Daily Archives: June 2, 2012

Freedom House Urges Clinton to Raise Human Rights During Caucasus Visit

Posted: June 2, 2012 at 2:19 pm

U.S.-based rights group Freedom House urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to make human rights and democracy shortfalls in the Caucasus region the cornerstone topic in private meetings and in public statements during her visit to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan on June 4-6.

Encouraging and supporting democratically accountable systems in the Caucasus region is essential, David J. Kramer, Freedom House president, said. While we realize there are a range of policy interests to be discussed during the trip, Freedom House calls for a particular emphasis on the ongoing concerns about human rights and democracy throughout the region, especially in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In case of Azerbaijan, Freedom House urged the Secretary of State to address issues of intimidation of political activists and their imprisonment in deeply flawed trials, use of force to break up antigovernment rallies, as well as freedom of press. On Armenia, Freedom House stressed that its reforms were hampered by the deep relationship between politics and business, which effectively prevents the advancement of greater accountability and transparency.

On Georgia, Freedom House said: Georgia affords some but not all of the institutional safeguards and holds promise for more meaningful reform, if the right steps are taken. The upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Georgia present a test for civil society in Georgia to develop more effective and mature political platforms.

Georgias indicators in an annual report by Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2012, remained unchanged and the country is still deemed partly free. In recent Freedom Houses survey on global press freedom, Georgia's ranking has improved for third consecutive year, but the country still remains in the category of partly free.

A group of Georgian election watchdog, legal advocacy and media organizations have also appealed to Secretary Clinton ahead of her visit to Georgia on June 5, calling on her to raise the need for further legislative amendments to improve electoral environment in the country ahead of the October parliamentary elections.

Secretary Clinton will hold talks with Georgian leadership, civil society and opposition representatives in Black Sea resort town of Batumi. She will arrive in Georgia from Armenia and will then travel to Azerbaijan on June 6.

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Liberty look to catch winning Fever

Posted: at 2:18 pm

After the Liberty lost its opener, 78-73 to the Connecticut Sun in the Garden, coach John Whisenant said he liked his team. Judging by the way they have played, one must ask if the players like him.

The Liberty (0-4) is one of just three winless teams in the WNBA and the prospects for a first win are grim.

They play at the Indiana Fever (3-0), one of three undefeated teams, Saturday night (7 p.m, not on television). The teams then do it again Sunday night at the Prudential Center.

The Liberty have never opened a season 0-5. Worse, they have shown no signs of improving. After dropping the opener by five, the Liberty lost a rematch with the Sun in Connecticut by 15 (92-77). Then came an 18-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx, the defending WNBA champs. And the most recent loss was a 26-point blowout in Atlanta, 100-74, to the Dream.

No doubt the Liberty have played a brutally tough schedule. But this franchise, still searching for its first league title, has played tough schedules before.

This is Whisenants second season with the Liberty. The franchise believed one of the greatest players in womens basketball history Carol Blazejowski had taken the team as far as it could go. She was the GM from Day 1.

The Liberty went 19-15 last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The early part of the season was focused on learning Whisenants new systems. This season he incorporated some of former Knicks coach Mike DAntonis offense. But the Liberty is averaging just 71.5 points per game, third worst in the league. and they are dead last in point differantial (-16), allowing 87.5 points.

lenn.robbins@nypost.com

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Liberty look to catch winning Fever

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Friday, June 1, 2012: Shade trees, the Second Amendment and east-west highways

Posted: at 2:17 pm

Shade the asphalt

Several weeks ago, Camden celebrated Arbor Day and its 17th year as a Tree City USA, honoring the urban canopy provided by the nearly 50 years of planting shade trees along town streets. The Camden Garden Club, the town itself and many residents and donors have contributed these many trees, inspired by the loss of the towns great elms in the mid 70s.

The trees provide many services to the town: green-ness, fresh clean air, beauty, softening of the hard lines of brick and mortar. They add value to the homes on the town streets. But most significantly, and sometimes forgotten, they provide a cooler town in the summer, when they shade dark roofs and asphalt streets, driveways and parking lots, sheltering the dark surfaces that otherwise absorb and radiate the suns heat into the surrounding air. The difference in surrounding air can be as much as 45 degrees F sun on black asphalt versus shade on grass. Try walking along a shady street on a hot day and feel the heat blast when you come to an open treeless area.

We are talking about becoming an even more walkable town than we already are, so it will make sense to work on getting more shade trees into our downtown area and along our streets, especially on the more southerly sides of streets. We can be thinking about where we need them this summer, on the hot days.

Beedy Parker

Camden

In the weekend BDN, May 26-27, Maine Sen. Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth claims a letter-writer lied about her position on firearms ownership. Then Dill makes plenty of false statements, herself.

First, she says she never called Maine gun owners vigilantes and that she supports the Second Amendment. Oddly, everything she says in the letter from that point does, indeed, call Maine gun owners dangerous vigilantes.

Dill claims that special interest groups (read here the NRA) hijack government for their own purposes, and that our legislative priorities should not be widening access to assault rifles designed to rapidly kill people. Those are strange words, coming from a supporter of the Second Amendment.

If that were not enough, Dill speaks of her fear of allowing Mainers to take the law into their own hands during an emergency or carry guns into workplaces or public buildings such as the State House.

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Friday, June 1, 2012: Shade trees, the Second Amendment and east-west highways

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You Said What? – Free Speech – BBC Three – Video

Posted: at 2:17 pm

01-06-2012 11:34 Not yet had your say? Join in on: Michelle gives a round up of what's been kicking off online this week with a shout out to the best comments you've made on Free Speech. More about this programme:

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Dr. Barry Ryan Welcomes Freedom Dogs Director as Guest Lecturer to Nursing Students at West Coast University

Posted: at 12:17 am

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nursing students at West Coast University currently in the Mental Health Theory course rotation had the opportunity to learn from guest lecturer Maribeth Russell, Director of Freedom Dogs, a California nonprofit organization that uses Specialty Service Dogs in a novel way as an adjunct to the rehabilitation process for wounded military personnel returning from armed conflict.

With more than 10,000 wounded service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the ability to recognize signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), the signature injuries from these areas of conflict, has become a national crisis. Ms. Russell is a former ICU RN at UCSD Medical Center. In her previous line of work as a critical care nurse, she saw a rise in the demand to treat veterans affected with PTSD. Russell discussed with students the correlation between returning veterans who are transitioning from active duty to inactive duty and the growing rates of PTSD.

As we continually look for ways to introduce the latest nursing techniques into our classrooms, we are pleased to include this topic in our curriculum, said Dr. Barry Ryan, President of West Coast University. We are honored to partner with Freedom Dogs and support the important work they do in helping provide innovative solutions to the health issues faced by our returning troops.

Freedom Dogs currently works with Marines from the Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, California, and hopes to expand their program to additional branches of the military. Freedom Dogs pairs disabled Marines with a Specialty Service Dog / Trainer team for goal setting and treatment planning. The dog and trainer then conduct a series of therapeutic encounters that support and facilitate medically recommended activities. The dogs are trained to take directions from the Marines, who train the dogs to conduct daily routines. These therapeutic exercises reduce the impact of their disabling conditions on the Marines health, mobility, mood, and social interaction.

The West Coast University nursing students saw the benefits of a Specialty Service Dog firsthand through Charlie, a 10-year-old Labrador Retriever. He was not only able to give the students a visual of how the Specialty Service Dogs act, but to show how the dogs are extremely adaptable to any environment. Students were able to ask questions about a future in the critical care nursing field and how different approaches to diagnoses like PTSD can increase the probability of treatment for society in general.

In addition to sharing vital information on spotting signs of PTSD with the students, Freedom Dogs honored West Coast University by presenting Dr. Barry Ryan with the Friends of Freedom Dogs award for WCUs previous contribution to the organization.

About West Coast University

West Coast University is one of Southern Californias leading health care educators, offering programs in nursing, health care management and dental hygiene at campuses in Los Angeles, Orange County and Ontario, and nursing programs at its new campus in Dallas, Texas. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) awarded programmatic accreditation to WCUs Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in October 2009 and its Master of Science in Nursing program in May 2012. WCUs Dental Hygiene program at the Orange County Campus is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to offer the only Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) in the County. It is one of only four BSDH programs in California. West Coast University is institutionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC - http://www.wascsenior.org) and Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS http://www.acics.org). For more information, visit West Coast University. For regular updates on WCU news visit the Dr. Barry Ryan Blog.

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Dr. Barry Ryan Welcomes Freedom Dogs Director as Guest Lecturer to Nursing Students at West Coast University

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Freedom Communications Announces Close of Sale of Four Midwest Newspapers

Posted: at 12:17 am

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Freedom Communications announced today that the sale of the print and online publishing assets of four Midwest newspapers to an affiliate of Versa Capital Management, LLC has closed. The four newspapers involved are The Telegraph in Alton, IL, The Journal-Courier in Jacksonville, IL, The Sedalia Democrat in Sedalia, MO and The Lima News in Lima, OH.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Substantially all of the employees of the four newspapers transitioned to the new ownership.

This transaction presented an excellent opportunity to enhance the value of our shareholders investments while also ensuring that the communities involved will continue to receive great service, said Mark McEachen, Freedom Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal advisors to Freedom.

About Freedom Communications

Freedom Communications, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a national privately owned information and entertainment company of print publications and interactive businesses. The Companys print portfolio includes approximately 100 publications, including 20 daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, plus ancillary magazines and other specialty publications. The Companys news, information and entertainment websites and mobile applications complement its print properties. For more information, visit http://www.freedom.com.

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Liberty Silver Issues 650,000 Shares in Satisfaction of Contractual Obligation

Posted: at 12:17 am

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -06/01/12)- Liberty Silver Corp. (LSL.TO)(LBSV) ("Liberty Silver" or the "Company") announces that it has issued 650,000 common shares in satisfaction of a previously disclosed contractual obligation. Further to its press release dated December 21, 2011 announcing the closing of an equity financing that included the issuance by the Company of 6,500,000 subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts"), Liberty Silver granted to holders of Subscription Receipts certain U.S. registration rights whereby the Company agreed to issue one additional common share for each ten (10) Subscription Receipts in the event that the Company had not registered the securities underlying the Subscription Receipts by May 31, 2012.

About Liberty Silver Corp.

Liberty Silver Corp. is focused on exploring and developing mineral properties located in North America. A skilled, experienced, management team and board of directors with significant experience managing exploration, development and mining projects lead the Company. The Company is committed to creating value for its shareholders by advancing its current projects utilizing its mitigated risk approach to production, developing new resources on its current properties, and by acquiring new properties that have the potential to increase their resource base. The Trinity Silver project, located in Pershing County, Nevada is the Company's flagship project. Liberty Silver has the right to earn a joint venture interest in the 10,476 acre Trinity property from Renaissance Gold Inc. ("Renaissance") pursuant to the terms of an Earn-In Agreement. Renaissance acquired its rights to the Trinity property from Newmont USA Limited, a Delaware corporation, doing business in Nevada as Newmont Mining Corporation ("Newmont"), and the Company is indirectly subject to the rights and obligations of Renaissance under its agreement with Newmont.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sales of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful.

Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

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Dear Diary: Alison Redford’s week planning world domination

Posted: at 12:17 am

While federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair was touring the Alberta oil-sands this week, premier Alison Redford was in Virginia at the infamously exclusive Bilderberg financial conference, which is open to only a few hundred of the worlds top movers and shakers. Jen Gerson imagines the week of the Alberta leader and former UN-lawyer:

Monday

Men in black cloaks arrived to deliver official invitation to the Bilderberg conference today. Take that, Christy Clark. Some of us who are actually relevant to the global economy receive invitations, too. And us elite power brokers get to do so much more than just fly naked on Richard Bransons back. (I remember well trying kite surfing as an adventurous young lawyer in South Africa. Nelson Mandela invited me to partake during a team-building exercise. It happened on one of the rare clear weekends when we were not trying to rebuild the countrys post-Apartheid legal structure. Kite-surfing? I did not care for it at the time.)

As instructed, local double-agents have been dispatched to obfuscate Bilderbergs long-term intentions under the guise of conspiracy theories. If only they knew word of our plans to create a one-world government to oversee a massively reduced global population were, in fact, spread by an Illuminati mole intent on making even the mere mention of such deeds seem ludicrous. The deflections pile upon themselves.

Anyway, the conference invitation proved to be well timed, as it would give me the opportunity to forgo a meeting with Thomas Mulcair. This was a great relief. It would be difficult to make economic arguments against the Dutch Disease theory with a straight face while simultaneously attempting to orchestrate the sublimation of the central Canadian economy!

Tuesday

Jason Payne/Postmedia News

B.C. premier Christy Clark

Christy proved too precious to attend Western Premiers Conference today, but no matter. We have the photographs. After mentioning upcoming Bilderberg attendance, found my fellow elected leaders to be surprisingly pliant with regards to a Canadian Energy Strategy. The oil must flow. The pipelines will be built and the coming economic empire that will become my domain will prove most useful to the lizard people chairing the first working group at Bilderberg.

Ive decided my first proposal there will focus on how to ensure ongoing favourable exchange rates.

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Alameda County gun show ordinance upheld by appeals court

Posted: at 12:16 am

Click photo to enlarge

1999 file photo: Pastor Marcos Vasquez of the Outcry in the Barrio congregation in Hayward protested the posting of signs in his neighborhood for a gun show at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds.

Alameda County has resolved its 12-year legal battle over a ban on gun shows on government property, persuading a federal appeals court that its law is constitutional because of recent concessions that will allow gun promoters to showcase weapons within tight restrictions.

In a unanimous 11-judge ruling Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the county's ordinance, finding that it does not violate the Second Amendment. The decision was fact-specific, avoiding broader gun rights issues because gun shows are now permitted if promoters agree to provisions the court called "reasonable."

"No matter how broad the scope of the Second Amendment -- an issue we leave for another day -- it is clear that, as applied to the plaintiffs' gun shows, and as interpreted by the county, this regulation is permissible," Judge Susan Graber wrote for the court.

The ruling stems from a long-running challenge by a Glenn County couple to a 1999 ordinance that had outlawed gun shows at the Pleasanton fairgrounds. Russell and Sallie Nordyke, promoters of TS Gun Shows, have seen more restrictions on such shows across the Bay Area, including in Alameda, Marin and San Mateo counties, as they've battled for their Second Amendment rights in the 9th Circuit.

The Nordykes could not be reached for comment Friday, but their lawyer issued a statement saying they consider the decision a victory and plan to put on a gun show in Alameda County.

Sayre

"This has always been a public safety regulation," she said. "They have to present their safety plan and show how they are going to comply."

The 9th Circuit case was expected to be a key legal test of the scope of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings establishing that the Second Amendment applies to state and local gun regulations. But the case turned in a different direction over the past few months, as Alameda County officials indicated that the ordinance does not necessarily amount to an outright ban on gun shows, limiting its effect on Second Amendment rights.

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Combat bullying, but protect religious and political speech

Posted: at 12:15 am

Friday, June 1, 2012

After years of benign neglect neglect that was anything but benign for the victims bullying has finally moved to the top of the school-climate agenda.

Today, 49 states and the District of Columbia have anti-bullying laws in place (Montana is the lone holdout). The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance on how schools can fight bullying and harassment. And many local school districts are moving vigorously to address a serious and widespread problem.

But as school officials act to stop bullying, they need to know when and where to draw the line on student expression. The challenge is to stop bullies without overreacting by censoring students protected religious and political speech.

It goes without saying that creating and sustaining a safe learning environment is job one for school administrators. But how can public schools balance the need for school safety with a commitment to freedom of expression?

To help answer this question, a coalition of 17 education and religious groups released guidelines on May 22 designed to help public schools combat bullying and harassment while simultaneously upholding the rights of students to free speech and free exercise of religion under the First Amendment.

Harassment, Bullying and Freedom of Expression: Guidelines for Free and Safe Public Schools has been endorsed by diverse religious voices such as the Christian Legal Society, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Hindu American Foundation, as well as leading educational associations, including the National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators and the National Association of State Boards of Education.

My own organization, the First Amendment Centers Religious Freedom Education Project, worked closely with the American Jewish Committee over the past year to produce the document.

As the guidelines explain, much harassment and bullying is physical, targeting an individual student or classes of students for unwanted touching, bodily assault or threats of violence. Prohibiting such actions in schools raises no First Amendment concerns.

But bullying can also be verbal, creating a hostile school climate. Following current law, the guidelines draw a distinction between student speech that expresses an idea, including religious and political views, and student speech that is intended to cause (or school officials demonstrate is likely to cause) emotional or psychological harm to the listener. The former is, in most circumstances, protected speech, but the latter may and should be stopped.

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