Meeting reviews safety measures in Ha Long Bay | Vktour travel blog

Meeting reviews safety measures in Ha Long Bay


Oct 19

Ha Long Bay rescue agencies met with the People?s Committee of Quang Ninh Province on October 15 to review safety and injury prevention measures, following a spate of waterway accidents.

The two agencies currently in charge of bay rescues ? the Ha Long Bay Management Board Rescue Centre and the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism?s Centre of Diving and Rescue for Underwater Sports ? have both been labelled ineffective due to lack of staff and equipment.
The Quang Ninh Province?s Port Department said the provincial People?s Committee needs to provide more resources for the agencies in charge and must step up cooperation between local authorities and concerned provinces to ensure safety on the bay.

The Waterway Traffic Police of Quang Ninh Province suggested increased inspections of waterway vehicles in ports and increased management over fishing villages, beaches and areas where boats stay, to ensure they are meeting required safety standards.

Other agencies also asked the People?s Committee to approve the plan to step up rescue work and fire prevention for Ha Long Bay to 2015, with a vision until 2020.

Vu Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Chairwoman of the provincial People?s Committee said the committee had asked relevant local agencies to develop on-site rescue plans as an urgent solution.

She added that the committee was developing long-term plans to organise training courses to raise the awareness and capacity of those in the tourism sector, especially boat operators.
Source: VNA

Source: http://www.vktour.com/blog/meeting-reviews-safety-measures-in-ha-long-bay/

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For Romney and Obama, one-liners are on the menu

Amy Collella, a counter worker at the Oakmont Bakery, stands behind boxes of sugar cookies bearing the likenesses of President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, at the bakery on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Amy Collella, a counter worker at the Oakmont Bakery, stands behind boxes of sugar cookies bearing the likenesses of President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, at the bakery on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney greets a child during a campaign event at Ida Lee Park Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, in Leesburg, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Platters of sugar cookies bearing the likenesses of President Barack Obama, left, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, are available for sale on the counter at the Oakmont Bakery on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The presidential campaign, heavy on finger-pointing and recrimination, is taking a brief but abrupt detour so President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney can play politics for laughs.

The rivals are quieting the bickering to address the venerable Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a white-tie gala Thursday evening at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel that has been a required stop for politicians since the end of World War II.

In keeping with tradition, both candidates have prepared lighthearted fare for the fundraising event organized by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York for the benefit of needy children. That was the case almost precisely four years ago when Obama and GOP nominee John McCain poked fun at themselves and each other just a day after an intense presidential debate at Hofstra University on Long Island.

As in 2008, this year's dinner comes in the wake of a confrontational debate, also at Hofstra, lending an air of drama to the pivot from acrimony to humor.

What's more, the dinner's host is Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has clashed with the Obama administration over contraception provisions in the new health care law. Dolan has said he received "stacks of mail" protesting the dinner invitation to Obama. But Dolan has sought to avoid playing political favorites, even delivering benedictions at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions this summer.

The dinner was Romney's only public event Thursday. Obama planned to campaign in New Hampshire, one of the most competitive states in the election, before taping an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with host Jon Stewart.

Romney and Obama were traveling to New York, a state firmly behind Obama, as their campaigns mounted an aggressive appeal for undecided female voters.

During stops Wednesday in Iowa and Ohio, the president mocked Romney's remark during Tuesday night's debate that as Massachusetts governor, he received "whole binders full of women" as he sought to diversify his administration. "We don't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified, talented women," Obama said.

Romney made his own pitch to women.

"This president has failed American's women," he told a crowd in Chesapeake, Va. "They've suffered in terms of getting jobs," he added, saying that 3.6 million more of them are in poverty now than when Obama took office.

His campaign aired a television commercial that seemed designed to soften his opposition to abortion while urging women to keep pocketbook issues uppermost in their minds when they vote.

On the celebrity front, Obama picked up the endorsement of rock star Bruce Springsteen, who also backed the Democrat in 2008. In a letter on his website, Springsteen called the president's term a "really rough ride." But he said that "though grit, determination and focus, the president has been able to do a great many things that many of us deeply support."

Springsteen planned to appear at two events for Obama on Thursday, including a rally in Ohio with former President Bill Clinton.

Romney traveled on Wednesday with comedian Dennis Miller, and singer Lee Greenwood warmed up his crowd in southeast Virginia.

The political dinner in New York is named for the former four-term Democratic governor of New York who lost the 1928 presidential race Republican Herbert Hoover. Smith was the first Catholic to run for president.

While the Catholic Church has differences with Obama on abortion, contraception and same-sex marriage, the Conference of Catholic Bishops also has clashed with Republicans, opposing GOP budget plans that cut programs for the poor and criticizing efforts to deny illegal immigrants tax refunds from the $1,000-per-child tax credit.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-18-Presidential%20Campaign/id-fb347ec781de437e9dc3ddd1aac97871

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Professional Dispatch and Business Management Tools | Soldiers ...

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Source: http://soldiersforjusticeandpeace.com/professional-dispatch-and-business-management-tools/

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WIW: Stokke Tripp Trapp - Austin Moms Blog

As with everything dealing with babies and children, there are a zillion and three different high chairs, booster seats and devices to help make sitting at the table a little more palatable with a little one.? Typically I fall somewhere in the middle of what is the cheapest and what is the most functional.? I surf the internet and drool over the expensive, name brand items and covet the modern and clean lines of European baby gear ? but all too often, the super expensive price tags (plus shipping!) send me right back to Babies R? Us for whatever item I can grab off of the shelf.

That being said?when Hudson was about 2 1/2, it was time to move him out of his ?Newborn-Toddler Reclining Feeding Seat?.? It wasn?t that he was too big for it, but since it attached to an existing chair, when he would try to climb in and out, it was a tipping over hazard.? I had no idea what I was going to do since our new dining room set now included microsuede parsons chairs, and the last thing I wanted to do was to put a messy toddler in one of those.? I did, however, want him to be sitting up at the table with us ? and not invest in a bigger high chair and tray, that would fit him for a little while longer.

Enter the Stokke Tripp Trapp.

(Image taken from amazon.com)

The perfect combination of function and form!? The Tripp Trapp? chair, was created in 1972 by the designer Peter Opsvik, and is AWESOME.?? It is the only child?s chair that can take you from baby to adult, keeping them secure and comfortable all the way.? According to their website, the Tripp Trapp? designer?s inspiration came from watching his own young son, Tor, struggle to find a comfortable position to sit in at their family table. Having grown out of his old-fashioned high-chair, but still far too small to sit on an adult?s chair, Tor was left dangling his legs and struggling to reach the table.

(Sound familiar?)

I wanted this chair in a BAD way, but the price tag concerned me.? While it sounded like a perfect product, I was apprehensive to spend that much money ? what if it wasn?t all it was cracked up to be?? So, I turned to my trusty friend, Craigslist.? I watched for a week or so and one lovely day, someone in South Austin was selling TWO of them.? For half the price of new.? It was a little rough around the feet, but otherwise in perfect condition.? We made the trek down South, picked up the chair, and 4 years later, Hudson is still sitting comfortably.

It is, by far, one of my favorite products for a family.? It is worth every penny because it truly does ?grow? with your child.? The bonus, is that it can also hold adults, so instead of having a high chair that is useless when the kiddo isn?t home, we can seat adults if necessary!

When we began shopping for Finn?s arrival, I knew that another Tripp Trapp was what we would need.? The great thing is that Stokke also sells a baby set to adapt the chair for the baby.? I haven?t tried out the tray yet (that is sold separately), as I?m not sure if I want to invest the money into a tray when Finn can sit at the table with us now.? I absolutely LOVE that the entire family is actually sitting around/at the table together ? already!? They are so easy to adjust as the kids grow, and are super easy to clean.? And, I have to say?it?s pretty stinkin? cute to see Finn (at 5 months old) sitting in the exact same style chair as his 6 year old brother ? and both of them are VERY happy!

My sweet boys in their matching Tripp Trapp chairs! (Finn rocking the Baby Set.)

So, I ask you?anyone have a Tripp Trapp?? Have you tried the tray attachment?? Is it worth it?

Znal Fzvyrf, Ryvfnorgu

About Elisabeth Hunter

Elisabeth is the Family Life Ministry coordinator at her church and also started Lake Travis School of Fine Arts, where she teachers musical theatre. Her family is an attachment-parenting-style family and believes in breastfeeding, baby wearing and co-sleeping! ?Live, Love, Laugh? is her motto and she lives every day to the fullest.

Source: http://austinmomsblog.com/2012/10/17/wiw-stokke-tripp-trapp/

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Target holiday push includes matching online prices

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target Corp will match certain online retailers' prices this holiday season as the discount chain tries to stand out during what could be a fierce fight for shoppers, Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel said on Tuesday.

For the first time, Target will let customers match prices from online retailers, including Amazon.com , Walmart.com , BestBuy.com , Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com between November 1 and December 16, the company told reporters at a meeting in New York.

Target had previously matched printed advertisements for prices at competitors' stores, and will still match those prices through December 24.

Target's strategy includes being "highly promotional" and "intensely competitive" on price on items carried by other retailers, while also featuring exclusive merchandise, Steinhafel said.

Like many retailers, Target's holiday season plans include an aggressive push around Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally has served as the start of the holiday shopping season. Target did not say what time its stores will open on Black Friday, but it does plan to give out details early on its special prices, said Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Jones.

Commercials for the holiday season include phrases such as "Dream big, save bigger" and "It's On."

Steinhafel also said he is confident Target will meet its financial goals for the year, even though consumer confidence, while rising, remains largely below where it was before the devastating 2007-2009 recession.

Last week, Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's preliminary October reading showed consumer sentiment at its highest level in five years.

Like its rivals, Target is taking nothing for granted this holiday season. Earlier this month, Toys R Us said it would offer price matching at its namesake and Babies R Us stores.

DREAMING OF A DESIGNER CHRISTMAS

Target and upscale department store Neiman Marcus Group Inc will sell a joint line of holiday goods, starting on December 1 during what is often a lull for retailers between Black Friday and the last couple of weeks before Christmas.

The items range from dark gray wrapping paper designed by Rodarte, priced at $7.99 per roll, to a $499.99 floral-and-white bicycle with a neon green seat from Alice + Olivia.

Neiman Marcus CEO Karen Katz said one of the items she plans to buy is a $69.99 metallic pouch from Marc Jacobs.

In order to avoid the out-of-stock and online ordering glitches that overwhelmed Target during the run on Missoni products in 2011, Target and Neiman Marcus are allowing shoppers to buy only up to five of the same item per transaction. All returns must be made by January 5, 2013.

The companies also said that they are sponsoring the November 11 episode of the popular ABC Sunday night show "Revenge" and incorporating products into the episode.

Target will also give its REDcard credit and debit card holders an extra 30 days to return nearly all purchases made with the cards.

Even though Target stopped selling Amazon.com Inc's Kindle ereaders earlier this year, it is not concerned about other partnerships with companies that are also sometimes rivals, said Casey Carl, president of multichannel and senior vice president of marketing.

Target started testing same-day delivery through Ebay Now in the San Francisco Bay Area market on October 10 and now sells a limited number items, both national branded goods and items only sold through Target, on eBay's marketplace section of its site.

But despite the popularity of layaway at other chains, including rival Wal-Mart, Target's shoppers have not asked for layaway - the option of putting an item on hold and paying for it over time, Steinhafel said.

Beyond its Christmas period initiatives, Target has been adding a wider variety of food to more locations, opening smaller city stores and offering a 5 percent discount to its card holders to entice shoppers to visit more often.

Target shares closed on Tuesday at $62.90, up 1.8 percent - outpacing the 0.5 percent gain of the S&P Retail Index <.rlx>.

(Additional writing by Phil Wahba; Editing by Prudence Crowther, Leslie Adler and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/target-holiday-push-includes-matching-online-prices-222949741--finance.html

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Britain blocks hacker's extradition to US

2 hrs.

Tim Castle

A British computer hacker accused by the United States of causing more than $700,000 damage to U.S. military systems will not be extradited because of the high risk he could kill himself, Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May said on Tuesday.

Gary McKinnon, who has been fighting extradition for seven years, faced up to 60 years in a U.S. jail if found guilty of what one U.S. prosecutor called the "biggest military computer hack of all time".

McKinnon, 46, admits hacking into Pentagon and NASA computers under the pseudonym "Solo" but said he was looking for evidence of UFOs.

The former computer systems administrator has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and is suffering from depressive illness. He has been fighting extradition since British police arrested him in 2005.

"I have concluded that Mr McKinnon's extradition would give rise to such a high risk of him ending his life that a decision to extradite would be incompatible with Mr McKinnon's human rights," May told parliament.

"I have therefore withdrawn the extradition order against Mr McKinnon."

The U.S. Department of Justice expressed its "disappointment" with the decision, but said the exceptional circumstances would not set a precedent for future extradition cases between the two countries.

McKinnon's case was one of the most high-profile extradition decisions ever faced by the British government.

Campaigners had said it highlighted the unbalanced nature of Britain's extradition treaty with the United States, arguing it was easier to send a British suspect to the United States than the other way round.?

'Seriously ill'
The British decision was praised by campaigners, legislators and McKinnon's family.

"I am overwhelmed, incredibly happy. I want to say thank you, Theresa May, it was an incredibly brave decision to stand up to another nation as strong and powerful as America. She had the guts to do it," his mother Janis Sharp said.

Prime Minister David Cameron expressed sympathy for McKinnon before coming to power in 2011 and raised concerns over the extradition agreement with U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this year.

British legislators had demanded an overhaul of the treaty, signed in 2003 to speed up transfer of suspects between the two allies, saying it was biased in favor of the United States and failed to protect the rights of British citizens.

May said she would introduce legislation to allow British judges to block the transfer of suspects to a foreign court in extradition cases.

"I have decided to introduce a forum bar. This will mean that where prosecution is possible in both the UK and in another state, the British courts will be able to bar prosecution overseas, if they believe it is in the interests of justice to do so," May said.

U.S. officials say McKinnon accessed 97 military and NASA computers in 2001 and 2002, disabling naval systems and causing more than $700,000 of damage.

May said she made?her decision not to extradite him after studying medical reports and hearing?extensive legal advice.

"Mr. McKinnon is accused of serious crimes, but there is also no doubt that he is seriously ill," she said.

It would now be up to British prosecutors to decide whether McKinnon had any case to answer in a British court, May said.?

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at:?http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/britain-blocks-hackers-extradition-us-1C6502371

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Michelle Malkin ? Hollywood&#39;s Hysterical ?Cancer Screening? Lie for ...

As expected, President Obama poured on the #ladyparts pandering during the second presidential debate last night at Hofstra University. He falsely claimed that Planned Parenthood provides mammograms to ?millions? of women ? a lie that went unchallenged by female moderator and serial Romney interrupter Candy Crowley. Obama also referred several times to Romney/Ryan?s opposition to taxpayer subsidies for the abortion giant, at one point working it into an answer about the economy from a black male undecided voter.

Hollywood groupies ate it up, of course. Which brings us to my new column on a Tinseltown-disseminated ?war on women? goblin that needs to be exposed, debunked, and buried once and for all.

With MoveOne running its Hollywood #ladyparts ad in swing states Colorado, pushback is needed fast and fierce. Here you go. Read, share, and spread the word.

***

Hollywood?s Hysterical ?Cancer Screening? Lie for Obama
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2012

The Hollywood Women for Obama Club wants you to vote with your ?lady parts.? I want the women of America to vote with their lady smarts. The latest ad from a trio of Tinsel Town actresses spreads one of the stupidest lies about Mitt Romney this election cycle. Fantasyland needs a fact check.

According to starlets Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington, the GOP presidential ticket wants to ?end? funding for ?cancer screenings.? If you and your reproductive organs don?t vote for Obama, the doe-eyed celebrities ominously imply, people will DIE, DIE, DIE!

This scare-mongering falsehood has been repeated endlessly by Planned Parenthood and the Obama campaign itself. An official Obama for America ad released in August accuses Romney?s running mate, Paul Ryan, of backing measures to ?allow employers to deny women access to cancer screenings.? It also is being used by demagogic Democrats in key Senate races (in Montana, for example).

This much is true: Romney and Ryan do indeed support ending all federal taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood?s billion-dollar empire. One-third of the budget of the nation?s largest abortion provider, which masquerades as a comprehensive health care provider, comes from government.

But here?s what the famous femmes don?t tell you: Planned Parenthood does not provide women with mammograms. PP?s ?women?s health? mantle is a sham. An undercover investigation of 30 Planned Parenthood clinics in 27 different states, conducted by pro-life group Live Action, confirmed that the abortion provider does not perform breast cancer screenings. ?We don?t provide those services whatsoever,? a staffer at Planned Parenthood of Arizona admitted. Planned Parenthood?s Comprehensive Health Center clinic in Overland Park, Kan., acknowledged: ?We actually don?t have a, um, mammogram machine, at our clinics.?

But don?t just take Live Action?s word for it. In June 2012, the Obama Health and Human Services Department responded to a request for information about how many Planned Parenthood clinics were certified to operate mammogram facilities. ?Our search did not find any documents pertinent to your request,? HHS told the Alliance Defense Fund.

Got that? Fraudulent Hollywood harridans and their hero in the White House have been deliberately deceiving women into thinking that eliminating Planned Parenthood subsidies would mean a catastrophic end to affordable cancer screening services. But the abortion provider?s purported ?referral services? to outside mammogram facilities are negligible ? especially given the widespread availability of free and low-cost breast and cervical cancer screening services across the country supported by both private and public grants.

Wait, that?s not all. In the real world, it?s the Obama administration, not Republicans, who have actively presided over and promoted a drop in cancer screenings for both men and women over the past four years. You can thank Democratic crusaders for health care rationing in the White House. They want all the glory of championing socialized medicine, but cut and run from the consequences at election time.

Under Obamacare, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) will be empowered to determine which health care services are ?medically appropriate.? For nearly three decades, the federal panel of primary care physicians and epidemiologists has issued nonbinding guidelines and A-F ratings of recommended medical procedures. But as Forbes columnist Dr. Paul Hsieh explains:

?ObamaCare links insurance coverage of preventive medical services to their USPSTF rating. ? (U)nder ObamaCare, Medicare payment decisions will become increasingly controlled by the new Independent Payment Advisory Board, explicitly created to reduce Medicare spending. ? To reduce costs, many private insurers will likely drop coverage for ?C? and ?D? rated services. Hence under ObamaCare, the USPSTF guidelines will likely become the de facto standards for both government and private health insurance coverage.?

And that means dropping coverage for the very services Scar-Jo and her femme friends are accusing the GOP of threatening.

Note: The USPSTF is the same review panel that advised cutting back on routine ovarian cancer screenings last month, recommended fewer prostate cancer screening tests in May 2012, and proposed mammogram restrictions in 2009.

In fact, the Mayo Clinic reported this summer that mammogram screenings for women in their 40s have declined nearly 6 percent since the Obama panel announced its decision in 2009. ?Comparing mammography rates before and after publication of the new guidelines,? the Mayo Clinic wrote, ?researchers found that the recommendations were associated with a 5.72 percent decrease in the mammography rate for women ages 40-49. Over a year, nearly 54,000 fewer mammograms were performed in this age group.?

It?s no surprise the Hollywood ?cancer screening? horror ad script was written by left-wing actor/director Rob Reiner of ?All in the Family? and Archie Bunker fame. These Obama-promoting meatheads and their hysterical handmaidens inhabit a manufactured world impervious to facts and fiscal realities.

~ For the latest breaking news, be sure to join Michelle's e-mail list ~

Source: http://michellemalkin.com/2012/10/17/hollywoods-hysterical-cancer-screening-lie-for-obama/

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