Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with NDP candidate Paul Johnstone, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound

Thursday, September 13, 2007

A resident of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound his whole life, Correctional Services officer Paul Johnstone is running for the Ontario New Democratic Party in the Ontario provincial election. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

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Payroll Services: Benefits Of Outsourcing The Task

Payroll services are an alternative to “in house” accounting options in regards to issuing paychecks to employees of a company. In today’s economic climate, where many companies are struggling to pay their bills, this may seem like a luxurious frill. If owners take a closer look, they may see that contracting out your payroll services might actually save them money. Here are some things to think about:- Priorities: The owner of a small business has to take on many roles in order to keep their business’ head above water. One priority is making sure that customers are getting the best product or service for their hard earned dollars. A high quality product or service is what builds reputation. One round of shoddiness can hurt years of building one’s reputation. Word-of-mouth referrals are worth their weight in gold. If customers have unkind things to say about one’s business due to an unsatisfactory experience, this can truly be a crushing blow. Priority number one should be customer satisfaction.- Employee retention: In order to keep a stable crew of competent employees, it’s also a manager’s priority to keep workers happy. One way to do this is with prompt and accurate payroll accounting. There’s nothing worse for employee morale than late paychecks, inaccurate accounting, or the worst of the worst: bounced checks. One bounced pay check and there will be a slew of employees sending out their resumes to other businesses. Having to rehire staff is time consuming and pricey. Keeping the workers smiling and productive is imperative.- Time Management: There are barely enough hours in the day for a small biz owner to get everything done. Anyone who begins his or her own company will laugh at the concept of being one’s own boss as being an avenue to flexibility or more free time. Instead, from waking till going to bed at night, the “boss hat” is often worn. In order to manage one’s time effectively, delegating duties is imperative. Payroll services specialize in getting those checks written accurately as well as making certain taxes are correctly taken out each cycle. Delegating this duty to a service can be a relief to an individual trying to run a company.- Taxes: There are lots of tax payments to be completed each month, quarter and fiscal year. Deducting the proper withholding tax amounts from each employee’s check, paying quarterly or annual state and federal amounts, filing taxes and generating W-2 or W-4 forms in a timely manner are all responsibilities that must be carried out accurately. Any mistakes concerning the I.R.S. will cost even more money. Accurately handling tax paperwork can be a headache for a person who isn’t an accountant. Many entrepreneurs are creative types and should leave the bookkeeping to those who crunch numbers for a living.If business owners want to devote themselves to their company’s growth, it would be wise to leave energy sapping duties such as paychecks and taxes to someone else. Payroll services often have a variety of packages to choose from such as weekly, bi-weekly or monthly checks, computerized time keeping, tax preparation and more.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-LITQHzuzk[/youtube]

Australian National Archives release Loans Affair documents

Saturday, January 1, 2005

The National Archives of Australia have, as part of their standarddocument release cycle, released thirty year old documents from theWhitlam government.

The centre piece of the 1974 archives are a series of documents fromthe Australian Cabinet and the Treasury pertaining to the attempt toobtain a $US4 billion loan by the Whitlam government from the MiddleEast. The obtaining of these loans and the scandal generated becamecollectively known as the “Loans Affair,” and contributedsignificantly towards the dismissal of the Whitlam government by SirJohn Kerr the following year.

The documents from Treasury, which include descriptions of both theloan itself and the people involved in arranging them, are scathing.The “Points that might be made” document of December 13, 1974 clearlystates that Treasury believed the distinct possibility that the loansmight be part of “a confidence trick of major proportions”. Minutesfrom another meeting five days later state the “incredulity” on thepart of the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorkregarding the viability of the loan.

Those documents now available comprise the beginning of the LoansAffair, from the initial offers to the end of 1974. The remainder ofthe Loans Affair documents, as well as everything else from 1975 willbe released on January 1, 2006.

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U.S. House rejects Senate version of payroll tax cut

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives voted to effectively reject the Senate version of a bill, passed with bipartisan support, to extend a payroll tax cut two months past its year-end expiration date. The House voted instead to create a conference committee to settle differences between members of both bodies.

Although the tax cut extension itself has support among Republicans and Democrats, lawmakers disagree on how Congress should go about compensating for the cost of extending the cut and the policy changes it would entail.

During an appearance yesterday, President Obama condemned opposition to the Senate-passed version of the bill, accusing Republicans in the House of trying to negotiate on matters unrelated to the bill. Republicans, in response, say there is still time to negotiate the bill, insisting that lawmakers ought to concentrate on a year-long plan rather than a two-month extension. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, however, says he will not agree to negotiate the tax cut extension until the Senate-approved bill is passed by the House.

If the tax cut is not extended and instead expires on December 31, approximately 160 million Americans will be affected by the tax increase; President Obama insists the only way to prevent the tax hike beginning January 1 is for the House to pass the Senate bill. In response, House Speaker and Republican John Boehner wants Obama to “call on the Senate to return” to negotiate. The Senate, shortly after passing the bill, adjourned for the Holiday break.

Also included in the bill is a provision that would require President Obama to make a decision regarding the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a pipeline that would transport oil from Canada to Texas.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi blamed the congressional year-end impasse on “Tea Party Republicans.” In a letter to President Obama, Speaker Boehner requested he galvanize the Senate to negotiate on the bill’s provisions, writing “The differences between the two different bills can be quickly reconciled to provide the American people the certainty of a full-year bill. There are still 11 days before the end of the year, and with so many Americans struggling, there is no reason they should be wasted. You have said many times that Congress must do its work before taking vacation”.

 This story has updates See U.S. Congress reaches deal on payroll tax cut extension, December 23, 2011 
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Who Should See A Dermatologist?

A dermatologist is a specialist focusing his or her practice on the improvement of the skin. These specialists also have extensive experience with the nails and hair. Individuals having problems with any of these structures may first wish to visit their family care provider and discuss the condition. If it is not a simple diagnosis, or if you find that the process is not one that you feel comfortable with, seeking out a specialist is a good idea. These providers will work with you to identify the common problems associated with the condition you are dealing with and may even offer ideal solutions.Acne One of the reasons many seek out a dermatologist is to improve conditions such as acne. Acne that is moderate to severe may require treatment from a specialist especially if it does not go away on its own, remains for a long time or is painful. Individuals who wish to clear up their skin even as teens will benefit from this type of treatment. These doctors can offer solutions including medications and treatment options from a holistic approach. Skin CancerThose who suffer from sunburn on a regular basis or those who have various skin conditions may wish to seek out a specialist to ensure they do not have skin cancer. If you do, these specialists can help. It is critical for high-risk individuals to have screenings on an annual basis. This includes those who are fair-haired, fair-skinned and/or those who have 40 or more moles on their body. If you notice any type of condition in which the skin seems to be unable to heal, report this as well.Other ProblemsThese professionals can offer additional help as well. For those who are dealing with eczema, a condition characterized by patches of itchy, irritated skin, a specialist may offer prescription medications as treatment. Those who suffer from psoriasis may also benefit in this way. If you have conditions relating to your nails or hair, getting help from a specialist can give you answers to why this is occurring. In addition, these professionals often have access to advanced technology that can help to treat scars.If you want to improve the way your skin looks, seek out a dermatologist. Their job is to help you to have clear, healthy looking skin. Some even specialize in methods to help you to have younger looking skin. You may find the latest technologies available including various laser treatments that can shave years off your skin’s life. There is no reason not to visit these professionals if you have questions or concerns about your skin and the way it looks. Make an appointment to find out what options are available for improving the way your skin looks.

World’s first double arm transplant undertaken in Munich

Saturday, August 2, 2008

A 54-year-old German farmer who lost both arms in a farming accident six years ago has become the first patient to receive a complete double arm transplant. The patient, whose name has not been released, underwent the operation at the Klinikum rechts der Isar, part of the Technical University of Munich (Technische Universität München), last week; he is said to be recovering well.

The operation lasted 15 hours and was performed by a team of 40 specialists in Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery, Orthopedics and Anesthesiology, under the direction of the head of the Plastics and Hand Surgery department, Prof. Hans-Günther Machens, Dr. Christoph Höhnke (Head of Transplants, Senior Physician; Plastics and Hand Surgery) and Prof. Edgar Biemer, the former Chief of Plastic Surgery at the Clinic.

In a press statement released by the clinic, it was revealed that the patient had been thoroughly physically checked and had psychological counselling prior to the surgery to ensure he was mentally stable enough to cope with the procedure. Since completion of the surgery, the patient has been on immuno-suppressant drugs to prevent rejection of the new limbs.

Following the surgery, the press release from the clinic’s press manager, Dr. Tanja Schmidhofer, included the following statement:

The flow of blood was [re-]started in intervals of 20 minutes because the anaesthetists had to make sure that the patient would not suffer from the blood flowing back from the transplanted parts. No significant swelling was seen, nor indeed any ischemia (lack of blood flow to the tissues). This is a testament to the surgeons who established a fully functioning blood flow…the main nerves, the Musculocutaneus, Radial and Ulnar nerves were all attached and sewn together, and finally an external fixator was applied, with pins in the lower and upper arms, avoiding the risk of pressure points and sores. The operation was successfully completed after 15 hours.

Without the immuno-suppressant drugs given to the patient, the risk of there being a Graft-versus-Host Reaction or GvHR, would have been significant due to the upper arm containing a large amount of bone marrow, consisting of ICC’s or Immuno-Competent Cells, which would have triggered a near total rejection of the new limbs. A GvHR is a condition which results in the cells from the transplant attacking the immune system of the body.

Indications from the clinic suggest that the double attachment went well, although it could be up to 2 full years before the patient is able to move the arms.

The donor arms came from an unnamed teenager, who is believed to have died in a car accident.

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Immigration Detainees on Hunger Strike in Oxford UK

Thursday, June 15, 2006

One hundred and twenty detainees at an immigration removal centre in Oxford, UK, are on hunger strike. The protest started when some detainees refused breakfast on Wednesday 14th June 2006. A letter from the hunger strikers explaining why they are seeking to draw attention to their plight in this way has been reproduced in full below.

Those detained at the centre are mostly men who have sought asylum in the UK and whose asylum applications have been rejected. These people are then held without knowing how long they will be detained for – some end up being held for many years while awaiting deportation.

The removal centre, known as Campsfield, or Campsfield House is approximately 5 miles north of Oxford and has been in operation since 1993. It was managed on behalf of the UK Government by Global Solutions Limited, until may 2006 when it was taken on by GEO UK, the centre has a capacity of 198. Only males are detained at Campsfield.

According to the campaign group Barbed Wire Britain Over 2,600 individuals, mostly asylum seekers, are detained indefinitely in the UK without trial and with no automatic right to bail.

There have been reports in the UK press of the state taking people to detention centres without notice, in the early hours of the morning using excessively heavy handed tactics, taking children out of schools and separating families.

Many UK people and politicians express their disgust at the way detainees are treated, yet it continues. Perhaps this action by the detainees themselves will further highlight their plight and result in more UK electors writing to their MPs and demanding improvements to the way in which rejected asylum seekers are treated.

“We are detainees at Campsfield removal centre in Oxford. Most of us have been here for a long while now. There are people who have been detained for up to two years and down to three months. We are cramped in here like animals. We are treated like animals and moved around different detention centres like animals. The immigration service have taken husbands from their families and taken people who ran away from persecution in their various countries, and dumped everyone in here.

Once you are put in here the immigration service forget you. There are detainees who have applied to go back to their own countries that are still being held here for months without any news about their cases, just so that the private security companies get more money.

Detainees are asked to seek asylum and then refused. The immigration service also ask detainees to apply for bail. When you get a bail hearing date all of a sudden they serve you with removal papers that are not valid. There are many of these situations. In most cases the immigration service don’t take you to your court hearings. And then they tell the judges you refused to turn up, just so the hearing goes ahead in your absence. Many detainees have been served with removal papers and travel documents but nothing happens on the removal day.

Campsfield has become a slave house. We detainees are treated like slaves, to do odd jobs for officers. Detainees are handcuffed to see doctors or dentists in hospitals or clinic appointments. We have some racist security officers who make racist comments to detainees and go out of their way to make you feel like committing suicide. Detainees have to be at the point of death before they get to see the doctors.

The food is not worth eating. Even dogs would refuse to eat what we eat. But we don’t have a choice; every single day we eat the same food (the food we eat is rice, chicken, sandwiches, and left-over eggs)”.

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Surgeons reattach boy’s three severed limbs

Tuesday, March 29, 2005A team of Australian surgeons yesterday reattached both hands and one foot to 10-year-old Perth boy, Terry Vo, after a brick wall which collapsed during a game of basketball fell on him, severing the limbs. The wall gave way while Terry performed a slam-dunk, during a game at a friend’s birthday party.

The boy was today awake and smiling, still in some pain but in good spirits and expected to make a full recovery, according to plastic surgeon, Mr Robert Love.

“What we have is parts that are very much alive so the reattached limbs are certainly pink, well perfused and are indeed moving,” Mr Love told reporters today.

“The fact that he is moving his fingers, and of course when he wakes up he will move both fingers and toes, is not a surprise,” Mr Love had said yesterday.

“The question is more the sensory return that he will get in the hand itself and the fine movements he will have in the fingers and the toes, and that will come with time, hopefully. We will assess that over the next 18 months to two years.

“I’m sure that he’ll enjoy a game of basketball in the future.”

The weight and force of the collapse, and the sharp brick edges, resulted in the three limbs being cut through about 7cm above the wrists and ankle.

Terry’s father Tan said of his only child, the injuries were terrible, “I was scared to look at him, a horrible thing.”

The hands and foot were placed in an ice-filled Esky and rushed to hospital with the boy, where three teams of medical experts were assembled, and he was given a blood transfusion after experiencing massive blood loss. Eight hours of complex micro-surgery on Saturday night were followed by a further two hours of skin grafts yesterday.

“What he will lose because it was such a large zone of traumatised skin and muscle and so on, he will lose some of the skin so he’ll certainly require lots of further surgery regardless of whether the skin survives,” said Mr Love said today.

The boy was kept unconscious under anaesthetic between the two procedures. In an interview yesterday, Mr Love explained why:

“He could have actually been woken up the next day. Because we were intending to take him back to theatre for a second look, to look at the traumatised skin flaps, to close more of his wounds and to do split skin grafting, it was felt the best thing to do would be to keep him stable and to keep him anaesthetised.”

Professor Wayne Morrison, director of the respected Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery and head of plastic and hand surgery at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, said he believed the operation to be a world first.

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5 Easy Ways To Extend The Life Of Roses In A Vase | Melbourne Fresh Flowers

Quick Tips & Tricks to Increase the Life of Roses in a Vase

Roses are among the most presented blossoms that everyone loves to receive. The freshness and the vibrant presence of roses are unmatchable. That’s the reason; we keep searching for effective rose care advice to keep them fresh as much as possible. You will find a long list of ultimate guides for what to do and what not to do. To simplify it for you and save time, we have picked the best rose flower care tips that will let you extend the life of roses while they are kept in a vase.

Buy fresh blossoms only

How much time the roses will stay fresh depends on what condition the flowers were bought. Whenever you buy flowers online, ask your florist to send from the latest batch as they will last longer. If you are buying them from your nearest florist, carefully pick fresh flowers.

  • Avoid buying blossoms that have yellow or pale leaves. Figuring out the freshest batch of roses at your florist shop is easier than you think:
  • Make sure that the receptacle (which is the thickened area of the stem) is substantial and the rose head is not leaning on any side.
  • Pay your focus on leaves before you pick your favorite color roses for your loved one. If you notice the leaves are wilted or have holes in them, ignore such blossoms.

Petals of the blossoms need to be dense, fresh, and colorful. When you buy roses from your florist in Malvern, check the leaves from the middle part of it. If they are healthy and dense from the middle, they are safe to buy.

A clean vase is a boon for your loved roses.

Many people ignore the fact that just like us, flowers also need fresh air and water for survival, blossoms also need a clean environment. Take a glass vase and wash it with a pinch of baking soda to remove any present impurities. A dirty vase can lead towards the germination of bacteria which ultimately degrades the life of roses.

  • Fill the glass vase with luke-warm water and add a little bit of baking soda and vinegar. This fizzy combination will make the vase ‘rose-ready’. Once the washing is done, take a soft cotton cloth to wipe the vase properly.
  • Some people also crush a few aspirin tablets and add them to the vase while filling water. This keeps the water fresh for a longer time.
  • The right water level also matters when it comes to extending the life of blossoms. Never fill the vase to its fullest capacity as florals will decay faster. It’s among the best flower care tips you can use to keep them fresh.

So, next time when you receive your doorstep flower delivery in Melbourne or in another city you live, always make sure the vase is ready for use.

Trimming the stems

When you order Christmas Flowers in bulk, sometimes it becomes overwhelming to keep all of them fresh for a longer time. Trimming and changing water are two simple steps you can follow to extend the life of cut roses.

  • Prolong the life of cut flowers by changing their water every alternate day. The simple rule is— whenever you change vase water, cut the step by almost an inch. The science behind this is quite simple, the shorter the stem, the longer the rose life.
  • While you cut the step, don’t cut it flat, always trim them at a 45 angle. Doing this helps flowers to circulate water in a better way.
  • Cut the stems of roses under running water or inside a bucket full of room temperature water. This little extra thing doesn’t block the xylem capillaries. It’s a significant part of a useful flower care guide that you can follow for longer rose life.

For this festive season, you can also order a poinsettia in Melbourne to deck up your place with this exotic novelty. This plant goes well with your other charming Christmas decor.

Other important fresh flower care tips

  • Another simple way to extend the life of cut flowers kept in a vase is by removing the leaves from the stem. Removing the leaves ensures the roses and other flowers will not rot faster.
  • Leaves that are submerged in water for too long lead towards faster decay, and it impacts the entire floral arrangement. So whenever you buy or send flowers online, always remove the leaves before decorating.
  • While keeping the rose arrangement in a vase, make sure the temperature is cold, and they are not in direct contact with sunlight. Too much direct light can damage the rose or any other flower’s petals faster.
  • Never keep any blossom in the fridge for more than 24 hours as it will do more damage to them. Always first, remove the wrap and let them rest in freshwater. So, whenever you get your upcoming flower delivery in Melbourne or another city, make sure they have a favorable environment.

This festive season, extend the life of your lovely roses by following the above easy steps. Send flowers in Melbourne to your loved ones and give them a sweet surprise. And yes, don’t forget to share these simple tips with them.

Oral Roberts University accountant claims he was ordered to “cook the books”

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A former accountant for Oral Roberts University (ORU) has filed a lawsuit against ORU and its Board of Regents claiming he was told by Richard Roberts and his wife Lindsay to “cook the books”, hiding financial wrongdoing from authorities and the public. Trent Huddleston, the accountant, has filed suit against the school and the Robertses claiming he “was improperly and unlawfully directed to perform functions and duties in violation of state and federal law in an effort by the defendants to ‘cook the books’ and hide from the appropriate authorities and the public the continued wrongdoing, improper and illegal conduct of the defendants, and in particular, of Richard and Lindsay Roberts.”

Huddleston said that nearly $123,000 in remodeling fees for their home was paid by Oral Roberts University and Oral Roberts Ministries. In addition the lawsuit alleges $4,000 was spent on a pool table for the Robertses. Previously the Roberts were accused of illegal political and financial wrongdoing, which forced the president to step down from his positison.

Last week at a meeting called by Oral Roberts, founder of the University and former faith healer, a majority of the faculty voted against allowing Richard to serve as president.

An ORU spokesman declined to comment on latest lawsuit and the faculty meeting.

In other news, Tulsa World released emails between Richard and his political adviser and sister-in-law, Stephanie Cantees. The emails given by an anonymous source, show the two plan to gain political influence using ORU students.

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