Saturday, September 7, 2019
Adam Kokesh, an Iraq War veteran, activist, radio show host, and currently a candidate for the US Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, spoke with Wikinews to discuss his background, political positions, and campaign for President of the United States.
Kokesh, who hails from Arizona, has been active in the anti-war movement since returning home from combat in Iraq. After an initial honorary discharge from active duty with the US Marine Corp in 2006, Kokesh was given a general discharge from the Marine Forces Reserve in 2007 after images of him wearing his uniform while participating in a protest with the Iraq Veterans Against the War were published in The Washington Post. Kokesh has also been involved in demonstrations in support of free speech, gun rights, and marijuana decriminalization. Some of these activities have resulted in his arrest. Kokesh previously hosted a show on RT and currently hosts a show on internet radio.
Politically, Kokesh supported the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns of Ron Paul. He was a featured speaker at Paul’s Rally for the Republic in 2008. Kokesh ran for US Congress as a Republican in 2010 in New Mexico and for US Senate in Arizona in 2018. He announced his 2020 candidacy in 2013 during a jailhouse interview. He has based his campaign on the pledge to begin “dissolving the federal government in a peaceful, orderly manner” and to resign as president and take the title of “Custodian of the Federal Government.”
Other contenders for the Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nomination include former Libertarian Party Vice Chairman Arvin Vohra, businessman John McAfee, and New Hampshire state representative Max Abramson. Congressman Justin Amash and former Rhode Island governor and US Senator Lincoln Chafee are both reportedly considering runs. Former New York gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe and former Massachusetts governor William Weld were both previously considered potential candidates but Sharpe suggested he would not run and Weld has decided to run in the 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries, challenging President Donald Trump.
With accredited Wikinews reporter William S. Saturn, Kokesh details his background and activism, his thoughts on the Libertarian Party, the Presidency of Donald Trump, and the goals for his campaign and presidency.
byAlma Abell
Replacing the appliances in your home can be a daunting task. Even selecting a simple kitchen Appliance Ephrata PA can be a challenge with all the brands and models available. For instance, you can select refrigerator models that come with freezers on top, bottom or on the side. These freezers can be huge or small depending on your needs. Plus, you can buy small or compact refrigerators designed to fit into cabinets or separate thin freezer and refrigerator models useful for tight spaces. If that’s not enough cooling space for you, you can purchase wine coolers, refrigerated drawers, compact refrigerators and specialty refrigerators. If you decide to go with separate freezer and refrigerator systems you can find matching models that mount in cabinets or the old faithful chest type or upright freezers. Click here for more details.
Other Appliance Ephrata PA options include kitchen stoves, ovens, microwave ovens and various other cooking tools. If you enjoy cooking outside you can purchase gas grills or barbecues that cook enough food for two or your entire family. Plus, kitchen appliances come in two types depending on your home. For example, kitchen ranges have both electric or gas versions. The gas variety normally burns natural gas, but they can be easily adapted to burn propane if required.
Not all household appliances are for the kitchen. Some of the most heavily purchased appliances are the washer and dryer systems that people use for cleaning their clothes. These two appliances can take a lot of abuse and tend to wear down quicker than almost any other household appliance. Plus, people prefer to buy them as a set which allows them to have a common warranty period. This can be very useful for large families where there are a lot of clothes to keep clean or those families where the children went off to college yet still show up on laundry day.
No matter whether your appliance needs are simple like refrigerators, freezers, washers or dryers you can find what you need at well stocked merchants like JB Zimmerman. They provide access to other appliances as well such as dishwashers, trash compactors, water treatment systems, air conditioners and audio/video equipment.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Australian treasurer Joe Hockey has agreed to reconsider the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on tampons and other hygiene products after being confronted about the issue on Q&A Monday night. Mr Hockey was responding to a question from student activist Subeta Vimalarajah.
“I started a petition against taxing the sanitary products under the GST. It now has over 86,000 signees and 11,000 submissions to the Better Tax Review. Mr Hockey, do you think that sanitary products are an essential health good for half the population?” she asked.
“Do I think sanitary products are essential? I think so,” Mr Hockey responded “Should the GST be taken off them? It probably should, yes. The answer is yes.”
He said that he will raise the issue with the next meeting of the state treasurers in July.
“I understand there’s long been a push to take the GST off goods, which are one way or another regarded as health products,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said. “It’s certainly not something that this Government has a plan to do.”
He said he interpreted Joe Hockey’s remarks as meaning it was a matter for the states.
Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the matter deserved serious consideration.
“Why did it take till Mr Hockey was asked a question on live TV for him to acknowledge this was an issue?” he asked.
“I understand the concerns with taxing sanitary products — concerns that go back to the introduction of the GST by the Coalition.
“These are in effect health products and aren’t simply a matter of choice for women.”
The GST was introduced in Australia in 2000. The then Prime Minister John Howard said the tax on tampons was not a woman’s issue.
“I mean, of course if you look at tampons in isolation – just as you look at something else in isolation – you can mount an argument to take the tax off it,” Mr Howard said at the time.
“I could mount an argument to take the tax off children’s clothes. I could mount an argument to take the tax off old people’s clothes, I could mount an argument for a whole lot of things. But we’ve had that argument and if you start doing that, you will have no GST in the end, and the whole system will begin to unravel.”
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Republican Party of Alaska is requesting United States Senator Mark Begich, Democrat, to resign to pave way for a new election. This request is based on the U.S. Justice Department withdrawing charges against former Senator Ted Stevens.
Stevens was originally convicted in October just before the November election. He lost the election to Begich by a narrow margin. Given that the U.S. Justice Department has dropped charges that had affected the outcome of the election, they may have re-elected Steven if it was done before the election.
According to Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, Begich won over Stevens only because “a few thousand Alaskans thought that Senator Stevens was guilty of seven felonies.” Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, through her SarahPAC spokeswoman, agreed.
Begich indicated that he would not step down as he felt that Alaskans wanted a change and a senator that is “independent as Alaska.”
“Today, with our country in a severe recession, it’s more important than ever that we have a senator focused on fixing our economy so Alaskans have the jobs they need to support their families,” Begich also stated.
The other U.S. Senator from Alaska, Republican Lisa Murkowski, stated “In light of the good news yesterday, I am sure many of us wish we could turn the clock back to last November. Unfortunately, that is not an option.”
The US Department of Justice has asked for corruption charges against former Senator Ted Stevens to be dropped because evidence was withheld from the defense team by the original prosecutors. The Justice Department has stated that it will not retry Stevens.
In a statement, US Attorney General Eric Holder said, “After careful review, I have concluded that certain information should have been provided to the defense for use at trial. In light of this conclusion, and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances of this particular case, I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial.”
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In light of the good news yesterday, I am sure many of us wish we could turn the clock back to last November. Unfortunately, that is not an option. |
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Stevens was convicted in October on seven felony counts of lying on senate disclosure forms about gifts, largely in the form of free renovations to his home, received from an oil service company; his conviction is thought to have been a large factor in his November electoral defeat to former Anchorage mayor Mark Begich, the current junior Senator from Alaska. Stevens immediately appealed his conviction and has maintained his innocence.
Stevens, 85, spent the six weeks leading up to the election on trial in Washington and lost just days after being convicted.
Begich’s victory was a coup for Democrats in Alaska. It also was a victory for Democrats in the Senate, who, with Begich’s win, landed 58 of the 60 votes they need to have a filibuster-proof majority.
Begich received 151,767 votes (47.77%) to Stevens’ 147,814 (46.52%). The winning margin was 3,953 votes (1.24%). Three other candidates were in the race: Bob Bird of the Alaskan Independence Party (13,197; 4.15%), Ted Gianoutsos (independent) (1,385; 0.44%) and Fredrick D. Haas of the Libertarian Party (2483 0.78%)
By Jessica Harrison
When you decided to own a pet python, every detail about your pet is invaluable in making sure your pet is healthy and comfortable. Python owners, like owners of other pets, are usually keen to provide everything their pet needs.
To keep both the owner and the pet happy, in this article, I focus on the habitat of pythons and what needs to be done when they are reared as pets in an artificial environment. Many pythons suffer silently if they don’t get a warm, cozy place to live in that approximates their natural habitat in a few important ways.
So how can you rear python in a friendly setting? What type of habitat should you provide? How do you get your pet to enjoy your company?
Your Python’s Cage Size:
Python husbandry begins with getting a proper cage: One that is the right size, has proper lighting and ventilation, facilitates humidity and temperature control and is absolutely secure.
Choosing the right size is critical. Too small, and the animal will feel cramped. Too big, and the animal can feel stressed.
How to tell?
There are basically two types of pythons … those that live on land, and those that live on the branches of trees.
If your python is predominantly terrestrial, the rule of thumb for its cage size is that the perimeter (distance measured all the way around the cage) should be at least TWICE the length of the snake, and the ratio of the length to width should be 3 to 2.
For example, a 5 foot (1.5 meter) python would require at least a 10 foot perimeter cage … applying the 3: 2 ratio, that would mean a minimum cage size of 3′ x 2′.
A 10 foot python would require a 20 foot perimeter … 6′ x 4′ cage would be the minimum.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH7U4BbJzUs[/youtube]
Complexity of the Cage:
Most Pythons do very well in a simple cage. All require a water bowl and some sort of hiding place. And the water bowl must be disinfected regularly, since the python may have unwittingly used it as a bathroom.
Material the Cage is Made From:
Cages are made of different materials like acrylic, plywood, melamine and compressed shelving board. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Acrylic .. strong, transparent, and light weight. Pliable and easy to clean. The only disadvantage is its higher cost 🙁
Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) also make excellent cage materials, … but can also be very expensive.
Plywood can also be expensive, but you can select a 2nd grade material to reduce your costs.
Melamine is generally the material of choice for python owners. They are good looking, & less expensive, …but HEAVY! (So it’s kind of hard to move … a trade-off most people are willing to live with given the lower fees).
Bedding/Substrate:
Pythons need a substrate. Newspaper is the easiest and most cost effective solution. (There are other options).
The Door:
What about the door?
You can have a transparent thick glass sliding door or opaque glassed solid door. Your choice 🙂
Keep two cages:
Ideally you would have 2 cages so that when one is cleaned, the python could be in the other one. Also ensure that your cage has a good interior coating.
Ventilation is very important:
Arrange to have near perfect ventilation for your pet cage. Good ventilation gives fresh air and lighting inside the cage, and is a strong component in keeping your python healthy and happy.
Rubber coated wire mesh is generally the most commonly chosen material. It’s important to get the rubber coated variety … the non-coated mesh will hurt your python’s nose when it tries to test the boundaries of the cage 🙁
Wooden and plastic pegboards also provide good ventilating materials.
Heating:
One of the primary causes of python respiratory problems is improper cage temperature. So not only will you need heating arrangements in your cage, but you’ll also need to be able to easily monitor it from outside.
The right choice of a temperature system will help your python to stay healthy. There are several commercially available options, from low cost to high cost.
Heat panels are ideal for larger snakes. They cost more, but last longer. (Make sure to monitor the temperature closely when you use them … they are very effective).
Heat tapes are good also, but you have to be very careful to insulate the wiring, or you can electrocute your snake 🙁
Heat emitters (light bulbs that emit no light!) are good for pythons that are only active during the day …but are used less frequently.
Heat lamps are great for arboreal pythons. When you provide them at the top of the cage it helps them relax while coiled around a branch.
Heat rocks are not really recommended because of reports of thermal burns to pythons, and sometimes electrical shocks.
Lighting:
There is still a debate about lighting the python cages. It is argued that pythons do not require any artificial lighting as most of them shy away from it.
If you’re going to use lighting, though, I recommend low watt fluorescent lights for the cage. But please remember to shield ANY lighting you use … serious injury to your pet can result otherwise.
Since your pet Python will be spending almost all the time in its cage, it’s a very important to know more about ‘Python Housing” as this will help you get started.
About the Author: Jessica Harrison is the author of the best selling eBook “Python Secrets” published by Geostar Publishing & Services LLC.
pythonsecrets.com
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=173022&ca=Pets
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Kenyan government has dismissed 25,000 striking health workers, mostly nurses, citing failure to heed government orders to recommence work and concern for the welfare of hospital patients. Speaking on behalf of the government, Alfred Mutua stated the workers were dismissed “illegally striking” and “[defying] the directive … to report back to work”, which he called “unethical”. The government asks that “[a]ll qualified health professionals, who are unemployed and/or retired have been advised to report to their nearest health facility for interviews and deployment”, Mutua stated.
The workers, who had been on strike for four days, were wishing to have improvements made to their wages, working conditions, and allowances. The strikes have caused a significant number of Kenyan hospitals to cease operations. According to Kenya Health Professionals Society spokesperson Alex Orina, the average monthly wage plus allowances for health workers in Kenya is KSh25,000 (£193, US$302 or €230) approximately. With an increasing number of reports of patients neglected in hospitals emerging, two trade unions met with the Kenyan government yesterday and negotitated a return to work, although a significant proportion of demonstrators defied the agreement, The Guardian reported.
Orina told Reuters the dismissals were “cat-and-mouse games, you cannot sack an entire workforce. It is a ploy to get us to rush back to work, but our strike continues until our demands are met”. Frederick Omiah, a member of the same society, believed the government’s actions would “make an already delicate and volatile situation worse”, expressing concern that demonstrations may continue in the capital Nairobi, amongst other locations. Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union chairperson Dr. Victor Ng’ani described government actions as “reckless”.
Mutua said the health workers were “no longer employees of the government” and had been eliminated from the payroll. While Ng’ani told the BBC of difficulties with finding other workers as skilled and experienced, Mutua reportedly stated that this would not be an issue. “We have over 100,000 to 200,000 health professionals looking for work today,” Mutua commented. “There will be a lag of a day or two … but it is better than letting people die on the floor, at the gate, or suffer in pain”.