News for today's 2018

The Key To Being HCG Slim

7:59 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Andrea Davidson</div><br /><br />  <div class='uawarticle'>Diet and exercise are one of the most important focuses for individuals concerned about their health. There are so many products on the market that claim to give quick results, but fail to live up to their promises. Now more than ever, individuals are choosing to be hcg slim in order to achieve the results that they desire.<br />  <br />  The HCG diet has hit the scene and is quite popular among weight loss plans. However, with any plan, it's important to understand all the ins and outs of how HCG works before using it. The true key to losing weight on this plan is to count how many calories are being consumed, as well as regular exercise.<br />  <br />  HCG may bring about the desired results for some, but has undergone much controversy. Some experts have stated that the use of the hormone really doesn't contribute to any positive results and is virtually ineffective.<br />  <br />  HCG itself is not a pill, but a hormone that is produced by women during pregnancy. It is referred to as human chorionic gonadotrophin, which can either be taken orally or injected. The hormone has a great influence on the hypothalamus which is located in the brain. It tells the brain that it needs to burn an excess amount of fat being stored in the body.<br />  <br />  This hormone helps to suppress the appetite and decrease cravings. This contributes to an easier route of fat consumption during physical activity. Many contribute the diet to bringing about results instead of the hormone. The body's metabolism is increased at this point due to the fact that hunger is being suppressed.<br />  <br />  Individuals must be informed about the fact that there may be serious effects that come about when choosing this diet plan. Long-term weight loss is not promised. The body immediately goes into a mode of starvation, which in the end may lead to some serious health issues. The consumer must evaluate within themselves if it's worth all that's at stake.<br />  <br />  The plan is unique in the fact that consumers are only allowed to eat 500 calories each day. The product can help individuals in regard to rapid weight loss, but again, it can't be done long-term because the adverse effects it may produce within the body. A newer version of this diet allows the individual to consume 800 calories per day. It consists of lean meats, vegetables and fruits.<br />  <br />  Many individuals swear that this is the best weight loss program on the market, and that the results are simply phenomenal. The body automatically starts to burn fat instead of just calories brought about by food. Due to the fact that so little calories are consumed, rapid weight loss is the result. Individuals have also stated that they've achieved more than just the pounds coming off, but they have also changed the way that they look at food, and the way that they look at themselves. Choosing to be <A href="http://MySlimSolution.com">hcg slim</A> may be the right choice for those serious about weight loss.<br />  <br />  </div><br />  <div class='uawresource'><br />  	<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br />  		About the Author:<br />  	</div><br />  	<div class='uawlinks'><a href="http://MySlimSolution.com">Read more about</a> The Choice To Be HCG Slim  visiting our website.</div><br />  </div><br />

The Key To Being HCG Slim

By Andrea Davidson Diet and exercise are one of the most important focuses for individuals concerned about their health. There are so ma...

Diet Your Way To Happiness And Success!

7:16 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By James T. Chaweng</div><br /><br />  <div class='uawarticle'><br />  <br />  If you're like many of us, you have struggled to lose weight at some point in your life. Weight loss can often seem like an unobtainable goal if you have not educated yourself about healthy, lasting ways to lose weight. So do yourself a favor and read this article!<br />  <br />  If you're trying to lose weight, and are constantly hungry, you need to arm yourself with healthy, low-fat snack choices. Carrots and celery are always mentioned, and they're fine, but what if you want carbs? Choose healthy carbs such as nonfat (air-popped) popcorn with no salt. You can pop a huge bag of it, munch away along with a huge glass of water, and feel nice and full with no damage to your waistline. <br />  <br />  A great way to start losing weight is to start attending fitness classes at your gym. By attending classes such as yoga or pilates you'll be more motivated by all the people around you. The instructor dictates what the class does, so all you have to do is just follow along. <br />  <br />  Hunger is a problem for people trying to lose weight. Next time you are hungry, pause and think: is it true hunger or am I eating for non-food-related reasons? Many times we eat to satisfy emotional needs, or because we're tired, or need comfort. Often, we're just thirsty. Next time you feel hunger pangs, first examine your motives for feeling hungry, and then try drinking a very large glass of cool water. Before you eat again, see if the drink has satisfied your need. <br />  <br />  Drinking tea can be a great way to lose weight and become healthier overall. You don't need to go all-out with fancy china and small cakes and sandwiches. In fact, that would make it quite a bit less nutritious! Just brew tea and drink it when you'd usually drink water. Sweeten it if you like, but sparingly. <br />  <br />  A good tip to help you lose weight is to start eating broccoli. Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables around because it's very high in antioxidants. You can steam broccoli, eat it raw, or just add a few to your salad. Your body will definitely thank you. <br />  <br />  A practice that will help one lose weight is to replace time spent watching television or movies with time doing physical activities. By exercising in some way as opposed to sitting in a couch or chair will translate into more calories being burned and more healthy activity during time that would have been spent sitting. <br />  <br />  If you're married, a dual diet might just be your ticket to losing weight. Trying a diet together is a great way to stay motivated. The two of you may start a little competition with one another and at the very least, you will have your partner there, to always remind you that you're supposed to be on a diet. <br />  <br />  Use the information in this article to help you shed those unwanted pounds. Since you were motivated enough to find this article, you are already ahead of the game. Let your weight loss journey begin! Remember to stick with it, and you will be achieving your weight loss goals before you know it.<br />  <br />  </div><br />  <div class='uawresource'><br />  	<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br />  		About the Author:<br />  	</div><br />  	<div class='uawlinks'>James T. Chaweng operates blog about <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/105572466815656121313">does proactol work</a> that provides not only information about <a href="https://delicious.com/naturalweightlose">natural weight loss tips</a>. Check out his blog today.</div><br />  </div><br />

Diet Your Way To Happiness And Success!

By James T. Chaweng If you're like many of us, you have struggled to lose weight at some point in your life. Weight loss can oft...

SYRIAN MEDIA BLITZKRIEG

7:04 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NqByj5o7kJgpeBA08yEKbKibGYEMzfItRTfLiHGbA2Ybax_yvbR9C5Ldj9rWoBbvtJZum2p0cCySg1IU0vTlwIYNO0oxOmMmMfDcgAHibD50ff-Fqi8TIAdI2q94PibXkia6smFT5QDQ/s1600/ilv4V6ZmBeEI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NqByj5o7kJgpeBA08yEKbKibGYEMzfItRTfLiHGbA2Ybax_yvbR9C5Ldj9rWoBbvtJZum2p0cCySg1IU0vTlwIYNO0oxOmMmMfDcgAHibD50ff-Fqi8TIAdI2q94PibXkia6smFT5QDQ/s320/ilv4V6ZmBeEI.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UN Chemical Weapons Inspection Team in Damascus</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 653px;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">  <td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in; width: 489.5pt;" width="653"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">  </span></b><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">WHO REALLY USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS, THAT IS THE QUESTION </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SYRIAN   opposition figures based in Istanbul, TURKEY, have claimed that up to 1,400   people have been killed in chemical weapons attacks</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">!!!</span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Could it be that the BRITISH and FRENCH stance and eagerness of military action in SYRIA  is because </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that the two are former  imperialist, colonialist powers in that region, thus resurrecting colonial ambitions and   distant memories of the</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"> SYKES–PICOT AGREEMENT?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">(See: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement</a>)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="watch-title  yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="Chemical Weapons False Flag Against Syria Update">Chemical Weapons False Flag Against Syria?</span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DbMdll58lis?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This video clip was posted on YouTube April 2012</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">  </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  The coincidence couldn't be more telling. No sooner than the UNITED NATIONS chemical   weapons inspectors arrived in Damascus - within 72 hours, in fact - the SYRIAN   opposition figures based in Istanbul, TURKEY, have claimed that up to 1,400   people have been killed in chemical weapons attacks by the government forces   on the outskirts of the SYRIAN capital. <br />  <br />  The media blitzkrieg has been equally stunning - press conferences, video   presentations by opposition activists, "expert opinion" from   Western capitals and instantaneous reactions by western politicians. <br />  <br />  The UNITED STATES, BRITAIN, FRANCE, GERMANY, the EUROPEAN UNION and the ARAB   LEAGUE are among those who have demanded for urgent action. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />  <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The UN Security Council promptly held a closed-door   meeting to consider the allegation against the SYRIAN government.   Unsurprisingly, the SYRIAN government itself has strongly refuted the   allegation calling it a "dirty" media war, which reflected the   "hysteria, disorder and breakdown" of the rebels who have suffered   a string of devastating military defeats in the recent days and weeks. <br />  <br />  <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SWEDISH</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WEAPON INSPECTOR SELLSTROM:</b> <b>IRAQ DÉJÀ VU? </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  What is the game plan? One vital clue lies in the appointment of the SWEDISH   expert Ake Sellstrom as the head of the UN team that landed in Damascus three   days ago. Sellstrom served in the select band of UN weapon inspectors in IRAQ. <br />  Reuters quoted Sellstrom backing the demand that the alleged attacks in   Damascus suburbs should be investigated and he even mooted a plan of action.   Sellstrom suggested, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It [SYRIAN opposition claim]   sounds like something that should be looked into. It will depend on whether   any UN member state goes to the secretary general and says we should look at   this event. We are in place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PiW4lZnbmBkmiv_Dz7D0L5t9AeFN_QE2B-EUKoIAqWdDqQHOAbwrsUsAmb1nj76ywxQXvN7BZVkO43ibmxfMgWD0a8QwzZREfJmIZZjRm8LBI2IOJn1WvP6uS2JDnCmZ6YQKcU-Vg7Og/s1600/iraq_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PiW4lZnbmBkmiv_Dz7D0L5t9AeFN_QE2B-EUKoIAqWdDqQHOAbwrsUsAmb1nj76ywxQXvN7BZVkO43ibmxfMgWD0a8QwzZREfJmIZZjRm8LBI2IOJn1WvP6uS2JDnCmZ6YQKcU-Vg7Og/s320/iraq_b.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BRITISH Foreign Secretary William   Hague picked up Sellstrom's excellent idea and said, I call on the SYRIAN   government to allow immediate access to the area for the UN team currently   investigating previous allegations of chemical weapons use ... The UK will be   raising this incident at the UN Security Council. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">France concurred within no time.   President Francois Hollande too felt that the allegations "require   verification and confirmation" and Paris would ask the UN to go to the   site "to shed full light" on the allegations. GERMANY nodded in   agreement. <br />  <br />  The TURKISH foreign ministry had a full-fledged statement ready, which said   Ankara is "deeply concerned" and the team of UN inspectors already   in SYRIA "must investigate the allegations in question and present its   findings" to the security council. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KKrkokQIx9g?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Interestingly, the much-awaited statement by the White House in Washington   turned out to be an endorsement of the EUROPEAN-TURKISH demand - stopping   short of confirming the incident but adding it was working to gather   additional information, while demanding, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is today, as we speak, on   the ground in SYRIA, a UNITED NATIONS team with a specialty in investigating   the use of chemical weapons. So, let's give this team the opportunity to   investigate what exactly occurred and get to the bottom of this so that we   can hold accountable those who were responsible. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indeed, an emergency meeting of   the UN Security Council has taken place in New York. The council did not   explicitly demand a UN investigation but agreed that "clarity" was   needed and welcomed UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon's calls for a prompt   investigation by Sellstrom's team. <br />  <br />  In the words of Ambassador Cristina Perceval of ARGENTINA, currently   president of the Security Council, there is "strong concern among the   Council members" about the allegations, and "a general sense that   there must be clarity on what happened" and that the situation has to be   followed carefully''. <br />  <br />  Meanwhile, Ban's spokesman told journalists in New York that Sellstrom is   already "in discussions with the SYRIAN Government on all issues   pertaining to the alleged use of chemical weapons, including this most recent   reported incident''. <br />  <br />  <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>CAMEL IN BASHAR'S TENT</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  In sum, the UN inspection team which is mandated to be in SYRIA up to 14 days   - as agreed between the SYRIAN government and the UN - "with a possible   extension" to probe the use of alleged use of chemical weapons at Khan   al-Assal and two other undisclosed cites may just be getting an enhanced   mandate. <br />  <br />  If so, it becomes a diplomatic coup of sorts for the Western powers and their   MIDDLE EASTERN allies who have been persistently seeking some form of UN   intervention in SYRIA. <br />  <br />  In essence, Sellstrom may well be on an open-ended mission now since the SYRIAN   opposition will endeavor to make fresh allegations in other places in SYRIA   as well. Most important, Sellstrom may tiptoe at some stage toward the   chemical weapon stockpiles of the Bashar Al-Assad regime. <br />  <br />  Clearly, the camel has entered Bashar's tent. Sellstrom will now begin filing   reports to Ban, which the latter will be obliged to bring to the notice of   the Security Council and that, in turn, could mean the opening of a SYRIAN   file in New York, which the West all along wanted. <br />  <br />  What does it all add up to? Three things emerge. One, the momentum of   stunning successes by the SYRIAN military over the rebels is almost certainly   going to be punctuated. The SYRIAN regime will need to turn attention to the   diplomatic battle that lies ahead. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY   HAS NOW REALIZED ITS STRATEGIC MISTAKE AND LEFT THE FRONT</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  <br />  The government forces have won successes in key battlefields such as in the   central and coastal regions of Homs and Latakia and the suburbs of Damascus.   General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the influential military aide to IRAN'S Supreme   Leader Ali Khamenei, claimed in Tehran that the "[SYRIAN] terrorists   have been almost defeated from the military perspective." Savafi added, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What   is left is the Geneva 2 conference. On one side there will be the US, ISRAEL,   FRANCE, ENGLAND, TURKEY and some ARAB states, which supported the opposition.   As a result of its domestic issues, TURKEY has now realized its strategic   mistake and left the front. SAUDI ARABIA is dealing with its EGYPT project.   The rest of the front is present but defeated. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />  <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />  </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RUSSIA’S   REACTION?</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  But on the other side of this front, there reside RUSSIA, CHINA and IRAN,   which aided SYRIA. Of course, IRAN and the LEBANESE Hezbollah aided SYRIA politically   and internationally as they support restoration of peace, stability and   tranquility to SYRIA.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did Safavi speak one day too soon?   Is Iran fully in the loop? Is its triumphalism warranted? The answers will unfold   soon. <br />  <br />  Meanwhile, Moscow is maintaining deafening silence over the latest   allegations on chemical weapons, presumably taken aback by the lightning   speed with which the Western powers and their regional allies got the SYRIAN   file into the agenda of the Security Council. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">TECTONIC   PLATES IN THE GEOPOLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST SHOW SOME MOVEMENT</span><br />  </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov had a telephone   conversation with the SAUDI spy chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud to   "discuss the situation in EGYPT and SYRIA ... [and] the relations   between the two countries''. Bandar is a delightful bag of tricks, and at any   rate, by Wednesday evening, Riyadh sang a different tune, with Foreign   Minister Saud al-Faisal saying, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The UN Security Council should   work out a clear resolution to put an end to the tragedy. We are shocked by   the massacre in SYRIAN cities with the use of chemical weapons, which are   prohibited under international law.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the second thing. The   tectonic plates in the geopolitics of the MIDDLE EAST were beginning to show   some movement in recent weeks over developments in EGYPT. The disharmony   amongst the erstwhile allies who were until recently collaborating over the SYRIA   project was becoming too obvious to be papered over. <br />  <br />  <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TURKEY began openly criticizing the EGYPTIAN   junta and its GULF Cooperation Council (GCC) supporters and taunting the WEST   over its much-vaunted democracy project in the new MIDDLE EAST. QATAR   vanished from the SYRIAN frontline. Washington still wouldn't call the EGYPTIAN   coup by its real name, while the EUROPEAN UNION is dithering on imposing any   embargo on EGYPT, with SAUDI ARABIA threatening to make up for any Western   embargo on EGYPT. </b><br />  <br />  <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>STALLING A RESET </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But the most sensational part of the   realignment is the nascent proximity between RUSSIA on the one hand and SAUDI   ARABIA and its GCC allies (especially the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) on the other   hand in their shared antipathy toward Muslim Brotherhood. <br />  </b><br />  At the very least, the SYRIAN chemical weapon controversy puts a sudden break   on the incipient moves of a "reset" in the political alignments in   the MIDDLE EAST. The Western powers have circled the wagons and their restive   ARAB allies - SAUDI ARABIA, in particular - are being told to stay put, with   the signal that the SYRIAN project is work in progress. <br />  <br />  <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE HEART OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE   WEST SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD A REGIONAL ASCENDANCE BY RUSSIA, CHINA AND IRAN</b>.   </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nor is the West comfortable with   the increasingly maverick ways in which its regional allies are behaving. <br />  <br />  Paradoxically, the chemical weapons controversy provides a vital lifeline for   TURKEY'S beleaguered Recep Erdogan to break out of acute isolation over EGYPT.   Erdogan is at his wit's end in coping with the KURDISH problem, which has   been surging lately as the leitmotif of the SYRIAN conflict. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HUgF79x9IK2GSysqWuZVW4d-qePrGbyz8H-M7tRIPluRofLNZwkVvRU0WUfppBV0eepV1-oRAxZqYFPeQcebkGYxduFEswc5a_8GaIRDGTzE4VOLYK43YRIMdMsQaikZXErSRnIYEvL0/s1600/734px-Kurdish-inhabited_area_by_CIA_%25281992%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HUgF79x9IK2GSysqWuZVW4d-qePrGbyz8H-M7tRIPluRofLNZwkVvRU0WUfppBV0eepV1-oRAxZqYFPeQcebkGYxduFEswc5a_8GaIRDGTzE4VOLYK43YRIMdMsQaikZXErSRnIYEvL0/s1600/734px-Kurdish-inhabited_area_by_CIA_%25281992%2529.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:   </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">KURDISH EQUATION AND TURKEY</span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/libya-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/10/libya-syria.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">THE   KURDISH INDEPENDENCE GAMBLE WITH TURKEY </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/double-dealing-in-iraq-and-syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/double-dealing-in-iraq-and-syria.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">TURKEY'S   GAMBLE ON KURDISTAN OIL</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">KURDISH   MARCH TOWARD AUTONOMY GAINS MOMENTUM</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-syrian-policies.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-syrian-policies.html</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The SYRIAN KURDS have frontally   challenged Ankara's covert nexus with the al-Qaeda affiliates operating in   northeastern SYRIA bordering TURKEY, which puts Erdogan in a tight spot. <br />  <br />  A tantalizing question, however, arises. The EUROPEAN powers - BRITAIN and FRANCE   in particular - and TURKEY are evidently spearheading the latest controversy   over chemical weapons. But how far and how real is the Obama administration's   involvement in it? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Comment by Geopolitical   Analysis and Monitoring:</span></i></b></span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUAgEj1qR7eRFvmz9yN5p28Q0-Zyb-MXgPrnpLl6hlSh3Mhhp05tCH1PPtdl9_BZ1X1fbcYB_j6-XA82mSXmalmpYj4p65i4Znn_8aOFz9b7A2rAQuNGFxEXKrizWwXckBXRXjIsvshVE/s1600/MPK1-426_Sykes_Picot_Agreement_Map_signed_8_May_1916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUAgEj1qR7eRFvmz9yN5p28Q0-Zyb-MXgPrnpLl6hlSh3Mhhp05tCH1PPtdl9_BZ1X1fbcYB_j6-XA82mSXmalmpYj4p65i4Znn_8aOFz9b7A2rAQuNGFxEXKrizWwXckBXRXjIsvshVE/s200/MPK1-426_Sykes_Picot_Agreement_Map_signed_8_May_1916.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">SYKES–PICOT AGREEMENT</span></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Could it be that the   BRITISH and FRENCH stance on SYRIA and use of Chemical Weapons is all about   the resurrection of colonial ambitions and distant memories of the </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">SYKES–PICOT AGREEMENT? (See:</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement</a>)</span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of   Staff, General Martin Dempsey, went on record that the Obama administration   is opposed to even limited military intervention in SYRIA because it believes   that the rebels fighting the Assad regime wouldn't support AMERICAN interests   if they were to seize power right now. <br />  </b><br />  He wrote with brutal frankness in a formal letter addressed to US Congressman   Eliot Engel (Democrat - New York), </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SYRIA today is not about choosing   between two sides but rather about choosing one among many sides. It is my   belief that the side we choose must be ready to promote their interests and   ours when the balance shifts in their favor. Today, they are not. <br />  <br />  It is a deeply rooted, long-term conflict among multiple factions, and   violent struggles for power will continue after Assad's rule ends. We should   evaluate the effectiveness of limited military options in this context. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">:</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Worthwhile to mention is that the SYRIAN conflict will most   probably continue for some time, similar to the civil war in LEBANON, which   lasted 15 years.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />  <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The use of US military force can   change the military balance. But it cannot resolve the underlying and   historic ethnic, religious and tribal issues that are fueling this conflict. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dempsey concluded that the Obama   administration is on course with its current policy of focusing on   humanitarian assistance and bolstering the moderate opposition in SYRIA,   since such an approach "represents the best framework for an effective   US strategy toward SYRIA''. <br />  <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />  <span style="color: #cc0000;">SYRIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONTROVERSY OPENS AN EXIT DOOR OF SORTS FOR THE   WESTERN POWERS (AND TURKEY) IN SYRIA</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />  <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />  </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All in all, therefore, the   chemical weapons controversy opens an exit door of sorts for the western   powers (and TURKEY) in SYRIA. The western powers have been dodging the issue   of arming the SYRIAN rebels after making verbal pledges while Assad's forces   have been gradually gaining the upper hand militarily. <br />  <br />  The SYRIAN opposition is in a mess and EGYPT'S strongman General Abdel Fatteh   el-Sisi told its leaders who were based in Cairo to get lost. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On the other hand, the Brotherhood, which   dominated the SYRIAN opposition, is under heavy SAUDI artillery fire all   across the region</b>. <br />  <br />  In sum, the compass of the "regime change" project in SYRIA has   shifted in favor of the Salafists. Besides, these are still early days in   Egypt and what happens on the Nile banks would ultimately rewrite Middle   eastern politics. In the present situation, Assad will negotiate from a   position of unassailable strength at the "Geneva 2" negotiating   table, which is untenable. <br />  <br />  This is where the chemical weapons controversy and the opening of a SYRIAN   file at the UN Security Council offers a breather to break the momentum of   Assad's army and the swagger of the Hezbollah and IRAN and end the look of   smug satisfaction on the RUSSIAN face. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SELLSTROM   DOES NOT EVEN HAVE A MANDATE TO NAME THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">.</span><br />  <br />  Is this a prelude to an IRAQ-like scenario? The chancelleries in Moscow,   Tehran and Beijing will be assessing. No doubt, Sellstrom is tiptoeing   dangerously close toward Bashar's WMD stockpiles, something, which the US   (and ISRAEL) always wanted to fasten. <br />  <br />  The only task assigned to weapon inspector Sellstrom when he landed in   Damascus three days ago with his team was to inspect three specific sites to   determine whether chemical weapons were used in SYRIA. He didn't have a   mandate even to name the party responsible. <br />  <br />  Now, all that is history. The plain truth is that Sellstrom's footfalls are   beginning to echo in the memory. One could visualize Sellstrom going down the   passage towards the door "we never opened into the rose-garden''. <br />  <br />  Maybe, as T. S. Eliot wrote, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"But to what purpose<br />  Disturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leaves<br />  I do not know."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But we know that what was an   abstraction until the dawn broke on Wednesday is becoming a perpetual   possibility in today's world of speculation. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By M K Bhadrakumar </span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table>

SYRIAN MEDIA BLITZKRIEG

UN Chemical Weapons Inspection Team in Damascus WHO REALLY USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS, THAT IS THE QUESTION SYRIAN opposition figures bas...

Port drivers rise up against employer abuse, plan protest

5:39 AM Tukiyooo 0

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNymgtyTl33OOhA1I_nUwZWH6SrOvcFWBIZ09MfrzWUeXt_AGratP-1Csa5tAgARcam_UhsaGgOP-vSKpK4cmy-KnY3kPMjprj_Q87YvFJHPf7vLtQ7ty76PayqX0DH9dQ4Orkv8nL6pTd/s1600/Port+truck+driver+rally.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNymgtyTl33OOhA1I_nUwZWH6SrOvcFWBIZ09MfrzWUeXt_AGratP-1Csa5tAgARcam_UhsaGgOP-vSKpK4cmy-KnY3kPMjprj_Q87YvFJHPf7vLtQ7ty76PayqX0DH9dQ4Orkv8nL6pTd/s320/Port+truck+driver+rally.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port driver Jose Luis Alvarado invites<br />you to a rally to demand respect on Tuesday.</td></tr></tbody></table>Truck drivers at the Port of L.A. are holding a large rally on Tuesday to demand respect from their abusive employer, Green Fleet Systems. One of the drivers, Jose Luis Alvarado, invites you to attend:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">My name is Jose Luis Alvarado. I am a port truck driver working at Green Fleet Systems. I have been a port truck driver for 13 years serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Although the work that is done by me and my coworkers is vital to the American economy, our work often goes unnoticed. Besides the times we might be driving next to you on the freeway, we are mostly invisible. On a daily basis, people buy TVs, toys, and clothes that we haul to warehouses and distribution centers for you and your family. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Almost no one is aware of the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45kifl/no-8-driversales-workers-and-truck-drivers-3/" rel="nofollow">working conditions</a> that we face on a day-to-day basis and how this affects us and our families. We work long hours for little pay. At the end of the day, it’s hard to make ends meet. As the father of 3 children, I am often stressed about being able to pay my bills and provide my children with the opportunities that I never had in Guatemala. Green Fleet Systems offers us a company medical insurance plan, but in order to get coverage for me and my family, I would have to pay $100 a week. There is no way that I can afford it. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">At work, my coworkers and I face constant disrespect from management. We are insulted and screamed at for any small mistake that is committed. No one deserves to be treated this way. We have earned the same rights and treatment that every hardworking American deserves. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">It is because of the harassment that we are facing as we try to form a union that we are taking action to demand justice at Green Fleet Systems. We demand that Green Fleet Systems management stop retaliating against us as we organize to form our union. We say stop the intimidation! Stop the union busting!</blockquote><i>The rally will be held on Tuesday at 3:30 pm in Carson, Calif., at Green Fleet Systems warehouse, 20500 S. Alameda St.  Read more <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1395542780671801/" rel="nofollow">here</a></i>.<br /><div><br /></div>

port drivers protest union busting Port drivers rise up against employer abuse, plan protest

Port driver Jose Luis Alvarado invites you to a rally to demand respect on Tuesday. Truck drivers at the Port of L.A. are holding a large ra...

Today's Teamster News 08.24.13

4:55 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.teamster.org/content/ups-teamsters-not-impacted-company-decision-eliminate-spousal-coverage" rel="nofollow">UPS Teamsters Not Impacted By Company Decision To Eliminate Spousal Coverage</a>   IBT   ...UPS announced a change in its health care coverage for spouses of nonunion employees. Going forward, UPS will not cover spouses of nonunion employees who are eligible for employer coverage at their workplace. This decision does not impact the health care coverage of Teamsters at UPS...<br /><a href="http://mtstandard.com/news/local/administrators-ratify-hike-in-contract/article_06d732e6-0baa-11e3-976a-001a4bcf887a.html" rel="nofollow">Teamster school administrators ratify 3.1% hike in contract</a>  The Montana Standard   ...The Butte school district’s 15 administrators, who are members of Teamsters Local 2, ratified a contract offer that provides a 3.1 percent wage hike in 2013-14, and a 1.5 percent increase in 2014-15...<br /><a href="http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamster.org/files/8613OfficeManagersTLA2013.pdf" rel="nofollow">Organizational Skills for Office Managers Scheduled for November 6-8</a>  IBT   ...The IBT Training and Development Department will conduct a TLA for Teamster office managers and key administrative staff, November 6-8, 2013, at the International Headquarters in Washington, D.C...<br /><a href="http://www.teamster.org/content/allied-bankruptcy-hearing-postponed-court-september-10" rel="nofollow">Allied Bankruptcy Hearing Postponed By the Court to September 10 </a>  IBT   ...A hearing before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Allied Systems’ bankruptcy case that was scheduled for Thursday, August 22, has been postponed by the court to noon Tuesday, September 10...<br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/24/us/march-on-washington/" rel="nofollow">March on Washington: Throngs to attend events, mark 'I Have a Dream' anniversary</a>  CNN   ...Saturday's event begins with speeches before a march past the King Memorial, where an image of the slain civil rights leader now stands immortalized in granite...<br /><a href="http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/massachusetts-senator-elizabeth-warren-targets-doj-settlements-with-banks-over-forged-documents-and-illegal-practices-83773/" rel="nofollow">Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren targets DOJ settlements with banks over forged documents and illegal practices</a>  Global Dispatch   ...Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) calls the latest deal “settling cheap” in her letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, questioning whether a major government settlement with the nation’s largest mortgage companies is a “timid enforcement strategy.”...<br /><a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/walmarts-latest-scheme-replace-middle-class-underclass-forced-buy-its-shoddy-goods" rel="nofollow">Walmart's Latest Scheme to Replace the Middle Class With an Underclass Forced to Buy its Shoddy Goods</a>  AlterNet    ...Almost 30 years ago, as the U.S. was bleeding jobs, Walmart launched a "Buy America" program and started hanging "Made in America" signs in its 750 stores. It was a marketing success, cementing the retailer's popularity in the country's struggling, blue-collar heartland. A few years later, NBC's Dateline <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/24/business/wal-mart-disputes-report-on-labor.html" rel="nofollow">revealed the program to be a sham</a>...<br /><a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/175875/fired-walmart-workers-arrested-rally-announcing-labor-day-deadline#axzz2coqFj7Sx" rel="nofollow">Fired Walmart Workers Arrested at Rally Announcing Labor Day Deadline</a>  The Nation   ...Nine fired workers and a current employee were arrested around 2:30 pm Thursday after locking arms and sitting in front of the entrance to a Washington, D.C. Walmart office...<br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bank-layoffs-20130823,0,961124.story" rel="nofollow">Banks shed thousands of jobs as housing market improves</a>  Los Angeles Times   ...Six years after the mortgage meltdown, delinquencies and foreclosures are way down. That's great for borrowers and bank balance sheets, but bad for bank workers — who are now being laid off by the thousands...<br /><a href="http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2013/08/23/boeings-wage-slashing-move-to-sc-backfires-as-company-cant-meet-787-production-demand/" rel="nofollow">Boeing’s Wage-Slashing Move to SC Backfires as Company Can’t Meet 787 Production Demand</a>   We Party Patriots   ...When Boeing left Washington for South Carolina in order to suppress the wages of its workers, it also left behind the quality work that had been provided by a highly skilled, union workforce.  Now, that <a href="http://www.eoionline.org/blog/union-busting-doesnt-pay-off-for-boeing/">union-busting is backfiring</a> as productivity has dropped immensely and Boeing is unable to meet their 787 Dreamliner production goals...<br /><a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/175865/keeping-massive-trade-deal-out-fast-lane#" rel="nofollow">Keeping a Massive Trade Deal Out of the Fast Lane</a>  The Nation   ...Congress itself hasn’t heard much about the TPP; the negotiating process has been characterized by extreme secrecy and the Obama administration has denied repeated calls from legislators to make the process more transparent, while pressing to finalize the agreement this year...<br /><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/La-man-sentenced-in-Afghanistan-kickback-scheme-4752288.php" rel="nofollow">Louisiana businessman sentenced in Afghanistan kickback scheme</a>  Associated Press   ...<a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/La-man-sentenced-in-Afghanistan-kickback-scheme-4752288.php" rel="nofollow">He kidnapped an Indian businessman in South Sudan</a>, but got off. Now he’s been found guilty of demanding $60,000 in kickbacks for approving a $3.2m award to an American company for construction in Afghanistan.  His sentence?  10 months in the federal slammer...<br /><a href="http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/15498/fight_against_right_to_work_not_over_in_michigan/" rel="nofollow">Fight Against ‘Right-to-Work’ Not Over in Michigan</a>  In These Times   ...Last December, Gov. Rick Snyder outraged unions and progressives when he abruptly <a href="http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14285/big_surprise_michigan_house_passes_right_to_work_bill/" rel="nofollow">signed two bills</a> into law making Michigan the 24th so-called "right-to-work" state. The laws allow workers to get union benefits without paying mandatory union membership dues. Organized labor has widely decried right-to-work laws as dangerous to unions and ultimately detrimental to all workers...<br /><a href="http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/steven_elbow/sen-jon-erpenbach-goes-to-bat-for-capitol-protesters/article_35e6eae1-c200-5a16-a304-2105b78281e5.html#ixzz2cjNkuo7O" rel="nofollow">Sen. Jon Erpenbach goes to bat for Capitol protesters</a>  The Cap Times   ..."I would suggest that you abandon the current permit policy, and stop the arrests of noon-time singers," Erpenbach writes. "Because if the goal was eliminating the singing — your policy is producing the direct opposite..."<br /><a href="http://progressillinois.com/news/content/2013/08/22/midway-privatization-deal-could-negatively-affect-workers-nearby-residents" rel="nofollow">Chicago Midway Airport Privatization Deal Could Negatively Affect Workers, residents</a>  Progress Illinois   ...Privatization plans for Chicago Midway Airport could negatively affect both nearby residents as well as airport workers, according to Alderman Michael Zalewski (23rd), who is concerned about allegations that one of the two contenders for the privatization contract has a history of "union busting and black-listing."...<br /><a href="http://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/quinn-looking-to-boost-minimum-wage/article_cce66e70-7bdf-53c3-9fb9-81dff464180b.html" rel="nofollow">Quinn looking to boost minimum wage</a>  Quad-City Times   ...Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's signing of the first of a series of increases in Illinois' minimum wage. And now, his former running mate and successor, Gov. Pat Quinn, says he wants to push the state's $8.25 per hour minimum wage higher...<br /><a href="http://rockrivertimes.com/2013/08/22/illinois-receives-more-than-2-billion-in-relief-from-national-foreclosure-settlement/" rel="nofollow">Illinois receives more than $2 billion in relief from national foreclosure settlement</a>  Rock River Times   ...Illinois Attorney General Madigan (D) reported that Illinois homeowners and assistance organizations have received more than $2 billion in total relief under the national foreclosure settlement...<br /><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-voting-states-20130821,0,4055323.story" rel="nofollow">Arizona and Kansas sue U.S. over voter registration law</a>  Reuters   ...Kansas and Arizona filed a lawsuit against the U.S. federal government on Wednesday, seeking court approval for states to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote...<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/21/3576943/maine-group-touts-new-plan-to.html" rel="nofollow">Maine group touts new plan to eliminate income tax</a>  Associated Press   ...A conservative think tank in Maine is rolling out a new proposal to gradually phase out the state's income tax, one of the top priorities for Gov. Paul LePage's administration...

Today's Teamster News 08.24.13

UPS Teamsters Not Impacted By Company Decision To Eliminate Spousal Coverage IBT ...UPS announced a change in its health care coverage ...

March on Washington: It's still about jobs

4:38 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: black;">Next week is the 50<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Marchers, including Teamsters from across the country, gathered in Washington, D.C., to call attention to civil rights issues, especially the need for good jobs for all people. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This series focuses on how well (or not) our society has met the 50-year-old demands of the marchers. So far, we’ve discussed<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/08/minimum-wage-lower-today.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the decline of the minimum wages</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/08/port-drivers-regressed-since-1963.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the gaps in labor law protections</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: auto; text-align: start; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">In 1963, America was in the middle of an economic crisis. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Although the national unemployment rate was only 5.6 percent that summer,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p60-214.pdf">almost one in five Americans lived in poverty</a>. For black Americans, the situation was much more dire. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/11/poverty-in-the-50-years-since-the-other-america-in-five-charts/">About half of African-Americans were in poverty</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>– and were unemployed at over twice the rate of white Americans – something still true today.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: auto; text-align: start; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">None of the employment figures include people who had given up looking for a job or who work only a few hours a week while looking for a better job. Last month, the U6 unemployment rate -- the unemployed, the discouraged and the underemployed --<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/catch-22-hiring-2013-165856551.html" rel="nofollow">is 14 percent.</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/catch-22-hiring-2013-165856551.html" rel="nofollow">Organizers of the March on Washington believed that getting people good jobs was key to helping their communities.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Philip_Randolph" rel="nofollow">A. Philip Randolph,</a> president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and one of the main organizers,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/unfinished-march-overview/">said at the march</a>: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">We have no future in a society in which 6 million black and white people are unemployed and millions more live in poverty. Nor is the goal of our civil rights revolution merely the passage of civil rights legislation. Yes, we want all public accommodations open to all citizens, but those accommodations will mean little to those who cannot afford to use them. Yes, we want a Fair Employment Practice Act, but what good will it do if profit-geared automation destroys the jobs of millions of workers black and white?</blockquote>Today, Teamsters International Vice President Al Mixon echoed Randolph as he prepared to join tomorrow's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/us/a-time-to-return-to-and-reflect-on-the-march-on-washington.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: inherit;">March on Washington 50 years later</a>.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I look at how far we've come and how far we have to go. It was about jobs then, it's about jobs now. </blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: auto; text-align: start; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Participants at the 1963 march demanded “a massive federal program to train and place all unemployed workers — Negro and white — on meaningful and dignified jobs at decent wages.”</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: auto; text-align: start; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: auto; text-align: start; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">At that point, the only active job training program, the Manpower Development and Training Act, had been around for less than a year. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Only 200,000 people enrolled in the program. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Today,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.gao.gov/assets/320/314551.pdf" style="font-family: inherit;">47 different federal programs that focus on job training are run through seven different departments</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Most focus on a specific subset of the population: Farmworkers, Native Americans, veterans and youth all have multiple programs that offer basic employment help. Funding for all of the programs in 2009 totaled $18 billion, half of one percent of the total federal budget. </span> That represented a dramatic increase in funding over six years, and the current administration increased funding by a third since 2009.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Department of Labor estimates that about 26 million people have worked with their programs that offer job training in the past year.  In January of this year alone, 22.7 million people were classified as truly unemployed -</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.rpc.senate.gov/policy-papers/january-2013-unemployment-report" style="font-family: inherit;">people who are unemployed (12.3 million), want work but have stopped searching for a job (2.4 million), or work part time because they can’t find full time employment (8.0 million)</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Fifty years later, we still have plenty of marching to do.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span> </span></div>

job training Jobs March on Washington unemployment March on Washington: It's still about jobs

Next week is the 50 th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Marchers, including Teamsters from across the ...

You're Going To Need A Bigger Boat

4:17 AM Tukiyooo 0

You're Going To Need A Bigger Boat

LA Times - Online doctor visits offer convenience and often lower costs

3:51 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Victoria Barzilai opened her mouth wide so the doctor could look at her sore throat. Not exactly a remarkable event, except that Barzilai was at home and the doctor was hundreds of miles away.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Feeling too sick to drag herself to the school health center, the third-year UC Davis student had opted for a cyber-doctor visit, the 21st century version of a house call.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A number of websites offer face-to-face consultations of the virtual kind to anyone with a credit card and access to a webcam-equipped computer. The services are intended for patients with relatively minor problems that don't require hands-on diagnoses or treatments, not for people who need stitches, MRIs or casts on broken limbs.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But an estimated 50 million times a year, patients go to their doctors for just the sorts of problems these sites are meant to handle, says Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, an associate professor at Harvard. "They're filling a niche."</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><strong style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Convenience</strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One presumed strong suit of e-visits like these is convenience. That counted with Barzilai. And with Richard Simons of Los Feliz, when he had a case of the flu. "My doctor is at least an hour away," he says, "and besides, I didn't know when I could get in to see him."</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Barzilai and Simons both used <a href="http://MedCareLive.com">MedCareLive.com</a>, which offers California residents no-wait consultations with healthcare professionals from 9 a.m. to midnight every day. Other sites, such as Teladoc and MeMD, offer consultations 24/7.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><strong style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cost</strong></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Some e-visit sites charge per-consultation fees: <a href="http://MedCareLive.com">MedCareLive.com</a>, $45; MeMD, $44.95; Teladoc, $35. Others charge different rates for different services: At Online USA Doctors, single consults start at 99 cents. As for insurance, some plans cover e-visits at some sites, but not all.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Although <a href="http://MedCareLive.com">MedCareLive.com</a> does not contract with any insurance companies, co-founders Dr. David Tashman and nurse practitioner Sigi Marmorstein set out to make their service a good deal — for people who have insurance and people who don't. "We set our price point at $45 for a reason," Tashman says. "Most co-pays run from $30 to $50."</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We want to help people stay away from the ER and urgent care," Marmorstein adds. "We want to save people money."</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So far, hard data on e-visits are limited. Mehrotra and colleagues have looked at convenience and cost, though the e-visits they considered were not offered through public sites. Patients in their studies interacted with their own doctors or doctors in the same practice, and for the most part the interactions were not in real time and did not use webcams. Patients described their condition on a questionnaire, and a doctor responded about two hours later on average.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In an article published in July in the journal Telemedicine and e-Health, the researchers found that the greater the convenience of e-visits compared with office visits, the more likely patients were to use them. Patients with urinary tract infections who lived farther than 10 miles away from their doctors were more than three times as likely to use the e-visit option as those who lived five miles or less away. And sinusitis sufferers who lived more than 10 miles away were more than six times as likely to use the e-option as those who lived five miles or less away.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In another paper published in January in JAMA Internal Medicine, the same researchers found evidence that, on a per-visit basis, e-visits generally are cheaper than office visits, let alone trips to the ER. "For anyone with no insurance or with a high deductible, e-visits may be particularly attractive," Mehrotra says. In the big picture, though, the economics become more complicated. Because of the added convenience and lower price of e-visits, "people might use them who otherwise would have stayed at home and not gone for care at all." Such increased healthcare use could be a good thing, he observes, "but it could increase total costs."</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And how good is the care? Again, data are sparse. In its January study, Mehrota's team found welcome evidence that diagnosis and treatment were equally successful in e-visits and office visits for patients with sinusitis and urinary tract infections. On the other hand, doctors prescribed more antibiotics in e-visits, which could represent an unfortunate trend.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In another potential drawback, Mehrotra says, primary care doctors are encouraged to offer preventive care — e.g., pap smears, cholesterol tests — to their patients at every visit. But in the January study, Mehrotra's team found that doctors were less likely to do so during e-visits than during office visits. .</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Overall, more research would seem to be in order, but the January study found that e-visitors are generally happy with the service. Simons and Barzilai are two enthusiastic examples.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I would definitely do it again," Simons says.</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In Barzilai's words, "It was really awesome."</span></p><p style="border: 0px solid rgb(196, 196, 196); margin: 0px 0px 1.3rem; padding: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphens: auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And e-usage is growing. "Patients are voting with their feet," Mehrotra says, "or make that their mouse pads."</span></p><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-edocs-20130824,0,2379647.story">http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-edocs-20130824,0,2379647.story</a></span><br><br><br></div>

LA Times - Online doctor visits offer convenience and often lower costs

Victoria Barzilai opened her mouth wide so the doctor could look at her sore throat. Not exactly a remarkable event, except that Barzilai wa...

I Have To Agree

3:14 AM Tukiyooo 0

I Have To Agree

Grade A Choice.

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 08/24/2013

2:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2553119?hl=en">Get started with Hangouts On Air - Google+ Help</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">If you want to record your Google hangouts and post to your YouTube channel, you need to get started with "Hangouts on Air." HEre's the page to get you started. Note that Google plus isn't available for Apps for education so you'll need to use your personal or another gmail account with a Google plus profile if you want to record and share your class hangouts.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/google">google</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/youtube">youtube</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 08/24/2013

Get started with Hangouts On Air - Google+ Help If you want to record your Google hangouts and post ...

Nothing Has Changed

1:35 AM Tukiyooo 0

As old as this tune is now it doesn't surprise me one fucking bit that it's still relevant right this minute.<br /><br />   Holy Wars,The Punishment Due  off the album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_in_Peace">Rust In Peace</a>,released in September of 1990.<br /><br />For those who may have never heard of it because you ain't into Heavy Metal, I am going to put the lyrics below the video so you can see exactly what I mean.<br />For those who have, crank this fucker to the point of distortion as it was meant to be.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9ZROqlpLgIE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br />MEGADETH<br /><br />Holy Wars lyrics<br /><br />Brother will kill brother spilling blood across the land<br />Killing for religion something I don't understand<br />And fools like me, who cross the sea and come to foreign lands<br />Ask the sheep, for their beliefs do you kill on God's command?<br /><br />A country that's divided surely will not stand<br />My past erased, no more disgrace foolish naive stand<br />The end is near, it's crystal clear part of the master plan<br />Don't look now to Israel it might be your homelands<br /><br />Holy wars<br /><br />Upon my podium, as the know it all scholar<br />Down in my seat of judgment Gavel's bang, uphold the law<br />Up on my soapbox, a leader out to change the world<br />Down in my pulpit as the holier than-thou-could-be-messenger of God<br /><br />Wage the war on organized crime<br />Sneak attacks, repel down the rocks behind the lines<br />Some people risk to employ me some people live to destroy me<br />Either way they die, they die<br /><br />They killed my wife and my baby, with hopes to enslave me<br />First mistake last mistake paid by the alliance, to slay all the giants<br />Next mistake no more mistakes<br /><br />Fill the cracks in, with judicial granite<br />Because I don't say it, don't mean I ain't thinkin' it<br />Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away<br />I know what I said, now I must scream of the overdose<br />And the lack of mercy killings, mercy killings, mercy killings<br />Killings killings killings<br />Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away, yeah<br /><br /><br />Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>

Nothing Has Changed

As old as this tune is now it doesn't surprise me one fucking bit that it's still relevant right this minute. Holy Wars,The Punis...