Congress: What Pelosi knew – msnbc.com
May 8, 2009
Congress: What Pelosi knew – msnbc.com Congress: What Pelosi knew
United Press International
msnbc.com
What did she know, and when did she know it? The Washington Post: “Intelligence officials released documents this evening saying that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.
Pelosi under renewed fire over interrogations
Pelosi's crumbling credibility on torture
Fannie loses $23 billion, seeks more US aid – CNNMoney.com Fannie loses $23 billion, seeks more US aid
CNNMoney.com
Troubled mortgage giant asks Treasury for $19 billion, and says government doubles its funding commitment to $200 billion. By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.
Fannie asks for another $19 billion
Fannie Mae to Tap $19 Billion in Treasury Capital
Firefighters Struggle to Contain Calif. Blaze – New York Times Firefighters Struggle to Contain Calif. Blaze
ABC News
New York Times
By REBECCA CATHCART SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A wildfire on the hills near this oceanside city raged through Thursday night, when the winds gusted up to 60 miles an hour, and was still only 10 percent contained early Friday morning, with 3500 acres …
Video: Calif. Wildfires Remain Only 10% Contained
Drew Peterson arrested — but will it stick? – msnbc.com Drew Peterson arrested — but will it stick?
CTV.ca
msnbc.com
The murder case against Drew Peterson is not a strong one, the former police sergeant's attorney said. Peterson was arrested Thursday and charged with the murder of his third wife.
Video: Savio's Sister: We Have a Long Way to Go
The rise and rise of blogging A good
April 25, 2009
The rise and rise of blogging
A good article by student journalist Sandra Dickson in Newswire discussing influence of political blogs in the election.
New Zealand’s most popular blogger, David Farrar, of Kiwiblog, agrees right-wing blogs in particular created a “sense of crisis around Winston”, and says bloggers can be motivated to dig deeper, while journalists are under time constraints.
Actually bloggers are also under time constraints if they want to break stories on their blogs – and we do. For free. Self-imposed constraints, mind you, but to get to the story first that’s what you have to do.
Kiwiblog and fellow right blog Whale Oil were not prepared, for example, to take New Zealand First assurances about funding at face value.“When New Zealand First said they’d paid $158,000 and it turned out to be to the Susan Couch Charitable Trusts, it was blogs that researched the trust and found out that two of the three trustees are Winston’s personal lawyers, that Susan Couch doesn’t have any control over the trust, she’s not named in the trust deeds.”
It was this humble blog that first reported some of that.
The Foreshore and Seabed review
The architect of the Foreshore and Seabed legislation, Michael Cullen, has made Labour’s submission to the Foreshore and Seabed review. Labour has done an about-turn on the legislation it so dramatically passed in 2004.
Now, Labour wants to restore the ability to apply for an award of customary title – in the first instance to the Maori Land Court but with a right of appeal to the High Court. But Labour does not believe customary title should be able to be converted into freehold title, which would enable its sale. So why didn’t Labour do that instead of passing the Foreshore and Seabed legislation in such a panic? Michael Cullen’s submission said that further thought needs to be given to just what powers the possession of customary title would involve in conjunction with other legislation like the Resource Management Act. He submitted that the agreement with Ngati Porou would be a good starting point in any discussions. This agreement recognises and protects customary rights by granting the iwi effective co-management of the coast, complete with consultation rights on fisheries and conservation decisions and a veto on resource consents which would interfere with customary activities.
Had Labour taken that position when they drafted the Foreshore and Seabed legislation, who knows what our political arrangements may have been now. And if the Maori Party didn’t have an agreement with National, the review may not even have taken place and we would never have got a formal admission by Labour that it botched its own law.
The Maori Party doesn’t just want a review: It wants a repeal.
[Just as background, as a result of a long dispute between a coalition of South Island iwi and the Marlborough District Council over customary fishing and aquaculture rights, the Court was asked to rule whether there was any legal barrier to land below the high water mark - the foreshore and seabed - being declared Maori customary land. It found that there was not. Whether a particular piece of foreshore or seabed was in fact Maori customary land was a question of fact, to be determined by the Maori Land Court - but the Court unequivocally had the power to make such determinations.
The Labour Government did not want Maori to be permitted to win customary title through the courts, so it passed legislation to permanently and retrospectively vest ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the crown.The legislation was justified by two arguments: the need to preserve public access to what was generally assumed to be a communal space, and the need to prevent uncertainty to business.
The legislation removed the jurisdiction of the Maori Land Court to hear claims for ownership of the foreshore and seabed - the sand that gets wet by the tide - allowing exploration of customary usage rights, but short of the award of actual customary title, or ownership. It created a system for recognising and managing those customary rights, through comprehensive negotiation.]
[Hat Tip No Right Turn]
Postdoc/PhD positions, algorithmic game theory, NTU, Singapore
April 14, 2009
Postdoc/PhD positions, algorithmic game theory, NTU, Singapore
The Algorithmic Game Theory group at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), generously supported by the NRF Research Fellowship Scheme (Prof. Elkind) and the Nanyang Assistant Professorship Scheme (Prof. Chen), has openings for several research fellows (post-docs) and PhD students, to start from August 1st 2009 or shortly thereafter. The successful applicants will work with Prof. Ning Chen
(http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/ningc/) and Prof. Edith Elkind
(http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~elkind/)
For a research fellow, a strong background in theoretical computer science, game theory, optimization, or multiagent systems is expected; an existing track record in algorithmic game theory/computationa l social choice will be a plus. The positions are
for 1-3 years.
Salaries are competitive and are determined according to the successful applicants’ accomplishments, experience and qualifications.
Travel funding is available. The positions are open till they are filled. Interested applicants should send their detailed CVs, a research statement, and contact details of at least three referees to Prof. Elkind (eelkind@ntu. edu.sg).
For a PhD student, a good first and/or second degree (B.Sc./M.Sc. ) in computer science, mathematics, economics or a related subject, as well as some evidence of ability to do research is expected.
The successful applicants will receive a stipend, as well as a tuition fee waiver.
For more information about our PhD program, please visit our admissions website:
http://www.spms.ntu.edu.sg/mas/Graduates/GradProgramOverview.html The website also contains instructions on how to apply. In addition to submitting a formal application, please send an e-mail to Prof. Elkind (eelkind@ntu.edu.sg), indicating your intention to apply. Please attach a brief CV.
Nanyang Technological University is a major research university in Singapore, with a strong emphasis on science and technology. The positions are based in the Division of Mathematical Sciences (http://www.spms.ntu.edu.sg/mas/).
PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience-RWTH Aachen
PhD in cognitive neuroscience (Research Assistant)
Our profile:
HumTec is an interdisciplinary “project house” at RWTH Aachen University funded as part of the excellence initiative by the federal government and the state government of North-Rhine Westphalia. HumTec aims at fostering high level interdisciplinary research between the humanities/social sciences and the engineering/ natural sciences. Research at HumTec will focus on two research areas: “Values, Norms, Governance” and “Behaviour, Communication, Acceptance”. The first area has a normative orientation comprising programs focusing on ethical, legal, and political aspects of technological innovations. The second area comprises programs with a strong empirical orientation focusing on cognitive, social, linguistic, and cultural aspects of new technologies.
The HumTec program “Brain, Concept, Writing” wants to study the genesis of complex literary concepts in an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the fields of literature, neuroscience and computer science.
Your profile:
Candidates for this position should have a degree in Neuroscience, Biophysics, Psychology, Medicine or another related degree.
Experience in cognitive neuroscience, functional imaging methods and statistics would be of advantage. The position is available immediately for initially 2 years and search will continue until a candidate has been selected.
Your duties and responsibilities:
The PhD position is dedicated to studying the neurofunctional production and comprehension processes of literary texts in the human brain in close cooperation with researchers of the Central Service Facility “Functional Imaging” (www.izkf.rwth- aachen.de) .
Our offer:
- The candidate will be employed as a regular employee.
- The position is to be filled as soon as possible and is for a fixed term of 2 years.
- This is a part-time vacancy (50 % of the standard weekly hours for full time employees).
- The option of undertaking a PhD is provided.
- The pay scale classification complies with the labor agreement TV-L.
In cases of equal qualification, aptitude and expertise of the applicants, female applicants will be given preferential treatment for those salary groups and careers in which females are underrepresented, unless there are preponderant reasons to give preference to another applicant.
Please refer to § 8 Article 6 of the North Rhine-Westphalian Equal Opportunities Act(Landesgleichstellu ngsgesetz NW).
RWTH Aachen University has been rewarded with the title “disability-friendly” (“Prädikat behindertenfreundli ch” ) for its efforts with respect to training and employment of severely disabled people. Applications from severely disabled people with appropriate suitability are explicitly welcome. This also applies to people with equal opportunities in accordance with § 2 SGB IX (Social Code).
Your contact person
For further information, please contact
Dr. Ralph Schnitker
Tel.: +49 (0) 241 80 88890
Fax: +49 (0) 0241 80 82605
Email: rschnitker@izkf. rwth-aachen. de
You can also obtain further information from our websites: http://humtec@ rwth-aachen. de
Please send your application via mail to
Dr. Ralph Schnitker
mail: rschnitker@izkf. rwth-aachen. de
Two PhD Positions in Auditory Neuroscience-Hannover
April 11, 2009
Two PhD Positions in Auditory Neuroscience-Hannover
Two PhD Positions in Auditory Neuroscience
We are seeking highly motivated PhD Students to work in the program “Function and pathophysiology of the auditory system” at the Hannover Medical School, in Hannover, Germany.
The goal of our group is to investigate neural mechanisms of human auditory system by using event-related potentials (32-channel system, Brain Products). Experiments will involve healthy controls, as well as subjects with cochlear implants (CI). An emphasis will be placed on the processing of language-related irregularities as well as music perception. All studies are conducted in collaboration with the Clinic for Laryngology, Rhinology and Otology.
The research will be conducted at the Hannover Medical School (http://mh-hannover. de) in Hannover, Germany, which is one of the world’s leading university medical centers. Our research and patient care set national and international standards. We are also part of an excellent regional medical network. Our outstanding success in interdisciplinary collaboration both within the MHH and with extramural scientific institutions is reflected in the fact that the MHH is the German medical university with the greatest volume of grant funding.
PhD positions:
The candidates must have a master degree (or equivalent) in neuroscience, medicine, psychology, or a related field. Proficiency in oral and written English is necessary. PhD students will have the opportunity to participate in the Center of Systems Neuroscience.
Starting date for all positions is flexible (official teaching classes start date: October, 1st, 2009), but an earlier start will be supported. Scholarship will be 1500 €/months.
We seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are under-represented and therefore explicitly encourage women to apply. We are committed to employing more handicapped individuals and especially encourage them to apply.
The closing date for applications is 15th May 2009 but interested candidates are encouraged to get in touch at their earliest convenience.
For questions or informal enquiries about these posts please contact Dr. Matthias Wittfoth: (wittfoth.matthias@ mh-hannover. de) +49 (0) 511-532-3578.
Please include the following documents in your application (preferably in one PDF-file): Curriculum Vitae, names and contact details of two personal references, a description of your personal qualifications, future research interests and academic goals.
Applications should be sent to: wittfoth.matthias@ mh-hannover. de
or via post to:
Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Matthias Wittfoth
Department of Neurology
Hannover Medical School
Carl-Neuberg- Str. 1
30625 Hannover, Germany
Tel.: ++49-(0)511- 532-3578
Local jazz talents draw crowds
Last Monday night, Kansas Citians turned out in droves to the Blue Room for some local jazz fun.
Clint Ashlock’s New Jazz Order (NJO), Kansas City’s own big band group, put on a show to a packed house. Featuring some of the best jazz musicians in town, the NJO performed a wide selection of both jazz standards as well as new arrangements from local writers.
China says will have health care for all by 2020 – Forbes
April 6, 2009
China says will have health care for all by 2020 – Forbes
China announced Monday it will extend medical services to all its citizens by 2020, taking aim at a health care system long derided as creaking and inadequate. The reforms aims to boost funding and oversight to provide “safe, effective, convenient and affordable” health services for all 1.3 billion
Pentagon lets media see return of US war dead – Charleston Daily Mail
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) – The Pentagon’s 18-year ban on media covering the return of fallen U.S. service members ended with a solemn ceremony for the arrival of a flag-draped casket of an airman felled in Afghanistan. After receiving permission from family members, the military opened Dover
A Rich Education for Summers (After Harvard) – Star News Online
Lawrence H. Summers plays down his stint in the hedge fund business as a mere part-time job — but the financial and intellectual rewards that he gained there would make even most full-time workers envious. Click to enlarge Lawrence H. Summers, a former Treasury secretary and an ex-Harvard
Spartans get second chance at Tar Heels – Zanesville Times Recorder
DETROIT – The bracket says North Carolina vs. Michigan State. At times, though, the Tar Heels may feel like they’re going up against something more than just another basketball team. From the coach on down, the Spartans (31-6) know a win in the NCAA title game on a court 90 miles from their campus
Rep: Farrah Fawcett hospitalized in Los Angeles – Charleston Daily Mail
April 6, 2009
Rep: Farrah Fawcett hospitalized in Los Angeles – Charleston Daily Mail
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A producer who has worked with Farrah Fawcett says the actress has checked into a Los Angeles hospital. Craig Nevius tells People magazine early Monday that the 62-year-old “Charlie’s Angels” star, who was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006, was hospitalized because of a blood
Pentagon lets media see return of US war dead – Charleston Daily Mail
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) – The Pentagon’s 18-year ban on media covering the return of fallen U.S. service members ended with a solemn ceremony for the arrival of a flag-draped casket of an airman felled in Afghanistan. After receiving permission from family members, the military opened Dover
China says will have health care for all by 2020 – Forbes
China announced Monday it will extend medical services to all its citizens by 2020, taking aim at a health care system long derided as creaking and inadequate. The reforms aims to boost funding and oversight to provide “safe, effective, convenient and affordable” health services for all 1.3 billion
A Rich Education for Summers (After Harvard) – Star News Online
Lawrence H. Summers plays down his stint in the hedge fund business as a mere part-time job — but the financial and intellectual rewards that he gained there would make even most full-time workers envious. Click to enlarge Lawrence H. Summers, a former Treasury secretary and an ex-Harvard
3 PhD in Brain Science-Helsinki
April 2, 2009
3 PhD in Brain Science-Helsinki
Our newly established multidisciplinary “aivoAALTO” research project opens positions in the field of systems-level human brain imaging and related research, with a strong focus on social interaction in natural settings, including economic decision making, cinema viewing, and methodological development.
http://www.aaltoyli opisto.info/ en/news/funding- to-aalto- university- s-aivoaalto- research- project
The project involves Helsinki University of Technology(TKK, www.tkk.fi ), Helsinki School of Economics (HSE, www.hse.fi> ) and Helsinki University of Art and Design (TAIK, www.taik.fi ).
These three schools are just merging to form a new Aalto University (“Aalto”, meaning wave, honors the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto).
The positions, available immediately for up to 3 years, are the following:
• 1 PhD student in neuroeconomics and decision making
• 1 PhD student in neurocinematics
• 1 PhD student in brain-imaging- related signal analysis
• 3 postdoctoral positions in human brain imaging and related research
• 2 senior scientist positions in human brain imaging and related research
For further information, see
http://neuro. ltl.hut.fi/ ~hari/aivoAALTO_ positions_ March2009. pdf
–
Riitta Hari, prof.
Brain Research Unit
Low Temperature Laboratory
Helsinki University of Technology
Puumiehenkuja 2, room #250
02015 TKK, Espoo, Finland
tel +358 9 451 2959, fax +358 9 451 3508
hari@neuro.hut. fi
http://neuro. hut.fi (Brain Research Unit)
http://ltl.tkk. fi/wiki/LTL/ Contact_informat ion (How to find us)
Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre (AMI)
Helsinki University of Technology
http://www.ami. hut.fi
14 PhD Student Fellowships in Infection Biology of Human Pathogens
March 31, 2009
14 PhD Student Fellowships in Infection Biology of Human Pathogens
14 PhD Student Fellowships in Infection Biology of Human Pathogens (starting September 1, 2009) (Hannover)
Since 2006, the German Research Foundation (DFG) provides funding to Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig to maintain an International Researchm Training Group (IRTG) together with the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm (coordinators: Sebastian Suerbaum, Hannover, and Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Stockholm). The central aim of the programme is to
give young researchers the opportunity to perform their PhD work in the rapidly moving field of the infection biology of human microbial pathogens in a highly stimulating, competitive, international environment. The core element of the IRTG is a joint research programme centering on the question how human microbial pathogens achieve acute or persistent infection and how the host organism reacts to persistent infection. In addition, graduate students will participate in a highly interdisciplinary joint study programme.
Stipends will be 1365 €/month and are available for up to three years. It is an integral part of the programme that PhD students spend 6-12 months in one of the partner labs at the Karolinska Institute.
Candidates who hold the equivalent of a master’s or diploma degree in Biology, Biochemistry or Life Sciences, or who graduated in medicine are welcome to apply. Those applicants who are selected for interviews in a first round of screening will be asked to attend a selection workshop in Hannover to be held June 10 / 11, 2009.
The deadline for receipt of a complete application is April 30, 2009.
Applications are only accepted via the online application platform http://www.irtg1273 .mh-hannover. de
For detailed information on faculty and projects see
http://www.mh- hannover. de/4587.html
Brier Patch IV: Keep your pants on, friend
March 22, 2009
Brier Patch IV: Keep your pants on, friend
by Dalene Heck
Oh Dougie! Your hard work and determination to get onto this blog did not go unnoticed. Nice to see that you took “Argyle Friday” to a whole new level …
Cutting aid in the name of economic development
After eight years, Murray McCully wants to dissolve NZAID (the country’s disaster relief and aid funding body) inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) – as well as redistribute funding. Most NZAID Official Development Assistance is spent within the Pacific region but McCully wants to ensure there is even more concentration of NZAID money on the Pacific.
So, he cuts $1.95 million a year off a Pacific NGO collective’s budget. Sounds like this agreement is history, then.
McCully made the decisions in secret and didn’t bother to tell any of the aid agencies and stakeholders affected, leaving the Opposition to do it. He didn’t even put it in his weekly newsletter. In fact, he isn’t writing his weekly newsletter because, as his spokesperson told me “the baubles of office burdens of office preclude that possibility”.
At least the burdens and baubles are not “precluding the possibility” of Heather Roy from doing her weekly newsletter – or posting on her Facebook site. She’s the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and would have had responsibility for the aid budget but this government made it the responsibility of the Minister. But I digress.
NZAID was set up with a central goal of eliminating poverty after independent development experts reviewing the original aid programme found problems with it, like poor policy and lack of clear goals. McCully wants to change the focus from poverty elimination to trade and economic development and reduce the trade imbalance that currently exists between New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours. In other words he wants to change the focus from aid to foreign policy, with a focus on trade.
So what’s the difference? Aid is about helping people work their way out of poverty, whereas foreign policy is about pursuing New Zealand’s interests abroad. There can be a conflict when aid agencies like World Vision are attempting to assist people via a policy framework that is more about New Zealand’s interests: The needy lose out.
The Government has committed .35% of our gross national income (GNI) in overseas aid by 2010. The international target is 0.7%. Economic development in poor countries cannot be sustained unless there is a focus on poverty elimination. What happens if there is not? Well, aid money, instead of supporting a road to get the produce from impoverished farmers to market, is spent on a road to the Prime Minister’s house. Don’t snigger, this has reportedly already happened in at least one country. Is that the sort of thing we want our taxpayer dollars through NZAID spent on?
Read more on the Don’t Corrupt Aid site – a campaign to keep New Zealand’s international aid focussed on addressing poverty.
A different pitch
March 20, 2009
A different pitch
Photo derek simons
With the good weather last week, senior Moeid Riaz, Biology, showed exemplary cricket pitching style on the Quad, while senior Junaid Javed, pre-Dentistry, protected the “wicket” (one of Flarsheim Hall’s trash cans).
Along with senior Risk Rangineni and sophomore Abhigyan Bhuyan (both in Electrical & Computing Engineering), Riaz and Javed play for the UMKC-Mystics CC, the university’s cricket club.
Postdoc/PhD positions, algorithmic game theory, NTU, Singapore
The Algorithmic Game Theory group at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), generously supported by the NRF Research Fellowship Scheme (Prof. Elkind) and the Nanyang Assistant Professorship Scheme (Prof. Chen), has openings for several research fellows (post-docs) and PhD students, to start from August 1st 2009 or shortly thereafter. The successful applicants will work with Prof. Ning Chen
(http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/ningc/) and Prof. Edith Elkind
(http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~elkind/)
For a research fellow, a strong background in theoretical computer science, game theory, optimization, or multiagent systems is expected; an existing track record in algorithmic game theory/computationa l social choice will be a plus. The positions are
for 1-3 years.
Salaries are competitive and are determined according to the successful applicants’ accomplishments, experience and qualifications.
Travel funding is available. The positions are open till they are filled. Interested applicants should send their detailed CVs, a research statement, and contact details of at least three referees to Prof. Elkind (eelkind@ntu. edu.sg).
For a PhD student, a good first and/or second degree (B.Sc./M.Sc. ) in computer science, mathematics, economics or a related subject, as well as some evidence of ability to do research is expected.
The successful applicants will receive a stipend, as well as a tuition fee waiver.
For more information about our PhD program, please visit our admissions website:
http://www.spms.ntu.edu.sg/mas/Graduates/GradProgramOverview.html The website also contains instructions on how to apply. In addition to submitting a formal application, please send an e-mail to Prof. Elkind (eelkind@ntu.edu.sg), indicating your intention to apply. Please attach a brief CV.
Nanyang Technological University is a major research university in Singapore, with a strong emphasis on science and technology. The positions are based in the Division of Mathematical Sciences (http://www.spms.ntu.edu.sg/mas/).
