TIPH spokesman declined comment.


DENVER — Sam’s Club members and non-members can now have groceries and everyday essentials delivered to their door.
Sam’s Club and Instacart joined forces in February 2018 so the company could provide same-day home delivery service to select cities across the country. On Thursday morning, Sam’s Club announced it was expanding this operation to new markets, including Denver.
The service became available Thursday.
Instacart will deliver the items in as little as an hour after purchase.
Instacart customers will have the opportunity to shop Sam’s Club items — everything from signature savings to bulk shopping options — without a membership. Residents with a Sam's Club membership will receive rewards and lower prices for home delivery.


Maybe it wasn't the sweetheart throw-in deals that got the House of Reps to bail out Wall Street. Here, Cali congressman Brad Sherman said the threat of martial law was held over their heads like an executioner's sword.
I agree with at least one point Governor Palin made in the vice-presidential debate, when she pleaded for individual responsibility, common sense and thrift in the face of our bloated usury economy. Too bad this tidbit was obfuscated by her galling "man on the street" mediocrity. "Doggone it." "Joe Six-Pack." A "shout out." The illiterate "preferenced." A wink. No she did-int! But, she did. Of course, to too many, ignorance and vulgarity are liberating and affirming. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article4880909.ece">That's pretty disturbing to Andrew Sullivan. He may be gay. He may be a Brit. But he loves America, in his own special way.
"The sputtering, ramshackle motor-bike repaired in the back yard that is the Sarah Palin candidacy made a clear decision last Thursday night in her one and only "debate" for vice-president. If she gained enough speed and hurtled forward fast enough, the blur of movement would conceal the lack of any basic knowledge underneath, the absence of any relevant experience, the fathomless ignorance and the pathological lying that have dogged her candidacy so far. And to some extent it worked."
As times get worse, and they will, a good rule to go by is to do the opposite of what that priss Obama might. Which is, embrace guns and religion. And of course, family. And the Constitution. A quick survival check list. Think Lucy in the Sky with Diamond, plus Mom.
Liquidity: Cash is good. Gold and barter-ready goods are better.
Sustainability: Don't waste essential. Stockpile. And learning to farm wouldn't hurt.
Defensibility: We have a 2nd Amendment for a reason.
Mobility: If your loved ones are in an urban area, make sure they have a feasible escape plan when the unrest hits.


Will Google's OS Make the Desktop Safe?
Israeli company Red Bend filed a lawsuit this week against Google, charging the search giant with infringing one of its patents.
The suit alleges that Google uses Red Bend's patented technology in Courgette, a method Google uses to compress updates and send them to its Chrome browser.
Courgette is a compression algorithm that Google developed to shrink the size of updates in order reduce bandwidth requirements for Google and its users, and also to reduce the potential for vulnerabilities, it says on a page describing the technology.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the suit also charges Google with publishing and distributing the source code for Red Bend's technology. That charge may stem from the fact that Chrome and the Courgette update system are open source.
Red Bend claims that Google has known about the patent, which Red Bend filed for in 1998 and was granted in 2003, since Sept. 7 this year. As a result, Red Bend is asking for triple damages and attorney's fees.
Google said it had not yet been served with the suit and therefore would not comment on it.
Red Bend, which also has offices in Waltham, Massachusetts, develops software management products primarily for the mobile phone industry. Phone makers, operators and software developers use the products to manage and update their software on phones.


Pakistan will get another chance to win a berth in next year’s Hockey World Cup in Odisha when they take part in the Asia Cup to be hosted in Dhaka from October 11-22. The winners of the Asia Cup will win a direct ticket to the World Cup. Pakistan have been clubbed in group A with India, Bangladesh and Japan in the eight-nation championship.
Bangladesh were awarded the Asia Cup by the Asian Hockey Federation on Monday. India will be the top ranked team in the 10th edition of the continental championship that will see South Korea defending their crown they won at home in 2013. The Koreans have been clubbed with Malaysia, China and Oman in pool B.
Introduced in 1982, the inaugural men’s Asia Cup was won by Pakistan. The green shirts, who are currently trying to find their old form in world hockey, also won the 1985 and 1989 editions.
World No. 6 India, Asia Cup champions in 2003 and 2007 will be top team in Dhaka. Korea, who won the Asia Cup in 1993, 1999, 2009 and 2013, are ranked 13 in the world while Pakistan are at 14. Malaysia are at No. 12 in the latest international hockey federation (FIH) rankings.
India start their Asia Cup hockey campaign against Japan on October 11. Pakistan play Bangladesh at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium in Dhaka on the same day. India play Pakistan on October 15.
The tournament will be sponsored by Hero Motocorp.


New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie blasted bureaucrats in Washington for allowing a single mistake on a 1,000-page application to possibly cost the state Race to the Top education grants worth $400 million.
The Race to the Top grants were awarded to nine states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday. New Jersey was the top runner-up, having missed out on an award by just a few points on the 500-point scale used to judge the applications.
New Jersey lost five points on one section in which officials were asked to show that the state gives a consistent percentage of its revenue to education. The application called for using data from 2008 and 2009 to make the case. New Jersey used figures from the 2010 and 2011 state budgets.
It's not certain that the state would have aced the section if the right numbers had been used -- but it definitely would have done better.
State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, a Democrat, called it "a stunning mistake that is going to hurt New Jersey's children."
Christie said the "clerical error" could have easily been fixed if someone in Washington had picked up the phone.
"That's the stuff that drives people nuts about government and that's the stuff the Obama administration should answer for. Are you guys just down there checking boxes like mindless drones, or are you thinking?" he said.
"When the president comes back to New Jersey, he's going to have to explain to the people of the state of New Jersey why he's depriving them of $400 million that this application earned because one of his bureaucrats in Washington couldn't pick up the phone and ask a question, couldn't go on the Internet and find information, or wouldn't accept the verbal representation" of the state's education commissioner during a follow-up interview, Christie said.
But the governor's critics said he has no one to blame but himself.
The state's teachers association, which has been in a fight with Christie for months over his decision to have teachers pay a fraction of their health care costs, said regardless of the complaints, it's the governor's administration that made the error before it submitted the application on June 1.
Dawn Hiltner, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Education Association who worked on the committee to develop the application, led by Education Commissioner Bret Schundler, said an earlier draft included budget data from the right years.
But before that application was submitted, Christie said he wouldn't abide by compromises to the union that dealt with how merit pay for teachers would work. He then submitted a different final product that included the wrong yearly data.
"New Jersey's failure to win Race to the Top funding is a direct result of Gov. Christie's misguided decision to hijack the grant application process for his own political purposes," said New Jersey Education Association President Barbara Keshishian.
"He made it clear in June that he was not interested in the input of professional educators in the application process, and he insisted that he knew best what it takes to win this grant. He now owes the people of New Jersey an explanation for why his application failed. And he owes students and taxpayers an apology for undermining a process that could have brought much-needed resources and genuine reform to our state's public schools," she said.
The lack of the union's endorsement cost the state 14 points on the scale. But Christie said the section of the application involving the teachers unions was 23 points higher than a submission in January for an earlier grant that had earned union backing.
"If the teachers union had supported meaningful reforms in this state, we wouldn't be having to have this conversation about a one-sheet piece of paper and 4.8 points because we would've gotten 14 points for the NJEA endorsement and we would have been way over the top and not at number 11," he said.
The state appealed to the Department of Education to receive some of the remaining $100 million in funds left over in the $3.3 billion pot used for the grants, but the request appears not to have earned sympathy.
"We appreciate the governor's leadership on education reform," Justin Hamilton, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education, told the Newark Star-Ledger. "We have no plans to deviate from our process."


Turns out the Internet giant might be able to settle its storied antitrust suit with the European Union without a fine.
Google could be getting out of its antitrust case in the European Union without a fine, based on a new report.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the Internet giant has now submitted a formal document of concessions in order to end the legal proceedings once and for all.
The international news service added, based on unnamed sources said to be "familiar with the matter," that Google is also planning to label its own service in search results so they will clearly stand out from competitors' products.
The Mountain View, Calif.-headquartered corporation has an uneasy, storied history with the European Union, but this two-year antitrust suit in particular has experienced a number of bumps along the way .
Just to recap a few of the bumps that have taken place this year, Europe's antitrust chief Joaquin Almunia suggested to the Financial Times back in January that Google would likely have to alter the way it displays search results — or face antitrust penalties.
A few weeks later, Google submitted a new proposal outlining plans about changes on how it would conduct its search business going forward.
It's possible that the proposal (as well as the package of concessions delivered to the E.U. this week) could mirror the settlement that the search giant made with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC handed down the decision in early January , listing a number of changes that Google would have to make in regards to both its search policies as well as how it uses patents included with the acquisition of Motorola Mobility.
One example of those search changes called for allowing businesses to opt out of Google products such as Shopping and Local without being penalized in how their companies pop up in search results.


On Last Week Tonight, the comedian shed light on one of America's scummiest operations.
To dismantle the money-grubbing schemes of Christian evangelists, John Oliver simply rolled their clips. In snippets of televised broadcasts, pastors like Robert Tilton and Creflo Dollar preached to their devout followers about "planting seeds." If they sent tithes to the churches— $100, $500, $1000—the seed money would grow under God's watch. Oliver's audience held a steady groan through the segment. It wasn't just that the ploy was obvious (Dollar is open about jetting from venue to venue in his $65 million dollar private jet), but that good people were susceptible. The evangelists prey on those in need, twist arms using faith-filled words. Oliver wanted to see it for himself, so he enrolled in Tilton's donation plan. What followed was seven months of cash demands, promises for a better life, and zero accountability. We'll let Oliver explain in the video above. And stay through the entire segment; in the end, Oliver and Rachel Dratch decide to start their own church. Because if religious organizations can con money away from innocent people without any IRS intrusion, why shouldn't they get in on the fun? Christ.


Pope Francis plans to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima in 2017, on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three children, according to the diocese in Portugal.
“Pope Francis confirmed to Bishop Antonio Marto that, ‘if God gives him life and health’, he wants to be in Cova di Iria to celebrate the centenary of the Apparitions of Fatima,” the diocese of Leiria-Fátima said in a press release.
Three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos, Jacinta Marto and Francisco Marto, had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 13 1917.
St John Paul II credited the Virgin Mary with saving his life when he was shot in 1981. He later placed the bullet in the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.


9 Aug 2016, 1:31 p.m.
The Commission agreed to skip historic preservation review for small 5G cell sites across the US.
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday took another step toward the eventual deployment of 5G wireless service.
Sidestepping the usual bureaucratic red tape, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau agreed to eschew historic preservation review for small 5G cell sites across the US—as long as they don't adversely impact historic locations. The new exclusions, according to the FCC, are meant to help reduce the cost, time, and burden of building a nationwide 5G network.
"The agreement reflects the Commission's vigilant commitment to enabling swift but responsible deployment of wireless infrastructure," Jon Wilkins, head of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, said.
The agency is "open for business on infrastructure siting," he continued, welcoming input on how to further improve the process.
"The interconnected world of the future will be the result of decisions we make today," Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement. "That is why 5G is a national priority, and why [Monday's] agreement … will play a critical role in the successful deployment of next-generation wireless service."
Don't expect to start surfing the mobile Web on a super-fast cellular network any time soon, though. While there has been a lot of buzz about what 5G can do—power smart cities, provide gigabit speeds—the actual technology is mostly a hodgepodge of field trials and oneupmanship among US wireless carriers, chip makers, and even the FCC.
Verizon, however, changed that last month, when it announced the completion of its 5G radio specification. It tells the company's partners exactly what they'll have to do to build, maintain, and offer devices that play nice with Verizon's 5G network.
Other carriers aren't far behind: AT&T expanded its 5G trials with Nokia in June, and T-Mobile plans to start tests later this year. Meanwhile, European carriers are trying to get the EU to jumpstart 5G development by prodding communications agencies to promise dedicated spectrum—something the FCC recently did in the US.
For more, see PCMag's What Is 5G?


One ugly duckling of a cartoon. Running time: 75 minutes. Rated G. At the Empire, the Kips Bay, the 64th and 2nd, others.
FODDER for only the most undemanding rugrats, “The Trumpet of the Swan” is a brightly colored but terminally dull cartoon adaptation of E.B. White’s classic 1970 book.
Director Richard Rich, an ex-Disney hack who dumbed down “The King and I” into a animated musical a couple of years back, has been somewhat more respectful of White’s story.
But lacking any real heart or engaging action, it emerges as even more charmless filler destined for a quick trip to the video shelf.
It’s a shame, because there’s a great lesson for kids in the story of a mute trumpeter swan’s triumph over adversity.
Louis (voice of Dee Baker), the swan, is frustrated because he can’t speak and communicate with his peers, particularly the beautiful Serena (Reese Witherspoon).
A sympathetic younger swan named Sam (Sam Gifaldi) takes Louis to school, where his teacher (Carol Burnett) teaches Louis to write on the tiny chalkboard he carries around his neck.
Unfortunately, the other swans can’t read.
But Louis’ blustering father (Jason Alexander, whose annoying vocals wear out their welcome after about 30 seconds) has broken into a music store in Montana and stolen a trumpet for his mute son.
Louis flies off to Boston to earn money to pay for the trumpet, but gets victimized by a crooked agent (Joe Mantegna) until he’s rescued through the efforts of a hipster chipmunk (Gary Anthony Williams).
Mary Steenburgen gives voice to Louis’ mother and Seth Green is his romantic rival for Serena.
But their characters as animated are so one-note the vocals might as well have been provided by anonymous performers.
The animation, executed mostly in Korea, is as flat and lackluster as the half-dozen forgettable songs.


'What if that happens to me?' After 17 are killed in a high school in Parkland, Florida, North Jersey teens answer the call to agitate for action.
"What if that happens to me?" After 17 are killed in a high school in Parkland, Florida, teens agitate for action.
The generation that has come of age in the 19 years since a dozen students and a teacher were gunned down at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 — the massacre that set the tragic template for the dozens of school shootings that have followed — are taking a stand and saying "never again."
Terrified that their school could be next, and alarmed that active-shooter drills have become a routine part of their academic lives, students in New Jersey are adding their voices to the national movement against gun violence that has been gathering momentum since since 17 students and faculty members were fatally shot at a high school in Parkland, Florida, last week. They are organizing rallies and walkouts and forming clubs and committees in their schools to demand change.
“When I heard there was another school shooting, it made me realize: What if that happens in my school? What if that happens to me?" said Crystal Perez, 16, a student at Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne. "It’s a really big school. What if my sister gets shot in school? What if my brother gets shot in school? It is hard to think about."
In interviews with The Record, students shared their fears and concerns about gun violence in the wake of the Florida shooting. Some were tearful and afraid while others were angry, but none wanted to stay silent. They called for their government to do more to curb gun violence and to keep them safe.
Crystal Perez: "Sometimes you want to be positive, but other times I think about these things myself. Maybe not my classmates, but I do think about it. Am I safe in school? Are we supposed to be learning about this more? Are we supposed to be doing drills like this every day?"
Greta Dobson: "You’re sitting here and you've received thousands, even millions of dollars from the NRA, and you're saying 'thoughts and prayers' and you're watching children getting killed. I can’t handle people like that. It makes me so unbelievably angry.
"It’s a parallel you can draw to yourself, and nobody wants to think about that. It’s a terrible thing, and to think about these 15-year-olds standing up and talking about how they watched their friends lose their lives and now they have to go on with theirs. I don’t even want to consider it."
Conor Dobson: "The first thing that goes through my head is, 'Oh, man, this again.' I know what’s going to happen next. The politicians are going to say something about thoughts and prayers. There’s going to be a hashtag on Twitter. And it’s going to be the same sort of cycle over and over again until the next mass shooting happens.
"These kids [in Florida] are really making a stand on social media to do something. These kids are staying, 'Stop, this is what we can do to help, here’s how you can help. We’re not going to stand for this anymore.' I think that's what is setting this school shooting apart from all the others, because something is really being done. Now, how much of that is going to actually help and be put in place, that remains to be seen."
“I could never imagine a world where, you know, my best friend wouldn’t be there the next day and I could never talk to them again. It would be absolutely heartbreaking.
“Lockdowns make everyone really nervous, because at first we don’t know if it’s real or not. My sister goes to the middle school, and I definitely get nervous when I hear that they’re in lockdown.


During his visit to India last week, World Bank president Robert Zoellick stressed the need to make Bank services “smarter, faster and cheaper" to better serve this country. India, its largest borrower, is turning less to it for money and technical advice; reducing its borrowing from 0.55% of its GDP in 2003 to 0.34% in 2006. India is also unlikely to remain eligible for concessional International Development Association lending (for long the mainstay of the Bank support to this country)—and, could soon “graduate" out of the Bank altogether. The Bank is also losing the battle for the Indian heart and mind, with public resistance stalling or slowing a number of its recent projects. A more deathly blow, however, comes from within the Bank itself: a new policy (established by the Paul Wolfowitz regime) says no national can serve in his or her home country. This extends the Bank’s traditional ban on host-country nationals serving as country directors so as to guard against collusion.
Thus, the Bank’s Indian “international civil servants", hired originally through a worldwide, competitive process in Washington, may no longer be posted to India. While its New Delhi office may hire Indians as “local staff", key positions—in which decisions about India projects and knowledge products are made—will now only be occupied by foreign nationals. Not only is this likely to further impact the Bank’s image in India, more worrying—from the perspective of the Indian taxpayer—is that it might also constrain the country’s ability to maximize the bang from every borrowed World Bank buck.
More projects are likely to be stalled and more development money wasted, as the Bank becomes an even more foreign organism, throwing up solutions not rooted in India’s socio-economic and political reality. No xenophobia here, just a practical calculation. It takes any foreigner more than a year to come to grips with a new country, certainly one as complex as India. By the time the foreign staff is fully operational, they are ready to be posted out. Can India afford this waste in the interest of a diversified (read foreign) international civil service? Only professionals organically embedded in a country can effectively “hit the ground running". They would also more instinctively appreciate local concerns about key Bank initiatives, and find it easier to negotiate alternative, home-grown and politically palatable solutions with Indian policymakers and the public. Therefore, it is vital that at least the World Bank’s country director in India should be a national.
After all, virtually every global company and financial institution operating in India has appointed an Indian—whether expatriate or local—to head local operations. In some cases, Indian expatriates even run these companies’ entire global operations. Corruption and collusion have not been an issue.
On the contrary, these “India CEOs" have unlocked tremendous economic value, both for the companies that trusted them with their India operations, and for India itself. In just 10 years, these CEOs have created a much greater growth momentum for the country than many prior decades of the World Bank labour. This feat was enabled by the dual sensitivity to corporate objectives and the country’s potential that only a national or expatriate can have. For instance, when India’s huge domestic market did not yield the returns that global companies and banks expected, these CEOs reinvented their institution’s India products; in some cases, the entire country operation. They created the growth-driving global investment, outsourcing, R&D, and export-oriented manufacturing activity that we see today, and an unprecedented global respect for India. Even more noteworthy is that multinationals are no longer perceived as alien in India.
Might not an Indian CEO deliver as phenomenal a return to the country and to the World Bank? This is a question Zoellick would be well advised to ponder. To truly make the Bank in India “smarter, faster and cheaper", Zoellick should also separate Bank lending from its technical assistance, forcing it to compete with other knowledge providers to continually present offerings that are viable, timely and cost-effective.
Since the Indian government uses the Bank’s money to buy the institution’s technical services, it has little incentive and no enforcement mechanism to hold the latter accountable, by withholding payment or appointing an alternative adviser. The Bank is thus not only taking far longer and spending significantly more than corresponding private sector providers to deliver its products, but is also insulated from sustained, external pressure to enhance cost-effectiveness.
Projects tend to be driven by the Bank staff’s (not illegitimate) ambition to achieve international “best practice" via loans that look good in Washington and can be easily approved there, yet may be politically difficult to sell here. An example is the Bank’s disrupted effort to pilot privately managed, publicly owned 24-hour water supply in a handful of municipal districts in New Delhi and Bangalore. In both cities, civil society groups and the public not only felt that 24-hour supply would be unnecessarily costly, but that the technical advisory element of the project was too expensive. As Parivartan, the NGO that stalled the New Delhi project, asked, “Does India need such expensive international consultants when matching local engineering and financial talent can be found more cheaply?" It is tough for any Indian, of whatever ideological hue, to argue against this. As significantly, they also questioned the conflict of interest inherent in the Bank being both lender and adviser at the same time.


THERE'S A WEARYING pattern associated with gun-related tragedies in this country. An assault, like the shooting Saturday of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) and 19 others, sparks discussion about America's lax gun laws and the ease with which mentally unstable people can buy weapons of wholesale destruction. Then come rejoinders centering on the political impossibility of common-sense legislation. And then, a lapse back into an indefensible but seemingly inevitable status quo.
It's enough to make most people just want to move on to the next topic - but it shouldn't be. Reasonable gun control is not unconstitutional. It would not violate Americans' freedoms or inhibit hunting or self-defense. And - if political leaders starting with the president would rise from their duck-and-cover position - it need not be a political impossibility.
The alleged shooter in the Tucson, Ariz., rampage, Jared Lee Loughner, used a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol that took the lives of six people and injured 14 others, including Ms. Giffords. Mr. Loughner allegedly fired some 30 bullets in a matter of seconds with the assistance of a special ammunition magazine attached to the weapon. The carnage might have been even greater had bystanders not tackled Mr. Loughner and prevented him from reloading.
The type of magazine used by Mr. Loughner was once banned in the United States. But that brief era of sanity came to an end in 2004, when Congress refused to renew the assault-weapons ban passed in the summer of 1994. Democrats suffered huge defeats in the 1994 midterm elections, and many blamed their support for the gun-control measure, which the National Rifle Association adamantly opposed. Although that election turned on many controversies, including taxes, health-care reform and gays in the military, many Democrats took away a single message: Endorsement of even modest gun-control measures can spell political defeat.
As a candidate for president, Sen. Barack Obama nonetheless pledged to revive the assault-weapons ban. These weapons serve no conceivable lawful purpose. Mayors and police chiefs, whose constituencies pay the bloodiest price for traffic in such guns, have pleaded for sensible laws. In Mexico, where assault weapons purchased in the United States have been responsible for tens of thousands of murders, Mr. Obama's counterpart, Felipe Calderon, has lodged similar requests. But President Obama has taken only minor steps toward redeeming Candidate Obama's promise.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control, noted that in the recent midterm elections, 27 Democratic incumbents endorsed by the NRA lost reelection. By contrast, only two of the 101 Democratic representatives who co-sponsored a gun-control bill in the last Congress lost their seats. Support for sensible gun control need not spell the end of a career. If Mr. Obama would lead the way in making the argument, poll numbers on the issue also might begin to shift.
And the argument would be this: Sensible regulations could save lives. Maybe little can be done to prevent a deranged individual from doing harm to others. But there are steps that could limit the harm he can do.


Incoming Florida Senate President Bill Galvano named the Naples Republican the Senate's majority leader for the upcoming legislative session.
Kathleen Passidomo was unimpressed Monday when incoming Florida Senate President Bill Galvano called to tell her she would occupy office number 330 in the upcoming legislative session.
“You can put my office in the men’s room for all I care,” Passidomo said. “He said, ‘You don’t get what I’m saying, do you?’” she recalled.
What he was saying is that he was naming her senate majority leader, one of the top three or four positions in the chamber, and moving her office accordingly.
“It’s a real honor and I was totally in shock when he asked me. I hung up. I was afraid I’d start babbling,” the Naples Republican said.
Galvano says he picked Passidomo for the post because she has a good rapport with both Senate Republicans and Democrats and is a consensus builder.
Passidomo tends to agree. “I’m a people person. Most of it (the job) is member relations, helping members get their bills heard. When somebody has a problem, they’re going to come in and talk to you about it. You have to have an open-door policy, that’s for sure,” she said.
The Senate majority leader only gets one vote, just like other senators, so what’s the upside for constituents?
For starters, Passidomo said, she’ll have a hand in shaping the Senate agenda for the coming session, which is to begin March 5. Committee meetings in advance of the session start Dec. 11.
“I’ll have the ability to weigh in on that. It gives me a seat at the leadership table,” she said. That table includes the Senate president, president pro tempore, in this case Sen. David Simmons, Passidomo as majority leader and perhaps one or two others.
Traditionally, legislators in leadership positions don’t file as many bills as rank and file members. Some recent predecessors in the post haven’t filed any.
Passidomo says she’ll file a few and they’ll focus on the same priorities she had a year ago including, water quality and mental health.
In a message to other senators, Galvano praised Passidomo’s efforts on the latter. “During her tenure as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on PreK-12 Education, and prior to the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Senator Passidomo spearheaded the effort to create an allocation for mental health assistance,” he wrote.
The role of the Senate majority leader isn’t to extract favorable consideration from other senators. “You don’t want to throw your weight around. You want to keep the respect of the members,” Passidomo said.
At the same time, committee chairmen recognize leadership’s priorities and tend to act accordingly, she said.
Being named to a top spot now sets Passidomo up for even greater things in the future.
Assuming she keeps her seat in the 2022 election and Republicans maintain control of the Senate in 2020 and beyond, she could be Senate president herself in the session that begins in 2023.
Passidomo said she was taken by surprise by her sudden promotion.
“I’m thrilled. I’m floored,” she said.
Third floor, to be exact.


Hundreds of Palestinians thronged two major West Bank checkpoints, trying to reach a key Islamic shrine in Jerusalem on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, despite tight Israeli restrictions.
Israeli troops turned back many of the West Bank faithful. Only men above the age of 45 and women above the age of 35, who had also obtained special permits, were allowed to enter Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest shrine of Islam, said police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby.
This year, the start of Ramadan, a month of fasting and religious observance, coincided with the Jewish New Year. Israel imposed a blanket closure on the West Bank during the Jewish holiday, barring virtually all Palestinians from entering Israel.
Hundreds of Israeli police were deployed in streets and alleys in and around Jerusalem's walled Old City where the Al Aqsa Mosque compound is located.
Troops also took up positions at two major West Bank checkpoints, one to the south of Jerusalem and one to the north. The checkpoints are built into Israel's West Bank separation barrier, which rings most of Jerusalem to control Palestinian movement into Israel.
At the southern checkpoint, hundreds of Palestinians, many of them elderly, pushed up against police lines set up near the separation barrier, in this area a towering wall.
At one point, the crowd pushed through the police line. One woman crawled on her hands and knees, another fell to the ground as people behind her surged forward.
Hamdi Abu Fadi, 44, was turned back because he didn't meet the age requirement. Abu Fadi said he'd try to sneak into Jerusalem in another area, in hopes of reaching Al Aqsa.
Palestinians have long complained that Israel is violating their right to freedom of worship by restricting access to a major shrine.
"It's a crime against us all year long, whether during Ramadan or any other month," said Abu Fadi.


The premiere of the new film, The Joneses, in Hollywood on Thursday really cracked Demi Moore up! Demi’s co-star David Duchovny was able to keep a big smile on her face. Her husband Ashton Kutcher and daughter Rumer Willis also kept Demi in good spirits while keeping her company on the carpet!
While at the premiere, David was having Demi Tweet for him!
David and Demi‘s film is about what appears to be a perfect family living the American Dream in a suburban neighborhood, but aren’t as they seem to be to their neighbors.
So, what’s David’s American Dream?
And he’s looking forward to spending summer vacation with them!


Kia Motors launches its first brand campaign for India, to introduce the brand in the country and further strengthen it’s connect in the market. This campaign lead by the TVC reiterates Kia’s design philosophy and aptly brings out the importance of design in the Kia ecosystem.
The campaign ‘Magical Inspirations, Stunning Designs’, have been made on the deepest insight that there is an inspiration behind every great design and there are unique inspirations behind the design of every Kia car.
The campaign that started by piquing people’s curiosity with teasers of an astronaut and a tiger around a Kia car, reaches a big reveal as apart from the astronaut and the tiger, seven other magical inspirations came together to form a Kia car.
Ahead of the launch of its first car in India in the second half of 2019, Kia is aggressively implementing its marketing plans with an aim to be amongst the top 5 automakers in India within three years.


Oversharing isn’t the only mistake people make when their marriages are ending.
If you’re getting a divorce, it pays to keep quiet on social media, said New York divorce attorney Jacqueline Newman. Trashing a soon-to-be ex or boasting about your great new life can complicate divorce negotiations.
These documents may help not only with the divorce settlement but with future retirement and tax planning, Stolz said. For example, someone who was married for at least 10 years may be able to claim spousal or survivor benefits from Social Security based on an ex’s earnings record.
Homes can be particularly problematic, especially in high-cost areas. A married couple can exclude up to $500,000 of home sale profit from their taxes, but a single person can avoid tax on only $250,000. Couples need to consider the future, after-tax value of assets during their negotiations, Longo said.
Mediation or collaborative divorce can save people money compared with traditional divorce proceedings, Newman said. Mediation, an alternative dispute resolution process, may not involve lawyers and relies on a neutral third party to help devise an agreement. With a collaborative divorce, each spouse is represented by an attorney trained in the collaborative process of negotiating deals that are fair to both parties.
With a traditional divorce, people may dig in their heels and have to turn to a judge — sometimes repeatedly — to decide issues as they’re negotiating an agreement. Avoiding that adversarial process as much as possible can make a lot of financial sense, Newman said.
“I tell my clients, ‘You’re going to settle eventually anyway. The only question is how long it will take and how much you’ll pay me,’” she said.


WASHINGTON — (PAI) In their long run on the nation’s television screens, Martin Sheen, Brad Whitford and Richard Schiff were always in the “West Wing,” but never on Capitol Hill — until now. But on March 31, the stars of the long-running, critically acclaimed TV series about the White House and its denizens led a cavalcade of workers up to Congress to unveil new ads for the Employee Free Choice Act and to urge senators to pass it.
It’s those workers — camera operators, grips, aides, stagehands — and other workers nationwide who really need the improvements in wages and working conditions that unions bring, Sheen added.
“We’re here to give celebrity lubrication” to the cause, Whitford told a later session in a small conference room. “Anything we can do to get the cameras on these people” — the workers who need the act — “we’ll do,” he stated.
The three, along with the workers, campaigned in favor of the act, labor’s No. 1 legislative priority. It would help level the playing field between workers and bosses in organizing drives and in bargaining first contracts. It would do so by writing into labor law that workers, not bosses, get to choose the way they select unions: Through verified “majority sign-up” of union authorization cards, or through an NLRB-run election.
The law would also increase fines for labor law-breaking, make it easier to get court orders against repeat offenders and order binding arbitration between labor and management when the two sides can’t reach a first contract 120 days after talks start.
“When in 50 percent of cases after the union is recognized, there is no first contract” after at least a year of bargaining “then the system is broken,” explained Mary Beth Maxwell of American Rights At Work, which organized the two sessions.
president, we called a strike” for better working conditions “which lasted 48 hours. And I lasted for 72 before being fired.” He permanently joined unions when he moved to New York and took up acting in 1961.
The object of the lobbying, by the actors and the workers, is to convince 60 senators to overcome the planned GOP filibuster against the legislation. They face a major roadblock: Past sponsor Arlen Specter, R-Pa., defected and will support the talkathon. That could kill the bill. And the actors, plus some workers, also planned to lobby Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., one of several wavering Democrats.
The lobbying continues in the senators’ home states during the congressional holiday recess that began Saturday. That’s also when American Rights At Work starts screening the new TV ads for the bill, emphasizing economic themes and justice on the job. “All we need is for a level playing field,” say workers in one “Faces of EFCA” ad.
Workers at the press conferences took that message to the senators. Unions in Washington helped by draping big pro-Employee Free Choice Act banners on their buildings — including one on Teamsters headquarters, facing the Senate.


SPOKANE, Wash. — A former NAACP leader in Washington state whose life unraveled after she was outed as a white woman pretending to be black has been charged with welfare fraud.
News station KHQ-TV reports Thursday that Rachel Dolezal, who legally changed her name to Nkechi Diallo in 2016, was charged this week with theft by welfare fraud, perjury and false verification for public assistance.
Court documents say she illegally received $8,747 in food assistance and $100 in child care assistance from August 2015 through November 2017.
An investigation started in March 2017 when a state investigator received information that she had written a book.
Documents say she had deposited nearly $84,000 into her bank account without reporting it.
They say the former activist told investigators she “fully disclosed her information” and declined to answer further questions.


In a game-changing move for the outdoor industry, CBS Outdoor is the first company to add the outdoor industry’s Eyes On ratings to its proof-of-performance report powered by Ayuda Media Systems, a software system for out-of-home media.
It’s the first time outdoor ratings will be delivered to buyers via an independent source, allowing advertisers to validate audience reach of outdoor campaigns alongside proof that the campaign ran.
The announcement comes on the eve of this year’s GO! 2010 Traffic Audit Bureau and Outdoor Advertising Association media conference opening this Sunday (May 2) in Phoenix.
Until now, advertisers and agencies have relied on media companies to provide Eyes On ratings, introduced by the Traffic Audit Bureau about a year ago to replace the archaic “daily effective circulation” numbers. As the industry transitions to the new metrics, getting the ratings into third party software systems to more efficiently manage outdoor campaigns was the next logical step.
“This provides a stamp of authenticity to the numbers and that gives clients and agency planners more comfort with the ratings,” said Jack Sullivan, svp of out-of-home for Starcom.
Though CBS’ industry-leading move covers about 30 percent of outdoor inventory, the hope is that other media companies will move quickly to integrate ratings into their systems.
“We have these new metrics, it’s an important new currency and unless we make it part of our DNA, it isn’t real,” said Jodi Senese, evp of marketing for CBS Outdoor.


It's time to start thinking about summer time wines to enjoy on your patio or at our Valley's outside dining spaces. Here's a look at four outstanding Rose's from around the world.
Blends are skyrocketing in popularity in our valley and around the country.
Here's a look at four nice Italian wines I came across during a recent round of tasting.


With its prime position on Lithgow's main street, Bev Matthews' curtain shop should be doing a roaring trade.
But since the downturn started, the town has faded to be a shadow of its former self.
"Unfortunately, Lithgow survives on the mines, which are closing down," she told the ABC.
"There's not as many people hanging around, retail is dropping off."
Ms Matthews said up to seven local businesses have closed in the past 18 months.
"It was a very, very thriving town," she said.
"We need to try and get people wanting to live in Lithgow, rather than just the retiring tree-changers."
Down the street at the bakery, locals come and go, but there aren't many young faces.
Owner David Dowler fears for the future of his town.
"I hope it doesn't turn into a ghost town, but you know, it might," he said.
"We need more jobs for young people, you have got to keep the young people around."
Some blame Lithgow's problems on job losses at the Wallerawang Power Station, which shut in 2014.
The state-owned power station was sold to power company Energy Australia, but soon after the sale it was mothballed and has sat idle since.
Lithgow's Deputy Mayor, Wayne McAndrew, said nearby mines started laying off workers around the same time.
"We're going through a difficult time, and anyone who lives here would know that," he said.
"We had the closure of the Wallerawang Power Station back in 2014, and very quickly after that, the closure of the Angus Place colliery.
"That was a loss of over 600 permanent, full-time jobs, and you can understand the flow-on effect of that," he said.
There has been a push to give the site of the Wallerawang Power Station a new life, redeveloping it to bring new jobs to the region.
"I'm resigned to the fact, sadly, that we'll never again see power generated at Wallerawang," Mr McAndrew said.
"But we're being told the site is very valuable for future job opportunities, if it isn't demolished completely."
Energy Australia has announced recycling company Bettergrow will be granted exclusive access to the site so it can decide whether it wants to purchase it.
"We were looking at part of the site for recycling and resource recovery operations," Bettergrow General Manager Neil Schembri said.
"Since then the opportunity and the site has evolved, we're now looking at purchasing the whole site."
Mr Schembri said once approvals were in place he would like to see up to 30 jobs created over a two-year period.
"It's realistic to expect in years to come there'd be 200-300 people in jobs on the site there," he said.
While re-development is the talk of the town in Lithgow, some are concerned about who could end up paying for any demolition works at the power station site.
In a recent media release, Energy Australia said it had applied for permission to the Lithgow City Council, "to rehabilitate plant infrastructure and surrounding land".
"This involves … potentially removing the primary boiler, turbine hall, cooling towers, buildings and associated equipment such as coal-handling conveyors, above-ground pipelines and electrical systems," it said.
Lithgow Deputy Mayor Wayne McAndrew said taxpayers could be picking up the bill for some of the works, because of an agreement between the State Government and Energy Australia.
"We're told quite clearly that if the site is to be levelled, the cost of that is to be borne by the residents and taxpayers of NSW, and the taxpayers of NSW," he said.
But the State Government said it cannot reveal if that is the case.
"NSW Treasury is working with Energy Australia on the decommissioning, demolition and rehabilitation of the Wallerawang site," it said in a statement.
But it said the details of the sale agreement were confidential.


1.(SBU) Summary: Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) has signed extensions for a pair of exploration and production sharing agreements (EPSAs) with Spain's Repsol, France's Total, Austria's OMV, and Norway's Saga Petroleum, continuing its policy of redefining old contracts under the new EPSA IV framework. The joint investment commitment in the new deal should help boost Libyan production significantly in the years to come. End Summary.
2.(SBU) In a widely-anticipated move, a consortium of European oil companies has extended its contracts in Libya. A new EPSA agreement signed on July 17 with a four-company consortium operated by Spain's Repsol covers two blocks, NC115 and NC186, in the Marzuq Basin, and extends the duration of the contracts to 2032. This represents an additional 15 years for NC-115, and from five to nine years (depending on the specific fields) in block NC-186. The deal ensures the exploitation of the vast resources discovered in both blocks, whose remaining proven oil reserves at the end of 2007 totaled 765 million barrels.
3.(SBU) Within the new framework, the production share for the European consortium will be reduced from 25% to 13% for NC-115 and from 40% to 12% for NC-186. Under the former agreement, the production share was 75% for the NOC, 10% for Repsol, 7.5% for OMV, and 7.5% for Total in Block NC-115; and 60% for the NOC, 12.8% for Repsol, 9.6% for OMV, 9.6% for Total, and 8% for Saga. The new agreement represents 87% for NOC, 5.2% for Repsol, 3.9% for OMV, and 3.9% for Total for block NC-115. In block NC-186 the new percentages run 88% for the NOC, 3.84% for Repsol, 2.88% for OMV, 2.88% for Total and 2.4% for Saga. The new contract also includes a $1 billion signature bonus payable by the consortium over three years, and a gross investment requirement in excess of $4 billion, of which 50% will be covered by the NOC, in an effort to reach a steady-state production level of 380,000 barrels of oil per day.


Protocom Systems Inc can be found at Sw Greenburg Rd 10260. The following is offered: Computer Software. The entry is present with us since Sep 8, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Portland there are 26 other Computer Software. An overview can be found here.
Landmark Mortgage is located at 10300 SW Greenburg Rd Ste 485, Portland, OR. This location is in the Tigard Neighborhood Area 4 neighborhood. This business specializes in Real Estate Financing.


This report addresses the historical, statistical, conceptual, and policy aspects of financial cooperatives, focusing on how they fare in times of crisis. Using the general success of cooperatives during the global financial crisis as an example, the report argues that they can provide a credible alternative to the investment-owned banking system. The report reveals that financial cooperatives have continued to provide banking services to people on low incomes, to stabilize the banking system, to regenerate local economies, and, indirectly, to create employment. It explains that cooperatives are able to do this because of their unique combination of member ownership, control, and benefit. It concludes with a set of policy recommendations for governments, development agencies, and other policymakers.
Johnston Birchall is a professor at the University of Stirling, Scotland. His publications include People-Centred Businesses (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).


Andrew McGinn covers the military, veterans issues and community nonprofits for the Springfield News-Sun. A News-Sun staff writer since 1999, McGinn has received numerous Associated Press awards for his writing. He’s a graduate of Morningside College in Iowa.