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KODE ICD-10 : I83 : VARICOSE VEINS
Bagi sebagian orang, varises ( varices ) bukan masalah, terutama varices ringan tanpa keluhan. Sementara bagi orang lain, varices merupakan persoalan, yakni varises yang menimbulkan keluhan dan mengganggu aktifitas sehari-hari. Terlebih bagi orang-orang yang dalam pekerjaannya dituntut keindahan penampilan kaki (faktor kosmetik).
Meski bukan penyakit serius, varises dengan stadium lanjut kadang dapat mengakibatkan penyulit (komplikasi), seperti: perdarahan, luka infeksi dan gangguan sirkulasi pembuluh darah lainnya.
Varises (varices) adalah pembuluh darah balik (vena) yang melebar dan berkelok-kelok akibat gangguan (hambatan) aliran darah. Ini terjadi lantaran ketidakmampuan katub (klep) vena dalam mengatur aliran darah. Akibatnya aliran darah yang seharusnya mengalir lancar ke arah jantung, mengalami hambatan dan terjadi arus balik sebagian aliran darah dalam pembuluh darah vena, sehingga pembuluh darah vena melebar dan berkelok-kelok.
ANGKA KEJADIAN
Penelitian angka kesakitan di US dari tahun ke tahun menunjukkan angka yang mirip. Wanita sekitar 50-55% sedangkan pria 40-50%.
Sementara ada ahli lainnya menyebutkan bahwa perbandingan frekuensi varises pada wanita dan pria adalah 5:3. Dengan kata lain, wanita memiliki faktor resiko lebih besar ketimbang pria. Perbedaan ini boleh jadi berhubungan dengan faktor hormonal. Berdasarkan usia, varises lebih kerap terjadi pada usia produktif.
FAKTOR PEMICU
Beberapa faktor pemicu terjadinya varises, antara lain:
GEJALA DAN KELUHAN
Berdasarkan berat ringannya penyakit dan keluhan, varises terbagi menjadi 4 stadium, yakni:
Stadium I : Pada stadium ini keluhan biasanya tidak spesifik. Pada umumnya ditandai dengan keluhan tungkai, diantaranya: gatal, rasa terbakar, rasa kemeng, kaki mudah capek, kesemutan (gringgingen), rasa pegal.
Stadium II: Pada stadium ini ditandai dengan warna kebiruan yang lebih nyata pada pembuluh darah vena (fleboekstasia).
Stadium III: Pembuluh darah vena nampak melebar dan berkelok-kelok. Keluhan pada tungkai makin nyata dan makin kerap dialami.
Stadium IV: Pada stadium ini ditandai dengan timbulnya berbagai penyulit (komplikasi), antara lain: dermatitis, tromboplebitis, selulitis, luka (ulkus), perdarahan varises, dan gangguan pembuluh darah vena lainnya.
PENGOBATAN
Pada dasarnya pilihan pengobatan varises terdiri dari pengobatan tanpa operasi, pada stadium I dan II, serta pengobatan dengan operasi terutama pada stadium III dan IV.
Pengobatan tanpa operasi:
Pengobatan operasi:
Tindakan operasi terutama dilakukan pada varises stadium III dan IV, namun bisa juga dilakukan pada stadium II. Teknik-teknik pengobatan pada varises sudah dikenal sejak abad kelima sebelum masehi. Seiring dengan perkembangan teknologi kedokteran, teknik operasi dikembangkan melalui pendekatan meminimalisir tindakan invasif. Operasi yang lazim dilakukan diantaranya: Stripping Varises, Ambulatory Phlebectomy (menghilangkan bagian varises dengan irisan kecil), dan Saphectomy.
Tindakan operasi yang bersifat invasif minimal, yakni: Radiofrekuensi Ablasi dan Endovenous Laser Therapy (EVLT).
TIPS PENCEGAHAN
Semoga bermanfaat.
Kata kunci : Varises, varices, vena, pembuluh darah balik, spider Veins, phlebectomy, sclerotherapy
:: :: :: posting menggunakan WLW :: :: ::
Filed under: Artikel, Gaya Hidup, Health, Informasi, Kesehatan Tagged: pembuluh darah, Penyakit, phlebectomy, sclerotherapy, varices, varicose veins, varises, vena 
Jay Sullivan, VP for Mobile at Mozilla, told TechRadar they were no longer sure about delivering Fennec for Windows Mobile 6.5.
"Now we have the decision: do we target Windows Mobile 6.5 or 7? How much architecture will there be to work with?"
Mozilla was meant to deliver a beta for Fennec on Windows Mobile in the next few months, but it is now no longer clear if they will proceed with this.
The situation is further complicated by the lack of information regarding backwards compatibility in Windows Phone 7, and if 3rd party software will even be able to replace the default browser for example.
Hopefully more will become clear after MIX10 next month, but Mozilla’s quandary is the same facing many developers – should they still pursue new Windows Mobile software plans, or wait for the new rising star, Windows Phone 7. It is unfortunately likely we will see a further reduction in the release of new titles until Windows Phone 7 itself reaches the market.
Do our readers agree? Let us know below.
NEW YORK (AP) — Walgreen Co. said Wednesday it has agreed to buy the drugstore operator Duane Reade in a move that will more than quadruple the number of stores it has in the New York City metro area.
Walgreen, the nation’s biggest drugstore operator, said it would pay about $623 million for Duane Reade Holdings Inc., which is the biggest drugstore chain in the city. Including $457 million in debt held by Duane Reade, the transaction is valued at $1.08 billion.
Duane Reade, which has been operating in New York for 50 years, is owned by a group that includes affiliates of the buyout firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Walgreen said Duane Reade’s sales totaled about $1.8 billion in 2009.
The deal, which requires regulatory approval, would include all 257 Duane Reade stores, along with the corporate office and two distribution centers. Most of those stores are in Manhattan, where Walgreen currently has 13 stores.
Walgreen, based in Deerfield, Ill., described the deal as its biggest retail acquisition ever. It operates 70 stores in the New York area and had 7,162 stores overall as of Jan. 31. The company opened a new store in Times Square in 2008, but said it would take many years to match the amount of stores and the quality locations Duane Reade already has.
Walgreen said Duane Reade stores will keep their name after the deal closes, and it will decide over time on how to combine the two brands.
The deal unites two chains that are in transition. Walgreen is trying to improve sales by converting thousands of stores to a new layout, and Duane Reade has done the same with 30 of its stores. Walgreen suggested it could get new ideas from Duane Reade. It plans to continue opening new Duane Reade stores and renovating older ones. All the stores should be converted to the new format in four or five years.
Walgreen also praised Duane Reade’s FlexRewards customer loyalty program, its private label products, and its “store within a store” Look Boutique section, where cosmetics and skin care products are sold in an area that looks more like a department store than a drug store.
Some analysts feel Walgreen is struggling to sustain its sales while making changes to its store layouts and its array of products. It plans to convert 3,000 stores by fall 2010.
The company will fund the buyout with existing cash and expects the deal to close by Aug. 31, the end of its current fiscal year.
Walgreen expects the deal to cut its profit by close to 10 cents per share in fiscal 2010 and by about 3 cents per share in fiscal 2011. The buyout will cut costs between $120 million and $130 million by the third year.
Oak Hill Capital, which traces its roots to Robert M. Bass of the Bass family of Texas, acquired Duane Reade in 2004. The firm is based in Stamford, Conn., and its portfolio includes technology and software companies and restaurant operators among others.
The Oak Hill Web site lists American Skiing Co., Caribbean Restaurants Inc., Southern Air Holdings Inc. and The Container Store Inc. among current or previous holdings. Duane Reade was the only drugstore operator listed on the company’s Web site.
Shares of Walgreen rose 15 cents to $34.23 in midday trading.
Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
CHICAGO (STMW) — Lawsuits were filed Wednesday against two Chicago-based modeling agencies alleging they charged clients large amounts of money, but never delivered jobs or other services.
As part of “Operation Bottom Dollar,” a nationwide crackdown on job scams in nine states, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan filed suits in Cook County Court against Glamour Model Talent and its president John Vuolo, and against Latte Model and Talent Agency and owner Robert Owczarek.
The suit against Glamour Model alleges the agency charges up to $600 for headshots but fails to secure modeling jobs or auditions for clients. It solicits clients through print or online ads indicating they need models and actors for TV, film and print jobs that could garner up to $1,500 per day.
When consumers set up an initial appointment, they are told they have “the look” for modeling but need a set of “test photos” for about $99, then a larger portfolio of headshots for as much as $500, the suit claims.
The firm claims to use the portfolios to solicit jobs, including Sears and The Gap, but when consumers ask which companies were contacted, the firm allegedly fails to produce any names. Further, once consumers have paid for portfolios, the firm often fails to respond to calls and inquiries, the suit claims.
The second suit alleges Latte Model and Talent solicits people for talent agent services and sells travel packages to the International Modeling and Talent Association convention. Consumers typically pay $5,295 per package and are promised more than 45 hours of training, a pro photo session and personal career counseling.
But the suit alleges the firm fails to provide services promised and fails to refund costs if trips are canceled.
The suits ask that the firms be prohibited from engaging in modeling and talent services in Illinois, pay restitution for consumers, a civil penalty of $50,000 and additional penalties of $50,000 for each violation, plus costs of prosecution.
Both agencies are based in Chicago and the state has received a total of 13 complaints against them, the release said.
Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
JOLIET, Ill. (STMW) — A Will County judge set bond at $2 million Tuesday for a southwest suburban woman charged with brutally murdering her elderly mother.
Frank Cservenyak, attorney for Gaye Wern, said after the hearing that his client has a history of mental illness and he plans to ask a judge to throw out her confession.
Police said she told them she killed 89-year-old Tresa McCauley on Monday in the condo they shared in the 19500 block of 116th Avenue in Mokena.
McAuley was found dead Monday in her home. A Tuesday autopsy found she died of multiple stab wounds, according to the Will County Coroner’s office.
A team of evidence technicians and law enforcement personnel spent much of Monday combing through the condo, and authorities said they found the kitchen knife Wern allegedly used to repeatedly stab her mother.
Wern, 57, came into Mokena’s police station at 1:45 p.m. Monday and said she had killed her mother several hours earlier, Cmdr. Chris Surdel said.
“She was very distraught,” Surdel said. “Very quiet, with her head down in her lap. She wouldn’t say much.”
Police executed a search warrant at the condo and found McCauley dead in her bathtub with multiple stab wounds to her torso, Surdel said.
Wern was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, Surdel said.
Despite her confession, the reason for the slaying remains unclear. “Detectives said they questioned her on two different occasions, and they cannot pinpoint a motive,” Surdel said.
He said Wern had been living with her mother for about six months.
Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
Again Porsche has blessed us with a video of its latest product, the 2011 Porsche Panamera V6, and once again, there is no sound. We’ve also added a an update image gallery of the new Panamera V6 for you to enjoy.
Click here to get pricing on the Porsche Panamera.
Click here for our original post on the 2011 Porsche Panamera V6.
Refresher: The 2011 Porsche Panamera V6 and Porsche Panamera 4 are powered by a 3.6L V6 engine making 300-hp and a peak torque of 295 lb-ft. All U.S. models will be fitted with Porsche’s Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) 7-speed double-clutch gearbox as standard.
– By: Omar Rana
James Corner Field Operations and Perkins+Will have been selected as the lead designers of the Atlanta Beltline, a 22-mile green beltway of park networks, multi-use trails and light rail, which will also reuse and revitalize old rail tracks and restore local ecosystems. According to the FreshKills Park Blog, the $2.8 billion green infrastructure project will connect over 1,200 acres of parkland, restore multiple brownfields, construct 5,600 affordable housing units, and create 30,000 new full-time jobs over a 25-year period. Over 100,000 people live within a half-mile of the Beltline, which connects 45 of Atlanta’s neighborhoods.
Brian Leary, President & CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., told the Atlanta Examiner, “by creating a design which will integrate all of the BeltLine’s components in a comprehensive way we are building the BeltLine’s foundation.” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed added that the selection of the design team was “a great step forward,” and “the eyes of the nation are on Atlanta’s Beltline as a model for smart growth and urban redevelopment.”
James Corner Field Operations and Perkins + Will won a competitive bidding process. The Atlanta Beltline Board selected the two groups because of their capacity to integrate transit (including networks of trails), housing, and green infrastructure. The Board also hopes that the project will receive federal funding given it’s “shovel ready.”
In order to communicate with customers on a large scale about its recall crisis, Toyota has beefed up its presence on social media sites, including the popular Digg Dialogg interview that was held last week with Toyota Motor Sales USA President Jim Lentz.
Toyota requested the interview, a half-hour live Webcast on Digg.com that drew more than 870,000 viewers in the first 48 hours of its airing. A moderator asked Lentz 10 questions from a list that had been submitted and then voted on by the Digg community.
“It was an opportunity to establish a conversation with our customers,” said Doug Frisbie, Toyota’s national social media and marketing integration manager.
Toyota has also put together a social media response group in Los Angeles to monitor chat rooms, blogs and other sites to ensure that it knows what’s being said about the company.
You can watch the Jim Lentz Digg Dialogg interview in the video after the jump.
– By: Kap Shah
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
Filed under: Aftermarket, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, BMW, Luxury
The Westphalians at AC Schnitzer have done a number on the diesel BMW X1 to come up with the AC Schnitzer X1 E84. The range of changes, options, and badging – especially the badging – is extensive. But the crux of the tuned crossover is that the 1.8d model goes from 143 horsepower to 171, and the 2.0d goes from 177 hp to 210.
Your super schneller X1 will look the part with a comprehensive aerodynamics package outside and carbon goodies inside, including a Schnitzer logo’d cover for the iDrive controller. And it is promised as the “new standard in driving pleasure” because of a new suspension kit. Schnitzer’s full info on the X1 E84 is in the press release after the jump, and you can get a high-res view of it in the gallery below. Stay tune for all of our live pics and info from Geneva.
Gallery: AC Schnitzer BMW X1 E84
[Source: AC Schnitzer]
Continue reading AC Schnitzer gives the BMW X1 a once-over
AC Schnitzer gives the BMW X1 a once-over originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Just a few days after Island Lake Mayor Debbie Herrmann suspended the town’s police chief, village board members are set to gather behind closed doors to discuss the matter.
The executive-session agenda for the special meeting, scheduled for 8 p.m. today at village hall, includes only one item: personnel. Trustees say they’ll ask Herrmann to explain why she placed Chief Anthony Sciarrone on paid administrative leave without first consulting them.
“That was the main purpose of the meeting,” Trustee Don Verciglio said Wednesday. “I’m curious.”
But some trustees wonder if Herrmann, who did not respond to repeated interview requests Wednesday, will even show up. Trustee Don Seville said he’d be “pleasantly surprised” if enough board members are present to legally begin a meeting.
Four are needed to establish a quorum.
Herrmann surprised the board members Monday morning when she sent an e-mail saying Sciarrone, chief since 2008, was out as Island Lake’s top cop. He will continue earning an $85,738 annual salary, however.
Officials later learned detective Matt duChemin was put in charge of the department’s day-to-day operations.
“She should have at least informed us ahead of time as to what was going to happen, so we wouldn’t get blindsided,” Verciglio said.
Herrmann has refused to publicly say why she benched Sciarrone. Trustee John Ponio believes the board is owed an explanation.
“Even if she has the authority, it doesn’t make it right to do it the way she did it,” Ponio said.
It’s not the first time Herrmann has tinkered with police personnel. Last month, she confirmed she ordered police officer Fred Manetti taken off the street for undisclosed reasons.
Because Sciarrone was an interim chief appointed to the post by former mayor Thomas Hyde, Herrmann has the right to rescind that appointment, said Scott Puma, the village’s attorney.
Puma declined to say why Herrmann suspended Sciarrone. When asked if there was an internal investigation, Puma said “not exactly.”
Although Verciglio and other trustees said the full board agreed to hold the meeting, at least one won’t attend.
Trustee Donna O’Malley said she’s been advised by the village’s attorney not to attend the meeting.
Verciglio said he received no such advice. Trustee Connie Mascillino said she’s spoken with Puma but added no one advised her not to attend the meeting. Mascillino declined to comment further.
Puma said he communicated with all six board members ahead of tonight’s meeting, but declined to comment on the substance of the conversation. He declined to say whether he advised O’Malley to skip the meeting.
Although the bulk of the meeting will be closed to the public, residents will be able to address the board about Sciarrone’s ouster or other issues at the start of the meeting.
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
A Bourbonnais woman arrested nearly 14 years after her indictment in McHenry County on molestation claims is asking a judge to dismiss the charges, arguing that authorities violated her constitutional rights by waiting so long to bring her to court.
In court documents filed this week, the defense for Michelle Abbeduto says the Sixth Amendment places a duty on authorities to “make a diligent and good faith effort to locate and apprehend a defendant and bring him to trial.”
McHenry County authorities, the defense contends, violated that duty by allowing 13 years and eight months to pass between the time Abbeduto was indicted in April 1996 and her Dec. 30 arrest.
Abbeduto, 33, faces charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child and unlawful restraint stemming from incidents between her and a 14-year-old girl in February 1996.
The incidents, authorities said, occurred when both were living at the now closed Forest Academy for Young Women in Wonder Lake. If found guilty, Abbeduto would face a maximum three to seven years in prison.
Her attorney, Senior Assistant Public Defender Richard Behof, notes in court papers that Abbeduto lived in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for more than a year after the indictment, never resided outside Illinois and received Social Security benefits between 1998 and 2005 – all making her relatively easy to locate, had someone looked.
The long delay, the defense argues, violates Abbeduto’s right to a speedy trial and harms her ability to defend herself against the charges.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi said his office is reviewing the case in preparation for a response to the motion to dismiss.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for March 23.
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
An Algonquin man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to allegations he ordered his trained German shepherd guard dog to attack his wife during a domestic dispute at the couple’s home late last year.
Jonathon Richard, 29, of the 100 block of Mohawk Trail, also asked for a jury trial on charges of aggravated battery, unlawful restraint, domestic battery and obstructing justice stemming from the early December incident that police said left his wife hospitalized briefly with superficial bite wounds.
The dog, a male German shepherd named Falco, later was killed when Richard’s father was involved in a four-vehicle crash near Prairie Grove after he picked up the animal from McHenry County Animal Control.
Richard, who is free after posting $3,100 bond, could face a maximum five years in prison if found guilty of all charges. He is scheduled to return to court March 31.
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
The McHenry County Sheriff’s second-in-command is leaving the office after more than two decades to take on a similar role with the Crystal Lake Police Department.
Undersheriff Gene Lowery described mixed feelings Wednesday about his decision to accept a deputy chief position with the Crystal Lake force, a job that puts him in charge of the agency’s patrol, investigations and support services divisions.
“This is very bittersweet for me,” he said. “It’s tough because I love this (sheriff’s) office. I consider it a tremendous honor to have served and worked here with some of the finest people I’ve ever met.”
After joining the sheriff’s department in 1989 as a patrol deputy, Lowery worked his way up through the ranks – including a tenure as head of investigations – to become undersheriff in 2003. He will step down officially March 26 and begin work in Crystal Lake three days later.
Lowery, who is eligible for a pension for his service with the sheriff’s office, said he was “at a point in my career where it makes sense” to move on to a new position.
Crystal Lake Chief David Linder said Lowery was chosen after a nationwide search narrowed a large field of candidates to seven finalists. The finalists, which included candidates from both within and outside the department, participated in competitive testing for the post.
“Gene just simply did the best,” Linder said. “It was really his ability to look to the future and convey to use the knowledge and experience needed to keep this department moving forward.”
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
Rumor is that a closed-end fund will soon open that will give Canadian investors access to John Paulson’s greatest trades.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the fund’s units will be valued based on the performance of some of the hedge funds managed by Paulson.
The fund — which is basically a drawbridge allowing investors to overcome accredited investor limitations — will be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Strategies like this have not done very well in the past, notes The Journal.
Star Hedge Managers Corp, which is exposed to the funds managed by hedge fund managers Eric Sprott, Rohit Sehgal and Normand Lamarche, raised only C$75 million in an IPO in September 2008. The fund had a C$500 million maximum target.
And T. Boone Pickens Energy Fund, which gives investors access to T. Boone Pickens’ TBP Investments Management LLC recently listed and only raised C$28.1 million.
Of course Paulson has gotten arguably more good press than all of these managers combined, so the odds might be in his favor.
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We’ve had a series of posts debunking all of the bogus claims from supporters of ACTA and the current secrecy involved in the ACTA process — such as how this secrecy is “normal” (no its not), how this is “just an executive agreement, not a treaty” (the difference is effectively meaningless) and how this can’t change US law so there’s nothing to worry about (even if it doesn’t change US law directly, it can prevent fixing problems in the law, while putting pressure on legislators to change the law anyway). Well, here’s another one, courtesy of the folks over at Public Knowledge.
One of the claims that’s been made in defense of the “secrecy” around ACTA is that the agreement is really just about “enforcement,” rather than any legal changes. While we’ve already questioned how true that claim really is, John Bergmayer, does a nice job explaining why we should be worried about an agreement on “enforcement” anyway: because the question of enforcement is meaningless compared to the actual procedure of enforcement. Bergmayer quotes Rep. John Dingell to make the point:
“I’ll let you write the substance … you let me write the procedure, and I’ll screw you every time.”
The fear here is that while ACTA might not technically change US law, it could easily change US procedures and policies on “enforcement” allowing the effective change in the law, without people even realizing it. He quotes Professor Thomas Main, saying:
“procedural reforms can have the effect of denying substantive rights without the transparency, safeguards and accountability that attend public and legislative decision-making.”
And, indeed, this is what we’ve see in the leaked drafts of ACTA. While most (though, certainly not all) of the proposals that have been leaked don’t necessarily include a direct change to US law, they often do subtly word things so that existing rights, safeguards and accountability are left out, just as Prof. Main warns. To make sure those subtle changes do not have serious impacts that let certain special interests (in the words of Rep. Dingell) “screw” the public, doesn’t it make sense to reveal the contents of what’s being negotiated?
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By Noël Kokou Tadégnon* LOME, Feb 17 (IPS) Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, head of the Convention démocratique des peuples africains (Democratic Convention of African Peoples, CDPA) opposition party is Togo's first female presidential candidate.
But she has withdrawn from the electoral process.
Adjamagbo-Johnson and two other main opposition candidates in Togo's presidential elections said on Monday, Feb. 15 they have withdrawn from preparations for the vote in the West African nation to protest at what they fear will be a rigged result.
She was in the race for the upcoming Mar. 4 elections, which were originally scheduled for Feb. 28 but postponed due to the tension regarding candidate lists.
"It's a heavy responsibility and I'm aware of the scope of work that awaits me if voters trust me to preside over the destinies of our nation," Adjamagbo-Johnson told IPS.
She considers her candidacy proof that Togo has increasing faith in women and is creating conditions for them to lead.
Adjamagbo-Johnson was born Dec. 26 1958 and has a doctorate in law. Her political career started in the early 1990s. A founding member of the CDPA, she became General Rapporteur of its National Conference in 1991.
Adjamagbo-Johnson went on to hold several senior government positions including heading a ministry. Known for her outspokenness and political commitment, she has been nicknamed "The Iron Lady".
"I will work towards creating an atmosphere of patriotism and engagement so that the daughters and sons of this nation can once again learn to live together as one and the same people," she says.
The president of the Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI – Independent National Electoral Commission), Tabiou Taffa welcomed Adjamagbo-Johnson to the presidential race. "CENI wishes her the best of luck, and hopes that her experience and courage serve as a model for our mothers and sisters," added Tabiou Taffa.
Adjamagbo-Johnson has six opponents – all are male.
"The fact that Madame Adjamagbo-Johnson, a woman of caliber, is a candidate is a good thing and is proof that Togolese women no longer want to play second fiddle in politics," notes Messan Agbeyomé Kodjo, a candidate for Organisation pour bâtir le Togo dans l'unité et la solidarité (OBUTS – Organisation for Building Togo in Unity and Solidarity).
"This nomination shows that women have a very important role to play on the national political scene," commented Solitoki Esso, representative to President Faure Gnassingbé and Secretary General of the Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT – Rally of the Togolese People (RPT)) the ruling party. "This is proof that political leaders have made women's progress and emancipation their battle cry," added Solitoki.
But opinions on Adjamagbo-Johnson's candidacy are not unanimous.
Though Adjamagbo-Johnson’s bid represents a first in Togolese history, she unfortunately does not represent the change so deeply sought by the Togolese, notes Améganvi Isabelle, a lawyer and member of the UFC in the Togolese National Assembly. "We women of Togo, we will have our say in the process and have a duty to come together and bring UFC candidate Jean Pierre Fabre to victory," she says.
Fabre, the presidential candidate for the main opposition party Union des forces de changement (UFC – Union of Forces for Change), said they needed to reach beyond elitism or promoting women simply due to a gender-based approach. "We must highlight their skills," stresses Fabre who was in discussions with the six other opposition candidates to identify a single candidate to put forward to run against the incumbent president. However, on Monday, Feb. 15 Fabre was one of the three candidates who withdrew from the electoral process, along with Adjamagbo-Johnson.
"If we look at gender or age as a criteria then I think Adjamagbo-Johnson would fit the bill, if she gets the support of the other candidates," Agbeyomé Kodjo noted.
"Male selfishness will spur them to fight this woman who has all the qualities necessary to govern the country," said George Kelem, a teacher. According to him, Adjamagbo-Johnson's experience in politics and advocacy are a great asset.
Adjamagbo-Johnson is a strong advocate for women's rights. She's active in several associations and is the sub-regional coordinator of the NGO Femmes, droit et développement en Afrique (Women, Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF). She also serves on the advisory committee of the African Women Development Fund (AWDF).
"We've always wanted a woman presidential candidate and this year our dream became a reality – she's a shoe in," says an optimistic Lydia Konou, a market woman in Lome.
Togo has a population of over 5.5 million people, 52 percent of whom are women. There are four women in government and nine in the parliament where women are under-represented. Adjamagbo-Johnson has been a vocal critic of the situation.
She has also spoken out against her fellow citizens' living conditions: the fact that for many families eating three times a day has become a luxury, the number of women still dying during childbirth… But she promises "democracy, bread and work for all" before finally stating "Yes We Can", picking up U.S. President Barack Obama's famous slogan.
*With additional reporting from Reuters.
(FIN/IPS/AF/WA/IP/GR/PR/NKT/IZY/2010)
$100 Million for CREATE Program; Investment to Create 1,087 JobsGov. Pat Quinn announced today that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) along with the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners has received a $100 million TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
This federal investment is expected to create 1,087 jobs.
“Illinois has received the most TIGER funding in the Midwest. This investment will create 1,087 jobs and bring economic growth to our communities,” said Gov. Quinn.
“With this grant and dedicated partnerships like CREATE, Illinois continues to work to ensure our rail industry is moving forward and our state remains one of the nation’s major rail hubs.”
Across the nation, 1,400 applications were submitted for TIGER Grant funding and 50 projects were awarded. Here in Illinois, three applications were awarded totaling $128 million.
The funds include $100 million for CREATE, $6 million for Tri-City Port District in Granite City and $22 million for the Normal Multi-modal transportation facility.
“Throughout the country, we have huge bottlenecks that restrict the flow of freight and passengers at a cost to the United States of an estimated $200 billion a year,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).
“The TIGER grant program is a coordinated, comprehensive effort to identify and fund nationally significant transportation projects that will improve safety, spur economic development, reduce congestion and create thousands of good paying jobs across the country. I thank Secretary LaHood and Governor Quinn for their leadership on this issue and commend local leaders throughout Illinois for their efforts.”
“These federal funds will have a tremendous impact on Illinois’ economy by creating more jobs,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “This is another major step in the right direction to improve livability, sustainability and safety across the state.”
The grant funding will be targeted to six projects benefiting 13 Illinois communities.
The projects will range in scope from rail line and viaduct improvements to a highway-rail grade separation. The completion of these projects by 2012 will support an estimated 1,087 jobs.
CREATE is a first-of-its-kind partnership, bringing together IDOT, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
It is comprised of 71 critically needed rail and highway infrastructure improvements in Northeastern Illinois, aimed at improving the quality of life of Illinois residents, and increasing the efficiency of freight and passenger rail service throughout the region.
For more information, log onto recovery.illinois.gov or createprogram.org.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
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| Obama remarking on his pet “Race To The Top” program at the Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia on January 19, 2010. He is requesting an additional $1.35 billion in 2011 for the program that was created as part of the defective economic stimulus bill signed into law last year |
Recently, President Obama visited a group of sixth graders at Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia to announce his intention to increase federal funding for the “Race To The Top” program, a program that is supposed to provide for educational reforms in four pre-defined areas of assurance.
With little if any Congressionally set standards, Race To The Top has been called by some the largest discretionary education program in history.
So President Obama is throwing billions of dollars at a federal education program with an unproven record of success.
And for educational programs with a proven track record, such as Upward Bound, funded by the Department of Education’s TRIO program, he is cutting funding.
Upward Bound is a successful pre-college access program that was established in 1967 and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.
The program recruits and provides educational, social and cultural services to potential first-generation college students. … Read the rest of this entry
Filed under: 111th Congress, America (USA), Blundering Bureaucrats, Breaking News, Crimes Against American Taxpayers, Crimes Against Children, Education, Edukashun idjots, News, News and Views, Politicians for the Destruction of America, US Department of Education (Idjits) Tagged: 2011 Budget, Arne Duncan, Department Of Education, Education Funding, Funding Cuts, President Obama, Secretary Of Education, TRIO, Upward Bound 
