Daily Archives: October 13, 2013

Committee to Protect Journalists Warns About Obama Crackdown on Press Freedom
In its first report on press freedom in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists warns President Obama has ushered in a paralyzing climate of ...

By: freespeechtv

See more here:
Committee to Protect Journalists Warns About Obama Crackdown on Press Freedom - Video

Wings of Freedom Tour 2013 (The Tour, Part 5)
Here is the final part of the in flight video series for the Wings of Freedom 2013 taken by me when it stopped by in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Riding in this li...

By: T Novak

Excerpt from:
Wings of Freedom Tour 2013 (The Tour, Part 5) - Video

BIBI SCHON - FREEDOM (ITALO DANCE) FULL HD
BIBI SCHON - FREEDOM (ITALO DANCE) 1998 (ORIGINAL MIX VERSION) (DANCE 90) FANTASTIC ITALO SONG FULL HD.

By: MegaANTONYDJ

Excerpt from:
BIBI SCHON - FREEDOM (ITALO DANCE) FULL HD - Video

Augusta, Maine (PRWEB) October 11, 2013

Retail Association of Maine (RAM) has recently announced that Freedom Energy Logistics LLC will be their sole provider of exclusive energy procurement consultant services for the Association and its 400 plus members. Freedom Energy will provide RAM members with the benefit of over 100 years of collective electricity and natural gas expertise, mainly focused on reducing energy costs for RAM members.

We are very excited to add the Retail Association of Maine to our network, says Freedom Vice President of Operations, Bart Fromuth. Curtis and his team are always looking for new ways to benefit their membership and we are ecstatic that they chose Freedom to manage the new energy program.

Freedom already has a relationship with a number of our members and they are one of the largest energy consultants in the state. Given their reputation and expertise, choosing Freedom as our energy partner seemed like a no brainer, said Curtis Picard, Executive Director of Retail Association of Maine. With the Bangor Hydro and Central Maine Power medium class standard offers going as high as ten cents this winter, we are optimistic that we can bring real and meaningful energy savings to our members.

With their variety of procurement tools and expertise Freedom Energy Logistics is well poised to meet the needs of RAM Members and help them earn real savings on their energy and natural gas costs. Freedom Energy Logistics has similar agreements in place with the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association as well as the Retail Merchants Association of New Hampshire.

The Freedom Energy Logistics family procures power at the lowest possible price for New England consumers. FEL Power (felpower.com) provides high end energy management services in electricity and natural gas. Its unique product portfolio allows Freedom Energy Logistics to find an energy solution that fits businesses of any size.

Originally posted here:
Retail Association of Maine and Freedom Energy Logistics, LLC Announce Partnership

After a freedom of information request for documents relating to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement was deemed to be not in the public interest, Pirate Party Australia turned to crowdfunding to raise the $1,080 processing fee. The Party raised the money within the first hour of launching the campaign, confirming that there is significant public interest surrounding the international agreement.

"This undoubtedly proves that bureaucrats are not acting as custodians of the public interest, are given far too much discretion when it comes to deciding matters, and have an unnecessarily wide range of options available to them to prevent the public accessing important information," said Brendan Molloy, who lodged the request on behalf of Pirate Party Australia.

The documents, which were requested from IP Australia, reveal little information, with at least half the 2,376 pages being wholly or substantially redacted. Many of the pages are redacted under Section 33 of the Freedom of Information Act which exempts documents that may damage the security, defence or international relations of the Commonwealth. The section also allows the Government to refuse the release of documents that would divulge information communicated in confidence by a foreign government.

"Section 33 of the Freedom of Information Act is repeatedly used by government departments to withhold information on trade agreement negotiations," Mr Molloy continued. "It allows near-complete exclusion of the public under the guise of protecting international relations. Australia must be keeping some pretty big secrets from its allies and vice versa. A trade agreement that requires such exclusion is perhaps one we should not be part of."

"Black marker politics is unacceptable: the default must be transparency, involvement and discussion."

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is a trade agreement currently being negotiated between Australia and eleven other countries, including the United States. This agreement proposes IP provisions that may be worse than the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which was emphatically rejected by the European Parliament following enormous protests across the European Union. The proposed agreement also includes investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions which endanger sovereignty by allowing corporations to sue countries when a law negatively affects their business model.

Pirate Party Australia has previously raised concerns over the secrecy with which these negotiations have been conducted[3]. Given the widespread effects such an agreement would have on the wellbeing of the Australian public and the power of our governing body, it is particularly alarming that these negotiations are being held behind closed doors.

Read more here:
Crowdfunding shows TPP transparency in public interest