Goldman Signs Liberty Harbor as BDC

In order to counter the Volcker Rule, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) has registered Liberty Harbor Capital LLC as a publicly traded business development company (BDC).

Volcker Rule, a specific section of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, restricts banks to invest in hedge funds and private equity funds. Proprietary trading is also prohibited under this rule.

Implementation of Volcker Rule has been negatively impacting the overall earnings of major U.S. banks like Goldman. Goldman still earns management fees and incentive fees for providing investment management services to private equity and hedge funds. Following the implementation of the Volcker Rule, such earnings will be substantially impacted. Therefore, Goldman has decided to register Liberty Harbor as a BDC.

Liberty Harbor is a fund that invests in middle-market firms having weak credit ratings. Usually, Liberty Harbor invests in bonds and loans that are not considered as investment-grade, as credit rating agencies do not rate them. Further, under the JOBS act, Liberty Harbor qualifies as an emerging growth company.

Liberty Harbor will principally invest $5 million to $50 million in firms across different sectors, having annual adjusted earnings between $5 million and $75 million. The investments will have duration of 3 to 10 years.

Earlier, in Nov, 2012, Goldman provided initial funding to Liberty Harbor, which has invested roughly $73 million in 8 companies thereafter.

Apart from Goldman, many other U.S. banks, such as Bank of America Corporation (BAC), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Wells Fargo & Company (WFC), are also taking steps to reduce their investments in hedge funds and private equity to comply with the regulations.

Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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Goldman Signs Liberty Harbor as BDC

Viscount Systems Releases Liberty Access Control System

BURNABY, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Viscount Systems Inc. (OTCQB: VSYS) today announced that the Company will launch Liberty, a new access control technology at ISC West, a leading security industry trade show which begins on April 10 in Las Vegas, NV. Liberty offers the same security and cost advantages as Viscounts Freedom access control technology. Unlike Freedom, which continues to be a certified product for large commercial and Federal Government clients, Liberty has been designed as a packaged product for smaller integrators and dealers with a focus on simplicity. It will be sold through standard distribution. For more information visit http://www.libertyaccess.net.

"Some industry estimates show that facilities of under 12 doors represent up to 80% of the access control market, noted Stephen Pineau, President and CEO of Viscount. With Liberty we now have a powerful new product to complement Freedom and at the same time penetrate the mass market without impacting our certified reseller program.

About Viscounts Liberty Encryption Bridge Solution

Liberty Encryption Bridge is the first and only access control system that allows entry devices (ID cards, RFID readers, biometrics etc.) to be connected to standard building IT networks without requiring expensive control panels that are programmed from a PC. Liberty changes the paradigm of IT friendly access control. It eliminates up to 80% of the cost of traditional systems that require the installation of control panels.

About Viscount Systems

Viscount Systems Inc., designs unified IT and physical security software platforms for building security and emergency planning. Recent awards include the 2012 Microsoft Be Whats Next award, SIA Convergence Solution of the Year 2011 and Homeland Security Platinum Award for Emergency Response and Gold Award for Access Control at GOVSEC 2011.

For Further Information

Viscount Systems web site: http://www.viscount.com Email news alerts: investors@viscount.com Investor Relations: Foothills Group San Jose CA, 888-516-7415

Safe Harbor Statement

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Viscount Systems Releases Liberty Access Control System

Liberty Energy Corp. Announces Expansion of Business Plan and Management

HOUSTON, April 3, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty Energy Corp. (OTCBB:LBYE) ("Liberty" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the launch of its expanded business plans in conjunction with the appointment of its newly formed board of directors and investor relations executive.

Liberty has made the following appointments:

Richard Webb as member of the Board of Directors.

Dennis Irwin as member of the Board of Directors and acting CFO.

David Sexton as Investor Relations executive.

Liberty's renewed focus through its expanded business plan includes seeking partners to develop its oil & gas leases in oil rich counties of Bastrop, Caldwell and Eastland Counties as well as focusing aggressively on acquisitions within the upstream oil & gas segment including either exploration and production or oilfield service businesses.

As part of the expanded business plan the board of directors has set forth an aggressive communication program to connect David Sexton, Investor Relations Executive with Liberty's shareholder base as well as open up discussions with the investment community.

Feel free to contact David Sexton directly at 1-832-708-3909 or email info@energy-liberty.com to request additional information and ongoing updates.

ABOUT LIBERTY: Liberty Energy Corp. (OTCBB:LBYE) is an Independent Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company dedicated to the sourcing and production of fuel supplies in the United States. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company has signed agreements to acquire leases and royalties in Texas, covering several leases with extensive potential for future development. In Texas, three leases -- are identified as rich oil and gas sites based around numerous geological pay zones. Currently the company is targeting acquisitions within the E & P or oilfield services of the upstream oil & gas segment.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Liberty Energy Corp. bases these forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections about future events, based on information currently available. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release may also include statements relating to Liberty Energy Corp.'s anticipated financial performance, business prospects, new developments, strategies and similar matters. Liberty Energy Corp. disclaims any obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

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Liberty Energy Corp. Announces Expansion of Business Plan and Management

Liberty Property Soars to New 52-Week High

Shares of Liberty Property Trust (LRY) touched a 52-week high of $41.45 on Tuesday, Apr 2, 2013, as it gained momentum from decent fourth-quarter 2012 results. The closing price of this office real estate investment trust (:REIT) on Apr 2, 2013 was $40.64, representing a solid year-to-date return of 14%. The average trading volume over the last 3 months was 2.05 million shares.

Despite hitting its 52-week high, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has plenty of upside left given its strong fundamentals and strategic portfolio repositioning efforts.

Growth Drivers

Liberty Property reported improved fourth-quarter 2012 results with core FFO (funds from operations) in line with and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Even in the backdrop of uneven economic conditions, the results were benefited by portfolio repositioning activity.

The companys recent efforts to boost its portfolio restructuring initiatives are also encouraging. Last month, it divested a Philadelphia-based office property and in Feb it unveiled its plan to construct an office building for The Vanguard Group in Malvern, Pa. We expect these activities to facilitate Liberty Property to focus on high-end markets characterized by better job and rent growth prospects and boost the companys top-line growth.

On Feb 5, Liberty Property reported fourth-quarter 2012 FFO of 63 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as the prior-year quarter. The results were attributable to the strong acquisitions and development activities, slightly affected by uncertain economic conditions. For full year 2012, Liberty Property reported FFO of $2.58 per share, well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.52. Yet, it was slightly below the prior-year FFO of $2.61 per share.

Estimate Revisions

Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2013 and 2014 have remained unchanged at $2.65 and $2.80 per share, respectively.

On Apr 2, a number of other REITs also crafted 52-week highs. These include DDR Corp. (DDR), Kimco Realty Corp. (KIM) and Duke Realty Corp. (DRE).

Note: Funds from operations, a widely accepted and reported measure of REITs performance, are derived by adding depreciation, amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

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Liberty Property Soars to New 52-Week High

Young ‘Little-L’ Libertarians Choose Principle Over Power

Gauging the clout of libertarian politics in the United States depends a great deal on whether you capitalize the letter "L."

There are "Big-L" Libertarians-those registered with the Libertarian Party and represented by Gary Johnson in the 2012 election. The former New Mexico governor secured 1,275,950 votes, or nearly 1 percent of the national vote, a statistically insignificant figure but a record for Libertarian candidates nonetheless. Numbers at state levels are relatively small, too. Take California, for instance: According to Feb. 10 data from the secretary of state's office, 109,636 voters-or 0.63 percent-are registered with the party.

Then there are the "little-L" libertarians-those who aren't necessarily registered but tend to adopt libertarian-tinged philosophies and talking points. Their numbers grow depending on how wide you cast the net. The Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, illustrated that idea in 2010: The more liberally you define libertarianism, the more people you can count. To wit: Fifty-nine percent of respondents to a Cato-commissioned poll dubbed themselves "fiscally conservative and socially liberal;" forty-four percent said they were "fiscally conservative and socially liberal, also known as libertarian." That's a huge numerical difference from registration figures.

Anecdotally, fervor has risen for both libertarian and Libertarian candidates, especially among younger voters. Consider the passion for Johnson and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who won a straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, and for his father, Ron Paul, in the 2012 primaries.

To glimpse into how small-government principles have drawn those young voters, Yahoo News asked libertarian-minded Americans to share their stories. Here are excerpts from first-person accounts they wrote this week.

Libertarian thought a source of optimism

Piyali Bhattacharya with Ron PaulIn high school, Piyali Bhattacharya had a bleeding heart-she says she was a "very proud and outspoken liberal"-and questioned U.S. involvement in wars and believed in free health care and education for all. She re-evaluated those political leanings in college when she found "Google Ron Paul" scribbled in chalk on a sidewalk. Now 24, she works for Young Americans for Liberty, a nonprofit organization in Washington D.C.

In her words:

Less than ten minutes of research confirmed that I had found a candidate whose stances resonated with my own on nearly every issue. But more importantly, this man had been consistent for years about the importance of civil liberties, of a limited, constitutional government, of free market Austrian economics-and just how far politics and policy in America had strayed from those tenets," she writes.

War is still unpleasant when we are engaged in unconstitutional, unsustainable, and costly foreign intervention. I still believe in the rights of women and homosexuals-not because they belong to those groups, but because they are individuals and should be treated as such. And my bleeding heart hasn't hardened, but a deeper understanding of free market economics had led to the knowledge that limiting government and encouraging private charity are the best way to help those in need.

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Young 'Little-L' Libertarians Choose Principle Over Power

Libertarianism Is a Stance, Not a Political Party

Editor's note: Yahoo News asked young libertarian-minded voters to share why they're drawn to the either the Libertarian Party or to libertarian political principles in general. Here's one first-person account we received this week.

Imagine a man almost $57,000 in debt. You walk up to this man an ask him what his plan to get out of debt is. He stands there for a minute, shrugs his shoulders, sticks his hands in his pockets, and says he's going to cut his $4,300 yearly deficit some in order to reduce the problem. That's right: he's going to slow down (slightly) the rate at which he descends deeper into debt!

Now multiply this man by 300 million, and you have a nearly $17 trillion debt with a $1.3 trillion deficit. Sound familiar? This is where the United States currently stands (information publicly available) as of 2013. (2011 deficit data and March 30 debt data).

When I did this math for myself at North Georgia College ad State University in Dahlonega, I became a firm fiscal conservative. As I plunged into early adulthood, I realized that my status as a debt-free citizen helped me to avoid the financial pitfalls of my parents and many of the previous generation. I believed that the government should be equally frugal with its monetary policy, and this placed me firmly in the libertarian camp. I've identified as libertarian for approximately eight years.

Libertarians don't espouse a large-party platform, nor do they have a coherent, party-like ideology. The only central tenets are less government and more individual freedom. When I realized that my desire to see our government make itself debt-free would require vastly smaller spending and more individual responsibility, I realized that my views were libertarian ones.

The issue I have with the overly broad Republican and Democratic parties is that, in their attempt to win elections, they attempt to satisfy everyone by putting politicians into power that will expand all forms of spending including defense and social programs. This runs counter to my vision of a debt-free nation, which I believe is the correct path to prosperity.

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Libertarianism Is a Stance, Not a Political Party

Early Adherence to Libertarian Ideas Leads to Political Activism

Editors note: Yahoo News asked young libertarian-minded voters to share why theyre drawn to the either the Libertarian Party or to libertarian political principles in general. Heres one first-person account we received this week.

FIRST PERSON | For me, the interest in politics started in high school. I had a Political Science teacher who was a liberal Democrat, and directly across the hall was our Economics teacher, who wouldnt reveal his political convictions to students. In between classes, they would have friendly arguments back and forth while we walked by. Our teachers may not have realized it, but many students picked sidesand I later learned that the side I picked was libertarian.

My economics teacher let me borrow some books about the Austrian School of economics, which promotes free markets. As I read those books, something clicked. It often seemed like the books elaborated on ideas I'd already held. That was the inception of my passion for promoting free market economics.

I believe that liberty has proven to be the most effective way to improve quality of life for people of all economic classes. Today we hear so much about progress and moving forward, but the policies promoted by people using these slogans achieve the opposite effect. It is not progress to expand the size and scope of government. It is not progress to centralize power. The idea that a small, elite group of people can make more informed decisions than individuals about their lives is an ancient one, and it has been proven time and time again not to work.

By comparison, liberty is a young concept. It isn't a coincidence that in the past 300 years weve seen more progress (real progress equating to higher quality of life) than in all prior years combined. Yet, most politicians advocate more centralized control and less individual libertypolicies that are directly antithetical to the cause of the (relatively) recent enormous economic boom.

The simplicity of the free market system allows all individualsnot just the elitesto thrive. The most essential element to a free market system is the idea that you keep what you earn. Without this simple concept, economies wither and die. Unfortunately, government keeps getting bigger and bigger. Every expansion of government takes a little bit of liberty from individuals.

In 2007 a friend of mine told me that there was a guy running for president that he thought Id like. My response: I doubt it. That guy was Ron Paul, and he turned out to be just as committed to economic liberty as I am. Dr. Paul's candidacy further inspired me to do all I can to advance the principles of sound money, free markets, and individual liberty. I got involved with Young Americans for Liberty, which grew out of Paul's 2008 campaign, and I've been engaged in political activism ever since. YAL's training made me a more effective activist, leading to my work as a Field Director on Ron Paul's 2012 campaign.

I'm now 25, and Ive been focused on working within the political system to advance these ideals. I still believe that they resonate with everyday Americans. I think most people would agree that we should follow the Constitution. I think most people agree that they deserve to keep what theyve worked hard to earn. I think most people believe in taking personal responsibility for their defeats and enjoying their successes. And I think that consensus is what will ultimately put us on track to greater liberty and better lives.

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Early Adherence to Libertarian Ideas Leads to Political Activism

A Libertarian Foreign Policy Is Based on Peace

Editors note: Yahoo News asked young libertarian-minded voters to share why theyre drawn to the either the Libertarian Party or to libertarian political principles in general. Heres one first-person account we received this week.

FIRST PERSON | Not many people under the age of 35 can admit to reading the landmark copyright case Kelly v. Arriba (2003) for fun, but my path to libertarianism started with my questions about intellectual property as a photographer.

As a digital native coming of age in the late 90s, I grew up in an Internet culture that was freewheeling and unbounded in creativity. When I took up photography in 2005, this culture I was so accustomed to was suddenly in conflict with the culture of copyright restriction enjoyed by photographers.

Cognitive dissonance set in as I attempted to reconcile these two cultures I was straddling. I knew there was something wrong about copyrights, but I did not know what it was. As I researched this question, I ended up reading Stephan Kinsellas "Against Intellectual Property," which introduced me to the basic ideas underpinning libertarianism for the first time.

After that introduction to the ideas of liberty, it was unquestionably Ron Paul who who made me political. Id been against war since my combat deployment to Iraq, but Ron Pauls high profile candidacy gave voice to those views. As a fellow veteran, I felt that he made it acceptable for mea Marine and a 29-year-old Iraq War veteranto hold antiwar views.

Thanks to Ron Pauls impact on our national, political conversation, it is now permissible for me to not want my brothers and sisters in the armed forces to have to die for a lie. Its because of my experience in the militarynot because Im ignorant or nave about what war entailsthat I dont want my brothers and sisters in the armed forces to have their minds destroyed by mental trauma, their hearts broken by grief, and their consciences ravaged by guilt in their participation in a moral injustice.

The principles of libertarianism to which I was introduced when figuring out my views on intellectual property made perfect sense when applied to our foreign policy and interactions with other nations. The libertarian foreign policy isnt isolationism; its an understanding that if we are aggressive toward others, theyll respond with aggression toward us.

And this foreign policy based on peace and prosperity resonates deeply with my own convictions and experience in Iraq, in sharp contrast to the neoconservatism of the Republican Party during the Bush years (defined by the two costly and horrible wars, one of which is still raging to this day) and the macabre liberalism of the Democratic Party under Obama (epitomized by the Kill List, drone strikes, and military interventions in over 40 countries).

All in all, Ive had a something of a weird but good journey to the Liberty Movement: Questions about copyright made me libertarian, Ron Paul made me political, and opposition to aggressive war made me a radical.

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A Libertarian Foreign Policy Is Based on Peace

Libertarian Thought a Source of Optimism

Editors note: Yahoo News asked young libertarian-minded voters to share why theyre drawn to the either the Libertarian Party or to libertarian political principles in general. Heres one first-person account we received this week.

FIRST PERSON | Eight years ago, I was a high school junior in Columbus, Ohio. I was 16 years old, and a very proud and outspoken liberal. A handful of hot political issues influenced my thinking: among them was the idea that war sounded unpleasant, women and homosexuals should be able to make their own decisions, and my bleeding heart loved the idea of providing free healthcare and education to one and all.

I really admired two of my teachers at the timeone taught English; a kind, eloquent Democratic who reminded me of Jon Stewart in both wit and mannerisms. The other, a lively and informed young Republican history teacher who was charming and persuasive. I found myself agreeing with each on different topics, which really confused mewas I a Democrat? A Republican? A little of both? And if it was the latter, what did that mean when it came time to support a political candidate?

I let those questions (along with my political interest) slide until the 2008 presidential election when I found myself in college, thinking about these issues once again, unsettled with my candidate options. Walking home from class one day, I saw a chalk scribbled Google Ron Paul on the sidewalk. And so I did.

Less than ten minutes of research confirmed that I had found a candidate whose stances resonated with my own on nearly every issue. But more importantly, this man had been consistent for years about the importance of civil liberties, of a limited, constitutional government, of free market Austrian economicsand just how far politics and policy in America had strayed from those tenets.

War is still unpleasant when we are engaged in unconstitutional, unsustainable, and costly foreign intervention. I still believe in the rights of women and homosexualsnot because they belong to those groups, but because they are individuals and should be treated as such. And my bleeding heart hasnt hardened, but a deeper understanding of free market economics had led to the knowledge that limiting government and encouraging private charity are the best way to help those in need. Im 24 years old now, and have recently moved to the Bay area from Washington DC. My passion for advancing the cause of liberty has led me to work for the largest pro-liberty student group in the country, a non-profit organization called Young Americans for Liberty, which came out of the original Students for Ron Paul group.

Weve come a long way since Ron Paul introduced these ideas to the mainstream, but we have a long way to go. Understanding that principles should matter over party affiliation, and that the fight is not between the left and right, but between the power of the state against the individual, is the key to furthering this cause. The growing libertarian wing of the Republican Party is exciting and inspiring and acts as a vehicle to bring these ideas to the mainstream media and to the public eye over time.

Examining alternatives to the often disheartening and unsatisfying solutions offered by the status quo Republicans and Democrats, libertarian thought is gaining more traction every day; for many, including myself, it is a source of hope and a reason to be optimistic for the survival and growth of our country.

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Libertarian Thought a Source of Optimism

IGN and USGS censoring earthquakes on El Hierro (Canary Islands) Here’s the proof! – Video


IGN and USGS censoring earthquakes on El Hierro (Canary Islands) Here #39;s the proof!
Doante. PayPal, mary240qgreeley@hotmail.com "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes ...

By: Marygreeley1954

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IGN and USGS censoring earthquakes on El Hierro (Canary Islands) Here's the proof! - Video

Thai islands rank top in Asia

TRAVEL TITBITS

Koh Tao has been listed among the Top 10 Island Destinations in the World and the top Island Destination in Asia, according to the inaugural Travelers' Choice Islands awards of TripAdvisor, a global travel review website.

According to TripAdvisor Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Messing, the winners were based on the feedback of millions of travellers who rated the quality of the most highly-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions listed for each island on TripAdvisor during a 12-month period.

The awards recognised more than 100 islands across the globe, she said.

Heading the list is Ambergris Caye in Belize, followed by St John in the US, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, San Juan Island in Washington, USA, Santorini in Greece, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Moorea in French Polynesia, Koh Tao in Thailand, Easter Island in Chile and Nosy Be in Madagascar.

Thailand boasts four of the top 10 islands in Asia _ Koh Tao (1st), Koh Lanta (3rd), Phuket (6th) and Koh Samui (7th).

"Whether you are looking for idyllic palm-lined islands, or islands that offer a more cultural experience, you will find inspiration in these lists," she said.

For the complete list of winners from the 2013 Travellers' Choice Islands, visit tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Islands.

Bangkok to host 2013 Pata Summit The Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) will organise the 2013 Pata Annual Summit on April 26 in Bangkok.

The one-day summit will address the theme "Embracing the Complete Visitor Economy" with four key sessions: "Why the visitor economy is key for jobs and societal development", "Public sector challenges and opportunities inherent in politically advancing the complete visitor economy", "Private sector connecting the complete visitor economy" and "Strengthening weak links in the visitor economy".

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Thai islands rank top in Asia

The Government of the Canary Islands Migrates Telecommunications and New Technologies Platform to Red Hat Enterprise …

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Red Hat, Inc. (RHT), the worlds leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that the Government of the Canary Islands has migrated its virtualized systems from VMware to Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization to meet the growing demands of its IT department. The new infrastructure, based on Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, JBoss Enterprise Middleware and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, is designed to provide support for the telecommunications, information technology and computer communications infrastructure of the government. The migration improved the consolidation ratios of virtual machines per host and resulted in budget savings of up to 70 percent compared to the costs associated with the previous VMware virtualization platform.

As the Government of the Canary Islands previous virtualization infrastructure could not keep up with the organizations growing workloads, it set two objectives when it came to upgrading it. The first was to promote convergence between horizontal and vertical growth so the government could take its physical machines up to their maximum capacity and thereby reduce the number of hosts, increasing efficiency. The second was to adopt a virtualization solution that could respond to its requirements, reducing cost of ownership as much as possible and minimizing risks in terms of quality of service and future continuity.

Having evaluated its options, the public body found that Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization was more cost-effective and provided greater capacity and improved service levels and continuity. The proposal put forward by Red Hat provided cost savings of up to 70 percent compared with proprietary solutions, while enabling the IT department to adopt a modernization plan, well-suited to the requirements of the Government of the Canary Islands.

Preparing for the future, the government wanted to avoid being tied to providers with unpredictable costs, or to technologies that might not develop or even disappear over time. In these respects, the technological roadmap provided by Red Hat, the capacity that its clients have for influencing that roadmap in a collaborative fashion, the model of annual subscriptions with predictable costs, the fact that it is based on public, open source technology and the soundness of Red Hat as a company were all decisive factors in the choice made by the Government of the Canary Islands.

Once Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization was installed on its IT systems, the government was able to increase from average consolidation ratios of seven virtual machines per physical server (7:1) to 27 virtual machines per host (27:1), in addition to making a saving of 10 percent in disk space, achieving greater reporting capacity and a general simplification of the architecture.

A key factor in this project was teamwork. Red Hat consultants brought significant expertise to bear on the solution and the automation and optimization of the data centre processes. Red Hat partner Qwerty offered the public body the best services at a local level, providing the greatest speed and efficiency possible. Thanks to this, the Government of the Canary Islands was able to successfully migrate a complex virtual infrastructure made up of almost 100 physical servers and 1,000 virtual machines, both Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, in just four months, reducing costs and succeeding in improving operational efficiency and the service provided for citizens, both now and in the future.

Virtualization with Red Hat offers a solid platform, in addition to a clear vision of its roadmap, said Daro Ivn Ortega Valido, computing, telecommunications and new technologies department for the Government of the Canary Islands. Whats more, the budgetary sustainability provided by the Red Hat solutions and the positive results achieved in tests carried out with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization were of crucial importance when it came to changing our virtualization platform.

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The Government of the Canary Islands Migrates Telecommunications and New Technologies Platform to Red Hat Enterprise ...

Much-delayed Channel Islands Boating Center opens in Oxnard

Photo by Joe Lumaya, Special to the Star

Children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme look at one of the new interactive displays at Channel Islands Boating Center in Oxnard. The long-delayed boating center opened its doors to the public Wednesday.

The doors of Channel Islands Boating Center opened to the public for the first time Wednesday about 10 years later than originally planned.

The county of Ventura built the 15,000-square-foot, $7 million center at the county-owned Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, using a mix of state, federal, county and private funding. Wednesdays ceremony marked both a public unveiling and the turning over of control from the county to CSU Channel Islands, which will operate the center on a $1-a-year lease from the county.

Though the center is finished, and the doors were open Wednesday, it wont actually be open for business until May. It will be home to the universitys sailing team and will also host marine studies classes for students and the community, activities like kayaking and paddle boarding, and sailing lessons for children from the area.

A group of children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme were the first people through the doors. The clubs will work with CSUCI to provide free classes to kids from low-income families.

Photo by Joe Lumaya, Special to the Star

Maribel Tejeda (right) and Nehemiah Chatman (far right) watch Chumash ceremonial elder Mati Waiya bless the new Channel Islands Boating Center in Oxnard on Wednesday.

You are engaging a community of youth with the ocean, not by telling them they need to care about the ocean, but by giving them the experience of going out on the ocean, said Dan Basta, the director of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Thats how I learned about the sea myself: Not from a textbook, but because I wanted to go fishing.

Bastas office is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations National Ocean Service, which helped pay for the boating center. The state of California picked up a little more than half of the $7 million tab. The county ended up spending about $1 million, Harbor Director Lyn Krieger said, and private donors and the federal government paid the rest.

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Much-delayed Channel Islands Boating Center opens in Oxnard

New Zealand’s Islands May Be Rechristened Under Old Maori Names

The New Zealand Geographic Board, the countrys statutory naming authority, has submitted for public consultation a proposal to formally endorse use of the alternate Maori names of what are now simply called North Island and South Island -- Te Ika-a-Maui and Te Waipounamu, respectively.

Te Ika-a-Maui means the fish of Maui, while Te Waipounamu translates to the waters of greenstone (a reference to jade found in abundance on the southern island).

TV-NZ reported that once the measure is passed both the English and Maori names would be used together or individually.

Interestingly, the current English names of the two islands have never actually been official despite their long-term common usage, according to NZGBs chairman, Dr. Don Grant.

"This is a matter of great historical and cultural significance for New Zealand, so we want to consult with the wider New Zealand public," Grant told the Daily Telegraph.

"This is part of our country's history of European exploration and the settlement of New Zealand The NZGB agreed in principle ... both islands should also be assigned Maori alternative names, and that all of the names should be formalized at the same time," he said.

NZGB also noted that the Maori names had been in common use on official government maps until the 1950s it is unknown why that practice stopped.

The Telegraph also said Maori groups in the country have welcomed the name additions, but that it may trigger some controversy among the dominant white population.

According to the CIA World Factbook, almost 60 percent of New Zealanders are descended from Europeans, while Maoris account for about 7.4 percent of the population.

However, David Shearer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, supports the naming measures.

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New Zealand’s Islands May Be Rechristened Under Old Maori Names