The Apocalypse Gene

One announcement before we move forward with this week's special guests:  Hadley Rille Books is celebrating its birthday with special offers on all its titles:  just $0.99 for the Kindle or Nook editions; this includes all novels by Terri-Lynne DeFino, Kim Vandervort and Karin Rita Gastreich.  The sale lasts only through November 29, so if you haven't yet ordered your electronic edition of your favorite titles from HRB, now is the time.  Happy reading!

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We are delighted to have as our guest bloggers this week Carlyle Clark and Suki Michelle.  Clark and Michelle are co-authors of The Apocalypse Gene, released just this past October by Parker Press.  This critically acclaimed blend of science fiction and fantasy is set in a near-future Chicago.  The protagonist, Olivya, is a spirited young African American woman whose unique ability to see auras becomes a key weapon in a struggle upon which the fate of the world – and perhaps the universe – depends.  I recently finished reading The Apocalypse Gene, and will be posting formal reviews on Amazon and Goodreads in the next week or so.  In the meantime, I can give the novel my highest recommendation for anyone interested in imaginative blends of sci fi and fantasy that engage the reader with imminent danger, nonstop action, a healthy dose of romance and a touch of well-placed humor. 

Please join me in welcoming Carlyle and Suki to Heroines of Fantasy.

Olivya-Wright-Ono is a fifteen-year-old, sword wielding, aura seeing, African–American girl born into a near-future dystopian Chicago. She lives on the pages of The Apocalypse Gene and loves nothing more than to share her adventures. That she has that opportunity is a miracle. First, let's talk about what her authors didn't know when they started writing her story.

1. We didn’t know that there was such a word as "dystopia" let alone that it was a whole genre or that it was the genre we were writing. Needless to say, we hadn't yet heard of The Hunger Games, and didn't until the manuscript was almost complete.
2. We didn't know there was a term called POC - Protagonist of Color – or that there were very few in YA Speculative Fiction – especially those who are female.
3. We didn’t know that Olivya’s story, as it developed, would refuse to stay within the strict boundaries of any genre.
4. And we certainly didn’t know that new authors who try to enter the scene with a novel that combines Dystopia, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, and even Cyber-Punk was enough to make agents' and editors' heads spin.

In our ignorance, innocence, and enthusiasm, we forged ahead. At last it was ready to present to what we thought would be waiting arms of agents and publishers. How surprised we were to discover that the story, being utterly unique, met no pre-established marketing paradigms, that there was no proven sales model to encourage agents and publishers to snap it up regardless, as most of them said, of its originality, the quality of writing, or the fresh new characters. Most rejected it with regret simply because the novel refused to be part of any trend.

Then along came Parker Publishing who specializes in multiethnic literature. They loved our story for their Moxie imprint, and they loved Olivya. The Moxie heroine, as Parker describes her, surmounts all obstacles in her path, and learns lessons from each.  MOXIE heroines are the antithesis of unrealistically pretty and shallow characters that have been popularized in much of YA fiction.

This is a perfect description of Olivya! When the book was released, we were greeted with high praise from professional reviewers and many beloved readers - words like "unique", "refreshing," 'wildly imaginative," and of course, "original." 

Olivya is a headstrong girl, rough around the edges, and highly determined. You can't dictate to her – you’re lucky if she'll even pay attention. At first, we wrote her weapon as a good old katana. No. Olivya wanted an obscure Japanese sword called a nagamaki, which has a handle as long as its damn blade! That's just how she is - difficult and opinionated - but so much more. Loving one moment, cynical the next, and filled with pain because her aura sight forces her to see the suffering of the pandemic with exquisite agonizing intimacy. She had every right to give in to despair, but that's just not her style.



Carlyle Clark and Suki Michelle



Olivya is a fighter. She won't give up on her sick mother, her dying world, or on hope itself. The odds against her are staggering. Horrifying myths and monsters spring to life around her. Shivpacks run the streets of Chicago, hell bent on chaos. Cancer is ravaging the world.  Challenge after challenge arises. The one thing you can count on is that Olivya is the embodiment of MOXIE. She will fight whether it is against monsters and mayhem or for the preservation of love and hope.  Olivya . . . Will . . . Fight.

As Kirkus says in their review, “This novel is ultimately about belief, belief in yourself, your friends, your family, and the future.”  We are proud to present Olivya to the world. She is a sorely needed role model for young women of every race, and we thank Parker Publishing’s Moxie for giving her that chance.

Food, Glorious Food!

What is Thanksgiving without food?

I’ll admit it: I love to eat.  It’s probably no great secret that the rest of us do, too.  But food means more than just sustenance—what we put in our mouths is a central focus of our lives and defines who we are as individuals and as a culture.

So why is food largely absent from fantasy?  Authors provide occasional mentions of food: the giant roasted boar at the banquet, the dead rabbit shared around the fire.  But we fantasy authors, with all of our imagination and creativity, could do so much more.  Food can be used not as a throw-in detail (or as too much detail), but to actually define our characters and the world in which they live.

Use food to define personality.  One of the petty criticisms of Ken Scholes’ fantastic first novel, Lamentation, was that his main character’s preference for chilled fruity wines was unrealistic.  Where did his minions find the ice, after all?  While this detail can distract the reader, it also helps create this character.  Through the series, Rudolfo changes from a carefree lover of chilled wine and women to a strong leader.  In later books, when he starts hitting the chilled wine rather heavily, it says something altogether different about his character, and Scholes doesn’t have to use much space in the novel to do it.

As much as our likes define us, our dislikes define us more, and can say a great deal about our personalities in very few words.  A child who only eats pizza and chicken nuggets?  Picky.  A person who refuses to drink anything but red wine from a certain label?  Discerning.  What conclusions can you draw about someone who enjoys everything?  Who prefers lots of meat, no meat, or rich foods?  Who refuses to eat that dead rabbit, and instead fetches her own berries from the forest?  A simple mention of what a character chooses to eat (or not) can say so much about your character in only a few words.  

Use food to define social class.  One of my favorite scenes to write in Song and the Sorceress was the one in which Ki’leah, a runaway princess, tries to figure out how to eat without silverware in a totally different environment.  The people around her dig in with pocket knives and fingers, a method completely foreign in her world of polished silver forks and knives.  It’s a huge culture shock, as it should be for any member of pampered royalty thrust into the wilderness, and says a great deal about social structure and manners in Ki’leah’s world.

Use food to define families and traditions.  It intrigues me that many modern fantasies don’t incorporate the same traditions that we hold dear.  There is no Thanksgiving, no Passover, no gathering of family in the kitchen to put together a meal.  Yet these are important elements of our cultural heritage.  For many of us, gathering to make the Thanksgiving meal as a family is almost more important than consuming the end result.  How can food help define your characters’ ideas about family and their relationships?  How can the simple preparation of a meal define their place in a greater tradition?

Food as cultural signature.  Most people know what it means when something is as “American as apple pie.”  Whether we like it or not, our culture is defined by our love for fried chicken and fast food.  A universally-recognized sign for all things American looks suspiciously like the golden arches.  We also define other cultures by what they eat, whether they enjoy rice, bangers and mash, or baked ziti.  And this is where fantasy runs into the most trouble: nothing says Euro-centered fantasy like that infamous roasted boar.  In fact, I would argue that the boar has become a more prevalent stereotype in fantasy than the sexy female love interest.  Got boar?  Check!  Consider instead finding some dish, even creating your own, that defines your culture in a stronger way. 

Perhaps most importantly, let your characters eat!  They do need sustenance for that long journey, battle, or interrogation.  Let your executioner munch a turkey sandwich while he tortures your hero.  Have your heroine grab a bit of jerky on the road (or at least let her stomach growl).  Food is a part of your characters’ lives as much as it is a part of your own; and, with just a few small details, you can build a better world.        

The Story We Created

(I apologize for the formatting kerfuffle here. I have been trying to get it to look like it's supposed to for half an hour now, and it's just not working. I'm certain Karin or Kim will be able to fix it! For now, you'll have to suffer with my lame-ass tech skills.)

As promised, here is the story created this week in Heroines of Fantasy. I needed a few more than five lines to close it out, but I think it turned out really faboo. That old saying about too many cooks ruining the soup?? Not in this case! I give you--Our Story...

Light, the final ingredient, and the most elusive. Maia gathered up the ribbons she found in the crusty trunk her grandfather kept under his bed. "From older days, when I was young and full of spice," he told her, and winked, and tucked the ribbons back into the trunk. Maia knew better; these were no bobbies passed by poxy-doxy-girls to favor young men just in from the sea. They were light, trapped and coveted; and her grandfather was nothing of the kind.

She twisted the ribbons around her wrist, watched the play of light and shadow, delighted in the slip of silk and satin against the warmth of her skin. What she could do with these tools! She could work the magic of these little slips of light in ways her grandfather only dreamed. What he had never understood, she knew: it took a woman's touch to unlock the secrets of light and shadow, to find the gray areas trapped within.

If only her grandfather could see the complex tangle of ribbons now. But would he understand? That was something she'd never know, but his perspective on the world was quite different and rigid. But Grandmother, she would have understood. And she would appreciate the new way.

Maia ran a strand of green silk between her thumb and forefinger. Green, the light of life. Could she use it to give temporary life and a temporary voice to Grandmother? She knew she couldn't bring back the dead, but what if she could allow Grandmother to speak for a short time? What secrets, what magics would she reveal?

She knew fire would be necessary. She searched for matches and the tiny brass burner her mother used for incense. She set the burner on the windowsill, coiled the green ribbon in its cup. The first match fizzled, but the second caught. She touched its bright orange flame to the frayed tip of the ribbon. A tendril of smoke spiraled up.

A soft knock at the door caught her attention for a moment. Then faded away again. The words tripped off her tongue, slipped from her teeth and into the shadows like bats into the haze of dusk.

“Maia,” the voice said. “Your dinner's getting cold.”

Then the door opened, revealing in the glow of lamplight, the terror on her grandfather's face.

“What are you doing?” he hissed.

Maia paled. "I was just—I thought—"

Grandfather spied the tiny wisp of smoke and shoved past her, intent on snuffing it out.

Maia hesitated, the words of the spell pregnant on her tongue. Now was her moment, if she would speak, and reverse the damage Grandfather had done, so long ago.

“No!” she cried and snatched the cup from grandfather’s hand. Off her tongue fell words bright and fierce. They strengthened the orange spark. Green light wound its way through the strand of silk and exploded into joyously into the air.

“Oh, child, you don't know what you've done,” said grandfather, a look of incredible sadness on his face.

Light danced in shades of jade, mandarin, vermilion, cerulean; flames twisting around each other in an ever more frenzied rhythm. The center of the vortex rumbled and writhed, then expanded outward, forcing the walls to bend and groan. Without warning, the magic imploded. All color, all light was sucked into darkness. In the black silence that ensued, Maia drew a frightened breath and reached for her grandfather's hand.

“Maia, is that you?”

“Grandmama? I can't see you.”

“No!” shouted grandfather, squeezing her hand tight. “You don't know what you've done.”

“You said that already, Grandfather,” said Maia, “and you're hurting my hand!”

A tendril of smoke curled up from the bowl and stroked Maia's cheek. She shivered, for the smoke wasn't warm, it was cold and slick as a newly-caught fish.

“Edmar always did have an exaggerated sense of drama, didn't you, Edmar?” said Grandmother's voice, as cold as the smoke. Grandfather squeaked and dropped Maia's hand, backing away from the smoke.

“Ediris, forgive me!”

Maia felt a cold chill as the draft wafting around her legs and arms subsided. Grandfather? Grandmama? All was still. And black.

“I forgave you long ago.” Grandmama curled around her husband, like the cold, like the smoke. “It is forgetting I will not do.” Light burst from grandfather's eye sockets, his ears, his nostrils. Grandmama sucked him in, sucked in his life, his light; and when grandfather was a husk drifting soundlessly to the ground, Grandmama turned to Maia.

“How do you follow that up?” asked the Narrator. “I mean, really. That's pretty exciting stuff.”

“Shut up,” snapped the reader. “Tell the story.”

Grandmama looked at Maia, the dribble of grandfather's light wet around her mouth. A long, black tongue snaked out licking the room to darkness again. “Come here, my pretty,” the fish-belly voice said.

Maia slipped shaking hands under her apron and pulled the rest of the ribbons, still in their complicated knots, from the waistband of her skirt. Did she have enough time?

“You are not my grandmama,” Maia said, bunching the ribbons in her fist. “She was wise and brave and kind.”

“And tasty.” The thing-not-grandmama moved closer. “Edmar did not believe his playthings would bite back, but he learned," she licked her lips, “and so did his beloved Ediris.”

“Grandma, what big teeth you have!” said Maia.

“Oh no, no, NO!” said the reader. “That has been soooo done already!”

The Narrator cleared her throat in embarrassment. “Sorry. Let me try again...”

The thing took another step, and Maia could see that it drifted, rather than walked, as though it was woven together from smoke and fog. The scent of burned hair and sulfur hung heavy in the air.

“It won't hurt very long, unfortunately,” the summoning said.

In the hall, the grandfather clock tolled the hour, its song filling the room with dulcet tones. The creature turned towards the sound, its head cocked, transfixed by the melody it played.

Maia felt the ribbons in her fist. If only she could see their colors in the dark. Wait, what was that? A little flash of red sailed up her fingertip. Which ribbon had it come from?

“Red for fire,” whispered a voice close beside her ear. “To burn away the darkness and dark creatures.”

Not-grandmama didn’t appear to hear the voice, but could Maia trust it? She'd already stumbled into one curse calling-forth and feared another. But the-thing-not-her-grandmother was already turning back towards her, and she had no choice. She played her fingers rapidly against the ribbons until red sparked again and spit out the words.

“Red is not for fire,” Maia thought. “Red is for blood. For life!”

The ribbon twisted, slowly smoldering down to ash. The chimes of the clock continued to ring: twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen; eventually she stopped counting.

She ran.

The thing not her grandmother gave chase, cold flicking at Maia's heels. Its fishy breath chilled the back of her neck.

“Yes, yes, run. The light tastes better when young and heated.”

“Follow me to your doom,” Maia whispered between panted breaths, ribbons clutched tightly in her hand.
Down the hill, over the tops of the trees, Maia saw the pennant flying from the top of the town's abattoir, a place she usually avoided at all costs, but today the place she most needed. The twists and turns of the forest trail swallowed her up, but didn't throw Not-Grandmama off her trail.

Maia burst through the last stand of trees into the clearing which held the abattoir, into a wall of sound composed of lowering and panicked beasts. Red ash rose from her fingers, spreading and transforming the blood this place was soaked in into a glowing web of red light, scintillating drops of red as numerous as the grains of sand on a beach, fascinating Not-Grandmama as Maia hoped they would.

That which was not Grandmother ground to a halt, mouth opening and closing with desire. "Beautiful! I must count them all."

Greed twisted its features into a parody of happiness. Sobs of mind-numbing fear shuddered Maia's little body, and she curled up on the ground, her fingers still open, the red ribbon continued to turn to red ash, the blood into red light.
The creature sucked eagerly at the red light, and grew. Maia, past the hope of her life continuing, watched through her salty tears as the not-grandmama blew up like a pig bladder in its greed.

“Red for blood, green for life, gold for light, blue for courage, and pink for love…” Again that voice whispered, so far away and trembling. The thing-not-grandmama towered over her now, sucking and still not sated. Maia tugged the blue ribbon from the clutch in her fist. She stuffed it in her mouth and swallowed.

“What is this?” shrieked the creature. “You dare take what is mine? What I was tricked into giving that old man and his wife? I will have it back. Right. Now!”

Not-grandmama grabbed Maia around the waist, hauled her into the air. Eyes wide open, the blue ribbon burning warm in her belly and snaking its courage through her blood and bones, Maia faced the black-tongued maw.  Breath like monsoon wind hit her face, fishy as the cold and twice as rank. Maia held her breath. As her head dipped between the creature’s lips, she thrust her fist in and let the pink ribbon fall onto its tongue.

Not-grandmama gagged. It swallowed. And then it burped.

“What…what…?”

The question never came. Not-grandmama dropped Maia to clutch at its throat. Maia rolled to the ground, coming up in a crouch. She watched the thing shrink as she had watched it grow, a silent scream splitting its lips like a gash. From that gash, light. It shot past Maia.

“I am sorry, child,” a voice like the rush of wind whispered. “I was a fool. My trunk is yours, and all inside.”

Not-grandmama jerked and twisted on the ground, its now-nubby hands twitching, and then still. Light drooled out of the corner of its mouth, its eyes, its nostrils, swirling colors like syrup in cream. Maia heard, “The green summoned it, the red fed it, the pink destroyed it. You carry the blue inside of you now. What you do with the gold is your choice. Peace, dear child. Forgive us both.”

Maia struggled to her feet. Her fingers, cramped into an aching fist, held a gold ribbon. She loosened her grip, one digit at a time, watching the play of light and shadow; knowing it for what it was. Maia wrapped it tenderly around her wrist and kissed the knot she made to hold it. Stepping gingerly over the husk once not-grandmama, she headed for home and the trunk that once belonged to her grandfather who had been no such thing, and the magic never his.

Build-a-story--CLOSED!

Well, either this is going to be a lot of fun, or there will be plenty of cricketsong in Heroines of Fantasy this week. I'm hoping for fun.

Back in the before-times, when I was a Girl Scout leader, I naturally had my girls do the writing badge. Ok, there were several writing-related badges, and we did them all. We were an artsy group. An activity I came up with to satisfy one of the requirements was writing a collective story. We started with a picture, and five lines. Each girl had to add another five lines before passing it on to the next. In the end, we had a story, and a lot of laughs because, inevitably, the girls got a little naughty with their storytelling--poop-jokes when they were little, and a bit bawdier once they hit middle school.

We have so many heavy conversations in HoF, I thought, given the festive time of year, we could use a bit of a revel. Let's have at it, shall we?

Light, the final ingredient, and the most elusive. Maia gathered up the ribbons she found in the crusty trunk her grandfather kept under his bed. "From older days, when I was young and full of spice," he told her, and winked, and tucked the ribbons back into the trunk. Maia knew better; these were no bobbies passed by poxy-doxy-girls to favor young men just in from the sea. They were light, trapped and coveted; and her grandfather was nothing of the kind.




Here are the rules--FIVE LINES ONLY! No cheating. And the only thing I ask is that you not be offensive. Sex and/or violence is allowed, but please don't get too graphic. Posting ends midnight on Saturday, November 19th. I'll conclude with the last five lines, and post the whole collective story on Sunday, November 20th. Sound like fun? Join in!

Villainesses and Anti-Heroines

Happy November.

For various reasons that are beyond the scope of this blog, I've decided to take it easy on myself with this month's post, and give all of you a treat while I'm at it: an audio-recording of a reading I did this past September from my short story 'Creatures of Light'. 

'Creatures of Light' is a portrait of Selenia, a brilliant and ruthless woman scientist living in a fantasy Age of Exploration. The audio-recording includes just two scenes from the short story, both featuring some remarkable organisms that Selenia studies. One day this short story will be expanded into a full-length novel; until then I can give you this small taste of what is to come.

Selenia has been mentioned on this blog before; I brought her up in the discussion following our very first post in September (Why Fantasy?) as a possible example of an anti-heroine.  And because a week cannot pass on Heroines of Fantasy without a discussion of some kind, I'd like to pull out the topic of anti-heroines once again, and couple that with the topic of villainesses. 

Here are my questions for you:

What do you like to see in your anti-heroines, and your villainesses?  What makes this kind of character appealing, engaging; a woman we might actually relate to even as we abhor her decisions and actions?

Who are your favorite anti-heroines and villainesses, and why?

What would you like to see in an anti-heroine or villainess that you have not yet seen in your reading?

Do you expect the anti-heroine or the villainess to act in ways that are qualitatively different when compared to the anti-hero and the villain?  Why or why not?

You don't have to tackle all these questions in one week, of course.  But if you're up for sharing your thoughts on at least one, I'd love to hear them.

While you're mulling over what to write in your comments, here's that audio recording I was talking about.  I hope you enjoy Selenia; she's one of my favorite characters to work with.

Posted by Karin Rita Gastreich

Ed Miliband supports the philosophy of St. Pauls protesters "

Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused the city of London, the leaders of being "out of order" with the values ​​of the rest of the country, and thrown their weight behind the protest spirit of the deal.

Writing in The Observer Miliband said: "The challenge is that they reflect a crisis of concern for millions of people about the biggest problem of our time. The difference between their values ​​and way of governing our country"

He criticizes the development of the political coalition in the economy, saying: .. "Conservatives are discussing how to make it easier for companies to fire people we are developing policies to enable them to hire people we like to start by creating thousands of new jobs paid for by a tax on bank bonuses. It is rewarding to the correct values, not the wrong values ​​in our economy. "

Reply by the Government, First Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Danny said protesters were calling attention to important issues, adding: "I am not concerned about capitalism, what I feel discomfort, such things as a government we have been performing in front is the lack of regulation of the City of London, the lack of control. Those are the things we're trying to change. "

However, press reports on Sunday were less forgiving of the demonstrators in St. Paul, with the Sunday Times (£) reports that people have used the steps of the cathedral as an outdoor bath.

The document says that the cathedral authorities, do not blame the demonstrators themselves, simply "parasites."

Tory MP Margot James suggests that you should remove the demonstrators outside the cathedral before the service Sunday in memory.

"I do not think the right to protest is necessarily occupy the same land was one of our greatest national treasures indefinitely. That does not mean that people do not have a point ... a point that is felt by many millions people. However, it would be allowed to remain there indefinitely, I personally do not think it should. "

Meanwhile, the Independent on Sunday reports that banks may be starting to come to the notion that they are in excess. The document has seen the figures from a survey by ComRes on Monday, where city workers seem to accept that their pay is out of order with professional requirements, particularly teachers and nurses.

Vote of confidence Greece: Papandreou government faces crucial vote in Parliament

Lawmakers are preparing for a crucial vote of confidence in the embattled socialist government of Greece in the last act of a political drama that has horrified the country's European partners that depend on loans and global markets.

Future Prime Minister, George Papandreou, depends on its own lawmakers in voting on Friday. The ruling party has a thin majority of two in the assembly of 300 seats, but a Socialist lawmaker said he will not return to government.

A socialist revolt and international pressure forced him to recant Papandreou Thursday plans for a referendum in the last agreement of international rescue of Greece, worth € 130 billion (U.S. $ 179 million).

Papandreou triggered a global crisis, when he announced the referendum on Monday as investors worried that the rejection of the plan of debt relief force fought a disorderly Greek default.

The ban on political loans will benefit the conservative parts, the NDP and Liberals hurt

The Conservatives plan to limit lending and political cover was praised on Wednesday the NDP. Although the draft law includes conservatives, for now, spare parts new Democrat leadership candidates rigid standards, while making it more difficult for the Liberal leadership contestants to raise money.

Democratic Reform Minister Tim Uppal told reporters Lending Act liability policy "level the playing field" by prohibiting loans from corporations and unions and limiting the amounts individuals can lend or borrow from others.

The wealthy candidates or those who have access to easy money would no longer have the ability to finance their own campaigns, Uppal suggested.
"We're not that wealthy individuals who have an undue influence on the political process," he said.

Government bill would only allow political parties, riding associations, candidates and leadership contestants to obtain loans from financial institutions or political parties and mount the association themselves. Terms of mandatory disclosure in the information, such as interest rates on loans and the identity of lenders and loan guarantors also be imposed. And the candidates also would not be able to get away from unpaid loans, writing them off as donations, such as political parties and associations responsible for the money without paying.

"Every day Canadians are expected to repay loans under strict guidelines. The same can expect from their politicians," said Uppal.

NDP MP Pat Martin told The Huffington Post that he is happy with the legislation despite the parties with deeper pockets will be able to finance the candidates so that small parties can not - a move that conservatives support the benefits for now.

Elections Canada data released Wednesday shows the Conservative Party continues to have the deepest pockets. The Conservatives raised $ 18,643,508.09 for 132,438 taxpayers during the first three quarters of 2011. That's more than double its nearest competitor fundraising, liberals, who raised, $ 7,595,957.36 from 68,372 contributors in that period of time. The NDP raised $ 5,892,672.81 from 54,349 contributors, the Green Party $ 1,328,682.85 of 13,422 employees and the Bloc Québécois $ 649,747.73 of 6,615 employees. (Individuals can have more than one grant).

"It's inevitable," said Martin, the advantage of conservatives. "It needed a fallback position. Had to be a classification in which whether to put these severe restrictions in place. We must remember that the purpose is to prevent Mr. Moneybags purchase of an election."

Although Uppal told reporters he expects the NDP leadership candidates defend the "spirit" of the legislation, even if the bill is not retroactive and, unless amended, shall not apply before the party convention Leadership March 24, Martin said he hopes his fellow Democrats New to comply with the letter of the law as it exists today.

"I think he's playing dumb guy that when he took the jab," he said. "It's unfair to ask people to restructure their political campaign for a whole new legislation has been referred to."

One of the candidates of the NDP, Nova Scotia businessman Martin Singh, and was paid $ 35,000 to an interest rate of 5.5 percent.

Brian Topp, the only candidate so far has submitted a registration with Elections Canada, won a $ 50,000 loan at 4 percent interest for Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union.

The Liberals, however, face a leadership race in 2013 will have to comply with new rules.

The bill announced Wednesday the bill is exactly the same as the Conservatives tried to introduce in 2010. It limits the total amount people can pay the current limit of donation, $ 1,100 in 2011 and $ 1,200 in 2012.

And though critics have suggested that the legislation will make it difficult for the poorest people, people with bad credit and, in some cases, women become candidates, dismissed the idea saying Uppal people can get loans all types of financial institutions, such as credit unions and trusts.

Martin said the project was a good first step.

"I support this bill, I think it is a necessary modification to plug a gap of many years that we lost when we try to reform the financing of elections. We have to take big money out of politics" he said.

Conservatives, however, Martin said, could have taken the opportunity to introduce more comprehensive legislation on political funding.

"They have removed $ 2 per vote public subsidy and do nothing to change that. I'm not saying that this measure is free from politics, but is an improvement. "

Canada and the U.S. the price difference: Mark Carney said Canadian buyers pay 11 percent more than Americans

Canadian buyers are paying an average of 11 per cent more than Americans for the same goods, the Bank of Canada, Mark Carney said Wednesday.

Testifying before a Senate committee looking at the price difference, Carney said the results of the September bank survey - while showing a significant price difference - were nevertheless an improvement over a similar survey in April that put the difference at 18 percent.

The results were not far in April, the Bank of Montreal study, also conducted in the spring, which evaluated the differences of around 20 percent.

Carney said there could be a number of factors that contribute to the "stickiness" of prices despite currency fluctuations that have seen the loonie trading around par with the U.S. dollar in recent months.

Among those factors are higher taxes, less labor are about 20 percent higher in Canada, a smaller population, higher transport costs and economies of scale that allow retailers south of the border to reduce the costs.

But competition from U.S. retailers does not seem to be a big concern for retailers in Canada, he said, despite the stories of angry Canadians taking their business to the south.

Although the phenomenon of cross-border shopping effect Canadian retailers near the U.S. border, is a minor factor in the overall picture, he said.


"The current scale of cross-border shopping is quite modest, about two percent of retail sales," said Carney.

"The degree of competition that has given rise seems to have been determined to force a faster adjustment of prices to the currency," he added.

Carney also dropped a complaint often cited by the Retail Council of Canada that the fees can add up to 18 percent in import cost of some consumer products.

Last month, Finance Department officials testified that the majority of goods crossing the border are free of rights and duties, where applicable, tend to be small.

Carney said the central bank has not made a detailed analysis of the rates, but expressed the same opinion. "While there are differences between the rates, the differences are not so big," he said.

The Senate committee was asked in September to consider the issue has been a source of irritation among consumers in Canada, who continue to pay significantly higher prices for everything from books to cars and gasoline even though the Canadian dollar high.

In his testimony last month, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told the committee that Canadians have every right to be angry that Americans pay more for the same products. He said he would address the issue of charges if the committee found to be an important factor.

Also in earlier testimony, the committee has said that a price difference there can always be between Canada and the U.S., regardless of the time, retailers have to adjust.

Carney agreed that the cost structure in the Canadian market price could result in a persistent "gap" between the two countries.

Efforts to create a uniform in the U.S. market with the same fees and regulations will help close the gap, he said, but not completely.

"We still have problems with one of the great benefits of this country, its vastness and sparse population and it costs (plus) to the ship," he said.

But Carney said there could be some closure of the gap in the coming years.

"It is lost in the retail sector that the return of square feet in Canada is now higher than in the United States," he said, which could lead to more U.S. retailers located north of the border and increasing competition.

The governor said the bank analyzes the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on prices to calculate the effect on future inflation. He said that as a rule, an increase of 10 percent in Canadian dollar may reduce inflation by 0.4 percent.

Shakespeare, the Bible, and change U.S. society in a punitive

I spent the weekend of the Great Ice Storm of 2011 in New Haven for parents weekend. Despite the conditions, I had a great time, having the opportunity to not only spend time with my two daughters, but two of my favorite teachers of all time: the teacher (and very popular HuffPost blogger) David Bromwich, and the teacher (and fellow Greek) John Geanakoplos.

There are two things we have discussed still haunted me. One was a passage henchmen Ron Suskind, in which Paul Volcker questions whether Obama and his economic team are really serious about the financial crisis:

"They say they are for him, but their hearts are not in it. "And this gap between word and deed, between stated intentions and so little action, made a Volcker think he knew summers phrase sometimes used - a couple of people had said -" what matters is only to be caught trying. "
"Being caught trying." Is there a better description of the mentality of many of our political leaders at this time with problems in the history of our nation? The fact that there is a crisis, and that people are experiencing - or at least people are angry - has finally fallen about Washington officials. And everybody wants to be caught trying to do something about it. But what the country and especially the millions who suffer, the needs are leaders who will do more - much more - has just been caught trying.

There are, of course, dozens of ways to capture the misery to millions in our country are facing every day - the depressing statistics on unemployment, poverty, reduced educational opportunities, bankruptcies, etc, etc, but statistics Professor Geanakoplos said that, while I was in New Haven had an even greater resonance when juxtaposed with the line of Summers. A late, about four million homes that have been recovered since 2008 - a figure that could double before the end of the crisis. Considering how many people in each household housed, the numbers are devastating.

When I thought about eight million families in the street along with the belief that the important thing is to be caught trying, I thought that now can be divided not only politicians, but the whole world into two categories: those who are genuinely alarmed to hear that kind of statistics, which are overwhelmed by the feeling that we can not let pass this level of suffering, and those whose main concern is being caught trying to sound concerned.

We all know what is the difference between acting and being caught trying to think. If you saw a drowned child, your first thought would be, "probably can not do anything to save him, but the point is only to be caught trying." No, you take action and dive

Same in politics. Remember the memorable phrase of Richard Clarke about how he and others were running with her "hair of fire" about the threat of Al Qaeda in the summer of 2001? Well, there are many political leaders in danger of burns to the head and face these days. Instead, we have plenty of politicians who have accepted the failure, leaving a paper trail that can later prove that he had been trying, "Do not be angry with me. As I said on Meet the Press, which was "very concerned" about unemployment, and even submitted a draft value in that sense! "

This does not mean that changing things is easy and there are simple solutions to the mess we are in. However, if the responsible care how attention if a loved one is at risk - when that shot of adrenaline allows a parent to raise your child a car and do things that no one thought possible - we would see a spike empathy that can lead to outcomes now considered impossible.

When we moved to act, we are able to harness the amazing ingenuity and creativity. And although we are not slaves to our leaders, the tone set by the business. And instead of empathy, it is remarkable how much the tone of our political discourse has become the punishment. Instead of helping those suffering from this financial crisis, there is a large segment of the population now believes he has what was coming to them.

Last month, Herman Cain put it bluntly in an interview with the Wall Street Journal: ". If you do not have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself not to blame a person if they succeeded, it is a person guilty or not. "

Two weeks later, asked about the statement in one of the GOP debates, Cain doubled to applause from the audience. It remains to be explained is why - if it is the fault of the unemployed who are unemployed due to laziness or some form of low character - there has been a surge of laziness since 2008. Hand in hand with this attitude is the idea that those who are doing well are the ones who thank you - they are simply smarter and more work than they have failed.

Elizabeth Warren, one of his early days on the campaign trail, struck with this idea:

No one in this country who have enriched themselves. No one. They built a factory there? Good for you. But let me be clear: it moved its products to market roads in the rest of us paid, that workers hired from the rest of us pay to educate, they were safe in his factory because police forces forces fire than the rest of us pay. You do not have to worry about gangs of looters who come to take everything in his factory, and hire someone to guard against this, because the work that the rest of us.
Now look, he built a factory and turned into something terrible, or great idea? God bless you. Maintain a large piece of it. But part of the underlying social contract is to take a piece of that and return the favor to the guy next to come.

This is not just about helping the needy, which tries to help maintain our strong partnership. When I was talking with John Geanakoplos, spoke passionately about how important it is for our nation as a whole to reach a program to help millions of homeowners are underwater with their mortgages. His point was that it would benefit only those in danger of losing their homes, but the neighborhood is home and, ultimately, the whole economy. To explain, he cited that great economist William Shakespeare. As he wrote in The Merchant of Venice: "Though justice be thy petition, consider this: that in the course of justice none of us should see salvation pray for mercy, and the same sentence, Do we teach to do works. mercy. "

And mercy is good for the recipient - and granted it. This idea, of course, did not originate with Shakespeare. It goes back to book the bard often based on: The Bible. And not only in the New Testament warm and fuzzy, but in the Old Testament - people think that the punishment does not forgive.

"Every seven years," says in Nehemiah 10:31, "Let's let our fields rest, and we will cancel all debts."

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 and orders: "At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release and this is the way of the release. All creditors will unveil what he has lent to his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord's release has been proclaimed. "

Most famously, in the New Testament, there is the Lord's Prayer, urges us to "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our debtors."

Therefore, the majority against the tone being taken by God-fearing Republican presidential candidates, the idea that our reaction to those who are suffering the effects of this crisis should be less punitive and more empathy is not an idea hippy-dippy Occupy be brought by the 1960 Wall Street.

And make no mistake, the government can do something about the crisis. In September, David Brooks wrote about the "absurd" the idea of ​​government, many Americans, who "has the power to protect them from the consequences of their sins."

His sins? Really? Brooks' argument deftly swatted by Matt Yglesias:

That's something along these lines has become something like the conventional wisdom in Washington is, for me, trying. Here is a story about the bus drivers in Clark County, Nevada have been fired as a result of state budget problems / local. They are soon to be spaced bus drivers really suffer for their sins? Is it really true that the federal government currently able to borrow money at a negative real interest rate can not do anything to protect them? The amazing thing about this crisis is the extent to which the suffering and responsibility are completely out of proportion to others.
Having the power to protect people and the exercise of this power are, of course, two very different things. Instead of the idea of ​​Robert F. Kennedy 's dream things that never were, and wondering why we now have a government that, at the drop of a hat, the list of reasons why not: Greece, China, the tsunami, the Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats, etc, etc

I'm not discounting the obstacles - especially not the obstacle of an opposition party which has essentially become untethered from reality. But even without a consensus in Congress, there are a lot of the White House can do to help struggling Americans - especially those at risk of foreclosure. Robert Kuttner as stated: "Under the Dodd-Frank, who have an enormous amount of executive power to press banks to provide relief for people with mortgages under water."

Although it has taken a long and costly amount of time, the White House rolled out its latest "can not wait" campaign in the swing of the President through the western states, announcing a series of unilateral steps aimed at giving around obstacles in Congress. "I'm here to tell you all," the president said, "we can not wait for an increasingly dysfunctional Congress to do their work. When not acting, I will."

He then announced a change in the Home Affordable Refinance Program to help more people to refinance their mortgages. But despite the welcome, the trick is not sufficient to cope with the magnitude of the problem we are facing. When ARPA began in 2009, the goal was to save up to 5 million people from foreclosure. To date, it has helped less than 900,000. And the bar of eligibility for use of the new rules is still set too high. "In terms of its impact on the economy or the housing market, do not think it will be very noticeable," said Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington.

But as John Geanakoplos has been saying again and again over the past three years, there is no solution to the mortgage crisis unless we are willing to negotiate with the director, not only with interest. However, the regulator over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and ensure that control over 70 percent of U.S. mortgages, maintains its opposition to allowing homeowners under water to reduce the principal of your loan - even as more banks and private mortgage insurance companies are allowed a certain degree of debt forgiveness. And while taxpayers have forked at $ 141 billion to rescue Fannie and Freddie, the White House says it lacks the ability to force mortgage companies to do the same.

So the question remains: will the new president's initiatives make a real difference - or will simply be another marker that allows the White House trying to be captured?

Increasingly punitive tone of our national debate is not only inhumane, it undermines what should be done to turn around the economy for the good of everyone - including the 1 percent.

As we move into the thick of the race in 2012, we will take into account the gap between really trying to do things better and trying to get caught trying.

Dodgers Sale: Lakers Hold Out McCourt With a "Good Riddance" Hot

Angelenos celebrated the announcement Wednesday morning that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's going to sell the team. Some fans even planned an informal event to celebrate together at 6 pm, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Angelenos have been fervently Twitter how happy they are going to see McCourt. As to who owns the following must be, opinions vary. KTLA survey results have Mark Cuban in the lead with 32%, Steve Garvey group of players in a close second with 29%, followed by another with 16%, the O'Malley family, with 14% and investors 8% foreign. Although Cuba has in the survey and, apparently, on Twitter, told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, "at a fair price, that interests me," but "not if the price is over $ 1 billion."

Tweeters several have shared the desire to acquire public property together, split the cost between the Lakers voluntary. Own the Dodgers, a campaign of public ownership of the team, plans to raise $ 800 million, said to be the "market value of the equipment generally accepted." Despite the ban in the majors against public property, owns the Dodgers, the point to the partial state ownership of the Cleveland Indians, which began in 1998 as a model of success.

Anonymous reveals the IP addresses of suspected child pornography viewers in Latest Sting

The hacker group Anonymous said Wednesday that published the IP addresses of visitors to 190 child pornography sites, marking its latest effort to eliminate the digital Internet pedophilia.

In recent weeks, anonymous, which has become famous for disrupting online operations of large corporations like Sony, has led to child pornography sites and their visitors on a mission called "Operation Darknet."

The ultimate goal has been the freedom of hosting, a server hosting Anonymous accused of more than 40 child pornography websites, and visitors to these sites to protect their identities using Tor, a software that allows users to communicate anonymously Internet.

In a statement last month, the hackers behind "Operation Darknet" gave a warning to free hosting: "Our demands are simple to remove all the content of child pornography from their servers .. Refusing to hosting services to any web site dealing with child pornography. This statement is not only directed to free accommodation, but everyone on the Internet. No matter who you are, if we find that to be the host, promoting or supporting child pornography, which will become a target. "

When freedom of housing sites were not removed, Anonymous said temporarily lowered last month by an overwhelming your server with Internet traffic, a technique known as "denial of service". The hacker group said it also posted information about 1. 600 visitors from those sites, including those visiting the "city of Lolita," the hackers said one of the largest sites of child pornography.

According to the group of hackers, "99 percent" of Tor users are journalists in Iran and China, the intelligence agencies of government in a secret war with al-Qaida, and members of Anonymous. However, the group said it found some users to access sites like Lolita Tor and the City "Site Hurt," a website dedicated to Anonymous said child rape.

"The only purpose of Operation Darknet was to demonstrate that a service like the" Tor Project 'has been ruined by 1 percent its use of child pornography, "the group said in a Wednesday after sharing site Pastebin of.


In its latest sting, which took place on October 27 and the so called "Paw Print" Anonymous set a trap embedded in the latest version of Tor. The trick to fool visitors to click on a link that contains the malware that tracked their movements online for 24 hours, the group of hackers, he said. It also allowed the hackers to verify IP addresses of visitors to the sites, which launched to the public on Wednesday.

"This is so that the police may have probable cause to arrest these individuals, who are clearly as access to sites containing child pornography TOR," the group said.

Although Anonymous said it has received worldwide praise for their cyberwar against child pornography, some have said that the group should leave this work to the authorities. In a blog last week, Graham Cluley, a security expert at Sophos Labs, who wrote Anonymous could be doing more harm than good by potentially jeopardizing existing research.

"Take-downs of illegal websites and networks of exchange must be made by the authorities, Internet vigilantes," wrote Cluley. "The anonymous hackers may feel they have done the right thing, but actually may have inadvertently more children at risk through their actions."

However, Cluley most readers have felt differently. After asking, "Do you think Anonymous was right by the closure of child pornography web sites?" 1440 readers, or 82 percent, voted "yes."

The decriminalization of marijuana would help the shortage of funds in Chicago, says the council

When the mayor took over Rahm Emanuel, immediately made it clear he would do everything possible to get the fiscal house in Chicago in order. As the state and county struggle with the same problems, one of the issues has come up again and again, decriminalization of marijuana.

Therefore, on Wednesday, the council action. Ald. Danny Solis (25), introduced an ordinance for the City Council that would make possession of small amounts of marijuana a ticket crime - leaving offenders to pay a fine of $ 200 compared to a misdemeanor, reports the Associated Press.

"In these tough economic times, we really could use the revenue generated by the fines against the arrests," Solis told the AP. "Each one (of arrest) means that the police are spending an enormous amount of time outside of the neighborhoods within the district office paperwork."

And Solis is not alone. Ald. Joe Moreno (1), wrote a blog for the Huffington Post last week about his support for the ordinance Solis, and shared some thoughts on the "War on Drugs":

The fact that governments around the country are broke can be a good thing, if legislators are brave enough to leave to appeal to the lowest common denominator and start telling the truth. This ordinance is in Chicago begins.
The drug war began a year before I was born. It has to die as soon as possible, since it has become a de facto war on the poor, minorities and reason.
Solis believes that the change would bring the city $ 7 million per year and also keep the police and judicial workers ", money and thousands of hours of time."

Earlier this month, the Chicago Reader reported that Cook County spent at least $ 78 million each year arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating people for possession of marijuana. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle of made it clear that he wants the costs go down, and the police want to stop making arrests for low-level crimes of drug possession throughout the county. Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey also supports decriminalization.


"The simple truth is that the decades-long policy that we had for the possession of small amounts of marijuana could not do more than fill our jails with nonviolent offenders, the tension of our budget, and according to some studies even cause an increase in serious crimes, "Fritchey said in a press conference on the matter last week, according to the reader.

Aldermen including Howard Brookins, Richard Mell, Ariel Reboyras, Walter Burnett, Joe Moreno, Bob Graham and Deborah Fioretti have signed on as co-sponsors of the ordinance, reports NBC Chicago.

Mayor Emanuel had been silent on the subject, but weighed on Wednesday. He said police officers have made similar suggestions to him, but he sure wants to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana does not create more problems.

Hugh Grant becomes a father, quick look at your love story

He is a quiet and without error. We've all been seeing Hugh Grant represent the small (a list) man standing on the giant Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, turned the tables by hackers secretly recording a journalist to reveal his dubious work practices, and turning up in Parliament for the law to protect ex-players who just want to engage in simple activities and play golf ... things.

But Hugh Grant is now has the last laugh, with the confirmation that it has become a father for the first time in 51. And the media just learned that a good month after the baby was born in a London hospital, his mother, China, Hong Tingle, with whom Grant had a brief relationship earlier this year.

Last night his spokesman said: "I can confirm that Hugh Grant is the father of a girl happy. He and the mother had a fleeting romance and while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive."

Grant has had much practice, so practice, supporting role. It is a loving godfather of Damian, the son of his former girlfriend Liz Hurley. When Hurley was left with the baby's father Steve Bing Damian was Grant, who stepped in and assumed many of the functions.

Grant and Hurley were among the other axes for most of 20 years. Red carpet appearance in Hurley's then-boyfriend's arm in Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere - his modesty is maintained for safety pins - sealed his place in the affection of the nation as one of the most glamorous couples .

The romance as tested by revelations in 1995 that Grant had been caught frolicking with a female creature just under the name of Divine Brown in a dimly lit alleys of Los Angeles.

The union of Grant Hurley changed the shape of a Platonic after a while, but has suffered and endured the catalog of love in the life of another.

When Hurley married businessman Arun Nayar, Grant often could be seen in the vacation photos, much of the family. His new teammate Shane Warne shares the same passion for golf as Grant - in fact, Grant had spent the day after the birth of his daughter in the tournament at St. Andrews, where Warne proposed to Hurley in the restaurant.

In recent years, Grant has also had an on-off relationship with Jemima Khan, often seen with Goldsmith heiress and her two children by her former husband, Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan.

Although separated, have remained friends and share a common cause in making the media in recent months - Khan using Twitter to express his displeasure at being dragged into the super-order rumors and contribute to pay a bond to ensure freedom Assange awaiting extradition request heard.

Meanwhile, it is testimony to the good manners of Grant and civility in general has managed to remain on such good terms with his fomer high-profile partners, despite being labeled a "notorious commitment phobia" simply because he has never walking down the aisle.

Now that you have made it clear that to her baby daughter at least, that is "totally committed and supportive." It is not entirely clear how Hugh Grant spends most of his time these days - years as a brilliant act as young people in Britain on such hits as Four Weddings and Notting Hill are well and truly behind him - so you can have time and energy to contribute to the education of your child, including golf tournaments at least.

Yak-42 Russian plane crash: Pilot error blamed in crash that killed hockey team

A Russian pilot inadvertently put the brake on the wheel during takeoff, causing a crash that killed 44 people, including a team of professional ice hockey, researchers said Wednesday, citing lack of supervision and inadequate crew training as key reasons behind the error.

The Interstate Aviation Committee said September 07 crash of Yak-42 near Yaroslavl in central Russia came because one of the two pilots accidentally activate the brake and then pulled a control wheel in the chest, plane pulling too hard in a desperate attempt to take off.

He was one of the worst aviation disaster ever in the sport as the dead included 36 players - many of them former NHL players - Canadian-born head coach Brad McCrimmon and staff hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The only player who survived the crash died later from burns. A flight engineer was the only survivor.

Alexei Morozov, leader of the research, said the crew should have aborted the takeoff at the time he realized that was wrong. He said one possible reason the pilot still stubbornly trying to remove the fear of reprisals from their employer.

Industry experts say that when aborted takeoffs Russian teams, ranking second or divert planes to other airports that may risk losing their bonuses or face other sanctions as carriers focus on cost reduction.

"Many pilots say that cause delays in flight schedules ... in a variety of problems in many companies," Morozov told a news conference. "Managing the company does not like."

Morozov blamed owner of the aircraft, Yak-service, non-compliance with safety standards and adequately train the crew. The company closed in September by the Federal Aviation Authority of Russia, when satisfied that violations are serious.


"The company had practically no adequate monitoring system and flight controls on air safety," said Morozov.

Morozov said both pilots had flown other aircraft with a cabin design a little different and apparently never learned the correct position for your feet on takeoff. He said that the Yak-42, like most other Russian and Western aircraft now, a pilot directs the plane by pressing the bottom of the pedals and brakes activated by pressing the top.

But instead of putting your heels on the floor of the cabin as the regulations require one or both of the drivers left their feet on the pedals in line with the old ways, without realizing the activation of the brakes and slow the aircraft at takeoff.

At first I realized that the brakes were on, and then made the fatal mistake of not stopping the launch, he said.

"A properly trained pilot aborted the takeoff would have immediately when he saw that the nose is not to raise," said Ruben Yesayan, a highly decorated test pilot who participated in the investigation. "The plane simply walked past the track and everyone would have been safe."

Morozov said the second driver was taking phenobarbital - a sedative used to control seizures is prohibited for drivers - and that also contributed to the disaster. He said the pilot suffered from polyneuropathy - a neurological disorder that could affect the hands and feet, causing weakness and numbness. He had gone unnoticed for a medical certificate, but the researchers found that the pilot had consulted private doctors about it.

A clash of egos could also have been a factor, Morozov said, noting that the second driver felt like a true leader.

The plane was already half gone from the runway of 3,000 feet when the crew tried and could not lift it. Both riders were thrown his weight on drive wheels desperately trying to lift the plane and managed to put more pressure on the brakes while doing so.

The jet accelerated beyond the track and ran nearly 450 feet above the grass before finally taking off. He got very strong and immediately deposited into your wing, crashing into the side of the Volga River, 240 kilometers northeast of Moscow.

The team was heading for Minsk, Belarus, to play his first game of the season Kontinental Hockey League.

Among those killed were Alexander Karpovtsev assistant coach, one of the first Russians to have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers, Pavol Demitra and who played for the St. Louis Blues and the Canucks Vancouver and the Slovak national team captain.

Other highlights were killed Josef Vasicek Czech players, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek, goalie Stefan Liv Swedish, Latvian Karlis Skrastins Ruslan Salei defenses and defenses in Belarus.

The accident raised new concerns about the safety of Russian aviation and asks the president to suggest replacing all the aging Soviet-era Western airplanes did the drawings.

But industry experts say the recent Russian air disasters are rooted not only in the age of the aircraft, but a combination of factors, including insufficient staff training, airports in ruins, lax government control and widespread abandonment of security in the pursuit of profit.

Pick-and-Rogers Pay TV service to a trial-run in London, Ontario.

Rogers Communications Inc. will test a program to offer customers greater flexibility television in response to the call of the federal broadcast regulator for more consumer choice.

The pilot program in London, Ontario. will begin on November 8 and last until late March, Rogers said Tuesday.

Will offer 86 channels, including government-mandated, for a base price of $ 20.29 including all monthly expenses.

Customers can add channels 15, 20 or 30 for an additional cost, the company said.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said that distributors must give Canadians more flexibility in choosing the channels they want on their TV packages.

The regulator has given companies like Rogers, Bell Canada, Quebecor Media, Shaw Communications and a period of April 1 next to open their gifts.

There is already an option on the market now.


For example, Quebecor Videotron cable service offers packages with some additional options and packages of 10 or 20 channels that viewers can choose from.

Bell offers a similar a-la-carte services in Quebec and Telus offers themed TV packages.

Some analysts have said that greater flexibility will be introduced gradually into the market, but have noted that there are about 20 TV channels that distributors must comply, including the CBC and Radio-Canada.

Despite calls for tougher rules online movies and TV services like Netflix, the CRTC has no evidence that traditional broadcasters in Canada are being harmed by the new digital rivals and new regulations are not necessary .

Crew Resources, fracking company in England, probably caused tremors Operating Agreement

The only company in the UK with hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas from shale rock, said Wednesday that the controversial technique was probably trigger earth tremors in April and May.

However, a report commissioned by the Gang of Resources, which is the extraction of gas in the northwestern city outside the English seaside resort of Blackpool, noted that the tremor, measuring 1.9 and 2.8 at the Richter scale - was due to an unusual combination of geology and operations and is unlikely to happen again.

Gang is the only company currently extracting shale gas fracturing - a controversial technique which is pumped by a mixture of water, sand and chemicals inside underground rock formations to release gas.

Fracturing operations were suspended on May 27 after detection of an earthquake centered in the outskirts of Blackpool.

The company said that operations remain suspended, while the company and government officials consider the report.

The use of the fracture, colloquially known as "fracking," has increased dramatically in recent years, particularly in the United States, and residents and environmental activists have expressed concern about the potential impact on water quality.

Critics say fracking could poison water supplies, while the natural gas industry says it has been used safely for decades.

Nick Molho, the environmental charity WWF said on Wednesday that the findings can contribute to the "very real concern" people had about fracking.

However, the report estimates that in the "likely scenario" which fracking started another earthquake, the maximum size would be about 3 - which means it is likely that he was barely if at all.


Meanwhile, activists who oppose fracking pounced on one of the platforms of the company in a protest against the industry.

In a statement, said he believed the crew had "five protesters at the site, four of which are attached to the machine."

Occupy Vancouver: City Debates and use of force to end protests

VANCOUVER - The head of the Vancouver police says he is not interested in the dispersal of the demonstrators by force Occupy Vancouver because of the tactics simply did not work in U.S. cities.

Chief Jim Chu appeared before city council on Tuesday and asked the mayor their views on the city "wait and see" approach to solving show, part of a global movement.

"In other jurisdictions, where they tried to end police interventions, not over," Chu told the public meeting, as council staff questions the main town and reflected on how best to achieve a peaceful solution.

Chu said that when officers descended from the demonstration in Oakland, California, protesters reconverge in equal numbers. Dressed in riot police attacked the camp last week and used tear gas to drive the crowds, however, the field again the next day.

The report said the city using the hardline approach of the police has also worked in Chicago or Melbourne. Mass arrests have been made in Denver, Portland and Perth. London officials abandoned attempts to seek a court order.

Chu said he has been following closely developments in Canadian and U.S. cities. He said if the Council decides the police should move, he prefers council obtain a warrant before asking the police to act.

"We have seen (the protests) in the city before," he said.


"Our goal at the police department to help facilitate lawful protest. We're seeing as peace officers. (We) want to ensure that criminal acts have no place. "

City staff provided Council with an update Tuesday the village that is originated in the city center on the lawn in front of the iconic art gallery in Vancouver.

Tuesday's meeting was the last board of a municipal election before the next, and a councilman who is running for the job of mayor tried to ask the city to close down activism.

However, city manager, Penny Ballem said the council or the police, fire or health officials have expressed concern over imminent for 150 participants during the day or 60 people staying in tents every night .

He said that going to court to obtain a court order that requires showing that there are significant risks to the public and that the process could take days or weeks.

"We want to be challenged to find a reason for a court to take any action," he said.

Should that change, however, Chu explained that the situation could be resolved.

He said if the protesters refused to leave despite being legally bound by an injunction, the city would be required to obtain a warrant.

At that time the police do their job, he said.

"Of course, when we entered, we are really trying the best we can do this with minimum force possible, with the best cooperation of the people. That is what we strive for," he said.

They occupy the protests against what protesters say is corporate greed taking place in 1,700 cities around the world, Ballem said in its update.

Ballem and Mayor Gregor Robertson said he hopes to negotiate a peaceful solution.

Ballem acknowledged that it is likely due to disturbance of the Stanley Cup that more police and other rescuers were during the first weekend of protest costs balloon. The marches and the occupation began in Vancouver on October 15th, in solidarity with the protest occupy Wall Street that started it all.

Ballem said while the protest has cost the city half a million dollars so far, the relatively quiet and cooperative nature of the group still on the ground has allowed the city to reduce costs.

The protest has been going on in the middle of a civic election campaign.

Robertson's main rival in the November 19 vote, demanded council scheme plans on how to bring the situation to resolution.

"People are good, the protest is good, but the stores are not and that is causing major problems," the country. Suzanne Anton.

Robertson accused him of grandstanding.

"We've been hearing from staff in all areas here that many of the risks are being managed," said Robertson, adding that he is looking for a peaceful solution.

"I do not want the kind of mistakes that have been done in other cities that led to violence."

In fact, Anton attempted to Occupy Vancouver closed when no field is not on the board attached to his motion.