Stop Censorship Today, Mozilla is joining the virtual strike against Internet censorship - along with others like Wikipedia and Google - to raise awareness of US Congress legislation that could fundamentally alter the Internet we know and love.

This harmful legislation, called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate, will be voted on as early as January 24th in the Senate.

If you live in the US, there's still time to help stop these bills from becoming law. Please visit mozilla.org/sopa for information on the bill, and on ways you can reach out to your legislators.

What makes this legislation so bad? Here's how it would change the Web:
  • Communication platforms - from YouTube to Facebook to Amazon - could be shut down if a single rights holder alleges a violation.
  • It would make the Web less stable and less secure.
  • Social networking sites, like Twitter or Facebook, could be forced to track and control user behavior, stunting innovation and undermining free expression.
  • Your Internet provider could be required to inspect all of your traffic and browsing.

Visit mozilla.org/sopa right now for information - and make your voice heard before it's too late.

Please join today's strike, and help protect the Internet.

Sincerely,

Jane & Winston
Editors


Stop Censorship
The International Traders of Iowa, Eastern Iowa Chapter, is holding and information and membership meeting on Tuesday, February 7th from 5:30 - 7:30 at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 525 33rd Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids IA 52404.

To kick off our membership event, special Corporate membership pricing is available for only $100 through March 15. (A savings of $50!) Discounted Student Pricing Available! We will be holding a drawing to give away one (1) free corporate membership, and one (1) voucher for a free meeting.   Bring your business cards!


Questions and RSVPs can be directed to:
Deanna (Dee) Freeman, President, 319-295-2490, dlfreem1@rockwellcollins.com
Melissa Jones, Vice President, 319-393-4310, melissa@espint.com
Or visit www.iowatraders.com for more information.

Center for Rural Affairs Offers Farm Bill Help Line to Assist Producers


Lyons, NE - USDA's National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently announced  that the deadline for producer applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has been extended to January 27, 2012.

While CSP is a continuous sign-up program and producers can apply to enroll at any time of the year, NRCS applies a cut-off date for applications to be considered during a particular fiscal year.  Once the cut-off date is past, producers may continue to apply for the program, but they will not be considered for entry until the spring of the following year, in this case spring of 2013. In order to enroll in 2012 applications must filed by January 27.

The Conservation Stewardship Program is a voluntary stewardship incentives program, administered by USDA's NRCS, designed to reward farmers, ranchers, and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation on working lands, as well as for the adoption of additional conservation measures that provide multiple environmental benefits that run beyond the farm or ranch. This program pays producers for clean water, better soil management, improved habitat, energy efficiency, and other natural resource benefits.

"We hope more farmers and ranchers will take advantage of this extension for the CSP application deadline. To meet this deadline, they just need to submit the basic application form to their local NRCS office," said Traci Bruckner, Assistant Director of Rural Policy at the Center for Rural Affairs.

CSP is one of the most popular conservation programs. In 2010 alone, nearly 21,000 applicants enrolled in CSP, putting additional conservation on 25.2 million acres, about the size of the state of Kentucky. Farmers and ranchers interested in applying should contact their local NRCS office as soon as possible to meet the deadline.

To sign up, producers should visit their NRCS local service center (http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?agency=nrcs).

Bruckner is encouraging farmers, ranchers and others to call the Center for Rural Affairs' Farm Bill Helpline with questions about the application process and to share their experiences, both positive and negative. "We know the previous sign-ups have yielded some great success stories for farmers and ranchers, but also some disappointments and frustrations."

"We want this program to work for all farmers and ranchers employing conservation-based farming systems, and firmly believe the CSP is a step in the right direction for policy to financially reward historical commitments to conservation, as well as encourage further adoption," Bruckner continued. "This is a far better approach than paying to clean-up problems."

Bruckner commented that it would be most useful for producers to have specific information available when they call, including a complete copy of their application materials, and more specifically the Conservation Measurement Tool responses and ranking information for their state or ranking area. The NRCS office will provide only a summary, unless specifically asked for a complete print out that includes their ranking information, the highest scores in their state or area, and how far down the ranking list NRCS was able to provide contracts before the money ran out for the last sign-up period.

"One of the main goals for our Farm Bill Helpline is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of programs such as the CSP," said Bruckner. "It is only with that information that we are able to push for any needed changes and improvements."

Producers can also receive guidance for applying for other conservation programs. "Through our helpline you will speak to someone who is knowledgeable about the program rules to help you understand how to participate in the program," Bruckner added. Producers can call (402) 687-2100 and ask for the Farm Bill Helpline or send an email to tracib@cfra.org.

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Belleville Workshop Gets Public Involved in Helping Servicemembers After They Return from Deployment; Story by Spc. Dan LoGrasso, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BELLEVILLE, IL (01/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Military counselors, Illinois National Guard members and counseling professionals from across central Illinois met at Lindenwood University in Belleville for the pilot program to help servicemembers following deployment. The Illinois National Guard partnered with the East St. Louis Vet Center and St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center for the program.

The Jan. 13 workshop was designed by the National Guard's Service Member and Family Support Services to educate civilian counselors on the realities of mental health issues like post-traumatic stress and survivor's guilt affecting military members and their families.

The new workshop is part of Lindenwood University's Professional and School Counseling Continuing Education Program. Ken Kubicek, division chair of the Education and Counseling Division at Lindenwood and a Vietnam veteran, said professional counselors in Illinois must have continuous education to keep their licenses, and many have begun looking for military-specific education to meet the needs of returning veterans and their families.

"It was hard to believe that this presentation was a pilot program," said Kubicek. "It was very well-prepared and polished."

More than 1.9 million servicemembers have been deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom and an estimated 30 percent have or will have psychological injuries.

Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart of Belleville, Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, said the Department of Veterans Affairs needs assistance and educating civilian counselors and local communities will ensure help is rapidly available to servicemembers and their families.

"Many people ask me, 'What can I do to help?'" said Enyart. "And the fact that 40 professionals came [to the workshop] despite weather shows that this country values their veterans."

Eric Murray, chief of Service Member and Family Support Services for the Illinois National Guard, organized the workshop. He said he feels good about the pilot program and will follow up with the attendees to see how they are applying the workshop's material professionally and improve the program.

"The community reaching out to us to host shows how eager people are to help and support service members." said Murray. "They understand that being home from theater does not mean troops are done needing help."

During her lecture on post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt, Illinois National Guard Director of Psychological Health, Juliann Steinbeigle, described military mental health issues as injuries, not illnesses. Guy Spooner, registered nurse and case manager at the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said working with veterans can be challenging because of the stigma attached to mental health issues, which the Department of Veterans Affairs is working to erase.

"[Mental health professionals] need to look [veterans] in the eye and tell them, 'You're normal. You're having a normal response to an abnormal problem.'" said Spooner.

New Rockford Station and Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque Rail Corridor Expected to Support Nearly 700 Jobs

ROCKFORD - January 17, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $3 million investment to develop a new multi-modal station in Rockford just south of the downtown area. The Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan funding to design and engineer the new facility is in addition to the $60 million allocated to construct the Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque rail corridor. The two projects together are expected to support nearly 700 jobs, and bring rail access back to a part of the state that has not seen service in 30 years.

"Investing in Rockford is good for Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "Not only will we create a new station and Amtrak service, we'll create new jobs and attract more economic development to the Rockford area. Illinois residents will have additional travel options and reduced travel times from Rockford to the Chicago area and to western parts of our state."

The total cost of the new multi-modal station is expected to be approximately $12 million, including design and engineering. The Illinois Department of Transportation and City of Rockford will work to obtain the additional funds to move construction of the project forward. Construction is expected to begin in late 2012 on the site of the former Amtrak station in Rockford.

"This is great news for Illinois. Under the leadership of Governor Quinn, the grant allocated for this project is expected to provide easy access for Amtrak passengers to and from the Rockford metropolitan area," Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider said. "The new facility also will encourage the public to use transit as a mode of transportation and expand community access."

The new station, which will serve Amtrak's new Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque corridor, replaces a dilapidated structure that the city of Rockford demolished at its own expense last year.  The facility will support both passenger rail and public transit, which will improve accessibility and air quality by reducing vehicle emissions.

The Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque corridor is planned to carry one round-trip per day with planned stops in South Elgin, Genoa, Rockford, Freeport and Galena. Construction on the new facility and corridor is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.

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Coal Valley, Ill. (January 17, 2012) - The 2011 list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants, released yesterday by In Defense of Animals (IDA), once again exposes the hidden suffering of elephants in zoos, where lack of space, unsuitably cold climates and unnatural conditions condemn Earth's largest land mammals to lifetimes of deprivation, disease and early death. The list is in its eighth year.

A promising trend toward the closure of inadequate elephant displays continued in 2011 and includes zoos that have appeared on IDA's annual list. The most recent are the Central Florida Zoo and Southwick's Zoo in Massachusetts. The Toronto Zoo's appearance on the 2009 list sparked a campaign that led to the closure of that exhibit in 2012. This brings the number of zoos that have closed or will close their elephant exhibits to 22, and zoo experts report that the number is expected to rise.

The Niabi Zoo appears for the second time on IDA's list with the following entry:

Niabi Zoo (Coal Valley, Illinois) - Nothing to brag about. This small zoo brags that it is the only facility with elephants in Illinois, but it should be ashamed of the grossly inadequate conditions in which it keeps them. Elephants Babe and Sophie have a history of painful chronic foot infections, and one of the elephants had a positive reaction on a blood test for tuberculosis, a serious disease that is transmissible to humans and other elephants. The zoo is trying to raise $4 million to construct a new exhibit that still would be too small to meet the elephants' immense needs. And the elephants would continue to spend the duration of the long, freezing winters inside a cramped barn. Given the possible presence of an infectious disease, it would not be wise to bring in another elephant. Zoo visitors and the animals would be better served if the zoo ended its elephant program and invested its resources in upgrading other exhibits.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park (California) earns yet another dishonorable mention, and the San Antonio Zoo (Texas) becomes the newest inductee into the Worst Zoos for Elephants Hall of Shame, a special honor reserved for the worst repeat offenders.

Another result of IDA's relentless advocacy for elephants in zoos has been the creation of an historic management policy by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The new policy calls for an end to handling that requires keepers to share the same unrestricted space with elephants. If the AZA is serious about enforcing this policy, it will facilitate an end to the use of the bullhook, a weapon used by keepers to threaten and often inflict painful physical punishment.

"IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list illustrates the many serious problems that condemn elephants to lives of misery in zoos," said IDA Elephant Campaign Director Catherine Doyle. "These include abnormal repetitive behaviors, hyper-aggression, social isolation, and deadly conditions such as foot and joint disease caused by lack of space and movement."

"Scientific research has shown what elephants need: space to walk miles every day, large families with whom to spend their lives, and rich natural environments," said Doyle. "Caging elephants in zoo displays is not humane and it is not conservation."

For more information, please visit www.HelpElephants.com.

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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals' rights, welfare, and habitat through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on the announcement that David Kotz, inspector general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is leaving his position.  Grassley has worked with whistleblowers and conducted other oversight of the agency to help ensure it fulfills its mission of protecting the investing public.

"The SEC needs another good inspector general.  The agency has a big job and faces ongoing challenges to stay on top of fraud.  It's had some high-profile problems, including missing the Madoff scheme and weak ethics enforcement, as in the David Becker situation.  David Kotz produced strong, conclusive reports, even as critics claimed he was too aggressive.  An aggressive, independent inspector general is best for the agency in the long run, even if that's uncomfortable for management.  The SEC leaders would be smart to value those qualities and search carefully for candidates who won't pull punches.  Go-along-to-get-along just doesn't get the job done.  You need someone who tells it like it is."
GRANT, Mich.  - Ever wonder what it costs to quit a labor union?
For one Michigan educator, the annual costs of "non-membership" in the local, state and national teacher unions total $544.28.
But Andrew Buikema, 10-year teacher with Grant Public Schools, is willing to pay the price, just for the privilege of being seen as a true professional, instead of a union worker.
Michigan is not a "right to work" state, which means Buikema's job is still affected by the district's contract with the local teachers union, the Grant Education Association. The GEA is affiliated with the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association.
Buikema has been trying to leave the union since last spring, when he realized that GEA leaders were uninterested in helping the district control costs, even in the face of a multi-million dollar deficit.
By refusing to make wage and benefit concessions, the union contributed to conditions that led to 27 teachers - including Buikema - receiving layoff notices. The district was also forced into making cuts to student academic and extracurricular programs.
Buikema's job was saved at the last minute, but he was disgusted by the union's selfishness.
The union's intransigence convinced Buikema that "the union doesn't care about kids."
"They keep asking for more and more, even though the school district can't afford it," he told EAG. "They're concerned about taking care of the adults and have no consideration for the kids. I don't want to be part of an organization that says one thing and does another," he said.
Buikema said he was "raked over the coals" by his local union leaders when he suggested the GEA could help alleviate the district's financial woes - and possibly help save some teaching jobs - by switching from union-owned and operated MESSA health insurance to a less expensive carrier.
Buikema estimated that the district could save between $530,000 and $980,000 annually.
Not only did local union leaders not like Buikema's idea, but they verbally attacked him for even suggesting it. "The amount of flak I got, particularly from veteran teachers, was ridiculous to the point of being unprofessional," he said.
Buikema was also put off by the NEA's new $10 levy on members to help re-elect President Obama."It's the principle involved," Buikema said at the time. "They're taking money to support a candidate that members may or may not support. That's a very big deal."
Unions bury dissenters in pile of legal documents

Last summer, Buikema decided to cancel his union membership altogether. The MEA and NEA finally responded to his resignation request last month by sending approximately 150 pages of documents. The upshot of all those documents is this: Buikema can technically quit both unions, but he must still pay them $544.28 in "service fees," which equals 67.7 percent of a normal union membership.
"Dear Non-Member," the MEA letter begins, "You are employed in a bargaining unit represented by an affiliate of the Michigan Education Association. ... Your collective bargaining agreement contains a provision which requires you to join the association or to pay a service fee."
Another document explains that those service fees are based on "annual expenditures ... incurred for the purpose of performing the duties of an exclusive representation of the employees."
The unions claim the service fee only pays for activities that don't involve an "ideological cause or political activity unrelated to collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance adjustment and lawfully chargeable employee representation." A 64-page document breaks down all of the separate charges that go into the $544.28 fee, and explains how each is allowed under current law.
Yesterday, Buikema sent his own letter to the MEA:
"I am enclosing a check for $25 to the MEA, because that's what I can afford to do right now. You will receive the remaining balance as I am able to pay. ...
" ... Forcing teachers to join your organization and pay dues is criminal. What happened to free will and the right to choose? I am trying to get out of the union because you don't stand for kids.
" ... You send this massive packet of ... legal documents that I cannot decipher because I am not a lawyer ... to do what exactly? Scare me? Intimidate me? What you are proving is that you will go to great lengths to get people's money. ..."
As a non-member, Buikema has the legal right to contest any of the "service fee" charges, but it entails a long and complicated legal process. And the MEA and NEA are well-represented by lawyers and accountants, as the stack of documents makes clear. The implication is obvious: It is futile for an individual teacher to protest the hundreds of dollars in fees. "They're just going to make you pay anyway," Buikema concludes.
Buikema says some of his colleagues have expressed interest in also breaking away from the union, but are taking a wait-and-see approach. "Most teachers like to be safe and stay in their comfort zone," Buikema said. "I don't care about that."
Buikema has remained an outspoken union critic, and wants to be seen as a true professional whose worth is solely determined by his performance in the classroom, and not by his ranking on the seniority chart.
That won't truly happen until Michigan becomes a right to work state, and union membership is no longer compulsory. Until then, Buikema chooses to be a "non-member" and will pay $544.28 for the privilege.

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MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – Robard Corporation, a leading provider of weight loss programs and products, today announced the launch of two new Salad Spray Dressings. Balsamic Vinaigrette and Honey Mustard come in portable sprayer bottles and not a traditional pour bottle so they help aid in portion control and are a convenient addition to diet plans.

Balsamic Vinaigrette and Honey Mustard Spray Salad Dressings contain ingredients that support fat and carbohydrate metabolism, help burn more calories, assist in protecting cell functions, and support fat burning thermogenesis. With their simple delivery system and quality nutritional makeup, the new Salad Spray Dressings were designed to maintain dieter compliance and success throughout every phase of Robard`s diversified diet programs.

Robard Corporation has launched over 20 new products in form and flavor for its customers over the last year. Its Salad Spray Dressings are the latest in an extensive product line with a goal of expanding sales and dieter retention.

For more information on Robard and its services, please visit www.Robard.com.

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Jan 14th 2012, Ny, Ny. Award winning Dj Power "The Soul Controller" has enlisted Soca superstar Machel Montano and Kardinal Offishall for his new single titled "Fly So High" on the Starline Music label. Released earlier this week, this infectious Electro/House/Pop/Soca fusion style dubbed "Solectro" by Power is already making waves with its rhythmic melody and percussion, Machel's uplifting, captivating chorus and a fire spitting verse from Kardinal Offishall. The track versions can be heard here:

FLY SO HIGH (Radio edit)

FLY SO HIGH (House Mix)

"Fly So High" was written by Machel Montano, Peter "Wildfire" Noel and Kardinal Offishall and produced by Power with duo Badnuz & Pops who's production credits include recent collaborations with famed Drake producer Boi-1da. Expect more from this trio as they have been busy crafting more tracks for Dj Power's upcoming album which besides "Fly So High" will also feature many collaborations with artists including Kalenna Harper (Diddy Dirty Money) and the track "Makeup" with Vybz Kartel recorded just days before his current incarceration. "Fly So High" will also be featured on Machel Montano's upcoming album to be released later this year. "Machel's an amazing songwriter, singer and performer and we wanted to bring this sound to the world, Kardi's verse is icing on the cake and only adds more power to this monster track", states Power.The track is available on Itunes, Beatport, Dj Tunes and Juno.

BUY TRACK HERE

Dj Power became famous for his Soul Controllers mashup mixtape compilations and remixes fusing Reggae/dancehall and Soca music with Hip Hop, House and Electro earning him a coveted Justo's mixtape award. His remixes and compilations have been featured in such publications as the Ny Times and played by dj's around the world including his work on Mims "Why I'm Hot" remix featuring Baby Cham and Junior Reid and his remix to world cup anthem Knaan's "Waving Flag.

LISTEN AND DOWNLOAD A RECENT DJ POWER LIVE SET HERE

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