France votes no in EU referendum

">
France votes no in EU referendum

Sunday, May 29, 2005

In a result predicted by polls, a 54.87% majority of French voters voted non in Sunday’s European Constitution referendum. Of France’s 42 million eligible voters, over 70% turned out at the 55 thousand polling stations across the country, which were open from 8:00 to 20:00 on Sunday (except in Paris and Lyon where voting finished at 22:00, and French oversea possessions and other polling centers in the Americas, which voted on Saturday in order not to have them vote when the results are already known). A 70% turnout is very large compared to Spain 42%.

The result comes as no surprise to European political commentators as opinion polls had consistently suggested that the “No” camp was on course for a strong victory. Indeed, the last opinion poll before the actual referendum suggested a 56% win for the “No” camp.

The treaty was supported by all 3 major political parties (center-left PS, center-right UMP, center-right UDF), though a significant minority of the PS, and some in the UMP, chose to oppose it.It was opposed by the French Communist Party, as well as Trotskyite movements such as the Revolutionary Communist League, other far-left movements such as the Party of the Workers, parts of the Socialist party, parts of The Greens some members of UMP, and the nationalist National Front.

According to polls, the vast majority of blue collar workers, farmers and other categories threatened by globalization and international concurrence voted against the treaty. The urban, better educated or richer population voted in favor.

Some supporters of the “No” camp have argued that the mainstream media was biased in favor of the “yes” cause, and this was supported by some analyses of times awarded by television to both camps. However, the “no” camp also waged an aggressive campaign, with the walls of major cities being plastered with posters linking the EU Constitution and the European Union to all kind of social ills, such as high unemployment.

You can read the entire proposed European Constitution at Wikisource

Contents

  • 1 Polls
  • 2 Arguments of the “No” vote
    • 2.1 Left-wing arguments
    • 2.2 Right-wing arguments
  • 3 Arguments of the “YES” vote
  • 4 Related news
  • 5 Sister links
  • 6 Sources
  • 7 External links
">Digg
  • France votes no in EU referendum
  • ">Del.icio.us
  • France votes no in EU referendum
  • ">StumbleUpon
  • France votes no in EU referendum
  • ">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • United States begins testing equipment for demolition of a major VX nerve gas stockpile

    ">
    United States begins testing equipment for demolition of a major VX nerve gas stockpile

    Saturday, May 7, 2005

    Testing began on a chemical reactor at the Newport Chemical Depot near Terre Haute, Indiana on Friday morning. If successful, the reactor will be put to use destroying the large VX nerve gas stockpiles stored at the facility over the course of the next two years. After the disposal project experienced several delays, the facility announced it would begin pumping VX into a completed disposal unit for testing. The unit consists of a chemical reactor in which the VX will be mixed with water and sodium hydroxide, heated to 194°F while mixed with paddles. The resulting chemical, called hydrolysate, is chemically similar to commercial drain cleaners and has similar properties. If the test is successfully completed , the unit will continue processing the VX until the entire stockpile has been neutralized, a process projected to take two years. Administrators expect to complete testing on May 10, 2005.

    According to the controversial plan, the finished waste product would be shipped to New Jersey for final reprocessing. The inert chemical would then be emptied into the Delaware River where natural attenuation would occur.

    Residents near the proposed river disposal site in New Jersey oppose this idea. The contractor for the final component of this disposal would be the DuPont Corporation.

    NCD is a bulk chemical storage and destruction facility in west central Indiana, thirty miles north of Terre Haute. Originally founded during World War II to produce RDX, a conventional explosive, it later became a site for chemical weapons manufacturing during the Cold War. It is now used to securely store and gradually neutralize part of the US stockpile of VX.

    VX was manufactured by the U.S. in the 1950s and 60’s as a deterrent to possible Soviet Union use. It was never deployed, and the manufacture was halted in 1969 after an order signed by then-president Richard Nixon.

    In 1999, the Army announced it awarded a disposal contract to Parsons Infrastructure & Technology, Inc., a business unit of Parsons Corporation. Some 220 civilian Parsons employees work at the facility, which is supervised by an Army officer reporting to the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, and a board of civilian government overseers called the Indiana Citizens’ Advisory Commission, some of whose members are appointed by the state governor.

    Security at the facility is controversial. A private security service, supplemented by a complement of Indiana National Guard soldiers, guarded the facility until April 14, 2005, when the soldiers were withdrawn. An Indianapolis television station has questioned security measures in some of its special reports.

    ">Digg
  • United States begins testing equipment for demolition of a major VX nerve gas stockpile
  • ">Del.icio.us
  • United States begins testing equipment for demolition of a major VX nerve gas stockpile
  • ">StumbleUpon
  • United States begins testing equipment for demolition of a major VX nerve gas stockpile">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Read User's Comments(0)

    Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer

    ">
    Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer
    Posted in Uncategorized | July 4th, 2018

    Thursday, November 8, 2007

    What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York, London and Paris, befriending artistic luminaries such as Salman Rushdie and Sir Ian McKellen while writing about a family where he was jealous his sister was having sex with his father as he fought off his mother’s amorous pursuit.

    The fact is, Edmund White exists. His life exists. To the casual reader, they may find it disquieting that someone like his father existed in 1950’s America and that White’s work is the progeny of his intimate effort to understand his own experience.

    Wikinews reporter David Shankbone understood that an interview with Edmund White, who is professor of creative writing at Princeton University, who wrote the seminal biography of Jean Genet, and who no longer can keep track of how many sex partners he has encountered, meant nothing would be off limits. Nothing was. Late in the interview they were joined by his partner Michael Caroll, who discussed White’s enduring feud with influential writer and activist Larry Kramer.

    Contents

    • 1 On literature
    • 2 On work as a gay writer
    • 3 On sex
    • 4 On incest in his family
    • 5 On American politics
    • 6 On his intimate relationships
    • 7 On Edmund White
    • 8 On Larry Kramer
    • 9 Source
    ">Digg
  • Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer">Del.icio.us
  • Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer">StumbleUpon
  • Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Read User's Comments(0)

    Massachusetts lawmakers enact plan for universal health coverage

    ">
    Massachusetts lawmakers enact plan for universal health coverage
    Posted in Uncategorized | July 4th, 2018

    Friday, April 7, 2006Legislators in the Massachusetts General Court, their name for the state legislature, approved legislation on Tuesday, April 4, that would make it the first state in the United States to require all residents to have health insurance and impose penalties for non-compliance. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican who is expected to run for U.S. President in 2008, is expected to sign the bill.

    The bill passed the lower house, the Massachusetts House of Representatives by a vote of 155-2, and unanimously by the state senate. The Democratic Party holds supermajorities in both houses of the legislature.

    Among the bill’s provisions are these:

    1. Businesses that employ more than 10 people are required to provide health insurance for all staff or face fines of $295 per year per uninsured worker.
    2. Individuals will be required to enroll in a health plan by July 1, 2007, or face tax penalties.
    3. Health insurers will provide partially to fully subsidized coverage for low-income residents.

    At least one other state (Hawaii) requires employers to provide employee health insurance, but no other state holds individuals accountable for coverage.

    ">Digg
  • Massachusetts lawmakers enact plan for universal health coverage">Del.icio.us
  • Massachusetts lawmakers enact plan for universal health coverage">StumbleUpon
  • Massachusetts lawmakers enact plan for universal health coverage">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Read User's Comments(0)

    Hiring Professional Maintenance Services

    Posted in Building Maintenance | July 3rd, 2018

    Hiring Professional Maintenance Services

    by

    Gail Connick

    A business owner has many tasks and duties on his or her plate. Aside from ensuring that the business regularly earns profit, the business owner often has to oversee administrative tasks such as payroll and accounting. Business owners also have to regularly ensure that the office space used by the company is always in good shape, to provide employees with a sanitary and functional work environment.

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqOSRGNO84Y[/youtube]

    In Minnesota, there are building maintenance companies that offer services to keep office spaces and establishments clean and tidy. There are a lot of benefits a business owner can enjoy from hiring these services. These cleaning and maintenance companies help business owners save time on ensuring that the workplace is sanitary, allowing business owners to focus on more important matters. In Minnesotan cites such as Minneapolis, the size of buildings and offices make these impossible to be cleaned by just one or two cleaning personnel. That’s why many business owners in the city opt to hire professional cleaners for regular office maintenance. These expert cleaners are skilled and knowledgeable at the cleaning processes needed by different office furnishings, such as desks, chairs, and carpets.Minneapolis commercial cleaning

    professionals use techniques that are effective and time-saving. These service providers also help business owners cut down on maintenance expenses. Imagine the amount of money a business owner can save on spending on cleaning materials. Moreover, the equipment these cleaning companies use are more advanced and specialized compared to the cleaning equipment found in most hardware stores.

    Even large and expansive areas are not hard for Minneapolis building maintenance

    experts to clean. Also, these specialists perform not only cleaning tasks, but also remedy other building issues as well, such as repairs of machinery and equipment inside a building. HVAC installation and repair services, for instance, are also provided by these companies.

    The most important factor why a business owner should hire Minneapolis building maintenance

    professionals is the effort these experts would save business owners in keeping the workplace clean and functional. It definitely pays to allocate a budget when it comes to office space or building maintenance.

    Visit www.Tru-Serve.com for more details

    Article Source:

    ArticleRich.com

    Read User's Comments(0)

    Understanding Consumer Buying Trends Building Dynamic Product Lines

    Posted in Supplements | July 3rd, 2018

    By Chris Malta & Robin Cowie

    The ability to detect trends can tell you what consumers want now, but the ability to interpret where those trends are headed will help you

    predict what theyll be looking for tomorrow

    . This can really give a retailer a big edge, particularly when it comes to selecting product lines.

    What is a Trend?

    More than just a group of popular items that everyone is buying, a trend is actually an expression of what matters to consumers at the moment. Its a sign of what theyre excited about. Unlike fads, which come out of nowhere, trends evolve and morph with rhyme and reason.

    A trend can give you many ideas of what products might be popular in certain groups

    . For example, the trend towards natural living could inspire a whole line of products, because people are currently interested in that.

    Trend Analysis

    Lisa Suttora of

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHtz1gzTEWc[/youtube]

    WhatDoISell.com

    explains, “Trend analysis means looking at the buying habits of a definable group of customers that you can get coming back time and again. When you’re paying attention to the products your target market is looking for, you can get a feel for

    where the trends are headed

    , so youre not sourcing products in a vacuum.

    Though it may initially take you more time to study market trends, it will save you time in the long run. You wont be stuck trying to figure out why you cant move products, and you wont waste money just guessing at what you think will sell.

    How Do I Become a Trend Spotter?

    Spotting trends is a learned ability it doesnt require you to be trendy. But it does require discipline, so make it a habit to research trends daily. There are many avenues you can use to help you research:

    Most major search engines offer

    keyword tracking tools

    that show you how many people are searching for a given item. Worldwide Brands’s product sourcing tool, OneSource, includes a built-in market research function that can show you how likely a product is to be successful online, based on market statistics.

    Consumer magazines and web sites

    are great sources for gathering information.

    Trade shows, associations, and publications

    can provide you with current trending information, as well as a preview of new products, not yet on the market. Though trade publications tend to be pricey, the information in them is the result of millions of dollars of research and projects out from twelve to eighteen months, which really gives you a jump on buying trends that havent even evolved yet.

    The media

    can supply valuable trending stats newspapers often give numbers and demographics. Look for indicators of growth and decline. You want to get in on the upswing of a trend not when its on its way out. Document everything so that you have it all in front of you and dont forget anything important when you sit down to analyze the results of your research.

    The key is to be consistent and do your research daily. Says Suttora, Studying trending information is not something you do once and then stop. Every successful business owner is going to continually be reinventing their product line on an ongoing basis.

    About the Author: Product Sourcing Radio is Created and Hosted by Chris Malta and Rob Cowie of WorldwideBrands.com, Home of OneSource: The Internet’s Largest Source of Genuine, Factory-Direct Wholesalers for online sellers.

    Click Here

    for FREE E-Biz & Product Sourcing info!

    Source:

    isnare.com

    Permanent Link:

    isnare.com/?aid=66967&ca=Business

    Read User's Comments(0)

    Report into 2003/2004 New South Wales (Australia) hospital safety released

    ">
    Report into 2003/2004 New South Wales (Australia) hospital safety released
    Posted in Uncategorized | July 3rd, 2018

    Monday, January 31, 2005

    New South Wales – 452 serious incidents that occurred during 2003 and 2004 have been brought to light, by a report released today about the safety of patients in the hospital system in New South Wales, Australia. Many of the incidents highlighted by the report resulted in injury, or even death.

    The report detailed 13 patients who had operations that they were not meant to have or who had the wrong part of the body operated upon. It also noted that another 22 were seriously injured in falls in wards and bathrooms.

    Other statistics included four suicides in hospital, with another 128 occurring in community care. Another nine people retained surgical instruments or materials inside them after the operation. The rest of the serious incidents related to labour and delivery problems (26) and clinical management problems (157).

    ">Digg
  • Report into 2003/2004 New South Wales (Australia) hospital safety released">Del.icio.us
  • Report into 2003/2004 New South Wales (Australia) hospital safety released">StumbleUpon
  • Report into 2003/2004 New South Wales (Australia) hospital safety released">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Read User's Comments(0)

    Ralph Nader calls out Democrats for financial bailout

    ">
    Ralph Nader calls out Democrats for financial bailout
    Posted in Uncategorized | July 3rd, 2018
     Correction — Aug 2, 2010 Nader referred to the 1999 repeal of the 1933 Glass-Steagal Act. The Wikinews article omitted the word “repeal” from the account of Nader’s speech. 

    Sunday, October 5, 2008

    Independent U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader had harsh words for the Democrats who engineered yesterday’s passage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, a bailout of the U.S. financial system. At a campaign stop in Waterbury, Connecticut on Saturday, Nader said that Democrats passed up a chance to enact re-regulation of the financial system and instead gave Wall Street everything it wanted.

    According to Nader, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), and other Democrats considered but rejected measures such as a tax on transactions of derivatives (a “speculation tax”) because of their financial ties to Wall Street and its lobbyists. He said that Representative Chris Murphy (D-CT), who represents Waterbury, had “become a toady” of Nancy Pelosi. He drew enthusiastic applause by calling Murphy “a dynamic fraud”, and referred to Senator Joe Lieberman as “the Hermaphrodite of American Politics”. For Murphy and Representative Chris Shays (R-CT), Nader said, supporting the bailout despite the opposition of constituents was a “profile in betrayal”. Because there were no public hearings where taxpayers and experts could weigh in on the bailout, Nader characterized it as a return to “taxation without representation“—under “King George IV” 225 years after the 13 colonies were taxed under King George III.

    Asked about causes of the financial crisis, Nader pointed to the deregulation of the financial sector with the 1999 Glass-Steagall Act and further deregulation in 2000, as well as the rise of overly complex financial derivatives. He outlined a four-part reform plan:

    1. Re-regulation of financial markets
    2. Increasing shareholder control of corporations
    3. Taxpayer equity as part of any bailout, as in the 1979 bailout of Chrysler Corporation
    4. Making speculators pay by enacting a 0.1% tax on derivatives transactions (which Nader said will amount to over $500 trillion this year)

    Regarding the equity warrants included in the passed bailout, Nader relayed word from an unnamed source that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson had told Wall Street executives “don’t worry, it’s not enforceable”.

    Nader told reporters that he had abandoned the Green Party because “Greens are not disciplined, and they’re not mature”, and also lack the fund-raising capabilities to break into mainstream political discussions. “They bicker and bicker,” he said, pushing out their best people. However, he endorsed several local Green Party candidates, including Chris Murphy’s opponent Harold Burbank.

    The virtual media blackout for third party campaigns by national newspapers and networks has been a source of continual frustration for the Nader campaign, as well as the campaigns of Libertarian Bob Barr and Green Cynthia McKinney and the post-campaign activities of Republican Ron Paul. According to Nader, reporters tell him that editors of national media are “very bigoted against third party and independent candidacies”. Even journalists for taxpayer-supported media, such as National Public Radio‘s Terry Gross and the Public Broadcasting Service‘s Jim Lehrer, have shut him out during this campaign. Debates, he lamented, are controlled by corporate interests through the Commission on Presidential Debates.

    Nader spoke to a supportive crowd of about 60 people and his campaign raised over $2000 at the event, their third visit to Waterbury. The event took place in the former building of a closed-down bank.

    ">Digg
  • Ralph Nader calls out Democrats for financial bailout">Del.icio.us
  • Ralph Nader calls out Democrats for financial bailout">StumbleUpon
  • Ralph Nader calls out Democrats for financial bailout">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Read User's Comments(0)

    Do You Know How To Tell If You Have Acid Reflux Disease?

    Posted in Supplements | July 2nd, 2018

    By Selvin Flores

    Acid reflux disease is a condition that develops when there is abnormal reflux of stomach acids into the esophagus. Most people experience this phenomenon occasionally, especially after eating.

    When we eat, the body uses gastric and stomach acids to break down the food. After the food is digested in the stomach, it is normally delivered by the digestive muscles to the intestines for further digestion. However, in people who are suffering from acid reflux disease, the acidic contents of the stomach are carried back to the esophagus resulting in inflammation. Some of the factors responsible for aggravating acid reflux conditions are cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, pregnancy, and fatty foods.

    Based on medical research, we now know that acid reflux is a disease that is common in both men and women. There is no sexual preference. The condition is also more prevalent in people who are 40 years of age or older.

    The symptoms of acid reflux disease may be typical or atypical. Based on diagnosis of people suffering from the condition, only 70% of those with the disease had the same symptoms.

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py9eNQS_ssI[/youtube]

    Typical or esophageal symptoms refer to those which are related to the esophagus. These symptoms include the following:

    Heartburn. – This is a condition in which the person experiences a painful burning sensation in the esophagus. The pain often starts in the chest and may travel to the neck or throat. This sensation is most likely to be experienced after eating a heavy meal, lifting, bending over, or lying down. One study showed that about 75% of people with acid reflux experience these symptoms at night. The pain experienced by people whose symptoms occur at night also tend to be more severe than those whose symptoms occur at other times.

    Dyspepsia – Studies show that about 50% of people with acid reflux have dyspepsia. This is a condition which causes pain and distress in the upper abdomen, nausea after a meal, and stomach fullness. However, the fact that a person has dyspepsia does not necessarily mean that he has acid reflux.

    Regurgitation – This occurs when the gastric contents of the stomach back up into the pharynx and sometimes as far as the mouth. Respiratory complications can be triggered in cases where gastric acid spills into the tracheobronchial tree.

    There are many instances when the symptoms of regurgitation and heartburn are not exhibited by people with acid reflux. What they experience are atypical or extraesophageal symptoms such as the following:

    Throat Symptoms – Even though it does not happen often, people with acid reflux suffer from symptoms that occur in the throat. Hoarseness, the feeling of having a lump in the throat, dry cough by those with acid laryngitis, a throat symptom. People also experience difficulty in swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia. In critical cases food may get trapped in the throat causing the person to choke, which can result in severe chest pain. Chronic sore throat and persistent hiccups are symptoms also experienced.

    Vomiting and Nausea – When a person suffers from nausea which lasts for weeks, he may have acid reflux. There are times when vomiting can occur as often as once a day.

    Respiratory Symptoms – Respiratory symptoms include coughing and wheezing. These symptoms occur when stomach acids escape from the stomach and enter the tracheobronchial tree causing bronchoconstriction.

    If proper medical attention is not received acid reflux disease can last for several months. Treatment with medications may only be required for a short time but when the symptoms occur repeatedly, such treatment may have to be resumed.

    About the Author: Selvin Flores is an Internet Marketer who owns several websites providing public information on various topics. To find out more about acid reflux, go to:

    Acid Reflux Disease

    Source:

    isnare.com

    Permanent Link:

    isnare.com/?aid=589490&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

    Read User's Comments(0)

    Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal

    ">
    Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal
    Posted in Uncategorized | July 2nd, 2018

    Thursday, July 3, 2014

    Ian Narev, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, this morning “unreservedly” apologised to clients who lost money in a scandal involving the bank’s financial planning services arm.

    Last week, a Senate enquiry found financial advisers from the Commonwealth Bank had made high-risk investments of clients’ money without the clients’ permission, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost. The Senate enquiry called for a Royal Commission into the bank, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

    Mr Narev stated the bank’s performance in providing financial advice was “unacceptable”, and the bank was launching a scheme to compensate clients who lost money due to the planners’ actions.

    In a statement Mr Narev said, “Poor advice provided by some of our advisers between 2003 and 2012 caused financial loss and distress and I am truly sorry for that. […] There have been changes in management, structure and culture. We have also invested in new systems, implemented new processes, enhanced adviser supervision and improved training.”

    An investigation by Fairfax Media instigated the Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning division and ASIC.

    Whistleblower Jeff Morris, who reported the misconduct of the bank to ASIC six years ago, said in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald that neither the bank nor ASIC should be in control of the compensation program.

    ">Digg
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal">Del.icio.us
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal">StumbleUpon
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal">Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Read User's Comments(0)
    « Older Entries
    Newer Entries »