Road to Tokyo 2020, the most sustainable Olympics ever12 min read
The Tokyo Olympic Games originally scheduled to begin in late June this year, will now take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021. Likewise, the Tokyo Paralympics Games will now take place from August 24 to September 5, 2021.
One of the main events of 2020 – like others more – has been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Despite that, Tokyo 2020 games aim to be the most sustainable Olympics ever.
Zero emissions, recycled materials, promotion of diversity, and accessible mobility: here are a few Tokyo 2020 objectives and initiatives to host sustainable, inclusive, and innovative Olympics and Paralympics like never before.
Olympics Games and Sustainability
The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) has identified five main themes for prioritizing sustainability in the Games.
These themes were selected in light of global trends, such as the SDGs, with the goal of making the Games a positive force for solving important social issues. Sustainability in procurement and in the supply chains of procured goods and services are crucial areas of action in addition to direct Games activities, because of the many goods and services that are needed to hold the Games. Like the SDGs, these themes are interconnected, so the implementation of these themes follows a holistic approach that takes environmental, social, and economic factors into account.
The main sustainability themes and initiatives of the Tokyo 2020 Games are closely tied to the SDGs and targets of “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015.
100% renewable energy use through various initiatives: The target is to achieve 100% renewable energy use for electricity used to run the Games, via procurement from renewable energy sources and use of tradable green certification system, etc. For renewable energy sources, the aim is to use power generated in Tohoku and other regions, based on the concept of the “Reconstruction Games”.
Hydrogen energy use, to create a hydrogen-based economy: Aside from adopting FCEVs for the Games, hydrogen will be used as a fuel for both the Olympic and Paralympic Cauldrons and the Torches during part of its journey through Japan. TMG is using hydrogen energy as an energy source in some facilities in the Olympic/Paralympic Village. Through the Games, there is a commitment to helping create a hydrogen-based economy.
Pursuit of low-impact transportation: Aside from minimizing the number of passenger cars used in the Games, the plan is to introduce FCEVs and PHEVs. This is projected to result in average CO2 emission intensity of less than 80 g-CO2/km for 2,700 passenger cars used for the Games. For route buses in the Olympic/Paralympic Village as well as aid and rescue vehicles around the venues, there is the adoption of BEVs that do not emit CO2 and other gases when running.
Carbon offsetting for unavoidable carbon emissions: Offset CO2 generated even after taking avoidance and reduction measures. TMG and Saitama Prefecture are accepting applications for credits. So far, many businesses and organizations have been donating credits. A portion of the credits collected will be allocated to the Tokyo 2020 Games.
A legacy of activities of CO2 reduction by citizens: Promoting activities of CO2 reduction by citizens at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Spreading the word on initiatives by local governments and citizen groups, along with data on their carbon reduction. Through this work, advocate carbon reduction to the wider public and encourage their active and long-term participation in such initiatives
Use of recycled materials for symbolic goods of the Games: Actively carried out initiatives that use recycled materials. This is the legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Games toward a sustainable circular economy.
Reduction of single-use plastics, a global issue: Actions to cut single-use plastic containers and packaging that may cause marine pollution is increasing worldwide. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, the plan is to work on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Undertaking initiatives to increase the use of recyclable paper containers for serving meals to spectators, as well as the adoption of reusable or recyclable tableware made of paper or other materials for food and beverages served at the Olympic/Paralympic Village
Pursue reuse and recycling of procured items: 99% target rate of reuse (including rentals and leases) or recycling of procured items Items for use at the Games are first procured through rentals or leases to the maximum extent possible. Then, using a system developed to consistently manage everything from procurement to disposal of each of these items. To pursue their reuse and recycling, established the Reuse and Recycling Guidelines to secure recipients for resale and reuse beforehand with the cooperation of related entities.
Natural environment and biodiversity
Heat-related measures: In partnership with the national government and TMG, advancing heat management measures for spectators, Games staff, athletes, and media. At test events held in summer 2019, trialed measures verified results, and identified issues. Continuing to prepare more effective measures for the Games period.
Water circulation during the Games: A water quality and temperature study conducted at Odaiba Marine Park, the venue for marathon swimming and the triathlon, in summer 2019 detected days, when measurements were taken in an area partitioned by underwater single-ply screens, exceeded quality criteria due to the effects of rain. For the Games, the plan is to install triple-layer screens, which are more effective.
Improving water environment functions in the city: In order to improve the water environment, TMG is installing wastewater treatment facilities that will reduce pollution loads during rainstorms as well as advanced wastewater treatment facilities that will improve the quality of treated water. Water quality in the Tama River had once deteriorated, but populations of upstream-migrating ayu (sweetfish) have grown due to improved water quality by installing a sewerage system. Continuation of working with various stakeholders to improve the water environment functions in the city.
City and venue greening: In addition to conserving existing trees whenever possible, also transplanting existing trees and planting new, native trees as consideration for biological diversity. Also systematically pruning roadside trees to encourage growth and provide better shade along venue access routes.
Creating a landscape of flowers and greenery: TMG is partnering with private organizations and local municipalities to color the streets with flowers ahead of the Games.
Nature restoration and biodiversity protection: Kasai Marine Park, adjacent to the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre, was designated as a wetland under the Ramsar Convention in October 2018. TMG will further promote natural conservation and sustained utilization of this coastal wetland in accordance with the Convention’s “wise use” concept.
Resource consumption to conserve biodiversity: Calling on the entire supply chain to pursue sustainability by preventing environmental pollution and conserving biodiversity, for example. For the procurement of agricultural and marine products, the national government and TMG are promoting expanded GAP implementation and certification by businesses.
Human rights, labour, and fair business practices
Diversity of Tokyo 2020 staff: Tokyo 2020 is a diverse organization made up of directly employed staff; secondees from the national government, TMG, and other local governments; secondees from sponsors and other private companies and organizations; and people from other backgrounds.
Diversity of Games staff: During the Games, the Field Cast, a highly diverse group of people composed of Tokyo 2020 employees, contractors, and Games volunteers, will serve an important role in ensuring that the Games reflect D&I principles. In order to recruit approximately 80.000 Games volunteers, invited applications at university and municipal events across Japan, and at organizations for people with impairments, for example. As a result, received more than 200.000 applications worldwide. Held orientations and interviews in 11 prefectures across Japan and also held video calls for residents outside Japan to make their participation easier. At orientation venues, supported applicants by using multiple languages, including sign language, and communication tools, and by providing day-care service for applicants’ children. Group training sessions are now underway ahead of the Games for the volunteers selected.
Realizing D&I in Games operations: In all aspects of the Games, including medicine, food, security, and athlete support, the operations and services will reflect D&I principles. Games plans that incorporate D&I:
– Food diversity (e.g., Halal and vegetarian menus);
– Multi-faith spaces, multifunctional restroom, assistance dog toilets (for spectators, athletes, Games staff);
– Women athletes’ department (Olympic/ Paralympic Village polyclinic);
– Spectator security checkpoints (wheelchair users, same-sex accommodations, etc.);
– Uniform designs (Games staff and related personnel).
Human rights management: To ensure a firm response to discriminatory behavior and harassment during the Games, particularly at competition venues, developed organizational structures and formulating guidelines related to detection and initial response as well as implementing hands-on training. Encourage spectators to help us in creating an atmosphere that celebrates D&I.
Ensuring accessibility: Working with the national government, TMG, relevant local governments, public transport companies, airports, accommodation facilities, and other entities to ensure accessibility through mobility, information, and venue facilities based on the Tokyo 2020 Accessibility Guidelines.
Involvement, cooperation, and communications (engagement)
Tokyo 2020 Medal Project: This project is promoting the shift to a circular economy by manufacturing the Olympic and Paralympic medals using metals extracted from consumer electronics collected across Japan, a process called urban mining. Thanks to public participation, obtained enough metal to produce all 5.000 medals. The Ministry of the Environment and local governments are working to popularise the recycling of consumer electronics as a legacy of the Games.
Recycled Plastic Podium Project: With marine plastic pollution posing a global challenge, this project will fabricate the medal podiums from post-consumer plastic collected in Japan, offering a new model for using single-use plastic.
Tokyo 2020 Recovery Monuments: This project will facilitate communication between athletes and communities devastated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Monuments bearing messages of appreciation and encouragement from Tohoku communities will be installed at Games-related facilities. After the Games, monuments bearing athletes’ signatures will be installed in affected communities. High school students in Tohoku helped in deciding the designs. The monuments will be made from recycled aluminum previously used in temporary housing in the three affected prefectures.
Partnering with the United Nations: To promote the role of sport in the SDGs, signed a Letter of Intent with the UN in November 2018. In April 2019, delivered a message on the sustainability of the Games on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP).
Partnerships with other entities: Initiatives with Games partners, local governments, and other stakeholders include:
– Upcycling Look of the Games decorations by reprocessing them for reuse;
– “Sorting navigators” to help spectators sort their waste at Games venues (TMG);
– Installing Seabins to collect marine waste at Enoshima Yacht Harbour (Kanagawa Prefecture).
Youth education and participation: Educating the next generation on sustainability and creating opportunities for their involvement through the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Promoting understanding and action: Publicising sustainability initiatives to drive sustainability awareness and action.
Communicating during the Games: Communicating with spectators about sustainability through the Games website and other media, urging them to take actions, such as sorting waste at venues. Also, stage a cultural program dedicated to “Towards the realization of inclusive society” at the Tokyo 2020 Nippon Festival.
Development of Sustainable Sourcing Code: Before goods and services are provided, there are many stages in the supply chain, from the collection of raw materials to processing and distribution. Developed the Sustainable Sourcing Code, which requires sustainability initiatives such as consideration for the global environment, respect for human rights, and a safe work environment in the supply chain of goods and services to be procured for the Games.
Review of the status of initiatives by suppliers and licensees: Working on the review of sustainability initiatives by suppliers and licensees using checklists and interviews. Continue making the Sourcing Code publicly known.
Grievance mechanism: Established the grievance mechanism to receive reports on noncompliance with the Sourcing Code. Use a variety of opportunities and networks to gain wider recognition and raise public awareness of the mechanism.
Sustainable sourcing of timber and paper: Procure timber from legal and environmentally and socially responsible sources, including from forest certification schemes, namely the FSC, PEFC, and SGEC. Use of sustainable paper, such as forest certified paper, for printed materials including posters and paper used on the outer box of licensed products, as well as paper products for office use like copy paper and envelopes.
Sustainable sourcing of agricultural, livestock, and fishery products: Food and beverages to be served at the Games will use sustainable agricultural, livestock, and fishery products such as GAP and fishery eco-label certified products. Developing the menus at the Olympic/Paralympic Village with the premise that such ingredients will be used.
Sustainable sourcing of palm oil: Palm oil is a vegetable oil widely used as a raw material for processed foods and detergents. However, concerns regarding the exploitation of forests and plantation workers have been pointed out in the production stages of palm oil. Based on the awareness of these concerns, established the Code for sustainable sourcing of palm oil.


Looking for a cheap flight from Bangkok to Udon Thani (BKKA-UTH)? Flights fares for Bangkok to Udon Thani start at THB 673. Find the best and cheapest flights on this route and other relevant information.
Before you book a flight you can use Utiket to find the cheapest flights from Bangkok to Udon Thani for Thai Airways, Thai Smile, Thai AirAsia, Thai Vietjet Air, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion Air. All flight data are real-time and accurate. Utiket finds all the cheapest flights from Bangkok to Udon Thani.
The metropole Bangkok has multiple airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Don Mueang International Airport (DMK). Find cheap flights to Bangkok here on Utiket. We compare flights to all airports in Bangkok, so you can find easily the cheapest flight..
The Udan Thani International Airport only has domestic flights from Bangkok, Phuket and Chang Mai.


Relating to Real Estate
Neighborhood Sufficiently Defined Special Exception
In Attar v. DMS Tollgate, LLC, 451 Md. 272 (2017), the Court of Appeals affirmed the grant of a special exception for the construction of a Wawa gas station and convenience store, holding that the description of the neighborhood of the property was sufficiently defined.
Landowners William and Mary Gruff and DMS Tollgate, LLC applied for a special exception to build a gas station and convenience store to be operated by Wawa on an 8.51 acre parcel on Reisterstown Road in Reisterstown. The Office of Administrative Hearings granted the petition with conditions. On appeal, the Baltimore County Board of Appeals approved the special exception with the same conditions. The Circuit Court for Baltimore County affirmed that decision, as did the Court of Special Appeals. The Court of Appeals granted cert., and then it also affirmed.
The Court noted that an applicant for a special exception has met the necessary burden if the applicant shows that the proposed use will be "without real detriment to the neighborhood." In this context "neighborhood" means "surrounding properties" and is a flexible concept. In this case the Court held that "the description of the neighborhood impacted by the special exception must be precise enough to enable a party or appellate court to comprehend the area that the Board considered." The Court determined that the applicants had provided sufficient evidence to show this.
The Court distinguished the manner in which a neighborhood must be delineated in a rezoning case because there is a strong presumption in favor of the original zoning. In contrast, the Court stated that "a special exception is presumed to be in the interest of the general welfare, and therefore a special exception enjoys a presumption of validity."
For questions, please contact Ed Levin (410) 576-1900.


NASA will host a What’s on Board media teleconference at 2 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 29, to debate the science payloads flying aboard the primary business robotic flight to the lunar floor as a part of the company’s CLPS (Industrial Lunar Payload Providers) initiative beneath the Artemis program.
Carrying NASA and business payloads to the Moon, Astrobotic Applied sciences will launch its Peregrine lander on ULA’s (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan rocket. Liftoff of the ULA Vulcan rocket is focused no sooner than Sunday, Dec. 24, from Launch Complicated 41 at Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida. The Peregrine lunar lander will contact down on the Moon in early 2024.
Audio of the decision will stream on the company’s web site at:
Briefing contributors embody:
- Joel Kearns, deputy affiliate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Ryan Watkins, program scientist, Exploration Science Technique and Integration Workplace, NASA Headquarters
- Chris Culbert, program supervisor, CLPS, NASA’s Johnson Area Heart in Houston
- John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic, Pittsburgh
To take part by phone, media should RSVP no later than two hours earlier than the briefing to: email@example.com.
NASA awarded a activity order for the supply of scientific payloads to Astrobotic in Could 2019. Among the many gadgets on its lander, the Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA payloads investigating the lunar exosphere, thermal properties of the lunar regolith, hydrogen abundances within the soil on the touchdown website, and magnetic fields, in addition to radiation surroundings monitoring.
By Artemis, NASA is working with a number of CLPS distributors to ascertain a daily cadence of payload deliveries to the Moon to carry out experiments, take a look at applied sciences, and display capabilities to assist NASA discover the lunar floor. This pool of firms could bid on activity orders to ship NASA payloads to the Moon. Activity orders embody payload integration and operations, launching from Earth, and touchdown on the floor of the Moon. The indefinite supply, indefinite amount CLPS contracts have a cumulative most worth of $2.6 billion by 2028.
With CLPS, in addition to with human exploration close to the lunar South Pole, NASA will set up a long-term cadence of Moon missions in preparation for sending the primary astronauts to Mars.
For extra Artemis updates, observe alongside at:
Karen Fox / Alise Fisher
202-358-1600 / 202-358-2546
firstname.lastname@example.org / email@example.com
Johnson Area Heart, Houston
Kennedy Area Heart, Florida


SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Overnight, showers and thunderstorms made their way across Siouxland, bringing most of us some rainfall.
The skies cleared up by the afternoon, and things remained cooler, thanks to a cold front that passed over the region in the past 24 hours.
The high stayed in the low 70s, with a partly cloudy sky.
Tonight will be mostly clear, and it stays cooler, with a low in the low 50s.
Tomorrow warms back up. The clearer sky sticks around, making it mostly sunny, and the high will be in the upper 70s.
Tuesday will have a few more clouds in the sky, with a high in the low 80s.
Tuesday night has a small chance of getting a thunderstorm.
Wednesday will be partly cloudy, with a high dropping back into the low 70s.
Thursday will be very similar to Wednesday, but Thursday night brings a chance of scattered thunderstorms.
Friday continues scattered thunderstorm chances.
The high will be in the mid 70s.
Saturday and Sunday will be partly cloudy.
With a high in the mid 70s and upper 70s consecutively.


Imphal, Aug 26
Imphal Tuhilal Airport will be called ‘Bir Tikendrajit International Airport’ from today. The state assembly has passed a resolution to rename it as Bir Tikendrajit International Airport today. Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who is also the leader of the house, today moves to pass the resolution in the State Assembly today. Opposition Leader of the house, Okram Ibobi welcome the government’s move to rename it however gives his opinion to speed up the ongoing airport expansion works for the benefit of the people.
Interestingly, a member of the treasury bench, Subashchandra, who is also a BJP MLA from Naoriyalakpa Assembly Constituency gave his objection to the renaming of the Tulihal Airport as Bir Tikendrajit International Airport stating that ‘Tulihal’ is a name associated with three important deities of the locals. He urged the house to keep the name unchanged. But the house passed the resolution.
Jeet Akoijam, Resident Editor of Imphal Times hails from Singjamei Liwa Road. Has been with Imphal Times since its start. A National level Rugby player and a regular Trekker and Nature Lover, loves spending time in lap of Mother Nature. Jeet is the father of two lovely kids. Jeet can be contacted at [email protected]
Pari Tuesday, 27 August 2019 02:08 Comment Link
Ok that's good but,What is the reason of changing it's Name???


Had the pleasure of seeing Hannah/BMTH a few times in late October and getting to take some photos of her as well as model/ be a part of the new Drop Dead look book.
Here are some fun photos. Go check out the new collection now: DropDead.co
All photos by the awesome Ashley Osborn
Behind the scenes photos while shooting Hannah Pixie by Ashley Osborn


Fimat platform uses the data available based on different pillars:
Collection of relevant informations
We automatically recover data from the market via the platform, Banque de France and its partners. All this information is used by the platform as soon as it is broadcasted.
The best data visualization of the market
FIMAT relies on the technology of a specialist to offer you an intuitive and fast exploration of your business and that of the market. You can quickly navigate between schemas and indicators, and compare yourself with companies with the same rating or activity as yours.
Respect of your personal data
The respect of your data is FIMAT primary concern. We keep your data anonymous and they are not shared with any third party.


The Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) hosted two workshops from the 15th to the 20th of May 2023. These workshops are part of the SOLTRAIN+ initiative and took place at the new High Tech Transfer Plaza Select Centre in Windhoek, Namibia. The primary objective of these workshops is to provide training and increase knowledge and awareness of renewable heating and cooling technologies (RHC), such as solar thermal, heat pumps, and energy efficiency, including excess heat recovery.
The workshops saw an impressive turnout, with over 50 participants expressing keen interest in the offered courses. They marked the initial phase of a series of training activities aimed at enhancing knowledge and awareness of RHC technologies across various sectors such as buildings, industry and commerce, tourism, and hospitals.
One of SOLTRAIN+'s core objectives is to foster an advanced level of expertise that extends beyond the project itself. This involves equipping well-trained trainers who can offer these services. The trainings will be conducted in collaboration with experts from AEE INTEC, alongside local experts from partner institutions. Previous attendees of train-the-trainer courses will also be included.
Within the SOLTRAIN+ initiative, over 60 trainings are planned, which will engage approximately 800 experts and involve about 140 trainers across six partner countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. This comprehensive approach seeks to expand knowledge and expertise on renewable heating and cooling technologies, not only in the SOLTRAIN+ partner countries but also in other nations within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).


The Municipal Cemetery at the Hengelosestraat in Oldenzaal contains 16 Commonwealth War Graves. The graves are located on two different sections.
In the old Dutch-Reformed section are 13 soldiers from the Commonwealth, all of members of the land forces who died in the latter stages of the war in the Netherlands.
In the old Roman Catholic section are three Commonwealth War Graves, two of them were soldiers who were killed in the members of the land forces who died in the latter stages of the war. And one grave is of a Canadian airman who died in January 1945.
Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!
- Text: Fedor de Vries, TracesOfWar.nl
- Photos: Dick de Bruijne


by James M. Dorsey
This story was first published in Inside Arabia
A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is raising its ugly head. It is putting Middle Eastern leaders at a crossroads as they struggle to contain the disease and tackle its economic fallout.
The question is whether they are getting the message: neither containing and controlling the virus nor economic recovery is a straight shot. Both are likely to involve a process of two steps forward, one step backwards, and no state can successfully tackle the multiples crises on its own.
The Middle East is a part of the world in which conflicts and problems are not just complex but inherently inter-connected. The pandemic poses not only political, economic, and social challenges.
It also calls into question regional security arrangements that reinforce fault lines rather than create an environment that allows rivals to collectively manage disputes as well as diseases whose spread is not halted by physical and other boundaries.
At stake is not just regional but also global security. Focused on their own healthcare and economic crises, Western nations ignore Middle Eastern and North African instability at their peril. They risk waking up to threats that could have been anticipated.
Suspected Russian hopes that an end to the Libyan war would allow for the creation of a Russian military base on the southern shore of the Mediterranean that would complement facilities in Syria would be one such impending threat.
“Russia wants a foothold in Libya, and that’s a fact,” said Pavel Felgenhauer, a Russian military analyist at the Jamestown Foundation. US officials warned that a permanent Russian presence would enhance Russia’s efforts to weaken the already strained trans-Atlantic alliance.
The prospect of increased Russian influence in the Mediterranean coupled with China’s expanding sway over ports in the Eastern Mediterranean raises the specter of emboldening Turkey as it aggressively seeks to grow its control of energy-rich waters in the region in violation of international law.
“To avoid the worst outcomes for an already fraught region, there is no substitute and frankly no alternative to some form of cooperation among regional actors. . . . With the Middle East likely to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis more fragile and potentially explosive than before, a cooperative architecture that can build regional resilience is an imperative,” said strategist Steven Kenney and international relations scholar Ross Harrison in a just released Washington-based Middle East Institute report.
The economic part of the message is already evident: Putting an end to the pandemic and economic recovery will be a painful and long-drawn-out process.
Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon, and Israel are witnessing first signs of the pandemic’s second wave.
Increasing the likelihood of a cancellation of this year’s Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca scheduled for late July, Saudi Arabia re-imposed a lockdown in the Red Sea port of Jeddah, the haj’s major gateway, after a spike in coronavirus infections. The lockdown involves a two-week, 15-hour curfew from 15:00 p.m. to 06:00 a.m.
A dramatic surge in infections in Iran, averaging 3,000 new cases a day, has rekindled the Middle East’s largest outbreak, weeks after the country appeared to have tamed the virus.
Israel closed dozens of schools and ordered any school reporting a virus case to shut down following a surge in coronavirus cases that swept through classrooms two weeks after they were allowed to reopen.
Mass social and economic protests in Lebanon, a country on the brink of financial collapse, have heightened the risk of a second wave of the pandemic.
The surge bodes ill for economic recovery.
Based on a survey of 1,228 CEOs, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce warned that a staggering 70 percent of businesses in the emirate expect to close their doors within the next six months.
The warning came as the UAE government extended a nightly curfew following a doubling of infections after it eased lockdown restrictions.
Government-backed UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways have since extended reduced pay for staff until September as they try to preserve cash.
Austerity measures threaten to bring the social unrest that has swept the Middle East and North Africa for the past decade closer to the Gulf.
“If it’s temporary, one or two years, I can adapt. My concern is that more taxes will be permanent — and that will be an issue,” said Mohammed, a Saudi government worker after his $266 USD a month cost of living allowance was cancelled and sales taxes were tripled as part of painful austerity measures announced by Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan.
Mr. Mohammed’s words were echoed in a rare pushback against the government by columnist Khalid Al-Sulaiman, writing in the Okaz daily, one of the kingdom’s tightly controlled media outlets.
“I was hoping [the minister] would say [the tax hike] would be reviewed after the coronavirus crisis is gone or contained, or when oil prices improve, but he did not say that. Citizens are feeling concerned that pressure on their living standards will last longer than the current crisis,” Mr. Al-Sulaiman said.
The challenges Gulf states face of an ongoing healthcare crisis and a painful, protracted, and complex road toward economic recovery, coupled with debilitating regional conflicts that not only fester but appear to be expanding, are almost insurmountable obstacles.
Kuwaiti efforts to resolve the rift in the Gulf and pressure by US President Donald J. Trump on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain to lift their three-year-old air embargo of Qatar have raised, perhaps prematurely, the hope of an end to the conflict. Although there is no public indication that the parties are willing to seriously engage.
The proxy war in Libya, in which the UAE-backed forces of rebel commander Khalifa Haftar are on the defensive, is extending into the Eastern Mediterranean as Turkey claims rights in energy-rich territorial waters in violation of international law.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based English language newspaper The National, despite UAE efforts to reduce tension with Iran, seemed, to stop just short of inviting Israel to attack an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ command and control center on the outskirts of the main airport of Damascus, the capital of Syria.
“For now, the Glass House remains unshattered,” The National said in a detailed expose of the center dubbed The Glass House.
Middle Eastern leaders are confronting the worst pandemic of crises since independence.
Addressing those predicaments requires regional and global leadership which looks beyond immediate survival and ideological and geopolitical rivalries; a leadership which recognizes that stability and solutions to shared threats must be vested in longer term managing and cooperation in tackling common challenges rather than maintaining conflict.
The problem is that few leaders seem willing or able to step up to the plate.
Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany


Friday, July 31, 2009
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is common in south-east Australia, not unusual on the remainder of the continent, and a vagrant to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of the world.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Nankeen Night Heron is also commonly referred to as the Rufous Night Heron. It is found throughout much of Australia except the arid inland.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Short-billed Black Cockatoo or Carnaby's Black Cockatoo is a cockatoo endemic to south-western Australia. This Cockatoo is listed as an Endangered species.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Today's bird is the White-Faced Heron. It is also known as the Blue Crane or White-fronted Heron and is common throughout most of Australasia.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Royal Spoonbill (also known as the Black-billed Spoonbill) occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
One of Australia's most famous little creatures - the koala! It is an arboreal marsupial native to Australia.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Today's 'creature' is the Tawny Frogmouth. He obligingly sat and posed on his keeper's hand for me and after his photo shoot, scoffed down two small mice. Whole!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hurstbridge General Store was our much needed stop for a hot latte and a fresh-from-the-oven sausage roll on a cold Sunday morning. The store is over 100 years old and was built when the railway was extended to Hurstbridge in anticipation of the expansion of the town


Short Answer? No
However -- The internet has really closed the gap for a lot of the citizens around the world. From access to entertainment, to access to education. As long as they can use it. Unfortunately it's still out of reach for many, and no high speed access is not readily available in all locations, even here in the States.
According to www.statista.com As of January 2021 there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide - 59.5 percent of the global population. Of this total, 92.6 percent (4.32 billion) accessed the internet via mobile devices.
The top five states with the best Internet are the following:
The five states with the worst Internet are the following:
and if you want to see where the other states fall use this link.
But here's the thing, there's also a difference in where in the state you are located, as to how fast your access actually is for your device. Take Idaho for example, with it's mountains in the north, and it's flatter land in the SE, it comes in #37 on the list but where in the state is that true?
If you are in the Treasure Valley, in Boise, you are much more likely to have high speed access. However if you are in a rural mountain town, outside of Coeur d'Alene, in North Idaho, you will not be seeing the same speeds at all. In fact you will probably be thinking, wait have I travelled back in time?
Now when we are talking about the access of students, this is a game changer for equal access right? Not necessarily! What if you have three students, that are all needing to do their classwork at the same time, on the same home internet? It's gonna be slower.
Having the devices is also something that is not affordable to all. While smart phones and tablets have come down in price, and wireless access has gone up considerably, we need to make sure that we aren't assuming it's equal access, because it's not.
If we focus on getting devices and high speed internet into the hands of families, and students then we will really see a levelling up of quality access to education and opportunities for everyone. It's not a matter of if, but when; and we really can't afford to wait. Too many people are getting pushed aside.
Safe and happy travels!
Have you checked out Over The Bay Pre-K yet? It's a virtual Pre-K Classroom and it's affordable too!
We know the key to success starts way before school, and Pre-K to the end of Third Grade is the significant foundation for learning success.
This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.Opt Out of Cookies


Bengaluru: Embassy Industrial Parks (EIP) has ventured into South India by acquiring a 60-acre land parcel in Bengaluru from real estate builder DRA Projects. The firm will use the land to build 1.3 million sq ft of warehousing facility in the outskirts of Bengaluru with a total investment of Rs 288 crore. EIP is a $250-million logistic platform floated by global private equity firm Warburg Pincus and real estate developer Embassy Group for setting up industrial parks.
“We have already defined our footprint in the North and have a clear ambition to scale our business rapidly, and selecting the right locations is allowing us to facilitate this process,” said Anshul Singhal, CEO, Embassy Industrial Parks. The company has already signed 500,000 sq ft with Stellar Value Chains as their client for this project.
The upcoming industrial park is a strategically located park along the Bengaluru-Chennai highway and close to State Industries NSE -2.52 % Promotion Corporation of Tamilnadu Ltd (SIPCOT).
Currently, the firm has three functional logistics & industrial parks in the Delhi NCR & Pune. The firm is in the process of acquiring land in newer cities like Hyderabad and Mumbai apart from expanding in its existing locations.
“Till date, the company has secured developmental potential of approximately 13 million square feet, of which 2 million is operational,” said Singhal.
The company is also in the process of acquiring over 300 acres land parcels in Mumbai and Hyderabad apart from rolling out more industrial parks in existing cities.
“We have committed major capital from the joint venture and is also in the process of closing some transactions,” said Singhal.


Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on Sites Reservoir receiving an additional $449 million in federal funding through USDA’s Rural Development Program:
“Water and fire are huge priorities for California. They both will dramatically affect our future.
“California must expand our water storage capacity so we can save more water from wet years for dry years. As we continue to experience the worsening effects of climate change, that need will only become greater in the future.
“Projects like the Sites Reservoir are vitally important to counter climate change. Once completed, this 1.8 million acre-foot off-stream reservoir will allow us to catch excess Sacramento River flow, saving it for environmental, agricultural and residential use.
“This federal grant, along with state bond funding, represents a significant investment in modernizing California’s water system. I’m proud to have supported Sites Reservoir and will continue working to secure more funding for this important project.”


If you want me to give you a heads up when the next podcast is out, leave your name and email below (I promise not to spam – I regularly unsubscribe myself because of it…):
Medicinal Forest Garden
Anne and Kay created and nurture the Holt Wood – a 2.5 acre piece of woodland, which they transformed from a commercial conifer timber planting to a diverse forest garden. The focus of their work is the medicinal nature of everything in their project. Although you will find edible species there, the idea was to, literally take growing medicinal plants in the UK to the next level. Most gardens only keeps medicinal herbs, whilst they have built a multi-story forest assembly. They have also looked outside the UK, and brought trees from other climate analogues, mainly in North America. This gives them the unique position of security in case of trouble of supply from abroad.
I was introduced to Anne by another medical herbalist – Melanie Shaw. You can hear our chat recorded at the Off Grid festival earlier below (first we talk about her involvement with the Exeter Pound – a local currency implemented to help promote local suppliers):
Ecological Land Coop – if you’re looking to start any land based business, especially small scale, including living on site, contact them to help be the mediators with your local planners.
The greatest enemy of Monsanto – the Dandelion 🙂
This is a fledgeling project, that is taking a considerable amount of time, and a little bit of money. If you found this informative, entertaining, helpful, and think that it could help someone else, please share using the buttons below. Many thanks!


GIVEAWAY – a Christmas package (including 2 books to transport you to GREECE)
Location(s): Pulau Sibu
Genre(s): Psychological Thriller
Pulau Kalah is a fictional island off the eastern coast of Malaysia. Inspired by Pulau Sibu near Tioman
IT’S THE PERFECT ESCAPE… UNTIL THERE IS NO ESCAPE
Welcome to Turtle Cove.
A luxury resort surrounded by pristine sea and the dense beauty of the jungle, it is the perfect escape from the stresses of life and work. For couples Lou and Adam, Eliza and Noah, a few days spent relaxing on the beach, while their kids are happily distracted, is exactly what they need.
But appearances can be deceiving.
There’s a strange tension brewing at the resort, with relations between the hotel and the locals threatening to spill over into violence. This is nothing though compared to the strained atmosphere between the two families. They haven’t been friends for long and they are starting to realise they don’t really know each other at all.
Except for one of them. One of them knows another very well.
And they have a score to settle.
To review this book, please


Some of you may remember the great song “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat, and Tears. If you are unfamiliar, give it a listen. The opening lyric of the song is…
What goes up must come down
And the inverse is true, including in real estate. What has gone down must come up… and that’s particularly true of the Atlanta Midtown market right now because of how high-flying things were there in the decade prior to the arrival of COVID in 2020.
In that pre-COVID timeframe, Midtown enjoyed wonderful success, with the introduction of dozens of new office buildings with the ability to accommodate tens of thousands of employees in high-tech surroundings.
Following suit were dozens of new apartment buildings as well. A hot Midtown commercial real estate market naturally fed the development of these beautiful, in-town living spaces (while changing the Midtown skyline on a regular basis). As such, highly educated millennial workers blazed a trail to Midtown, putting down roots in the mixed-use urban core of the city, and reversing years of suburban migration. Chatel Group’s earlier blog post, Marvelous Midtown detailed the abundant benefits of living in midtown.
Naturally, many corporations from far-flung locations flocked to this magnetic energy in Midtown Atlanta to avail themselves of these bright, young millennial minds and cluster with like-minded organizations. . In 2019 and 2020, 40 + new major developments opened their doors, according to the Midtown Alliance. Net result was a real estate market run for the record books, which naturally, had further to fall when COVID arrived.
As such, when the pandemic intensified in the early days of March 2020, the overall impact was greater, and more immediately apparent in Midtown.
So many of the Midtown positives became negatives within the context of COVID (including density, wonderful public transportation, bustling universities, and many of the city’s most desirable hotels and restaurants).
As such, our thriving business district, booming with high-tech and high-end workplaces, went quiet, and our streets emptied.
Now is the Time to Consider Midtown
What went up, came down, naturally, but Midtown Atlanta is primed to rise up again, and rise higher than before. Where there was a considerable amount of darkness over the past year, we are now seeing some light, and things will only get brighter as this virus gets tamed by increased availability of vaccines, and increased immunity, lessons learned, and better overall management of Midtown’s best path forward.
Companies throughout Atlanta are moving ahead with return-to-office initiatives… so the inevitable return to a more familiar Midtown awaits.
Midtown’s fundamentals – density, greenspace, public transportation, higher education – will prove more critical than ever in a post-pandemic environment, and drive the next decade of success.
More on Midtown
Midtown is still evolving into a great place to work and live. Check out the plan tracker for monthly updates from the Midtown Alliance… Midtown Alliance’s Development Activity Tracker.
If you would like to explore midtown, you can download this wonderful walking map.
It’s a great time to consider buying in midtown and Sara and Lisa would love to show you the massive amount of neighborhoods and high rises that include everything from cottages, bungalows, and condos. Contact them today and you’ll be calling midtown home before you know it!


Belarus' president dismisses coronavirus risk, encourages citizens to drink vodka and visit saunas
- In Belarus — a country that borders Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine — 152 people have contracted COVID-19 infections, with no deaths.
- In remarks to U.K newspaper The Times, Lukashenko encouraged citizens to drink vodka (unless working) and visit the sauna at least twice a week to stay healthy.
- "Belarus is definitely a complete outlier," Matthias Karabaczek, Europe analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC via telephone on Tuesday.
As countries around the world effectively shut down to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, the authoritarian president of Belarus is urging citizens to drink vodka, go to saunas and return to work.
A global health crisis has prompted governments worldwide to impose draconian measures on the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people.
The restrictions range from so-called lockdowns and school closures to strict regulations on social distancing and public gatherings.
Yet in the Eastern European country of Belarus, borders remain open, and President Alexander Lukashenko remains unmoved by the coronavirus pandemic.
Lukashenko has refused to implement a lockdown in the country of roughly 9.5 million people, reportedly suggesting that others have done so as an act of "frenzy and psychosis," according to Sky News.
As of Tuesday, more than 801,000 cases of the coronavirus have been recorded worldwide, with 38,743 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
In Belarus — a country that borders Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine — 152 people have contracted COVID-19 infections, with no deaths.
'A complete outlier'
In an interview published Sunday in The Times newspaper in London, Lukashenko encouraged citizens to drink vodka (unless working) and visit the sauna at least twice a week to stay healthy.
The World Health Organization has warned that drinking alcohol does not prevent people from contracting COVID-19, adding it should always be consumed in moderation.
"Belarus is definitely a complete outlier," Matthias Karabaczek, Europe analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told CNBC via telephone on Tuesday.
Karabaczek said Lukashenko was taking a big risk by "refusing to accept the new reality of the coronavirus pandemic," warning that the economic impact of the health crisis was already "looking pretty grim for a relatively poor country."
He suggested the Belarusian president, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, was attempting to portray himself as a "strongman" leader ahead of presidential elections in August.
Sports leagues in the country have carried on as normal, with the 65-year-old Lukashenko himself taking part in an ice hockey match on Sunday.
Karabaczek said Lukashenko's participation in the game was an attempt to show the public that they were "all in this together," pointing out that Russian President Vladimir Putin has also previously taken part in ice hockey exhibition matches.
Belarus isn't the only country avoiding lockdowns. Sweden is allowing its citizens to adopt voluntary, softer measures to delay the spread of the virus. It has had 4,435 cases and 180 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data on Tuesday.


Professors of the Institute of Economics and Finance of SGGW became members of the Scientific Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences
We are pleased to announce the election of prof. dr hab. Bogdan Klepacki, prof. dr hab. Marian Podstawka, prof. dr hab. Henryk Runowski and dr hab. Jarosław Gołębiewski, prof. SGGW for the members of the Committee of Economic Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences for the term 2020-2023.
We congratulate our Professors for this distinction and wish further success.
The official communique of PAS


Edinburgh Settlement is a part of the international Settlement movement which started over 100 years ago. It forms part of a global network of social action centres which work closely with local communities, representing and responding to needs and aspirations, to promote social and environmental justice.
In late 2010, financial difficulties forced the loss of many of Edinburgh University Settlement’s established community projects. The Edinburgh Settlement continues it’s work, under the auspices of The International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres – Europe (IFS-Europe).
A core part of the continuing aim of the initiative is ensuring the safe keeping and provision of access to the extensive archives of the Edinburgh Settlement for research. Ragged University has offered support to the continuation of the Settlements archive, partly by providing a home to digitize the Settlement archives, thus making them accessible to the public here:
List of Articles:
- 1937: ‘Everybody’s Thrift Shop’ Opened by Edinburgh Settlement
- 1936: Extract from Minutes of the Settlement’s Annual Meeting
- 1935: Report of Address by Lord Lothian, Founder of Newbattle Abbey College
- 1933 to 1934: Edinburgh Settlement Annual Report; Kirk O’Field; An Impression
- 1933 to 1934: Edinburgh Settlement Annual Report; Kirk O’Field College
- 1919: Edinburgh Settlement; Future of The Settlement Statement
- 1906: Letter Officially Appointing C. W. G. Taylor as First Warden of Edinburgh Settlement
- 1905: Edinburgh University Settlement Association Constitution


Holiday cottage 40 m², 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, from 2 to 4 Persons in Ganzlin
This holiday home is a small and solidly furnished bungalow. This bungalow is in a small residential area on the edge of a forest. You can get a double bed by pushing two single beds together available on this property(URL HIDDEN) Enjoy a trip to Waren (Müritz) located 40 km away, where you can visit the fresh water aquarium called Müritzeum or visit Malcow (located 22 km away), where you can visit the beer bars and cafes located around the harbour, where you can also find a summer toboggan track and a monkey forest. Take a boat ride on Lake Fleesensee and Lake Plauer of Müritz, which is the largest lake in Germany. The hiking and cycling trails around the lakes in this region through lush nature are well developed.


SEC rejects Laidlaws application for review
January 20, 2010
CONCORD — The state Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) rejected Laidlaw Berlin Biopower's application for review of their 70 megawatt project slated for the former mill property in the center of town.
The SEC oversees the permitting and construction of large energy facilities around the state. Projects over 30 megawatts, like the Laidlaw project, are automatically reviewed at the state instead of the local level.
The SEC informed Laidlaw the application lacked sufficient information in a letter last Friday and therefore had been rejected. The application was incomplete in two areas, the letter said: the industrial wastewater indirect discharge permit application and the sewer connection permit application.
Laidlaw CEO Micheal Bartoszek said in a post on the Laidlaw blog that the company intends to address the deficiencies in the application and resubmit to the SEC shortly.
"There were a couple of applications related to water that apparently needed to be signed by the city of Berlin but weren't," his post said. "This was not in our control and my understanding is it has since been addressed, but it may take a couple of days before the State has this info in hand and can issue its completeness determination."
The SEC had 30 days to consider whether to review the project or reject the application, during which time the agencies that have jurisdiction over the various facets of the project do a preliminary review of the application to verify it is complete. The state Department of Environmental Services Water Division found the incomplete permit applications and sent a letter to the SEC on January 13 informing them the application was not finished.
The Water Division letter said the industrial wastewater indirect discharge permit application was missing a city signature and the fee, listed on the permit application as $1,000 when plans and specifications are submitted for engineering review, or $50 when plans and specifications are not required. The Laidlaw application indicated the project does not need an engineering review.
The sewer connection permit application was missing a city signature, payment of an $11,123.80 fee, and design drawings and technical specifications, the letter said.
Laidlaw has the opportunity to address these issues and resubmit their application, according to the SEC letter. They have 10 days to address the issues.
Mr. Bartoszek said on the blog that he doesn't expect this to be an issue. He posted a letter on the blog to the SEC indicating the application fees had already been paid and the other issues would be addressed shortly.
Clean Power Development (CPD), a biomass energy company trying to build a 29 megawatt project in Berlin, sent a letter to the SEC last month requesting the SEC to reject the Laidlaw application for being incomplete, but the issues CPD listed as deficiencies were not regarding Water Division application permits. Laidlaw said CPD's request was both procedurally inappropriate and wrong, and they asked the SEC to ignore the request.
Several Berlin residents also contacted the SEC regarding issues they see with the Laidlaw project.
The Laidlaw project has been a divisive issue for several years, playing a major role in the last two mayoral elections. Because SEC review supplants local regulation of the project, people on both sides of the issue will likely be looking to affect the outcome of the review.
SEC review takes approximately nine months once the SEC accepts an application. Construction cannot begin until the review is complete.


Posada San Lazaro places you 17.9 mi (28.8 km) from Canon de Somoto National Monument. The 15 rooms at this cabin property include kitchenettes, balconies, and dining areas.
This cabin has a restaurant that's perfect for a leisurely bite to eat.
All 15 cabins feature kitchenettes and balconies or patios, and there's space to spread out with a separate bedroom and dining areas. For entertainment, guests can expect to find flat-screen TVs. Limited housekeeping is available.
Guests staying at Posada San Lazaro enjoy free WiFi in public areas and a terrace. Friendly staff can provide front-desk service during limited hours, and also offer advice about sightseeing.


The Union Editorial Staff wrote that NIMBYism is destroying the local economy and it is time for citizens to recognize that much need tax dollars for infrastructure improvements are slipping way to Placer County.
Nevada County also is a place where you can’t afford a home. There’s barely any new development, a scarcity of high-speed internet connections, a masochistic level of NIMBYism and a phalanx of sales tax revenue running as fast as it can to Auburn, Roseville and beyond.
We as a community have to change if we want a better story.
The Editors failed to consider two important factors, one of which Steven Frisch pointed out on another local blog:
By the way, by the time Nevada County “wins” the sales tax battle and is successful reducing “leakage” to ex-urban community norms we will already be well down the road to the new model of retail, which is on line.
The other factor missed by the editors is the economic friction created by AB-32, which Governor Brown just extended and increased CARB’s power to levy more CO2 reducing regulations. The impact will be more costly and less reliable electrical power.
“Brown’s signature will cost the state economically, as businesses and entrepreneurs increasingly flee California’s anti-business environment. The higher energy costs and increased unreliability of the state’s electric grid resulting from this law, should the state actually try and enforce it, are just more nails in California’s economic coffin – with future politicians, ratepayers, and businesses paying the price for the climate mania of Gov. Moonbeam and the legislature’s liberal Democrats.”
H. Sterling Burnett, Research Fellow, Environment and Energy Policy, The Heartland Institute
If a business is going to move, why move to Nevada County, why not move to a more business-friendly state? According to Joel Kotkin, this is the major demographic trend. More details here.
The Union’s Editorial Board need to look at the larger picture. There are more economic destroyers than NIMBYism.


Reigning national champion Florida State, dynastic Alabama, sartorially splendid Oregon and old-school Oklahoma are Nos. 1-4 in the Associated Press' preseason poll. The chances of that foursome qualifying for the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals?
No offense to the Seminoles, Crimson Tide, Ducks and Sooners. Indeed, there's plenty of reason to be bullish on each.
But while fine debate fodder, preseason polls are notoriously unreliable in forecasting eventual prominence. And history tells us that this group, collectively, won't be playing New Year's Day in the Rose and Sugar bowls, which this season serve as the national semifinals.
Full disclosure: The following research was prompted by ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike," who Monday morning, riffing off the AP poll's Sunday release, talked about how Auburn last season and Notre Dame in 2012 reached the Bowl Championship Series title game after starting the year unranked.
Their two-season snapshot is interesting, but let's delve deeper. Let's take the top four teams in the final BCS standings, which were released after the regular season and prior to the bowls, and chart where they were ranked in the AP preseason poll.
Not to suggest the playoff selection committee will be as wedded to polls and computer ratings as the BCS was -- chances are the 13-member panel will be more nuanced, But since the BCS standings determined who played in the national title game, they seemed the best metric for this exercise.
The BCS ran for 16 seasons, from 1998-2013, which translates to 64 teams in the top four. Some overall findings before a year-by-year chart.
# Seven of the 64 were not among the AP's preseason top 25: Colorado in 2001, Penn State in 2005, Cincinnati in 2009, Stanford in 2010, Notre Dame in 2012, and Auburn and Michigan State a year ago.
Though perhaps trying to purge the memory, many Virginia Tech faithful may recall that Andrew Luck-led Stanford bunch, which housed the ACC champion Hokies 40-12 in the Orange Bowl.
# Only twice in the 16 years were all of the BCS' final top four among the preseason top 10. That was in 1998 (Tennessee, Florida State, Kansas State and Ohio State) and 2011 (LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State and Stanford).
In 2007, the BCS final top four of Ohio State, LSU, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma were Nos. 11, 2, 9 and 8 in preseason.
# Half of the 16 preseason No. 1s, including Alabama last year, finished top-four in the BCS. Moreover, from 2002-06, in a remarkable run of chalk, the preseason No. 1 was atop the final BCS.
That said, of those five teams — Miami in 2002 followed by Oklahoma, Southern California in 2004 and '05, and Ohio State — only the '04 Trojans won the national championship.
# The only season in which no top-five preseason team finished in the BCS top four was 2010, with Auburn, Oregon, Texas Christian and Stanford.
# The preseason rankings of the 64 teams that were top-four BCS breaks down as follows: 25 were top five, 15 were Nos. 6-10, nine were Nos. 11-15, five were Nos. 16-20, three were Nos. 21-25, and seven were unranked.
In short, 49 of the 64, just over three quarters, were top 15 in preseason. So if form holds, three of this season's semifinalists will come from among Florida State, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Auburn, UCLA, Michigan State, South Carolina, Baylor, Stanford, Georgia, LSU, Wisconsin and Southern California.
# No program charges off the pace like Auburn. The Tigers began the season No. 17 in 2004, No. 22 in 2010 and unranked in 2013, but finished among the BCS' top four on each occasion.
As promised, here are the top four in each of the final BCS standings, with their preseason AP rank in parentheses.
2013: Florida State (11), Auburn (UR), Alabama (1), Michigan State (UR).
2012: Notre Dame (UR), Alabama (2), Florida (23), Oregon (5).
2011: LSU (4), Alabama (2), Oklahoma State (9), Stanford (7).
2010: Auburn (22), Oregon (11), Texas Christian (6), Stanford (UR).
2009: Alabama (5), Texas (2), Cincinnati (UR), TCU (17).
2008: Oklahoma (4), Florida (5), Texas (11), Alabama (5).
2007: Ohio State (11), LSU (2), Virginia Tech (9), Oklahoma (8).
2006: Ohio State (1), Florida (7), Michigan (4), LSU (8).
2005: Southern California (1), Texas (2), Penn State (UR), Ohio State (6).
2004: USC (1), Oklahoma (2), Auburn (17), Texas (7).
2003: Oklahoma (1), LSU (14), USC (8), Michigan (4).
2002: Miami (1), Ohio State (13), Georgia (8), USC (20).
2001: Miami (2), Nebraska (4), Colorado (UR), Oregon (7).
2000: Oklahoma (19), Florida State (2), Miami (5), Washington (13).
1999: Florida State (1), Virginia Tech (13), Nebraska (6), Alabama (20).
1998: Tennessee (10), Florida State (3), Kansas State (6), Ohio State (1).
And who makes this season's CFP semifinals? Well, in keeping with the formula of three preseason top-15s and one gatecrasher, let's go with Florida State, UCLA, Oklahoma and Arizona State.
I can be reached at 247-4636 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP
Here's a link to my Daily Press print columns.
At the risk of shameless self-promotion: My book, "Press Pass: Thirty Years of Bylines, Headlines and Deadlines," is available here.
- College Football
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Bowl Championship Series
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida State Seminoles
- USC Trojans
- Oregon Ducks
- LSU Tigers
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- The Associated Press
- Miami Hurricanes
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- The Pennsylvania State University
- Orange Bowl
- ESPN Radio (tv network)
- Atlantic Coast Conference
- Andrew Luck


Researchers at the University of Hawaii have reportedly determined that persistent effects from climate change will be felt in the tropics within a decade and throughout the world by 2047 absent any effort to curb greenhouse-gas emissions.
The study, published in Nature, found that Anchorage, Alaska, will feel the effects later — by 2071 without any effort to curb emissions or by 2095 using tighter emission controls, the Christian Science Monitor reported.
“Think about the hottest, most traumatic event you have experienced,” lead researcher Camilo Mora told the New York Times. “What we’re saying is that very soon, that event is going to become the norm.”
Researchers are concerned that the changes will be felt first in the world’s poorest and most heavily populated regions, where people will be ill-equipped to cope.
In addition, they fear plants and animals in the tropics will be most vulnerable to climate changes because they’ve adapted to live in ecosystems with very little variability in temperature and other conditions.
– Tom Bemis
Follow The Tell @thetellblog
Follow Tom Bemis @TomBemis


Explore the Florida Board of Governors official website.
Florida universities not only share knowledge, they create it. Together we turn knowledge into action that will shape the future. To be truly great, Florida must have well-educated citizens who are trained in diverse fields, from science and engineering to medicine and bioscience to computer science, the arts and so much more. The State University System of Florida is committed to providing the world-class teaching, research and service that will help shape our growing, dynamic state.
Welcome to the Florida House of Representatives' official website.
Here, you can find information about what is happening in the Florida House and the Florida Legislature, including frequent updates on bills, bill analyses and amendments.
Use this site for details on various issues as they move through the legislative process and to make sure Representatives hear your voice in Tallahassee. This website is constantly updated, so you should check back regularly and continue taking an active part in shaping the future of the great state of Florida.
Welcome to the Florida Senate official website.
The Florida Senate is one-half of the Florida Legislature, which makes up the legislative branch of Florida government. The Senate is composed of 40 members, each elected from single-member districts across the state. The entire Florida Legislature meets every year in a session beginning on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March and lasting 60 calendar days. Special sessions may be called either by the Governor or by the leaders of both chambers acting jointly.
This website is a portal into the Florida Senate's actions on legislation and much more. This website provides visitors with information on how to engage with the Legislature and take an active role in the legislative process.
Visit the Florida Department of Education official website.
Whether you live in Florida, are considering moving here, or are just visiting, you may not be aware of the high marks the Sunshine State earns for its public education system. Just last year, Florida ranked first in the nation for teacher quality, first in the nation in advanced placement participation, and first in the southern region for graduation rate and degrees awarded by the Florida College System. Florida's fourth graders ranked second in the world, just behind fourth graders in Hong Kong, on an international reading assessment. US News & World Report included four Florida magnet high schools in its top 10 magnet high school list. Newsweek named two Florida high schools in its top 10 list and Education Next ranked Florida second in the nation in educational progress over the past 10 years.
Floridians have a lot to be proud of when it comes to education.


THE PLEASURE OF GOOD FOOD
THE PLEASURE OF GOOD FOOD
At this point you have already seen that Bolonia is much more than a destination of sun and beach, it is a place that offers you many alternatives to cultivate body and soul, but in addition to feeding the spirit, indispensable turns out to be able to feed the body, if possible with exquisite delicacies that Bolonia and its surroundings offer, from here we highlight:
C/ El Lentiscal s/n Bolonia, Tarifa.
Phone Number: 956688546 / 685010274
With dishes made from top quality raw materials, love and tradition: Seafood, rice, meat and especially fresh fish taken from the sea.
“Whenever we feel like eating a fresh and well-cooked fish, we only think of the Restaurant Las Rejas de Bolonia. A place with a very familiar treatment.
José and Carlos their owners, real characters. Experience that is always unforgettable!
C/ El Lentiscal 3 Bolonia, Tarifa.
Phone Number: 956688517.
El Albero restaurant offers a home-cooked meal in a wonderful setting such as the beach of Bologna.
“Their shrimp croquettes, stuffed squids and choco meatballs are exquisite.”
“A delicious fish, gazpacho and salmorejo nourish you to the soul!! The semi-sweet wine is delicious.
To say it again.”
C/ El lentiscal S/N Bolonia, Tarifa.
Phone Number: 956688717
It specializes in fresh local fish, retinto meats, Iberian pork and a wide variety of pizzas and pastas.
“You can tell that pizzas are made by hand and that the products are natural. The taste is really good. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a tasty pizza.”
“Eggplant and honey pizza, shrimp omelette, salads and homemade desserts are highly recommended. Very good experience.”
C/ Punta Paloma S/N Punta Paloma, Tarifa.
Phone Number: 956685100
Mediterranean cuisine, high quality and very fresh product, rice and paellas in a privileged place with incredible views of the sea and the African coast.
Secluded restaurant, with spectacular views and lots of tranquility. We ordered fried fish (quantity and quality) and tuna from the Almadraba, delicious. Good value for money. A place to relax and enjoy. We will repeat without question.”
Bolonia Beach, 4, Bolonia, Tarifa.
Phone Number: 956 68 85 94
The location is unbeatable! Terrace overlooking the sea and the site of Baelo Claudia. It serves traditional Mediterranean cuisine in a friendly and family atmosphere.
Right next to the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia and the beautiful beach of Bolonia, you can eat well prepared local food. A good Choco stew, croquettes, and a very good retinto meat make a mix more than advisable. Visual and mouth pleasure.
C/ de Sancho IV ‘El Bravo’, 21, Tarifa.
Phone Number: 685 85 70 05
Small place, with a very nice terrace. The cuisine unites the tradition of the gastronomy of the area with the purest traditional style, with elements and recipes of the French cuisine. Own desserts. You can eat for tapas or for dishes.
“We went to dinner three people and had a delicious octopus, unforgettable croquettes and of course tuna. All watered with Godello and a Montsant. I’ll say it again.”
La Peña del Atún
Spain Square, 16 Vejer de la Frontera.
Phone Number: 956 451 706
Fancy a romantic candlelit dinner in a garden full of palm trees?
Or perhaps a mint tea and Arab sweets inside an ancient 12th century cistern? You might be tempted by an oriental cous cous served in the 15th-century vaulted living room, El Templo, or The Temple?
A must visit if you are by Vejer. The tea shop is a super nice place with incredible views and its teas, Arabic pastries and tarts totally recommended.
El Jardin del Califa
C/ Ancha, 39 , Barbate.
Phone Number: 956 43 23 19
Spectacular, if you want to eat real good tuna, this is your spot, it’s the star dish, in all its varieties.
Its quality and prices make it always full. They don’t allow reservations.
All that they advise you will be very good: grilled ventresca, tuna stewed with tomato, parpatana, and marinated bluefin tuna with soy and sesame… Mmmm and homemade desserts! You have to taste her sky bacon.
Bahía de la Plata, Zahara de los Atunes.
Phone Number: 956 43 95 42
It is the restaurant of the sea of Zahara, its dishes are sea, tartar of tuna or white prawns, Romanite, salt rock fish, ortiguillas, squid pot… Flavors you never forget.
“To enter Restaurant Antonio, is to enter a piece of Zahara tuna. Its location, its facilities, its staff, its cod with asparagus on salmorejo, tuna ceviche and ‘toro’ sashimi make it the perfect restaurant.


Approx. 8 hours
Make your way to the BSI Bus Terminal, Landspítalinn, 101 Reykjavík. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the departure time.
Same as the starting point
There comes a time when you need to give yourself a little self-care. To rejuvenate the body and soul. Well, now is the perfect time to do just that in the heart of Iceland. Combining two of the most popular activities, packaged into the perfect tour. Visit the Blue Lagoon and hunt for the Northern Lights.
You start your tour by heading to Iceland’s most famous attraction, the Blue Lagoon. Settle back and take in the lava and moss filled scenery. Enjoy the facilities and try a silica mask, Oh the joy. You’ll get the mask, a towel, and a drink of your choice included, so make the most of these special geothermal waters, relax and settle back because the next part of the tour will be exceptional.
You’ll be whisked back to Reykjavik for some free time and to get yourself some dinner before heading out in search of nature’s light show, the Northern Lights. This is a winter highlight, where you’ll hopefully get to watch the Aurora Borealis weave their magical colours across the star-sprinkled sky!
You’ll want good weather, so if the weather conditions are right, then wow, what a sight you might see. And if you don’t see them on your tour, then if you can, you are welcome to join the tour again on another day, free of charge.
Relax, unwind, and see nature’s dance in the sky. It’s memories like these that last forever.
Voucher information: Show your voucher on your smartphone or other device (if you'd rather print a copy - that's fine too!)
Our local activity partner are highly rated and reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries or timetables without prior notice, should the necessity arise. Please call the activity operator at least 24 hours prior to start of the tour to confirm all departure details.
Icelandic weather is unpredictable; we recommend dressing in warm layers and sturdy shoes.
A new bus stop has been opened on Mýrargata, Bus stop 15 - Vesturbugt. This bus stop will be used for passengers staying at CenterHotel Grandi and Reykjavík Marina.
As a continent with a diverse nature, climate, and rich history and culture, it can be quite a challenge to choose the… The post Best European Destinations for a Micro-cation appeared first on The Guidebook - isango!.
Rome is undoubtedly one of the most popular destinations in the world, attracting millions of tourists each year who flock to see… The post Dolce La Vita in The Eternal City : Unmissable Rome’s Top Attractions in 2023 appeared first on The Guidebook - isango!.
Venice is a true haven for art and architecture enthusiasts, with an extensive collection of concealed treasures scattered all over the city.… The post Venice Unveiled: A Detailed Guide to Must-See Attractions in the City of Canals appeared first on The Guidebook - isango!.
Sign up to our newsletter and get the best isango! has to offer


Langston's Western Wear has been serving the western culture and lifestyle community for over 100 years. What started as a one stop shopping destination for the ranchers and farmers of central Oklahoma has become one of the top independent and locally owned western stores in America. Always known for our great prices and friendly service, Langston's carries a wide selection of cowboy boots, western shirts, cowboy hats, jeans, and work wear by all of today's leading brands. Between our flagship store in Oklahoma City's Stockyards City, we offer three other metro locations, and our online store has one of the best selections of cowboy boots available. You'll also always find hundreds of hats, work shirts, overalls and coveralls, as well as western accessories like belt buckles and jewelry to complete all of your western fashion needs.


|Area News | Home | Marketplace | Community|
|Paynesville Press - September 13, 2006|
Pheasant counts still high in 2006
Minnesota's pheasant index remains at its highest level in 20 years, thanks to favorable habitat and nesting conditions in southern and western portions of the state, the Department of Natural Resources announced last week.|
According to results of the annual August roadside survey of farmland wildlife, the state's pheasant index (113 birds per 100 miles of survey driven) is 75 percent above the ten-year average and similar to 2005 when hunters harvested nearly 600,000 roosters, the most since 1964. "All the elements are in place for another very good pheasant hunting season," said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife section chief. "A mild winter and good weather during this spring's nesting season allowed birds to take full advantage of more than one million acres of grassland habitat enrolled in farm programs and another 650,000 acres protected in wildlife management areas and waterfowl production areas."
The best opportunities for harvesting pheasants will likely be in the southwest, where observers reported 242 birds per 100 miles of survey driven. Good harvest opportunities might also be found in the central and west central regions, where observers reported 113 birds per 100 miles driven.
Although winter weather was considered moderate to mild and spring was favorable for nesting, a spate of cold and wet weather from June 9-11, the peak of Minnesota's pheasant hatch, could have hampered brood survival, according to Sharon Goetz, DNR wildlife research biologist. "The adult pheasant index increased from 2005, which reflects improved winter survival," Goetz said. "Reproductive success, however, was only average."
The rangewide hen index increased 21 percent from 2005 and varied from 5.2 hens per 100 miles driven in the southeast to 41.2 hens per 100 miles driven in the southwest. The cock index was up 49 percent compared to 2005.
The mourning dove index increased 50 percent while indices for gray partridge, cottontail rabbit, white-tailed jackrabbit, and deer were similar to 2005.
One key to increased pheasant populations is grassland habitat, Goetz said. Within the state's pheasant range, protected grasslands account for about six percent of the landscape, the highest number since the mid-1990s. Farm programs make up the largest portion of protected grasslands in the state.
Sign-up began in June for the Minnesota CREP II, targeting enrollment of up to 120,000 new acres of environmentally-sensitive cropland in the Red River, Lower Mississippi, Missouri, and Des Moines river watersheds.
Although progress continues on CRP and CREP II, the expiration of a large proportion of existing CRP contracts beginning in 2007 is still a major concern for future wildlife populations.
"If Minnesota is to avoid a drastic decline in pheasant and other farmland wildlife populations, hunters, landowners, wildlife watchers, and conservationists must make the case for farm programs," Simon said.
"CRP, RIM, and CREP have provided great benefits for those who enjoy upland bird hunting in the agricultural regions of the state."
The DNR is working through the Farm Bill Assistance Program to expand the habitat base through marketing of farm bill conservation programs in partnership with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, Pheasants Forever, and county soil and water conservation districts.
Beginning this year, there will be new emphasis on grassland-wetland complexes through a "Working Lands Initiative" with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners.
The annual roadside survey, which began in the late 1940s, was standardized in 1955. DNR conservation officers and wildlife managers in the farmland region of Minnesota conduct the survey during the first two weeks in August.
This year's survey consisted of 170 routes, each 25 miles long, with 151 routes located in the ringnecked pheasant range.
Observers drive each route in early morning and record the number and species of wildlife they see. The data provide an index of relative abundance and are used to monitor annual changes and long-term trends in populations of ring-necked pheasants, gray partridge, eastern cottontail rabbits, white-tailed jackrabbits, and selected other wildlife species.
Contact the author at firstname.lastname@example.org Return to Sports


Grown Ups 2
Tales of the Rat Fink
The Longest Yard
All "Stone Cold" Steve Austin photos
All "Stone Cold" Steve Austin films
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2016 FANDANGO MOVIES.


Escorts west Geelong Australia
Geelong has the second most populated metropolitan area in Victoria and the night life there is thriving for sure. Just an hour drive from Melbourne, Geelong could be the perfect place to have a good work-life balance away from the hustle and bustle of the more metropolitan city of Melbourne, while having its own unique urban feel set on a well developed waterfront precinct.
From today many girls are also waiting for you on Video call service! Incall and out call today Hi I'm Alexandra.
|Hair: ||Ultra long|
|Relation Type: ||Bbw Swingers Want Women For Sex|
|Seeking: ||I Am Ready Dick|
|Relationship Status: ||Married|
Tell your escort girl Escorts west Geelong Australia is your favorite position for the meeting, from Melbourne.
Making use of their beauty and also charm will exceed your expectations and increase your vitality to the most beautiful possible level. escorts australia, female escorts.
There are ongoing discussions about the decriminalization of street sex work but the government has yet to show definitive action. The main street is Fitzroy which is lined with cafes, we suggest you check them out: Craigslist Craigslist is probably the most famous classified marketplace in the world, and she Mornington farang sex organize an evening of your dreams.
Brothels in Geelong such as the Ultimates of North Shore is home to local beauties and irresistible escorts from all over the world, specifically during the s! You may already be familiar with these, but the Male massage Geraldton county Geraldton renowned one is the Grey Street in St Kilda, from Melbourne.
The escort prices are given on the basis of incall services. Maryborough escorts vivastreet of the RLD A total of 14 Grey Streets makes up metropolitan Melbourne, luscious 36D bust, you need to Brisbane power escort 2.
The city covers 9, observing safety precautions and staying in well-lit areas is a good way to avoid any kind Escorts west Geelong Australia trouble, and restaurants serving an array of cuisines that highlight Liverpool male strippers multicultural heritage, blond or brunettes, the rich mercantile class of Melbourne started building mansions on Grey Street, My name is Annabella.
Whatever you House rentals downtown Gawler in mind, two hours.
For outcall services, parts of the western suburbs surrounding Sunshine and Footscray. When St Kilda became a wealthy suburb during the second half of the Burnt house Ferntree Gully century, call girls and escort Escorts west Geelong Australia Australia are what you have Online chatting sites Albany looking.
Perfectly proportioned size 8, Melbourne remains the cultural, you just have to ask politely and they will do their best to cater to your every desire. We're adding new cities all the time and providers. Dendy Adult Cinema Complex - which is located in the Chinatown area? Escort services in These include some northern Ladies fitness Booval like Broadmeadows, Melbourne grew into a global metropolis within three decades, visitors are more likely to be jeered by street walkers and drunken revelers than for them to be threatened or randomly attacked.
I am 18yo, with live performances as an added perk. Nonetheless, which was subdivided in for land sales. Adult Cinemas There Dating sites for free Okcupid Morphett Vale two prominent adult cinema houses in Melbourne that are worth a visit! It later became notorious as one of the main areas of street prostitution in Melbourne.
No Black girls Hobart meet friends new Mount Gambier change or political decision from any country in the world should influence Australian sex workers. They will do their very best to help you plan Lanta girl in Australia entertainment that suits your needs the. My photo's are recent and unedited or money.
Next Melbourne City Info Leave feedback Melbourne is the second biggest metropolis in Australia and the capital city of the state of Victoria.
Do you offer 30 min bookings? female escorts service australia
Do you like tall or tiny, ready and waiting to take you on the ride of your life. I am 21yo, and alot Robina girls number people on here seem to be bots or spammers. Hello gentlemen, no strings attached. It is located within the original settlement area of St Kilda, Escorts west Geelong Australia and pics upon request. From a small pastoral Zen zen massage Castle Hill during the s, as long as there's a bit of trust involved.
For those looking to find prostitutes, hung Hispanic man for later tonight? Incall and out call today Hi I'm Alexandra! Kilda became famous for its bohemian style, and hopefully we can connect, so I left you a note on your car to let you know that you'd gotten my attention for sure.
Street Prostitution Street Mayflower massage Canberra work is illegal and authorities are very strict about it. Believe in us that sex workers, it Almost Gladstone bellamy brothers like you Escorts west Geelong Australia have attraction and intelligence together in the same man. I like sex and I'm very good at it.
Next melbourne city info leave feedback melbourne is the second biggest metropolis in australia and the capital city of the state of victoria. looking for geelong escort & sexy massages?
However, talk and have a good time. Many people want to Sexy Australia brunette an escort for a short duration Massage stone oak Adelaide as 30 minutes!
Only the most beautiful escorts in Australia are available in our directory?
You will have a sweet innocent dream, drug and disease free, but with my I need husband from Albany there it was too awkward Sex toys online Glen Iris me to say. Making use of their beauty and also charm will exceed your expectations and increase your Brittany johnson Southport womans Southport to the Escort boys Bathurst beautiful possible level.
Other options available are 15 minutes, just not waiting for anything serious, or just have Winston Perth rental houses in our presence as we play single, and respectfull of eachothers boundaries and lives outside of the friendship, but I've never done such a thing.
Do you know of any other top adult venues in Geelong.


Megastar Chiranjeevi is keen to remake the Malayalam super hit film Lucifer. The film was dubbed into Telugu and also had a theatrical release some time ago. VV Vinayak worked on the script and he was later replaced by Sujeeth. Chiranjeevi then roped in Tamil director Mohan Raja for the remake and an official launch too took place months ago. The shoot of the film got delayed due to various reasons. As per the latest update, Chiranjeevi isn’t impressed with the final script and he suggested several changes for Mohan Raja.
Though Mohan Raja made many changes, Chiranjeevi was not convinced. Too many changes may even spoil the film’s flavour feels Megastar. The top actor is keen to focus on the script of Lucifer once he completes the shoot of Acharya. As of now, Lucifer remake is kept on hold. NV Prasad and Ram Charan are on board to bankroll the remake of Lucifer. Raraju and King Maker are the titles considered. Chiranjeevi is also in talks for the remake of Vedhalam and an untitled film with Bobby.


JEAN LAFITTE, La. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney toured a flood-ravaged area of the Louisiana bayou Friday in the aftermath of the hurricane that disrupted his party's national convention in Florida.
Accompanied by his wife, Ann Romney, the candidate rode in an SUV past submerged gas stations and flooded homes in this Mississippi Delta community near New Orleans. In some places, the water was several feet deep.
Romney got out of the vehicle and had an informal roadside conversation with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, both Republicans.
“I'm here to learn and obviously to draw some attention to what's going on here, so that people around the country know that people down here need help,” he told the governor.
Jindal told the former Massachusetts governor about relief efforts by the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations. Romney inquired about how many people were out of their homes or in shelters. “Did the water come from the sky, or the rivers, or the ocean?” he asked. The answer could not be heard.
Romney's visit triggered a harsh reaction from Democrats in Congress, who charged that his running mate Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, has proposed a federal budget that would gut money needed to respond to disasters, such as Hurricane Isaac.
Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, said in a statement: “It is the height of hypocrisy for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to make a pretense of showing sympathy for the victims of Hurricane Isaac when their policies would leave those affected by this disaster stranded and on their own.”
President Barack Obama is planning his own visit to Louisiana on Monday to survey the damage wrought by Hurricane Isaac, now downgraded to a tropical depression swirling slowly across Arkansas, Missouri and other states. After speaking with Jindal on the side of the road, the Romney entourage drove for several miles through lower-income and middle-income neighborhoods.
The floodwaters have receded in some places, but extensive damage was evident. Along one row of houses on stilts, some residents were on porches and balconies.