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Wikinews interviews Australian Gliders Leanne Del Toso, Sarah Vinci, Amber Merritt, Clare Nott

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Homebush Bay, New South Wales —On Friday, Wikinews sat down with first time Paraylympic Australian Gliders Leanne Del Toso, Sarah Vinci, and Amber Merritt, and second time Paralympic competitor Clare Nott at the Pullman Hotel following their 57–45 win against China at the Rollers & Gliders World Challenge in Sydney.

With South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius?’s inclusion in the 2012 Summer Olympics as one of the most talked-about Paralympic stories, the players were asked their feelings about his inclusion in the Olympic Games. As a group, they had mixed feelings. One one hand, they felt his inclusion was a positive thing for people with disabilities. On the other hand, they felt he could get a technological advantage from his blades. Del Toso said she could see that advantage based on her own use of splints for her legs.

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Related to the Pistorius? story, the Gliders were asked if they would favour the inclusion of 5 point players, able-bodied competitors, competing in their sport at the Paralympics. As a group, they all said no, citing the numerous opportunities these players already had in Australia’s domestic competition and in state competitions. They felt their inclusion would deny opportunities to elite basketball players with disabilities to compete at the highest level.

Merrit discussed problems with classification and her swimming career. She started as a swimmer, but while she has a club foot, this was not severe enough to allow her to maintain a disability swimming classification: they said she should compete in able-bodied swimming as she could learn the style to swim correctly. She was unable to do so and had to forgo swimming. Following a talent identification program, she took up wheelchair basketball.

Del Toso came into wheelchair basketball after acquiring, at the age of nineteen, a degenerative disease that effects her nerves. She had previously played able-bodied basketball but had never considered playing wheelchair basketball until she participated in a talent identification event.

With money being at the heart of many people’s ability to take their game to the next level, the players were asked about their general financial situation in terms of the level of support they were receiving from Australian sport organizations. They all indicated they received adequate funding from Basketball Australia, the Australian Sports Commission, and the Australian Paralympic Committee that allowed them to travel to games around the world and live comfortably, which contrasts to some other countries and sports where there is not a comparable level of support.

When asked about the team’s body posture on the bench and their volume, the players indicated they put their hands under their armpits for warmth as the building is cold: it was not body language intended to convey any feeling about what was happening on the floor. The players also said their volume on the bench, while quiet, was effective and contrasted it to some teams who could be screechy, where volume is actually a sign of frustration with play.

The Gliders start their London Paralympic campaign on August 30 against Brazil at 18:30 London time, August 31 at 3:30 Sydney time.

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Wikinews Shorts: November 12, 2008

A compilation of brief news reports for Wednesday, November 12, 2008.

Counting continues today, as candidates in three states await the outcome of races to become United States senators.

Alaska plans to count 50,000 of its remaining 90,000 ballots later today. In Minnesota, an automatic recount is expected, as the margin is one-hundredth of one per cent.A run-off election between Georgia’s two leading candidates has been scheduled for December 2.

Related news

  • “US Senator Ted Stevens convicted on 7 counts” — Wikinews, October 27, 2008

Sources

  • “News release: 2008 General Election Ballot Counting Schedule: More ballots being counted” — State of Alaska Division of Elections, November 10, 2008
  • Kyle Hopkins. “Most uncounted ballots will be tallied Wednesday” — Alaska Daily News, November 10, 2008
  • Carrie Dann, NBC First Read. “Down the ballot: McCain will head to GA” — MSNBC, November 12, 2008

The Bank of England today stated, in its quarterly inflation report, that the British economy is probably in a recession. “The economy probably entered recession in the second half of 2008 and output is likely to contract further,” warned the bank.

The report also predicted that the UK economy could shrink by 2% during the next year.

Sources

  • “Bank warns of recession into 2009” — BBC News Online, November 12, 2008
  • “Economy likely in recession: Bank of England” — Agence France-Presse, November 12, 2008

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of search engine Google, has launched a new web page which aims to estimate flu levels in all US states by analyzing search patterns for flu related terms.

“Our team found that certain aggregated search queries tend to be very common during flu season each year,” said Google in a blog post on the topic. “We compared these aggregated queries against data provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we found that there’s a very close relationship between the frequency of these search queries and the number of people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms each week.”

The data will be passed on to the Centers for Disease Control, in the hope that Google figures will detect a flu outbreak earlier than the traditional government figures.

Sources

  • “Google searches track flu spread” — BBC News Online, November 12, 2008
  • “Google uses search patterns to accurately estimate flu activity” — Computer World, November 12, 2008

Following a decision made last month by the Connecticut Supreme Court, same sex marriages today started in the US state of Connecticut.

Bennett Klein of GLADD, the gay rights organization that fought for approval by the Supreme Court, stated that the decision “does mark the end of a very long journey toward equality.”

“Today, Connecticut sends a message of hope an inspiration to lesbian and gay people throughout this country who simply want to be treated as equal citizens by their government,” he continued.

Sources

  • “Judge Clears Way For Same-Sex Marriages” — Hartford Courant, November 12, 2008
  • “After Calif. Loss, Gays Get Right to Wed in Conn.” — ABC News, November 12, 2008

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Jenni Baird Talks About Her Character On The 4400}

Jenni Baird Talks About Her Character on The 4400

by

Groshan Fabiola

The fourth season premiere of The 4400 featured the new head of the National Threat Assessment Command (NTAC) as Meghan Doyle. Who she is and where she came from, we all do not know as of the moment, but the actress who plays the role, Jenni Baird, was kind enough to let us in on a little trivia regarding her character.

In a conversation with TVGuide last week, the Australian actress said that she believes her character is “quite different from everybody else” and she is very much looking forward to how people will react to her.

Little is known of the character as of now, however, the first episode presented her as a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to go and bend, if not break some rules. Meghan was also immediately put in action when she chased Grahan Holt (played by Cameron Bright), a new character in the series.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuZTIhc8h-A[/youtube]

“I was running in a parking lot right off the bat, watching Tom load his gun! (Meghan) doesnt have any of that kind of experience, so she really has to just run with it without much prep,” Baird said of her characters action sequence. “But shes not one of those tightly wound characters; shes not a stiff corporate type.”

Baird adds that her character on The 4400 is more of an intellectual person, thus viewers can always catch her “improvising as she goes”.

Another angle yet to be explored in the fourth season of the series is Meghan’s relationship with NTAC Agent Tom Baldwin (played by Joel Gretsch). Baird said that at one point, there will be a romantic spark between Meghan and Tom, however she said that the show need not rush things as Tom just lost his beloved Alana (Karina Lombard) and is still in the process of healing.

Baird added that in comparison to the former NTAC director, Nina Jervis (Samantha Ferris), Meghan is not “strict and stern” like her predecessor. Also, Meghan’s personal life will be explored in the series as well, something that wasn’t done with Ferris’ character.

Baird explained, “Come episode 2 or 3, you see Meghan dealing with her father being on deaths door, you see a more emotional side to her.”

Baird’s previous production credits include Metropolis, Justice and Conviction.

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Jenni Baird Talks About Her Character on The 4400}

Canada’s St. Paul’s West (Ward 21) city council candidates speak

Friday, November 3, 2006

On November 13, Torontonians will be heading to the polls to vote for their ward’s councillor and for mayor. Among Toronto’s ridings is St. Paul’s West (Ward 21). One candidate responded to Wikinews’ requests for an interview. This ward’s candidates include John Adams, Tony Corpuz, Joe Mihevc (incumbent), and John Sewell.

For more information on the election, read Toronto municipal election, 2006.

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British Gas announces a hike in energy bills of 14.2%

Saturday, September 10, 2005

One of Britain‘s largest domestic energy suppliers, British Gas, has announced that it is to raise the price of its gas and electricity prices by a record 14.2%. It blames the price rise on increasing wholesale gas prices, which have gone up by over 50% in the past year, the rising cost of oil & the increasing difficulty in getting gas from the North Sea, a major gas field for the United Kingdom.

250 000 people on low incomes will receive a one-off GBP 60 (USD 110.35 , EUR 88.93) rebate to alleviate this price rise.

This follows increases from other suppliers including Powergen and EDF Energy, with both having risen their prices by 7 to 12%. Energywatch, Britain’s consumer energy watchdog has said domestic gas and electric bills have gone up by 17 and 22% on average respectively in the last 18 months to August.

In 2004, British Gas increased its prices by 5.9% in January and 12.4% in September.

Across the water in Ireland, the Irish government approved a 25% increase on gas prices by the state owned monopoly, Bord Gais.

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Category:August 6, 2010

? August 5, 2010
August 7, 2010 ?
August 6

Pages in category “August 6, 2010”

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How It Services Can Help Keep Small Business Data Secure

Some of the biggest retailers in the United States had to announce that they faced data threats of not only their business data, but also the financial information of their customers. Large businesses are the most valuable targets for the cyber criminals. However, small businesses cannot just sit relaxed peacefully feeling they will never come under the vulnerability zone. The point to ponder here is once you face an instance of data security breach, you strand at a huge risk of losing your stability, profits and business. Hence you must be proactive when it comes to data security and take the right measures to stay protected from the worst you can expect.

Contract IT support servicesPaying for IT services near me who specialize in small business IT services is the best way to move a step forward towards managed data security. IT support services can provide a comprehensive It support across all your challenging requirements as well as extend their support towards data security concerns.

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Why IT support service works bestEven those big firms that have enough funds at their disposal to employ an internal data security team have experienced the issues of data security breach during the past years. This indicates that cyber security is a challenging problem to handle effectively in a fool proof manner. Therefore it is never advisable to depend on the general IT technology support staff for the critical issue of data security. While big businesses are valuable targets for the hackers, small businesses are easy targets. Most often when small businesses come across a data security issue, they prefer to settle the claims made by the hackers to protect their data at once rather than fighting out the issue. Therefore the attackers find it convenient to deal with the small businesses.

IT support services and data securityWhen you contract a managed IT services firm, you need not look for security specialists on staff. Usually most IT services specialize in all areas of the IT services and also data security. The team of employees of IT support services has versatile talents and are drawn from various backgrounds. They will be able to manage the data security needs of the small business easily with an expert assistance. Depending on the intensity of the problems and challenges faced by the small business, these support firms can also depute an accomplished professional round the clock to monitor the systems and solve the issues that come up.

Never overlook the importance of data securityAll businesses today rely on computers to run their business processes. Whether you run a website to supply the information your customers require or you have computerized all your complex business operations like ordering, tracking and online payment systems, it is important to protect those resources in order to see them continuously work for you. Customers are today nervous about identity theft. Any instance of having to compromise with their personal financial information will see that they lose their trust in your business. Hence you must view the issue of data security with utmost importance and take the right measures to protect your business data and that of your customers.

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U.S. President Obama’s farewell address focuses on accomplishment

Thursday, January 12, 2017

United States President Barack Obama gave his official farewell address on Tuesday night from McCormick Place in Chicago, reflecting on personal and national accomplishments. This is expected to be his last major speech before officially handing the reins to president-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

“Its why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima; Iraq and Afghanistan – and why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs as well.”

Obama’s speech was wide-ranging. He thanked his family and the nation, spoke of the need for unity, noted the country’s accomplishments and need for improvement in areas like education and civil rights, and spoke about the need for pride in U.S. accomplishments, citing milestones of U.S. history and of his presidency specifically. “It’s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima; Iraq and Afghanistan – and why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs as well.”

The president also addressed his country’s troubled history with race and racism, an issue many black citizens feel he has avoided. Despite this, Chauncy Devega of Salon described the president as “a role model of calm, cool reflective black masculinity: a man utterly at home in his own skin.” Obama described the concept of a post-racial U.S. “unrealistic” and particularly cited the need for reform in education and the criminal justice system and greater acceptance of scientific evidence, particularly evidence supporting action to counteract climate change.

However, publications including The Washington Post and Salon have given particular focus to another aspect of the president’s address: the country’s increasing political tensions and controversies involving access to news and information, both accurate and inaccurate. “We become so secure and our bubbles,” said Obama, “that we start accepting only information, whether it’s true or not, that fits our opinions instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there,” calling this trend “a third threat to our democracy.”

The Washington Post characterized Obama’s comment, “If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hard-working white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades will be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves,” as a “not-so-subtle jab” at the campaign tactics of President-elect Donald Trump. The Telegraph describes Obama’s warnings about the need to protect democracy as “a thinly veiled slight to the divisive rhetoric of Donald Trump’s election campaign, which included attacks on Muslims, the disabled, women and immigrants.” The president went on to call on the public to “reject the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties that make us one America. We weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive […] We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them. It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy.”

Despite this, when the mention of Donald Trump brought boos from the crowd, Obama reiterated the importance of the long history of peaceful transfers of power from one president to the next: “No no no no no. […] I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me.” However, this was not unaccompanied by a call to action. Near the end of the speech, he insisted citizens dissatisfied with elected officials should “lace up your shoes, grab a clipboard, get some signatures and run for office yourself.”

Overall, the departing president’s speech focused on accomplishment, echoing the “Yes we can” slogan from his 2008 campaign: “If I have told you eight years ago, that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history. If I had told you, that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9/11[…] If I had told you that we would win a marriage equality and secure the right to health insurance for another twenty million of our fellow citizens. If I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. But that’s what we did.”

But when the crowd began shouting “Four more years! Four more years!” Obama, with a small laugh, answered, “I can’t do that.”

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Federal judge calls EPA head’s post 9/11 conduct “conscience-shocking”.

Friday, February 3, 2006

Federal judge, Judge Deborah A. Batts refused to grant former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head, Christine Todd Whitman, immunity from a class-action lawsuit brought by people in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The suit seeks to hold Whitman personally liable for her actions as EPA administrator and the suit claims that thousands of people (including children) were “unnecessarily exposed” to airborne asbestos and other hazardous substances.

“Whitman’s deliberate and misleading statements made to the press, where she reassured the public that the air was safe to breathe around lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and that there would be no health risk presented to those returning to those areas, shock the conscience,” the judge said in her 83-page ruling. “Shock the conscience” is a legal standard that lawsuits must meet to hold U.S. government officials personally responsible for their actions.

“No reasonable person would have thought that telling thousands of people that it was safe to return to lower Manhattan, while knowing that such return could pose long-term health risks and other dire consequences, was conduct sanctioned by our laws,” Batts said. The statements by Whitman came two days after the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City that brought down the twin World Trade Towers.

Batts noted that the EPA and Whitman repeatedly reassured residents that the air seemed safe to breathe. The EPA’s own internal watchdog discovered that the agency gave misleading assurances apparently at the urging of White House officials.

Bloomberg News states that calls to Whitman’s consulting firm and to the EPA weren’t immediately returned.

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Unique Restaurant Uniforms

By Max Johnson

Discovering your own sense of style when it comes to your work wear can make the difference between being recognized and noticed for your next promotion and being passed over for someone that was, indeed, noticed. If you happen to work in the food industry, chances are pretty good you have a need for unique restaurant uniforms. What is so special about being apart from the normality? Well, everyone that loves their career knows the importance of being a bit different while following dress code and protocol.

There are a wide variety of styles and designs on the market today allowing you the opportunity to be more. Whether you work in the back of the house or in the front of the house, unique restaurant uniforms will get you the recognition you deserve. Yes, there is a proper way to get noticed!

Dressing good means you feel good about yourself and your career. Admit it. When you feel icky or frumpy, you tend to wear things that reflect your attitude and mood. Well, if you insure you look your best, you will be guaranteeing you are recognized by your employers and/or your clientele. A happy clientele suggests your services to friends and family which will also bring in addition income. You are your best sales pitch!

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Chef pants are a great place to start when you need unique restaurant uniforms that will bring you more of that recognition you deserve. There are many styles and designs out there today. The majority of these chef pants will have a bunching at the ankle to insure less slippage and more support. In addition, baggy pants are popular simply because they are comfortable and allow you to move when you need to move.

For chef pants, you will find that it is easy to get designs such as camouflage and even other types of prints. Solids are also popular and you get to choose from a wide array of color choices ranging from black and going to nice denim blue.

Server vests and server jackets are simply gorgeous, and if you need something special, this is going to be one of the main categories you need to concern yourself with. Tuxedo jackets are popular for front of the house people who happen to be introducing clientele to the restaurant either for the first time or as repeat visitors. Of course, one of the benefits of having the best in server vests is that you will find you get to choose pockets both visible and hidden.

One of the most popular categories for the chef may be the chef coat. Chef coats are simply a great way to show your individualism while remaining professional and modern. Getting the best in unique restaurant uniforms is not difficult at all if you need chef coats. Yes, these are that great. You will get to choose from styles, colors, and other options.

When it comes to getting the most out of your unique restaurant uniforms, you will find that you need to discover your hidden soft side that is professional as well as wanting to save money. Being ‘different’ has never been so normal!

About the Author: Max Johnson of The Uniform Connection click for Food Service Uniforms. Click for more Unique Restaurant Uniforms.

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