pandora setsJohn Pistole has a vision for the Transportation Security Administration and its employees. But weird things keep obstructing the view. Pistole is administrator of the TSA, where transportation security officers who screen passengers and baggage at the nation’s airports recently voted to join the American Federation of Government Employees. It’s also the place where TSOs have come under criticism for following procedures that might seem silly, yet are designed to keep us safe, and making silly mistakes that could compromise safety. Pistole defines his vision with three cornerstones — redefining the mission of TSA as a national security counterterrorism agency, supporting the workforce and engaging outside stakeholders. He emphasized his agency’s role in an air safety national security continuum that includes foreign intelligence, federal and local law enforcement and the public. pandora packages
At the end of that continuum are the air marshals and TSOs, he said: “We are really the last line of defense.” Pistole wants to ease the cumbersome passenger screening process by promoting trusted-traveler programs that would allow officers a stronger focus on more likely risks. “We’re undertaking a major redefining of the agency mission and the way we execute on that mission,” he told the Federal Diary on Tuesday. The security officers, of course, will be a major part of that process. But the agency has a bad reputation for low employee morale. Any manager will tell you that’s not good for implementing an ambitious agenda that’s designed to sharpen the agency’s standing as a key player on the nation’s counterterrorism team. Publicity over the 95-year-old woman in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., who had to remove her diaper to get through security for a June 18 flight to Detroit also doesn’t help morale or the image of the agency and its workers. Pandora Charms On Sale
Nor does the case of the man who flew from New York City to Los Angeles a week later with an invalid boarding pass. In Florida, the officers apparently were following procedure, however repugnant it might be. In the second case, the officers, and the Virgin America ground staff, really screwed up. Pistole said the officer who didn’t catch the invalid boarding pass has been taken off the line for remedial training. The publicity surrounding both cases can’t help morale at an agency that has repeatedly scored at or near the bottom in employee surveys. Union President John Gage promised that morale would improve once the officers were able to choose a union and negotiate a contract.
Pandora BeadsPistole said he expects unionization will lead to “greater uniformity and consistency” within the agency’s workforce and with that, “I hope it would only improve the experience the traveling public has.” He expects coupling greater consistency with the redefinition of the agency’s mission to improve employee morale. Building morale was a key reason Pistole gave for allowing collective bargaining by TSOs, a decision Capitol Hill Republicans continue to harshly criticize. “Data from employee surveys has repeatedly shown TSA ranking poorly in terms of employee morale and engagement. Employee engagement and security are interrelated and therefore directly affect our capacity to carry out our mission,” Pistole wrote in his February decision to allow collective bargaining. “We must ensure that our TSOs are motivated and engaged as their judgment and discretionary effort are critical to achieving superior security. Pandora Charms
We must and will continue to do better with and by our employees to ensure we continue to accomplish our mission.” With TSA approaching its 10th anniversary in November, Pistole said: “I see collective bargaining as being one of the pillars that will help move the agency” into its next decade. By supporting the employees and with their support, Pistole envisions a time not too far away when security officers can spend more of their time looking at people who might pose greater risk and less time on those who have been pre-screened, as is the case with the crewmember identity verification system the agency is testing. Pandora Beads Sale
Part of that includes better training in behavioral detection for officers whose job it is to spot suspicious people by the way they act. Pistole wants all the officers to “focus on what we’re really paid to do, and that’s be a counterterrorism agency to prevent a terrorist from getting on a plane and blowing it up. .?.?. I think we can go about doing this in a smarter, more efficient way using more common sense and then focusing on those threats that are most critical to our national security.” Pandora Bangles
Cheap Pandora JewelryMONACO (AP) — Monaco's reigning prince, Albert II, wed Charlene Wittstock of South Africa on Friday in a long-awaited civil ceremony that transformed the one-time Olympic swimmer into the Princess of Monaco. Wittstock succeeds Hollywood beauty Grace Kelly, who wed Albert's father, Prince Rainier III in 1956, had three children with him but died in a car accident in 1982. Residents of the Riviera principality cheered and brandished Monaco's white-and-red flag when the couple appeared at a palace window following Friday's ceremony, the first of two days of royal events. The newlyweds waved back at the crowd and kissed each other shyly, sparking another round of cheers. Wittstock wore a silken blue jacket with ankle-length palazzo pants, an outfit press handlers said was made by famed fashion house Chanel, while the prince sported a sober dark suit and shiny white tie. pandora packages
When asked if they take each other in marriage, both quietly responded "Oui." The marriage became official — and Wittstock became a princess — when Philippe Narmino, president of Monaco's Council of State, pronounced "I declare you united by the bonds of marriage." Albert's sisters — Princess Stephanie in khaki, and Princess Caroline in an oversized straw hat — were among an audience of several dozen inside the throne room, the red silk-walled hall where Grace and Rainier once took their vows. The royal couple signed the marriage register with a specially created pen in gold and precious stones and adorned with their monogram made by the German luxury penmaker Montblanc for the ceremony. On Saturday, the new royal couple is holding an elaborate religious wedding ceremony and a star-studded wedding gala. Pandora Bracelet Charms
Although Albert, 53, was seen for decades as one of Europe's most eligible bachelors, he had long resisted marriage. Many in Monaco — known the world over for its lax tax laws and glamorous casinos — feared he might never tie the knot. With her bright blue eyes and delicate features, the 33-year-old Wittstock has often been compared to Kelly, an American movie star known for her iconic fashion sense. Monaco's 7,618 citizens and their partners were invited to follow the ceremony on oversized screens set up on a square in front of the palace.
Pandora Beads SaleMany were decked out for the occasion, wearing suits and fancy dresses under a blazing sun. Monegasque citizens were also invited to post-ceremony cocktails on the square Friday, to be followed by a concert by French composer Jean Michel Jarre and a laser light show. Friday's wedding was the first for both Wittstock and Albert, although the soft-spoken prince has acknowledged fathering two children out of wedlock. Rumors raged over the past few days that a third illegitimate child had recently surfaced and that development allegedly prompted Wittstock to try to call off the wedding at the last minute and return to South Africa. Pandora Jewelry
The palace dismissed the stories as "ugly rumors" born out of jealousy. A top aide to the prince, speaking earlier this week on Monaco-Info TV, said the couple were "affected" by the rumors but were concentrating on last-minute preparations. Still, the tensions were evident when Wittstock talked in a TV interview before the wedding about wanting to have her own children. "I love children and have always wanted to have children of my own," she said on BFM television, sitting next to Albert with a close-lipped, tense smile. "We'll see in the next couple of months or years." Wittstock also joked that she would bring South African barbecue traditions to Monaco. Pandora Beads
The guest list for Saturday's festivities included the kings of Spain, Sweden, Lesotho and Belgium, the presidents of France, Iceland, Ireland, Lebanon, Malta, Germany and Hungary, France's richest man, celebrated opera singers, top models and race car divers. The Catholic ceremony will also take place in the palace, followed by a gala dinner by three-time triple-starred Michelin chef Alain Ducasse. Besides the Champagne and the South African wines, everything served at the sumptuous buffet is being sourced in a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius from Monaco, Ducasse told The Associated Press in an interview. Pandora Charms
More than 1,000 journalists from around the world have been accredited for the festivities, which kicked off late Thursday with a free concert by the legendary Los Angeles band The Eagles. The prince and Wittstock attended the show, he in a dark suit, she wearing a strapless black pantsuit that was more rock-and-roll diva than royalty. Wittstock was born in Zimbabwe, but moved to neighboring South Africa as a child and swam for that country at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Albert met Wittstock during a 2000 swimming competition in Monaco. Wittstock then began appearing regularly at social events and moved to Monaco in 2006. Albert has been an International Olympic Committee member since 1985 and competed in five Winter Olympics as part of Monaco's bobsled team.
Pandora Bracelets SaleOutspoken Aboriginal education representative Alca Simpson has called on the community to embrace the new version of Dubbo College. Mr Simpson, a member of the Dubbo Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and a parent at Dubbo College Senior Campus, yesterday described the model announced by education minister Adrian Piccoli as workable. “Having two junior 7-10 campus linked to a Year 11-12 senior campus is much better than the previous idea of former education minister Verity Firth.
Pandora Beads Sale“She wanted to segregate public secondary education in Dubbo with a Year 7-12 school in South Dubbo set apart from a Year 7-9 school in West Dubbo and a Year 10-12 senior campus in Yarrandale Road.” At the time of minister Firth’s announcement Mr Simpson accused the NSW government of pushing Indigenous policies in Dubbo back 50 years. “This latest announcement will allow public education in Dubbo to continue to cater for everyone,” Mr Simpson said. The Teachers’ Federation is not happy with the retention of the split campus college model and has not ruled out industrial action. Mr Simpson said teachers are entitled to express their opinion.
Pandora Jewelry “But for the sake of student outcomes the entire Dubbo community needs to accept that a decision has been made,” he said. “A new model for public secondary education is being put in place and it is now up to us all to work together for the sake of student outcomes.” Mr Simpson applauded minister Piccoli for taking the time to visit Dubbo to listen to parents, students and the Indigenous community. “From where I sit, I would have preferred to stay with two junior Year 7-9 campus and one Year 10-12 senior campus,” he said. “Dubbo College didn’t need to change but there were concerns about how it was being managed. Pandora Charms On Sale
“Minister Piccoli has addressed that issue by appointing a school education director to oversee the college in a temporary capacity until a permanent person is appointed.” Three motorists were lucky to escape without injury yesterday after their vehicles collided on the Mitchell Highway near Dubbo. Dubbo Police, the NSW Ambulance Service and the Rural Fire Service attended the accident, 12 kilometres out on the Narromine road, but no one was taken to hospital. A spokesman for the Ambulance Service said one patient was treated at the scene, however they did not require further medical attention.
Pandora BanglesThe other two motorists were reportedly fine. Yesterday’s accident was one of several to occur on the Mitchell Highway, west of Dubbo, in the past month. A 55-year-old man died on the stretch of road near Trangie on June 16 after his vehicle collided with a tree, about 85km from Dubbo. A 21-year-old male died after a motor vehicle accident on the Mitchell Highway between Narromine and Trangie on May 27. Police investigations into yesterday’s accident are continuing. Pandora Charms Online
A man grabbed French President Nicolas Sarkozy and yanked him off balance before being wrestled to the ground by bodyguards on Thursday, television pictures showed. The unidentified man seized Sarkozy by the jacket as he was greeting people gathered behind a barrier in the town of Brax, southwestern France, and tugged the president forward. Sarkozy staggered, straightened up and looked briefly ruffled but then went on glad-handing the public as the man was restrained by security staff.
Pandora Bracelets Pictures broadcast on television showed them wrestling the man to the ground. Police said later that a man was in custody in nearby Agen. An official in Sarkozy's office said the presidency "does not wish to take action" against him. Asked about the possibility by the iTele channel, Sarkozy replied simply, "no, no problem, no problem." The man was named as Hermann Fuster, 32, employed as a caretaker and receptionist at the music and dance conservatory in Agen, who had no record of offending. The attack, though brief, was captured on film and the images were swiftly shown on French news channels. Cheap Pandora Jewelry
According to a source close to the enquiry, he had wanted to challenge the president on France's intervention in Libya. Brax mayor Michel Bernines told AFP Sarkozy was shaking hands "when suddenly a person in the second or third row ... threw himself at (the president), grabbed him by the shoulder and seemed to be going to punch him." Bernines said the incident was "very quick, very sudden and unpredictable. Pandora Jewelry
" Sarkozy has been involved in several altercations in public with hecklers and boisterous crowds, but it was the first time a member of the public had breached his security bubble to lay hands on him. The most notorious incident was in 2008 at the Paris agricultural show where Sarkozy thundered "Get lost, you damned idiot!" at a man who insulted him.
Pandora CharmsThe quote has become a popular catchphrase for summing up Sarkozy's abrupt style. Thursday's scuffle occurred as Sarkozy came out of a meeting in Brax with local mayors. His approval ratings are stuck at around 30 percent, amid high unemployment, 10 months ahead of presidential polls in which he is expected to seek re-election. In 2002 a gunman shot at, and missed, Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac before being wrestled to the ground and arrested. Chirac's assailant, linked to far-right groups, was jailed for 10 years. Pandora Beads
Amid ongoing frustration over a failure to reach a compromise on the debt limit, President Obama on Wednesday sharply scolded Congress, suggesting his daughters do a better job of getting things done ahead of time. "Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time," Obama said during a press conference--his first major solo conference since March. "Malia's 13, Sasha's 10 … They don't wait until the night before. They're not pulling all nighters. Congress can do the same thing." You can watch the video below via AP: The president has been overseeing the negotiation of a compromise between the White House and lawmakers that would pave the way for Congress to agree to increase the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by the current ceiling's Aug. 2 deadline--the time when economists, the president and others say the government will no longer have tools at its disposal to pay its bills. tiffany jewelry outlet
Obama said he's "very amused" to hear critics in Congress say he needs to show "more leadership" on this issue. Obama noted that he's met with congressional leaders, all the party caucuses and said "at a certain point, they need to do their job." The president threatened to effectively "ground" Congress this week ahead of the July 4 recess if a deal is not reached. "We're going to start having to cancel things and stay here until we get it done" Obama said, intimating that recess would be called off. "They're in [session] one week. They're out one week. And then they're saying 'Obama's got to step in,'" the president said of Congress. "You need to be here. I've been here," he said to some laughter in the East Room. "I've been doing Afghanistan and [Osama] bin Laden and the Greek crisis. tiffany rings
" Obama has tasked Vice Presiden Joe Biden with overseeing debt limit talks among one group of key congressional leaders. Last week, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announced his decision to pull out of those talks over Democratic demands for an increase in tax revenue which Cantor and other critics say amount simply to tax hikes. "Regardless of the progress that has been made, the tax issue must be resolved before discussions can continue," Cantor said in a statement. Republicans say a deal to increase the debt limit must include offsets via spending cuts. The president on Wednesday claimed that everyone has been willing to take on "their sacred cows" except Republicans--noting that Democrats are willing to examine "painful" spending cuts including to entitlements. tiffany outlet
Obama cast Republican demands as support for tax breaks for oil and gas companies, corporate jet owners, hedge fund managers and others who he believes don't deserve breaks during a time of national economic crisis. "If you are a wealthy CEO or a hedge fund manager in America right now, your taxes are lower than they have ever been. They're lower than they've been since the 1950s," Obama said. "And you can afford it. You'll still be able to ride on your corporate jet. You're just going to have to pay a little more.
" The president argued that the GOP position of defending tax breaks such as those is "unsustainable" in the face of pressure from the American people to reduce the deficit, repair the economy and boost employment. Obama and Biden are scheduled to meet with Senate Democrats Wednesday to continue discussions on the debt ceiling. But the parties have yet to say just when that scheduled meeting is supposed to occur in the wake of Cantor's walk-out. tiffany earrings
The four Mercosur member states plan to start negotiations to add Bolivia and Ecuador to the customs union, the Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota has said. "There is a feeling that it's time to increase outreach to potential candidates to become full members," said Patriota.
Pandora Charms Sale"Two countries emerged in conversation -- Bolivia and Ecuador," Patriota said at a press conference during Mercosur's 41st summit meeting. Patriota said diplomats from the four member countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -- will travel to the two countries to begin talks about full membership. Bolivia and Ecuador currently have associate status in the group. Patriota said he still expects the Paraguayan congress to approve Venezuela's bid for full membership in the trade pact, something that has already been approved by the legislatures of the other three members. More than 400 teams will participate in USA Volleyball’s 32nd Annual Boys Junior National Championships June 29 through July 6, and every game will be played on Sport Court? volleyball courts.
Pandora Beads CharmsConnor Sport Court and USA Volleyball are celebrating 22-year as partners in the development of volleyball. The event was were formerly known as the USA Junior Olympic Boys’ Volleyball Championships. This year’s Boys’ Junior National Championships will be played at the Minneapolis Convention Center. There are ten age brackets, and teams must qualify before competing in the championships. Forty regions of USA Volleyball are represented. Each of the participating teams had to place in the top of their respective regional championship to qualify for this national championship Forty courts of Sport Court Response? totaling about 150,000 square feet, will be the scene of all the high-performance action during the eight day event.
pandora packagesRon Cerny, President and CEO of Connor Sport Court International, the Utah-based manufacturer of Sport Court, said “Both Sport Court and USA Volleyball have grown as the result of our strong relationship.” With the Response playing surfaces, many volleyball courts can be placed under one roof and numerous games can be played at one time. This has created an electric atmosphere and has captivated fans and players alike. Moreover, the volleyball specific Sport Court flooring provides players safety, resiliency and lateral forgiveness, while at the same time being purely volleyball – not taped over basketball courts or concrete. Pandora Charms for bracelets
Connor Sport Court engineers have constantly developed and improved the Response court system to make it the official choice for volleyball organizations the world over. About Sport Court More athletic events are played on Connor Sport Court International surfaces than on any other sports flooring in the world. Sport Court? is a registered trademark of Connor Sport Court International. Since 1974, it has identified the original and authentic modular sport surface, continuously improved and patented to provide the highest levels of quality and performance. Sport Court is proud to be the only sports surfacing company in the world that is independently audited and verified as “Zero Waste” and fully ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified. Pandora Necklace