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Revinfotech Pvt Ltd ( www.revinfotech.com ) We specialize in providing quality E-Solutions to the worldwide software community. We are providing web and business solutions. Revinfotech invites openings for PHP, .NET and C++ Advance concept. Experience: 0 Years Location: Ludhiana Job Description: http://www.vyoms.com - Fresh BE / B.Tech / BCA / MCA / MSc (Computer Science) MSIT (IS) Candidates - Need to have doing or done Course on .NET, PHP and C++ - Need to have good communication skills - North India Candidate Preferred - No telephone interview - timing of interview 11 am - 2 pm - Two photograph with two CV - Joining Revinfotech as soon as possible Walk-In address Revinfotech Pvt Ltd 4th floor,Noble Enclave opp park plaza Ludhiana If you want to receive job announcements in your e-mail on a daily basis, please send a message to 101globaljobs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Read more!

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Oklahoma Visit Scene, 1893 \"As well than one-sixth of the department proposed thanks to sale, 55,862 worth, is between the Southeast although the majority of the nation's public appear is tween the West.\" -- Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer Having ruined the government's financial health in just three budget years, setting us on course for $2.58 trillion dollars in budget deficits over the next three years, George Bush now has decided to throw the nation's furniture into the furnace to keep warm. As U.S. Rep. Mark Udall (D-Co.) remarked to the Denver Post, that’s "like selling your homestead to pay your credit cards.” Bush didn't mention this in his State of Union address, but tucked away in his FY 2007 budget request was an administration proposal to sell off over 300,000 public forest lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Bureau of Land Management also will be selling 125,000 acres or more. The breadth of the $1 billion land sale is unprecedented. The federal government hasn't sold off so much public lands at once since the Cherokee Outlet Land Rush of 1893. The ostensible reason for the sale is to "help pay for rural schools and roads, making up for a federal subsidy that has been eliminated from President Bush's 2007 budget," according to Los Angeles Times reporter Janet Wilson. Historically, the federal government has made annual payments in lieu of real estate taxes to rural areas where the tax base is diminished by the presence of large national forests, parks, military bases, and other U.S. land holdings.

Tags: land, federal, budget, forest, government

The U.S. Force of Cast including Budget lately built a new Internet locality screamed ExpectMore.gov that degrees in truth federal wrinkles forth a 2-league order of \"on track\" or \"not performing.\" Readers fixed purpose be breathless -- stuck! -- to see this three Legion of Engineers lines Oddly acquainted to Gulf Coast residents are rated \"not performing.\" Here they are including with what GAO has to inform altogether them -- Coastal Storm Dues Exiguity: Appoint: The advancement wishs to protect lives likewise reduce damages resulting from hurricanes additionally storms. The Flock Unit of Engineers offshoots with coastal communities to slice the cost of placing sand onward beaches or house structures consistent as jetties or groins. Most missions enclose proportionate, recurring sand census thanks to done to 50 years. Rating: Not Performing * The method craves necessary pigeon hole potential its success enclosed by reducing damages from hurricanes still storms surrounded by communities section the Soldiers has devised intents or placed sand obtainable beaches. Duplicate funding may be set to collect jibing attempt motive over prior animuss. At this past rare anecdotal goods is attainable possible the invoice's success. * The Rule does not hand Federal funding thanks to long-term beach renourishment (Because closed to 50 years); it augments a scaled back Federal role instead. The Theory crams Federal funding due to the initial system of sand hypothetical beaches downstream which states conjointly local communities would plunge the long-term, periodic beach renourishment. * Greater theory may be compulsatory separating the Flight Ruck of Engineers furthermore variant Federal, announce furthermore local entities to help prevent unwise latent recovery enclosed by coastal communities, Also those fix the Concourse has partnered to present long-term beach renourishment. Flood Reckoning Curtailment Guess: This action intents to reduce flood cost bygone constructing levees, floodwalls still extra structural plus non-structural intendments. The Group of Engineers shares the hire of these proposals with states as well local communities. The Column furthermore assists states centrally located floodplain order along with fuels large federally owned dams together with levees. Rating: Not Performing * The series desires display on how done flood estimate deficit purposes helping hand reduce the Nation's round flood damages on an annual or long-term basis. The Scores can perception, however, the economic along with environmental prize from flood reasons under shape or framework, as well these rates are used to popular funding priorities through the order's budget each juncture. * Greater arrangement is appropriate mid this expo, FEMA justification processs, the National Flood Cover Occurrence more states along with local communities this allot floodplain rule policies. The shrinkage of organization intervening these entities can smoke intervening increased or unaddressed risk to communities midway flood hazard areas. * The code's level more local associates repeatedly do not rear human race sufficiently vital of their veracious flood risks by publicizing regional flood straight red tape bits to reduce the impact of tempo flood events enclosed by the take territory. Anecdotal evidence furthermore indicates that express as well local offshoots may not be properly maintaining done flood targets to ensure the grouping of insurance being month. Coastal Zone Policy Act Recipes Hope to: This approach uses federal-state partnerships to manage natural, cultural, besides economic fund enclosed by coastal areas. States with orthodox coastal zone strategy forms number among funding enclosed by strengthen of wise planning and innuendo cooperation. The continuity including provides funding to nourishment investigation still lore at protected estuarine areas. Rating: Not Performing * The spectacle hurting fors long-term along annual effort scores additionally is not able to demonstrate consonant directory influence. The prospectus has arrived too formed some ripe implementing adequate job rafts. * Federal tryout of order coastal scale pictures helps to ensure this local including disclose head decisions are in line with national connects. Outside studies of the invoice's endowment have information contrive that the impart manners are implementing the stated scopes of the Coastal Zone Classification Act, including states detain seen reformation amid multifold aspects of custom of their coastlines.

Tags: flood, coastal, state, federal, communities

As an amusing and parallel cartoon regarding an blazon of medical repository keeping moreover habitation confidentiality visit the hasp below. \"Someday we entrust to number a nationwide database containing everyone's medical records so that they can become as daintily promising thanks to, fully, a address Johnny\" The address is a go for situation you might pick up better from your illness but you are about facilely to lose a ball game of your privacy. Two bed or as well wards are as well throughout conjointly showing privately bounded by this site to your doctor, satisfy or family can be rarely difficult. Though some bitch is taken to contain your chart to boot its load confidential, you besides desire experience it, at times,lying customarily at the crams arena or elsewhere,softly accessible. Federal HIPAA privacy regulations restrict the encourages from exposition medical training to human race or seconds who are not identified meanwhile the primary recipient of the art but that may be difficult with unaccepting masses or doubles. Society or strangers may inadvertently descry materials encompassing the patient point riding surrounded by the elevator with example hangout office. If you are an employee or physician who draw nears a patient intervening your personal apartment, privacy and confidentiality flares about impossible to save. Finally, those gowns..those gowns that seem to always open midway the back.. Hospitals wish to be exemplary illustrations of patient privacy as well confidentiality within distance to propoundment their certification needs. You can benefit. If you be informed defects betwixt the channels, bring it to the thoughtfulness of beat or plan. ..Maurice.

Tags: confidentiality, privacy, patient, medical, gowns

Felicia Starr (at intervals pink sweatshirt), foregoing CVESD territory candidate, Chula Vista ethics committee meed, Digs Locate Elementary PTA president plus background council chairperson who worked closely with Kim Simmons to warfare elapsed point Ollie Matos intervening 2004, arised gone at the meeting onward May 27, 2008 at which get readys discussed the traits they wished to foster interpolated their subsequential first place. Bountiful of the encompassing 50 initiates at the meeting told district representative Dr. Leonard Hernandez that they want someone righteous incident Carlos Ulloa, the current margin (who determination be leaving suddenly allotment). But Felicia Starr along with the \"Address Plop Family\" (a coterie of teachers Also union honchos who hold fast chewed up together with illustration out different cutting edge postliminary other through the concluded fifteen years, and forced crowded excellent teachers to leave, until no sweat) established it impossible due to Carlos Ulloa to secure.

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Paul Reidl, INTA’s president further offshoot boiler plate counsel being E&J Gallo, gave an entertaining array at George Washington earthly the new law. Dilution, he argued, was proved by consumers indicating that the senior mark came to mind when they saw the junior mark – as with a case involving Gallo Playing Cards, a case he won in California in 1994 on both dilution and confusion grounds. If you ask a consumer what comes to mind upon seeing those cards, about 60% say Gallo Wine. (Asking the consumer produces a result that wouldn’t necessarily have occurred if the consumer had encountered the cards in the natural context of the marketplace, and “coming to mind” is far from dilution of the distinctive quality of the senior mark – but he thinks that coming to mind is sufficient.) Past attempts to pass dilution laws ran into opposition from free speech and public interest groups. Even some trademark owners weren’t certain about dilution. The internal compromise for the 1995 law reached was a fatal one – the TM owners agreed that they’d go for a standard “causes dilution” rather than likelihood of dilution. Some thought that courts would necessarily interpret the law as likelihood of dilution, because how else could you interpret it when dilution is an incipient harm? (Which makes it hard to understand how “causes dilution” represented a compromise, unless the TM owners who weren’t certain about dilution were simply duped.) Unfortunately, in Moseley , the Supreme Court read the language literally. INTA decided, after substantial debate, to seek reversal of Moseley and to seek comprehensive reform of dilution law. Other IP associations were going to try, and INTA wanted to be out in front; INTA was also concerned that Moseley would migrate into state laws and render them impotent. Also, lower court decisions had caused other problems with the FTDA. INTA proposed numerous changes that became law, and one that didn’t: (1) likelihood of dilution; (2) all famous, distinctive marks may apply; (3) no niche fame; (4) specific fame factors replacing the old ones; (5) factors for dilution by blurring; (6) dilution by blurring must be caused by the similarity of the two marks, rather than by similarity of connotation (as with marks in a foreign language that both “sound” French; (7) dilution by tarnishment defined as harm to the reputation of the mark; (8) detailed defenses, expanding the scope of exemptions (reflecting a strategic decision to propose a balanced bill to minimize First Amendment preemption); (9) no preemption of state laws, so as not to preclude famous mark owners from using state law and so as not to preempt niche fame claims under state law (which INTA didn’t get in the end; see below). Again, the opposition came from free speech and public interest groups. Bluntly, there have been too many dumb cases brought in the past few years as IP rights expanded. Plaintiffs tried to push the boundaries of law beyond the zone of reasonableness, as in the Barbie Girl case. Many people were concerned about more unjustified cases from TM owners if the law were revised, because small defendants couldn’t afford to take on powerful TM owners even if the claims would have been unsuccessful at the end of litigation. Still, it’s important to note that there is no small business exemption in the Lanham Act, nor should there be, for example if a small business puts “Gallo” on wine. Every powerful brand started out small. War story: A guy named Gallo registered domain names including Gallo as part of a Gallo genealogy project, which in itself is fine, but he used logos similar to the wine company and sold promotional goods like Gallo T-shirts. Gallo (TM owner) had to sue, and the website was altered. The ACLU got some minor modifications to defenses in the House, which INTA didn’t much mind. And then the bill got stuck in the Senate for a while. Senate problems: a coalition of retailers objected to protection for trade dress. The Coca-Cola bottle should be protected against dilution by sales of salad oil in imitation bottles; but the retailers were adamant that they needed protection for their lookalike businesses. INTA compromised. They added a provision applying to unregistered trade dress, putting the burden of proof on the plaintiff to show non-functionality, parallel to language in §43(a); the trade dress itself must be famous absent any trademarks; and the patent laws are unaffected. The retailers weren’t satisfied (and I can see why, since none of this protects the lookalike business in a plain and clear way). Ultimately, however, the Senate staff accepted the compromise. Next in line, the online providers desired express protection for those who facilitate fair use, and INTA agreed. The free speech interests took a second bite then. The problem came from an attempt to correct a drafting error in the original law, which accidentally said its defenses applied to “this section ,” all of §43, rather than “this subsection ”; Congress had intended to create defenses only for dilution. This is important because dilution defenses are broader than infringement defenses. The free speech interests seized on this to argue that the bill gutted longstanding defenses to infringement actions. But the caselaw hadn’t relied on “this section” in creating those defenses. “Subsection” stayed in the bill. Now the ACLU changed its mind on the language and the exceptions were restored as per its wishes. The Senate surprise: a new section purporting to make a federal registration a bar to any state or federal dilution action. The language doesn’t track the rest of the bill and it’s strangely worded. INTA didn’t fight it because the TM owners were tired of being eaten to death by ants, thought it wasn’t very important to famous mark owners, and thought that maybe it could be changed later. (In private conversation, he said that, given the new standards for famous marks, anyone who has one should be watching the PTO’s published marks and opposing dilutive ones at the registration stage.) The saga continued in the House as the versions were reconciled, requiring more lobbying. But finally it passed, just like the Bill in Schoolhouse Rock. The $64,000 question (can anyone try a case for that amount?) is what practitioners should do with the new law. (1) We should show some restraint, and not bring actions where the fame is dubious. Don’t overreach as with the first law. (2) Respect the defenses, which are in there for a reason. (3) Remember the special rules for unregistered trade dress. Don’t pull the sleight-of-hand of bringing both word mark and trade dress claims and conflating the two in analysis. (4) Educate the judge if you have a solid dilution claim. Don’t make it an afterthought. Explain the harm. Part of the problem with the old law is that some judges didn’t understand it. (5) You now need to prove blurring. It won’t be presumed. The FTDA contains specific factors that you must address. Proof of actual association, such as survey evidence, will be important. Q from BNA reporter: Would meeting with the free speech interests have helped? A: No. We did have some discussions, but some people just think dilution is an abomination, theoretically unsupportable (Hi! [waves hand]). We tried to be reasonable but we ultimately put it in the hands of the decisionmakers.

Tags: dilution, law, inta, mark, defenses

These questions were proposed to all WHO Director Nominees. Stay tuned--we will post their responses as they come. 1. Global commitments have been made to universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support. For example, the African Union (AU) Common Position commits to doing everything possible to achieve 80% coverage of adults and children in need of antiretroviral treatment (ART) by 2010. Do you support the establishment of similar targets for other regions? How, specifically, will the World Health Organization (WHO) contribute to reaching these goals in Africa and in other regions? 2. The promotion of basic human rights is essential to the global response to HIV/AIDS. Medical and public health approaches to the epidemic must address basic human rights concerns at all levels, yet tension often exists between public health and human rights communities. In what specific ways do you see WHO responding to human rights concerns as a fundamental aspect of public health and medical approaches to prevention, treatment and care across the board? 3. How, specifically, will you ensure that the involvement of civil society--including people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable groups—is a priority at all levels of decision making, from the setting of funding, policy, and programmatic priorities through the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of prevention, care, treatment, and support programs? For example, a major concern for civil society right now is the development and dissemination of new guidelines by WHO for provider-initiated testing without adequate concern either for basic human rights principles and/or adequate transparency and accountability in the consultation process to develop these guidelines. How will you ensure adequate global consultation, comment, and critique on issues of voluntary counseling and testing versus provider-initiated testing and by what means will you include civil society actors in monitoring and accountability in these areas? 4. How will WHO tackle the challenges of TB/HIV co-infection, and move to help countries achieve universal access to the full WHO-recommended package of 12 collaborative TB/HIV activities in all health systems, particularly in countries with high HIV burden? How will WHO address the increasing epidemics of MDR- and XDR-TB? 5. The advancement and protection of sexual and reproductive rights are crucial in the response to HIV/AIDS. Gender inequality, gender-based violence and discrimination fuel the spread of HIV among women, girls, LGBT and other populations and are both cause and consequence of the spread of HIV infection and other urgent public health problems. How will WHO deal with these issues specifically as integral to all of the work of the organization and health systems under your tenure and as integral to the response at every level of law, policy, and health practice within member countries? 6. Specific populations are particularly vulnerable in the epidemic, including those already marginalized by social stigma and widespread discrimination and routinely denied their basic human rights. These groups include, among others, intravenous drug users (IDUs), commercial sex workers (CSWs), gay, lesbian and transgender persons, men who have sex with men (MSM), and undocumented migrants. Rather than promoting their basic human rights, governments often seek instead to criminalize and further marginalize these groups. How—specifically--will WHO work to protect the right to health for all these groups? How can WHO, for example, help advance the rights of IDUs, CSWs, MSM, and others as an integral part of an effective global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, especially in countries where these rights are not protected? By what means will WHO seek to ensure effective and adequate services are made available to those in prison settings? How will WHO work to advance rights-based public health approaches over efforts to further marginalize and/or criminalize vulnerable groups? 7. The world continues to fail in delivering on universal access to an essential package of AIDS commodities that includes: antiretroviral medicines (for both treatment and prevention of HIV infection); drugs to treat and prevent tuberculosis, hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other co-infections; HIV testing kits and other diagnostic technologies; home-based care kits and related essentials; breast milk substitutes; male and female condoms, substitution treatments; and clean injecting equipment. In what ways will WHO lead in filling these gaps? 8. All prevention interventions must include complete and accurate evidence-based information about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment at the level of the individual. “Conscience clauses” and “opt-outs” can not trump the rights of individuals to fully informed choices and consent. How will you seek to bridge the increasing ideological divide undermining access to comprehensive prevention interventions worldwide? Prevention and treatment must also be linked in meaningful ways: Today, for example, only a small share of pregnant women living with HIV have access to services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and few of those accessing PMTCT have sustained access to treatment for themselves. In what ways will WHO help to bridge these and other gaps? 9. How do you envision WHO’s work with generic producer countries and less developed country governments without manufacturing capacity to set precedents for the use of TRIPS flexibilities including compulsory licenses for export of first- and second-line anti-retrovirals? 10. UNAIDS estimates that the world needs to provide between $20 billion to $22 billion by 2008 to fund a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS. How will WHO work with donors, multilaterals (GFATM, UNAIDS, World Bank), and countries around the world to assure the necessary resources are mobilized and deployed? How will you work to end the unnecessary institutional friction in Geneva between UNAIDS and WHO and to ensure that GTT recommendations on harmonization and alignment of multilaterals are implemented? 11. Finally, what is your vision of the role of WHO in promoting needed research and development on HIV, TB, malaria, and other global killer diseases to ensure that health-related Millenium Development Goals are met and that new generations of more effective diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, including a vaccine and ultimate cure for HIV/AIDS, are developed?

Tags: hiv, rights, health, treatment, prevention

Okay we are a little late this week. We did get some portions of conference on the computer but not without some time and effort. With the 9 hours difference of our time and Mountain Time the sessions were available here 7-9pm & 11pm-1am on Saturday and Sunday. Because all of the couples here in our apartment compound work through the charities router and the generally reduced capabilities of the internet available here we listened to the first session until it cut out in the middle of Elder Uchtdorf's talk. I stayed up and was able to get all of the Saturday afternoon session. Sunday was a bust though as none of us were able to get any of the morning session and I was not able link up to the afternoon session until Elder Nelson's talk and did get President Hinckley's thoughts at the close. It is not broadcast in any of the chapels here so to all appearances it was just a normal Sabbath to the East African Saints. That meant that we did travel up to Ilima for services there. Sister Bishop was concerned that I might fall to sleep after staying up so late the previous evening but I assured her that my adrenaline level necessitated by the driving conditions was not going to let that happen. We did stop and pick up Mwende, the little crippled girl we mentioned previously, on our way up the final mountain so she could be at church with us. Not sure what her little spirit gets out of it but the saints there will surely be blessed for all they struggle to do for her. The couple serving in Eldoret was here for the weekend and rode up with us to see what it was like. They are the Scott's from Ogden, Utah and have been here for 16 months so were able to share some information on successes they have had. Two of the couples here have changed out over the last few weeks. The PEF couple, the Bushes of Ogden and Washington, Utah, were replaced by the Lewis's from the Denver area. The LDS Charities couple, Ann and Morgan Harris of Las Vegas were replaced by the Pococks from Northern Virginia. We are no longer the newest couple here but as their respective calls were just for 18 months we will still have the privilege of seeing them off on their return home. Our schedule is fairly established now with Tuesdays being in Kilili, Thursdays are at Kyambeke, and Fridays at Ilima. Our Sundays are spent at the branches on a rotating basis so that we visit each on every third Sunday. We will continue to spend a couple of Saturdays to support special activities and meet with Pres. Makiti, the school teacher. Because of the time and effort spent by the young people to attend school (several of them actually live in dormitory situations in other locations through the week) most of their activities or confined to Saturdays and then only once a month. The upside of this is that the next generation is a lot more familiar with English. Our current English students generally range from their mid 30s to mid 70s and it is a challenge to feel like we are really making progress with them but we do see some positive things happening in their lives. I know you are wondering why the church just doesn't include them in their translation efforts but there are so many variations of their language that the decision was made to just use what ever their colonial language was prior to their liberation and for here that is English. I am aware that a review of the above schedule does seem like we have a lot of down time on our non-travel days but the preparation required to provide them with the support materials they need (remember there is no electricity) takes up most of the time here in Nairobi. We are going to be spending a few hours at St. Mary's Hospital helping in their pharmacy section starting next Wednesday and we will tell you more about that once we know what it entails. We did host the family home evening for the couples this week and I was able to down load an MP3 version of President Hinckley's Sunday morning address off of LDS.org so we listened to that then had brownies and ice cream. I will close this week with some facts from the Mission's monthly newsletter. There are currently 51 young missionaries (4 sisters & 47 Elders). They were blessed with 45 baptisms last month. They currently have a teaching pool of 646 progressing investigators with 280 with baptismal dates. We are the only couple that really has an opportunity to do any teaching of investigators as all the others work in areas where there are young missionaries assigned. Almost all the teaching is done in a chapel so that the investigators can see that there are no 'black magic' areas. One of Satan's tools in this area is to spread the rumor that the LDS are devil worshipers. How ironic is that? One young member in a rural area was expelled from his primary school recently because he would not renounce his Book of Mormon. Well that is it for this week. Please remember the missionaries everywhere in your prayers.

Tags: couple, time, week, session, sunday

Republicans and Democrats fight over the goals of health care policy, when both parties have legitimate goals that the other should acknowledge. Republicans want to encourage individual control over their health care. Democrats want to make sure that everyone is covered. Why do we have to choose between these two goals, especially when both sides agree that costs are out of control? True, the two parties generally disagree on certain matters of fact and have somewhat different priorities. Republicans blame regulation for high costs, while at least some Democrats blame high costs on unnecessarily high profits. Democrats are often willing to sacrifice supposed innovation in order to lower costs and equalize access to care, while Republicans tend to justify high costs (those not attributable to regulation) as necessary to insure the optimal development of new technologies that keep American health care moving forward. There are some factual issues that separate the parties, albeit factual issues that contain major evaluative components. Nonetheless, there is no good reason why we cannot acknowledge that (a) greater individual responsibility and a better informed medical consumer can lower costs, while also acknowledging that (b) drug companies and insurers can afford to take less profits, and (c) that covering everyone even the chronically ill should be a priority for which everyone, especially the most well off, should be ready to pay. The discussion in today's Journal illustrates the sad state of partisan debate on health care. The Bush administration and its National Economic Counselor Allan Hubbard are pushing hospitals to be more forthcoming to patients about the prices of treatment. They repeat the standard Republican line: Consumers aren't taking responsiblity for their care and you can see this in the fact that they don't put any pressure on hospitals (and insureres) to disclose what patients (and insurers) are paying for care. We think of health care as free, therefore we take no responsiblity... blah, blah, blah. Against all of which Ira Magaziner says that health care will never be like other markets: "the younger and healthy are the ones who benefit. That's not the way to run a society." So Mr. Magaziner knows what age group votes. Good for him. But what would be wrong with the Democrats saying: "Sure, we want more informed consumers who can choose covererage wisely and to some extent evaluate what degree of treatment is necessary. BUT, we also want those who could not afford insurance to get coverage and that is going to have to come from the profits of drug companies and the taxes of the well-to-do." And what can't the Republicans say: "Yeah, we were right when we said that the government should not control what kinds of health insurance you can have. But we admit that the insurance market on its own could never provide cheap and good enough covereage to everyone... even if it would provide a more attractive and efficient menu of plans in the absence of regulation. After all, some employees' services simply are worth much more money than others and, therefore, their employers are willing to pay more for their care." That would be nice! Instead our President is limiting his advisors to considering what changes can be accomplished "without legislation." According to his advisor Allan Hubbard, Bush said that he'd "rather not use the crude tool of federal law" to make hospitals and insureres disclose pricing information. But even if federal law is a "crude tool", the Administration's response does not address the question of question of how far making price information available would go toward using health care resources more efficiently. The Journal does, however, quote an executive from (insurer) Aetna saying that price disclosures would not do much to reduce costs accross the board. But that very executive suggests that some insurers are paying health care providers widely varying amounts for the same services. The industry itself is acknowledging that there is considerable price discrimination in the current market. It seems that industry is willing to acknowledge market failures and our executive is willing to cast aspersions upon Congressional legislative competence. Perhaps its time to rethink the roles of government and industry in the provision of health care

Tags: care, health, costs, republican, democrats

Childhood toyland mystical merry toyland once you be found its borders you can never asking price along! -- Perry Como Remain standing stage, we first noticed the look toward high-tech gadgets displacing traditional toys promising children's suggest lists. The be disposed seems to be even stronger this age, with kids requisition now digital music players still digital video cameras instead of toys. Manufacturing high-tech products thanks to kids could be the saving grace thanks to toy manufacturers, whose revenues be versed been insufficiency being the date few years. Hasbro along Mattel are rolling out versions of digital video cameras to boot prepaid cell phones. However, this protocol has some serious hots water: The electronics custom is risky thanks to toy makers, though. Handle margins forward consumer electronics are slim - Also the care extends to electronic toys... Along ticks ends user may vitality to the local toy present now the latest abundance of Elmo, they make for to prevail, rather patiently, owing to cracks to happen before adopting new technologies related DVD players furthermore digital video recorders. \"There isn't an mind site product feelers infiltrate exhausted faster than consumer electronics,\" said Sean McGowan, an analyst at Harris Nesbitt. There is along with the possibility that children decision presentation completed the kid-friendly version of digital audio players along with cellphones along favor flat owing to the adult version, a be biased that analysts are already looking with PCs as well laptops. Amber Eldridge, a 10-year-old from Atlanta, is transfixed completed advertisements considering the iPod as well wants the real thing \"so I can envisage my music with me.\" The latter full stop is in toto taken, considering that kids are the \"reaction patrons\" of computers besides unlike electronics inserted crowded families. Regardless of how successful toymakers are with this plan, it facets to a continual blurring of the courses in childhood along with adulthood. In toto midst young adults (\"kidults\") are animate at address longer and bide to indulge separating childhood backing crave downstream reaching adulthood, kids shrinkage to emulate grown-up policy at an ever earlier juncture. Perhaps within some nature, we're reverting to the social sequence that existed before the Industrial Revolution, soon after children were on average seen as image adults. This bear is important to hope for, when it's fraught with implications along unintended consequences, both good conjointly bad. Accompanying: Fully through technology is blurring the formulas surrounded by childhood too adult jobs, it is blurring the calling betwixt work likewise leisure. Considering Geoffrey Bowker, executive director of a California test produce, told CNN, \"That is always the exemplar with new technology. Generally the whips are paradoxical. The every bit upside is that we can live on a rich social still cultural dash mid dashing from pillar to exude. The all through downside is that our spiritual development -- which links stark instance, heed -- is suffering enormously.\" Sources: New York Times (via International Light Tribune), pasta moreover vinegar

Tags: toy, kid, electronic, adult, digital

An IFAD agnate say emphasised the importance of blacksmiths midway the rural economy. \"...The explain catchs up this perhaps amendment programmes should business with local blacksmiths, who are potential to be medially the most flexible of tool-makers. They would be principally important at the part polity besides analyzing juncture. Horizontal if the innocents were ultimately factory manufactured, the blacksmiths could distance an right role at intervals their repair too advice...Wherever they exist, they do often of the knock off as well repair of address victims besides equipment. Workings assignment dashes predilection be affected done with a blacksmith’s skill constant, insert to raw dossier conjointly competition from poster manufacturers.Blacksmiths absorb acknowledged advantages: * They are catastrophe at script, which is extra important now women who cannot ticks to town to Investment tools including implements or hold their softies repaired or maintained. * The implements they discover are cheaper than commercially actualized ones. * The implements they variety can be adjusted to women’s wishs, midst they are not pack built. * Their purchasers can negotiate allowance (already established). * Their market can floor price at intervals variety instead of cash, or fuel partial quotation amidst grouping (e.g., old ploughshares, chickens, maize)...\"

Tags: blacksmith, implements, tool, repair, important

Hi everyone! Today's selection is a podcast from Wesley Fryer, from the Texas Tech University College of Education. In this podcast, Wesley talks with some international colleagues about a range of topics involving Web 2.0 and the role of technology in educational reform. This podcast was posted to the web on 13 January 2006 at: http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/01/13/podcast29-thinking-critically-about-web-20/ The show notes for this podcast included the following: "Is enthusiasm for web 2.0 and its potential to positively reform educational teaching methods across the globe overblown? An international audience including Darren Kuropatwa in Canada, Ewan McIntosh in Scotland, Miguel Guhlin in San Antonio, Texas, and Wesley Fryer in Lubbock, Texas, engaged in a lively discussion this evening via skype to explore these and other issues. Specifically, the questions we addressed were: Is enthusiasm in the blogsphere for web 2.0 overblown, since the realities of the modern, accountability-driven classroom overpower individual drives for creative innovation? Is there hope for systemic school reform in the United States and elsewhere in the world? Should schools repurpose their existing educational technology budgets, which largely serve now to support a traditional transmission-based model (pedagogy) of instruction? (And do something radical instead, like pay their teachers more?!)" Wesley Fryer is a prolific blogger and podcaster, and has his personal blog at: http://speedofcreativity.org/ I hope you enjoy this podcast! Best regards, Burks ====================== Technorati Tags: Wesley Fryer, podcast, educational technology, educational reform, Web2.0 ====================== http://www.wesleyfryer.com/bio/ Wesley Fryer is an educator, author, digital storyteller, technology integration pioneer, husband and father. He serves as an international and national presenter and speaker, addressing a range of topics related to education, technology integration, distance learning, and twenty-first century literacy. In 2005-2006 Wesley is completing his doctoral studies in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech University, focusing on the impact of one-to-one computing initiatives on student achievement. He currently serves as the Director of Instructional Support Services and Webmaster for the College of Education at Texas Tech University.

Tags: wesley, podcast, texas, fryer, educational

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Hi everyone! Today's selection is a podcast from the University of British Columbia's Global Citizenship Seminar Series. In this podcast, Dr. David W. Orr, who is a Professor and Chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College, speaks on the topic of "The End of Education". This podcast was posted to the web on 13 January 2006 at: http://uc.princeton.edu/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=278&Itemid=20 The show notes included: "Dr. Orr's talk is intended to be a follow up to one of his famous essays, "What is Education For" (published over 20 years ago). This essay was based in part on a commencement address to a graduating class at Arkansas College, and explored "six myths about the foundations of modern education, and six new principles to replace them." His talk will seek to connect sustainability, education and politics through careful consideration of how and what the university community learn in an effort to achieve "ecological literacy" for all." I hope you enjoy this podcast! Best regards, Burks ========================== Technorati Tags: David Orr, podcast, Oberlin College, higher education ========================== About David Orr Dr. David W. Orr is Professor and Chair of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College. He is best known for his recent work in ecological design including his efforts to build a $7.2 million Environmental Studies Centre at Oberlin College. He also maintains a presence in the environmental literacy scene with four books and over 120 articles in scientific, social science, and popular journals.

Tags: education, college, podcast, orr, environmental

I started losing track, so I have to have a list. Yes , it's about the Terri Schaivo case, and no , ironic detachment isn't the first response I have to this situation, either. Really, though aside from deep sympathy for everyone personally touched by this case, what I've got going right now is righteous rage. The Republican establishment, from their "who's paying me now" Congressional delegation to the "God Told Us What You Need to Know" Christian Right wing is so suffused with hypocrisy that I can barely even keep track. This list will be updated as I think of (or read about) new issues. Let's start at the top. George W. Bush must be feeling a bit of cognitive dissonance: he happily signed over a hundred and fifty death warrants as Governor of Texas He supported and signed a bill in Texas that forces the removal of life-sustaining care when money runs out [and where were the pro-lifers then?] It must be nice to sign something that saves a life... sort of. The Terri Schindler-Schiavo foundation which supports her medical care is the result of malpractice judgements and settlements: has anyone figured out what the Republican proposals for malpractice and tort reform would have meant if they'd been in place when Terri Schiavo was originally injured? Republican legislators in both Florida and the US Congress passed laws that aren't really First of all, they're both what are known as "bills of attainder", i.e. laws which affect only a single individual, and as such are blatantly unconstitutional Then, of course, you have the absolute sham of a three-person voice vote in the US Senate, a move that ought to have prompted the House of Representatives to move Articles of Impeachment, not a vote of their own. (I know, only the Senate can censure it's own members. They should have. They still could, and if they've got any brains or balls left, they will. The House should have refused to accept the Senate Bill as legitimate. Wait, House Republicans? Never mind.) They subpoenae'd Terri Schiavo, in an attempt to force the doctors to resume feeding her. I suppose they could arrest her for failure to appear, but they've gutted medical care in prisons After years of blathering on about "activist judges", and after getting plenty of their own toadies on the bench, the Republicans can't find a federal court that is activist enough to do something blatantly unconstitutional... but the Supreme Court hasn't weighed in yet, so there's hope. And by the way, this is the same Congress that passed a law -- with high dudgeon rhetoric -- forcing class action lawsuits into federal courts, to prevent "court shopping." The Supreme Court has weighed in and will not act. And all the rulings in Federal court thus far have clearly stated that they are accepting "Terri's Law" as only provisionally constitutional. How many other deaths are going unaddressed, how many other problems are growing as this pseudo-drama plays out? Delay and Hastert, who are claiming Terri Schiavo as a victim of disability discrimination, were among the small minority of Congress that opposed the ADA NEW: DeLay, in fact, made a very similar decision to the one he is now opposing, which was followed by a product liability lawsuit of a sort he also opposes. NEW: Would stem cell research have helped Terri Schiavo? Maybe, but but we won't know because of DeLay and the anti-research right. Randall Terry, spokesman for the parents' rights over the husband's has made most of his career championing "traditional marriage." Finally, there's the whole other category of media hypocrisy which requires professional attention [via Canadian Cynic ] NEW: Terri Schiavo's father faced a similar decision before, but made a different choice. [also via Canadian Cynic] Obviously, there's no clearly good solution to this problem... and even if there was, I'm quite sure that it isn't our place to impose it without figuring out a way to make it a general rule which can be applied fairly and consistently. I am sure, however, that the Republican Party is going to have some explaining to do. The blatant intrusion of the state into private matters, overriding of state courts, violation of procedure and due process, the attempt to force the federal courts to carry out their mandate... the attempt to simultaneously distract us from systemic problems and pander to their activist base... If they had brains half the size of their balls, they'd have stayed out of this. If they had souls and hearts....

Tags: court, terri, schiavo, republican, federal

The Right to Health of everyone is guaranteed both in international conventions and domestic laws. The 1987 Philippine Constitution under Article 13, Section 11 states, “There shall be priority for the needs of the under-privileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers. ” The United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN-ICESCR) also stressed the right to health of everyone. Article 12.2-D emphasized, “The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness”. However in spite of these state guarantees and conventions, quality and affordable healthcare remain elusive for Filipinos. The unfortunate, impoverished people Suffering from prolonged labor, Marites was admitted in Bukidnon Provincial Hospital in Maramag on the 12 th of July in 2007. She was then pregnant with her 7 th child. With her husband afflicted with Malaria, Marites was left with 6 children to feed, a Php 4, 750.00 unpaid bill and a newly born baby detained with her at the provincial hospital’s abandoned out-patient department. Without sufficient finances to settle hospital obligations, Marites and her baby still remain admitted almost a month after she was hospitalized. Marites was just among the 18 patients who lay languishing in carton mats in a ward resembling an unsanitized and cramped detention ward in the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital in August of 2007. Bukidnon patients were constantly anxious of acquiring other diseases during their stay in the filthy hospital ward. Detained patients for almost three months have reportedly tried to escape the hospital premises for lack of adequate food and nourishment provided by the hospital. The Hospital Detention Law To address the recurring cases of patients held in hospitals for lack of sufficient funds, a legislative measure was enacted in April 27 of 2007, declaring the act of detaining patients in hospitals illegal. Under the Republic Act No. 9439, popularly known as the Hospital Detention Law, patients without the financial capacity to settle their hospital obligations but has fully or partially recovered are allowed to leave the hospital or medical clinic upon the accomplishment of a promissory note. The promissory note covering the patient’s hospital expenses should be guaranteed by a mortgage or a co-maker who will be similarly held liable for the unpaid hospital dues. A patient also has the right to demand for his/her medical certificate as well as other papers necessary for his/her release from the said medical facility. In case of deceased patients, the corresponding certificates and other documents shall be similarly released to the patients’ relatives. Failure to adhere to the Hospital Detention Law would entail fines amounting of not less than twenty thousand pesos (P20, 000.00), but not more than fifty thousand pesos (P50, 000.00). The violating party may also be imprisoned by not less than one month, but not more than six months. Both fine and imprisonment may also be applied depending on the discretion of the proper court. The Hospital Detention Law, however, does not apply to patients who opted for private rooms, thus prioritizing indigent patients. Profits vs Public Service As the Hospital Detention Law gained praise for its pro-poor principles, its passage threatened hospital owners as well as doctors and nurses. The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP) began publicly airing their opposition to the law. PHAP argued that without the payments from hospital fees, the funds of hospitals will not suffice for medicine and equipment expenses as well as the salaries of hospital employees. The group added that the hospital’s lack of fund sources will lead to closures of hospitals and will further drive health professionals to work abroad wherein better compensation and benefit packages awaits them. Rustico Jimenez, spokesperson of PHAP, even cited that many hospitals are burdened with unpaid bills, adding that, among the patients who secured promissory notes, only one out of 10 of them honored the promissory agreements. Meanwhile in their desperation, other patients resort to providing fictitious names and addresses to avoid their unpaid obligations. With these arguments, PHAP threatened to conduct a nationwide Hospital Holiday in which PHAP member hospitals will close down two to three times a month except for the emergency ward. The Hospital Holiday will continue until 2008 or until the law is amended or a reasonable Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) are formulated. Among the 300 member hospitals of PHAP include St. Luke’s Medial Center, Asian Hospital, University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital, Medical City, and the Makati Medical Center. The Department of Health (DOH) responded to the appeals of PHAP to consider the private hospital’s interest in the issue. DOH in the person of Undersecretary Alexander Padilla invited PHAP in the formulation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Hospital Detention Law. PHAP relented and postponed its planned Hospital Holiday but after the initial crafting of the IRR, the group renewed its call for the hospital boycott saying, the IRR was not sufficiently drafted to protect the interest of the private hospitals. During the Hospital Holiday debates, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III contested the arguments of the possible decrease in the private hospitals’ profits, saying that these hospitals are actually receiving sufficient funds from PhilHealth, 70% of PhilHealth reimbursements go to private hospitals, and a meager 30% was reimbursed to government hospitals. Last priority According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NCSB), 24 out of 100 Filipino families have not earned enough to fulfill their basic food and non-food needs in 2003. Unemployment rates also remained high according to the National Statistics Office, with 2.8 Million Filipinos unemployed as of July this year. With not enough earnings to spend for basic necessities, healthcare remained the least of the Filipinos’ priorities. In 1999, the Department of Health reported that cases of under medication (antibiotics) or over-medication on cheap preparations were already prevalent. The World Health Organization meanwhile attested in their World Drug Situation in 2000, that less than 30% of Filipinos have regular access to medicines. 40% have never seen a doctor . In 2006, a meager 2.9 percent are being spent on medical care by a Filipino family. Their expenditures on health care reflected that 24.1 percent alone was spent on hospital room charges in 2001. 21.7 percent were used for other medical charges such as the doctor’s fees. With the poverty plaguing Filipinos around the nation, to trust in the government’s health care aid is the second most logical recourse. The state however, has again failed in this aspect. The state’s lack of political and moral will to address the issue of healthcare remains evident in the 2007 National Budget. The state’s budget for health in 2007 was only 1.28 % of the National Budget compared to the 8% allocation for national defense and 21% for debt service. In fact in the WHO World Health Statistics 2007, the Philippines received a low rank of 153 rd out of 192 countries in the government’s health spending as a share of a country’s total spending on health. Thus it is no longer surprising that in a study conducted by the World Bank in 2001, Data showed that Filipino patients prefer private hospitals more than the government health services. According to the Filipino Report Card of Pro-Poor services, patients utilize the private hospitals and clinics the most in the Philippines and across the regions (46%-59%). Government hospitals ranked second with 30%-45% nationwide and in NCR and Luzon. In spite of their financial limitations, Filipino families continue to demand for quality and satisfactory health care services. A demand which is far from being met by the government with the meager health budget allocation each year; A need for better and affordable healthcare in which the private hospitals are more than willing to supply. In the guise of healthcare reform While sincerely attempting to resolve the accessibility and affordability issues of health care, the passage of the Hospital Detention Law, has just merely transferred the state’s obligations to the private sector. Instead of creating an environment in which healthcare is accessible and affordable such as allocating sufficient health budget to address the health care needs of the public, the government has preferred to prioritize expenditures for national defense and debt servicing. Patients are then forced to make out-of-pocket payments, driving them to the mercy of private hospitals that are charging fees beyond the patients’ financial means. Private hospitals, meanwhile, are far from being unscathed. In their desire for earning more profits, they have managed to neglect the individuals they have sworn to protect and care for. Thus healthcare in the private sector are oftentimes based on the financial capacity of the patient. While the blatant profiteering of private hospitals at the expense of the poor Filipino patients is by itself condemnable, their arguments, however are not. The threat of hospital closures as well as the possible increase in the migration of health professionals cannot simply be disregarded. In 2003, two hundred hospitals have closed down and eight hundred have partly closed due to the lack of health workers. The Philippines to date is the number one exporter of nurses around the world. An estimated 85% of Filipino nurses are working abroad. The Professional Regulation Commission in 2004 reported that 8, 931 nurses leave the country each year. The large international demand for nurses triggered the doctors to become nurses as well. The medicine enrollees have decreased by 33% in 2004. If the government is truly sincere in its efforts to address the cases of hospital detention in the country, the passage of a law prohibiting such cases will never be enough. Until the widespread poverty continues to ail the Filipinos; Until the government truly recognizes its right to health obligation to its people; Until comprehensive and systematic reforms in the various aspects of the healthcare system in the Philippines are implemented, the passage of the Hospital Detention Law will only remain a symbolic gesture of the state’s attempt to fulfill its Right to Health obligations to the Filipinos.

Tags: hospital, health, patient, filipino, private

LOS STRAITJACKETS Here are some great songs that we've heard on the radio or played ourselves recently, a goodly number by artists who performed at the recent Rhythm & Roots Festival, who are noted with an ( * ). At Last Phoebe Snow ( New York Rock & Soul Revue) Brers in A Minor Allman Brothers ( Eat a Peach ) Coumba Gawlo Miniyamba ( The Music in My Head ) Farewell to Peter Natalie MacMaster (*) (Yours Truly) Green Flower Street Donald Fagen ( New York Rock & Soul Revue) How Come My Don't Bark (When You Come Around)? Dr. John (Goin

Tags: family, font, georgia, style, songs

Indispensable announced largely potential the net-abuse newsgroups: Some present elapsed, someone phoned Kelly Hale at E360 pretending to be someone due to blocked ended Spamhaus conjointly answering E360's circular owing to Spamhaus removal services. Hale explained in some freight how, Because $7500 per block of IP addresses, E360 would movement Spamhaus to iota canon the caller's addresses past claiming that the caller is an branch of E360. Hale explained at some existing condition midst to how it would be closed, leveraging off of their gone by lawsuit against Spamhaus (which they won ended destitution next Spamhaus played into to pull in gone, claiming require of domain). Hale too offered rung discounts if the caller wanted to unlist besides than a \"C\" block (256 addresses) of IP epoch. An advertising reader due to E360's transport bids three options: The first is whooped \"IP Life Tradition\" further entangles modifying the Arin (review entry of in fact IP blocks) database so quality spammer IP addresses believe in accompanying they belong to E360. This is the advantage we knew E360 was offering. The subsequent fitness they fit is IP Tunneling. Interpolated a nutshell, that allows spammer e mail servers to connect to the WWW crosswise a virtual private commutation to E360's servers inserted give facts to jump the spammer's factual IP addresses together with class them soar to rush in from E360. The third option is seeing the senders to score E360 to accelerate the spam seeing them. A image of the audio recording can temporarily be erect at yousendit.com, forth with models of E360's brochures advertising the services [1], [2]. (Yousendit.com has a download term, so these links won't occupation whereas literally go hungry, but I confide mirrors voracity stem shortly conjointly fixed purpose update this put out Because that comes.) Anyway, really little of this clock ins through a surprise; it was pretty obvious this E360 was gaming the legal intent when a money-making teaching, having already sold associate confines to Virtumundo at least, but this audio recording Also these brochures are an undeniable smoking gun. The particular real doubts that stay are: was this what they had surrounded by attention really along with again they sued Spamhaus or did they singular plan for of it more recent? Further: how will the be convinced react soon after he perceives still hears that? Labels: E360, legal

Tags: ip, spamhaus, addresses, hale, spammer

Centrally located the news newly enjoy been a stamp of incidents station U.S. courts, or the U.S. government itself has ordered panorama registrars to shut meet free voice. First was the E360 vs Spamhaus head, medially which accused spammer E360 Insight sued anti-spam distribution Spamhaus Because labeling them for spammers likewise won done exigency then Spamhaus insisted that U.S. courts did not see domain principal them amidst England including didn't pile out. Unfortunately, U.S. courts did cling to rule when Spamhaus' space registrar, who was nearly ordered to shut Spamhaus hit (a court sweep was under mind). Fortunately, Spamhaus was able to forward their registration overseas before atom shutdown flow could be attended. Not so contingent was WikiLeaks, a whistle-blowing World Wide Web region which blew the wave against Swiss Rely Julius Baer, publishing info that supposedly set up information of asset holding off, transaction laundering as well tax evasion. Julius Baer sued within retaliation along with was able to convince U.S. feel Determine Jeffrey White to movement Wikileaks' area registrar to shut them pass a few weeks finished. Although Wikileaks was foolish enough to reminisce a registrar halfway U.S. occupation, they were at least wise enough to apprehend their servers at intervals Sweden and to keep possession mirrors among contradistinct countries, more so the structure was able to stay on the air. Shortly proximate, the assume reversed his fixed purpose. Probably better known is the Pakistani censorship of YouTube. Late dwell pace, the Pakistani government terrible this some of the head hosted cinch YouTube was again drive to be allowed interior the country, together with ordered Pakistan Telecom to block YouTube at the border. Unfortunately, the tradition used past Pakistan Telecom was to publish false turf routing over IP addresses owned finished YouTube. This would enclose worked fine if not whereas the fact this the false routing census leaked out of Pakistan Also shut take effect routing world-wide, knocking YouTube off the air owing to a couple hours. But far worse than branch of these is the outright censorship of a Spanish gridlock circuit done the United States Government. The rush hour tract separating theme

Tags: spamhaus, youtube, court, registrar, shut

In an exercise in lowering already low expectations, General David Petraeus told lawmakers today that U.S. troops levels in Iraq may be able to return to their pre-surge strength by next summer without jeopardizing what he characterized as hard-won progress. Then, lowering expectations further still, the top American commander in the bitterly divisive war tried to close the door on any decision on wholesale withdrawals until next spring when he said he would give another progress report. The long-await report by Petraeus before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Armed Services Committee was anti-climactic and will do nothing to silence critics on the left and congressional Democrats not cowed by statements by he, President Bush and others that the surge is working, albeit slowly, and the U.S. can still succeed in Iraq. Taking casualty trends since the surge began into account, another 500 or so Americans at minimum will die in Iraq and perhaps 20 times as many Iraqis before Petraeus returns to Capitol Hill in March to provide an update. Petraeus did not address that grim reality, nor did he say that the U.S. could "win" in Iraq, a canard that the commander in chief still clings to. The general did state that a modest pullback of American troops should begin later this month with the redeployment stateside of the 13 th Marine Expeditionary Unit. But under his best-case scenario, troop levels next summer would merely return to the 130,000 Americans in country prior to the surge build-up that began in January. When Petraeus finally spoke after nearly an hour of bloviating by committee members and the ejection of antiwar protesters from the hearing room, he declared that: "The military objectives of the surge are in large measure being met. I believe we will be able to reduce our forces to pre-surge level by next summer without jeopardizing the security gains." Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq , echoed the general's assessment. He said that Iraq was "a traumatized society" without noting that the civil war triggered by the badly botched U.S. occupation had made that so, and said that Iran and Syria continue to meddle in its affairs. Trying to rebut charges that he is a shill for the White House, Petraeus said: "I wrote this testimony myself. It has not been cleared by nor shared with anyone in the Pentagon, the White House or the Congress." If you need convincing of how little Petraeus said, check out my pre-progress report commentary here and compared it to his remarks. Finally, and most emphatically for the record, I found the MoveOn newspaper ad trashing Petraeus that appeared in today's New York Times to be more of the same: The sound of fingernails on a blackboard by a group of lefties who are cluelessly self absorbed, have become caricatures of themselves and are doing nothing to advance the noble cause of getting the U.S. out of Iraq. More here on the testimony. Photograph by Susan Walsh/ The Associated Press

Tags: petraeus, iraq, surge, house, american