Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Communist Party candidate Johan Boyden, Toronto CentreFriday, October 5, 2007
Johan Boyden is running for the Communist Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Toronto Centre riding. Wikinews interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.
Scientology ties at New Village Leadership Academy stir controversy for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-SmithSaturday, September 12, 2009
The Calabasas, California private elementary school New Village Leadership Academy (NVLA) opened its 2009–10 school year this week amid controversy over its connections to Scientology. The school was founded by celebrity couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, who paid about US$1 million to lease the facility in 2008. Former head of school Jacqueline Olivier was removed from her job in July, and replaced by Piano Foster, an individual who has taken Scientology courses at the organization’s Celebrity Centre.
Smith and Pinkett-Smith are good friends with Scientologists Katie Holmes and her husband Tom Cruise. In 2006, Smith acknowledged to World Entertainment News Network that he had discussed Scientology with Cruise: “I’ve talked to Tom about it. [There’s] lots of incredible, wonderful concepts but Jada and I don’t necessarily believe in organized religion.” ABC News reported that 2008 tax returns for the Smiths show they gave $122,500 to organizations with ties to the Church of Scientology.
| “All I can say is it is not a Scientology school.” | ||
In an interview with Ebony, Pinkett-Smith denied the school was affiliated with Scientology: “All I can say is it is not a Scientology school. Now, If you don’t trust me, and you are questioning my integrity, that’s a whole different matter. That is straight evil to think I would bring families into that educational institution and then try to get them to convert into some religion,” she said. According to New York Daily News, the school is registered with the government of California as “non-religious”.
The school utilizes a teaching methodology called Study Technology, which was developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Study Technology is promoted through Applied Scholastics, a Scientology-associated organization founded in 1972. “Study Technology is a secular methodology intended to help students better understand what is being studied and apply it to real life,” said Pinkett-Smith in an email to ABCnews.com. Karin Pouw, an official with the Church of Scientology, was contacted by ABC News but did not comment on a possible affiliation between NVLA and Scientology, instead referring questions back to the school itself.
New York Daily News cited Radar Online in reporting that former head of school Olivier was fired from her position because she had issues with the Study Tech teaching methodology used in the school. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Olivier was removed from her $200,000 position with the school because she reportedly did not agree with portions of the school’s curriculum which were developed by L. Ron Hubbard.
| “What they seem to have is some sort of a hybrid. Scientology repackaged for the Hollywood crowd.” | ||
Carnegie Mellon University computer science Professor David S. Touretzky, described by ABC News as “the most ardent critic of Study Technology”, spoke with ABCNews.com about his thoughts on Scientology connections with the school: “What they seem to have is some sort of a hybrid. Scientology repackaged for the Hollywood crowd. It’s hitting all the politically correct elements … but snuck in there is this Scientology stuff.” Professor Touretzky operates a web site which analyzes Study Tech and argues that it is actually a form of Scientology masked as an educational method. In a February 2008 interview with Wikinews, Professor Touretzky mused that recent criticism of Scientology on the Internet might prove to “warn off Hollywood celebs from cozying up to the cult”, including Will Smith.
Executive director of the California Association of Independent Schools, Jim McManus, was also critical of L. Ron Hubbard’s methodology, stating: “I look at the Study Tech ideas and it doesn’t seem sound educationally.” University of Virginia psychology professor Dan Willingham, author of Why Don’t Students Like School, asserted to ABC News that the methodology is flawed: “It’s perfectly possible that the methodology is based on ridiculous principles and that something effective is happening in the classroom, but ridiculous principles certainly lowers that possibility.”
| “This revenue stream is one of the many sources of income which the Church of Scientology uses for such tactics as invoking frivolous lawsuits and hiring private investigators to intimidate critics.” | ||
Members of the Internet-based group critical of Scientology, Project Chanology, were present at the school’s 2009 opening to protest what they called a “front” of the Church of Scientology. A 2008 press release by Project Chanology was critical of what it referred to as the revenue the Church of Scientology receives from licensing fees schools pay the organization for utilizing the Study Tech teaching methodology. “This revenue stream is one of the many sources of income which the Church of Scientology uses for such tactics as invoking frivolous lawsuits and hiring private investigators to intimidate critics,” said the press release.
According to the web site TruthAboutScientology.com, which publishes data compiled from Scientology magazines Freewinds, Celebrity and Auditor, multiple individuals in management roles at NVLA have attended Scientology classes. In addition to the newly installed head of school, Piano Foster, the school’s director of learning Tasia Jones and its artistic director Sisu Raiken have both received Scientology course training. “I officially took over on July 1, 2009, and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve been working in education for the past 20 years at various public and charter schools so I feel I’m ready for the job,” said Foster of her new position at NVLA.
California Auto insurance quotes- weigh and consider the modalities
by
Richard Hogh
Vehicles vary in their use, kinds and types. For reasons of safety, security and responsibility; owners, users and drivers prefer equipping their vehicles with a suitable policy of coverage. There are plenty of policies to bank on, and you are supposed to be complying with the legal guidelines of a state before owning and purchasing one of the most relevant insurance policies on vehicles. For instance, Californians are supposed to be holding insurance policy with a minimum focus on damage, injury and death. Difference in conditions of death, damage, injury and the numbers of persons affected by these in turn, influences the cost factors. The bare minimum requisites are supposed to be complied with. But before selecting an auto California insurance quote, which is well beyond the bare minimum requisite, you need to figure out the intensity and extent of use. How extensively, you are found using the vehicle is one of the important factors of selection. In this context, it is important to bear in mind, that Auto California Insurance Quote with a specialized focus on liability protection is not necessary for vehicles of specific kinds.
For using automobiles registered with a governmental facility, you aren t supposed to own liability coverage. So, as far as the choice of California auto insurance quotes is concerned, you are supposed to go according to your needs. The legal modalities of California, vehicle type owned the frequency and purpose of use are some of the important aspects of consideration. Visiting the insurance department in person or scrolling through its website can help guide your insight, so that you know what suits the requirement of your vehicle. Before sealing your deals with one of the most optimum California Auto Insurance Quotes, you need to take a thorough analysis of the terms and conditions. Weighing these terms and condition in light of the bare minimum requisites and legal requirements of California is immensely important.
Insurance Quotes California Auto is easy to avail and access. The process comes free of cost. There are different packages to choose from. But it is always better to select one that is comprehensive as well as, cost effective. It is unnecessary going for one that exceeds your existing capacity. As and when you choose and purchase a package, you are supposed to live up to its terms and condition. With the failure to do the same and with the possible lapse of an insurance plan; the registration of your vehicle is likely to be affected. This makes it mandatory on your part to see through the fiscal effect of the different insurance quotes California auto.
There are websites in plenty, and most of these are found upholding auto insurance quote California provided by different financial forums. With your request, and entry of the relevant code of zip, and address of mailing; you will be facilitated with a cost free auto insurance quote California. Despite getting a cost free access, you are under no compulsion for purchase.
The different web based forums do realize your need for comparison. Before banking on one of the most suitable service facilitators, you will obviously be in for a comparative study of California Auto Insurance Quote. One of the most leading aspects of advantage relates to the time effectiveness of the online facility. You needn t barge offline, and from the deals of comparison to that of purchase, California auto insurance quote can be processed with an online scroll.
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UK house prices have fallen 10.5% this year, says Nationwide Building SocietyThursday, August 28, 2008
After dropping 1.9% in July, house prices in the United Kingdom are now falling at the fastest rate since 1990, according to Nationwide Building Society.
The average price of a home has dropped by £20,000 down to £164,654, losing 10.5% of its value in 2008. Property values fell by 1.9% in the past month, and 1.5% in July. In another study, it was revealed that house prices have been steadily falling since October last year.
Nationwide’s chief economist, Fionnuala Earley said that activities in the housing market had recently been “very subdued”, although there are signs of increased interests in home sales, possibly due to the appeal of lower house prices.
The Bank of England stated there has been an increase in the number of people taking out a fixed rate mortgage as opposed to a variable rate loan. Further research by Nationwide has concluded that mortgage approvals also fell by 65% last month.
byAlma Abell
Many people automatically associate the word “cheap” with another word and that word is “nasty”. This gives rise to a reluctance to get involved with anything “cheap”. For example, if we see an advertisement telling us to buy Cheap Cabinets for our home we will automatically ignore it. We get a mental picture of shoddily made cabinets using very low cost, inferior, raw materials that have been badly put together; in other words, something that might be put in a cheap motel room but never in your own home!
If Cheap Is Nasty; What Is Economical?
If that same advertisement had been for economically priced cabinets; then, we would have read on with interest in the expectation of getting a bargain and saving ourselves some money. Other ways of implying a, lower than you expect price, include phrases like: “cost saving”; “discounted prices”; even “bargain prices”. Such phrases can lead you to believe that you are being offered a good quality product at an advantageous price and, assuming that it is a product that you currently have a use for, you will investigate further and, possibly, purchase it.
How Do Cheap Cabinets Vary From Economical Ones?
Although the possibility exists that they may not vary in price, Cheap Cabinets are unlikely to be made from genuine, natural (as sawn) wood. They are more likely to be covered with a cheap, self-adhesive plastic layer that has been colored to pretend to be a wood veneer surface and things like door hinges and shelf brackets will probably be of inferior quality. Additionally, the supplier might not provide any sort of warranty on your purchase.
If we are looking at cheap RTA (Ready To Assemble) cabinet kits, we are likely to face that most frustrating of DIY problems when an instruction manual does not match up fully with the contents of the kit. For example: – “Place part 1 into hole 2”; you have found part 1 but there is no sign of any hole 2 whatsoever!
If the economically priced alternative is manufactured by a reputable company and purchased from an equally reputable dealer – either online or from a warehouse or store – then you should not encounter the sort of problems that you could get from purchasing cheap cabinets.
Mumbai Police investigations indicate Pakistani role in 11/7 serial blastsSunday, October 1, 2006
Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy confirmed today that investigations had revealed the involvement of the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba and the (banned) Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in the 11 July 2006 bombing of the city’s commuter rail network. He also stated that the attacks had been masterminded by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and carried out by Pakistani and Indian nationals.
Fifteen people, twelve of whom were directly involved in the execution of the bombings are in custody, eleven of them are Pakistani citizens.
The conspiracy to carry out the attacks, which killed 190 people, was hatched in the vicinity of Mumbai, by militants who were trained in Bahwalpur, Pakistan. The Pakistani bombers entered India in batches, some through the porous Indo-Nepal border, others via Bangladesh and some through Gujarat. They then reached Mumbai around May 25, and were sheltered in Malad and Bandra by Faizal Sheikh. Kamaluddin Ansari and Ehtasham Siddiqui, (General Secretary of SIMI, Maharashtra) were also involved in the conspiracy.
The RDX explosive used in the blasts was brought from Pakistan by a man called Ehsanullah, while the ammonium nitrate was procured locally. The explosives were assembled in Chembur by Mumbai resident Mohammad Ali, between 8 and 10 July. On the day of the attacks, the bombs (each containing 2 – 2.5 kg of RDX and 3.5 – 4 kg of ammonium nitrate) were concealed in eight pressure cookers and transported to the railway stations in taxis.
From there two member teams of bombers placed the explosives on the trains and detonated them using quartz timers. One of the militants, Saleem, a native of Lahore, could not (as was the plan) get off the train before the explosives went off, as a result of which he perished in the blast between Khar and Bandra. Of the seven Indian suspects, four (Faizal Sheikh, Kamaluddin Ansari, Ehtashan Siddiqui and Naved) have been apprehended, while a search is on for the other three.
Mr. Roy described the bombings as a “professional, precise and well-planned”. The first clue his department got was a phone call made from Navi Mumbai to a place on the Indo-Nepal border. Based on this information Kamaluddin Ansari was arrested in from Madhubani, Bihar. Narco-analysis of the other suspects revealed that they were trained in Pakistan and also helped tie up other loose ends in the case. Faizal Sheikh also revealed that he had received Rs. 60,00,000 from Pakistan in the last few years. Police also recovered 26,000 Riyals, given to him by Rizwan Devra, an ISI operative living in Dubai, from Faizal’s house.
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Information, Tariq Azim, denied the role of the ISI in the bombings, saying that his country “rejected” the accusation, and that India should provide Pakistan with “any information if they have it”. “Such allegations only give benefit to the real culprits, who escape arrest,” he said.
US stock markets reach 12-year lowsThursday, March 5, 2009
US stock markets dropped to twelve-year lows on Thursday, amidst falling confidence in the financial sector and worries over whether the US automobile manufacturer General Motors will be able to keep operating.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 4.08%, or 280.52 points, at the closing bell, reaching a level of 6595.32, a new 12-year low. The Nasdaq Composite lost 54.15 points, or 4%, to 1299.59, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 plunged by 30.27 points, or 4.25%, closing at 682.60.
Every stock in the Dow Jones, other than Wal-Mart, either lost ground or remained even, and all stocks in the S&P 500 index lost ground.
General Motors’ shares lost 15.5% after the auto firm announced that its auditors had “substantial doubt” over whether it would be able to keep operating.
Shares of financial companies were lower by nine percent, with Bank of America losing 11.7% and Citigroup falling by 9.7%.
“What’s most worrisome is that we haven’t hit the crescendo yet,” said Bill Groeneveld, the head trader for vFinance Investments. “Asset-management divisions are getting calls to just liquidate everything, and we haven’t seen the big players come back in at all.”
“This is one of the worst bear markets in the last 100 years; it started out with the credit crisis and the subprime [loans], but it is like a forest fire that has raced across the clearing and ignited other parts: Autos, auto parts, the insurance companies have been hit very hard. The credit crisis is causing an unraveling of industry after industry because the banks don’t lend,” said David Dreman, the chief investment officer of Dreman Value Management.
European markets were also lower today, with the London’s FTSE index losing 3.2% and the DAX index of Germany falling by five percent.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush gives speech on Hurricane WilmaAt 1 p.m. EDT, Florida governor Jeb Bush, as well as others, held a press conference relating to the preparedness of the upcoming Hurricane Wilma. “There is no cause for a New Orleans-like concern,” says Governor Bush. He also says that this category 2 hurricane will affect southern Florida, including Lake Okeechobee. Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, and New York are helping Florida prepare. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations, he says, are currently underway.
For those who are unable to evacuate, shelters are to open up. There are 23 shelters opened at the moment, and more shelters, including shelters for the elderly, will open. The pets of Floridians also will be able to stay at a pet shelter. Over 80,000 MREs, as well as 200 truckloads of ice, are available for those who must take up shelter. This does not include the aid that will come from FEMA, which is expected to double the amount made available by Florida.
As of 10 a.m., over 200 million gallons of fuel, particularly gasoline and diesel, were at Florida ports. These ports are either to be closed, or currently closed at the moment. In addition, tolls for Florida turnpikes were suspended, and traffic is current flowing smoothly. However, as it was said by Director of Florida Emergency Management Craig Fullgate, “You need to pay attention to your local officials.”
Skin Care Wardrobing
by
Liza Goldman, Licensed AestheticianEach time I have an initial meeting with someone, I ask certain questions. Among those questions are things like, “how many glasses of water do you drink each day?”, and “do you apply sunscreen daily?” It’s funny, because each time I rattle off my questions there is at LEAST one that makes the person sitting across from me pause. It’s as if each person has this moment when they think to themselves, “My answer is not the one she wants to hear”. And so, each time I am confronted with that same familiar pause, I say the same thing to fill the silence, “I’m not here to judge, I’m here to help”. Typically my comment is followed by a big sigh of relief, maybe even a chuckle, and then I’m told things like, “I only drink water if I’m taking medication”, or “I don’t like sunscreen because I like to get some color”. Holding true to my word, regardless of the answers I’m given to my list of questions, I don’t judge. I really do want to help, and the fact is, answers like this are more common than you could imagine. Nobody is perfect and we all need to start somewhere. We can’t fix something unless we know what we’re up against, right?!?Ok, so I ask my questions and get the answers, but then what are you supposed to do? There are so many treatments available and countless topical products that can be used, so how do you figure it all out? YOU don’t have to. WE do. Together we talk about your skin; what you like about it and what you don’t. We figure out what your short term and long term goals are and we set a plan to get you there that works with your lifestyle and budget. The important thing to remember is that skin care (treatments and products) are not “one size fits all” like those big comfy pjs you love so much. Your skin’s needs change with age, the seasons, and your overall skin health.Much like having a wardrobe of clothes to work from throughout the year, we can develop a wardrobe of skin care resources. These resources can be made up of both products and treatments and can be always evolving just as your skin is. I speak to people all the time who tell me they were using particular products that they liked but then the products stopped working. The truth is, your skin’s requirements likely changed. You can have your best skin; it IS possible. You won’t, however, get it by maintaining the status quo or by doing nothing but think about it. Achieving your best skin will take some action on your part. You don’t have to walk blindly into a skin care abyss though, I’m here to lead the way”..advising, listening, treating, (often having a few laughs with you), and above all else, never judging.Want to talk about getting a skin care plan into motion? Just have questions? Call us at 978-927-1500. We’re here to help!Article Source: http://www.plasticsurgerynorth.com/skin-care-wardrobing/
Elena is our Office Coordinator so she will be the first face you see at
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery of North Shore
. She is your helpful contact when booking appointments, and answering various questions about the office and the various procedures and services we offer. Elena is always happy to answer any and all questions, including questions regarding Breast Augmentation, Abdominioplasty, and Liposuction. She has been working with Dr. Hadaegh for more than 3 years. Elena graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a BA in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics.
Article Source:
eArticlesOnline.com}
Actress and singer Debbie Reynolds dies, one day after daughter’s deathThursday, December 29, 2016
Acclaimed actor and singer Debbie Reynolds died at the age of 84 yesterday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Her son, Todd Fisher, said around noon yesterday she suffered a stroke brought on by the stress of the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
Reynolds’ credits include lead roles in films Singin’ in the Rain, Bundle of Joy, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, the last of which earned her an Academy Award nomination. She worked to preserve Hollywood history and memorabilia for posterity and, like Carrie Fisher, as an advocate for mental health awareness.
Born Mary Francis Reynolds in 1932, she was given the stage name “Debbie” by Warner Brothers director Jack Warner, which she would later say was done without her permission. She would go on to spend twenty years with MGM studios. Reynolds received a Tony Award nomination for her acting in the 1973 revival of Irene. Reynolds’ business interests included owning various private museums of film memorabilia as part of her personal Hollywood history preservation project. She would often purchase and hold items such as Marilyn Monroe’s dress from The Seven Year Itch and Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra headdress until they could be displayed to the public. More recently, she was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2000 for a Will & Grace recurring role and appeared as the main character’s mother in HBO’s Behind the Candelabra. She worked as a voice actress on animated productions such as the children’s show Kim Possible and the more adult Family Guy. She was honored with the 2016 Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 2015.
In Reynolds’ personal life, her first husband and father of her two children, Eddie Fisher, very publicly left her for her friend Elizabeth Taylor. She declared bankruptcy in 1997 after a failed casino project.
Carrie Fisher was an actor, author, and mental health advocate best known for acting in the Star Wars film series and for her novel Postcards from the Edge, which had a character inspired by her mother, Reynolds. Fisher was taken ill while flying from London to Los Angeles and died on Tuesday. Fisher and Reynolds did not speak for several years, though this rift was long over by the time of Fisher’s death. According to Todd Fisher, he and his mother had been discussing his sister’s funeral at his home shortly before the stroke; Reynolds said to him, “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie.”
Reynolds is survived by son Todd Fisher and granddaughter Billie Lourd.