Iran’s dead and detained are named but 1,000s missing

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Byline

Brutal regime is killing its own people – Guardian.co.uk publishes list and data base of known and unknown Iranians in prison or missing

Click to enter the interactive database

The first executions have begun. Iran today hanged two men convicted of trying to topple the country’s Islamic regime, the first known executions of opposition activists since unrest broke out following June’s disputed presidential elections, the state television website reported.

Hundreds, probably thousands, have been arrested in Iran since the presidential election on 12 June. Human rights and campaign groups such as Human Rights Watch, the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Reporters Without Borders have been collecting and publishing the names of those dead or detained.
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Change in PEI’s Autism Supports Creates More Questions

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Move to Education and Early Childhood Development underway for March 1, 2010

April Ennis, mother of two children with autism spectrum

April Ennis, a mother of two children with autism spectrum, writes in her blog that her funding for Disability Supports for the boys is being shifted from one government department to the other: Social Services and Seniors to Education and Childhood Development.

Since 2006 when the government lost the case at the Human Rights Commission brought by four families of children and young adults with autism, there has been talk of reforming the services to people with autism.

Some in the autism group agree with the move and others are concerned. The stated logic is that the Department of Education is delivering services to children with autism in the school system; therefore, they are logically the ones to administer the services.
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52 More Haitian Orphans Arrive in Canada (Video)

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Stephen Pate

2nd of two flights touches down with children ready for new homes and families

Haitian orphans on the bus before leaving Port au Prince photo: CBC

Haitian orphans on a bus before leaving Port au Prince for Canada

The left 30 degrees in Haiti and touched down in Ottawa at -4 C. The weather wasn’t on the minds of 52 Haitians flown to Canada to be united with their adoptive parents.

This is the second plane load of orphans from Haiti since the earthquake. 24 children arrived on Sunday bringing the total to 76.

The children had already been cleared to come to Canada and it was only necessary to fast-track the paperwork and get then safely on flights north.

Adoption of children who weren’t in the final stages of adoption by Canadian parents is expected to take longer since paperwork has been lost in the earthquake, government buildings destroyed and chaos reigns in the Haitian government. Continue reading →

Iran executes two protesters over post-election unrest

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Byline

Iranian court sentences 9 more to execution pending appeals

Mohammad Ali-Zamani is reportedly one of those hanged

The wave of political unrest after the June 2009 elections in Iran has met with swift and fatal justice for two Iranians tried and executed. Nine more were convicted of crimes against god and await appeals.

BBC They had been convicted of being “enemies of God”, members of armed groups and trying to topple the Islamic establishment, Isna news agency said.

The executions are believed to be the first related to last year’s protests.

Millions demanded a re-run of June’s poll at the largest demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Opposition groups said it had been rigged to ensure the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a charge the government denied.

At least 30 protesters have been killed in clashes since the elections, although the opposition says more than 70 have died. Thousands have been detained and some 200 activists remain behind bars.
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Apple for Suckers: Steve Jobs Unveils Giant iPod

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Apple fans have their names in, the rest of of the world is less impressed by iPad

First the gushing reports and now the reality is setting in: Apple has not changed the world with iPad.

It’s just another improvement in a long line of computing devices. Let’s face it we, as in the techno-weenie part of the population, crave gadgets. Apple will sell out the initial batch if tablet computers based on style, marketing savvy and dedicated Mac-head fan base. After that, the market may not rush to Apple’s door.

It will appear that Apple now owns the tablet market but in reality the biggest producer of tablet computers will be someone like Acer or HP. It’s the same as the iPhone: we assume Apple has the lion’s share of the market because that’s all the press write about. Nokia, with more than 40% market share, is the largest maker of 3G and legacy cell phones. Samsung is next. Apple is growing quickly and someday may get to 8% of the market, someday.
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Not everybody thinks Apple hit a home run with iPad

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Byline

Everything Everyone Got Wrong About The iPad by Jay Yarow

Well, it’s here. The iPad is a real thing. And it’s really boring.

Why is it boring? In the run-up to the announcement, we we’re led to believe the Apple tablet would “redefine” newspapers, text books and magazines.

From the looks of it, that’s just not true.

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Harper Tories galvanize Canadian political discontent

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Stephen Pate

246,000 Canadians protest prorogue of House of Commons on Facebook polls show Harper dropped a 17% spread over Liberals

It’s hard to think more than 20,000 Canadians braved frigid temperatures on a late January Saturday to protest the abuse of democracy by the Stephen Harper government. That is exactly what happened last Saturday.

They showed up to tell Prime Minister Harper they don’t like his brand of democracy that stops Parliament from working. The protest movement started with a university professor in Alberta, generally considered Harper’s home. From that Facebook group, there are now 246,000 Canadians who have created 90 groups on Facebook to take aim at the Prime Minister.
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Emmylou Harris & Elvis Costello – Love Hurts

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Stephen Pate

more about "Know A Thing Or Two…", posted with vodpod

This gorgeous song is the reason every guitarist must own a tremolo pedal. One could almost like Elvis Costello after his faithful performance here. Another gem from Felice and Bordleaux Bryant.