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Front Page Titles (by Subject) OF GIVING THE LIE - Essays of Montaigne, vol. 6
The Online Library of Liberty
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OF GIVING THE LIE - Michel de Montaigne, Essays of Montaigne, vol. 6
Essays of Montaigne, vol. 6, trans. Charles Cotton, revised by William Carew Hazlett (New York: Edwin C. Hill, 1910).
Part of: Essays of Montaigne, in 10 vols.
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OF GIVING THE LIE
WELL, BUT some one will say to me, this design of making a man’s self the subject of his writing, were indeed excusable in rare and famous men, who by their reputation had given others a curiosity to be fully informed of them. It is most true, I confess and know very well, that a mechanic will scarce lift his eyes from his work to look at an ordinary man, whereas a man will forsake his business and his shop to stare at an eminent person when he comes into a town. It misbecomes any other to give his own character, but him who has qualities worthy of imitation, and whose life and opinions may serve for example: Caesar and Xenophon had a just and solid foundation whereon to found their narrations, in the greatness of their own performances; and it were to be wished that we had the journals of Alexander the Great, the commentaries that Augustus, Cato, Sylla, Brutus, and others left of their actions; of such persons men love and contemplate the very statues even in copper and marble.
This remonstrance is very true; but it very little concerns me:—
“I repeat my poems only to my friends, and when bound to do so; not before every one and everywhere; there are plenty of reciters in the open market-place and at the baths.”
I do not here form a statue to erect in the great square of a city, in a church, or any public place:—
“I study not to make my pages swell with empty trifles; you and I are talking in private:”
’tis for some corner of a library, or to entertain a neighbor, a kinsman, a friend, who has a mind to renew his acquaintance and familiarity with me in this image of myself. Others have been encouraged to speak of themselves, because they found the subject worthy and rich; I, on the contrary, am the bolder, by reason the subject is so poor and sterile that I cannot be suspected of ostentation. I judge freely of the actions of others; I give little of my own to judge of, because they are nothing: I do not find so much good in myself, that I cannot tell it without blushing.
What contentment would it not be to me to hear any one thus relate to me the manners, faces, countenances, the ordinary words and fortunes of my ancestors? how attentively should I listen to it! In earnest, it would be evil nature to despise so much as the pictures of our friends and predecessors, the fashion of their clothes and arms. I preserve their writing, seal, and a particular sword they wore, and have not thrown the long staves my father used to carry in his hand, out of my closet:—
“A father’s garment and ring is by so much dearer to his posterity, as there is the greater affection towards parents.”
If my posterity, nevertheless, shall be of another mind, I shall be avenged on them; for they cannot care less for me than I shall then do for them. All the traffic that I have in this with the public is, that I borrow their utensils of writing, which are more easy and most at hand; and in recompense shall, peradventure, keep a pound of butter in the market from melting in the sun:—
“Let not wrappers be wanting to tunnyfish, nor olives; . . . and I shall supply loose coverings to mackerel.”
And though nobody should read me, have I wasted time in entertaining myself so many idle hours in so pleasing and useful thoughts? In moulding this figure upon myself, I have been so often constrained to temper and compose myself in a right posture, that the copy is truly taken, and has in some sort formed itself; painting myself for others, I represent myself in a better coloring than my own natural complexion. I have no more made my book than my book has made me: ’tis a book consubstantial with the author, of a peculiar design, a parcel of my life, and whose business is not designed for others, as that of all other books is. In giving myself so continual and so exact an account of myself, have I lost my time? For they who sometimes cursorily survey themselves only, do not so strictly examine themselves, nor penetrate so deep, as he who makes it his business, his study, and his employment, who intends a lasting record, with all his fidelity, and with all his force. The most delicious pleasures digested within, avoid leaving any trace of themselves, and avoid the sight not only of the people, but of any other person. How often has this work diverted me from troublesome thoughts? and all that are frivolous should be reputed so. Nature has presented us with a large faculty of entertaining ourselves alone; and often calls us to it, to teach us that we owe ourselves in part to society, but chiefly and mostly to ourselves. That I may habituate my fancy even to meditate in some method and to some end, and to keep it from losing itself and roving at random, ’tis but to give to body and to record all the little thoughts that present themselves to it. I give ear to my whimsies, because I am to record them. It often falls out, that being displeased at some action that civility and reason will not permit me openly to reprove, I here disgorge myself, not without design of public instruction: and also these poetical lashes:—
“A slap on his eye, a slap on his snout, a slap on Sagoin’s back,”
imprint themselves better upon paper than upon the flesh. What if I listen to books a little more attentively than ordinary, since I watch if I can purloin anything that may adorn or support my own? I have not at all studied to make a book, but I have in some sort studied because I had made it; if it be studying to scratch and pinch now one author, and then another, either by the head or foot, not with any design to form opinions from them, but to assist, second, and fortify those I already have embraced.
But whom shall we believe in the report he makes of himself in so corrupt an age? considering there are so few, if any at all, whom we can believe when speaking of others, where there is less interest to lie. The first thing done in the corruption of manners is banishing truth; for, as Pindar says, to be true is the beginning of a great virtue, and the first article that Plato requires in the governor of his Republic. The truth of these days is not that which really is, but what every man persuades another man to believe; as we generally give the name of money not only to pieces of the just alloy, but even to the false also, if they will pass. Our nation has long been reproached with this vice; for Salvianus of Marseilles, who lived in the time of the Emperor Valentinian, says that lying and forswearing themselves is with the French not a vice, but a way of speaking. He who would enhance this testimony, might say that it is now a virtue in them; men form and fashion themselves to it as to an exercise of honor; for dissimulation is one of the most notable qualities of this age.
I have often considered whence this custom that we so religiously observe should spring, of being more highly offended with the reproach of a vice so familiar to us than with any other, and that it should be the highest insult that can in words be done us to reproach us with a lie. Upon examination, I find that it is natural most to defend the defects with which we are most tainted. It seems as if by resenting and being moved at the accusation, we in some sort acquit ourselves of the fault; though we have it in effect, we condemn it in outward appearance. May it not also be that this reproach seems to imply cowardice and feebleness of heart? of which can there be a more manifest sign than to eat a man’s own words—nay, to lie against a man’s own knowledge? Lying is a base vice; a vice that one of the ancients portrays in the most odious colors when he says, “that it is to manifest a contempt of God, and withal a fear of men.” It is not possible more fully to represent the horror, baseness, and irregularity of it; for what can a man imagine more hateful and contemptible than to be a coward towards men, and valiant against his Maker? Our intelligence being by no other way communicable to one another but by a particular word, he who falsifies that betrays public society. ’Tis the only way by which we communicate our thoughts and wills; ’tis the interpreter of the soul, and if it deceive us, we no longer know nor have further tie upon one another; if that deceive us, it breaks all our correspondence, and dissolves all the ties of government. Certain nations of the newly discovered Indies (I need not give them names, seeing they are no more; for, by wonderful and unheard-of example, the desolation of that conquest has extended to the utter abolition of names and the ancient knowledge of places) offered to their gods human blood, but only such as was drawn from the tongue and ears, to expiate for the sin of lying, as well heard as pronounced. That good fellow of Greece said that children are amused with toys and men with words.
As to our diverse usages of giving the lie, and the laws of honor in that case, and the alteration they have received, I defer saying what I know of them to another time, and shall learn, if I can, in the meanwhile, at what time the custom took beginning of so exactly weighing and measuring words, and of making our honor interested in them; for it is easy to judge that it was not anciently amongst the Romans and Greeks. And it has often seemed to me strange to see them rail at and give one another the lie without any quarrel. Their laws of duty steered some other course than ours. Caesar is sometimes called thief, and sometimes drunkard, to his teeth. We see the liberty of invective they practised upon one another, I mean the greatest chiefs of war of both nations, where words are only revenged with words, and do not proceed any farther. | <urn:uuid:c49a59d2-e707-47d7-9c0e-006cae733e6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1747&chapter=91264&layout=html&Itemid=27 | 2013-05-18T06:34:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97343 | 2,423 |
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Tags - sukkoth
‘Lets walk the Mikvah in the city of the King' - City of David and Hezekiah's tunnel
Walking in tunnels are exhilarating story reads and with a flashlight in hand, it feels like a Discovery or National Geographic. City of David and the Hezekiah's tunnel became a physical as well as a non-physical reality, for reasons, I learnt eventually.
Then again, the reason had a season. And this was during my fourth visit to Israel. Past three visits, I have walked past the City of David admiring its entrance and even taking photographs with the golden harp, but never ventured within. This time with the group I was with had Ir David in the itinerary. Being the last day of the Sukkoth holiday and there was also a planned prophetic Wedding Feast to attend on return to the hotel.
King David has been one of my heroes and his war strategies have never ceased to amaze me, beginning with knocking down Goliath. And now, here we were in the King's city considered to have been the original Jerusalem. According to our guide the story is as old as 3,000 years ago, when King David left the city of Hebron for a small hilltop city known as Jerusalem, establishing it as the unified capital of the tribes of Israel.
Our visit began at the observation point overlooking Jerusalem. As I stood there overlooking the excavated site, I felt transported in the timeline, way back to the days of Abraham when the foundations of the city were first laid to present days excavations that made me relive King David's conquest of the Jebusite city. The tour-walk moved down the hillside stone stairs heading underground to some of the newer archeological excavations.
As we walked down the steps to an area marked ‘G' - The Royal Acropolis Water System (Warren's Shaft), we were reminded of Charles Warren's discovery of the ancient underground water tunnel outside the walls of the old city from the Western Wall. Apparently, this was recognized to be similar to the underground water tunnel or ‘gutter' as described in 2nd book of Samuel 5. The stepped wall on this hill in the area is believed to be the retaining wall that many archeologists believe to be the ‘Citadel of Zion' mentioned as King David's conquest of the city (2 Samuel 5:9)
The walking down tour ended at the Gihon Spring. This was the major water source of Jerusalem for over 1,000 years and where, according to the Bible, King David's son, Solomon was anointed king.
Somewhere in between the walk down Pat tugged me impatiently, ‘I have to go to the mikvah. Please come?' I looked at her and shook my head. How did she know that I too was curious about the ‘bath'? I had seen the baths in nearly every excavation site I visited, but a real one? How would one experience that? Still baffled, she tugged me along to the ticket counter for the Hezekiah's tunnel walk. That was the mikvah she wanted to walk and I complied, immediately. As with every ‘planned' visit, we were the last ones, after which the ticket counter shut!
There is an interesting fact about this tunnel, mentioned in the 2nd Book of Chronicles 32:30 of how the city was defended from the Assyrian army. King Hezekiah protected the water system by diverting its flow deeper into the city with a tunnel system. This tunnel was built by digging a 1,750 foot tunnel into the mountain. An ancient stone describes this incredible operation.
This stone reminded me of David Van Koevering's key to Quantum Leap ‘All matter has memory - your words are recorded', in which he narrates Joshua 24:27, ‘And Joshua said unto all the people, ‘Behold this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words often LORD which He spake unto us. It shall therefore be a witness unto you, lest you deny your God.'' And then there was Habakuk (2:11) and Yeshua (Luke 19:40) who said the same thing of stones witnessing. So, were the stones listening at the time? Every word, action and deed done in flesh has been recorded, according to the quantum theory.
Trekking this tunnel has today become a highlight for visitors and for Pat, Shalin, Gabriele and me a sense of duty - the Mikvah. How timely was this? After this we had the Wedding Feast of the Lamb to attend.... I enjoy half-planned last minute head-on programs! ADONAI perfectly plans HIS surprises...
The entrance was more like a cave that was well lit and gave the place a golden glow. We bought our little key-chain torches. I was a little disappointed, thought they would be flashlights, like the days of yore. But the excitement didn't wane. We arrived at to our destination - the 2,700 year old water tunnel one of the wonders of early engineering.
The water was cool and rose knee-high as we walked in, barefoot. The air within was cool; it was very dark; the space between shoulders narrowed as we walked forward, bending in some places. How so natural!.. And so well preserved! There was something about these walls -white lime portion of the wall - that seemed to reflect a golden color and it seemed to say something. It was instant - I allowed Quantum physics to let me hear and the Holy Spirit to pave the way of my thoughts. I allowed my left hand to run through the wall and impulsively pressed my ears, as if to hear something.
The walk was a silent one, with only sound of our feet splashing the water, everyone ‘soaked' in their own thoughts. I wonder if anyone thought as loud as I did... In time, we reached the end that opened into the Pool of Shiloach. Fragments of pillars are seen in the pool, which are remains of the Shiloach Church that was built here. We waited for a while watching children play in this pool and decided to do the same, wondering when would this happen again.
As we were leaving, we were self-introduced to a man who took us around to an ongoing excavation from here that showed us a huge wall painting - an artist's impression of the temple steps; shared Baron Edmond de Rothschild leading philanthropic role in acquiring property in the Land of Israel for rebuilding the Jewish Yishuv (Community); and took us to a nearby area where excavation of steps is yet underway, which he said, may probably have been the way that the Holy Priest would have taken during Sukkoth from the Pool to the Holy Temple for the water libation.
We were curious. Who was this man? He says that he was part of the excavation team.. and he too, wasn't sure why he was there. Looks like he owned a shop there, but there was no forceful sales made.
This was more than I had ever imagined or expected from being obedient to my call from my Abba for this Sukkot trip! History, experience and learning for real are a package deal that only Israel could give me till date in my life! Today when I go through challenges and feel blocked in a dark tunnel, I know now that there is a healing Pool of Shiloach at the other end.
‘Let's walk the Old City Ramparts..
Walk about Zion, go round about her,
number her towers, consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels;that you may tell the next generation that this is God,
our God for ever and ever.
He will be our guide for ever.(Psalm 48:12-14)
.. and see where King David's soldiers stood and what they saw from their vantage points', is what we - Pat, Gabriele, Shalin and I - wanted to do following the ‘water-walking' experience at the Hezekiah's tunnel, all immersed, even in our own memories.
We walked up and down the road from the City of David to the Jaffa Gates and got our tickets. It was a tiny Entrance fee. There seemed to be just a handful of visitors at the time with our little group of four. Adventurous and prepared, were we, all with walking shoes and some water - there was this guide tip - Be prepared for a lot of stone-stairs in varying levels.
One part of the Ramparts Walk begins just outside Jaffa Gate. The entrance is a bit hard to find. Before going through the gate into the Old City, head to the enclosure to the right of Jaffa Gate, as you face the Old City. You'll be walking between two stone walls on a stone path. Follow the signs or ask someone - the entrance is a bit of way down, around a corner to the left. This section takes you from Jaffa Gate to Zion Gate and lets you off near Dung Gate, not far from the Western Wall Plaza and the Jewish Quarter. It offers a stunning view of Old City rooftops, Sultan's Pool, Yemin Moshe, Mt. Zion and the Mt. of Olives. You can also access the ramparts from Damascus Gate follow them to Lion's Gate.
Near the Entrance, there is a stone sit-out. While sitting there, waiting for Shalin to finish her sandwich, I looked around and a thought crossed my mind ‘we are about to walk another piece of Bible history!' What a fun way to get the overview of Jerusalem in the 21st Century, by climbing the olden ramparts (the watch-points, I say) of the Old City and circle the city above. There were moments I wondered what must have passed by the minds of the soldiers standing guard in the varying time periods. Walking on top of the Old City is exhilarating and gives you wonderful view over the new city of Jerusalem through the arrow slits on the turret walls and/or over them.
There are places that I had never seen in my earlier visits, like the cloistered Armenian compound, an old hospital... from each vantage point; we could see the day-to-day Old city life and the exuberance of Sukkoth. The hubbub of city life in this holiday season was worth capturing on film and just drinking in the sight from where each of us stood - bustling markets, sheets hanging on washing lines, a vendor frying falafels, festive dancing on temporary platforms....
The walls of Jerusalem that we see today were built by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century when he restored the ancient city walls that served as military fortifications. During 1948-1967, the Jordanian snipers used the ramparts as a vantage point. Multiple bullet holes stand witness to this shooting position on old buildings facing the Old City. Today, the ramparts serve a more peaceful purpose as a choice destination for school field trips, tourists and Jerusalem enthusiasts, I understand.
The walk is about 4 kilometres. You can't circumnavigate the entire Old City in one shot, since access to the ramparts of the Temple Mount is closed off, and the road bisects the walls at Jaffa Gate. We had to descend at the Lion's or Dung Gate and resumed from the Damascus Gate.
It is not advised to walk alone or after dark. Should you wish to experience the Rampart Walk, go for it! And again, the tip to heed: the walk requires a lot of stair climbing and descending. Make sure you're wearing comfortable walking shoes, and that you have enough water with you - once you're on the ramparts, there's no getting off until the end and no refreshment kiosk or bathroom along the way. While this is fun for adults and older kids, avoid taking little children, those fearful of heights and people who have trouble walking.
I have visited and traveled the Holy Land, no better description, for pilgrimage, a tour and even for a Bible feast and have yet not had enough. It is so true when people say, 'The Bible comes alive' - every stone talks here! | <urn:uuid:974a355c-1605-48a6-83d3-68a019d193d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travelujah.com/blogs/posts/Irene/tag/sukkoth | 2013-05-21T10:07:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971733 | 2,564 |
"Kissine offers a new theory of speech acts which is philosophically sophisticated and builds on work in cognitive science, formal semantics, and linguistic typology. This highly readable, brilliant essay is a major contribution to the field."
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 12:02:10 +0100 From: Cornelia Tschichold <[email protected]> Subject: World Englishes
AUTHORS: Melchers, Gunnel; Shaw, Philip TITLE: World Englishes SERIES: The English Language Series PUBLISHER: Arnold YEAR: 2003
Cornelia Tschichold, Institute of English, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
INTRODUCTION This book is a recent addition to the growing number of textbooks on varieties of English around the world. In the preface, the two authors, both from Stockholm University, describe the intended audience of the book as readers familiar with the basics of linguistics and phonetics, thus typically undergraduate students after their first year at a department of English, with English either as their native or a second or foreign language. The book has an accompanying CD, which is sold separately and therefore does not figure in this review.
SYNOPSIS Chapter 1 is a very short chapter on the history of English from 450 to the beginnings of Modern English. The development of the language is illustrated mainly through the most accessible aspect, its loanwords.
Chapter 2 covers the more recent history of English, when the language spread around the globe, first to the so- called 'inner circle' countries, later to the 'outer circle' and finally to the 'expanding circle'. This three- circle model by Kachru is adopted as the organizing principle for the book. The chapter also introduces the distinction often made between English as a second and English as a foreign language, while drawing attention to the problems of terminology and those of differing political viewpoints involved.
Chapter 3 discusses basic terms in language variation and provides the framework for the classification and description of the many varieties discussed in chapters 4 to 6. The authors divide variation into the areas of spelling, phonology, grammar and lexicon, and give a brief overview of the main types of variation in each area. For the description of phonology, Wells' standard lexical sets are introduced. The section on rhythm and intonation explains the concept of stress-times vs. syllable-timed rhythm and mentions high-rising terminals as the most striking phenomena in the area of intonation. The sections on lexis and on the historical origin of varieties introduce a large number of technical terms such as 'heteronymy' or 'substratum'. Other dimensions of classification mentioned include the political stance of some of the more prominent authors in the field, the degree of standardization for varieties and for texts, and the position of a country in the three-circle model.
Chapter 4 portrays the inner circle varieties of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Liberia and the Caribbean. With some exceptions, each of these sections follows the pattern of first giving a brief overview of geography and population, then an account of the general linguistic situation, before the variety itself is described in terms of spelling, phonology, grammar and lexicon. Where appropriate, important internal varieties are briefly touched on as well, such as the main differences between Southern and Northern dialects in England, the two ethnic varieties African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and Chicano English in the USA, and Aboriginal English in Australia.
Chapter 5 opens with a discussion of the political questions of language prestige and then tries to identify some common linguistic features of the varieties spoken in these countries. Among the features mentioned are consonant cluster and vowel system simplifications, a trend away from clearly stress-timed rhythm, and more syntactic variety. The countries in this chapter are then discussed in geographical groups, following a similar pattern to that in chapter 4, but giving rather more historical background and extra sections on style and pragmatics. The first variety is South Asian English, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as its main countries. The second major variety is African English, with South Africa making a second appearance due to its higher number of speakers who have English as a second language. Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore are dealt with in the group of countries where South East Asian English is spoken. The last section in this chapter very briefly deals with a number of countries with a colonial past: Gibraltar, Malta, and Cyprus in the Mediterranean, Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, the Seychelles and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Guam in the Pacific, without however giving linguistic descriptions of the English spoken there.
Chapter 6 abandons the geographical perspective in favour of the functions English can be seen to have taken over in the expanding circle from the 18th century onwards. Among the domains where English is making inroads the authors mention global politics and economy, tourism, the education system, the mass media and popular culture, advertising and subcultures. On the more strictly linguistic level, the authors see no trend toward standardization, and argue instead that speakers of lingua franca English need a high communicative competence for dealing with the mixture of non-standard features and the large amount of pragmatic variation found in much intercultural communication. The authors then briefly consider the influence of English on the local languages and the choices involved in choosing a variety of English for education.
In Chapter 7, Melchers and Shaw take a look at the likely developments in the near future and identify US power, globalization and information technology as the most important factors favouring the further spread of English across the globe. They posit that the high visibility of unedited English found in computer-mediated communication could have a destandardizing effect on international English, but that the still considerable influence of the school systems might counterbalance this trend.
Finally, Appendix 1 gives a list of the speakers on the accompanying CD, and Appendix 2 contains a number of pre- and post-reading questions for each chapter.
CRITICAL EVALUATION Everyone teaching a course on the varieties of English around the world probably has their own idea of what the ideal textbook for such a course should cover. One of the authors has taught just such a course for many years, and the book under review is proof of this. Many sections read more like lightly edited lecture notes than a textbook meant to be studied by undergraduate students. The authors include a number of anecdotes in the text, a feature that often works well in class, but much less well in a textbook, and they have the rather irritating habit of writing one-sentence paragraphs, something which many university teachers try to eradicate from their students' essays.
It is clear that balancing the content of such a short book is a difficult task, and the authors should be praised for trying to combine most of the relevant sociolinguistic aspects with a large number of linguistic descriptions of individual varieties in a relatively small book. Apart from the style, most of my criticism therefore relates to details of content. A number of sections in the book seem to be the result of compromises of various kinds: One might argue, for example, about the usefulness of a very short chapter on the roots of English, or whether such a a book is the best place for contemplating the influence of English on other languages via borrowing. Possibly these pages might have been put to better use.
One of my quibbles concerns the notoriously difficult problem of the translations or glosses, which have not received the necessary attention to detail. Dialectal variation is illustrated with a Geordie poem ("A hev gorra bairn / an a hev gorra wife / an a cannit see me bairn or wife / workin in the night"), where the word 'gorra' is claimed to stand for the local pronunciation of 'got to' (p.13).
Generally, the maps in the book are often not very useful as they do not show all areas mentioned in the text and do not distinguish between cities and provinces. To give just one example, among the dialects of England discussed in the text are those of Leeds, Derby, West Wirral and Norwich, but only Leeds can be found on one of the maps. One might also wonder about the necessity of listing statistics on area, population and capital for the countries discussed, given that such data can easily be found elsewhere and is of questionable relevance in this context.
Within the descriptions of the individual varieties, spelling, a very accessible aspect, is not systematically commented on, e.g. South Asian English is said to be "spelt in the British style", but British English does not have a section on spelling. In the more extensive section on phonology most of the comparisons of the lexical sets are clearly useful and could have been extended, e.g. it would have been interesting to see the Australian vowels compared not just to RP, but also to American English vowels. In addition to the concept of lexical sets, much of the data used by the authors comes from Wells as well, which often seems a needless repetition, especially where even the examples are taken straight from Wells (1982), a study in three volumes based on data which is now more than a generation old. On the other hand, a number of sections (Liberian English and AAVE, Caribbean English) are so short, they seem more like appetizers than any kind of solid information. In the sections on the lexicon, the authors' use of the word 'tautonym' to refer to words having different meanings in different varieties seems somewhat idiosyncratic.
The references given in the book are not consistently placed in the further-reading sections, but appear either there (sometimes with comment, sometimes without; sometimes with full bibliographic details, sometimes as author plus year only) or embedded in the text. Sharp (2001) is referred to, but missing in the references. Appendix 2 contains a number of pre- and post-reading questions, which - according to the preface - are meant to remind readers of what they know and to check their new knowledge. This generally is a good idea, but one would expect the pre- reading questions to be clearly easier than the post- reading questions. Some questions sound more like activation questions for a seminar group than questions meant to check on the reader's knowledge.
Comparing the book under review to other books on the market that might be considered as textbooks for courses on world Englishes, one could mention Trudgill and Hannah (1994), a book that gives considerably more linguistic detail on the varieties discussed, but devotes only very little room to varieties in the expanding circle (an aspect which is of much interest to students in potentially expanding-circle countries in Europe) and does not cover the sociolinguistic and political perspectives. The latter aspect can be found in Crystal (1997) to a certain extent, or more thoroughly in Brutt-Griffler (2002). Crystal (1995) provides an widely available source for maps, statistics and historical background. Bauer (2002) is mostly limited to varieties of the inner circle. Jenkins (2003) is very useful as an overview for the debate on the sociolinguistic and political aspects, but does not give linguistic descriptions. Cheshire (1991) and Allerton et al (2002) finally are edited collections of papers that provide accessible further reading on a range of subtopics on world Englishes.
Writing a relatively short textbook of such a scope is a very big bite to chew, and while I would like to congratulate the authors on their choice of content, I wish they had chosen a different style for the book and spent more time on revision and ensuring internal consistency.
REFERENCES Allerton, D.J., Skandera, P. and Tschichold, C., eds. (2002). Perspectives on English as a World Language. Basel: Schwabe.
Bauer, L. (2002). An Introduction to International Varieties of English. Edinburgh University Press.
Brutt-Griffler, J. (2002). World English: A Study of its Development. Multilingual Matters.
Cheshire, J., ed. (1991). English around the world: Sociolinguistic perspectives. Cambridge UP.
Crystal, D. (1995). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge UP.
Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge University Press.
Jenkins, J. (2003). World Englishes: A resource book for students. Routledge.
Trudgill, P. & J. Hannah (1994, 3rd ed.). International English: A guide to the varieties of standard English. Arnold.
Wells, J.C. (1982). Accents of English, vols I - III. Cambridge University Press.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Cornelia Tschichold teaches English linguistics at
Neuchâtel University. While her research interests focus on
English phraseology, computational lexicography and
computer-assisted language learning, she teaches a wide
range of courses in English linguistics, including courses
on sociolinguistics, the history of English, and varieties
of English around the world. | <urn:uuid:eb43ea76-2540-45c2-ae23-dc27a6a5300d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?SubID=20284 | 2013-05-23T18:31:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930054 | 2,754 |
|Navigation » Global Information Technology (UK) Ltd. » download EarthMediaCenter online music radio free|
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EarthMediaCenter online music radio 1.0
EarthMediaCenter: 150 music radio stations in over 30 languages worldwide.
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EarthMediaCenter online music radio manufacturer description
EarthMediaCenter: 150 music radio stations in over 30 languages worldwide.
Includes a variety of radio genres (pop, rock, rap, jazz, r'n'b, classical music, electronic music and many others).
The number of on-line-TV channels is by several orders bigger than any satellite television package can offer, even the most expensive one. Thousands of channels - from many countries, in many languages - are available online. And it is the viewer, not the provider of satellite TV service that makes up the list of channels. The same with internet radio – not a single radio receiver will pick up such a great number of channels, as it is possible to find online, and the sound in online radio is clear, without any radiointerference. And what's more, there is no additional license fee.
If you are going to watch on-line-TV regularly, you can download a very small file, and an icon will appear on the desktop. Just click on it and select a TV channel or radio station.
EarthMediaCenter - software for receiving on-line TV programs, Internet of radio, images from webcams - advantageously differs from other products of that kind, namely:
-No additional software is required
-No additional setting is required
-No additional hardware is required
-You needn't have administrator privilege to install and use it
-Automatic updates are provided
-Live TV broadcast is supported
-Full-screen mode is supported (double click on the screen)
-Unlimited number of virtual television and/or radio sets can be opened at the same time
-High-quality picture and sound
-You can switch between TV and radio mode
Free download EarthMediaCenter online music radio 1.0
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee.
EarthMediaCenter online music radio video tutorials
Tutorial not found. Let know us about any useful video tutorial.
EarthMediaCenter online music radio categories
radio music, web radio, on line radio, free music online, radio station, online radio, rock radio, free radio, live radio, internet radio, listen music online, streaming radio, fm online, free internet radio, internet radio stations
What is new in 1.0 changeinfo log
Given stickers for EarthMediaCenter online music radio & download buttons
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||This award means that EarthMediaCenter online music radio is an Editor's pick.
||DownloadAtlas.com guarantees that EarthMediaCenter online music radio was tested by antivirus program and is absolutely clean, which means it does not contain any form of malware, including computer viruses, adware, trojans, spyware, rootkits, badware and other malicious and unwanted software.
radio-music.zip - CLEAN
radio-music.zip » ZIP » License.txt - CLEAN
radio-music.zip » ZIP » Earth Media Center Mini 2.0.exe - CLEAN
Do you like EarthMediaCenter online music radio ? Move mouse cursor over the buttons and just copy one of those links, paste the code you copied right where you want on your blog or website.
EarthMediaCenter online music radio permissions
SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION IS FREELY
End user agreement for EarthMediaCenter online music radio
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5. Advertising policy
EarthMediaCenter® will from time to time display third party
advertisements using an embedded web browser. Some of these
advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons
when they advertise on our EarthMediaCenter®, which will also
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program) information including your IP address, your ISP, the
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you have Flash installed. This is generally used for geotargeting
purposes (showing New York ads to someone in New York, for
example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited
(such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking
sites). Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by
All rights of any kind in the Software which are not expressly
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maximum extent permissible and the remaining provisions of this
Agreement will remain in force and effect.
Installing and/or using EarthMediaCenter® signifies acceptance
of these terms and conditions of the license. If you do not
agree with the terms of this license you must uninstall and
remove EarthMediaCenter® files along with the setup package
from your storage devices and cease to use the product.
| || | | <urn:uuid:212fcd76-3138-490e-92ec-e20168786eda> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.downloadatlas.com/freeware-c642ac4c.html | 2013-05-26T02:56:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.768746 | 2,600 |
The Weekly Standard
January 7, 2013
by Lee Smith
An explosion in southern Lebanon last week destroyed what is believed to have been a Hezbollah weapons depot. This latest in a series of mysterious "accidents" in Hezbollah-controlled precincts proved, as one Israeli official wryly remarked, that those who "sleep with rockets and amass large stockpiles of weapons are in a very unsafe place." With the Party of God's overland supply route through Syria choked off by the 22-month-long uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and Israel virtually in total control of the maritime route, Hezbollah's stockpile is being systematically degraded.
Yet the arsenal of Iran's other regional proxy force, Hamas, is growing. The Israeli Defense Forces' campaign against Hamas last month in Gaza targeted Iranian missiles, including the Fajr-5, capable of reaching Tel Aviv and other points north, and destroyed most of them within the first hours of the conflict. But Hamas is already rearming, and it's not clear that Israel or even Muslim Brotherhood-governed Egypt, which is ostensibly capable of controlling the Sinai tunnel networks through which Hamas receives its arms, can do much about it.
Israel's next war with Hamas—a further confrontation is almost inevitable—may well feature not only Iranian missiles smuggled through Sudan, but NATO-quality small arms and shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that come by way of Hamas's most recent weapons supplier, post-Qaddafi Libya.
Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense also zeroed in on Hamas commanders, most notably Ahmed al-Jabari, Hamas's chief of staff, responsible for the group's military operations. It was Jabari who replaced Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, assassinated in a Dubai hotel room almost three years ago in an operation usually attributed to Israel. In a sense, then, Pillar of Defense began back in January 2010 in that most profligate of the United Arab Emirates—which is also a veritable weapons bazaar.
"It's the Casablanca of the Middle East, with all sorts of shady characters, money laundering, and arms deals," says Michael Ross, a former Mossad operations officer. "With the Mabhouh assassination, the UAE authorities had all this video feed of what were allegedly Mossad operatives moving in and out of Dubai, but what they didn't show was footage of Mabhouh meeting with a banker, then with his contact from the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps]." According to Ross, Mabhouh's briefcase was a treasure trove of information detailing what items Hamas procured from the Iranians and the logistics of getting them to Gaza.
Arms smuggling was a problem in Gaza long before Hamas took control, says Major (Res.) Aviv Oreg, formerly in charge of the al Qaeda and global jihad desk in Israel's military intelligence service and now head of a private consulting firm specializing in terrorism, CeifiT. "In the past, there was a maritime route via Syria or Lebanon, and when the smugglers approached the location they'd put the weapons in large flotation devices with the hope that the current would take it ashore," says Oreg. "Sometimes it got tangled up in fishermen's nets."
When the Israeli Navy interdicted the Karine A freighter in 2002 and stopped a large cache of Iranian-made weapons from reaching Gaza, it not only turned George W. Bush against Yasser Arafat for good, it also signaled that Israel had closed Iran's maritime route to Gaza once and for all. And yet as Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza cleared the way for Hamas's 2007 takeover, the outfit sought more sophisticated weapons, and Iran's support. The question for Tehran was how to get arms to their Palestinian clients.
"The ships usually start in the port of Bandar Abbas," says Oreg. "They come through the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, around the Arabian Peninsula, and crossing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, docking in Port Sudan." Occasionally the Iranians will dock in Eritrea, "just to mix things up," but their preferred point of entry is Sudan.
Sudan is critical, agrees Michael Ross. "This is where the parts for Iranian weapons are assembled. The guys in Gaza aren't too swift in putting together complicated systems like the Fajr-5. Some assembly may be required when it hits Gaza, but the more complicated, high-tech aspects of the weapons systems are assembled in Sudan by Iranians, who have a large presence in Khartoum, at places like the al-Yarmouk factory."
In October, an operation widely credited to Israel destroyed this key Iranian weapons depot. Other attacks on Sudanese soil attributed to Israel, such as the spring 2009 series of strikes on weapons convoys, have left some wondering what the government in Khartoum has to gain from painting a big target on its head for the IDF.
Money is part of it, says Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who points to extensive economic cooperation between Iran and Sudan. "But there are also ideological reasons. These are radical Islamists, they've been angry at the world since their president, Omar al-Bashir, was indicted for war crimes, and they don't like Israel."
Even if it were possible to convince Khartoum to sever ties with Tehran, says Oreg, "the Iranians would find a replacement without too much difficulty, Eritrea or Somalia, both places where the central government is incapable of extending control over its territory." In any case, the real problem is Egypt.
Sudanese smugglers, mostly from the Rashaida tribe, transport the weapons from Port Sudan in trucks across the Nubian Desert to the Egyptian border, all the way through Egypt's Eastern Desert along the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal deep into the Sinai Peninsula. "The easiest way to cut off Hamas's weapons supply," says Ross, "would be to shut down the shipments coming out of Sudan, at the source, rather than in Sinai. The routes are limited, and this could easily be accomplished if the Egyptian military made an effort. But the army has always been the problem. While Mubarak was president, it was the intelligence service under Omar Suleiman that stopped shipments, kept radical elements at bay, and cooperated very closely with Israel. The military looks the other way and just doesn't care."
In fact, since the August jihadist attack in the Sinai that killed 16 Egyptian border guards, the army has been more vigilant, recognizing that its own security, and not merely Israel's, is at stake. The proliferation of foreign fighters in the Sinai, some of them aligned with Egypt's Salafist movement, moreover, poses a big political risk for Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi. Judging by his actions during Pillar of Defense, Morsi believes that keeping the peace with Israel is in the national interest. That still leaves plenty of room for him to be outflanked on his right by the Salafists and armed fighters whose prestige rests precisely on the fact that they are fighting Israel. The problem, then, is that if Morsi closes the tunnels, affecting both Hamas and the Sinai jihadists, the latter will turn on him; if he doesn't, the jihadists will eventually come for him anyway.
In any case, he has an excuse for the United States and Israel ready at hand: Practically speaking, it's almost impossible to shut down the entire network of tunnels between Sinai and Gaza—and for that, he can lay some of the blame at Mubarak's feet.
"The nomadic tribes in the Sinai were neglected by the government for years," says Oreg. "There are no roads, no employment, and their main source of income became smuggling—not only weapons into Gaza, but routes into Israel also, smuggling drugs and women." The Tarabin tribe, he explains, is the most dominant—and the wealthiest. "In Sinai, the biggest and most expensive houses belong to smugglers. For one AK-47, a smuggler gets $1,000."
Besides the profit motive for smuggling, there are also geographical issues that make it difficult to close the industry. "With the high mountains in the Sinai," says Oreg, "it's easy for the smugglers to move around, and not even the Egyptian Army can do much about it."
The Gaza side of the border is even more economically dependent on the tunnel networks that, since Hamas took over, have become highly regulated. "After the blockade of Gaza," says Oreg, "everything went through tunnels. All of Gaza's international trade is conducted through the tunnels, thousands of them. Hamas has basically institutionalized the tunnel industry, requiring registration for tunnels and imposing taxes on them. You can make up to $50,000 a month on a tunnel."
Not surprisingly, Libyan entrepreneurs now want a piece of the action. The supply line, according to Oreg, is the same—via Sudan. "But eventually," says Oreg, "they will likely build smuggling networks through the Libyan desert into Egypt." What's different, says Ross, is the materiel. "For instance, they've got FN F2000s, a Belgian-manufactured military assault rifle. The Europeans, in their infinite wisdom, treated Qaddafi like just another client. And so after Qaddafi, people found warehouses full of munitions, and if you're sitting on a stockpile, it's not too tough to make contacts with middlemen and facilitators. What a wild west that's become."
Israeli officials might be worried about the Sinai turning into an Afghanistan on their border, but with Hamas, they're looking at a garrison equipped with Iranian missiles and European small arms. "We saw how much Hamas had at its disposal with Operation Pillar of Defense," notes Ross. "There was no ground incursion this time around, but you'd have seen them breaking out all sorts of stuff, like NATO-quality small arms. We've come a long way from the First Intifada and 8-year-olds throwing rocks."
Lee Smith is a visiting fellow at Hudson Institute and is the author of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics and the Clash of Arab Civilizations (Doubleday, 2010).
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Washington apprised American security officers John Ford and Joe Bezjian of the situation at their base of operations at the American Embassy in Paris, France. Both gentlemen were security professionals but Joe was the technical expert. The embassy invited them to come to Moscow to see if they could solve the mystery. Like the allied search team, they turned up nothing and determined that the Soviets had removed the device. This occurrence added fuel to the concern that the Soviets possessed a new technology that could effectively evade western search equipment and techniques. This was further compounded when an American military attaché, Major Van Latham, stationed at the Mohkavaya building (the American Embassy Chancery building at that time) overheard the ambassador’s voice while monitoring his radio. A frantic search ensued but once again, nothing was found.
In September, Joe and John returned to Moscow to perform another search of U.S. facilities. They searched U.S. Embassy facilities thoroughly and turned up nothing. Joe suspected that his search may have been compromised but decided to make one last effort. As with Ambassador Kennan, he was aware that the renovation of Spaso House presented an opportunity for the KGB to introduce something technical – he just didn’t know what. Discussing the matter with the Ambassador they worked out a plan. The plan included surreptitious delivery of Joe’s search equipment to the house and a bogus classified dictation session by the Ambassador in his study. Joe moved all of his personal effects into a guest room at Spaso House and took up the life of a house guest for several days. He invited people over for dinner, played bridge in the evening, and quietly watched the normal routines of the house and its occupants.
On September 12, the embassy personnel officer, Sam Janey, brought Joe’s disguised search equipment to the house. The two men hid the equipment in a residence safe. According to plan, Ambassador Kennan called his longtime secretary, Ms. Dorothy Hessman, to perform dictation in the ambassador’s study. The ambassador dictated from an old embassy dispatch. The dispatch consisted of an unclassified portion of published diplomatic correspondence and to the uninformed ear could well sound worth collecting.
Soon after Ms. Hessman arrived, Joe and Sam carried the equipment from the safe to the attic. Almost as soon as the equipment warmed up Joe spun his dial and heard Ambassador Kennan’s voice and Ms. Hessman’s typing. Joe’s attentions snapped onto his receiver and a surge of adrenalin sharpened his focus, but he controlled his excitement and continued his quiet hunt using the radio strapped to his chest like a concessionaire at a ball game. Hearing the ambassador’s voice “on the air” Joe sent Sam down to the study with a note to the ambassador. Sam passed the note to Ambassador Kennan and then implored him, via sub-vocal whispers, to “keep on, keep on.” The room charged with an unknown presence lurking beyond the shadows.
Joe carried his equipment slowly down the stairs, entered the study, and started parsing the room, searching for the signal’s origin. He lowered his whip antenna, diminishing the receiver’s sensitivity, and quietly treaded from corner to corner. Ambassador Kennan continued dictating but held his eyes riveted on Joe as he fiddled with his dials and antenna. Using the meter on his receiver and the shifting audio in his headset, Joe tracked the signal to the study’s left rear corner. A corner table displayed many small things including a Zenith radio. Joe pointed to Sam to remove the radio and then in turn pointed at different items for him to remove from the table. Joe heard no effect on the device’s audio as the ambassador continued to read. Above the table hung a large wooden replica of the U.S. Great Seal. After Sam removed all the items from the table Joe’s eyes fixed on the Seal. He approached it delicately, suspecting that it might be covering up something planted in the wall.
Placing his receiver down, Joe picked the Great Seal off the wall gingerly and placed it on an overstuffed chair at the room’s center. The signal dropped off and just as suddenly returned. Joe returned to examine the wall. He slowly scanned back and forth with his eyes and ran his finger tips across the plaster surface seeing and feeling nothing. He slowly turned and fixed his gaze on the Great Seal. He went back to the chair where it sat and began examining it closely. He ran his receiver back and forth across where the Great Seal lay on the chair confirming that the signal emanated from behind the bald eagle’s head. In his excitement, he bumped the wooden Seal and the signal disappeared once again. Fearing that his search had been discovered, Joe told Ambassador Kennan that he had lost the signal but it undoubtedly came from inside the Great Seal. The signal suddenly returned a few moments later but then went off the air – forever.
The ambassador looked at Joe and quietly asked about leaving the device in place to feed prepared information back to the Soviets in a misinformation campaign. Joe assured the ambassador that the Russian operator undoubtedly knew that the search effort was compromised. He felt sure they were listening to his activities and quite probably knew of his discovery of their intelligence operation. Joe advised the ambassador that the device needed to be studied to determine its capabilities. Further, Joe contended, the considerable U.S. effort to discover the device required that it be secured to keep the Soviets from “recovering” it, denying western governments the opportunity to understand and protect themselves from the new technology.
Joe, eager to examine the device, remained uneasy because of the possibility that the device contained a booby trap that might explode and destroy its secrets as well as hurt the person opening the device or the people standing nearby. Joe instructed Ambassador Kennan, Sam, and Ms. Hessman to leave the study. But he was also driven by his curiosity to see what was inside of the wooden carving, enough curiosity to overrule his caution. He carefully examined the Seal and noted a seam in the edge. With a sharp-edged masonry hammer he slowly, deliberately cracked the seal open, splitting the plaster circumference ring and having the seal fall into its front and back pieces. Nothing self-destructed. Hidden within a large carved cavity inside the seal the disassembly revealed a cleverly hidden device called a cavity resonator. The device required no internal power source and uses the basic physical principles of resonance to steal audio from its surroundings. It had no electronic components, just a nonferrous microphone and an antenna crafted to resonate at the appropriate frequency. Much as a diva can explode a piece of glass with her voice resonating until the excess energy causes it to shatter, a cavity resonator can modulate (change) an externally supplied radio signal and use its clever combination of radio-frequency resonance and audio modulation to eavesdrop on nearby conversations. The resonator gave the Soviets a tactical and strategic edge in the battle for Cold War supremacy.
An anonymous Russian had given the wooden replica to Ambassador Averell Harriman as a personal gift sometime in 1945. Initially, Ambassador Harriman did nothing with the seal. It was during the war and his time was limited. After several months in storage, someone hung the seal in the Ambassador’s study. Ambassador Harriman did not remember when, nor who hung the seal. When asked some 15 years later, all Ambassador Harriman remembered was that when leaving his assignment in the USSR the large size of the seal prevented it from being packed into his personal effects. He left it hanging on the wall of the house’s study for his successor.
Following Ambassador Harriman was Ambassador Walter Bedell Smith, soon-to-be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He remembered the seal quite well. The ambassador remembered only one time throughout his entire Moscow tenure when the seal did not hang in the study. He noticed that a crack had appeared in the Seal’s rim and ordered it repaired prior to the arrival of the Secretary of State, George Marshall, who used the study as his bedroom. Ambassador and Mrs. Smith wanted the room to be as tidy as possible for the Secretary. A Russian handyman took the seal and kept it for approximately a week. The seal reappeared in excellent shape with no indication of a crack on any of its edges, well before Secretary Marshall’s arrival to negotiate with the USSR.
The Seal, apparently, had hung in the study from 1945 until Joe discovered it on September 12, 1953. State Department Security Engineers had examined the Seal twice in 1951 with a metal detector. The detector indicated the presence of the obvious metal screws and studs on the reverse side but nothing in the middle – fooled by the nonferrous brass construction of the resonant cavity. After Joe’s successful technical search, he continued his inspection with hand tools. He and Sam performed a destructive search destroying the wall on which the Seal had hung for so long. They found nothing: no cables, no power source, no indications at all. After they demolished the wall and finished searching for any associated devices at 3 A.M., they posted a Marine Guard in the study.
Joe placed the cavity resonator under his pillow and placed the Great Seal under the bed and settled in for a couple of hours of restless sleep. The next morning he accompanied Ambassador Kennan in his limousine to the Chancery heading directly towards the Kremlin on the way to the embassy. At the chancery, Joe photographed multiple angles of the cavity resonator and the Seal. He carefully packed the seal and resonator in boxes and hand carried them to the communications vault and packaged them in a diplomatic pouch. The next pouch shipment sent them to the Department’s Regional Security headquarters in Paris. Once the pouch reached Paris, Security Engineer Fred Snyder repacked the pouch and hand carried the Seal and the resonator to Washington, D.C. In D.C., it rapidly made its way to Secretary Acheson’s office, who immediately arranged to show it to President Truman. The President ordered the Seal given to the FBI lab for reverse engineering. State Department Security Officer Robert Eckert hand carried the seal and device to the FBI lab for analysis.
President Truman tasked the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to develop countermeasures for cavity resonators. The NRL developed several passive and active devices for revealing resonant cavity devices and sent them to Moscow to be used. Despite diligent searches, no further devices utilizing this technology were discovered. It’s likely the Soviets removed any other devices after Joe made his discovery in order to maintain operations security over their other successes. The U.S. made several copies of both the cavity resonator and the Great Seal for various briefings to Congress and other Agencies. | <urn:uuid:381783c9-a8f1-4889-a5e5-c123787d876f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/a-trojan-seal-006971?page=0%2C1 | 2013-05-26T03:06:11Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97499 | 2,240 |
Republican Senators need more proof that the increase in super tornadoes and Level 5 hurricanes is caused by global warming, which they view as a myth (although the New York Times recently had a front page story listing the proof, and also the theory that human activity affects the weather.) So here’s a mantra for them to repeat in the shower before going on Fox News: “UFOs cause monster tornadoes. After all, one theory is as good as another, right? A theory is a theory is a…” Wait a minute, isn’t gravity a theory? Since they’ll never actually read a science book in their lifetime, someone should point out to them that some “theories” are never anything more than a “theory.” Like the theory that pollution accumulates. Oh wait, that’s a LAW, isn’t it? (The law of conservation of mass and energy. Thermodynamics also has a role.) In any event, maybe Wal Mart should acquire Warehouse 13, and get some help in fighting this stuff (as shown in the video below.) Since many Wal Mart shoppers and Fox News watchers believe in UFOs and alien beings from dying planets, (but don’t believe our planet is affected by anything WE do) it’s a marriage made in a hotter place—the Earth of the future. With Warehouse 13 as just another big box store, maybe then all the conspiracy nuts will be happy that the government isn’t hiding everything from them, and the NRA can use a new slogan: “From my bold red hands!”
Terminator 5: Family Die will be perhaps the most unique and original of the series, although Arnold is absent from the script. Inspired by Family Guy, the plot begins with the singularity (that moment when computers become sentient, often suggested as being 2045.) Instead of SkyNet, the entity is one massive ego—Sky Guy—who offers humans (and this means you) one year to either commit suicide with a katana (a la Tarantino) or download your consciousness into a machine to become a robot (with quantum help from Sky Guy, who figured out how in under an hour.) Meaning no one ever needs to eat or pollute or sleep again. Would you do it? Could you give up Coke and Pepsi, after so many billions spent in commercial brainwashing? What about French fries? Your party’s political views? In the movie, the Way family (in Shanghai) is the First Family, the test case family everyone is tweeting about. Because you can’t kill them, no matter how much you might want to. They are bullet and bomb proof. So…what’s it gonna be? Wanna be like them? Time is running out to decide. Humm. Do we hold onto our vices and delusions or live forever with a sky high I.Q.? Now there’s a plot.
Matrix 4: Evolutions will also hit the big screen on the same day, April 1, 2014, with all your favorites reprising their roles. Unfortunately, it’ll be a spoof with cheaper special effects. The plot revolves around people giving up on looking for work or risking more babies, and taking the red pill (instead of the little blue one), then staying in their alien cubicles to watch reality TV, particularly Duck Dynasty and Mob Wives. J.J. Abrams will direct, since his command of science is on the level of Daffy Duck.
Max Payne INTERVIEWS Max Brooks
And now an interview with World War Z writer Max Brooks, interviewed by video game gunman Max Payne.
Max Payne) So, dude, I see you were on Sons of Guns and The History Channel, talking about weapons to buy to use against zombies. And you’re not even a cartoon character like me. What gives?
Max Brooks) I love guns. Sue me.
MP) Okay, I just did on behalf of Marvel Comics and Rockstar Games.
MB) That was quick.
MP) Not really. Any twelve year old can change the clip of a Bushmaster quicker. …So, the Discovery Channel and History Channel believe in zombies, do they?
MB) Actually, I was talking about hordes. You know, crowds of young men attacking castles and caves and places like that throughout history. Hordes.
MP) Oh, I see. You mean like at soccer matches or monster truck rallies. But why are the examples shown all dead men come back to life? Where exactly has that happened lately?
MB) Congress, returned from recess? Just kidding. Okay, well…how about right now? You, for instance.
MP) I was never alive, Max.
MB) What about the other guy, Mark Wahlberg?
MP) He’s not here right now. I am. And I’m not a horde, looking to eat only very rare and never ever medium or well done meat for some nutjob reason no one has ever explained. It’s just me, here, right now, Max…with your weapon of choice.
MB) Stop aiming that thing at me!
MP) Why not? I’m not real. I’m just a character in a violent video game played by kids whose dads ignore them. So this gun can’t be real either, right? Stop sweating! You’ll be fine. Here, let me show you…
MP) Oh, I know what you’re thinking… Did he fire thirty shots or only twenty-nine. Tell the truth, in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But bein’ this is the most popular assault rifle in the world…
That’s right, the moon is destined to become a giant billboard in the sky. So look elsewhere for inspiration or romance. Who is behind this? The exclusive and shocking details are revealed in the video below…
The body of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, missing since 1975, has been found after an exhaustive search by the FBI costing taxpayers $69 million dollars. Apparently Hoffa had taken a boat ride with three mafia enforcers, and as in the Sopranos scene when Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero got taken out by Tony, Pauli and Patsy, he was shot 18 times in the chest for whispering sweet nothings to the Feds (in this case, something about “the grassy knoll.”) The three hour boat tour then strayed out of Jersey into the Bermuda Triangle, and fate took it to Greenland from there. John Stossel is set to take up the case as soon as he finishes with the boondoggle known as the Mars Mission, first proposed by Bush, and set to cost taxpayers upwards of a Trillion dollars—and all to plant an American flag on the barren world (sponsored by Directv, ESPN, and Coca-Cola.) Stossel’s take on this? “Wow, there’s so much waste everywhere I can’t freaking cover it all! I’ll get to it, okay? Give me a break!” When we asked him about Mars, he said, “As Time magazine put it, going to Mars is ridiculous since money will have to be cut from other NASA projects to do it…stuff that’s actually producing real science, like probes and space telescopes, or working on better propulsion systems. Not to mention health research, education, and filling potholes in the economy the size of Rhode Island!” We at NEN agree, but for the record have found one reason in favor of the Kardashians going to Mars: to discover how the Martians managed to reverse their population boom, and what they did with all those plastic bottles.
Coke Formula Exposed!
The formula for Coke has been hacked by the Chinese, and they have sent the ingredients to WikiLeaks. Appears that there is no trace of cocaine in the formula anymore, presumably because cocaine is so expensive. The most astonishing fact about the formula is what it DOESN’T contain. Not only is there no sugar, (since that’s too expensive, and has been replaced by the addictive high fructose corn syrup, a cheaper manmade product that can lead to diabetes,) but there is no happiness either! That’s right: happiness is not part of this product, although it’s advertised as being the main product, with slogans like “Open Happiness.” For the full formula, go here.
In other news, celebrities gathered aboard the Celebrity Century to witness a rare South Pacific meteor shower consisting of debris from the Sandusky Comet. No one survived. The ship’s black box was recovered from 5400 feet by robot submersible. Luckily, the sports, music and film stars who perished were all C and D List. Celebrity Cruises reports that everyone who is anyone are still safe, and offers condolences to “those who is not.”
Two non-gay men in the suburbs of Boston didn’t watch the Superbowl. When reached via satellite phone by ESPN’s Rio office, Bob Stockwell said, “We went for a walk.” Authorities in America have been alerted, and the men will be rounded up for examination by psychiatrists. NEN has learned that ESPN found out about the men through its worldwide surveillance network, which monitors cable subscribers (wherever you see a little red light flicker, it has taken your x-ray.) The network has supercomputers in Rio, London, and 600 feet beneath Disneyland, funding provided by Coca-Cola and the fast food chains of PepsiCo (additional funding provided by Merck, Pfizer, and United Healthcare.) When asked if they didn’t realize that walking on deserted streets during the Superbowl was also a criminal act indicative of Anti-American sentiment, and punishable by waterboarding, Leonard Meade said, “No, are you thinking of deporting us? If so, we’ll be happy to show up at any of the top twenty airports, where we’ll sign anything you wish.” ESPN is considering asking for that, depending on what the strip-searches and other examinations turn up. Unknown to them, however, the men meant the top twenty airports in the world, not just in the U.S.. Of the World’s 20 Best Airports, not one is in the United States. Number one is South Korea, a country with a booming economy because the U.S. pays their defense bill. Number two is Shanghai, then Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and Beijing. Etc. Meanwhile, the U.S. needs to spend trillions to repair degrading infrastructure, but only seem to find money from taxpayers to build new stadiums. In related news, astronomer Frank Abagnale has released this statement, “Keep things in perspective, people. One mountain-sized rock among zillions casually straying into our path unnoticed, and it’s lights out for the human race. This puts the ‘glory’ of the greatest athlete or politician or movie star or prima donna on the same level as the lowest clerk sorting Washington’s swizzle sticks in China. And if your trust is in God, I hate to say it but He doesn’t watch Sports Central, either. You need to step back about 1500 light years to a star called Deneb, at the apex of Cygnus. Sports transmissions won’t start reaching it for another 1400 years, and yet it is within our own galaxy, which, by the way, is one of billions. Deneb doesn’t stand out too much because there are stars which look brighter only because they are closer. But the closer you got to Deneb the more impressed you would be. Come within a hundred million miles of Deneb and your spaceship would not survive, much less your ball team, even with the heaviest shielding NASA and Sports Illustrated could devise. How bright is it? Okay, sports fans. You love comparing things, and keeping scores about ‘star performers.’ Let’s give our Sun a score of 1 and Deneb a score of 200,000. That’s right. It is 200,000 times as bright as our Sun, a blue white supergiant that puts out 100,000 times the Sun’s energy. It has 20 times the mass, and 200 times the radius. And it is by no means the brightest star in the galaxy. If you want to stray to a nearby dwarf galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, you would find R136a1. The score? Against our Sun’s ’1′ R136a1 has clocked a score of…wait for it… ’8,700,000.’ And you were worried about some comment made about Beyonce’s lip-syncing?” | <urn:uuid:8486138d-9810-407f-b712-ab9366159d90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://notentertainmentnews.wordpress.com/tag/science/ | 2013-05-24T01:44:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948663 | 2,707 |
Joint Press Availability With Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis
Secretary of State
Madam Secretary, I think that we have had very good talks, so we have touched upon many issues. Let me highlight the most important one. Greece and the U.S. are natural friends and allies, and I am not only talking about mutual economic interests, which are, of course, important, but I’m talking about our joint passion for freedom and liberty. And this is something which comes – overcomes national borders. Friends prove themselves in difficult times, and as we know, Greece is doing through difficult times right now. The United States (inaudible) firm and steadfast manner, in a decisive manner. We have – we believe that we shall come out of this difficulty victorious. Many on both sides of the Atlantic have bet on the collapse of Greece, and they have been proven wrong. We will continue to prove them wrong, and this – and to this, our collaboration will be very important.
We have also discussed the opportunities which appear in this country for investment, for tourism, which we expect and we hope will interest – is of interest to everybody in this hall. We have also discussed issues relating to our normal job, the foreign affairs issues. We have reviewed the discussions, political discussions and the Contact Group for Libya. We will be in touch and we will be in touch in September in our efforts to revise the peace process.
We have also talked about the Balkans, which is a top priority for Greece, but this is a vision which we share with the U.S.. We want peace, stability, and security in our region. We want to do away with the nationalist feelings of the past and for all the countries in the region to build a relationship of cooperation under our joint European home. I have told the Secretary of State that instead of trying to rewrite history, this is a good opportunity for us to write history, to make history, and this is something we should all try to achieve.
Also, we have the 2014 agenda which we have also discussed. I also had the opportunity of informing the Secretary about the negotiations on the Cyprus issue. I believe that it is possible to make progress, but this, of course, mainly requires political will on the – on behalf of Ankara. We have also discussed the efforts to normalize Greek-Turkish relations, the progress achieved, the remaining difficulties. And I am especially happy in conclusion, my dear Hillary – I’m especially happy to say that later on today we will be signing an MOU to do away with the smuggling of antiquities. And with this opportunity, we will have – we will visit the Acropolis museum together with my friend, minister of culture of Greece.
Ladies and gentlemen, here beside me stands a lady who is a friend of Greece, a friend of Hellenism, a person who has forged strong bonds of trust with the Greek-American community, which is a permanent bond linking Greece to the United States. Welcome to Greece, Madam Secretary.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Stavros, and it is a great pleasure for me to be here for this meeting, and I am greatly honored that I am your first foreign minister visitor. But you are becoming quickly a veteran in just one month in office. And I am also pleased to be here during these challenging times to demonstrate unequivocally the strong support that the United States has for Greece. We know that we are your friend and we are your ally and we are proud to be both. We stand by the people and Government of Greece as you put your country back on a path to economic stability and prosperity.
It is, for us, essential because we have a lot riding on our relationship together. As a NATO ally, we appreciate Greece’s partnership on a shared agenda that spans the globe. The foreign minister and I have just completed a very productive conversation, not just about Greece’s immediate challenges but about the full range of issues that form the core of our enduring alliance. We discussed our ongoing efforts in the NATO coalition operations to protect civilians and help the Libyan people claim a better future. Our diplomatic and military efforts are gaining momentum, and we are grateful for Greece’s engagement and support, especially your willingness to host coalition military assets at Souda Bay and other sites close to Libya.
We also are concerned about what’s going on in Syria, and we have condemned the violence. And I appreciate Greece’s support in speaking strongly against the attack on our Embassy and the French Embassy in Damascus. We will work together as part of the international community to support a vision for a Syria with representative government, respect for civil liberties, equal protection for all citizens under the law.
We will also continue to work with Greece to support democratic transitions across the Middle East and North Africa. We commend the Greek Government for seeking a constructive approach in consultation with the United Nations to addressing the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza and working to avoid the risks that come with attempts to sail directly to Gaza.
At a moment when domestic issues are rightly taking center stage here in Greece, we remain grateful for Greece’s continued engagement in meeting the shared challenges we confront. I appreciate the work that Prime Minister Papandreou and the government are doing to resolve many longstanding issues and integrate the Western Balkans into European and transatlantic institutions.
Now, of course, Greece and the United States are bound together by far more than our shared challenges. We are bound together by our shared values. In fact, we are grateful for Greece’s contribution to those values and their enduring legacy. Millions of Americans claim Greek ancestry, and last year President Obama was pleased to welcome Prime Minister Papandreou to the White House to celebrate Greece’s entry into our Visa Waiver Program. That makes it easier for Greeks to visit family and friends in the United States. And later today, as the minister said, we will be signing a cultural preservation agreement to make it more difficult for looters and smugglers to make that same trip carrying Greece’s historic treasures. That will protect tourism and ensure that the remarkable cultural heritage of this country remains in the hands of the Greek people.
And finally let me say just a few words about the economic situation in Greece. Americans know these are difficult days, and again, we stand with you as friends and allies. The United States strongly supports the Papandreou’s government’s determination to make the necessary reforms, to put Greece back on sound financial footing, and to make Greece more competitive economically. Committing to bring down the deficit and passing the medium-term fiscal strategy were vital first steps. We know these were not easy decisions. They were acts of leadership. And those acts of leadership will help to build a better economic future.
Now the challenge will be to keep moving forward with the same determination and commitment to make good on the fiscal targets and continue to deliver reform that drives future growth. Now, in many cases, these changes will require immediate and sustained implementation. And while the payoff for these sacrifices may not come quickly, it will come. We know that. We can look around the world and point to successful examples. And we also know that the price of inaction would have been far higher now and far into the future. The steps ahead will not, they cannot, be pain-free, but there is a path forward to resolve Greece’s economic stability and to restore Greece’s economic strength. I have faith in the resilience of the Greek people and I applaud the Greek Government on its willingness to take these difficult steps. Greece has inspired the world before, and I have every confidence that you are doing so again. And as you do what you must to bring your economy back to health, you will have the full support of the United States.
And so again, Minister, thank you for this opportunity to visit with you and thank you also for this chance to express from my heart our strong support for what Greece and particularly the Greek people are facing, but also to reiterate our confidence that this will be the path forward that will pay off, not only now but for generations to come.
QUESTION: Good morning, Madam Secretary. You have said that rising deficits are a national security issue for the United States, so it’s presumably also the case for Greece and parts of the EU. Are you concerned that the Europe crisis, the debt crisis, might undercut NATO’s ability to finance its missions? Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Christophe, I am not. I think the NATO alliance is undergoing some very important analysis about how we will continue to be the strongest military and operational alliance in the history of the world. The NATO allies know how important this alliance is to our own security and to those problems that are over the horizon but which affect the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic community. So yes, will there be some changes that we will foresee in the future? Of course. What has made NATO such a strong, vibrant, enduring alliance is that we have had to evolve and reform our own internal processes from time to time. But the United States not only has great confidence in NATO, we are committed to the fulfillment of the strategic vision that was adopted unanimously at the Lisbon summit and which we think provides the foundation for what needs to be done in the future.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) I have a question to both of you. You referred to the economic crisis. Both the U.S. and Europe are suffering because of an economic crisis. This – last year we were talking about Greek crisis. This year we’re talking about European crisis. You did mention some things, nevertheless society is feeling gloomy, and I would like to ask you politicians can you offer an optimistic message to society, tell people that what they are sacrificing will pay off?
FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBRINIDIS: (Via interpreter) There is no question that today’s Greece has nothing to do whatsoever with Greece of two years ago. There is no question that despite the doomsayers, we are proceeding and that we shall come out of this victorious. Of course, we have no magic solutions, but there is no question the sacrifices that the Greek people have made have not only done away with the very real past risk of default but will create a sound basis for recovery.
And of course, we need the Greek measures, but we also need European solidarity. The European solidarity, which we believe and hope will express itself in a key manner in the near future, is very important because in a united Europe, hope or the light at the end of the tunnel is not about each individual country, but it is about our immense economic power when we all stand together more than 500 million people in 27 countries. This message was a bit lost on – was almost lost in some member-states recently, but the fact that Greece has regained in credibility with the sacrifices and the important measures that we are taking has brought us back to the forefront of – to the center of discussion and has brought us, I believe, at the forefront of a Europe of growth which will offer jobs to our citizens, to their citizens.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, of course, I agree with what the minister said, and let me just put it into context from what we see looking from the United States toward Greece. We believe that the recent legislation that was passed will make Greece more competitive, will make Greece more business-friendly. We think that is essential for the kind of growth and recovery that is expected in the 21st century when businesses can go anywhere in the world and capital can follow. We think that will provide a firm financial footing on which Greece will be able increasingly to attract businesses and create the jobs that Stavros said are absolutely important for the Greek people. Because businesses seek consistent, predictable regulatory and taxation regimes. Investors seek a level playing field. They expect transparency, streamlined procedures, protection of commercial and intellectual property rights, effective contract enforcement, all of which was part of your reform package.
Therefore, I am not here to in any way downplay the immediate challenges, because they are real, but I am here to say that we believe strongly that this will give Greece a very strong economy going forward. There are lots of analogies – having to take the strong medicine that tastes terrible when it goes down and you wish you didn’t have to, or the chemotherapy to get rid of the cancer. There are all kinds of analogies. But the bottom line is this is the best approach and we strongly support it.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBRINIDIS: Thank you very much. Hillary, thank you so much. | <urn:uuid:880dd21f-cdd2-4bb0-802e-66a6aff84e4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.state.gov/md168669.htm | 2013-05-19T02:07:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963944 | 2,611 |
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|Calling all fair-skinned beauties!|
|26-07-2004, 04:10 PM||#1|
In the make up polls and the Faces threads I have noticed that there are a number of girls who also seem to linger down the Ivory end of the foundation spectrum. While I have my base routine perfected (or close enough to) I have a fear of using colour on my face that is any more daring than a rosy lipgloss or a smoky grey eyeshadow - I just have no idea what would suit my colouring
So I'd like anyone else with pale skin to fess up what is your cosmetic collection and how you wear it (like if you find certain products go together nicely). It'd be nice if you could include your hair/eye colour to so I can compare it to me - I'm a golden blonde with blue eyes and annoyingly white skin with pink cheeks ops:
|26-07-2004, 04:14 PM||#2|
I'm a dark brunette with very dark brown eyes and similarly annoying pale skin.
I wear whatever takes my fancy
I think cool tones suit me more... so I often play with green and blue eyeshadows, as well as more neutral shades.
My preferance is always for pink cheeks and pink lips though, with occasional dalliances with plummy reds for my lips
Fav green shadows are:
Stila Irma La Douce (warm golden olive)
Stila Jade (true green)
Laura Mercier Mermaid (very light soft green)
A variety of Shu greens for more vivid looks
Bloom Lagoon (wild peacock green)
Stila Blue Confections Palette
Dior Denim Palette
All mentioned in the thread about which lipglosses brunettes wear
Don't be afraid to try colours because you're pale... I think a lot of colours actually help to brighten up a pale face
|26-07-2004, 04:17 PM||#5|
I am very very pale Im the lightest foundation colour in all brands ive tried, and even they seem to dark on me!
I have blue eyes and dark brown hair. I have a few freckles, but they have faded alot. Unlike you tho, i have very white cheeks!
I think your lucky to have a natural rosy sheeks-as i wear heaps of blush to avoid the pasty look hehe. I like pink and rose colours on my lips aswell
I avoid bright coloured eyeshadows ans i think they are to bright against the fair skin(even though it looks stunning on some people)Im not talented ebough to use them
I also prefer the smokey eyes look, as it seems to soften the dark eyeliner rather then leaving a harsh line
Im sorry im not much help - I would also be very interested in everyones ideas for fair skin
|26-07-2004, 04:50 PM||#6|
I'm very boring with make-up I'm afraid. Most days (well every day actually!) I just wear brown/beigy colours on my eyes, if I'm making an effort for a night out or whatever I'll wear purpley shades, but very muted ones. Always pink lipsticks and rarely wear blush - in fact I don't think I even own one any more, like you I can have quite rosy cheeks and always feel like a clown if I wear blush!
My skin is pale with fading freckles, hazel eyes and dark brown hair.
Sorry, that's probably not much help!
|26-07-2004, 04:51 PM||#7|
Miss-k from your description I think I have very similar colouring to you.
I also don't use a lot of different colours in my makeup though I have found that warm brown, aqua/greeny blues, soft pinks and soft grey work quite well on the eyes. I'm also a fan of smokey eyes, I think its very reliable and tends to suit any outfit.
|26-07-2004, 04:58 PM||#8|
This is great so keep the ideas coming! Also feel free to name names if you have a fave star product..
|26-07-2004, 05:07 PM||#9|
We sound to have very similar colouring, miss-k! I too have golden blonde hair, blue eyes, naturally rosy cheeks and a few freckles. I'm a MAC C2 or NC20 as a guide. In most other brands I am the palest foundation they have.
Until about 2 years ago I was VERY scared of colour on my eyes so only wore taupes. Then I branched out with a lilac, got heaps of compliments when I wore it and since then I have gradually built up a collection of about every colour under the sun! Along with the lilac I personally like a pale grass-green on my eyelids as it looks fresh and brings out the blue in my eyes.
I'm cool-toned so tend towards those and they seem to suit me better. Some eye shadows that suit me that I reach for regularly are:
* Stila kitten - a champagne sort of shimmer
* Stila heather - a shimmery pale pink
* MAC vex - a pearly grey/green with pink reflect
* MAC paint in canton candy - a fairy floss pink
* MAC fiction - a forest green frost
* MAC shroom - pearlescent beige
* MAC aquadisiac - shimmery aqua
* Bloom moss - a velvety green
* Bloom lagoon - a blue/green
* Bloom olive - a velvet khaki/olive
* Isa Dora quad of silvers and greys (can't remember the name)
* Clinique storm cloud - a blue/grey
* Clinique south beach - a beige shimmer
* David Jones sonny & Cher duo - shimmery silver and lilac/grey
* Several Red Earth light greens and blues (hurry, as the stores leave Australia very soon - sorry, can't remember all the shade numbers)
* Rimmel saucy mint - a pale green
The lilac I first started out with was a Revlon duo but I'm at work and don't have it on me to check the name. I'm not even sure if it's still around but you'd be able to find something similar in other brands. I think Stila and MAC have similar (their ranges are quite large in terms of eye shadow and the quality is good too).
In summary for eyes I really like:
* Light greens
* Silvers/shimmery greys
* Shimmery nudes
* Pale pinks (but be careful of application so as not to look tired, sick or as if you've been crying)
As for lipsticks and glosses, I love mostly pinky shades because my lips aren't very pigmented naturally. Some of the ones I use the most often include:
* Bloom wand lipgloss in cutie pie
* Bloom wand lipgloss in tint
* MAC lipglass in lovechild
* MAC lipstick in plum dandy
* Chanel lipgloss in praline
* JT in fraise
* Revlon superlustrous lipgloss in plum pearl
* L'Oreal glam shine gloss in muse
* Bobbi Brown lipgloss in ruby sugar
* Clinique almost lipstick in black honey
* Clinique almost lipstick in bronze lilac
* Clinique lipstick in blushing nude
* Clinique lipstick in nude splash
* Dior addict ultra gloss lipstick in ultra mauve #680
* Maybelline wear n go lipstick in go spice
* Chanel lipstick in calypso
* Laura Mercier sheer lipstick in healthy lips
If you have naturally rosy cheeks then I'd suggest a sheer blush. My current fave for this is Chanel irrellee blush in be-bop. It's a really light blue-based pink shot with silver shimmer and is very subtle but it can be layered. I also like Clinique's mocha pink. It's less sheer but an almost universally flattering shade.
If you want to bronze up a bit in the summer, I'd suggest MAC bronzing powder in golden. I only bought it yesterday but so far so good. Most bronzers I've tried either go too orange or look like dirt on my face but this gives a healthy glow with only a hint of shimmer.
I would advise you go to a counter that you feel comfortable with and get the sales assistants to try things on you and see what you like. Buy a few things and enjoy experimenting. Then, if you are on a tight budget you can look for similar shades in Priceline but I would suggest getting a few staples that you can always rely on.
Hope this helps and hope you have fun discovering all the goodies that await you!
A smile increases your face value!
|26-07-2004, 05:14 PM||#10|
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On Oct. 3, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds unveiled their blueprint for giving all Iowa children a world-class education. This fall, they will hold town hall meetings to seek Iowans’ feedback on how to improve the blueprint. They will issue final recommendations, with a price tag, before the 2012 Legislature convenes.
Below are some questions Iowans have asked about the blueprint. To read the entire blueprint, to comment on the proposal or to see the schedule of upcoming town hall meetings, please go to: https://governor.iowa.gov.
It’s worth noting that Iowans are not questioning the need to transform education. Iowans understand that our schools have slipped in national rankings in reading and math, and that our children must be able to compete in an increasingly demanding global economy. It will take Iowans working together to make the necessary changes.
Question: How much will the blueprint cost?
Answer: No price tag is attached yet. When Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds release final recommendations before the start of the 2012 Legislature, the cost will be included. For now, they want to hear from Iowans about the right vision for our state.
Question: Master teachers would teach just 50 percent of the time and coach/evaluate/plan the other 50 percent. Why take the best teachers out of the classroom half the time?
Answer: By working outside their own classroom half-time, master teachers will improve the education of many more students. Master teachers will help other teachers improve instructional practices and pinpoint strategies for students struggling to learn. They likely will be co-teaching in other classrooms at various times.
It’s also important to realize master teachers will not be the only outstanding teachers in a school. Mentor teachers, many career teachers and some apprentice teachers also will be outstanding. Not all, however, will want to be master teachers – whose job description includes working a much longer school year, as well as setting achievement goals and collaborating on how to reach them.
Question: Is it fair that not all teachers can be master teachers?
Answer: About 5 percent of teachers would be master teachers, according to the blueprint. Approximately 15 to 20 percent would be mentor teachers, about 60 percent would be career teachers and about 20 percent would be apprentice teachers. This four-tiered system will build far greater support for teachers to do their jobs well. Teachers will work together more often to improve their practice rather than teaching largely in isolation.
All teachers can’t be master teachers, nor will that job appeal to everyone. Career teachers, however, would be able to earn additional income in numerous ways, including taking on additional academic responsibilities, teaching hard-to-fill subjects, such as math and science, or earning certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Question: How much will teacher pay be raised in the four-tier system?
Answer: No specific salary levels are listed in the blueprint, but the intention is to substantially boost the state minimum beginning teacher salary beyond the current $28,000 a year to attract more top talent. Increases for career, mentor and master teachers would be a percentage of apprentice teacher pay. Each district will set apprentice pay locally. Districts also will decide annual cost-of-living adjustments.
All newly-minted teachers will be part of the four-tier system. Current teachers will choose whether to be paid under the four-tier system that rewards performance, or stay in the existing system, based on years of experience and education credentials.
Question: How do the four tiers differ from the current schedule for paying teachers, which is based on years of experience and education credentials? Answer: Besides providing more professional support for teachers and paying higher salaries in the early years of teaching, the four-tiered system sets higher expectations for teachers based on a more sophisticated definition of performance.
It does this by strengthening the evaluation system for teachers. Currently, most teachers receive satisfactory evaluations, though they are not equally good at their jobs.
The new approach will focus more on differentiating effective from ineffective teaching. It will focus on counting student academic progress, though how much has yet to be determined. Under the new system, evaluations will be based on multiple observations throughout the year by master teachers and principals. Now, teacher evaluations are sometimes infrequent and superficial.
Evaluations and professional development will be strengthened for all teachers, whether they are part of the four-tier system or the existing salary schedule. The difference will be how they are paid.
Question: How is it reasonable to rate teachers based on student academic progress at schools where attendance is poor?
Answer: It’s critical that all parents make sure their children understand the value of education and get them to school on time every day. Some schools have a bigger challenge with attendance than others, and that will have to be factored into how school progress is measured. At the same time, research shows some teachers routinely make more academic progress with students year after year than other teachers. This can’t be ignored.
Question: Isn’t retaining third-graders who can’t read mean-spirited?
Answer: In the early grades, students learn to read. But from fourth grade on, they read to learn. It is crucial that third-graders finish that school year reading at a basic level, or better, so they can do well in math, science and other subjects.
Iowa’s proposed third-grade literacy plan is based on Florida’s highly successful program. In 2002, when Florida launched the program, its fourth-graders scored 214 in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In 2009, they scored 226, compared to the 221 that Iowa fourth-graders scored. Florida’s Hispanic fourth-graders scored 223, higher than fourth-graders in 31 states.
As Florida has done, Iowa would strengthen literacy instruction from early childhood on to avoid the need to hold children back at the end of third grade. If retention is necessary, however, children would have the opportunity to attend summer school after third grade, in an effort to start fourth grade on time. Children who still need to repeat third grade would receive a new, more intensive reading program from highly-qualified teachers. No one would be held back in third grade more than once.
It may seem mean-spirited to end social promotion if children aren’t reading, but not if you consider the repercussions of being illiterate for the rest of their lives.
It also will be critical to strengthen literacy instruction in upper elementary grades and in middle school so students continue to gain ground.
Question: Will Iowa’s school year be longer than the current 180 instructional days?
Answer: The blueprint does not establish a longer school year for all students. It does, however, ask teachers to work additional days: Five days each for apprentice and career teachers, 10 days for mentor teachers and 20 days for master teachers. Those days could be used to offer more instruction to students needing extra help to catch up, depending on local needs. Given the interest expressed so far in a longer school year for all students, we will take a look at that possibility.
Question: What about top students? Will the blueprint improve their education?
Answer: The blueprint calls for higher academic expectations for all students, including those who are the most advanced. This includes promoting competency-based learning. For example, if students can test out of geometry, they should be allowed to receive credit and move on to other math courses. That will make it possible to take college-level courses sooner while still in high school.
Question: How will the blueprint help students needing special-education services?
Answer: Getting a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal in every building will better serve all students, including children receiving special education services. Presently, Iowa has many first-rate teachers and school administrators, but we need all educators to fit that description.
Question: Why does the blueprint put so many new tests in place?
Answer: The blueprint adds only one new test, the Program for International Student Assessment. A representative sample of ninth graders would take that test every three years to see how Iowa stacks up against top school systems globally.
Otherwise, the proposed tests, for the most part, would replace tests already given.
A new kindergarten assessment would replace the kindergarten tests already used in some districts. Students in grades three through eight would still take an annual standardized test, but instead of paper and pencil, the goal is for the tests to be computer-based. Students who answer correctly then respond to progressively harder questions. These tests would reflect the Iowa Core/Common Core standards.
In addition to this annual standardized test, teachers need access to better information from tests given throughout the school year to pinpoint what students need help learning. These so-called formative tests would be aligned with the Iowa Core/Common Core standards.
All high school juniors would take a college entrance exam to measure college and career readiness and to give them one of the keys to four-year higher education. The state would pay for the exam. Sixty-one percent of Iowa students already take the ACT.
High school students would be required to pass end-of-course exams in certain subjects, such as English language arts, biology, algebra and U.S. history or government, in order to graduate. These measurements would set clear expectations for the solid foundation of knowledge and skills all students need to be successful.
High school teachers already typically require students to take exams, but the end-of-course tests would be the same in all high schools. That will assure more consistency statewide.
Students who fail end-of-course exams would receive intensive remedial help and would have multiple opportunities to retake the exams.
We’d like teachers to help set state policy on what constitutes proficiency on the end-of-course exams, which together would serve as a high school exit exam.
We will answer more frequently-asked questions as we move ahead through the fall to improve the blueprint. Thank you for your commitment to Iowa’s good schools and to ensuring our children receive the world-class education they deserve.
- Linda Fandel, special assistant for education in the Branstad-Reynolds Administration
- Jason Glass, Iowa Department of Education director | <urn:uuid:f63bcba8-f132-46dc-87df-a5a5f5c999d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2525&Itemid=4423 | 2013-06-18T22:58:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959652 | 2,138 |
Lahair Club Not Just for Men
Bryan Lahair cranked a three-run homer to tie the game and then later doubled and scored, leading the Cubs to an 11-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Cactus League action at sunnny and warm Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa this afternoon, in what was the first-ever appearance by the Reds at HoHoKam Park. (The Reds relocated their Spring Training camp from Sarasota, FL to Goodyear, AZ this year).
Battling for a spot in the Cubs starting rotation, lefty Sean Marshall did nothing to hurt his chances, throwing three very solid innings (49 pitches - 33 strikes, 4/3 GO/FO). He allowed just a solo HR to Reds third-baseman Juan Francisco (a LH hitter, BTW) and a single to Wladimir Balentien. He struck out two (Jay Bruce and Paul Janish), and didn't walk anybody. Marshall threw strikes and got outs.
Meanwhile, Reds starter Homer Bailey shut out the Cubs through the first two innings, before the Cubs broke-through with a single run in the bottom of the 3rd. James Adduci sliced a double into the LF corner (he had three hits today, for a total of five over the last two games), advanced to third on a Starlin Castro ground out (three ground outs for Castro today), and scored when Darwin Barney grounded a single into RF that scooted just beyond the reach of Reds second-baseman Brandon Phillips.
Adduci has been working with new Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo on elevating his swing such that he might perhaps hit some HR (Adduci is a big guy, and looks like a 25+ HR hitter, except he hits mostly singles). But while he hasn't hit a HR yet, the extra work in the batting cage seems to have helped Adduci's overall approach to hitting. He has suddenly turned into an aggressive, ferocious hitter the last few days, after struggling at the plate early in camp. With his ability to play all three OF positions (and 1B), and with his plus-speed (he runs VERY well for a big guy, with 35 SB last year at AA Tennessee), he might actually be in the mix for the 4th OF gig, especially if Sam Fuld continues to struggle at the plate, and if the Cubs want Tyler Colvin and Brad Snyder to play every day at AAA. Piniella seems to really like Adduci. (BTW, Adduci's dad played in the big leagues with STL, MIL, and PHI back in the 1980's).
2009 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the year (and NRI RHP) Casey Coleman entered the game in the top of the 4th, and really struggled with his control throughout his two innings of work (39 pitches - just 18 strikes, including a 25-pitch 4th inning where he threw just nine strikes). Coleman also struggled with his control in his last outing, and that's no way for a young pitcher to make a favorable impression on a manager who hates walks as much as Lou Piniella does.
Coleman walked Brandon Phillips leading off the 4th inning, before surrendering a long HR over the left-centerfield fence to Juan Francisco (the husky third-baseman's second round-tripper of the day), and then escaped what could have been a much-worse inning when Yonder Alonso hit a rope-liner right at shortstop Starlin Castro, allowing the Cubs to double Wladimir Balentien (who had walked with one out) off 1st base (Balentien was running on a 3-2 pitch). Then with one out in the 5th, Paul Janish homered over the LF fence, giving the Reds a 4-1 lead.
But that was the last time the Cubs trailed, as they rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the 5th, scoring all of the runs on one swing of the bat, the Bryan Lahir game-tying three-run tater off Reds RHP Micah Owings that the powerful ex-Mariners 1st baseman ripped over the RF fence with two outs, following an Adduci single and a Barney walk.
With Micah Hoffpauir having had a terrible Spring at the plate so far, Lahair may be passing Hoffpauir on the depth chart behind Derrek Lee. Barring an injury to D-Lee, neither Hoffpauir nor Lahair are going to make the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster, but Lahair might get the call over Hoffpauir later in the season (like maybe on September 1st, when rosters expand) if the Cubs wish to add a LH power-hitting 1B at that time.
Rule 5 RHP Mike Parisi pitched the 6th and 7th for the Cubs, and was a perfect six up/six down (L-9, Ks, F-9, P-3, 3-U, and 6-3, on 21 pitches - 16 strikes), probably further solidifying his spot in the Cubs bullpen. Being a Rule 5 player, the Cubs are going to give Parisi a longer look than they might give to another pitcher who isn't subject to getting reclaimed by his former team (in this case, the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals), but he still has to perform well in Spring Training outings if he wants to make the Cubs 25-man roster. And so far, he has performed very well indeed.
While Parisi was holding-off the Reds, the Cubs scored five runs off Reds NRI RHRP Jon Adkins, and then two more off LOOGY Pedro Viola.
Chad Tracy led-off the Cubs 6th with a line-single to left-center, and then Alfonso Soriano pulled a line-drive double into the LF corner (Sori's second hit of the game). For some reason (brain fart, perhaps?), temporary 3rd base coach Ryne Sandberg (Mike Quade was with the split squad in Las Vegas) inexplicably decided to send Tracy home. But Tracy was obviously a dead duck, so much so that he turned around half-way home and tried to get back to 3rd base, where he was tagged out for the 1st out of the inning. But DH Bobby Scales picked-up Tracy (and Sandberg), following the gaffe with an RBI double, a sharply hit grounder down the 1st base line and into the RF corner that scored PR Ty Wright (up from Minor League Camp) from 2nd base with the go-ahead run. Koyie Hill followed with a line single to right, advancing Scales to 3rd, and then after Adduci struck out swinging, Hak-Ju Lee (also up from Minor League Camp) lined a two-run double into the LF corner, scoring Scales and Hill (and the speedy HJ Lee was standing on 2nd base before K. Hill even hit 3rd!). While Starlin Castro may be the Cubs top position-player prospect going into the 2010 season, Hak-Ju Lee (rated the #1 prospect in the Northwest League by Baseball America in 2009) is not far behind. Lee sprays line-drives from foul line to foul line.
Now up 7-4, the Cubs added four more in the 7th. Lahair almost decapitated Reds first-baseman Miguel Cairo with a lead-off low-flying line-drive double smoked down the first-base line, advanced to 3rd base on a Tyler Colvin single to left-center, and, after Chad Tracy struck out looking against Reds lefty reliever Pedro Viola (who had just entered the game), scored on a Ty Wright line-drive single to LF. Bobby Scales then hit into a FC (advancing Colvin to third), and Colvin and Scales both scored on a double off the top of the LF fence (a near HR) by catcher Chris Robinson. (With Uncle Lou having seen Robinson actually get a key two-out RBI extra-base hit, the Cubs might be more-willing to call-up Robinson if Geovany Soto or K. Hill get hurt, something they were not willing to do last year when Soto went on the DL in August). Adduci then plated Robinson with an RBI single to right to complete the Cubs scoring for the day.
RHRP Jeff Stevens (in contention for a job in the Cubs bullpen, but having a bad Spring) worked the 8th inning for the Cubs (18 pitches - 11 strikes, 1/2 GO/FO), allowing just a one-out double to NRI OF Josh Anderson (an outstanding diving-try near-miss by LF Ty Wright), but no runs.
RHP Esmailin Caridad worked an easy 1-2-3 16-pitch 9th (Kc, 5-3, F-8) to finish-off the Redlegs and send Cub fans home happy.
Besides Lahair's big day (he also made an outstanding catch in foul territory, reaching into the stands to grab a pop up), James Adduci and Tyler Colvin had three hits a piece, and Darwin Barney reached base three times on two singles and a walk. Barney also made a sterling defensive play in the top of the 2nd, ranging far to his left, diving to make the stop, and then nailing the base-runner at 2nd base with a throw from his knees.
While one Cubs squad trounced the Reds in Mesa, the other squad was in Las Vegas, edging the White Sox 8-7. Ryan Dempster threw three innings of one-hit ball in the hitter's paradise known as "Cashman Field," allowing just one unearned run, walking none, while striking out two.
The Cubs play the Angels tomorrow afternoon in Tempe. | <urn:uuid:a7aaa77f-feb0-46ef-a9e5-3eda76d21fe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecubreporter.com/comment/155559 | 2013-05-24T23:09:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966169 | 2,051 |
What can you do to create a healthier personal environment?
Assess your nest.
Working with a home inspector, public health professional, contractor, or other construction expert as a guide, ask yourself some questions to evaluate your current house or apartment's environmental health:
- Are you free of the "big three?" Radon, mold, and lead are all common home toxins. Radon testing is widely available, and best practices exist in new construction to minimize radon entry into the property. Check for moisture problems that act as hotbeds for mold growth, and look into mold testing if necessary. Finally, lead is present in many older homes' paint and pipes. Call your local public health department for information on testing for and eliminating lead in your home.
- How well-ventilated is your home? While solid construction decreases your home's energy loss, a home that is too airtight can seal in indoor air pollutants. Proper ventilation also helps control moisture and reduce risk of mold and other environmental health concerns. Simple fixes to increase ventilation include installing ceiling fans and operable skylights and windows.
- Does your landscaping contribute to your environmental health? Large lawns traditionally require greater pesticide use, and increase air and noise pollution generated from mowing. Consider planting perennial groundcovers, native foliage, or other low-maintenance landscaping. Even better, landscape with edible plants and devote a portion of your yard to organic vegetable gardening.
Before you rent or begin new construction, consider these additional questions:
- Will your new space support recycling/reuse with storage space for cans, bottles, paper, and other items?
- What is your potential home's proximity to major noisemakers like airports, railroad tracks, or highways?
- What will keep you warm? Although most mainstream commercial insulations are considered safe, check out some healthy alternative insulation, including those made with recycled denim and other cloth, wool, icynene and nanogel.
- How big is your planned home? Small is good. A well-planned home with less square footage uses fewer building and maintenance resources.
Clear the air.
Consider these steps toward improving indoor air quality:
- In your home, radon and mold tend to be the most serious barriers to indoor air quality. Relatively inexpensive tests exist to assess your home's mold and radon levels.
- The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers guidelines about common workplace air quality complaints, which usually focus on temperature, humidity, lack of outside air ventilation or smoking. Find out more .
- For employees in farming and industrial fields, on-the-job outdoor air quality is also a concern. Each state has a department of environmental health within its main health department that can advise workers and employers on outdoor air quality regulations. To find your state's health department, visit the Centers for Disease Control site.
- If you smoke, stop. If you live with someone who smokes, insist on a strict outdoor smoking policy. Approximately 3,000 American adults die of lung cancer each year due to secondhand smoke exposure. In young children, secondhand smoke increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and asthma.
Know your H20.
Increase your water quality with these tips:
- The longer water has been sitting in pipes, the more lead it may contain. Run or "flush" your tap for up to two minutes, depending upon how long it's been between uses.
- Since hot water is more likely to contain lead, only drink, cook and make baby formula with cold water.
- The only way to be totally certain about your home's water quality is to have it tested. This is especially important for people in high-rise buildings, where "flushing" the pipes may not be as effective. Your local water supplier, health department or university can offer information about credible testing resources.
- Water filters have been shown to increase purity. Filters can range from simple pitcher-based systems to more elaborate reverse-osmosis home units.
- Remember that bottled water is not necessarily of higher quality than regular tap water. And according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 60 million plastic bottles a day are manufactured, transported and then disposed of in U.S. landfills, compromising your community's environmental health.
Green your cleaning.
Are your cleaning products messing up your health? While we're far from knowing the health impact of all chemicals used in cleaning agents, you can easily (and very inexpensively) create your own house-healthy cleaners. Some tips:
- Mix either vinegar or baking soda with warm water in a spray bottle, and you've got an effective, all-purpose cleansing agent.
- Bypass commercial air deodorizers, many of which contain formaldehyde. Instead, add cinnamon, essential oils, cloves, or any herbs you like to a pan of boiling water, and let the sweet steam deodorize.
- On laundry day, reach for Borax (sodium borate). This natural mineral acts as a stain-remover, bleach alternative and detergent booster. Baking soda can remove stains and deodorizes, and cornstarch absorbs greasy stains and starches your clothing. Lemon juice can also double for bleach.
- Salt (sodium chloride) is a mild abrasive for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens.
- Consider hiring a "green" cleaning service, or ask your traditional housekeeper to use the methods and products you find healthiest.
Increase your chemical awareness.
While it's impractical to try to have no contact with chemicals, you can reduce your chemical exposure in relatively simple ways:
- Some beauty products contain chemicals that are anything but pretty. For example, nail polish, body lotions, and perfumes often contain phthalates, a controversial substance linked to birth defects in animals and possibly humans. Shampoos that attack dandruff might also play havoc on your health; the active ingredient selenium sulfide is a neurotoxin and possible carcinogen. Hair dyes often have coal tar, another chemical linked to cancer. So read labels, and choose a product that will be as lovely for your health as it is for your appearance.
- Don't create toxic trash. If you're tossing old medications, resist flushing them down the toilet, where they can invade water supplies. Also consider calling your local recycler, many of which accept old cleaning products, paint, oil and other chemicals that create even more treacherous landfills.
- Be sure to air out your garments after a trip to the drycleaners. Dry cleaning employs a chemical called perchloroethylene, which is actually toxic to humans. Some environmentally conscious cleaners use methods that do not contain "perc;" seek them out. Better yet, when possible choose clothing that only requires a trip to your laundry room, not a professional cleaner.
- Be mindful of plastic use. Some plastics contain bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like chemical potentially linked to cancer. Experts also advise against microwaving food in plastic containers; although research is inconclusive, the heating process is thought to release chemicals from the plastic into your food. Reusing plastic bottles is another source of controversy. Some experts think reuse is safe if you carefully wash and dry the bottles between each use, while others feel that wear and tear on the plastic causes toxic chemical leakage. An always-safe alternative is glass. Finally, you can reduce the amount of plastic produced by recycling. Look at the bottom of your plastic container for a number from 1-7. Items labeled 1 or 2 (usually soft drink, jjuice, water, milk, and detergent containers) are eligible for curbside recycling. Numbers higher than 2 are either unrecyclable or require special drop-off at a recycling center.
Reduce the roar.
Decrease sound pollution at home and work with these simple suggestions:
- Employ low-tech solutions like earplugs and heavy curtains to block street noise.
- White noise machines and noise-cancelling headphones also create quiet.
- Double-paned windows reduce outdoor noise, including jet traffic.
- Before you begin new construction projects, communicate with your architect and/or contractor about noise reduction options. Some building materials and methods offer greater sound absorption or masking than others.
- When you are engaged in construction projects, or if you work in construction or another noisy trade, always wear hearing protection on the job.
- Be mindful about your personal noise production. For example, are you really watching your television, or is it simply on as "background noise?" Could you use a push mower instead of a power model, a shovel rather than a snow blower? Could you bike instead of drive? Select "vibrate" rather than the latest ringtone? Even small actions increase the peace.
Raise your EMF awareness.
It is important to note that research on EMF exposure is ongoing. But these easy actions just might improve your wellbeing:
- When possible, use a land line rather than your cell phone.
- Use a hands free device or speaker phone function if using a cell phone.
- Do not stand directly in front of your microwave oven while it's in use, or simply use your conventional oven.
- Limit your computer time.
- Use manual versions of personal care tools: an old-fashioned toothbrush rather than an electric model, or a razor instead of an electric shaver.
- Don't sleep under an electric blanket.
- Sit several feet from your television screen.
Enjoy local and organic foods.
The foods you choose not only impact your health from a nutritional standpoint, but from an environmental angle as well. Think about these fast facts:
- Eating locally grown produce means less transportation is required to get that apple from the tree to your table. This translates to reduced air and noise pollution in your community.
- Organic farming doesn't employ the pesticides often used in non-organic methods. That means that eating organic produce may reduce your ingestion of chemicals, and that pesticides will not leach into local water supplies. Joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) food plan might "cleanse" your diet and help your water supply.
- Research indicates that raising livestock increases greenhouse gas emissions, pollutes water supplies, and contributes to land degradation and deforestation. Food for thought next time you're choosing between a steak and a salad. | <urn:uuid:b14cf72c-25cd-4f12-b45a-f2431b43201b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/print/770?quicktabs_2=1 | 2013-06-19T12:41:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926708 | 2,149 |
a TCAD Lab
Introduction to TCAD Simulation
The existing semiconductor industry is now fundamentally built on the assumption to design almost every aspect of a chip in software first.
Process simulation provides the ability to optimize and control the various processing steps such as implantation, oxidation, diffusion, etching, deposition etc. Prophet and TSuprem are tools of choice on nanoHUB.org for this endeavor. Learning about the basics of process simulation may be, however, daunting at first and there are 4 simplified process labs available in this tool set that guide students towards full blown process simulation.
Device simulation either takes in process simulation data or assumes certain device geometries, doping profiles etc. and simulates electrical device performances. PADRE and Schred are tools of choice on nanoHUB.org for this simulation step. PADRE is a full-fledged simulation environment for semiclassical device simulation. It has a complicated input language that may be inappropriate for usage in class room environments, when simple device modeling concepts need to be introduced. Drift-Diffusion Lab, PN junction Lab, MOScap, and MOSFET are simplified GUI-driven tools that enable students (and professionals) to easily configure PADRE without messing around with the PADRE input language.
Circuit simulation ultimately provides system level design capabilities. nanoHUB.org has a sinple interface to the Berkeley Spice3f4 for such usages.
This nanoHUB “topic page” provides an easy access to selected nanoHUB Semiconductor Device Education Material that is openly accessible and usable by everyone around the world.
We invite you to participate in this open source, interactive educational initiative:
- Contribute your content by uploading it to the nanoHUB. (See “Contribute Content”) on the nanoHUB mainpage.
- Provide feedback for the items you use on the nanoHUB through the review system. (Please be explicit and provide constructive feedback.)
- Let us know when things do not work for you – file a ticket through the nanoHUB “Help” feature on every page
- Finally, let us know what you are doing and your suggestions improving the nanoHUB by using the “Feedback” section, which you can find under “Support”
Thank you for using the nanoHUB, and be sure to share your nanoHUB success stories with us. We like to hear from you, and our sponsors need to know that the nanoHUB is having impact.
Semiconductor Process Modeling
Semiconductor process modeling is a vast field in which several commercial products are available and in use for production in industry and to some extent in education. nanoHUB is serving a few applications that are primarily geared towards education. The four tools entitled ‘Process Lab …’Oxidation, Oxidation Flux, Concentration Dependent Diffusion, and Point Defect Coupled Diffusion are all educational front-ends to the general Prophet tool in aTCADlab.
The Oxidation Lab in aTCADlab simulates the oxidation process in integrated circuit fabrication. It is supported by a supplemental document that describes the theory and potential experiments that can be conducted.
The Process Oxidation Flux Lab in aTCADlab simulates the oxidation flux in the oxide growth process in integrated circuit fabrication. It is supported by a supplemental document that describes the theory and potential experiments that can be conducted.
The Concentration Dependent Diffusion Lab in aTCADlab simulates the oxidation flux in the oxide growth process in integrated circuit fabrication.
The Point Defect Coupled Diffusion Lab in aTCADlab the point-defect-coupled diffusion process in integrated circuit fabrication.
PROPHET in aTCADlab was originally developed for semiconductor process simulation. Device simulation capabilities are currently under development. PROPHET solves sets of partial differential equations in one, two, or three spatial dimensions. All model coefficients and material parameters are contained in a database library which can be modified or added to by the user. Even the equations to be solved can be specified by the end user. It is supported by an extensive set of User Guide pages and a seminar on Nano-Scale Device Simulations Using PROPHET.
TSuprem4 simulates the processing steps used in the manufacture of silicon integrated circuits and discrete devices. The types of processing steps modeled by the current version of the program include ion implantation, inert ambient drive-in, silicon and polysilicon oxidation and silicidation, epitaxial growth, and low temperature deposition and etching of various materials.Because of the way TSUPREM-4 is licensed, it is available only to users on the West Lafayette campus of Purdue University. Note that you must use a network connection on campus, or else you will get an 'access denied' message.
The Drift Diffusion Lab in aTCADlab enables a user to understand the basic concepts of DRIFT and DIFFUSION of carriers inside a semiconductor slab using different kinds of experiments. Experiments like shining light on the semiconductor, applying bias and both can be performed. This tool provides important information about carrier densities, transient and steady state currents, fermi-levels and electrostatic potentials. It is supported by two related homework assignments #1 and #2 in which Students are asked to explore the concepts of drift, diffusion, quasi Fermi levels, and the response to light.
PN-Junction Lab in aTCADlab: Everything you need to explore and teach the basic concepts of P-N junction devices. Edit the doping concentrations, change the materials, tweak minority carrier lifetimes, and modify the ambient temperature. Then, see the effects in the energy band diagram, carrier densities, net charge distribution, I/V characteristic, etc.
There is a significant set of associated resources available for this tool.
- a demo of this tool
- a Primer on Semiconductor Device Simulation.
- a Learning Module entitled PN Junction Theory and Modeling which walks students through the PN junction theory and let’s them verify concepts through on-line simulation.
- Homework assignment on the depletion approximation (on the undergraduate level)
- Homework assignment on the depletion approximation (on the undergraduate level)
- PN Diode Exercise: Series Resistance
- Exercise: PIN Diode
- PN Diode Exercise: Graded Junction
- Basic operation of a PN diode - Theoretical exercise
- PN diode - Advanced theoretical exercises
- Schottky diode - Theoretical exercises
(Image(/resource_files/tools/bjt/5_BJTenergy_nonequil.gif, 120 class=align-right) failed - File not found)/www/nanohub/resource_files/tools/bjt/5_BJTenergy_nonequil.gif The Bipolar Junction Lab in aTCADlab allows Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) simulation using a 2D mesh. It allows user to simulate npn or pnp type of device. Users can specify the Emitter, Base and Collector region depths and doping densities. Also the material and minority carrier lifetimes can be specified by the user. It is supported by a homework assignment in which Students are asked to find the emitter efficiency, the base transport factor, current gains, and the Early voltage. Also a qualitative discussion is requested.
The MOScap Tool in aTCADlab tool enables a semi-classical analysis of MOS Capacitors. Simulates the capacitance of bulk and dual gate capacitors for a variety of different device sizes, geometries, temperature and doping profiles.
- Exercise: CV curves for MOS capacitors
- MOSCAP - Theoretical Exercises 1
- MOSCAP - Theoretical Exercises 2
- MOSCAP - Theoretical Exercises 3
- MOS Capacitors: Theory and Modeling
(Image(/images/tool/schred/schred.jpg, 120 class=align-right) failed - File not found)/www/nanohub/images/tool/schred/schred.jpg Schred Tool in aTCADlab calculates the envelope wavefunctions and the corresponding bound-state energies in a typical MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) or SOS (Semiconductor-Oxide-Semiconductor) structure and a typical SOI structure by solving self-consistently the one-dimensional (1D) Poisson equation and the 1D Schrodinger equation.
- Schred: Exercise 1
- SCHRED: Exercise 2
- Schred: Exercise 3
- Quantum Size Effects and the Need for Schred
- Schred Tutorial Version 2.1
The MOSfet Lab in aTCADlab tool enables a semi-classical analysis of current-voltage characteristics for bulk and SOI Field Effect Transistors (FETs) for a variety of different device sizes, geometries, temperature and doping profiles.
- MOSFET Exercise
- Exercise: Basic Operation of n-Channel SOI Device
- MOSFET - Theoretical Exercises
- MOSFET Operation Description
PADRE in aTCADlab is a 2D/3D simulator for electronic devices, such as MOSFET transistors. It can simulate physical structures of arbitrary geometry—including heterostructures—with arbitrary doping profiles, which can be obtained using analytical functions or directly from multidimensional process simulators such as . A variety of supplemental documents are available that deal with the PADRE software and TCAD simulation:
- User Guide (HTML)
- Abbreviated First Time User Guide
- [tools/padre/faq/ FAQ]
- A set of course notes on Computational Electronics with detailed explanations on bandstructure, pseudopotentials, numerical issues, and drift diffusion.
- [resources/1516/ Introduction to DD Modeling with PADRE]
- [resources/1516/ MOS Capacitors: Description and Semiclassical Simulation With PADRE]
- A Primer on Semiconductor Device Simulation
SPICE3f4 in aTCADlab s a general-purpose circuit simulation program for nonlinear dc, nonlinear transient, and linear ac analysis. It was developed at the University of California, Berkeley. Version 3F4 was released in 1993. Circuits may contain resistors, capacitors, inductors, mutual inductors, independent voltage and current sources, four types of dependent sources, transmission lines, and the four most common semiconductor devices: diodes, BJT’s, JFET’s, and MOSFET’s. SPICE has built-in models for the semiconductor devices, and the user need specify only the pertinent model parameter values.
- [resource_files/tools/spice3f4/spice3f4.swf Demo: Getting Started]
- [tools/spice3f4/faq/ FAQ]
About aTCADlab Constituent Tools
The aTCADlab has been put together from individual disjoint tools to enable educators, students, and profesionals to have a one-stop-shop in TCAD tools education. It therefore benefits tremendously from the hard work that the contributors of the individual tool builders have put into their tools.
As a matter of credit, simulation runs that are performed in the aTCADlab tool are also credited to the individual tools, which help the ranking of the individual tools. We do also count the number of usages of the individual tools in the aTCADlab tool set, to measure the aTCADlab impact and possibly also improve the tool.
In the description above we do not refer to the individual tools since we want to guide the users to the composite aTCADlab tool. We cite the individual tools here explicitly so they are being given the appropriate credit and on their rspective tool pages are being linked to this aTCADlab topic page.
Process Lab: Oxidation, Process Lab: Oxidation Flux, Process Lab: Concentration Dependent Diffusion, Process Lab: Point Defect Coupled Diffusion, Prophet, tsuprem4, Drift-Diffusion Lab, PN Junction Lab, BJT Lab, MOSCap, Schred, MOSFet, Padre, and Spice3f4. | <urn:uuid:7eafd738-6c02-4120-903b-cf1120bcd152> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nanohub.org/topics/aTCADLab?version=4 | 2013-05-22T21:47:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.865863 | 2,620 |
Ruby Lee Fleming
Ruby Lee Fleming, age 76, of Forrest City, died Friday, Nov. 12, 1999, at St. Vincent Hospital in Memphis.
She was born Sept. 16, 1923, to Mark and Charity Smith in Palestine and she was a retired school teacher.
She is survived by four sons, Lawrence Fleming of Palestine, Walker Fleming III of Oklahoma City, Okla., Charles Fleming of Cordova, Tenn., and Everett Fleming of Denver, Colo.; four daughters, Helen Johnson of Leander, Texas, Charity Smith, of Sherwood, Ruby Bridgeforth of Cordova, Carolyn Hughley of Columbus, Ga.; and a sister, Artelure Gamble of Forrest City.
Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1999, at Clay Funeral Home. Services will be held at Salem Baptist Church on Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999, at 1 p.m. with burial to follow in Mark and Charity Smith Cemetery in Palestine with Rev. Robert Cowan officiating. Clay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Davie Cal Ware
Davie Cal Ware of Hughes, age 17, died Wednesday, Nov. 10,1999, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Forrest City.
Davie is survived by his parents, William and Johnetta Dobbins of Hughes and David Smith of Kentucky; three sisters, LaTonya Williams of Pine Bluff, and Glenda Dobbins and LaToya Dobbins of Hughes; a brother, D.C. Smith of Mississippi; his grandparents, James and Johnnie Mae Ware of Hughes, Mrs. Willie B. Sims of Hughes, Ethel Dobbins of Hughes; a great-grandmother, Otelia Porter of Hughes; a great-grandfather, Cal Smith of Hughes.
Visitation will be Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Hughes High School Gym in Hughes. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. at the gym with burial to follow in Paradise Garden under the direction of Anthony Funeral Home.
John A. Gauw
John A. Gauw, age 84, of Belmont, Mich., died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999.
Mr. Gauw had attended Alton Bible Church in Lowell, Mich.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Gauw in 1996.
Mr. Gauw is survived by three sons, Rev. Daniel Gauw of Forrest City, James Gauw and John Gauw both of Lowell, Mich.; one brother, Richard Gauw of Florida; one sister, Jeanette Van Ostrom of Jenison, Mich., and eight grandchildren.
Services were held today, Nov. 19, 1999, at the Reyers North Valley Chapel. Burial was held in Alton Cemetery in Lowell, Mich., under direction of Reyers North Valley Chapel.
Memorials may be made to Raybrook Manor, 2121 Raybrook S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
Gladys Thomas Waters
Gladys Thomas Waters, age 94, died Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999, in Sidney, Ark.
She was born Feb. 7, 1905, in Haynes, to Phillip and Altha Matthews Long, and was a member of the Marvell Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband John Parsons Thomas in 1947.
She is survived by a son, Custer Thomas of Marianna; a granddaughter and two great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, 1999, graveside at Marianna Memorial Park with Rev. Steve Walters officiating. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Elizabeth Louise "Betty" Carder
Ms. Elizabeth Louise "Betty" Carder, age 62, of Forrest City, died Sunday, Nov. 21, 1999, at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis.
Ms. Carder was born Dec. 27, 1936, in Earle. She was the daughter of Guy B. Carder and Mary Elizabeth Johnson Carder. Ms. Carder was a former employee of Pepsi-Cola Company and Baptist Memorial Hospital. She was a Methodist, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and an Army Veteran.
Ms. Carder is survived by her father, Guy Carder of Kansas City, Mo.: a brother, B. Guy Carder of Kansas City, Mo., and a sister, Mary Carolyn Carder of Roeland Park, Kan.
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. at Stevens Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. at the Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Forrest City under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart and Lung Associations or to the St. Francis County Humane Society.
Sammy N. Griffin
Sammy N. Griffin, 41, of Forrest City died Friday Nov. 19, 1999, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.
Mr. Griffin was born June 20, 1958, in Hughes and was the son of LeRoy Griffin and Paralee Crawford Griffin.
He is survived by his wife, Fannie Fryar Griffin of Forrest City; his mother, Paralee Crawford Griffin of Forrest City; eight stepsons, Micheal Fryar, Eddie Fryar, Dennis Fryar and Melvin Fryar, all of Forrest City, Tony Fryar, Anthony Fryar, Gerald Fryar and Don Fryar all of Tulsa, Okla.; three sisters, Betty Green and Nancy Williams, both of Forrest City, Margaret Griffin of Hughes; a brother, LeRoy Griffin Jr. of West Memphis and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Nov. 25, at Woodhouse Mortuary from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Funeral services will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at 12 noon at New Light M.B. church with Rev. Jessie McClure officiating. Burial will follow at Casteel Cemetery under the direction of Woodhouse Mortuary.
Dale W. Horton
Dale W. Horton, age 70, of Newcastle died Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999, at his home.
Mr. Horton was born Nov. 15, 1929, in Newcastle to Earl Eugene Horton and Dora Armstrong Horton. He was a member of Forrest Chapel Methodist Church, a retired farmer and businessman and a member of Crowley's Ridge Shooting Resort.
He is survived by his wife, Ann McLeod Horton of Newcastle; a daughter, Kim Hoffman of Little Rock; a son, Steve Horton of Forrest City and three grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at 10 a.m. at Loughridge Cemetery in Newcastle with Rev. Lisa Anderson officiating. Funeral serivces are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Loughridge Cemetery or a charity of the donor's choice.
Imogene S. Couchman
Imogene S. Couchman, 91, of Kansas City died Monday, Nov. 22, 1999, at the Kingswood Health Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Mrs. Couchman was born Oct. 8, 1908, in Pikes City, Ark., and was the daughter of Ed and Blanch Slaughter. Mrs. Couchman was a school teacher and a member of First United Methodist Church where she served in the choir and was the wife of Rev. Herchalle J. Couchman.
She is survived by two sons, Henry Couchman of Kansas City, Mo. and Dwayne Couchman of Forrest City, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m. at Thompson Wilson Funeral Home in McCrory, followed by a graveside service at 11 a.m. at Odd Fellow Cemetery also in McCrory.
Ernestine Henry, 48, of Forrest City died Saturday, Nov. 20, 1999, in her home.
Mrs. Henry was born Nov. 26, 1950, in Forrest City.
She is survived by her mother, Mildred McGaughy of Forrest City; two daughters, Sherea Henry and Marya Henry, both of Forrest City; seven brothers, Willie Cole of Detroit, Mich., Horace McGaughy Jr. of Ann Harbor, Mich., Roosevelt McGaughy and John McGaughy, both of Ypsilanti, Mich, Eugene McGaughy of Forrest City, Wallace McGaughy of Jonesboro, Calvin McGaughy of Lonoke; three sisters, Barbara McGaughy and Mable Futrell, both of Little Rock, Shirley McGaughy of Forrest City; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at Clay Funeral Home from 1 to 5 p.m. Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 27, at 2 p.m. at Rising Sun M B Church with Rev. B.T. Cooper officiating. Burial will be at Casteel Cemetery under the direction of Clay Funeral Home.
Rev. William Clyde Hankins Sr.
Rev. William Clyde Hankins Sr., 93, of Marshall Texas, died Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999, at the Colonial Park Nursing Home in Marshall. He was born July 21, 1906, in Pine Bluff, the son of William Henry Hankins and Joana Isabelle Glover Hankins.
He was a retired missionary and minister. He was pastor of churches in Texas in the 1930s, went to Brazil in 1940 and served until his retirement in 1965. After retirement he pastored churches in Kentucky, Arkansas and Texas, one of them being First Baptist Church of Forrest City. At the time of his death he was a member of the Central Baptist Church of Marshall.
Rev. Hankins is survived by two sons, William Clyde (Bill) Hankins of Marshall and Jerry Otis Hanks of Indianapolis, Ind.; two daughters, Nona Goodman of Marshall and Nina Eunice Hankins of Campo Grande M.S., Brazil, S.A.; and 15 grandchildren.
Visitation was held Thursday, Nov. 25. Additional services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29, in the Zion Baptist Church in Henderson, Ky., under the direction of the Benton-Glunt Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Hankins Fund at First Baptist Church, Forrest City. | <urn:uuid:f0700bf1-9461-4182-af4c-b5c5de74b0e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.genealogybuff.com/ar/stfrancis/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/6 | 2013-05-22T21:44:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950883 | 2,183 |
Why Would Delta Airlines Buy a Refinery?
It will take years to determine whether the purchase was a coup or a serious miscalculation.
After deducting $30 million in subsidies from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where the refinery is based, the cost of acquiring the 185,000 barrel per day (or bpd) Trainer refinery complex just south of Philadelphia will come to $150 million. Delta must spend another $100 million to convert Trainer’s existing infrastructure to increase jet fuel output, putting the total cost of the acquisition at $250 million.
Rising Jet Fuel Costs for Delta
The rationale behind Delta’s purchase is that it gives the airline greater control over its supply chain and allows it to better manage its biggest expense, jet fuel, which constitutes 37% of the company’s costs. In 2011, Delta spent $12 billion on jet fuel. That makes the refinery's purchase price just a hair over 2% of its yearly jet fuel spend.
“Our crude fuel costs are up 10% on a compounded growth rate over that two-year [2009-2011] period. But you can see the eye-popping number that’s out is the crack spread for jet fuel. That’s up a compounded growth rate of 73% over the last two years,” said Delta president Edward Bastian in a conference call."
[Editor's note: The crack spread measures the difference in cost between an unrefined barrel of crude oil and an equivalent amount of jet fuel. The jet fuel crack spread has risen 40% in 2012, pushing jet fuel above $140/barrel in comparison to a barrel of crude oil at $86.56 at today's spot prices.]
Also from Delta president Bastian on the same call: “And it is the part of the business that we have the most difficult time in managing, very difficult to hedge the crack spread. Jet fuel market is a thinly traded market and it’s by far and away the largest cost issue we have in the company.”
Despite the large crack spread, whether it's $20 or $50, only about $5 of that amount goes to the actual physical cost of distilling jet fuel from crude oil. The remaining amount is pure profit for refiners and that is what Delta wants to capture. In buying Trainer, Delta is trying to cut out the middle man.
Under the arrangements of the acquisition, BP (BP) will supply the crude to be refined at Trainer, and Delta will swap gasoline and other refined products from Trainer for jet fuel from Phillips 66 and BP elsewhere in the US through multi-year agreements.
Trainer Will Save Delta $300 Million a Year.
Delta has said that its new refinery will enable it to cut down fuel spending by $300 million and ensure the availability of jet fuel in the northeast. Production from the refinery, combined with the agreements with Phillips 66 and BP, will be able to provide 80% of Delta’s jet fuel demand in the US.
Because of the fuel cost savings Delta projects it will enjoy by owning an oil refinery, some industry experts assert that the company will be able to gain a leg up against its competitors in the east coast market.
Philip Verleger, Jr., a consultant on energy and commodity markets who publishes Petroleum Economics Monthly, said that by purchasing Trainer and thereby limiting the supply of jet fuel for its competitors, Delta could gain a $4,000-$5,000 advantage on every transatlantic New York to London flight. He compared Delta’s strategic advantage to that of Southwest’s (LUV) when the latter used hedging as a tool to gain a cost advantage for many years over competitors who did not hedge.
“Delta will be able to cover a large portion of its jet fuel needs at the major New York airports at a cost substantially below that of its competitors,” Verleger told Aviation Week. “This advantage would be particularly useful in the very competitive North Atlantic market, where Delta goes up against American [Airlines], British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, United (UAL) and Virgin Atlantic, among others.
“With Trainer, Delta could match the competition's prices and pocket profits from lower-cost fuel,” he continues. “Alternatively, it could follow Southwest's example and initially pass the cost savings on to consumers. This would force larger losses on other airlines or cause them to exit the market.”
Analysts who cover the aviation industry seem to concur that this was a smart move by Delta, with a Deutsche Bank research note from April 30 saying that the deal results in a “new vertical with compelling economics.” Stern Agee and Maxim Group also reiterated Buy ratings on Delta after news of the acquisition broke.
However, not everyone is convinced that this is a game-changer in a good sense for Delta.
Making the Economics of a Refinery Work.
One obvious question comes to mind: If oil giant Phillips 66 couldn’t make the economics of Trainer work, why would Delta, even if it is tasking former Murphy Oil (MUR) refinery manager Jeffrey Warmann to run operations at Trainer?
“Plants shut for a reason, and it's not usually the incompetence of their owner," Kevin Waguespack, vice president of the energy consultancy Baker & O'Brien, opined to CNN. “How can Delta do any better than a large, sophisticated refiner like Conoco?”
Even though Delta said it will modify Trainer to more than double jet fuel output from 23,000 bpd to 52,000 bpd, jet fuel can at most make up 30%-35% of the crude output. The remainder of the crude it receives will be refined into non-jet fuel products, which Delta will then swap for more jet fuel in their agreement with counterparties, BP and Phillips 66.
So, if jet fuel spreads are as high as Delta says they are, it means that the airline will get a lower ratio of jet fuel in their exchange deal, since presumably, Phillips 66 and BP will not be willing to take a loss. In effect, Delta will still be paying market rate for jet fuel, except that it will be using refined products instead of money as payment.
Optimizing the Return on Capital.
Gregory Millman from the Dow Jones company also questions the less-than-optimal return of capital given that the refinery will be refurbished to maximize jet fuel output. As he points out, typically, refiners adjust outputs to maximize returns. For example, during the summer, gasoline is in greater demand and is more profitable, so refineries generally produce more gasoline in the summer, and more heating oil in the winter for the same reason.
However, Delta’s Trainer facility will be locked into producing a standard ratio of 30% jet fuel, even when it might offer a greater return than other products.
“Why is this a problem?" asked Millman. "Optimizing for refinery returns is better for shareholders than optimizing for airline returns. US refiners produced a return on capital of about 25% over the last 12 months, according to S&P Capital IQ, while US commercial airlines earned only a 11% return on capital. (Delta, by the way, produced a 12% return on capital.)”
Minyanville reached out to Delta, and a spokesperson asserted that the economics of the refinery deal were sound.
“When you think about Trainer's economics, remember that we're capturing refining costs that are pure mark-up and not actually related to the physical cost of producing the fuel,” said a Delta spokesperson.
“Jet fuel is the highest margin product any refinery can produce at the moment, and the fact that we're investing in Trainer's infrastructure to make the most jet fuel possible will immediately improve its performance financially. If crack spreads fall -- really only possible if crude oil prices plunge -- then as an airline, we will be saving billions of dollars annually because of that situation.”
Trainer's Working Capital.
Another aspect of the deal Millman cited was that working capital seemed to be missing from Delta’s plan for Trainer. According to him, a refinery like Trainer would need between $100 million and $200 million in working capital, especially since Conoco reported that it had liquidated $180 million in inventory, most of which came from Trainer.
“Using the $180 million inventory figure from Conoco as a rough approximation for the working capital requirements of Trainer, we can expect working capital will increase Delta’s real investment in Trainer by 72% -- over and above the airline’s $250 million investment. That’s $430 million, half of Delta’s 2011 bottom line,” Millman wrote.
Delta, however, said that the deals it wrangled with BP and Phillips 66 eliminated both front-end and back-end risks for the airline.
“We think the problem with some of the analyses on Trainer is that people are assuming we're running it as a standalone entity and facing the same market challenges that refineries are looking at. Through the agreement we have with BP to source, transport, and deliver crude oil to us -- they have the balance sheet risk of that -- we have no risk on the front end. We don't even own the oil until it gets into our refinery. On the back end, the swap agreements we have with BP and Phillips 66 remove any risk of us holding products we don't use -- also a huge piece of why this makes sense for us,” Delta told Minyanville.
“Delta is simply buying all the jet fuel produced by its subsidiary and faces no balance sheet risk. Indeed, in terms of working capital, we are optimistic that the windows of purchasing and swapping the products could make Trainer actually working capital positive for Monroe. All we've said is that our partner agreements supply us with the necessary working capital for Trainer.”
Of course, owning a refinery also comes with environmental liabilities. An energy banker at a midsized investment bank Minyanville spoke to who declined to be named said that refinery flares, which often emit toxic fumes, were a potential source of huge liabilities.
“If they ever want to sell Trainer, they have to clean the site, too, since they can’t just shut it down. How does Delta handle that?” he said.
Apparently, Delta has nothing to worry about on the environmental liability front, the airline told Minyanville.
“Our subsidiary Monroe Energy owns and operates the refinery. Delta has no risk as an entity to any claims: Monroe has reached agreements with BP and Phillips 66 that essentially say that we have zero environmental liability at Trainer going backward from the moment we take possession, and we have a very firm indemnification setup that minimizes our ongoing exposure by operating Trainer.”
Trainer Is an "Unbelievable Bargain."
In spite of the questions raised by some, Delta believes that its Trainer investment is “anything but” risky, since the $250 million it will spend on the acquisition is how much an airline would spend to buy a Boeing (BA) 777 at list price.
“We did a test to see what our savings would have been in the past six years had we bought this refinery six years ago. [We found that] we would have saved between $300 million and $500 million every year. The difference is that six years ago, refineries weren't for sale at rock-bottom prices. In fact, they cost billions of dollars,” Delta told Minyanville.
“The huge drop in US gasoline demand has made refineries such as Trainer unbelievable bargains; we feel we've spent $150 million on an asset with a book value well in excess of $1 billion.”
Will Delta’s bold move pay off? Only time will tell, said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, New York.
"It's clearly a very innovative approach, but I think it will be a number of years before we know whether it actually works out."
Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:3b588ca1-8a3e-4f51-b0e3-907cab544170> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.minyanville.com/sectors/transportation/articles/dal-cop-psx-luv-bp-mur/5/31/2012/id/41367?page=full | 2013-05-22T21:38:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950542 | 2,526 |
Top 25 'money' free agents
A look at potential free agents with a lot riding on the last few games
Updated: December 14, 2012, 2:28 PM ET
By Chris Sprow | ESPN Insider
NFL free agency has historically been a great example of lemon economics. Don't think citrus -- think used cars. The basic theory says that if the original owner would even allow the player (or car) to be purchased, it greatly diminishes the product. It's an information disconnect, and the original owner knows more. The eyes squint and the brow furrows after a look under the hood: "So -- why don't you want it?"
Same with the NFL, historically. Players have such a short shelf life because of injuries that to even get to free agency at all carries a stench. We know Mario Williams has had a great career, but surely Houston knew something the market didn't. In this league, it's always been that, if you like a player, you wrap him up. A change of system could be akin to dumping the new sports car for a minivan as the family changes, but everyone seems to agree: The original owner got the best years of the car, just as the Texans got the best years of Williams. Free agency is one part money, two parts hope.
At least, that used to be the case. Things might be shifting. The salary-cap reality after the last CBA should allow a few more players teams truly don't want to lose to hit free agency. And we're going to see dividends. You can knock Williams, but what about Vincent Jackson? What about Brandon Carr?
Below I've listed not a ranking of the top free agents but rather, a list of players who have perhaps the most on the line down the stretch in terms of their future market values; I've also added some possible fits for them. (So don't mistake this for a "top free agents" list. And the team fits for each player are possibilities, not predictions.)
1. Joe Flacco | QB | Current team: Baltimore Ravens
He has started 77 of 77 possible NFL games, carries a 53-24 record as a starter, has a 98-55 career TD-INT ratio and won't turn 28 until January. So how is Flacco going to become an unrestricted free agent at a position where even the Romo-coaster won't be subjected to such an indignity? How high his ceiling extends is clearly a question, and the rest of the regular season will dictate dollars. Baltimore dumped offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and has the worst defense of Flacco's tenure. It all points to: "It's on you, Joe."
Fit: Most would be shocked if he were anywhere but Baltimore next season.
2. Mike Wallace | WR | Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers
[+] EnlargeMike Wallace
Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesMike Wallace needs to impress in the remainder of the season to increase his market value.
He'll be an unrestricted free agent, and Wallace needs to finish strong. He's in the midst of his worst NFL season in terms of efficiency, has been the third-best WR on his own team a season after he was openly considered maybe the best in the game and has admitted he can "lose focus" at times. Not exactly the best selling points for his free-agency brochure. Wallace needs to treat the end of this season like an audition.
Fit: Mark Sanchez loses excuses if his numbers stay flat with Wallace around in 2013.
3. Ryan Clady | OT | Current team: Denver Broncos
He has never missed a start 77 games into his NFL career and is among the top five left tackles in the game, and the QB he protects, Peyton Manning, gets the ball out so quickly that he's a joy to block for. So what does Clady have to play for? He's an unrestricted free agent and the top left tackle available, which means he could be headed for about $50 million in guarantees if he's fully healthy. In a league of players paranoid about health, Clady could be excused for playing in bubble wrap.
Fit: Denver should make it work, but Arizona should offer stadium naming rights.
4. Greg Jennings | WR | Current team: Green Bay Packers
At 29, Jennings has never caught fewer than 45 passes in a season. So far in 2012, he has just 17 catches and has been sidelined for most of the season with an abdominal injury. With James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb already around -- not to mention Jermichael Finley -- Green Bay likely won't beat out big offers for Jennings. But he needs to get back on the field and show something to draw interest. Now that he's practicing in full pads, we're about to gauge his market.
Fit: Miami makes a lot of sense, but keep an eye on Detroit, which suddenly has legit questions about who will be No. 2 behind Calvin Johnson. Jennings grew up a Lions fan in Michigan.
5. Wes Welker | WR | Current team: New England Patriots
You could argue that teammate Sebastian Vollmer has more cash to play for (and likely will land the bigger deal), and you could argue that Welker is a creation of the system, an extended handoff for Tom Brady. But that the New England offense lost Rob Gronkowski and hasn't skipped a beat is a credit to Welker, who will reach 120-plus catches this season for the third time in his career. And, as an unrestricted free agent, he might be ready to prove he's more than a system creation.
Fit: Clearly, it's New England, but Welker would be really interesting in Denver, Dallas or even Washington.
6. Cliff Avril | DE | Current team: Detroit Lions
He reportedly turned down three years and $30 million to accept the franchise tender of $10.6 and play for a bigger deal, but Avril needs to finish really strong if he wants big money. He has 9.5 sacks, but he benefits from great play elsewhere on the Detroit D-line, and he has just 18 hurries this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Fit: Even with Jason Babin, Jacksonville could use another 4-3 DE and could afford Avril.
7. Aqib Talib | CB | Current team: New England Patriots
He has a ton of talent and a history of off-field problems, but if Talib can finish strong for the Patriots, not only does he create a market for himself with New England but he could draw interest from all over the league. This is a guy who is quite literally playing for a job as an unrestricted free agent at age 26.
Fit: Even less total money might be more appealing if the offer is from the Patriots.
8. Jairus Byrd | S | Current team: Buffalo Bills
He's not a star, but maybe he should be. Byrd has a Pro Bowl under his belt, as well as a season when he led the NFL in interceptions. Plus, Pro Football Focus has him rated as the top cover safety in the NFL. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in a market that's short on impact at the safety position. Byrd also will have a history of good health; if he finishes this season, he'll have played in 48 consecutive games. If he stays healthy, he'll be in line for a huge deal.
Fit: Dallas could desperately use a safety who covers this well. But so could Detroit, New Orleans, the Jets and maybe even Pittsburgh.
9. Danny Amendola | WR | Current team: St. Louis Rams
Dangerously close to attaining the "fragile" label, Amendola could be back for the last few weeks, and he will want to be able to walk into unrestricted free agency with full health. He caught 85 passes in 2010 and profiles as an unbearded Wes Welker. If Amendola can stay healthy, St. Louis has every reason to keep him around. But, as lemon economics teaches us, if the Rams don't make a big push to retain him, it'll be instructive for the market as a whole. The last few games matter.
Fit: St. Louis is a great fit, but what if he becomes a cheaper replacement for Welker in New England?
[+] EnlargeSebastian Vollmer
Icon SMISebastian Vollmer has played well this season and could get major money -- from the Pats or others.
10. Sebastian Vollmer | OT | Current team: New England Patriots
The Patriots have their future at left tackle in Nate Solder and might not be willing to go big on a deal to keep Vollmer, a right tackle who missed the bulk of 2011 to injury. But if he finishes strong -- and New England opts to devote free-agency resources elsewhere -- Vollmer could get big money after what has been a very good season.
Fits: Indy, Chicago, Arizona and Dallas should all pick up the phone.
The next 10
11. Randy Starks | DT | Current team: Miami Dolphins
You don't find many good defensive tackles available in free agency, but Starks qualifies, and he has missed just one start since Week 1 in 2009. Carolina would be a good fit.
12. Michael Bennett | DE | Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He has 9.0 sacks, and cracking double digits could get this unrestricted free agent some extra scratch. New Orleans would be a good system fit.
13. Dashon Goldson | S | Current team: San Francisco 49ers
How much can the Niners spend to keep this defense together? They might let Goldson go, and the 2011 Pro Bowl participant will get looks. Carolina should call.
14. Reggie Bush | RB | Current team: Miami Dolphins
This isn't a ranking of best free agents, but Bush belongs here because, if he can stay healthy for a few more games, it'll be the difference between multiple bids versus just hoping to land somewhere. Almost any offense can use a player with his diversity of skills, and he's underrated as an inside runner. How about a change-of-pace complement to Trent Richardson in Cleveland?
15. Victor Cruz | WR | Current team: New York Giants
He's a restricted free agent, and the Giants won't let him go anywhere. But how he finishes, and his end-of-season health status, could help determine in what manner the Giants compensate him going forward.
16. Branden Albert | OT | Current team: Kansas City Chiefs
He's no star, but he might be the third- or fourth-best tackle on the market, and he's been healthy throughout his career, although recent back issues have slowed him down. A strong finish without questions about his back will improve his market.
AP Photo/AJ MastDwayne Bowe won't play this week, and his market value is very much up in the air.
17. Dwayne Bowe | WR | Current team: Kansas City Chiefs
He's way down on this list because he likely won't be back in the lineup this season. He has a lot on the line, however, because the play of Jon Baldwin could help determine how much K.C. is willing to offer to keep him around.
18. Jake Long | OT | Current team: Miami Dolphins
He might be headed for injured reserve, which is a shame because it could mean the end of his tenure in Miami. The development of rookie Jonathan Martin could make the perennial Pro Bowler expendable. If he's fully healthy, his phone will be ringing.
19. Steven Jackson | RB | Current team: St. Louis Rams
If he finishes the season healthy, there could be a market for Jackson and the Rams could bring him back. If he gets hurt, he might have to move on. How about working in with Doug Martin in Tampa when LeGarrette Blount moves on?
20. Chris Houston | CB | Current team: Detroit Lions
He might be the best available corner on the market, and the Lions could choose to franchise him, given the state of their secondary. But if they want to franchise elsewhere, if Houston can finish well (and healthy), he'll have a robust market.
21. Andy Levitre | G | Current team: Buffalo Bills
22. Henry Melton | DT | Current team: Chicago Bears
23. Brian Hartline | WR | Current team: Miami Dolphins
24. Erin Henderson | LB | Current team: Minnesota Vikings
25. Jermon Bushrod | OT |Current team: New Orleans Saints
"Vincere scis, Hannibal, victoria uti nescis" -- Maharbal, 216 B.C.E. | <urn:uuid:55044d4a-4dac-459c-b72b-1fd73e0f2a7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.falcfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17848 | 2013-05-25T06:06:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967838 | 2,642 |
DERAILING THE VOYAGE
by Michelle Erica Green
15 March 1998
A few weeks ago, as many of you know, I was completely and totally fed up with Voyager, with fandom, with fan clubs, with television, even with fan fiction. I posted an outline for a story with an introduction that's been building really for two years; I made a bitchy, misogynistic statement I am now ashamed of, expressing my current extreme dislike for Janeway and Chakotay, and I announced that I was never writing any more fan fiction. At around the same time, I made a necessary break with the fan club I founded, Now Voyager. I know that some of you have wondered whether my decision to leave had anything to do with my relationship with Kate Mulgrew, and the answer is no. I still like Kate and respect her as an actress. My leaving had more to do with fan politics and professional conflicts than anything else.
I have had an extraordinary thing happen since I decided to gafiate. (For those of you not familiar with that term, it's an anagram for Get Away From It All, which goes back to Classic Trek fandom and possibly before that.) I have received an unbelievable number of letters telling me not to go. I relate this not to brag, because while some of the letters were about my stories, most were about something more general: the J/C net community, the need for fanfic to counteract canon, the obligation we have as writers and as feminists to one another to challenge the claptrap put before us on the screen. It made me think about what I'm doing here, and why I'm going to risk exposing myself by linking my public and private fan personas.
I started reading a.s.c. and what was then known as a.s.f.s. a few weeks before Voyager went on the air. At the time, Christine Faltz was in the midst of posting her TNG opus "O Captain My Captain," and Janis Cortese and GG-MEE were in the midst of posting some terrific stories which made me appreciate Julian Bashir for the first time. The only fanfic I'd written since high school was a Kira/Odo story, on a dare from Kimberley Junius, the editor of Deep Spaces. I was a little uncomfortable about the idea of just plunging in and posting on the internet. But when the new series came on the air, and the only stories about it seemed to be either mindless smut or political epics, I decided I really wanted to know what Kathryn Janeway might be like when she wasn't acting as captain of Voyager. My first thought -- don't shoot me, folks -- was to write a Janeway/Paris story. I was intrigued by her backstory with his father and the obvious tension between them. Plus someone was posting dares to get Janeway laid before the end of the pilot. But during the week after "Caretaker," I couldn't quite get a handle on it, and then I saw "Parallax" and noticed what I hadn't noticed in Chakotay the week before. I wrote "Uniform" that night. I believe it was the first serious J/C story posted to a.s.c.
The feedback was amazing. I'd like to believe it was my writing that people enjoyed, but I know better; the PWP, sketchily characterized since we knew almost nothing about Janeway and Chakotay at that point, with lots of unreasonable assumptions (that Janeway never loved Mark, that Chakotay missed Starfleet), had virtually nothing to do with the people the characters had become even a few weeks later. Not that that mattered. People just wanted stories about these characters and the chemistry between them. The movement seemed already to have started; when, a few weeks later, Janet Coleman wrote "Remember Us" and Ruth Gifford came up with "Kathryn," it already seemed pretty much settled. J/C was going to be as big as P/C -- bigger even, because it had the net to power it all along.
I have never enjoyed any reading experience as much as I enjoyed the explosion of fanfic in those early months of Voyager, and I'm including graduate school in English literature in that experience. I don't just mean the J/C -- I mean all the love affairs with Voyager, C/P and J/B and even some of the P/T in those days. I also read stories which were not at all relationship-driven, but I'll confess that those didn't hold as much appeal for me. I've never watched Trek for the science fiction; I read Gibson and Kress and watch movies for that. I dig the character interaction, always have, I was a K/S fan before I knew there was a term for it (and boy was it a relief to attend my first con and discover that it was not merely my personal perversion but a full-blown phenomenon!) Nonetheless, I was a latecomer to TOS, and even though I belonged to a DS9 fan club from early on, I never had the emotional attachment to Kira that I had to Janeway. It was a lot like falling in love, except that in this case I could share the experience with a hundred other like-minded people who understood completely.
I should know by now never to say "never," particularly about writing; I suppose it is possible that on some later date, a Voyager story will sieze me by the throat and demand to be written, so that I can get no other writing done until I commit the words to print, and then I will feel guilty enough or egotistical enough to post them just to see if people are glad to see them. So I eat my words, I don't swear beyond a shadow of doubt that I will never write another Voyager story. But I wish I could.
It's interesting how many people have written the past few days to tell me that they are entirely down on the show, and only watching because of the fanfic. Do you all realize that if we had turned our television sets off at the beginning of this season, declared that we were NOT watching a show about an ineffectual captain and a babe in a catsuit, left the franchise and made a dent in the new, improved ratings (which were actually lower for the month of January this year than ever in the history of the franchise, but that is another rant entirely), TPTB might actually have done something to improve the show instead of taking it for granted they could put out whatever shit they wanted in the name of the young male demographic and we all would watch anyway, and rehash and rewrite if we felt compelled to do so? (If you need to know my opinion on Voyager's fourth season, check out my reviews; I have written up every single Voyager episode, so you can also read my extremely lengthy "Resolutions" review, my wishy-washy "Coda" review, and assorted columns, rants, and songs of praise.)
Of course I have read Henry Jenkins, Constance Penley, and Janet Murray -- Henry's a friend from ACAFEN-L, the Academic Study of Fandom list, and he introduced me to Janet -- so I know all the theories that fanfic is a process similar to the construction of oral collective myth, that we are writing legends which will resonate through the mass consciousness of our descendants, siezing our society's myths from the evil corporate minds which claim ownership and returning it to the hands of the consumer, etc. Sounds very progressive and Marxist and feminist and radical and all those good things, but I don't really think it happens. We write fanfic for a miniscule segment of the viewing audience. The rest of the audience members probably do some rewriting of their own, and talk about the show with their friends and complain and occasionally write to TPTB or to their local papers, but we're not really hooked up in an idealized net beyond the JetC groups and a handful of other interconnected fan groups, several of which have opposing goals anyway in terms of what we'd like to see in canon. The Chakotay/Paris Support Group, for instance, whose existence I support entirely in theory because I love anyone who tries to rewrite a show in her own mental image, nevertheless tends to promote the ongoing pairing of two characters I cannot abide together beyond the occasional PWP. I wouldn't complain if I heard that the producers were pairing up Chakotay and Paris in canon because I would be so damn delighted to see an ongoing gay relationship on Star Trek, but I wouldn't get excited about it in a visceral sense, either -- you see what I mean?
I wanted Janeway and Chakotay together for a number of reasons, most of which have been belabored in the essays which are linked at the bottom of this page. Some were ideological, and had to do with how I view female sexuality and women in power. Some were purely personal -- I like the way Kate Mulgrew and Robert Beltran look together, I like the chemistry between their characters. Some undoubtedly stem from the horrible backwards evil romance novelist in my subconscious who gets off on the idea of a Starfleet captain and a Maquis rebel getting it on, against all odds, an ingrained heterosexist stereotype that I'd love to get rid of but it's been in my head a lot longer than intellectual resistance to it. The problem is that that Janeway and Chakotay no longer exist. I'm not sure they've existed since early second season, though I was willing to rationalize a lot before and after "Resolutions." In truth, "Coda," the most J/C-filled episode of the third season, was dreadful writing, cliched, typical damsel in distress crap. If that's what it's going to mean to have J/C, then I don't think I want J/C. And if it's going to mean contrived, badly executed disagreements like the one in "Scorpion," or rationalizing Chakotay's alien-of-the-week amnesiac episodes like "Unity" and the upcoming "Unforgettable" -- well, forget it. Who needs this pairing? And, more to the point, who needs this half-baked, oft-boring show?
What we need are a new version of Janeway and Chakotay -- not Janeway and Chakotay, who are dead for me now, but different characters on a different show with producers who give a shit about relationships and characterization and depth. I'm inclined to suggest X Files, but Carter's universe is such a dark one, so antithecal to traditional optimistic Trek, that I understand why people don't see it as any sort of substitute. If we want better women characters on television, better romantic pairings, better relationships, we have to demand them by NOT settling for what we're given as if it's acceptable. We need to write our own for the screen, not just for one another, to try to create them someplace where EVERYONE can see them. I can't justify putting out for the system anymore; I feel like Benjamin Sisko in "Far Beyond the Stars" when his editor told him to self-publish his stories if no one wanted to read about a black captain in mainstream pulp fiction. If a tiny group of internet fans are really the only people in the world who believe that a female captain can have sexuality and humor and power at the same time, then something's really fucked up. The actress who plays Kathryn Janeway says she doesn't believe it. The executive producer who created the character seems not to believe it, if Mosaic and "Coda" are any indication. This is a pretty fundamental problem.
I wish we could choose whom we fell in love with: I wish I were infatuated enough with Xena to write about her, or with Scully (well, I have written about her, but nothing I would dare post, since I tend to write as darkly for her universe as her universe seems to call for). I wish the interior lives of men interested me so much that I could retreat happily into slash fandom and not worry about the way women are characterized on television. For some perverse reason, though I disavow Kate's fan club and all of Kate's stupid comments about feminism, and though I disavow Taylor's sniveling Kathryn with her crushes on father figures and her lack of confidence in her place in the universe, I haven't got my own ideal of Kathryn Janeway completely out of my system, or I wouldn't feel this upset, this betrayed, this compelled to do something to right the injustices of her universe.
Rewriting the fictional 24th century isn't going to accomplish that, though. It's what we do in the here and now that is going to count -- what we write for ourselves and for one another, how we raise our children, what we do with our work and volunteer efforts. Maybe television is the wrong medium to get the message across, or maybe it's just the Trek franchise, the optimism based on life in an ideal world where prejudices have miraculously been eradicated and suffering is no more. I don't have any answers. I just know that I'm not going to find them in Voyager.
Michelle, Your Cruise Director
Founder, Now Voyager
Oldest surviving member of the RBLS
Veteran of The J/C Clinic and The Janeway/Chakotay Fold on AOL
My Home Page | <urn:uuid:f330ee04-1408-4e25-ba83-d0aff0925e35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/trek/rant1.htm | 2013-05-25T06:00:14Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982354 | 2,807 |
"The ideas of science make it so important for humans — it’s part of what makes being human worth being human, the ideas of science,”
Dr. Lawrence Krauss said.
On July 13, Dr. Krauss sat down with radio show host and producer Krista Tippett for the final interview in her week-long series based around the theme, “Inspire, Commit, Act.”
“The ideas change our perspective of our place in the cosmos, and to me, that’s what great art, music, and literature is all about. When you see a play, or see a painting or hear a wonderful piece of music in some sense, it changes your perspective of yourself, and that’s what science does in a profoundly important way and in a way with content that matters.”
Dr. Krauss is a theoretical physicist and foundation professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration and physics department at Arizona State University. He is a frequent contributor to publications such as The New York Times and Scientific American. He has authored many books, including, The Fifth Essence: The Search for Dark Matter in the Universe; Fear of Physics; and Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth…and Beyond.
In his conversation with Ms. Tippett in the Hall of Philosophy, Dr. Krauss discussed his own experience with religion, the excitement and beauty of science, scientific progress and the universe, how science can provide comfort, a positive understanding of life and provided a short lesson on the recently discovered Higgs boson particle.
Dr. Krauss was reared in a Jewish household, but religion was always considered the root of tradition and social machination rather than as a source of ideas:
“I read the Bible, I read the Quran, I read a bunch of things when I was a kid and went through phases where those myths appealed to me. And then I grew out of it — just like Santa Claus.”
Early in his life, his mother, who hoped he would become a doctor, pushed Dr. Krauss toward science. Reading about scientists and science further sparked his attention. As he, he focused his scholarship on physics.
“Physics was always, by far, the sexiest of the disciplines and still is by the way."
Scientists do the work they do because it is fun and exciting, Dr. Krauss said. In our world and society, it is becoming increasingly common to view science from a narrow, utilitarian lens; essentially, people see science as the physical technologies it creates rather than the ideas it fosters.
“To me, one of the most exciting things about science is the ideas. Science has produced the most interesting ideas that humans have ever come up with."
Dr. Krauss lamented that we live in an era where it has been both common and acceptable to be science illiterate. That is dangerous, especially when everything around us that keeps us alive is fueled by scientific research. It is shocking that the presidential candidates do not have a debate centered around science, he said.
In 1996, Dr. Krauss published The Physics of Star Trek. The physicist said he liked science fiction until he realized how much more exciting the scientific ideas, discoveries, and questions behind it could be.
“People imagine science fiction as an imaginative rendering of science, when in fact science is a far more imaginative rendering of science fiction.”
In the Star Trek narrative, two very important ideas are posited.
“The Star Trek future is a better place because of science. And I can’t resist saying it here, now that I think about it. It was one of the reasons in Star Trek that basically they’ve dispensed of the quaint notions, the myopic views of the 21st century, including most of the world religions.”
“All of the interesting questions that I can see in science, and for the most part in scholarship, are based on the topic of origins.”
In his work, Dr. Krauss asks questions about the origins of the universe, life, and consciousness. He asks questions that seem to combine both scientific and spiritual curiosities.
One vast difference, Dr. Krauss said, can be found hidden within the word “choice.” In religion, philosophy or theology, many questions and questions of origins are started with the word “why.” Dr. Krauss said he believes asking questions with the word “why” implies a presumption that there is a greater meaning, a greater significance, when in fact, no evidence points to that.
Science alters the kinds of questions we ask, because science is always progressing, pushing at the frontier and finding new knowledge so new questions must be asked, he said.
Two hundred years ago, when Darwin was studying and writing, he worked on understanding the origin of the diversity of species — he never attempted to define the origin of life, or the origin of matter, and he laughed off the notion that one ever would, Dr. Krauss said.
“But today, that’s exactly what we’re talking about,” he said.
The scientific world is full of ideas, questions, discoveries and failures. Often the information gathered by scientists challenges preconceived notions about the nature of the universe or religious beliefs.
“Being uncomfortable is a good thing, because it forces you to reassess your place in the cosmos. Being too comfortable means you’ve become complacent and you stop thinking. And so being uncomfortable should be a spiritually uplifting experience.”
One of the most important and widely discussed scientific discoveries in recent history is the Higgs boson. In his lecture, Dr. Krauss traced the recent progressions in scientific thought and understanding, which have allowed for the revolutionary finding. He discussed how that has expanded the scientific frontier and allowed for the eruption of a new set of questions and ideas.
The importance of the discovery reflects and celebrates a change in the understanding of the universe that took place approximately 50 years ago, Dr. Krauss said.
There are four basic forces of nature: electromagnetism, gravity, and strong and weak forces. At the start of the 1960s, only one of the forces — electromagnetism — was thought to be understood. By the end of that decade, scientists understood three of the four forces, Dr. Krauss said.
The realization that all forces could be understood by one mathematical formalism prompted that growth in understanding, Dr. Krauss said.
“You know you make a breakthrough in science when two things that seem very, very different suddenly are recognized as being different aspects of the same thing."
In the ’60s, scientists proposed that electromagnetism, a long-range force that works across long distances, and weak force, a force that is responsible for nuclear reactions on the sun and is prompted by short-range interactions between nuclei, were fundamentally the same.
Forces are understood in physics as the exchange of particles. Historically, it was theorized that electromagnetism was a long-range force because the particle exchanged was a photon, which was massless. It was also thought that in weak force, particles were exchanged over minute distances, because the particles were massive.
But with the realization that those particles could be explained by the same math formula, the proposal came that those particles were essentially the same and massless, Dr. Krauss said. The only way that could be possible would be if there were an invisible field with which massless particles could relate.
“If this invisible field permeates all of space, you can’t see it, but if the particles that convey the weak force interact with that field and get slowed down like swimming through molasses, get retarded because of that interaction, they act like they’re massive, whereas the photon doesn’t — it remains massless. Then everything would work.”
Scientists are not in the business of creating forces, Dr. Krauss said. So following that proposal, physicists have been at work trying to detect that invisible force. Because if something exists, it should be detectable, Dr. Krauss said. If the field exists, scientists proposed that if they hit it with enough energy in a small enough region, an observable particle should be produced. That is what Higgs scientists think they have discovered.
“What’s really beautiful is every time we make a discovery in science, we end up having more questions than answers. Having discovered the Higgs does not close the book. We still don’t understand why this Higgs field exists in the universe, and by why I mean how."
Mystery drives science, Dr. Krauss said. Though concepts such as religion, mysticism and other similar schools are based in mystery, the difference is science has changed the language of mystery and progresses with the gathering of real knowledge.
“Science has moved beyond, has taken us beyond our childhood.”
In the lecture, Ms. Tippett discussed the value of religion and spirituality for aiding, preparing, and comforting someone who is on his or her deathbed. She asked Dr. Krauss what science would be able to say to a dying person.
“Every single thing that religion provides, rationality, empiricism, and science can provide. And not only that — they can provide it better.”
People should be taught the truth about death — that it is a natural, necessary part of life and that it will happen. The meaning of life is the meaning you make of it, Dr. Krauss said. That knowledge should be instilled in people not just on their deathbeds, but throughout their lives, so they make decisions in a way that reflects that reality. Moral and ethical decisions cannot be made or decided without a basis in reality, Dr. Krauss said.
“If the stars tonight realigned themselves and said ‘I am here,’ in Greek — presumably, ancient Greek — then I’d say, ‘Maybe there’s something to all of this.’ ”
He said, though, that when there is no evidence of something, it becomes highly unlikely.
“It seems to me the knowledge that the meaning we have is the meaning we make should inspire us to do better.”
Ms. Tippett asked Dr. Krauss whether he would appreciate or understand religion more if he experienced it in a different way. She read Dr. Krauss a passage from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Jewish theologian:
“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion — its message becomes meaningless.”
Wise people can come from any background, Dr. Krauss said. Wisdom is born of experience and knowledge, and there have been many wise thinkers and writers from religion, such as Maimonides. However, he said, he is often confused by why people who are so wise feel they still need religion.
“There’s beauty in the paintings that Leonardo da Vinci and others, Michelangelo and others, did in context of religion. That’s just a response to the culture of the time, and I don’t see why given what you know now you can’t have that same wisdom without discarding the provincial basis of it.”
In the closing minutes of the lecture hour, Ms. Tippett and Dr. Krauss discussed the scientific refutation of the historical precedent to create “us versus them” scenarios, which often lead to prejudice, violence, and inhumanity. He said:
“Science can provide a realistic basis of understanding how artificial and myopic the definitions of us versus our enemies are. We’re made of their atoms. And every atom in our body was once inside a star that exploded. One of the most poetic things I know about the universe is that we’re all stardust. These are amazing things and they have content and they’re true.”
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August 2, 2012
August 2, 2012
Alumni Robert ’68 and Jane Weir have shown their support for the University of Maine by establishing a professorship through a bequest to the School of Forest Resources in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. Their gift will provide faculty and student support to advance silviculture at the School of Forest Resources.
“Our gift is a way for us to give back to the University of Maine,” says Jane.
Bob, who graduated from UMaine with a bachelor’s degree in forest sciences, is a native of Fairfax, Vt. He began his college education at the University of Vermont and later transferred to UMaine. He went on to earn his master’s degree and Ph.D. in forestry at North Carolina State University.
“I was admitted to graduate school in part because they recognized the quality education I had received at UMaine,” Bob says.
As a master’s and doctoral student, Bob worked tirelessly for the North Carolina State University Industry Cooperative Tree Improvement Program. The goal was to help trees grow faster, stronger, and healthier through experiments in selective breeding. Years of research and hard work paid off when Bob rose to director of the program in 1977. He remained in that position for 23 years and also served as associate professor of forestry.
From 2004 to 2011, Bob was appointed as vice president of product development for CellFor, a Vancouver-based company that specialized in tree cloning technology.
Jane was born in Augusta and moved to New York at age 13. She returned to her home state for college and enrolled at UMaine, majoring in history. She quickly became involved in campus activities and participated in Greek life through Alpha Omicron Pi.
After Bob’s graduation, the Weirs moved to North Carolina. Jane completed her education at NC State University and opened her own yarn retail store, Great Yarns. Jane operated the store for 17 years before leaving it in trusted hands when she returned to Maine.
By far, Bob and Jane’s fondest memories of UMaine were when they met and fell in love. The soon-to-be couple lived in the same dormitory complex. Jane worked in Stoddard Hall cafeteria where the forestry majors would eat breakfast and saw Bob nearly every morning.
“I would be dragging through the line, barely awake,” Bob recalls. “And I’d see this perky, cute girl putting scrambled eggs on my plate saying, ‘Good morning! Isn’t this a great day in which to excel?’”
The Weirs returned to Maine in 2007 and settled in West Bath. They soon became involved in UMaine’s Mid-Coast Alumni Association after a chance meeting with fellow alumni Joy and Grog Johnson. After discovering that Joy, Grog and Bob graduated the same year and knew some of the same classmates, the Johnsons encouraged them to join the Alumni Association.
“We attend as many events as we can and are happy to connect with people with a common past and the same passion for UMaine as we have,” says Jane.
Since joining the Mid-Coast Alumni Chapter the Weirs have reconnected with members of the UMaine community including Provost Susan Hunter, NSFA Dean Ed Ashworth, and School of Forest Resources Director Bob Wagner. Their involvement in the University of Maine led them to make their generous donation to the School of Forest Resources.
“We wanted to give back to the place that provided us with a great foundation for life,” says Bob.
The University of Maine is a great place for non-traditional students, say Dr. Wayne and Wendy Waterman of Bangor, both of whom earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maine in 1992 when they were well into adulthood.
UMaine understands the specific issues relating to older non-traditional students and recognizes their diverse learning styles, experiences, and multi-faceted lives, according to Wayne, a neurosurgeon at Eastern Maine Medical Center, and Wendy, a stay-at-home mom who has been teaching childbirth education and doing postpartum doula work for the past 16 years. She also is certified to teach prenatal yoga. The couple met while living in York Hall, UMaine’s residence hall for non-traditional students. Wayne graduated from the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture,while Wendy earned her degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The parents of three children, Wayne and Wendy are devoted alumni who have generously supported the University’s Annual Fund over the years.
“As successful alumni we believe in giving back to the University so others can have the opportunity to have the same wonderful experience we did and ultimately become active, engaged professionals and citizens,” says Wayne. “One of the appealing things about UMaine is that it is a major research university but still is a personal, close-knit community.”
As a young boy growing up in New Jersey, Wayne and his family would spend each Thanksgiving at the camp they built in Jefferson, Maine, near Damariscotta. He attended the University of Maine at Augusta for one year before returning to New Jersey to start his own construction company. Because the allure of Maine was still strong, he decided after five years to continue his education at the flagship campus, selling all his equipment to finance the move back to Orono. Majoring in biochemistry, he thrived at NSFA where he enjoyed his classes and his professors who, he says, presented lively lectures, found ways to connect with all their students, served as caring mentors, and allowed for an open and honest learning environment.
“I got a great science foundation thanks to the availability and diversity of the course offerings in virology and molecular biology,” says Wayne who earned a medical degree from the Midwest College of Osteopathic Medicine in Chicago and practiced medicine for several years in Philadelphia.
A natural childbirth instructor who has held numerous jobs including as a paralegal, property manager, and private investigator, Wendy spent part of her childhood near Boston and moved to Bremen, Maine, when she was 14. She enrolled at UMaine after learning about the wonderful educational opportunities from a CLAS faculty member. Majoring in psychology “because it applies so broadly to many professional fields,” Wendy says UMaine opened up a whole new world for her and Wayne.
“Our years in Orono were important to both of us. Living in York Hall with other non-traditional students enabled us to meet people who fully appreciated our educational opportunities because we all had experience in the working world. We had fun but we were committed students who valued the way UMaine initiated programs and services that improved the university experience for nontraditional students.
“The wonderful education I received at the College of Liberal Arts has had a positive impact on every aspect of my life.”
The experiences of Wayne and Wendy Waterman at UMaine have provided them with noteworthy forward momentum in both their personal and professional lives. The University is proud to have such engaged and dedicated individuals among our alumni.
The University of Maine College of Engineering named the Stephen W. Cole Concrete Laboratory during an April 26 ceremony at Boardman Hall.
Cole, a UMaine alumnus, graduated in 1968 with an associate degree in engineering technology followed by a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1972. He went on to found S.W. Cole Engineering, Inc., in Hermon, Maine, in 1979. He retired from the company in 2007.
Attending the dedication ceremony was a standing room-only crowd including UMaine President Paul Ferguson, College of Engineering (COE) faculty and staff, S.W. Engineering, Inc., employees, both past and present, members of the engineering community, and friends and family.
“This generous gift in honor of Steve Cole will help us maintain a high quality facility that is a critical piece of our program,” said Civil and Engineering Department Chair Eric Landis. “We feel it is essential for students to get a true hands-on experience, and in the case of concrete, that means getting their hands dirty. Concrete is the most-used manufactured material and it is important that civil engineering students have a good feel for how it is produced and what can go wrong when it is placed. The only way to learn that is through hands-on experience with the material.”
COE Dean Dana Humphrey applauded Cole’s leadership and his ability to help solve problems but step away once the solution was in place. He pointed out that Cole was key to establishing a two-year technical degree in civil engineering technology at Eastern Maine Community College to fulfill a need cited by area construction and engineering firms for employees with quality control and materials testing expertise. And he noted that Cole helped create the Maine Engineering Promotion Council (MEPC), a non-profit organization to advance interest among middle-school students in the engineering profession.
“The MEPC is one of the reasons that the UMaine College of Engineering has seen record enrollments,” Dean Humphrey said.
S. W. Cole President Paul Kohler said he met Cole when he took a class that Cole was teaching at UMaine. He went to work for S. W. Cole in 1985 and has been there ever since. “One thing, among many, that I have always admired about Steve is his desire to provide opportunity to young professionals,” Kohler said. “He made it fun to learn and work in this business and he always made time to listen to your opinions and views.”
Kohler also noted that the foundation laid by Cole has served the company well. “Although things have changed since Steve’s retirement, I am very confident that if he came back tomorrow he would recognize that the underlying principles he founded are still the guiding principles we operate by today,” he said.
After a standing ovation, Cole thanked those in attendance and said he was humbled by the dedication. He said he was especially proud to have his name on the firm as it continues to thrive under the new generation of ownership.
S.W. Cole, an employee-owned firm of more than 90 scientists, engineers, and technicians provides geotechnical engineering, geo-environmental consulting, and construction materials testing for projects throughout New England.
“It’s my second semester working here,” Flynn said “This is a good opportunity to get work experience, help the university, and I really enjoy talking to alumni. Pledges and credit card gifts can range from anywhere from $19.89 in honor of a person’s graduation year to as much as $1,000 or a given night. Of course, some nights are better than others.” Flynn has generated over $8,400 and 112 pledges, making her one of the programs top callers.
Funds raised during the sessions are used to help with department, college and university wide needs such scholarships, technology upgrades, student travel to conferences, laboratory equipment, textbooks for students in need, and activities.
“This program is definitely moving in the right direction when you consider that it is the first real comprehensive tele-fundraising effort by the university,” said Ullysses Tucker, Jr., Director of Annual Giving at UMaine. “I have a wonderful group of callers; plenty of energy in the room on a nightly basis and in many ways they serve as ambassadors for our institution because they are the first real contact with many of our graduates in years. It’s great listening to the conversations as the proud past connects with the bright future.”
The students also update demographic information, spread the word about campus events and activities, and more importantly, secure support to offset diminishing funds from the state. In only fourteen weeks of calling (the program runs from September-April when classes are in session), the students have generated nearly $160,000 ($41, 000 in credit cards gifts) and over 2500 pledges.
While Flynn is excited about obtaining donations, she takes a practical approach to her work.
“This job experience has definitely helped me academically and socially,” she said. “I’ve learned to talk with a variety of people, and now when I have to make a presentation for class or when I graduate and have to be in front of people, I will have more confidence in my speaking ability and communication skills.
“I’ve also learned how important support is to UMaine,” Flynn added. It’s encouraging to talk with people who have been through the same thing, and who now are in a position to – and want to – give back. Someday, I hope to be able to do that myself and help students.” | <urn:uuid:aa341bd5-5ee0-43b0-b2a1-67bf69f1dbb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://umaine.edu/development/news-and-events-2/ | 2013-06-19T19:06:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972838 | 2,673 |
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Formerly : Arahmas Resort & Spa
Naiyang / Naithon
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Recent customer reviews
February 27, 2010
A very nice and quiet resort~
- a peaceful getaway
- nice pool and view of Nai Yang beach
- spacious rooms and good service
Both me and my bf enjoyed this resort a lot as we like quiet getaways. It is very close to the airport but far from city centre(transportation cost a bit more). The rooms are very nice and spacious. Next time we'll definitely get a pool access room as it's more convenient.
February 25, 2010
-Price (booking through Agoda in advance gave an excellent rate)
- Pool (amazing)
- Breakfast (varied and fantastic)
We had an excellent time at Adamas. The resort was everything we wanted- quiet, luxurious and comfortable.
The pool in particular was excellent. There were plenty of sunbeds and it is so big that you never feel cramped or stifled.
The breakfast was excellent- a good variety of western and asian cuisine. The restaurant menus were fairly limited, and although expensive compared to the restaurants in the Nai Yang beach area (10 minutes walk down the beach) it was not prohibitvely so by western standards (under £10GBP for most main courses).
One word of advice- take a decent handheld torch. It will prove invaluable for the late-night walks back from the restaurants down the beach!
Hotel Feature Tip:
Bring a torch for those night time walks down the beach.
United States of America,
February 24, 2010
A Boutique Gem
Excellent food, hotel design and landscaping is very appealing
Needed a place to stay close to the airport (15 mins drive). This hotel is truly a unique gem located in the middle of nowhere - however, its 100 meters from the beach with a beautiful view. If you want quiet relaxation, this place fits the bill. The employees are all very attentive to your needs but lack in the area of the English language (nothing that wouldn't bring me back however). The infiniti pool is really lovely and faces the beach view as well as the cafe. The lobby is completely open air - no walls which lends to a very 'spa' atmosphere. The breakfast restaurant is quite nice. The food is so delicious - the chefs in the kitchen really cook up fantastic food - ALL of it is sooo good! Didn't use the spa but I would bet it's fantastic because everything else was!!
February 18, 2010
4 night stay
Lovely quiet resort. Excellent pools. Easy beach walk to all the local restaurants and shops.
Great resort for a relaxing holiday. Breakfast buffet was excellent. We got an very good deal on our 4 night stay through Agoda. Even though the resort was full, we hardly saw any guests and it was lovely and quiet. After staying at Karon beach, a bit of peace and quiet was just what we needed.
Walk up the beach to enjoy the many local restaurants.
Families with young children
February 17, 2010
- close to the airport
- the pool is nice and connects the entire resort
- Staff is very nice
If you are looking for a resort to relax at the pool - that's it.
The water at the beach is only about 20-30cm high and you have to walk for 10 min. (!!!) till you reach deeper water.
Food is good but expansive.
Families with young children
February 17, 2010
5 star hotel but not really
Rooms with direct pool access.Close to the airport
We've stayed at the Adamas for five nights during mid-February. We had the direct pool access rooms which were wonderful as it felt like having your own private pool.
We've liked the fact that Adamas was extremely close to the airport since we were travelling with babies.
If you are looking for some peace and quiet then Adamas is your place as it is quite remote from everything.
We didn't find the reception staff very friendly as they ignore our requests via email. Then when you arrive to the reception, they all look very busy so they don't have to help you. When they don't want to accommodate you then pretend they don't speak English which is quite rude.
However, the housekeeping and waiting staff are very nice. They made sure we had everything in order especially Yan who was always friendly to us. He even played with our baby.
I would rate the food a 2 out of 5. It's always a hit and miss. We were running out of choices by the third night. One more thing, avoid ordering any desserts. The ice cream tasted more like a lollipop as it was made of sweetener of something artificial. The tiramisu was horrible. We've learned to avoid any desserts by the third night.
Towards the end of our stay, we would get lunch on the beach area rather than staying in for a meal.
The spa had inflated prices so we ended up getting a massage by the beach. Which was good and cheap!
The beach was very shallow and not very clean water. I wouldn't recommend it for people who are there for a beach holiday. This is definitely a place where you would just stay within the resort and nothing else.
Overall, we've survived but wouldn't go back to Adamas again.
United States of America,
February 15, 2010
Adamas is worth your stay
Quiet, secluded, relaxing, privacy, a place to get a good tan + good customer service. GORGEOUS pool, private beach
I was VERY pleasantly surprised by how clean, luxurious and inviting the hotel looked, for only being about a 10-15min taxi ride from Phuket Airport. DEFINITELY a place worth staying, esp if you get rooms on discount.
- They offered a free upgrade immediately
- Customer service is wonderful
- THE ROOMS: big, clean, beds are spacious, with the pool access are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i loved jumping right into the pool from our back door. DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER!!!
- Pool is clean daily
- Breakfast buffet is a good mixture of Asian and Western.
Take a METERED taxi from the airport. We paid $190 Baht include $100 Airport surcharge. Hotel taxi service is more expensive, so if you want to save $, walk down the road and hire through locals.
February 13, 2010
Our stay at Adamas resort was the second part of our trip - so comparing it to three other resorts this one was the worst by far. It looks great however the service and facilities were a little stale. The pool access from the rooms is not that inviting - the highlight is walking along the beach into nai yang which is beautiful.
Mamma mia's restaurant and Kobi's Bar
February 11, 2010
Hotel stay at Adamas
Great scenerio; lovely food at the restaurant
February 10, 2010
Fantastic stay - great value
Great facilities, Big Pool, Free Games Room, Nice Accommodation, Great Food, Very Clean
Adamas was a fantastic stay for us, one that exceeded our expectations. The facilities were very nice, very clean and easy to use. The service at reception, the restaurants and the pool were excellent, towels are provided at the pool which makes it easy. The pool is also very big. Very relaxed atmosphere with live music. Nai Yang Beach is very nice if you walk a little way up - quite quiet, very relaxing.
The food served at Adamas is very nice but also very expensive (comparatively). If you want to pay less than half price, just walk 10 minutes up the beach and eat at one of many restaurants that are literally on the beach - a great experience.
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Customer Reviews - The Imperial Adamas Beach Resort, Phuket
- A Place of Luxury and Relaxation - The Admas Hotel had everything we wanted in a getaway retrea
- A very nice and quiet resort~ - Both me and my bf enjoyed this resort a lot as we like quiet
- Adamas Resort & Spa, Phuket, Thailand - Despite booking six months early via Agoda our room had been
- Adamas Resort & Spa -
- Beautiful resort with friendly and helpful staff. - when my daughter became very ill with sun poisoning, the sta
- Beautiful secluded property - Everyone was very helpful, even as we arrived at 1:00 a.m.
- close to airport with amazing pool - we only stayed here one night (group of 7 young adults) as o
- Don't waste your time or money - I was really looking forward to a nights stay in this 'luxur
- Excellent choice - quality and value - Adamas Resort is gorgeous - lovely grounds and big BIG swimm
- Excellent -
- Great holiday - The hotel is high class and really nice place to stay, but I
- great hotel. i liked. - i request some adaptor to connect my computer, hotel no prov
- Great Location for a very relax place - the place is very close to the airport so it's very convenie
- Great place somewhat isolated. - We had a very relaxing stay. Staff was extremely nice and he
- Great pool access and beautiful location - Stayed 2 nights, we could make ourselves really relaxed. Roo
- Great service and pool access was really nice - This hotel is perfect for couples with small children. It's
- Great staff, Large Resort and Queit - Unfortunately the beach was not the best. At all times the t
- Impressive, beautiful hotel, great breakfast - From walking into the main reception area, this hotel is imp
- Loved the hotel, loved the staff - We booked the first night at Andaman Legacy with a group of
- miles form anywere not that nice for the money - miles from anywere very small room had small baby they put m
- nice hotel, but far from anything! - very quiet. more suited to older couples. drinks and dinner
- Nice pool access room - After travelling 19 hours we chose this resort as it is clos
- Our peaceful holiday - We were pleasantly suprised when we were upgraded to our own
- Overall good - A huge swimming pool and you can access to pool in your room
- Perfect Get Away! - the resort is in a very remote location not so far from the
- Pleasant, peaceful, nice atmosphere.. -
- Plesant stay - we stayed for four days. As soon as we got there we got upg
- Poor hotel in a poor location - this was a poor hotel. the immediate beachfront was just san
- Pretty Resort - Reasonable Price - My husband and I stay in this resort for 3 nights. We booke
- Quiet hotel, for couple or family - quiet hotel, 45 minutes from patong beach, low season and on
- Quiet, peaceful hotel, wonderful friendly staff - My boyfriend was injured during a boat island tour, so we we
- Really nice hotel - the hotel was very nice. it was the last hotel of our trip a
- Relaxing heaven - The resort has very good interior design. Good sea view and
- Super Duper isolated - Rooms - A lot of mosquitoes and the room amenities were not
- This was a fantastic stay . - We had great stay as were upgraded to Pool villa with own po
- Tranquil surrounding with large room - annual retreat to this resort has become habitual. it is a n
- Very nice - Our room was awesome, food sucked, and was way over priced b
- Very nice - Very good hotel. Good service. Beautiful beach. The staff we
- Very quiet, but got an upgrade! - A rather bizarre experience really not that it was at all ba
- Very Romantic Setting - The resort was perfect if your looking to be far away from e
- wanderful seaview, very quiet - It's super nice a hotel and we went during the low season so
- We basically had the place to ourselves! - We were coming back from Krabi late afternoon and had to fin
- Well made hotel with well trained staffs. - first i got there in lobby, i was very welcomed by staffs wh
- Wonderful Hotel - Beautiful big rooms that are decorated nicely. Large clean b | <urn:uuid:c42a4de5-54e3-4037-80cc-e776f14384a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/phuket/the_imperial_adamas_beach_resort/reviews-page-35.html | 2013-05-20T12:10:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970232 | 2,827 |
Huffington Post released an article today that looks at the impact of sewage overflow from Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey. The article points out how storm surge will result in overflow events and how rising sea levels will only exacerbate these events resulting in more severe discharges.
The 11 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage spilled due to storm surge in New York and New Jersey must be seen as a warning for all coastal cities. We must consider this warning as we rebuild Miami-Dade’s sewage system. As sea levels rise storm surges will increase in intensity and frequency. Miami-Dade’s facilities must be built to withstand these storm surges to avoid the kind of spills seen in the northeast.
“Princeton, N.J.-based Climate Central said that future sewage leaks are a major risk because rising sea levels can make coastal flooding more severe…The collective overflows – almost all in New York and New Jersey and due to storm surges – would be enough to cover New York City’s Central Park with a pile of sewage 41 feet high, Climate Central said.”
Read More Here:
Sandy Sewage Report: 11 Billion Gallons Of Untreated or Partially Treated Waste Was Released. www.huffingtonpost.org
On April 9, 2013 Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper, along with 131 other organizations, undersigned a letter to the United States Senate urging them to oppose advancing the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (S. 601). This letter, put together by the Water Protection Network, points out significant problems in this bill:
“Particularly troubling are the streamlining provisions (Sections 2033 and 2032) which will force agency staff to make uninformed decisions, to rubber stamp unacceptable projects, and prioritize deadline compliance over effective review. They do this by:
Requiring the Corps of Engineers to carry out the shortest review possible; Establishing arbitrary and unreasonably short deadlines for the public and resource agencies to comment;
Establishing arbitrary deadlines for resource agency decisions and recommendations;
Allowing the Corps to elevate multiple technical and substantive disagreements all the way to the President; and
Directing the Corps to impose multiple and ongoing fines on resource agencies that miss deadlines or disagree with the Corps on issues fully within the expertise of the resource agencies.
These provisions also could give the Corps control over reviews that are clearly outside of its jurisdiction, including consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, review under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and reviews under laws governing activities in coastal areas and public lands.
Additionally, the bill threatens to exacerbate our nation’s fiscal deficits by rolling back long- established cost-sharing rules and expanding federal responsibilities into areas that have been the financial responsibility of non-federal project sponsors. If enacted as reported, the bill will result in overspending, overcapacity, and substantial and unnecessary damage to the nation’s major estuaries and harbors. Title VIII of the bill would immediately more than double spending on harbor maintenance without assurance of the cost-effectiveness or true need for the dredging. In addition, the Title eliminates the current 50 percent non-federal cost share for maintaining deep draft harbors from 45 to 50 feet of depth, making these costs 100 percent federal responsibility. The provision also makes dredging and maintenance of all approach channels to berths along federal navigation channels and all upland confined disposal of contaminated dredged sediments a 100 percent federal responsibility, rather than the current 100 percent non-federal responsibility. No one has ever even estimated the costs of such an expansion. This would likely cause increases in dredging of contaminated areas that otherwise never would have been contemplated, increasing toxic releases into the nation’s bays and estuaries. We strongly urge rejection of this title as representing a major setback for the nation’s water policy that will be both environmentally-damaging and represents an improper shift of spending and water project responsibility to the taxpayers.”
For more information on the 2013 WRDA see: http://www.waterprotectionnetwork.org/sitepages/downloads/WRDA_2013_NWF_Memo_EPW_Committee_3-18-13_Final.pdf
It is difficult to consider ourselves surrounded by nature in Miami, FL. In the city, on the interstate, or in the supermarket it is easy to think of ourselves removed from the nature of Muir’s Yosemite or Thoreau’s Walden pond. An essay called “Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature” by Jenny Price, suggests that we reconsider how we think about nature in our city. She writes about nature in L.A., but her message applies to all cities.
Miami is confronted with a decrepit sewage system and the problems that this system is causing for the health of our environment. Our connection to nature is real whether we recognize it or not. We must consider difficult questions like “how are we connected to the nature around us?”, “how do we affect the health of the nature around us?”, and “how do we depend on the nature around us?”. As we move into a future full of challenges like Climate Change these questions are going to become more and more important.
I would encourage everyone to read this article by Jenny Price:
As Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper reflects on a successful clean-up this past week-end, it seems appropriate to consider another clean-up that happened two weeks ago.
On Sunday, March 3rd, Sean Bignami, was jogging on Virginia Key and came across an enormous pile of trash left over from the 9 mile music festival the night before.
Sean spoke with staff who where standing around the festival site who said they could not pick up the trash because the wind was blowing it around. Sean took pictures and videos of the scene with his phone and posted them online along with a request that people join him the next day to help clean up the area.
Four graduate students joined Sean the following morning and picked up enough trash to fill 25 garbage bags!
Sean was unable to get a satisfactory response from the festival supervisor or the Miami parks department regarding accountability for this trash or penalties for the negligence on the part of the festival organizers.
The systems in place that are designed to prevent the festival from leaving piles of trash failed, and it is unclear if the festival will be held accountable. Regardless of this failure, the immediate response from concerned residents must be seen as a message to institutions who ignore the sanctity of our Bay. Biscayne Bay is home to concerned stewards, like Sean Bignami, who will not stand quietly while polluters leave trash on our shores.
Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper wishes to celebrate the stewardship shown in this story. Thank you Sean, and all who came out to help clean up after the 9 mile festival left their trash to be blown into the Bay!
See the article Miami Newtimes blog posted about this story here:
On Sunday, March 17, 2013, Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper and Sierra Club put on a clean-up at Peacock Park in the Grove. Volunteers paddled nearby waters and gathered a huge amount of trash. Thank you to the stewards of Biscayne Bay who volunteered their time to put a dent in the amount of trash in our waters.
Thank you for a successful clean-up!
There is plenty of trash to pick up in Biscayne Bay.
Join Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper and the Sierra Club this Sunday, March 17th, for a paddle clean up at Peacock Park in the Grove (2820 Mcfarland Road, Miami, FL 33133). The clean up will start at 9 am and end at 2 pm. We will launch next to the boardwalk. Please bring your own gloves and trash bags. The Sierra club has a limited number of canoes, so we are encouraging attendees to bring their own kayaks, canoes, or paddle boards. If you do not have a boat, please contact Mark at Sierra Club to reserve a canoe. (contact Mark with any questions: [email protected]/ 305 632 7514)
(Miami, February 28, 2013) - Samples of beach water collected at Dog Beach on Virginia Key did not meet the recreational water quality standard for enterococci. By state regulation, the Florida Department of Health is required to issue an advisory to inform the public in a specific area when this standard is not met.
An advisory for Dog Beach on Virginia Key has been issued because two consecutive samples collected at the beach exceeded the federal and State recommended standard for enterococci (greater than 104 colony forming units per 100ml for a single sample).
Additional beach water samples at the Dog Beach on Virginia Key have been collected and further results are pending.
The advisory issued recommends not swimming at this location at this time. The results of the sampling indicate that water contact may pose an increased risk of illness, particularly for susceptible individuals.
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County has been conducting marine beach water quality monitoring at 17 sites, including Dog Beach on Virginia Key, weekly since August 2002, through the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. The sampling sites are selected based on the frequency and intensity of recreational water use and the proximity to pollution sources. The water samples are being analyzed for enteric bacteria enterococci that normally inhabit the intestinal track of humans and animals, and which may cause human disease, infections, or illness. The prevalence of enteric bacteria is an indicator of fecal pollution, which may come from storm water run-off, wildlife, pets and human sewage. The purpose of the Florida Healthy Beaches program is to determine whether Florida has significant beach water quality concerns.
For more information please visit the Florida Healthy Beaches Program Website: http://www.doh.state.fl.us and Select “Beach Water Quality”, from the A-Z Topics List.
We just posted the second edition of the Paddle Out Guide. We are excited to be able to provide you with this updated material. Keep this guide close to your kayak or canoe as an aid in your exploration of our beautiful Biscayne Bay. We have posted the guide below for your convenience, but you can always find the Paddle Out Guide at bbwk.org/paddle-out. Go out and enjoy our Bay!
Thank you Julie for speaking at the Grassroots festival on behalf of BBWK
Thank you to everyone who came out to see Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper (BBWK) speak at the Sustainability Fair this weekend at the Grassroots festival!
Julie Dick, a BBWK representative, spoke about our current projects and initiatives, helping connect the festival to some of the issues that face the Bay that surrounded the event.
BBWK was invited to speak alongside the Center for Biological Diversity, Surfrider Miami, and the United States Green Building Council Florida Chapter. We are honored to have shared the stage with such great organizations.
Thousands of people attended the festival, many of whom camped along the water. We are happy such a festive event took place amidst the beauty of our Bay.
Virginia Key and Key Biscayne are barrier islands which are, by their nature, exposed to the elements.
On February 15, 2013 the Village of Key Biscayne sent Carlos Gimenez, Mayor of Miami, a letter asking Miami-Dade County to take another look at the plans to improve the central wastewater treatment plant located on Virginia Key. Key Biscayne is concerned that the plans do not adequately consider the impacts of climate change, such as increased sea levels and stronger storm surges, and do not include funding for flood mitigation. Considering Virginia Key is a barrier island, and therefor more vulnerable to weather and flooding, makes these oversights in planning for a wastewater treatment plant on this Key particularly alarming.
Key Biscayne supports the County’s immediate plans to address Clean Water Act outflow violations, deteriorated conditions at the Virginia Key facility, and of sewer lines identified as being at risk of rupturing, including the 54 inch under-bay line from Miami Beach to Fisher Island to Virginia Key. At the same time, the Village of Key Biscayne, situated just south of Virginia Key, is relying on the County to protect their natural environment. As long as infrastructure improvement plans do not address these long-term issues the residents of the adjacent island community of Key Biscayne will be understandably concerned for their quality of life. Key Biscayne is already plagued by foul odors from the central wastewater facility and occasional sewage spills.
Community voices like key Biscayne, calling for better sewage infrastructure, are the impetus for Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper’s legal initiatives for this issue. If the County will not address the concerns of local residential and business communities, or the needs of our fragile natural resources, then legal action may be the only way we can ensure that the County properly address these issues. | <urn:uuid:2cb3abbd-7305-4de9-8d53-6b9b8e8641a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bbwk.org/ | 2013-05-23T04:54:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935963 | 2,697 |
In order to understand the degeneration of the Socialist (Second) International, Karl Korsch in 1920 applied an historical materialist analysis to Marxism. He related Marxist praxis to the level and nature of class struggle. He posited three periods of Marxist activity. The first period ended about 1850, involved the revolutions of 1848 and the Chartist Movement. This revolutionary period gave rise to the “original” and revolutionary Marxism of Marx and Engels. The second period lasted until the 1917 Russian Revolution, and was characterized by the defeat of the Paris Commune and a partial absorption of the working class into simple trade unionism. Marxism, in its turn, became reformist during this period. The Third Period began with the Russian Revolution and revolutionary Marxism was restored with revolutionary thinkers like Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg.
This is not the place to debate the merits of Korsch's three stages, but only to consider applying historical materialist analysis to the anarchist movement in an attempt to understand its ideological Odyssey. Can the anarchist movement be placed in periods related to the level of class struggle in those countries where it had some prominence?
Like Marxism, anarchism developed just prior to and during the Revolution of 1848. This early anarchism was based mainly on the writings of Pierre Proudhon. But unlike Marxism, “Proudhonism” was not a fully developed revolutionary anarchism. In many aspects it was gradualist and reduced class struggle to the formation of worker mutualist societies. (Proudhon was opposed to strikes) Most workers at this time were artisans and mutualism was natural to them. Anarchism's First Period would be roughly 1840 until the late 1860's. During this time, Proudhon influenced the nascent workers movement in France, Southern Europe and part of Latin America.
By the late 1860's, however, a growing class struggle in those countries where Proudhon's thought had influence, began to move anarchism in a more militant direction. (1) Bakunin is the chief anarchist theoretician of this period which lasts until the defeat of the Paris Commune and the crushing of the Spanish and Italian revolts. Thus anarchism's Second Period lasts from about 1868 to 1874.
Post-1874 sees a period of reaction, as well as the “Long Depression” which effects many of the advanced economies up until the mid-1890's. Class struggle wanes, or is severally repressed in the countries where anarchism has any presence. But rather than heading in a reformist direction, an important section of the movement goes the opposite way, into ultra leftism. Two crucial aspects of revolutionary anarchism are ignored, seemingly pushed aside as irrelevant, these are the need to be directly involved in the people's struggles and the need for organization, rejected for “propaganda of the deed” and small autonomous action groups. This Third Period lasts until the late 1890's.
Propaganda of the deed proves an abject failure. Anarchists are marginalized and the social democratic parties get the upper hand, except for Southern Europe and Latin America. At the same time, the 1880's and 90's see a process of industrialization occurring, almost world-wide. Former peasants and artisans are converted into wage workers and the class struggle heats up. Anarchists return to the working class and involve themselves in the formation of revolutionary labour unions, (syndicalism). We can date anarchism's Fourth Period from the late 1890's. Syndicalism develops into a mass movement comprising millions of workers. Anarcho-syndicalists are involved in the Mexican and Russian revolutions, as well as risings in other countries such as Argentina and Brazil.
But Fourth Period anarchism had a flaw. While involved in the people's struggles and the creation of mass organizations, most syndicalists fell into a kind of economic determinism and also underestimated the need for a distinct revolutionary organization. For most Third Period syndicalists, revolution meant the workers occupying and running the work places and the need to deal politically with the state was ignored. The defeat of the Spanish Revolution in 1938 brings the Third Period to a close. At the same time, with few exceptions, workers become integrated into communist, social democratic or even worse, business unions and the parties supported by these tendencies. Autonomous class struggle, which found its theoretical and practical expression in syndicalism, for all intents and purposes, ends at this time, With the defeat of syndicalism, anarchism once more becomes separated from the working class. Essentially, the end of autonomous struggle is the end of anarchism as a proletarian movement.
The Fifth Period begins in 1939 and goes until 1968. This time, unlike the propaganda of the deed period, anarchists do two things – they immerse themselves in theory and attempt to develop a reformist anarchism, a “practical” anarchism that can be applied in a time when mass working class revolt, let alone revolution seems a hopeless fantasy. A major concern is why the working class failed to bring about the libertarian socialist revolution. Sexuality, child rearing practices, pedagogy, and culture are all examined and it is shown how these have an effect upon the workers consciousness and practice. A Gramcian struggle for hegemony ensues as anarchists strive to bring liberatory practice into daily life and overcome those factors which create a subservient population. (The one area where anarchism does have some input into the working class is the promotion of workers control and these ideas begin to resurface in the mid-1960s.) The Post 1939 “movement” allows anarchism to survive. Its ideas have an influence far beyond the small numbers of adherents. Liberatory practices begin to permeate society and the most obvious example of this is the formation of early New Left and the counter-cultures of the 1960s.
1968 signals that anarchism has entered a new phase, the Sixth Period. Autonomous class struggle is back again. Non-syndicalist unions start talking about workers control. Syndicalist unions begin recruiting again, though they remain very much a minority tendency within anarchism. Anarchism at this time is overwhelmingly counter-cultural, except for countries where it has deep roots like France, Italy and Spain. Permanent anarchist organization begins in countries that had not seen such in 40 years. The far-left is largely Marxist Leninist during this period, but anarchism is now a contender, something it wasn't in the Fourth Period.
The Seventh Period begins in 1980 and sees the complete defeat/capitulation of the orthodox left everywhere. The working class, at first combative, is beaten down and defeated. Anarchism suffers as well. While not eliminated, numbers are down and some organizations fragment. But the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, and the re-establishment of “democracy” in Latin America leads to a proliferation of anarchist groups. Anarchists are now found almost everywhere, but the movement is “a mile wide and an inch deep” and is still largely counter-cultural. (Counter-culture seems to be the way that anarchism enters new areas and attracts youth.)
The Eighth (and present) Period is signaled by the Battle of Seattle in 1999 and the Argentine Revolt of 2000. Seattle makes vast numbers of people aware of anarchism. The rebirth of class struggle in France, Spain and Mexico 1994-5 gave rise to the invigorated syndicalism of the French CNT, the Spanish CGT and the libertarian communalism of the Zapatistas, and laid the base for this period. The far left is now basically “the anarchists,” . More than a decade into the Sixth Period, the growing, if not dominant tendency in anarchism is working class oriented, and organizational. Furthermore, the influence of anarchist ideas goes far beyond the actual number of anarchists. Today, it is a rare socialist who is not in favor of worker-management, worker coops and popular power exercised through neighborhood councils. Even if, as some cynical anarchists claim, these socialists are not sincere, it still shows the influence of these ideas that they have to raise them in the first place.
Looking at anarchism in relation to the actual level of class struggle and how this struggle is reflected in anarchist praxis enables us to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of our movement. Western society has an underlying notion of free will and thus we have a culture of finger-pointing and blame. (You freely chose to do this, you vile creature!) Unconsciously, the left shares this culture. People who deviate from what is considered correct in terms of theory and practice are deemed to have done so for negative motives. While “selling-out”, ignorance and stupidity are factors, they don't explain everything. By examining anarchist praxis in the manner above, we realize that most of what happens, including those aspects we disagree with, are the natural responses to a given set of conditions rather than malfeasance and stupidity. The worst we can say about our past errors is that they were short-sighted.
Realizing the almost cyclic nature of the movement and the different periods that it can be divided into, can help us overcome any future errors made as a short-sighted reaction to changed conditions. For example, no period of reaction is so all-encompassing that we have to resort to propaganda of the deed to keep anarchism alive. While anarchism lost its proletarian base in the 1950's, this did not mean this was permanent and that militant, class struggle anarchism was gone forever.
At the same time, aside from the disastrous propaganda of the deed, much has been gained from anarchism's various phases, in spite of the errors committed. An incredible amount was learned from the Fourth or syndicalist phase. Indeed, this period really put anarchism on the map as a serious tendency in the workers movement. The Fifth Period developed anarchist understanding of society to a remarkable degree, making much of the earlier anarchism seem crude by comparison. Without the counter-culturalism of the Sixth and Seventh Periods, it is unlikely that so many youth would have become attracted to anarchism.
1. Many of these Proudhonist associations began to take on a more militant stance. | <urn:uuid:22366a7d-f575-424c-a6ab-2cd2ca043c46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://porkupineblog.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html | 2013-05-25T13:07:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956601 | 2,068 |
Hazard Summary-Created in April 1992; Revised in January 2000, March 2009
Motor vehicle exhaust is a constant source of 1,3-butadiene. Although
1,3-butadiene breaks down quickly in the atmosphere, it is usually found
in ambient air at low levels in urban and suburban areas. Acute
(short-term) exposure to 1,3-butadiene by inhalation in humans results
in irritation of the eyes, nasal passages, throat, and lungs.
Epidemiological studies have reported a possible association between 1,3-butadiene
exposure and cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiological studies of
workers in rubber plants have shown an association between 1,3-butadiene
exposure and increased incidence of leukemia. Animal studies have
reported tumors at various sites from 1,3-butadiene exposure. EPA
has classified 1,3-butadiene as carcinogenic to humans by inhalation.
Please Note: The main sources of information for this fact sheet are EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), which contains information on the health effects of 1,3-butadiene including the reference concentration and unit cancer risk for inhalation exposure, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR's) Toxicological Profile for 1,3-Butadiene.
- 1,3-Butadiene is used in the production of rubber and plastics. It is also used in copolymers including acrylics. (1)
Sources and Potential Exposure
- Sources of 1,3-butadiene released into the air include motor vehicle exhaust, manufacturing and processing facilities, forest fires or other combustion, and cigarette smoke. (1)
- 1,3-Butadiene was detected in ambient air of cities and suburban areas from 1970 to 1982 at an average level of 0.3 parts per billion (ppb). (1)
- Higher levels of 1,3-butadiene may be found in highly industrialized cities or near oil refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, and plastic and rubber factories. (1)
- 1,3-Butadiene has been found in drinking water and in plastic or rubber food containers, but not in food samples. (1)
- Occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene may occur in the rubber, plastics, and resins industries. (1)
Assessing Personal Exposure
- There is no reliable medical test available at this time to assess personal exposure to 1,3-butadiene. (1)
Health Hazard InformationAcute Effects:
- Acute exposure to 1,3-butadiene by inhalation in humans results in irritation of the eyes, nasal passages, throat, and lungs. Neurological effects, such as blurred vision, fatigue, headache, and vertigo, have also been reported at very high exposure levels. (1,3)
- Dermal exposure of humans to 1,3-butadiene causes a sensation of cold, followed by a burning sensation, which may lead to frostbite. (1)
- Tests involving acute exposure of animals in rats and mice have shown 1,3-butadiene to have low acute toxicity. (1,4)
- One epidemiological study reported that chronic (long-term) exposure to 1,3-butadiene via inhalation resulted in an increase in cardiovascular diseases, such as rheumatic and arteriosclerotic heart diseases, while other human studies have reported effects on the blood. (1)
- Animal studies have reported effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, blood, and liver from chronic, inhalation exposure to 1,3-butadiene. (1)
- EPA has established a Reference Concentration ((RfC))a chronic reference level of 0.002 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) for 1,3-butadiene based on reproductive effects in mice. The RfC is an exposure concentration at or below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur. It is not a direct estimator of risk, but rather a reference point to gauge the potential for effects. At lifetime exposures increasingly greater than the reference exposure level, the potential for adverse health effects increases. (5)
- No information is available on reproductive or developmental effects of 1,3-butadiene in humans. (1)
- Animal studies using mice have reported developmental effects, such as skeletal abnormalities and decreased fetal weights, and reproductive effects, including an increased incidence of ovarian atrophy and testicular atrophy from inhalation exposure to 1,3-butadiene. (1)
- A large epidemiological study of synthetic rubber industry workers demonstrated a consistent association between 1,3-butadiene exposure and occurrence of leukemia (10, 11).
- Several epidemiological studies of workers in styrene-butadiene rubber factories have shown an increased incidence of respiratory, bladder, stomach, and lymphato-hematopoietic cancers. However, these studies are not sufficient to determine a causal association between 1,3-butadiene exposure and cancer due to possible exposure to other chemicals and other confounding factors. (1,5,6)
- Animal studies have reported tumors at a variety of sites from inhalation exposure to 1,3-butadiene. (1,5,6)
- 1,3-Butadiene is metabolized into genotoxic metabolites by experimental animals and humans. (1)
- EPA has classified 1,3-butadiene as carcinogenic in human by inhalation.(5)
- EPA uses mathematical models, based on animal studies, to estimate the probability of a person developing cancer from continuously breathing air containing a specified concentration of a chemical. EPA has calculated an inhalation unit risk estimate of 3 × 10-5 (µg/m3)-1 .(5)
- 1,3-Butadiene is a colorless gas with a mild gasoline-like odor. (1)
- The odor threshold for 1,3-butadiene is 1.6 parts per million (ppm). (7)
- The chemical formula for 1,3-butadiene is C4H6, and the molecular weight is 54.09 g/mol. (1)
- The vapor pressure for 1,3-butadiene is 2100 mm Hg at 25 °C, and it has an octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow) of 1.99. (1)
Conversion Factors (only for the gaseous form):
To convert concentrations in air (at 25°C) from ppm to mg/m3: mg/m3 = (ppm) × (molecular weight of the compound)/(24.45). For 1,3-butadiene: 1 ppm = 2.21 mg/m3. To convert concentrations in air from µg/m3 to mg/m3: mg/m3 = (µg/m3) × (1 mg/1,000 µg).
Health Data from Inhalation Exposure
AIHA ERPG--American Industrial Hygiene Association's emergency response planning guidelines. ERPG 1 is the maximum airborne concentration below which it is believed nearly all individuals could be exposed up to one hour without experiencing other than mild transient adverse health effects or perceiving a clearly defined objectionable odor; ERPG 2 is the maximum airborne concentration below which it is believed nearly all individuals could be exposed up to one hour without experiencing or developing irreversible or other serious health effects that could impair their abilities to take protective action.
LC50 (Lethal Concentration50)--A calculated concentration of a chemical in air to which exposure for a specific length of time is expected to cause death in 50% of a defined experimental animal population.
NIOSH IDLH-- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's immediately dangerous to life or health concentration; NIOSH recommended exposure limit to ensure that a worker can escape from an exposure condition that is likely to cause death or immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from the environment.
OSHA PEL--Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible exposure limit expressed as a time-weighted average; the concentration of a substance to which most workers can be exposed without adverse effect averaged over a normal 8-h workday or a 40-h workweek.
OSHA STEL--OSHA's short-term exposure limit.
The health and regulatory values cited in this factsheet were obtained
in March 2009.
aHealth numbers are toxicological numbers from animal testing or risk assessment values developed by EPA.
bRegulatory numbers are values that have been incorporated in Government regulations, while advisory numbers are nonregulatory values provided by the Government or other groups as advice. OSHA numbers are regulatory, whereas NIOSH, ACGIH, and AIHA numbers are advisory.
cThe LOAEL is from the critical study used as the basis for the EPA RfC.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Toxicological Profile for 1,3-Butadiene. Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA. 1992.
- E.J. Calabrese and E.M. Kenyon. Air Toxics and Risk Assessment. Lewis Publishers. 1991.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB, online database). National Toxicology Information Program, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. 1993.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS, online database). National Toxicology Information Program, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. 1993.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) on 1,3-Butadiene. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC. 2009.
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). Technical Support Document for the Determination of Noncancer Chronic Reference Exposure Levels. Draft for Public Comment. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Berkeley, CA. 1997.
- J.E. Amoore and E. Hautala. Odor as an aid to chemical safety: Odor thresholds compared with threshold limit values and volatilities for 214 industrial chemicals in air and water dilution. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 3(6):272-290. 1983.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Toxic and Hazardous Substances. Code of Federal Regulations. 29 CFR 1910.1000. 1998.
- American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). 1999 TLVs and BEIs. Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents. Biological Exposure Indices. Cincinnati, OH. 1999.
- Delzell E, Sathiakumar N, Hovinga M, et al. A follow-up study of synthetic rubber workers. Toxicology 113:182-9. 1996.
- Macaluso M, Larson R, Delzell E, et al. Leukemia and cumulative exposure to butadiene, styrene and benzene among workers in the synthetic rubber industry. Toxicology 113:190-202. 1996.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cincinnati, OH. 1997.
- American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). The AIHA 1998 Emergency Response Planning Guidelines and Workplace Environmental Exposure Level Guides Handbook. 1998. | <urn:uuid:2819f3bc-defd-4f63-98d2-7fb67e7671f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/butadien.html | 2013-06-20T02:22:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.866645 | 2,440 |
- Acting of Lead Performers
- Acting of Supporting Cast
- Music Score
- Title Sequence
- Historical Importance
- Would You Recommend?
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America guarding her skies.
This film's release was in 1963, the calm just before the storm of social unrest and political upheaval. My father was a Master Sergeant in SAC, a thirty year man. As a kid, my sister and I moved around a lot and we always thought we were pretty well off. The Base Housing (at least to me) seemed pretty nice and we always had good food and clothing. We were never allowed on the flight line, but during an ORI, I did get to see a squadron of B-52G's scramble and take off at 15 Second intervals. That was really cool. Many of the Air Force wives didn't like it because of all the smoke and JP-4 fuel fumes stinking-up the air. The Farmers and surrounding townspeople didn't think too much of it either. Everybody hated an ORI! But until I saw A GATHERING OF EAGLES, I never knew exactly what was involved in those things. On the base everything was practically on (what they call now) lockdown. My dad came home after 7 day alerts and nobody in our house was too happy about that! He never talked too much about his work. I really liked the way this movie was cast and directed. It has a cast where every actor seemed like they were born to play their role. I had seen Rock Hudson and Rod Taylor, together in GIANT, back in 1956 and thought they played well off each other. I wish the movie had been originally filmed in Panavision instead of being converted to the widescreen version later. One thing that was wrong in the movie was that the Titan 2 missile silos were not on base, they were 40 miles away in the countryside. And with the climate that the fictional Carmody Air Base was located, the officers and airman would be wearing the Service Dress "Silver-Tans" Uniforms, not the Air Force Blue Shade 84 color that was in effect until 1965. Having been brought-up on television shows like STEVE CANYON, I became an expert (of sorts) on aviation films. I have waited for over 15 years for this movie to be released on DVD. I hope its released on Blue-ray too!
I am in the movie
- Wilmer Jones
I was the Pad Chief (Pad Dad) for Missile Launch # 1 at the Lincoln 4A complex with the rank of Staff Sargent. This Titan I missile was shown underground and in the above ground scene with the B-52G flying by. My friend Monty Welch (Pad Dad of #2 Titan) and I are shown running down a tunnel at the start of the ORI sequence. We spent 3 weeks helping the film crew get the footage they wanted. As a ground crew member on the B-52G before moving to the Titan I, I can honestly say this movie depicts the real thing. When an alert or ORI came, we had to have those 10 alert B-52s and 10 KC-135 tankers off the ground in 15 minutes. That launch was awesome to watch! Being a member of SAC was a very demanding job from the lowest airman to the men at the top of the chain of command. This film did a great job of showing the pressure we were under at all times to make sure we could defend our country during the cold war.
Partly filmed at Castle AFB in Atwater, CA
- Judy Cash
I was in high school when they filmed part of this movie at Castle AFB in Atwater, Calif. and the base commander's daughter had a bit part in the movie.
WE KEPT WORLD PEACE
- YGNACIO PEREZ, MSgt RET.
THIS MOVIE IS SO CLOSE TO THE REAL THING THAT IT MAKES ME REMEMBER HOW HARD WE WORKED TO SUPPORT SAC's MIS- SION. NOT MANY AMERICANS CAN IDENTIFY WITH THOSE SERVICEMEN WHO SERVERED DURING THE COLD WAR. I AM HERE TO SAY THAT OUR JOB WAS AS IMPORTANT AS IF WE HAD BEEN AT WAR.
Ilove this movie.
- darryl calhoun
A sac kid from 1963 from carswell AFB FT WORTH TEXAS.
- Robert Davis
I was station in SAC twice. Once 90 SRW at Forbes AFB, Kansas in 1957. Second time with the 2 Bomb Wing at Hunter AFB Ga. I hope this movie is shown on TCM soon.
A GREAT WATCH FOR ANYONE EVER ASSOCIATED WITH SAC
As a former B-52 Crewmember (I sat in the back as an EWO) I became a big fan of any movie that involved the plane I spent 1500 hours in. After seeing the "completely guessed" interior of the B-58 in "FAIL SAFE" and even the made-up interior of the B-52 in "DR STRANGELOVE" (sorry folks there is no such thing as a CRM-114 discriminator), this movie stands out as very well researched with the obvious cooperation of the USAF. Once scene worthy of note is where the fuel coupling leaks during air refueling - That is indeed where the coupling is, what it looks like, even the little plexiglas sighting window is there. Also the minimum interval takeoff (MITO) was indeed 15 seconds, and the planes did indeed swing out to their "fan" headings, just as in real procedures. I love the camera placement behind the main bogies during takeoff - neat shot. And the no-flaps landing is a real, no-shit no flaps landing. I put this in the same league as "STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND" for technical accuracy
Excellent Cold War Movie!
I was a member of the 92 Air Refueling Squadron (92 ARS) at Fairchild AFB from 1957 to 1960. As a KC-135 & B-52 mechanic, this movie is a testament to those who not only served, but fondly remember.
Altus A.F.B. Okla.
- Kenneth W. Lawson
I was in SAC from 1962-1966 at Altus A.F.B. I was a crew chief on a KC-135 this movie was the most realistic air force movie i've ever seen. I would like it to be shown on TCM sometime
A "Must See" Rock Hudson/Rod Taylor Movie
As a daughter whose father served in the air force growing up, I could appreciate the story content. The acting is superb and one of Rock Hudson's better "serious" roles. Rod Taylor complemented him very well as the supporting actor. It has a well-thoughtout story line and very reflective of the air force's M.O.. I would highly recommend this film. BRING IT BACK ON DVD. . .please!!!!!!!!!
- scott D
Pretty accruate representation of SAC in the day. The most bizzare error is the ground crews working on a B--52 engine with there hats on. The hat would get sucked up in the engine. You never wear a hat on the flight line. Scott
Training for SAC
- 2Lt Lindsay
I saw this movie three time and completed Air Force ROTC prior to being assigned the the 5th Bomb Wing (heavy), SAC at Travis AFB, Cal for 4 years. Pretty real movie (too many bird colonels in Lt Col slots-but why else call it a gathering of eagles?)
I served in SAC 1958-1967
- Thomas E Brown
I served in SAC at Clinton-Sherman AFB. OK; Goose Bay, Labrador and Francis E. Warren, Wyo. When this movie came out I was home on leave from Goose Bay. I took my girlfriend with me and she was impressed--never knew that much about SAC--it is an excellent , realistic movies about the greatest,strongest military organization in the world and accurately portrays life on a SAC base at that time.
Nine Years in SAC
- Robert H. Goss
Having spent two tours in SAC (55SRW - Forbes AFB, KS, 100 BW, Pease AFB, NH, and 72 BW, Ramey AFB, PR) I found "A Gathering of Eagles" to be a fair and true representation of what life in SAC really was all about.
I was there
- Bob West
I was stationed at Beale when this movie was made. As the real life crew chief of the T-33 (s/n 993) aircraft that was used as the chase plane "flown" by Rod Taylor in the aerial fuel leak scenes I got to work with Rod. There is one glaring error that I must point out. When the B-52 lands and the fire fighters go in with hoses to "cool" the red hot brakes? That would never happen Spraying red hot brakes would cause them to explode. And the bloopers that happened during the heated exchange of words in that scene was hilarious. Working with Hollywood was fun
- Max Lieberman
I was stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base, in the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron, in 1964. The movie was by and large accurate and realistic, except I don't believe that the Titan I silos would have been located so close to the end of the runway as shown in the picture. At Lincoln, the closed Atlas F silo was at Eagle, about 45 miles (if my memory is unimpaired) away.
- Steve Hodachok
This film portrays life in SAC very accurately, except for the higher ranking NCOs with tools in their hands. The ORI (operational readiness inspection), alert exercises, alert duty, MITO (Minimum Interval Take Off) of B-52's and most things were as I remember as a long time SAC member.
Gathering of Eagles
- David Stone
In 1963 my father was a SAC bomber pilot. His entire squadron was required to attend a viewing of this movie. It is an accurate account of life of members of the Strategic Air Command and the demands on those in leadership then, at the height of the cold war. This is an excellent movie and worth watching, especially for anyone connected to the Air Force in those days. | <urn:uuid:40c1b885-c78e-4290-b57f-4410a7f6d95f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/76028/A-Gathering-of-Eagles/user-reviews.html | 2013-06-20T02:17:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974395 | 2,200 |
Preston Bissett Nurseries and Country Shop
I feel I must mention rhubarb as I was born the the very famous Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle.
Its the idea time to get going with rhubarb. The Crowns are just starting to shoot. Mulch around them (not over the crown) to warm and protect them ideally with farm yard manure but some like to use other mulching products like straw, leaves or composts and if you want an early crop pop a rhubarb forcer on top and mulch around the outside of the pot. The crown don't want to be over wet or they will rot and the usual fungal problems will occur.A good mulch around the pot will keep the rhubarb warm and it will leach goodness into the roots.
Rhubarb Forcers block out the light and encourage long shoots more quickly than when growing conventionally.
Don't try and force the same crown each year. Have a few and alternate. They get tired.
Old plants do need lifting and splitting every few years. If there is a really long old rhizome tap root in your crown its best cropped off just replant the younger shoots and roots.
Other varieties also available from Preston Bissett Nurseries
One more tip. Rhubarb is sometime planted with brassicas successfully never with legumes. Strawberries and rhubarb will grow also happily together and I think make a good combination and use of space.
Why have a hedge?
Without doubt there are huge benefits in having a hedge for a boundary rather than a fence or a wall.
·They act as wind and sound breaks. Sheltering the garden from winds, filtering us from noise.
·Hedges support many species of wild life.
·They are economical as their durability to the elements and life span exceeds fences and wall.
·They can be beautiful, reflecting the seasons and providing a canvas to enhance other plants
How to choose the right hedge for your garden.
Do you want the hedge to be purely ornamental
All one variety or mixture of species.
Formal or informal
Dwarf or Tall
Is it to be a strong boundary to hold live stock at bay.
Is the site exposed? Consider the growing conditions.
These are the sort of considerations which will help you determine which variety or varieties of hedge to plant.
The choice of suitable hedge species is vast and the appearance equally varied. Here are some suggested native varieties :
CrataegusHawthorn (Hedge Thorn, Quick Thorn, May Tree) This is the most common form of hedge in the UK. It grows quickly. Its tough and it produces red berries(Haws). The prickles make it a strong barrier. This is deciduous hedge that mixes well with other species.
Prunus spinoseaBlackthorn It is slower growing than Hawthorn but it benefits from being extremely strong and impenetrable. The stems traditionally make perfect walking sticks. A deciduous thorny plant, related to the plum. Black sloes are excellent for making Gin.
Corylus avellana Hazel This is deciduous. It grows very dense. Strong flexible stems make it idea wood for building hurdles.It is noted for lovely catkins and cobs(hazel nuts)
Fagus sylvatica Common Beach A golden brown hedge. Easy to maintain as a formal boundary with regular clipping. The leaves persist quite well through the autumn and into the winter. Slow to establish and does not establish well in wet heavy ground but it is great in all other situations. It certainly makes one of the beast hedges around.
Carpinus Hornbeam. This can create a good robust screen. Ideal where a fairly wide hedge is required. It copes well in clay or chalk soils. Autumn leaves usually remain attached until spring. Catkins appear in late spring followed by clusters of winged nutlets.
Acer Campestre Maple Hardy and attractive. The wood is has tough ribbed bark often used for carving. The foliage is a rich golden colour in the Autumn. Small yellowy green flowers open with the leaves in late spring later producing winged fruits we call helicopters! It grows well in limestone areas.
Viburnum opulus sterile (Guelda Rose,Snow ball tree) This makes a strong hedge. Plants producing globular white flowers in June, followed by bunches of red berries(which the birds absolutely love.) Rich Autumn leaf colour.
Euonymus europa Spindle A quick growing deciduous variety. White flowers are produced in summer. This has very attractive Autumn foliage and rather dainty unusual red pink fruits with orange seeds. It will thrive in most soils.
Rosa canina Dog Rose A wild rose. This is very fast growing native plant. Very hardy with a strong growing habit .It has a single pink or white flowers, followed by hips in the Autumn.
Cornus Dog wood A deciduous shrub that has very attractive red, yellow or lime green stems to admire in winter. Leaves can be green, silver and variegated some turning red in Autumn..
A Saxon Hedge In recent year we have seen a revival in the original Saxon hedge. This is a mixture of native plants which in the right blend provide a good balance between a strong boundary and an attractive wild life habitat. Ideally it should contain 50% Hawthorn,20% Blackthorn,10% Field Maple, 5 % Hazel, 5% Dog Rose (Rosa Canina) 5% Viburnum Opulus (Guelda Rose) and 5% Spindle( Euonymus europa) Recommended planting instructions4 plants per meter (3.25ft), in a double row at staggered spacing of 45cm apart (1.5ft) This rule applies to most bare rooted hedging. Encourage root growth and establishment by planting with fish blood and bone meal and where the structure needs improving enhance it with soil conditioner.
Lonicera nitidia Chinese honeysuckleA very popular hedge. It has small glossy dark green leaves. Establishing quickly. The growth is soft, making this an easy hedge to penetrate if you push against it for this reason it is often grown in front of a fence. It makes a good screen rather than strong boundary.
Aucuba japonica This has large laurel like spotted yellow leaves or green leaves. Both male and female plants to get berries but the female plants tends to produce most fruit. It grows very successfully in sun and dense shade and in any soil. Plant every.9m (3ft) It grows to 2.5m (8ft)
Ceanothus Californian Lilac Beautiful blue flower and small rich glossy green leaves. Most varieties flower in May and June. Suits a more sheltered position. Plant every 9m (3ft) Eventual height is 3m (9ft).
Escalonia Dense glossy green Leaves work well as a wind break. This flowers very freely in the summer with pink red or white flowers. It thrives in any soil. Plant every.9m (3ft) grows to 2.5m (8ft).Ilex aquifolium Holly This is a slow growing but makes an impenetrable evergreen hedge. Usually the female plants bear the berries. It can produce good garden interest in dark green variegated, silver and yellow varieties. Plant every .8m (2.5ft)
Elaegnus Medium to large foliage shrubs available in evergreen and deciduous varieties. Silver, yellow and variegated foliage varieties. Grows to 3m (9ft) planted at.9m (3ft) spacing
Photinias Noted for there rich red new growth. Leathery shiny leaves similar to a Rhododendron.A tough large growing shrub. Very attractive red new leaves in spring. Grows 3m(9ft) at 9m(3ft) spacing.
Prunus LustaniciaPortuguese Laurel .
These frequently make good tall thick foliage hedges. Excellent for privacy. Upright in habit with small dark green leaves and red stems.They will grow to 3m(9ft)at 9m(3ft)spacing.
Laurocerasus Common Laurel. Glossy oval pointed leaves producing white flowers in spring. Very bushy and hardy and will grow in all soils except waterlogged sites.They will grow to 4m(13ft) planted at 9m(3ft)
Marbled White. A very pretty variety with white markings on the leaves.Bushy and tough .Growing to 2.5m(8ft) planted at 8m(2.5ft)spacing.
Viburnum Tinus A reliable old favourite found in most Church yards. Medium sized dark green leaves. White or pink blossom in early spring. It’s grows around .45m(1.5ft) a year. Grows in sunny or part shade conditions and likes moist soil. Plant 80cm 2.5 ft apart.
Ligustrum ovafoluim Privet Semi evergreen ,deep green leaves ideal formal hedge. Suits almost all soils. Golden Privet is a good alternative with its bright foliage. Plant every 45m(1.5ft) apart. It grows to 2.5m(8ft).
Taxus Baccata (common yew) The English yews commonly seen in churchyards make one of the best long-lived dividing hedge. It provides a dark background for flower beds and borders.Plant 75cm (2.5 ft0
Cotoneaster. A large family of deciduous and evergreen varieties grown for their remarkable display of berries in the autumn. Small white flowers in June. Plant every 9m(3ft).
Buxus sempervirens common box Grow up to 6ft and requires regular trimming. Plant 30 cm (1 ft )apart.
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Pobst All the Way in Monterey Pirelli World Challenge; Cunningham, Lamb Take Class Wins
May 11, 2012 - MONTEREY, Calif. - Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., led all the way to win the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac Sports Car Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, piloting his Volvo S60 to the GT class win. Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., captured the GTS win, while Todd Lamb, of Atlanta, Ga., won in Touring Car.
Randy Pobst leads the field into Turn Two at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Weber Image)
Starting from the pole with his No. 6 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60, Pobst got the holeshot on the standing start, built a 3.5-second lead over teammate Alex Figge, of Denver, Colo., by lap three and was never seriously challenged to win at the undulating 11-turn, 2.358-mile circuit for the third time, and first since 2006. It was Pobst’s first series win of the 2012 season, the 27th of his career.
“This is the combination of so much hard work by the K-PAX Volvo racing team and this track and the Volvo working well together,” Pobst said after the race. “The car’s better than ever. We had some trouble keeping it running last year. I think they’ve got it sorted out, though. We’re going to have some good races with these guys for the rest of the year. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is just right for the Volvo with its all-wheel drive, especially coming out of Turn 11. It just rocks off that corner!”
Pobst set a new lap record during the race, with a 1:27.491 (92.087 mph).
Figge started third in his No. 9 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60, but launched into second at the start around the No. 8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V of Andy Pilgrim. From there, he maintained second for the duration of the 28-lap, 62.664-mile contest, closing twice under caution, but never forcing the issue with his teammate.
“A great day for the team and for Volvo,” Figge said. “Andy Pilgrim was really a gentleman, as he always is, driving clean and his own race. That made it a lot more fun for me as well as we had a little dice on the restart. Other than that, it was just about putting laps in and making sure we had a one-two for the guys.
“The restarts were the only places to maybe try something, but the cars don’t run really well in traffic, even behind a similar car. Yesterday, in qualifying, it was Randy’s day and he had the pace today. It wasn’t going to be some easy move to go by Randy, so I think it was better to run a clean race, take the points and the one-two.”
Pilgrim was happy with his third-place run, and had to hold off a charging Lawson Aschenbach at the finish, who started from the rear of the field in his No. 1 TruSpeed/Privacy Star/EnTrust Porsche 911 GT3 after missing qualifying.
“Manufacturers points is all we care about,” Pilgrim said. “Of course, I was going to try and get to Alex Figge, because I wanted him to be a cushion between us and the Porsche. It just really kept me focused. Lawson raced me fair and really close. The brakes on our car made it for us. He didn’t make anything on us on brakes.
“It was a really good run. It was an elastic-band effect with Volvo. They were slow going into the corners and rockets coming out. I had the best shot on restarts, to try and get Alex. He was very clean, we were bumping, but it was clean. He gave me room and I gave him room. But once I got to the end of the corner, they took off. I tried, really, because I wanted to put him between me and Lawson. Having Lawson behind me, holy smoke…I had to just be perfect for those four or five laps at the end. Luckily, we were.”
For his efforts, moving from 15th on the grid to finish fourth, Aschenbach earned the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start award (advancing five positions on the opening lap) as well as the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race.
Steve Ott, who started sixth but moved to fourth on the opening lap, running closely behind Figge and Pilgrim for the first 10 laps, finished fifth in the No. 85 Racing For Our Heros/Loctite Porsche 911 GT3 to equal his career-best.
Mike Skeen (Chevrolet Corvette), Johnny O’Connell (Cadillac CTS-V), Justin Marks (Porsche 911 GT3), Tomy Drissi (Porsche 911 GT3) and Bret Curtis (Porsche 911 GT3) completed the top 10 in GT.
Cadillac drivers sit one-two in the Championship point standings, with O’Connell on top, with 573, followed by Pilgrim, with 559. Pobst moved to third, with 502, followed by Aschenbach (427) and Sofronas (409), who retired with a mechanical problem on the front straight to bring out the race’s first caution on lap 15.
Cadillac also maintained the Manufacturers Championship lead over Porsche 37 to 33, with Volvo closing the gap, with 25, followed by Chevrolet, with eight.
Cunningham started from his fourth-consecutive GTS class pole position in the No. 42 Acura/HPD/RealTime Racing Acura TSX, but saw Jack Baldwin’s No. 68 Voodoo Ride-Invoice Prep/Hot Wheels Porsche Cayman S get the jump from the second starting spot. It wasn’t long, though before Cunningham made the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the Race to put his Acura back up front, a position he held from lap two until the finish to capture the first win of the new V-6 powered Acura in Pirelli World Challenge GTS competition.
“I was pleased we had such good speed at the start,” Cunningham said. “We were able to get a good run out of six. We went side-by-side up the hill and we touched a little, but we ended up in the lead there. From there, it was a controlled pace for a while. I could do my laps and still be nice to the tires. Then those two yellows, of course, we’ve been there before so we know what can happen. The first restart was great, and I had a good advantage after the first lap. Of course, then the yellow came out again. After the second restart, Jack was coming and he was doing a great job and pressuring pretty hard and I managed to just stay ahead of him to the checker.”
With the win, and coupled with the retirement of pre-race point leader Justin Bell, Cunningham took over the Championship point lead, with 602 to Baldwin’s 552. Bell was running in the top five in his No. 50 eBay Motors Ford Mustang Boss 302S but was involved in a heavy incident coming out of the last corner with Touring Car polesitter Tristan Herbert’s No. 33 HPA/RennGruppe/Brimtek/SG Racing Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which brought out the race’s final caution on lap 21. Neither driver was injured.
“When I came around and saw Justin in the wall, that was awful,” Cunningham said. “Justin is a good friend, and you don’t want to get points because the friend was in the wall so that’s a bummer for that team. We’ve had our days, too, so it was a good day points wise for RealTime and Acura and for the drivers points. We’re proud to get these points and carry on now to Detroit.”
Cunningham also set a new track record for GTS during the race, with a fastest time of 1:34.137 (85.585 mph).
Aaron Povoledo, of Toronto, Canada, finished third in the No. 26 CapaldiRacing.com Ford Mustang Boss 302S, passing the No. 34 Acura/HPD/RealTime Racing Acura TSX of Nick Esayian on the final lap of the race. Andy Lee brought the No. 20 Best IT Chevrolet Camaro home fifth.
Lee now sits fourth in GTS points with 502, 24 behind Bell. Michael Galati finished sixth in his Kia Optima and sits fifth in points, with 391.
Acura took over the Manufacturers Championship lead, with 32 points to Ford’s 31, Chevrolet’s 20 and Kia’s 13.
Touring Car had the biggest shakeup in its race, both from the starting grid and related to the Championship.
Herbert started from the pole, but was jumped by the Honda Civics of Compass360 teammates Todd Lamb (No. 71 National Karting News/HPD) and Ryan Winchester (No. 72 Ligon Industries/HPD) at the start. Point leader Michael Cooper, who started fifth in his No. 03 Mazdaspeed Motorsports MAZDASPEED3 had contact off the start and immediately had a flat tire, necessitating a trip to the pit lane, dropping him to last.
Lamb led the entire way, but had to deal with a charging Jeff Altenburg, of Ellicott City, Md., in his No. 43 HPA/RennGruppe Brimtek/SG Racing Volkswagen Jetta GLI in the race’s closing laps. Their battle was broken off in the end by a slower GTS car that separated the two and allowed Lamb to open up more of a gap to the checkered flag.
“Toward the end, we got a couple of yellows and bunched up the field a little bit,” Lamb said. “I tried to conserve the car for the first part of the race knowing that, toward the end, we’d definitely be getting a yellow and there would be a battle. We’ve struggled against the turbos all season, so we knew they were probably going to conserve tires and come on strong at the end. It was a shame to see Tristan get taken out there, but at the same time we’re here to get some points. I had a pretty good battle with Altenburg there at the end, we raced nice and clean but I definitely had to be defensive and hold him off. It was tough.”
It was Lamb’s second Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car win of his rookie season, and the former SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion took the point lead over that series’ defending Champion Cooper, 771 to 755.
“It was a great points day,” Lamb added. “It’s nice to win races, but we’re here to win the Championship for Honda. A huge step in the right direction today, so we should be close to leading the points.”
Altenburg scored his best finish of the year at a track that he has twice won previously.
Winchester finished third, his fourth-consecutive podium result, but his car failed post-qualifying technical inspection, promoting Patrick Seguin and his No. 80 Theberge Homes/capsparts.com Volkswagen GTI to third, followed by Shea Holbrook’s No. 67 TrueCar.com Honda Civic Si. Cooper salvaged a fifth-place finish after his pit stop. Seguin was also the Sunoco Hard Charger for most postitions improved throughout the race.
Herbert now sits third in points, with 515, followed by Gustavo Michelsen (476) and Winchester (463).
Honda leads the Touring Car Manufacturers’ Championship, with 48 points, to Mazda’s 35. Volkswagen is third, with 26.
Today’s race will be broadcast Sunday, May 27 at 11 p.m. (EDT) on NBC Sports Network.
The series next travels to Detroit for the Cadillac V-Series Challenge at Belle Isle, part of the IZOD IndyCar weekend, June 1-3.
Full results and points are available at www.world-challenge.com.
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Every Tuesday, FADER deputy editor Eric Ducker gets on instant messenger and “discusses” a subject that’s been on his mind with another member of our staff or a special guest. After the jump, read his condensed (and emoticon-free) conversation about the current state of the remix with old friend/former FADER editor Nick Catchdubs, whose Fool’s Gold label just released a remix compilation and wrapped up a tour in support of it.
Eric Ducker: There is a deluge of remixes out there: officially released remixes, officially commissioned but rejected remixes, unauthorized remixes, “demo reel” remixes. At this stage, what is the purpose of remixes? Is it to benefit the song or to benefit the remixer?
Nick Catchdubs: It’s always been a symbiotic relationship, and I think the degree of who benefits more depends on the individual track. What’s interesting now is that there’s a definite “remix economy,” both on the official side with a constant stream of commissioned remixes from labels looking to get in on sounds/scenes that are bubbling and managers hustling to get work for their producers, as well as the unofficial tracks from producers looking to make a name for themselves by bombarding the internet. What I always think about in regards to remixes is, “Does this need to exist?” To me the best remixes become new songs that are greater than the sum of its individual parts.
ED: But couldn’t the unofficial, bombarding DJs say, “This does need to exist, because people need to hear what I have to offer”?
NC: Of course, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with unofficial remixes in principle, but the majority of stuff I hear lately has been pretty half-baked. Right now you have aspiring producers rushing to put out a mix before the real song has even got out there like that. It’s a constant one-upsmanship that becomes less and less about, “Did I make this better? What am I adding to the musical conversation?” Just because you can put bad keyboards under “Love Lockdown” doesn’t mean you should.
ED: So taking the self-promotion/economic benefits that remixing can have for producers out of the equation, let’s talk specifically about songs. What do you think has recently benefited from being remixed?
NC: On a macro level, you have this whole generation of “dance rock” bands where remixes were an essential part of their releases from the very beginning. That led into the more recent production style of guys like Switch and Fake Blood, where the original tracks are chopped up to the point that they’re almost completely unrecognizable, just a snippet of vocals going EK EK EK EK EK EK EK EK…FAKE BLOOD. Those guys are awesome at it, but it leads to a swarm of imitators. My favorite remixes have been relatively faithful to the original song. I think the Laidback Luke remix of Chromeo’s “Fancy Footwork” is great, it keeps the vocal intact with these huuuuuge accapella drops followed by thumping house breakdowns, the backing keyboard lines were turned into solo leads. The Crookers remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Nite” was arguably the biggest remix of the year, and structurally it just supercharges the original song in a clever way. But most importantly they both translate to a mass audience. You don’t have to be a dance DJ or a blog geek to appreciate them. You can listen to it and hear what’s great about Chromeo AND Laidback Luke, what is dope about Kid Cudi as a songwriter AND why the Crookers have such a knack for these gigantic bass remixes.
ED: Rap remixes are in such a bad state right now.
NC: The thing that fucked up the rap remix game was trying to get ten artists on your shit at once.
ED: Puffy took a lot of shit for calling that collection We Invented the Remix, but it was kind of true after the “Flavor In Your Ear” remix. I guess, We Re-Invented the Remix (possibly for the worse) would have been more accurate.
NC: The good rap remix used to be one of two things: new beat (a la Pete Rock’s take on Public Enemy’s “Shut Em Down”) or the “Flavor In Your Ear” Socratic ideal. But the thing about the Craig Mack model (LOL) is that it makes sense for Biggie, LL, Busta and even fucking RAMPAGE to be on that song together. They are friends and peers and all doing their thing in 1994 NYC.
ED: So on one side you have dance music remixes that are all about promoting the producers with little regard to the song and on the other you have rap remixes that are all about promoting the rapper. And in the end, I’d rather listen to the original version of a MGMT song, even if they get top names like Justice and Soulwax to remix it. That being said, I probably download five remixes a day.
NC: What’s to say Soulwax isn’t the Busta to MGMT’s Craig Mack? The producers are more prominent on the dance side because if you’re paying 5000 euros for DJ XYZ to remix your shit, obviously you want to promote it and get the most out of it. Ultimately it’s all about context. I really enjoy MGMT’s “Kids” on its own, but the Soulwax mix DESTROYS in big room clubs and especially at the gigantic festival shows where it was designed to be played. It’s weird though, because if you’re not going out to see these guys, most people hear songs first on laptop speakers
ED: The primary method of dissemination (the internet) removes that context. I’m not saying they should only release remixes on non-rippable 12-inch vinyl (that would be stupid and unpossible), but it makes it harder to appreciate them for what they really are. All this being said, I still really like remixes as a way to track both producers and rappers in terms of their style and development.
NC: Definitely. A lot of times, remixes are the first place I hear different artists, then I go and research their other stuff. Beatport is great for that. Even with so much good shit, there’s still an over saturation though. On the Hype Machines of the world, it’s so much easier to find a remix than the actual song, and I think that’s where a balance needs to be struck.
ED: I just want to hear more one drop remixes of R&B songs, and less lazers.
NC: There’s an awesome two-steppy house remix of SWV’s “Rain” that came out recently. There’s still hope! On the rap/R&B side there’s not as much incentive to do a new beat for something unless it’s commissioned, whereas dance guys will do it just to have something cool for their sets, regardless of whether or not a label will eventually buy it.
ED: Are most dance remixes done on spec?
NC: Not if you’re an established producer. Top tier guys have an agreed upon fee, if it’s rejected they still get half. Sometimes if it’s producer to producer, they’ll just trade.
ED: Let’s say the label has the new Spank Rock or Thom Yorke single. How many remixes will be done with a guaranteed fee and how many will be done on spec?
NC: Probably two or three commissioned ones, and then another four to five on spec, with the best getting used. Aside from budget, the biggest factor is whether or not people can get it done on time (or if they are interested in remixing the artist to begin with). Just think about how much stuff Justice must have turned down over the past two years!
ED: Who usually decides whether to reject a remix, the artist or the label?
NC: I’d say it’s 50/50, but I see it happening more on the artist side lately. The commissioning A&R gets it, but the band is like, “Where’s my vocal?”
ED: If remixing is primarily a marketing tool at this stage, do most artists see it on the same level as approving/disapproving album art or MySpace page layouts?
NC: I think it’s a little more personal because you’re dealing with the actual music. I can totally understand a band not wanting to use a remix. I may disagree from an aesthetic and a pragmatic standpoint, but it’s still one hundred percent valid for them to make that decision. I wouldn’t even go as far to say it’s primarily a marketing tool. I mean, it IS a marketing tool, but in the right hands a remix is an opportunity to make new music that’s genuinely cool and worthwhile.
ED: I’m just putting it out there…De La Soul’s “Buddy” remix might be the best remix ever.
NC: Hahahahahaha. Well played.
ED: How can the rap remix be saved? What’s your five point plan
NC: 1. There needs to be a moratorium on buffet-style rap remixes. 2. Guests for the right reasons. 3. Guys should be in the studio together, and if it has to be a remix via email, artists shouldn’t be afraid to ask dudes for a second take if the verse is wack. 4. I want to see remixes on new beats. 5. In the dance world, it’s so ill when artists reach back to veteran producers and unexpected names instead of just the trendy guys. One of my favorite curveballs of late was when Simian Mobile Disco had Luke Vibert do “It’s the Beat.”
ED: In dance there’s less of the idea that old dudes are out of touch as there is with rap. That being said, a lot of older dudes in rap are out of touch
NC: Yes and yes, but could you imagine the buzz if Pete Rock did a beat for one of these young dude mega-remixes? It doesn’t even need to be an old head. Alchemist remix! The Nah Right server would eat itself. People need to use the resources at their fingertips and not be afraid to make unconventional decisions.
ED: Where does Busta Rhymes fit into the quest to save rap remixes? Dude gets a bad rep for jumping on anything that is or could be hot, but really, I’m interested in how Busta Rhymes sounds over most beats
NC: Me too. One thing we didn’t really touch on (probably because its a whole nother conversation) is the total ubiquity of the remix mixtape post-50 Cent. I don’t mean blends, I mean artists taking other artists’ beats for their own unofficial mixtapes. It’s now the standard, but guys don’t add enough. 50 would get over De La Soul’s “Baby Phat” and sing about fat bitches. It was awesome, but now everyone just gets over everyone else’s beats and it adds to this overall feeling of disposability. I didn’t really give Charles Hamilton a chance until I saw him at The Fader Fort while I was DJing, because he would drop a new mixtape EVERY WEEK. There was nothing special about it. You can probably extrapolate that to the world of homemade dance remixes, guys just throwing extra 130 BPM kick drums underneath Gnarls Barkley and shit. I think there just needs to be a context. I make a lot of my own unofficial remixes, I don’t feel the need to shout them from the top of every blog rooftop in America. It’s just some cool shit to DJ out. It doesn’t make me Armand Van Helden.
ED: Also, it would take you a year to grow a goatee.
NC: And get more Jordans. And work on my abs. For me the consensus is: remixes are such an amazing blank slate, a chance to do something awesome, whether it’s presenting something already good in a new light, or finding the hidden beauty in something else. It’s frustrating when people chose to be generic instead of embrace the shit out of that opportunity. On the dance side and the rap side, guys should be amped to make more interesting decisions, cause at the end of the day it’s NOT THE SAME SONG. It can be whatever they want it to be. | <urn:uuid:207473e8-fe49-4cb4-b2d1-74443edf70f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thefader.com/2008/11/11/a-rational-conversation-between-two-reasonable-adults-the-state-of-the-remix/ | 2013-05-25T19:56:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948781 | 2,804 |
The City of Rockville has announced that Capital Bikeshare is coming to Rockville in early fall with 13 bike stations through a partnership with Montgomery County. Capital Bikeshare is a network of bicycle-sharing stations that provides access to bikes and offers an alternative to driving. Check out a bike for your trip to work, run errands, go shopping, explore a neighborhood, head to a park, or visit friends and family.
Through bikesharing, cyclists can rent a bike from a designated station and drop it off at any other station within the Capital Bikeshare network. The program currently has more than 1,800 bikes at over 200 stations in circulation across Washington, D.C. and Virginia. It’s been incredibly popular in Washington, DC with both residents and tourists, and I’m happy to see it come into Rockville.
The bike stations in Rockville will be some of the first locations for Capital Bikeshare in Maryland. Proposed locations in Rockville include:
- Campus Drive and Mannakee Street
- Piccard Drive and West Gude Drive
- Rockville Metro – East
- Rockville Metro – West
- Courthouse Square and East Montgomery Avenue
- Fallsgrove Drive and West Montgomery Avenue
- Fleet Street and Ritchie Parkway
- King Farm Boulevard and Piccard Drive
- King Farm Boulevard and Pleasant Drive
- Monroe Street and Monroe Place
- Spring Avenue and Lenmore Avenue
- Taft Street and East Gude Drive
- Fallsgrove Boulevard and Fallsgrove Drive
I’ve plotted these locations (plus Shady Grove Metro, which is outside of Rockville but will be part of the BikeShare network) on a bike-route-version of Google Maps to better understand the impact on and benefit to Rockville. Google Maps can identify bike routes, with a Continue reading →
A weekday farmers market sponsored by The JBG Companies will open in Twinbrook May 7, bringing an array of new fresh food choices to the community and to the many daytime employees that work in the busy area.
First offerings in the market will feature farm fresh fruits and vegetables from Twin Springs Fruit Farm, handmade artisan breads from Upper Crust Bakery and traditionally cured meats from MeatCrafters. More farm vendors are expected, along with artists and their wares. The arrival of the farmers market will complement the growing presence of mobile food trucks, which are also adding new food options on weekdays in Twinbrook. Both initiatives result from the desire of Twinbrook residents and area workers for a variety of attractions as new offices and residential options arrive.
“Twinbrook is fortunate to have the bones of strong neighborhoods, good transit, roads and workforce,” said Rod Lawrence of The JBG Companies, a major real estate investment and development firm based in Montgomery County. “If we can contribute to the daily working and living experience here with new food options, that’s an extra dimension that makes Twinbrook an even better community.”
The new farmers market will be open from 9:30 to 1:30 every Tuesday, May through November in the courtyard between 5625 and 5635 Fishers Lane, just east of the Twinbrook Metro station.
JBG recently hosted a Saturday clean-up of Rock Creek Park at its Twinbrook edge, removing more than 5,000 pounds of debris from the stream bed and hillsides. The company has also scheduled a pit stop on Bike-to-Work Day on May 17, at the east end of Fishers Lane. More than 60 people have already signed up for that event and more are welcome by registering at www.twinbrookurbanbynature.com.
The JBG Companies, who are currently building a large complex of offices, residences, and stores around the Twinbrook Metro station, are also working on a portion of downtown Rockville that’s slated as phase two of the Town Center. The 2008 economic downturn slowed development considerably but is now picking up, as evidenced by the construction of the corporate headquarters of Choice Hotels. JBG owns the former Giant Grocery store at 275 North Washington Street (across from the Beall’s Grant Apartments) and has been exploring various uses for this vacant building and adjoining parking lot. Today, they shared the following plans:
New shopping, apartments and offices are slated for an overlooked city block in Rockville’s downtown, offering the opportunity to energize a long-vacant Giant grocery store site and adjoining tracts. The JBG Companies is proposing to demolish the grocery store and build new offices and shopping as a complement to busy Rockville Town Square next door. JBG has shared its plans with multiple audiences including neighbors, city officials, community groups and civic users.
“We are fortunate to have strong support from neighbors and businesses alike who have long been asking for renewed vigor in this part of downtown Rockville,” said Anthony Greenberg, a JBG official. “Redeveloping this property is an excellent opportunity to Continue reading →
This morning’s Peerless Rockville tour of the Alaire not only provided an intimate behind-the-scenes tour with representative of JBG of this award-winning combination of residences and stores, but also discussed the plans and timing for several projects in the Twinbrook Metro area. About a dozen people joined the conversation to see the lobby, common rooms, and a one-bedroom apartment of the Alaire, then went out onto the street to discuss the current and upcoming development for the region. Among the items that caught my ears:
1. WMATA owns the land and has leased it to JBG for 99 years. That means that projects need to be approved both by the City of Rockville and WMATA.
2. WMATA wants to maintain the 1100 parking spaces currently available at the Twinbrook Metro station, so before any existing surface lots can be developed, sufficient parking has to be provided elsewhere. The parking structure currently under construction at Halpine and Chapman will allow development of the next phase of Twinbrook Commons.
3. The next phase of Twinbrook Station will occur on the west side of Fishers Lane, across from the Alaire. Called the Toronto, it will consist of a combination of residences, stores, and a parking structure and will be intentionally designed by another architectural firm to avoid a monotonous appearance for the development. Groundbreaking is expected to happen Continue reading →
This Saturday, April 21, from 10 am to 12 noon, join Peerless Rockville for a tour of The Alaire at Twinbrook Station, the beginning of a significant, New Urbanist community called Twinbrook Station being developed by the JBG Companies and WMATA. It’s the first Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) plan in the Washington metropolitan area, has been designated a Smart Growth project by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance, and received the International Charter Award for Excellence from the Congress for the New Urbanism. So if you want to know what all the fuss is about, staff from JBG will discuss their approach to development around a transit station, view an apartment, and find out more about their future plans and on-going projects, both at Twinbrook Station and on adjacent properties. Tour starts at 10 am at 1101 Higgins Place (the entrance to the Alaire apartments) and costs $7. Space is limited and reservations are recommended. Two-hour free parking in the Alaire garage (and the adjacent Metro lot is free on weekends). For more information, please visit PeerlessRockville.org or call 301-762-0096.
And just in case you didn’t catch my previous tweets, it appears that the nearby Walmart project at the Rockville Pike and Bou Avenue has been temporarily postponed: Bagel City recently signed a two-and-a-half year lease. A few doors down, the Office Depot is closing but it’s unrelated to future developments of the site (btw, everything is on sale at 10-30% off but is non-returnable).
In other related news, a couple of Rockville’s communities will enjoy national attention in May when I co-lead a tour of New Mark Commons and King Farm for the annual convention of the American Institute of Architects. We’ll be looking at cutting-edge planned communities in Montgomery County, starting with 1930s Greenbelt and ending with the 21st century King Farm. Lunch will be in Town Square, which has turned up as the poster child for the Congress for the New Urbanism. If you thought Rockville was just a little sleepy suburb, it’s time to change your mind.
At the April 5 meeting of the Rockville Community Coalition, Andrea Jolly shared that the Chamber of Commerce is becoming more active in local advocacy and that the Chamber cares as much about the community as it does business. She’s the executive director of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, an organization that now claims 185 members, a dramatic turnaround from its nearly lifeless condition just a few years ago. As examples of their reinvigorated stature, she noted the public stand they’ve taken on behalf of Pumphrey’s; the support for environmental causes that affect the community as a whole (such as the bag tax and storm water management fees); and the sponsorship of the Rockville Economic Summit. She expressed her concerns that the community seems to be artificially divided between businesses and residents and while the Council claims to be business-friendly, their actions have indicated otherwise. Most members of the Chamber are small businesses that are locally owned and operated and rely heavily on local residents as both customers and employees. She also voiced a desire that there be good relationships throughout the community rather than irreconcilable differences–we may disagree at times, but we should always be willing to work together to solve shared issues.
During the discussion:
- she clarified the relationship with the Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (they attract and retain businesses but cannot advocate; Chamber provides ongoing services to its members and the current business community, can advocate for a business-friendly atmosphere). She also mentioned that REDI may have a new executive director in place in May.
- she was unaware that the City didn’t collect Continue reading →
About two dozen people gathered in the Red Brick Courthouse last night to hear Tony Greenberg of JBG Companies of Chevy Chase discuss conceptual plans for a three-acre lot in downtown Rockville, the site of the former Giant grocery store on Washington Street near Beall Avenue. The Town Center Action Team hosted the meeting and among those attending were councilmember Bridget Newton and chief of planning Jim Wasilak. JBG is one of the region’s major developers and is currently building the Alaire and rehabilitating the million-square-foot Health and Human Services Building in Twinbrook. Greenberg noted that JBG Rosenfeld is an affiliated but separate company that specializes in managing retail properties (such as the Twinbrook Shopping Center). JBG’s focus is primarily planning and construction of offices, hotels, and mixed use projects (i.e., retail AND residential, such as the North Bethesda Market which combines a Whole Foods Market and 400 apartments).
The Old Giant site has been vacant for years and is receiving very little revenue (mostly leases for parking). It’s part of the next phase of development for the Town Center (aka Town Center 2) and although currently sited mid-block along Washington Avenue, the City’s plans include streets bordering two other sides of the three-acre lot (an extension of Maryland Avenue from Town Center and a new Dawson Street linking Washington and Hungerford). JBG’s current conceptual plans include those streets as planned (although adjustments have been discussed to avoid awkward leftover parcels) and how their project might relate to the adjacent properties as Town Center 2 is developed. Greenberg noted that adjacent properties are separate parcels owned by others, such as the Maxim supermarket and the fire station, some of whom are not interested in selling because they want to develop the property themselves. Plans for relocating the fire station have died down, development of the Bank of America parcel have been scrapped due to the economy, but a Walgreen’s drug store is underway along Hungerford.
JBG considered various possible uses, including office, condo, and hotel, but in the current economic climate, the only ones that made sense were Continue reading → | <urn:uuid:e4a3c164-7b57-48c2-8863-0b1468d0edb9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://maxforrockville.com/tag/jbg-companies/ | 2013-06-20T08:37:26Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954309 | 2,558 |
TSX slumps as Fed mulls stimulus exit
2013-06-19 20:58:15 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index slipped on Wednesday after comments by the US Federal Reserve that it could begin rolling back its stimulus program this year weighed on investor sentiment and caused declines across most sectors.Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the US central bank expects to slow the pace of its bond purchases later this year and bring them to a halt around mid-2014.Financial ...
Australia shares close at a 2 week high, Whitehaven jumps
2013-06-19 09:07:51 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares rose 1 percent to close at a two-week high on Wednesday, helped by expectations that the US Federal Reserve will not move quickly to scale back its monetary stimulus and as a weaker Australian dollar lifted stocks with large exposure to overseas markets.Whitehaven Coal Ltd surged 4 percent after embattled tycoon Nathan Tinkler has handed his stake in to lenders to pay off...
Australian shares rise 0.5pc at open; Whitehaven surges
2013-06-19 00:27:26 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares bounced 0.5 percent early on Wednesday, after Wall Street rose for a second straight day as investors bet the Federal Reserve will maintain its stimulus support.A weaker Australian dollar also benefited stocks with overseas exposure including global miners BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd, which climbed 0.9 percent and 1.5 percent respectively.Shares in coal miner White...
Fed optimism, Tim Hortons lift TSX to 1-week high
2013-06-18 21:23:29 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index climbed to a one-week high on Tuesday as positive economic data and hopes that the US Federal Reserve will stick to its supportive monetary policy drove gains in almost every major sector.Coffee chain Tim Hortons Inc also boosted Canada's main stock index rising 4 percent on news that it now faces pressure from US hedge fund Scout Capital Management to ma...
Fed hopes buoy TSX as bank, energy shares climb
2013-06-17 22:59:34 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index jumped on Monday as hopes that this week's Federal Reserve meeting would reaffirm support for the US central bank's easy monetary policy spurred sharp gains in shares of financial and energy companies.The rise helped the market recover from its 1.5 percent loss last week, but the index remained in negative territory for the year.As with global equity ...
Australia shares post biggest one-day gain in 18 months
2013-06-14 06:33:40 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares rebounded 2.1 percent on Friday, their biggest one-day gain in 18 months, as high-yielding stocks led by blue chip financials underpinned the local market after Wall Street rallied overnight.Financials were led by National Australia Bank soaring 3.6 percent while Australia's fourth largest bank, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group climbed 3 percent.The S&P/ASX...
TSX rallies on news of Safeway deal
2013-06-13 22:52:23 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index rebounded on Thursday after days of weakness as worries about central bank stimulus were offset by a jump in Empire Co Ltd , which is buying Safeway Inc's Canadian assets for $5.7 billion.The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended the day up 167.24 points, or 1.38 percent, at 12,277.13, recovering from a seven-week low early in the...
Safeway deal helps TSX bounce strongly from 7-wk low
2013-06-13 22:50:10 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index rebounded on Thursday following two sessions of steep losses, helped by a jump in Empire Co Ltd after the company said it will buy Safeway Inc's Canadian assets for $5.7 billion.Shares of Empire, the operator of grocery chain Sobeys, jumped nearly 10.6 percent after investors and analysts cheered the move, which will nearly double the company's reach ...
Australia shares fall 0.7pc to 5 month low as banks drag
2013-06-12 07:02:50 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares fell 0.7 percent on Wednesday, closing at a five-month low, as a global fall for equities and disappointment that the Bank of Japan did not take new easing steps the previous day hurt appetites.Financials led losses as overseas investors sold off index-heavy banks on the back of the weaker Australian dollar and higher bond yields, analysts said.The S&P/ASX 200 index d...
Indian shares fall over one percent
2013-06-11 11:51:35 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
MUMBAI: India's benchmark index fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday to its lowest close in more than 1-1/2 months, as the rupee tumbled to a record low, continuing to hit lenders such as ICICI Bank on dashed rate cut hopes.While suspected central bank intervention hauled the rupee off a record low struck on Tuesday afternoon, its continued weakness is seen clouding rate cut expectations, and s...
TSX at 1-month low on weaker golds
2013-06-07 20:37:59 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index slipped to a one-month low on Friday as a slump in gold miners, which followed a tumbling bullion price, offset strength in several other sectors after a positive US jobs report.The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed down 36.03 points, or 0.29 percent, at 12,373.30. Seven of the 10 main sectors on the index were highe...
Australia shares may edge up at open, on track for weekly loss
2013-06-06 23:57:45 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares may edge up at the open on Friday following a stronger close on Wall Street ahead of the US jobs report, but the market is set to post a fourth straight weekly fall.* Local share price index futures added 0.1 percent to 4,786.0, a 4.8 point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. On Thursday, the benchmark fell 1.1 percent to a 4-1/2-month low to be down ne...
TSX falls to 1-month low as US jobs data eyed
2013-06-06 23:42:34 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index slipped on Thursday to its lowest in a month, led by a decline in financial shares, as investors nervously awaited Friday's jobs report out of the United States.The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed down 34.32 points, or 0.28 percent, at 12,409.33. Seven of the 10 main sectors on the index were in the red.Copyrig...
Australia shares seen extending losses on Fed stimulus worries
2013-06-05 23:44:42 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares are set to open lower on Thursday, extending losses after touching a 4-1/2-month low and tracking a decline on Wall Street on renewed worries the Federal Reserve may begin to scale back its bond-buying stimulus.Local share price index futures fell 1 percent to 4,784.0, a 51.2-point premium/discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close.The local benchmark slumped ...
TSX drops to near 1-month low on US growth, Fed fears
2013-06-05 23:12:26 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index recorded one of its steepest one-day percentage falls of the year on Wednesday due to concerns about US economic growth, sluggish hiring, and renewed fears of a stimulus pullback.The declines took the market to a one-month low, with weakness in almost all key sectors, and helped erase almost all the gains the index has made this year.The lone bright spot was ...
Australia shares seen opening lower ahead of GDP data
2013-06-04 23:38:32 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares are expected to open weaker after losses on Wall Street and on concerns about Chinese demand for metals, with GDP data expected to show a slowdown in mining investment kept growth below potential at the start of the year.
Local share price index futures fell 0.4 percent to 4,879, a 21.8-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark rose 0....
Data pulls TSX lower as energy shares, banks slip
2013-06-04 00:04:27 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
TORONTO: Canada's main stock index slipped to its lowest in more than two weeks on Monday after sluggish data raised concerns about half of the global economic recovery and caused declines in the energy and financial sectors.Weakness in Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, following a downgrade of the stock by Goldman Sachs, also weighed on the market.US manufacturing activity contracted in May for...
Australia shares seen lower; eyes on China, local data
2013-06-02 23:02:31 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares are set to open lower on Monday after a sharp fall on Wall Street and weaker metals prices, with eyes on Chinese data and a slew of local economic figures.Local share price index futures fell 1.7 percent to 4,876.0, a 50.6-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark slipped 0.1 percent on Friday.New Zealand's stocks market is closed for...
Australia shares edge up on yield play; Cabcharge, Pharmaxis tumble
2013-05-28 07:40:29 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares ended 0.2 percent higher on Tuesday, snapping a five-day losing streak, as investors returned to pick up high-yield stocks such as banks following last week's downturn.The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index added 10.8 points to 4,970.7, according to the latest data. It fell 0.5 percent on Monday.Analysts said the 4,900-point mark was a key support milestone to watch, wit...
Australian shares post 5th straight decline, miners sag
2013-05-27 08:56:26 GMT : (Markets - Equity/Australia)
SYDNEY: Australian shares fell 0.5 percent on Monday, extending last week's sharp declines to a five-week low as sentiment was hit by volatility in the Japanese market and concerns the US Federal Reserve may scale back its stimulus measures.Japan's Nikkei share index slid more than three percent on Monday, in a continuation of last week's turbulance and causing investors to worry that ... | <urn:uuid:ec401e7c-107e-491d-823d-9ac9ec50b06e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brecorder.com/archive/category/121 | 2013-06-20T09:14:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911257 | 2,434 |
by Clifford Bond and Robert Hand, Helsinki Commission Staff
In early December 2008, Helsinki Commission staff visited Kosovo to review the changing mandates of a wide range of international actors in Kosovo. The visit coincided with the European Union’s deployment of a Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX, which took place successfully but revealed the potential for regional instability.
The Commission staff delegation met with a variety of international and local actors in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital. It traveled to the Visoki Decani, a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church where it met with church representatives, and to the nearby town of Peja/Pec where it met with field representatives of the International Civilian Office (ICO) and the OSCE. The delegation also visited both sides of the divided northern city of Mitrovica where it visited displacement camps and the rebuilt neighborhood for the city’s Romani population in addition to other meetings.
The International Community
Kosovo asserted its independent statehood in February 2008, in the context of the plan put forward by former Finnish President, UN official and Nobel laureate Martti Ahtisaari. In so doing, Kosovo’s leadership pledged to implement the plan in full, which means accepting international supervision and providing decentralized authority and numerous rights and privileges to the Serb and, to a lesser extent, other minority communities. The Ahtisaari plan, however, assumes agreement by all parties, but Serbia, backed by Russia at the United Nations, refuses to accept the loss of what it considers still to be its province. The United States and most European countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence, but a few European Union members remain either reluctant or strongly against doing so, either due to ties with Serbia or fear of separatist movements within their own borders. Spain was frequently singled out as the one country that not only opposes Kosovo’s independence but seems intent on undermining its recognition by others. Combined with the widespread need for consensus decision-making, most of the international community’s field missions must, to one degree or another, act neutrally on questions of status, to the detriment of their effectiveness and the enormous frustration of Kosovar Albanians who desire that Kosovo’s independence be respected.
The EULEX deployment brought these differing perspectives to the fore. In order to obtain an EU-wide agreement, a UN blessing and the acquiescence of Belgrade and local Serbs under Belgrade’s control, a compromise effort known as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s “6-point plan” was put forward that prompted angry protest among the Kosovar Albanian majority and an official rejection from Pristina. Posters throughout the city proclaimed EULEX to be “Made in Serbia”. After several delays and despite continued ambiguity regarding which government was the actual host, the Mission deployed on December 9 throughout Kosovo, not just in areas under Pristina’s control. That the deployment proceeded smoothly and peacefully was viewed as a success, although ambiguities purposefully placed in its mandate to allow both Albanians and Serbs to maintain their positions, as well as the lack of political oversight and coordination among EULEX’s three areas of responsibility (police, courts and customs), likely mean that EULEX will face additional tests of its resolve in the future. For now, the most noteworthy result of the deployment is the anticipated end of inefficient UNMiK operations, which have come to symbolize the holding pattern in which Kosovo has found itself since 1999.
The deployment could also signal a more cooperative tone among Kosovo’s Serbs. In northern Mitrovica and contiguous areas bordering Serbia, there are signs that Belgrade may no longer support more militant and corrupt Kosovo Serb leaders. In the enclaves to the south, where the majority of Kosovo Serbs live, there may also be more room for local accommodation and inter-ethnic cooperation, with questions of status put to the side. Following Serbian elections in May that strengthened pro-democratic and pro-European forces in society, Belgrade seems to want at least more transparency and accountability in the “parallel institutions” it has so far financed, and it may try to reduce its subsidies. It also seems to want to avoid violence, especially any violence that could be blamed on the Serb side. It is unclear how far it will push to assert control and responsibility in light of UNMiK’s dwindling role, or whether it will allow EULEX and eventually the ICO to fill the void. Unfortunately, divisions within the European Union almost invite continued Serbian intransigence. Without being given a clear choice between trying to hold onto Kosovo and achieving European integration, the Serbian Government still plays the “Kosovo card,” which garners popular support at home without any apparent repercussions.
The situation on the Kosovar Albanian side is a bit clearer. Despite internal political posturing, there is really little difference within this community when it comes to defending Kosovo’s independence. The deliberations that led the EULEX deployment pushed the Kosovo government about as far as it could go. While the achievement of independence has so far made the Ahtisaari plan worth embracing, many of its provisions relating to Serb communities have been no easy sell, especially in the many localities where nationalism and intolerance continue to prevail. When governments of European countries which have recognized Kosovo’s independence nevertheless treat it as something less than an independent and sovereign state, the Kosovars are naturally outraged and increasingly distrustful. This could be countered somewhat by the establishment of embassies in the capitals of those countries who have thus far recognized Kosovo, particularly in Europe, staffed by competent diplomats in order to ensure that the Kosovo point-of-view is made clear to policy-makers. The United States should also counter European diplomatic tendencies to placate traditional regional powers and treat the new states of Europe as second-class states.
In the meantime, as those in government may try to adhere to their Ahtisaari commitments, those in opposition have also been able to capitalize on the situation. This poses a challenge to Kosovo’s shaky democratic institutions, which are still very much in transition. Some have expressed concern that the further development of democratic capacities could be thwarted by the need to meet unpopular international demands.
While EULEX moves forward and UNMiK winds down, other international players need to find their role. As one analyst commented, the international community has lost the coherence of its structure and has become a confusing maze to local parties.
The International Civilian Office is perhaps the most important, yet vulnerable, of the current players. A creation of the Ahtisaari plan, it is by definition not status neutral, and has a relatively strong mandate to supervise post-status Kosovo. Serb opposition to cooperation with the ICO makes this difficult, but the hesitancy of the status-neutral players to cooperate, coordinate and support the ICO will severely weaken its effectiveness to Kosovo’s long-term detriment.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the organization’s largest, is facing even more difficult times. Once known for its solid monitoring of events throughout Kosovo and for developing democratic capacity, the early threat of Belgrade and Moscow to close the Mission cast a shadow over its future and a considerable portion of its personnel have moved to the ICO or otherwise left the OSCE in Kosovo. Mission leadership has also been controversial; while this may have stabilized with a new Head of Mission, the OSCE lost some serious ground. Most interlocutors felt that the Mission is a bit oversized, and needs to focus on core areas such as promoting free media, human rights and inter-ethnic dialogue, where the OSCE has genuine expertise and credibility.
KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force, seems to be the one constant of the international presence that garners unquestioned respect and seems prepared to handle whatever instability may lie ahead. It is the acknowledged last resort for providing security, but its presence helps ensure a security baseline that will deter provocations and enhance confidence at the local level. KFOR representatives seem confident that lessons were learned from the violence of 2004 and that greater flexibility across lines of operations, more consistent rules for engagement and an unwillingness to let the particulars of status from getting in its way will be effective in keeping the peace in Kosovo.
A Need for Dialogue
Many of the problems which exist among both the Kosovar Albanian majority and the Kosovo Serb minority could be resolved through greater dialogue, both within Kosovo and between Belgrade and Pristina. There is some effort to achieve this through civic organizations and religious institutions, as well as business contacts. There is also some interaction in technical areas such as regarding missing persons from the 1998-99 conflict, or in the reconstruction of churches and other religious sites damaged or destroyed in the March 2004 riots. Unfortunately, a suitable venue for direct contact between Belgrade and Pristina needs to be found. Pristina is ready, at least in principle, but Belgrade is not.
One area where the Kosovo authorities could act more swiftly, without precondition, and likely to their own long-term benefit, is the resolution of outstanding property claims. The resolution of property claims is a major hindrance to the return of displaced persons, and it holds up legal usage of property even when a return is unlikely. In some cases at least, displaced Serbs and others may only wish to get their property back so they can sell it. While there may be solid reasons for wanting to encourage displaced persons to return to Kosovo -- and some efforts to do this were underway in December – ultimately each individual needs only the opportunity to make a free choice. To do this, those with outstanding property claims need to have their cases resolved. The issue of property claims came up repeatedly in meetings, and seems a greater issue than security and freedom of movement at present. Some hope the EULEX deployment could provide a second chance for property restitutions and returns.
Both sides, but especially some Kosovo leaders who formerly fought with the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), could probably also help facilitate the resolution of more missing persons cases, of which just under 2,000 remain. While there has been success in bringing government representatives and surviving family members together under international auspices, local efforts to help locate grave sites appear to be half-hearted, at best. It is unlikely that progress in this area will enhance community reconciliation efforts in any major way, but a positive signal to do more could lead to a broadening of dialogue on other issues. Ultimately, this remains a humanitarian issue that deserves additional effort no matter what.
At present, Kosovo authorities seem committed to implementing the Ahtsaari plan in its entirety. Relevant laws have been passed, and those involved in developing local self-government seem committed to implementation. The real test, of course, will come when the Kosovo Serbs decide to respond and engage and are able to do so without worry of retribution from Belgrade. One local analyst noted that developing the necessary trust between the two sides will be a process, and should be taken one step at a time rather than pushed.
The Plight of Roma in the North
A continual concern to the Helsinki Commission has been the plight of displaced Roma in northern Mitrovica, most of whom fled their original neighborhood, or mahalla, which was destroyed in 1999. Growing criticism of the conditions in the camps, particularly the health hazards caused by lead contamination, finally convinced the international community in 2005 first to establish a temporary relocation facility that was safer and to make a concentrated effort to rebuild housing where the original mahalla in the south was located. Romani families resisted the move, due to warranted lack of trust in the international community and a lack of awareness of how severe the health threat really was. Local Serbian leaders as well as Romani community leaders living elsewhere in Europe, however, originally also did much to discourage the move, both benefiting from a situation in which successful returns did not take place.
Commission staff visited the last of the original camps, Cesmin Lug, as well as the new camp adjacent to it, a former KFOR base known as Osterode. They also visited the original mahalla, which had additional apartment buildings and some private houses constructed since the last Commission visit in May 2007. Despite the availability of housing, residents of the camps continue to resist moving, despite continued concerns about health conditions. Local Serbian leaders, who now want the land where Osterode is located, seem no longer to be discouraging the move, and Roma living abroad likewise seem to have less influence on the situation. Security for Roma in the south, once a concern, seems less so now. Those who remain in the camps seem primarily motivated by a continued distrust of the international community as well as lingering hopes for a better offer. The inability of the local economy to provide income, particularly in the south, also plays a significant role, as does the desire to keep children in Serb-run schools, despite being segregated into separate classes. Meanwhile, there is increasing pressure from foreign governments to prioritize the resettling of Kosovo Roma they intend to deport, rather than those displaced in Kosovo and living in camps. It is clear that, while there has been some progress on this issue, a limited set of additional options will need to be considered to resolve the situation, including the possibility of permanent resettlement in the north. | <urn:uuid:696101b0-dbfa-4378-802f-e3348f6a30f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csce.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContentRecords.ViewDetail&ContentRecord_id=457&ContentType=G&ContentRecordType=G&UserGroup_id=68®ion_id=68&year=0&month=0&Subaction=ByDate&CFID=9458679&CFTOKEN=26969327 | 2013-06-20T08:39:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964343 | 2,748 |
Free agent right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma signed an incentive-laced, one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, a year after his attempted move to the majors through the posting system ended in failure.
According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the 30-year-old Iwakuma will receive a base salary of $1.5 million plus performance bonuses that will make the deal worth well over $3.9 million, or 300 million yen -- the amount he made with the Rakuten Eagles last season.
Iwakuma, who won the Pacific League MVP and the Sawamura Award after winning 21 games in 2008, was put up for bidding last offseason. The Oakland Athletics won his negotiating rights but the two parties could not come to terms during the exclusive 30-day talking period.
''I'll do whatever it takes to get results over the next year,'' Iwakuma said during a conference call. ''I accept what they offered, and I'll work for everything.''
''I felt the Mariners were the team that wanted me most. I went to Seattle, and it seems like a nice place to live.''
Iwakuma, who was instrumental in Japan winning the 2009 World Baseball Classic, has a career ERA of 3.25 with a 107-60 record in 11 seasons with Rakuten and the Kintetsu Buffaloes.
Last year, he went 6-7 and was limited to 119 innings in 17 starts because of an injury to his throwing shoulder, but still sported a solid 2.42 ERA.
Iwakuma will join a rotation anchored by Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Jason Vargas, with several young arms competing for a fourth and fifth slot.
Iwakuma is the sixth Japanese player the Mariners have signed following Ichiro Suzuki, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Mac Suzuki and Kenji Johjima.
NEW YORK (AP)\The New York Yankees made a major push to bolster their starting rotation Friday night, agreeing to terms with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda on a $10 million, one-year contract shortly after acquiring young righty Michael Pineda from the Seattle Mariners.
A person familiar with Kurodafs signing told The Associated Press the deal is contingent on the 36-year-old former Los Angeles Dodgers starter passing a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there has not yet been an announcement. Kurodafs deal also includes performance bonuses, according to the person.
Kuroda was 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA for the Dodgers this year and 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA in four seasons in Los Angeles after a long career in Japan.
"So - who's pitching today?
No, I'm not pitching. Who is?
No, Who's on first.
I don't know who's on first, I just want to know the pitcher's name.
No, he's on second.
Who's on second?
Who's on first.
I don't care who's on first, what's the pitcher's name?
I keep telling you - Yu. Don't you understand anything I'm saying?
I don't know.
He's on third."
Free agent Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda has agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Yankees, the club said Thursday.
Kuroda will receive a salary of $10 million with performance incentives that kick in for pitching 200 innings, which could raise his earnings to $11 million, according to a source familiar with the deal.
In his fourth season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011, Kuroda established major league career highs in wins, earned run average, innings pitched and strikeouts, going 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA in 202 innings with 161 strikeouts over 32 starts.
''I feel happy to be a part of such a storied franchise, which is always in contention for a World Series,'' Kuroda said in a statement via the Yankees issued in English.
The Yankee front office was apparently also impressed with the fact that Kuroda has averaged just 2.10 walks per nine innings pitched in his four years, the third lowest mark by a National League pitcher with at least 500 innings pitched over the span.
Kuroda, who turns 37 on Feb. 10, has gone 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA in 115 career appearances (114 starts) over four years with the Dodgers from 2008-11.
LOS ANGELES (AP)\NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a salary arbitration hearing next week, agreeing to a $19 million, two-year contract.
Tuesdayfs deal for the 23-year-old left-hander calls for a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $7.5 million this year and $11 million in 2013. It covers all but his final year of arbitration eligibility.
NEW YORK (AP) \ Gary Carter was nicknamed "Kid" for good reason.
His smile, bubbly personality and eagerness to excel on a ballfield made him a joy to watch at the plate and behind it.
Even his Hall of Fame bronze plaque at Cooperstown shows him with a toothy grin \ the Kid forever.
The star catcher, whose single for the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series touched off one of the most improbable rallies in baseball, died Thursday. He was 57.
Carter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last May, two weeks after finishing his second season as coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Carter died at a hospice in the West Palm Beach, Fla., area.
Carter was an 11-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. His bottom-of-the-10th single in Game 6 of the 1986 Series helped the Mets mount a charge against the Boston Red Sox and eventually beat them.
With curly, blond locks flaring out from beneath his helmet, and a rigid, upright batting stance, Carter was immediately recognizable.
"His nickname 'The Kid' captured how Gary approached life," the Mets said in a statement. "He did everything with enthusiasm and with gusto on and off the field. His smile was infectious. ... He was a Hall of Famer in everything he did."
Carter played nearly two decades with the Mets, Montreal, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He led the Expos to their only playoff berth and was the first player enshrined in Cooperstown wearing an Expos cap.
Here's how the Nihonjin are doing at the start of spring training:
First Yu Darvish:
SURPRISE, Arizona, Feb. 21 (16:54) Kyodo
Texas Rangers rookie Yu Darvish arrived at spring training on Tuesday morning, mingled with his new teammates, and even threw a bullpen session two days before the official reporting date for pitchers and catchers.
The 25-year-old Japanese ace did not talk to the media, barely acknowledging about two dozen Japanese reporters waiting for him behind a restraining rope, as he walked into the clubhouse.
He suited up and went out for his workout in the Rangers' camp and immediately hit it off with left-hander Derek Holland, a 16-game winner for Texas in 2011.
''He wants to learn English,'' Holland was quoted as saying on the MLB website. ''He doesn't know much, but he wants to learn. He's not stand-offish. He was right there with us. He wants to fit in. It won't be hard for him.''
Darvish played catch with Holland and threw 30 pitches to catcher Luis Martinez, who was acquired by the Rangers from the San Diego Padres in the offseason, in the bullpen.
''He threw 30 pitches and threw about 10 different pitches,'' said Martinez. ''His sinker and cut fastball had good movement and downward action. His splitter was pretty good, too. There's nobody like him. He's unique.''
Taking in all the excitement can be overwhelming, but Holland said it is important that Darvish not apologize for missing his spots -- something he kept doing during the practice -- but just relax.
''That's one thing he has to learn is he doesn't have to apologize like that. There's no need for that. You're not always going to hit your spots,'' Holland said.
Dice-K on the comback trail:
In Ft. Myers, Florida, Boston Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is on the road to recovery from ligament-transplant surgery on his right elbow last June, took part in practice drills on his first day of spring training.
''I feel both excitement and nervousness,'' said Matsuzaka. ''There is a limit to what I can do right now in terms of pitching. I will clear the hurdles in front of me. Keeping that in mind is essential.''
Ichiro hitting third:
PEORIA, Arizona, Feb. 22 (19:36) Kyodo
Seattle Mariners manager Eric Wedge said Tuesday he has decided to move Ichiro Suzuki from his traditional leadoff spot to third in the lineup.
''Ichiro Suzuki will be hitting third for us this year,'' Wedge said. ''I sat down and explained to him the whys and wherefores, and it wasn't out of left field because we had this discussions before.
''I think he was more than prepared for it and he came in here knowing that would be a serious option, and a part of him maybe expected it. But he is on board. I was very clear with him. He is very clear with me. He is ready to go.''
The Mariners scored the fewest runs in the American League the last three seasons.
''I knew from a long time ago this lineup change could happen, so I've been ready mentally,'' Suzuki said. ''I don't think you have to be this way or that way depending on where you're in the lineup. To me, it's the same between batting leadoff and third.''
And Hideki Matsui, Will DH for food:
TOKYO, Feb. 22 (18:02) Kyodo
Free agent outfielder Hideki Matsui, still unsigned for the upcoming season, left Japan for the United States on Wednesday.
Matsui will continue to wait for offers from major league clubs while training in the United States.
Not only Matsui but also other free agents such as Vladimir Guerrero and Johnny Damon remain unsigned this offseason.
Matsui hit a career-low .251 last season for the Oakland Athletics with 12 home runs and 72 RBIs.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum | <urn:uuid:e04d228e-ef3b-4668-9914-35ed6af22272> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jdorama.com/viewtopic.5618.4700.htm | 2013-06-20T08:44:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974718 | 2,261 |
When it comes to having a Linux server hosted in a data center or it is not behind any kind of Firewall or NAT device there are a number of security requirements that need to be addressed. Linux servers generally come with no protection configured by default and depending on the hosting company or distro can come preconfigured with many services installed that are not required, including Web Servers, FTP Servers, Mail Servers and SSH Remote Access.
The following is a compilation of various settings and techniques you can employ to harden the security of your vulnerable Linux systems. While I have tried to put them in order of the most important features first I would recommend all of these options be used on your critical production servers.
Always create long passwords that contain upper and lower case letters, numbers and non alpha-numeric characters. Enforce password ageing so users need to change their passwords regularly. Lock user accounts after a certain number of failed login attempts.
Make use of Public/Private SSH keys for login of remote users instead of passwords, this provides the benefit of turning off password authentication in SSH so that your server can’t be Brute-Force cracked. However this does introduce a new problem whereby a malicious person could compromise a user’s computer or steal their laptop and then have access to the server. This can be overcome by using a password on the client certificate which must be entered before connecting, a kind of two factor authentication.
Disable the Root user from being able to login either via the console or remote SSH connections. Instead have users use Sudo to run programs that require root privileges, or use sudo su to change to the Root user once logged in. This provides an audit path to show which user installed a piece of software or ran a program.
Always use the encrypted equivalent protocol when transferring critical and sensitive data such as passwords and confidential material. Remove RSH and always use SSH for remote access. Instead of using FTP for file transfer, consider using SFTP or FTP/S (FTP over SSL) or RSYNC. Instead of having remote access open to the internet i.e. SSH or VNC setup an OpenVPN SSL VPN Server to connect to first.
Consider implementing either a LDAP or Kerebos server to perform password authentication. This allows for a central database to maintain user’s passwords between multiple servers for easy management. This prevents user account and password data from becoming inconsistent and out of date, and prevents user accounts that should have been deleted on all servers being left behind on one server.
Implementing a secure IPTABLES firewall will limit your exposure to network threats such as DOS and Port Scanning attacks. You can lock down any ports that don’t require access from external networks. For instance you can use the following command to only allow SSH access to the server from the local network.
# iptables –A INPUT –s 192.168.0.0/24 –p tcp –dport 22 –j ACCEPT
You can install a TCP Wrapper named libwrap which will give information like who connected, when and from where and even which services they connected to. It can also be used for locking down access to ports and services for certain hosts or IP’s.
Consider installing both a Network IDS (NIDS) and a Host Based IDS (HIDS). NIDS’s are used to protect against malicious threats such as DOS and Port Scan Attacks. HIDS’s such as AIDE are used to monitor file system changes such as an intruder replacing core system files like ls or ps with malicious ones that hide their Trojan from file or process lists. It will produce a report that tells you what files have been modified so you can repair or replace them.
Disable Shell access to users that don’t need it (ftp, mail users etc) by changing to /bin/noshell in the /etc/passwd file. Setup a group for standard users and remove permissions to tools that can be used to download malicious software like wget, lynx, ftp etc. Consider chrooting users to their home directories to stop them from modifying critical system files.
Only install software that is actually needed, some systems come preconfigured with many software packages that you may never need or use. When installing always choose the Minimal Installation or Manual Installation option if they exist. Then simply install the software that you actually need.
Always try to keep your software packages up to date, such as ensuring the latest version of Apache, MySQL and PHP on a standard LAMP setup will protect you against any vulnerabilities that have been discovered in previous versions.
Your servers will most likely have many background services (Daemons) running which are not required and some may be configured to run on start-up. The following command (Red Hat, Cent OS only) can be used to show all services that will start on boot.
# chkconfig --list | grep : on
Or just use the following command to view services which are turned on only for Run Level 3.
# chkconfig --list | grep 3:on
You would then use a command like this to remove the service from start-up.
# chkconfig --del ‘service-name’
Consider completely removing X Windows from the system and just using the command line for management. There isn’t anything that you can do in the GUI that you can’t do using the command line and removing it will not only enhance security but also performance because no system resources are wasted displaying the GUI.
You can secure your Linux Kernel by modifying the /etc/sysctl.conf file, this file is read by the Kernel at boot time and can be edited with the following settings to add extra security.
# Turn on execshield
kernel.exec-shield = 1
kernel.randomize_va_space = 1
# Don't reply to broadcasts. Prevents joining a smurf attack
net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts = 1
# Enable protection for bad icmp error messages
net.ipv4.icmp_ignore_bogus_error_responses = 1
# Enable syncookies for SYN flood attack protection
net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1
# Enable IP spoofing protection
net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1
net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter = 1
# Log spoofed, source routed, and redirect packets
net.ipv4.conf.all.log_martians = 1
net.ipv4.conf.default.log_martians = 1
# Don't allow source routed packets
net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_source_route = 0
net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_source_route = 0
# Don't allow outsiders to alter the routing tables
net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_redirects = 0
net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_redirects = 0
net.ipv4.conf.all.secure_redirects = 0
net.ipv4.conf.default.secure_redirects = 0
# Don't pass traffic between networks or act as a router
net.ipv4.ip_forward = 0
net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects = 0
net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects = 0
You should have a written security policy for handling Linux Kernel Patches, which should include which Linux security notices have been received, which updates have been tested to ensure problems don’t arise and which patches have been installed on the system. Always ensure Production servers are updated regularly to avoid any potential known vulnerability from being exploited on your system.
You should create separate partitions for user modifiable directories and block write and execute access to unneeded partitions. You should consider placing the following file systems on different partitions.
/var and /var/tmp
Then you can edit the /etc/fstab file to prevent execution of binary files, disable block devices on the partition and prevent the SUID/SGID from being set on files. Here is a common fstab file entry to limit user access to the ftpdata directory.
/dev/sda5 /ftpdata ext3 defaults,noexec,nodev,nosuid 1 2
Make use of software like SELinux, AppArmor or GRSecurity to provide additional hardening to your Linux Kernel. These products provide additional policies to restrict processes and services based on Access Control Lists.
Consider setting up different physical or virtual servers for different roles, i.e. separate your Mail server and your Webserver, or your Database server and your Application server. This ensures that if one particular service is compromised it is contained to just one server.
You can secure your server as much as possible from remote attacks, but if you don’t do anything to protect the physical hardware it is pointless. If someone has access to your physical server they can remove your hard drive and read your confidential data or boot from a CD and access your data. Consider creating a BIOS password and disabling booting from CD or USB. Also you should password protect your boot loader (GRUB, LILO, etc) to prevent users from accessing Single User Mode or Recovery Environments where passwords are not required.
Having an accurate system clock is important for reviewing log files and determining when an event occurred. Often system clocks can become out of sync or be reset to an older date and this can cause havoc with tracking of errors. Consider creating a Cron job rather than running ntpd (See Tip #12) to update the time daily or hourly with a common source for all servers.
Setup logging and auditing software to track errors and changes to your servers, such as Auditd and Logwatch/Logcheck. Consider configuring a remote logging server that is updated regularly to protect against an intruder compromising your log files without your knowledge.
IPv6 is very rarely needed at this stage as most traffic only utilizes IPv4 and having IPV6 enabled is just another network you need to monitor and protect. Disabling IPv6 is the easiest option but if for some reason you do require it then you should configure an IPv6 Firewall.
After you have setup and configured your system and software you should run the following commands to search for all file and folders with either the SUID, SGID bit set or world writeable folders.
To find all SUID files:
# find / -xdev -type f -perm +u=s –print
To find all SGID files:
# find / -xdev -type f -perm +g=s -print
To find all World Writeable Dirs:
# find / -xdev -perm +o=w ! \( -type d -perm +o=t \) ! -type l -print
You should then inspect each file and folder to determine if they have the correct settings and if not use the chmod command to make changes to them.
Your data is usually stored on a hard drive in an unencrypted format so any user that has access to the server can remove the hard drive and install it in another system and read all your data. You should consider configuring Linux disk or folder encryption on either your home directories or your sensitive folders (i.e. Database Files, Emails, etc). While you could encrypt your entire drive this is a lot of work and may not be worth the hassle.
It is great to have a highly secure Linux server but your system is only secure as the software you run on it. You should always install the latest versions of software and ensure they stay up to date. Also most programs have ways to make them more secure by editing their configuration files and disabling unnecessary parts of the software. The following is an example for hardening your OpenSSH Server settings, simply add the following to your OpenSSH config file.
# Use only SSH Protocol Ver 2
# Only allow the following users SSH Access
AllowUsers User1 User2 etc
# Deny access to the following users
DenyUsers admin etc
# Set the timeout period for idle sessions (in seconds)
# Disable .rhosts files
# Disable Host-Based Authentication
# Remove ability to login as Root
# Change the default SSH Port (Not essential but can help uncomment if you want)
# Consider CHRooting users to their own directories.
# Subsystem sftp internal-sftp
#Match group sftponly
# ChrootDirectory /home/%u
# X11Forwarding no
# AllowTcpForwarding no
# ForceCommand internal-sftp
# Disable empty passwords from login
# Set your required Log Level (Either INFO or DEBUG)
# Turn on privilege separation
# Prevent the use of insecure home directory and key file permissions
# Turn on reverse name checking
# Do you need port forwarding?
# Specifies whether password authentication is allowed. The default is yes.
Monitis is an all-in-one hosted monitoring platform for small and medium-sized businesses. 70,000+ IT pros use Monitis products to monitor health and performance of over 300,000 sites. | <urn:uuid:6d3563b5-6b96-4ab8-a49a-f8c4b53b1bd4> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://blog.monitis.com/2011/06/22/25-linux-server-hardening-tips/ | 2015-03-28T18:43:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297689.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00116-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.874476 | 2,792 |
Here is a new book which seems to have a large portion devoted to the Church of the East. I am dying to get hold of it, but will wait until I can pick it up secondhand.
The Lost History of Christianity
The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia--and How It Died
by Philip Jenkins
In the summer of 2002, I traveled in southeastern Turkey to meet with members of the two-millennia-old Syriac church, of whom only a few thousand are left in their homelands. Their language, Syriac-Aramaic, is as close as any living language to the one that Jesus spoke, yet they are forbidden by the Turkish government to teach it to their schoolchildren. We came to deserted villages such as Kafro, whose inhabitants had been driven out by the attacks of Turkish Hezbollah, and which were now sealed off by the military. We visited the monastery of Tur Abdin, a major center of Eastern Christianity, now dwindling under suffocating government restrictions. We met the only two monks remaining in the monastery of the village of Sare.
In Nisibis (now Nusaybin in southeast Turkey), where a famous Christian community dates back to the second century, and which nurtured Ephrem, the greatest of the Syrian theologians, there is a church dating from 439. It was locked and abandoned after World War I when the inhabitants, fleeing massacre, escaped into Syria. For 60 years there had been no Christians there, but now the diocese had sent a Christian family from a local village, who live in a small apartment in the church and try to keep it from falling apart.
We went into the crypt to see the tomb of Jacob of Nisibis, from whom the term "Jacobite" church is named, and while we studied his sarcophagus, our driver, unprompted, began to sing an ancient hymn. His strong voice filled the tomb. We asked him what the words meant, and he told us that the lyrics came from Ephrem himself:
Listen, my chicks have flown,
left their nest, alarmed
By the eagle. Look,
where they hide in dread!
Bring them back in peace!
Philip Jenkins's marvelous new book, The Lost History of Christianity, tells the largely forgotten story of Nisibis, and thousands of sites like it, which stretch from Morocco to Kenya to India to China, and which were, deep into the second millennium, the heart of the church. While Christians will be particularly concerned with this story, it will be of interest to, and significant for, far more than they.
After an already distinguished career as a historian, Jenkins has, during the last six years, produced a series of books designed to inform modern readers of the religious shape of the world we inhabit, a shape radically different from that of the popular, or even not-so-popular, mind. While much of what he has written will be of little surprise to specialists, he has a gift for clearly and cogently synthesizing and summarizing copious research. The Next Christendom (2002) described how Christianity's demographic center of gravity, in the 20th century, moved to the Third World. The New Faces of Christianity (2006) argued that, since their culture is closer to the Bible, Africans and Asians understand the book very differently from Europeans and North Americans, and find in it a great liberatory force. God's Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's Religious Crisis (2007) found in Europe much more than fading Christianity and growing Islam.
The story usually told of Christianity is that, while it certainly also spread elsewhere, its major influence and home was in Europe. The church developed early, Europe became in some sense Christianized, and subsequently it set the pattern for the faith. With the discovery of America and the European voyages of exploration, as well as colonialism, Christianity then spread to the rest of the world largely as a Western export.
Jenkins demonstrates that this story is flat wrong--or as he more charitably puts it, "much of what we know is inaccurate."
For most of its history, Christianity was a tricontinental religion, with powerful representation in Europe, Africa and Asia, and this was true into the 14th century. Christianity became predominantly European not because this continent had any obvious affinity for that faith, but by default: Europe was the continent where it was not destroyed.
As late as the 11th century Asia was home to about a third of the world's Christians, Africa another 10 percent, and the faith in these continents had deeper roots in the culture than it did in Europe, where in many places it was newly arrived or still arriving.
About the time of Charlemagne's investiture in 800, the patriarch, or catholicos, of the Church of the East, often called Nestorian, was Timothy, based in Seleucia, in Mesopotamia. In prestige and authority, Timothy was "arguably the most significant Christian spiritual leader of his day," much more influential than the Western pope and on par with the Orthodox patriarch in Constantinople. Perhaps a quarter of the world's Christians looked to him as their spiritual and political head. His duties included appointing bishops in Yemen, Arabia, Iran, Turkestan, Afghanistan, Tibet, India, Sri Lanka, and China. A Christian cemetery in Kyrgyzstan contains inscriptions in Syrian and Turkish commemorating "Terim the Chinese, Sazik the Indian, Banus the Uygur, Kiamata of Kashgar, and Tatt the Mongol." The Church of the East may even have reached to Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and Korea.
The Asian church was also more intellectually accomplished: Its operating languages were Syriac, Persian, Turkish, Soghdian, and Chinese. Timothy himself translated Aristotle's Topics from Syriac into Arabic. Much of the "Arab" scholarship of the time, such as translations of Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen, and others into Arabic, or the adoption of the Indian numbering system, was in fact done by Syriac, Persian, and Coptic (Egyptian and Nubian) Christians, often in the high employ of the Caliph.
It was also a church immersed in cultures very different from the Roman and Hellenic environments of the West. Timothy engaged in a famous dialogue with the caliph al-Mahdi, which still survives. The church's milieu was not only Jewish and Muslim but also, perhaps more so, Buddhist, Manichaean, Zoroastrian, and Confucian. This made for relations that defy many of our usual assumptions about history. Jenkins recounts how "in 782, the Indian Buddhist missionary Prajna arrived in the Chinese imperial capital of Chang'an, but was unable to translate the Sanskrit sutras he had brought" into Chinese or other useful local languages.
Hence, Prajna did the obvious thing and consulted with Bishop Adam, head of the Chinese church, who was deeply interested in understanding Buddhism. As a result, "Buddhist and Nestorian scholars worked amiably together for some years to translate seven copious volumes of Buddhist wisdom." These same volumes were taken back home by Japanese monks who had been in Chang'an, and became the founding volumes of Shingon and Tendai, the two great schools of Japanese Buddhism.
The Chinese also influenced the West. Around 1275, two Chinese monks began a pilgrimage to the Holy land. One, Markos, was probably a Uygur and the other, Bar Sauma, may have been an Onggud. In 1281, Markos was elected patriarch. He protested that he was not up to it, not least because his knowledge of Syriac was rudimentary. But the church fathers argued that the "kings who held the steering poles of the government of the whole world were the [Mongols], and there was no man except [him] who was acquainted with their manners and customs." Markos established his seat near Tabriz, then the capital of the Mongol Ilkhan dynasty.
Bar Sauma had an equally interesting life. In 1287 the Ilkhan overlord sent him on a diplomatic mission to Europe to enlist aid for a proposed joint assault on Mamluk Egypt: Kublai Khan in Beijing would also be a supporter. The Europeans were amazed to discover both that the church stretched to the shores of the Pacific and that the emissary from the fearsome Mongols was a Christian bishop, one from whom the king of England subsequently took communion.
Jenkins places the ending of this world, "the decisive collapse of Christianity in the Middle East, across Asia, and in much of Africa," not with the initial rise of Islam but in the 14th century. One trigger was the Mongol invasions, which threatened Arab Islam as never before. (The Crusades were a minor sideshow.) The Mongols sought alliances with Christians, and there were Christians among them, hence local believers were treated as a potential fifth column and often massacred.
Later, the Mongols themselves embraced Islam and turned on the Christians. Timur's subsequent invasions, among the most brutal in history, furthered the process, as did Seljuk and Ottoman advances and, further east, rising anti-Mongol Chinese nationalism. Between 1200 and 1500 the proportion of Christians outside Europe fell from over a third to about 6 percent. By 1500 the European church had become dominant "by dint of being, so to speak, the last men standing" of the Christian world.
The eastern communities were savaged again in a second great wave of persecution beginning in the 19th century, with the slaughter of the Armenians, and also the Syriacs, Nestorians, and Maronites. When the British took over Mesopotamia after the First World War, they judged the Assyrians' situation so desperate that they considered moving them to Canada. In 1930 there were proposals to transfer them to South America. Following massacres by Arabs in 1933, the British flew the patriarch to Cyprus for safety while the League of Nations debated moving them to Brazil or Niger. We may currently be in another such wave as Christians flee the Palestinian areas, Lebanon, Turkey, and Egypt. In 2003 in Iraq, Christians were some 4 percent of the population, but they have since comprised 40 percent of the refugees.
As Jenkins says, "We have forgotten a world." The "new" globalized Christianity "is better seen as a resumption of an ancient reality." He explores the pervasive influence of Christianity on Islam, and it is always good to see the woolly writings of Karen Armstrong and Elaine Pagels taken apart, albeit gently.
This book has few weaknesses. It would have been good to explore the major cultural effects of the different role of language in Christian and Islamic missions: the former seeking to bring the Word into the locals' languages, the latter seeking to bring the locals the Word in Arabic.
In the late 10th century a Nestorian monk from Arabia visiting China reported his horror at discovering that Christianity had, after centuries, by then become "extinct." But Christianity is now in its fourth phase of expansion in China: More people there go to church than do in Europe. Perhaps Ephrem's hymn and prayer will be answered: "Bring them back in peace."
Paul Marshall is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom and the editor of Blind Spot: When Journalists Don't Get Religion. | <urn:uuid:5d07cf0b-cd07-4c1d-812e-9e81f3410695> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=20533.0 | 2015-03-28T19:05:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297689.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00116-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976216 | 2,374 |
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Press Release: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation announces 2013 ‘A’ Award Recipients, provides grants to young scientists to jump-start careers in pediatric oncology research
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Philadelphia, PA (January 6, 2014) – Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for all kids with cancer, has just announced the awarding of five ‘A’ Awards to promising young researchers across the country, totaling $1.875 million in new grants. The grants, which will extend to researchers at Georgia Health Sciences University Institute (Augusta, GA), Huntsman Cancer Institute (Salt Lake City, UT), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY), University of Maryland (College Park, MD) & Washington University (St. Louis, MO), are designed for young scientists who want to establish their career in pediatric oncology. Recipients will each receive $375,000 over the course of three years.
The ‘A’ Award joined a prestigious line of medical and nursing grants from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in 2009 to encourage the best and brightest young researchers to build lifelong careers in the field. Operating under the belief that engaging researchers early in their career leads to long term commitments to find a cure, ALSF works to find and support exceptional early-career researchers.
The 2013 ‘A’ Award recipients are: Theodore Johnson, MD/PhD of Georgia Health Sciences University Research Institute for his research into brain tumors; Kevin Jones, MD of the Huntsman Cancer Institute for alveolar soft part sarcoma research; Alex Kentsis, MD/PhD of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for leukemia/acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) research; Christopher Jewell, PhD of the University of Maryland – College Park for his examination of neuroblastoma; and Jeffrey Bednarski, MD/PhD of Washington University for his study of leukemia/lymphoma. Full lay summaries of the young scientists’ research are included on the following page.
Along with the funds provided to ‘A’ Award recipients ($125,000 per year for 3 years), the award will also include the opportunity to speak and attend Foundation events, reference books to enhance the researcher’s personal pediatric oncology library, equipment to aid in their research (up to $10,000 value) and funding to attend one educational course or event.
“Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has always had a mission of supporting the very best research available, contributing to our ultimate goal of finding a cure for all kids with cancer,” said Jay Scott, Co-Executive Director of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. “The ‘A’ Awards play an integral role in doing just that, bringing the fresh perspectives of young scientists to the forefront of the field, and keeping them there.”
For more information on the ‘A’ Award, or Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s various grant categories and successes, visit: www.ALSFgrants.org.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation 2013 ‘A’ Award Grant Recipients
Theodore Johnson, MD/PhD, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA
IDO-based Immunotherapy for Pediatric Brain Tumors
This proposal will address a fundamental gap in understanding the specialized immune biology of the brain tumor micro environment. The applicant is a pediatric oncologist with PhD training in basic molecular immunology who studies the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) pathway of immune tolerance. IDO is often co-opted by tumors to escape immune attack. Immunologic therapy of cancer is now a cutting-edge new form of cancer treatment for adults, but has not yet brought benefit to children with cancer. The long-term goal is for the applicant to establish a pediatric immunotherapy program to translate pediatric-focused laboratory research into Phase I and Phase II immunotherapy trials in children. The objective of the current proposal is to elucidate the mechanisms by which blocking IDO synergizes with standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The proposed research plan builds on the applicant's preliminary data that intense inflammation plays a key role in tumor destruction when IDO-blockade is combined with chemo-radiation therapy in a mouse brain tumor model. The central hypothesis is that IDO is a previously unrecognized vascular quiescence factor in tumor biology and that blocking IDO during chemo-radiation therapy leads to rapid immune-mediated vasculitis and tumor destruction; this widespread innate inflammation then serves as a potent stimulant to drive specific and lasting anti-tumor immunity. The rationale for this research is that understanding the mechanisms by which IDO shields tumors from the underlying immune-activating effects of our standard chemo/radiation therapies will allow us to develop new strategies to combine these standard treatments with immunologic therapy.
Kevin Jones, MD, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT
Targeting Metabolism in Alveolar Soft Part Sarcomagenesis
Every cell generates and consumes energy to perform its functions. This is termed metabolism. One intermediate step in sugar metabolism is a molecule called lactate. Traditionally, lactate was considered only a by-product of metabolism in tissues with low oxygen levels. This view was overturned when scientists learned that some cells with normal oxygen levels intentionally produce lactate and others consume it as a preferred fuel. Cancer cell metabolism is a growing field of study. The traditional view of cancer cell metabolism emphasized the inefficient consumption of sugar and the production of excess lactate. This view is now challenged by data showing that some cancer cells instead use lactate as a fuel. Further, we now know that lactate also functions as a signal, driving vessel in growth into tumors. What is needed is a model system in which we can test lactate metabolism in a living tumor. Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a deadly cancer that typically arises in the limbs of adolescents or young adults. It is deadly because it spreads to distant sites of the body and is then resistant to all available treatments. The young victims of this disease need better treatment options. Alveolar soft part sarcoma demonstrates signs of dependence on lactate metabolism. With a new model of this disease, we hope to investigate its metabolism as a means of finding novel treatment approaches. If our hypothesis is correct, an entire new avenue of treatment options opens not only for this particular tumor, but for cancer more generally.
Alex Kentsis, MD/PhD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Rational Combination Therapy of AML
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood that affects about 500 children every year in the United States. Current treatment of AML with chemotherapy is toxic, and new therapies are direly needed for children whose disease is resistant to intensive chemotherapy. Our research into molecular signaling pathways that drive leukemia cell survival has revealed a new set of therapeutic targets. The support of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation will enable us to determine the precise molecular mechanisms responsible for signaling that sustains AML cell growth. We will then use this knowledge to rationally devise combination treatments to block AML signaling and effect cure.
Christopher Jewell, PhD, University of Maryland – College Park, College Park, MD
Engineering the Lymph Node Environment with Therapeutic Vaccine Depots to Combat Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is one of the most common cancers in young children, and current treatments for moderate and high risks patients are often ineffective. When tumors are cleared, drug therapy often leaves patients with lasting side effects or relapse occurs. However, therapeutic vaccines have recently demonstrated potential for combating neuroblastoma or other cancers. To effectively combat tumors, therapeutic vaccines must generate potent tumor-specific immune responses that are functional in the immunosuppressive tumor environment, and that are able to resist tumor regrowth during relapse. An increasingly important challenge for the vaccine field is design of vaccines that generate immune responses with characteristics optimized to combat target diseases such as neuroblastoma. In contrast to broadly-acting drugs or chemotherapy, these designer vaccines could offer highly-specific, immune-based treatments. Establishing strong immunological memory cells specific for tumors has recently been described as a potential route to improve cancer vaccines. These cells exhibit high anti-tumor activity and can combat relapse that occurs after initial tumors are cleared. Unfortunately generating these cells is challenging. In this proposal we will combine direct lymph node delivery with engineered biomaterial vaccines loaded with signals to induce these immune memory cells. Lymph nodes are the tissues that coordinate immune response and controlled delivery of cancer vaccine components in lymph nodes could contribute to new cancer vaccines that efficiently generate large populations of tumor-specific memory cells that control and cure pediatric cancers such as neuroblastoma.
Jeffrey Bednarski, MD/PhD, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
DNA Damage Responses Coordinate Survival and Cell Death Switching In Lymphocytes
During their development, immune cells must intentionally generate and repair breaks in their DNA in order to assemble the genes necessary for a diverse immune response. Multiple signals in early immune cells cooperate to ensure that these DNA breaks are properly repaired. Errors in these processes can derail normal development and trigger transformation into leukemia. Our research studies how immune cells respond to the DNA breaks in order to support correct repair and minimize the chances of deleterious events that could generate malignancies. Recent work has demonstrated that the DNA breaks themselves activate distinct pathways to first support cell survival and then subsequently trigger cell death mechanisms. This temporal sequence of survival and cell death allows time for DNA break repair but triggers elimination of cells with persistent DNA damage, which are at risk for errors that could initiate leukemia formation. How cells coordinate this balanced signaling is unknown. Interestingly, though, these signals are unique to physiologic DNA breaks, those encountered in normal development, as DNA damage from radiation or chemotherapy agents activate alternative pathways that trigger cell death rather than survival. The goal of this project is to understand how survival and cell death signaling is controlled in response to DNA breaks. Ultimately, these studies will identify new mechanisms in immune cells that ensure normal maturation and inhibit cancerous transformation. Understanding these processes will provide insights into the development and treatment of leukemia and lymphoma.
About Childhood Cancer
Childhood cancer is a general term used to describe cancer in children occurring regularly, randomly and sparing no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region. Childhood cancer extends to over a dozen types of cancers and a countless amount of subtypes. Just a few of these cancer types include: Ewing’s sarcoma, glioma, leukemia, lymphoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilm’s tumor. In the United States, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15. Every day, approximately 250 kids around the world die from cancer, accounting for 91,250 losing their lives to the disease every year.
About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $65 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 375 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org. | <urn:uuid:2e9549cf-5de4-4f05-a7b9-32a79ee59da4> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.alexslemonade.org/newsroom/news/press-release-alex%E2%80%99s-lemonade-stand-foundation-announces-2013-%E2%80%98a%E2%80%99-award-recipients | 2015-03-30T10:36:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299261.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00232-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925507 | 2,509 |
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2011)|
|Born||June 8, 1972
|Died||October 17, 1998(aged 26)|
|Education||Technical University of Berlin|
|Alma mater||Technical University of Applied Sciences of Berlin|
|Known for||hacking, the "Cryptophon"|
Boris Floricic, better known by his pseudonym Tron (8 June 1972 – 17-22 October 1998), was a German hacker and phreaker whose death in unclear circumstances has led to various conspiracy theories. He is also known for his Diplom thesis presenting one of the first public implementations of a telephone with built-in voice encryption, the "Cryptophon".
Floricic's pseudonym was a reference to the eponymous character in the 1982 Disney film Tron. Floricic was interested in defeating computer security mechanisms; amongst other hacks, he broke the security of the German phonecard and produced working clones. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 months in jail for the physical theft of a public phone (for reverse engineering purposes) but the sentence was suspended on probation.
From December 2005 to January 2006, media attention was drawn to Floricic when his parents and Andy Müller-Maguhn brought legal action in Germany against the Wikimedia Foundation and its German chapter Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. The first preliminary injunction tried to stop Wikipedia from publishing Floricic's full name, and a second one followed, temporarily preventing the use of the German Internet domain wikipedia.de as a redirect address to the German Wikipedia.
Early life and education
Floricic grew up in Gropiusstadt, a suburb in southern Berlin (West Berlin at the time). His interests in school focused on technical subjects. He left school after ten years and completed a three-year Vocational education (Berufsausbildung) offered by the Technical University of Berlin and graduated as a specialist in communication electronics with a major in information technology (Kommunikationselektroniker, Fachrichtung Informationstechnik). He subsequently earned the Abitur and began studies in computer science at the Technical University of Applied Sciences of Berlin.
During his studies, Floricic attended an internship with a company developing electronic security systems. In the winter term 1997/1998, Floricic successfully finished his studies and published his diploma thesis, in which he developed and described the "Cryptophon", an ISDN telephone with built-in voice encryption. Since parts of this work, which were to be provided by another student, were missing, he could not finish his work on the Cryptophon. His thesis, however, was rated as exceptional by the evaluating university professor. After graduation, Floricic applied for work, but was unsuccessful. In his spare time he continued, among other activities, his work on the Cryptophon.
Floricic was highly interested in electronics and security systems of all kinds. He engaged in, amongst other things, attacks against the German phonecard and Pay TV systems. As part of his research he exchanged ideas and proposals with other hackers and scientists. On the mailing list "tv-crypt", operated by a closed group of Pay TV hackers, Floricic reported about himself in 1995 that his interests were microprocessors, programming languages, electronics of all kinds, digital radio data transmission and especially breaking the security of systems perceived as secure. He claimed to have created working clones of a chipcard used for British Pay TV and would continue his work to defeat the security of the Nagravision/Syster scrambling system which was then used by the German Pay TV provider "PREMIERE".
Later, American scientists outlined a theoretical attack against SIM cards used for GSM mobile phones. Together with hackers from the Chaos Computer Club, Floricic successfully created a working clone of such a SIM card, thus showing the practicability of the attack. He also engaged in cloning the German phonecard and succeeded. While Floricic only wanted to demonstrate the insecurity of the system, the proven insecurity was also abused by criminals which led to the attention of law enforcement agencies and the German national phone operator Deutsche Telekom. After Deutsche Telekom changed the system, Floricic tried to remove a complete public card phone from a booth by force (using a sledgehammer) on 3 March 1995 in order to, as he told, adapt his phonecard simulators to the latest changes. He and a friend were, however, caught by the police upon this attempt. Floricic was later sentenced to a prison term of 15 months which was suspended on probation.
"Cryptophon" (or "Cryptofon") was the name Floricic chose for his prototype of an ISDN telephone with integrated voice encryption. It was created in the winter term 1997–1998 as part of his diploma thesis, titled "Realisierung einer Verschlüsselungstechnik für Daten im ISDN B-Kanal" (German, meaning, "Implementation of Cryptography for Data contained in the ISDN Bearer channel"), at the Technische Fachhochschule Berlin. Floricic focused on making the Cryptophon cheap and easy to build for hobbyists. The phone encrypts telephone calls using the symmetric encryption algorithm IDEA. As IDEA is patented, the cipher was implemented on a replaceable daughter module which would have allowed the user to exchange IDEA for another (probably patent-unencumbered) algorithm. In addition, the system was about to be supplemented with a key exchange protocol based on the asymmetric algorithm RSA in order to achieve security against compromised remote stations.
The Cryptophon is built on the foundation of an 8051 compatible microprocessor which controls the whole system and peripherals (e.g. ISDN controller, keypad and display). For the cryptography, Floricic used cheap DSPs from Texas Instruments which he scrapped out of old computer modems, but which could also be bought at affordable prices. As this type of DSP is not powerful enough for the cryptography algorithm chosen, Floricic used two of them for the Cryptophon – one for sending and one for receiving. He planned to extend the phone so it would also be possible to encrypt data-connections. Floricic developed both the operating software of the phone as well as the cryptography implementation in the DSPs. He found a new way to implement IDEA to save significant processing time.
Floricic disappeared on 17 October 1998 and was found dead in a local park in Britz in the Neukölln district of Berlin on 22 October after being hanged from a waistbelt wrapped around his neck. The cause of death was officially recorded as suicide. Some of his peers in the Chaos Computer Club, as well as his family members and some outside critics, have been vocal in their assertions that Floricic may have been murdered. It is argued that his activities in the areas of Pay TV cracking and voice scrambling might have disturbed the affairs of an intelligence agency or organized crime enough to provide a motive.
The German journalist Burkhard Schröder published a book about the death titled "Tron - Tod eines Hackers" ("Tron - Death of a Hacker") in 1999 in which he presents the facts about the case known at the time. Because he concludes that Floricic took his own life, the author was harshly criticized by both members of the Chaos Computer Club and Floricic's parents.
|Wikinews has related news: Berlin court issues provisional order against the Wikimedia Foundation|
As Floricic's family did not wish his full name (Boris Floricic) to be used, many German newspapers referred to him as "Boris F." On 14 December 2005, his parents obtained a temporary restraining order in a Berlin court against Wikimedia Foundation Inc. because its freely editable online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, mentioned the full name in its German language version. The order prohibited the Foundation from mentioning the full name on any website under the domain "wikipedia.org". It furthermore required the Foundation to name a representative in Germany within two weeks following the decision.
This was widely reported in the Dutch and German press. The initial order was mistakenly addressed to Saint Petersburg, Russia rather than to St. Petersburg, Florida, United States; this was corrected five days later.
On 17 January 2006, a second preliminary injunction from a court in Berlin prohibited the Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. local chapter from linking to the German Wikipedia, resulting in the change of the wikipedia.de address from a link to German Wikipedia to a page explaining the situation, although the page did not mention Tron. Despite media reports to the contrary, the German Wikipedia itself was never closed or became inaccessible in Germany. Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. confirmed to the Internet news site golem.de that the new injunction was related to the prior case against the Wikimedia Foundation and was issued on behalf of the same plaintiffs. Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. was reported as intending to fight the injunction, arguing that no valid case was presented and the freedom of the press must be defended.
As Müller-Maguhn, one of the spokespersons of the Chaos Computer Club, was deeply involved in the case on the side of the plaintiffs, some media reported this as a case of Chaos Computer Club against Wikipedia. The Chaos Computer Club had issued a public statement that this was a case between a few of its members and Wikipedia, and that the CCC itself did not take any position in the matter.
The Austrian online magazine Futurezone interviewed Andy Müller-Maguhn on 19 January 2006 about the case and its background. Maguhn admitted that the true reason behind the incident was a fictitious work recently published by a German author in which the main character had the same (civil) name as Floricic. The parents sent a protest to the publisher but were turned down with the argument that the German Wikipedia was using the name as well. Müller-Maguhn then asked the German Wikipedia to remove the name, but was turned down for a number of reasons, including failure to present proof that he was entitled to speak and act on behalf of the parents.
- zdnet.co.uk: "High-stakes hacking, Euro-style", by Bob Sullivan, 25 October 2000
- Wired News: "Out of Chaos Comes Order", by David Hudson, 28 December 1998
- Telepolis: "Hacker leben nicht gefährlich", by Burkhard Schröder, January 10, 2006 (in German)
- Spiegel Online: "Streit um Tron: Darf man einen Hacker beim Namen nennen?", by Holger Dambeck, January 10, 2006 (in German)
- Heise Newsticker: "Domain Wikipedia.de ist zurzeit außer Betrieb", by Andreas Wilkens, January 19, 2006 (in German)
- golem.de: "Wikipedia.de derzeit abgeschaltet", by Andreas Donath, January 19, 2006. (in German)
- CCC: "Klarstellung zu Wikipedia vs. Tron", by Frank Rieger, January 13, 2006. (in German)
- futurezone: "'Einstweilige Verfügung' gegen Wikipedia.de", by unnamed author, 19 January 2006 (in German)
- Heise Online: "Court overturns temporary restraining order against Wikimedia Deutschland, by Torsten Kleinz, 9 February 2006.
- Burkhard Schröder: Tron: Tod eines Hackers ("Tron: Death of a hacker"). rororo, 1999, ISBN 3-499-60857-X
- Spiegel Online: "How a Dead Hacker Shut Down Wikipedia Germany", 20 January 2006
- Wired.com: "Out of Chaos Comes Order", by David Hudson, 28 December 1998 (about the suicide)
- Possenspiel um Wikipedia (Die Zeit online edition)
- tronland.org (Site dedicated to Tron's memory) | <urn:uuid:a5481688-ff82-40af-97b1-cc6cc6c6f317> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron_(hacker) | 2015-04-01T06:00:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131303502.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172143-00056-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955614 | 2,501 |
Feb. 25, 2013
Around the Nation
By Sean Ryan & Phil Stanton
pitchers often are ahead of the hitters early in the season.
Four staffs that entered the season as diverse as
the other – Cal State Fullerton, Louisville, Vanderbilt and
Virginia – have been nothing short of brilliant the first two
weeks of the season.
At Fullerton, coach Rick Vanderhook (right) said
a few days before the season opener, “I can’t remember a
freshman starting Opening Night.” That freshman, Thomas Eshelman,
has started his career 2-0 with wins over USC and TCU, working
11.1 innings with no runs, no walks and 14 strikeouts (opponents
are hitting .163). Fellow frosh Justin Garza also is 2-0 with a
0.68 ERA, 13.1 innings, one walk and 11 strikeouts. In all, the
Titans (8-0) boast a 1.62 ERA and have 69 strikeouts and nine
walks in 72 innings – they allowed four runs in a weekend sweep
Vanderhook is not surprised by the success of his
rookie pair. “We wouldn’t have pitched them Friday and Saturday
if we didn’t think they were good. They both are semi-polished
“Eshelman went up to the West Coast League and
pitched in a collegiate league in the summer and threw 30
innings up there, kind of got his feet wet. He’s doing the same
thing right now that he did in the summertime. He’s what I would
call a prototypical Cal State Fullerton pitcher. He throws
strikes, he competes and he’s really intelligent on the mound.
Nothing really bothers him. Through the last 15 years a lot of
freshmen have come into college baseball and pitched really well
in big programs and I’m hoping he can be one of those guys.
Right now he’s doing it.
“Garza was really touted coming out of high
school and has done about everything he was supposed to do. He’s
focused on the mound, hasn’t had anything really bother him.
“They haven’t had anything happen yet to bother
them. It’s going to happen to them sooner or later. I tell them
every day, somebody’s going to whack you around. It’s not about
them whacking you, it’s about how you respond the next time you
go out after they whack you.”
At Louisville, junior Jeff Thompson leads an
experienced staff that is off to a fantastic start – a 1.43 ERA,
72 strikeouts and 17 walks in 63 innings for the 6-1 Cardinals.
Thompson is 2-0 with a zero ERA and 17 strikeouts and four walks
in 11 innings, and Dace Kime, Chad Green and Jared Ruxer have
combined for 23 strikeouts and five walks. Reliever Anthony
Kidston has been lights out, picking up two wins and striking
out 10 in 5.1 innings – he’s yet to allow a hit or run.
At Virginia, the Cavaliers are a mix of new and
old. Freshman Brandon Waddell (1-0, 0.84, 10.2 IP, 3 BB, 20 K)
is joined by reliever-turned-starter Nick Howard (1-0, 0.00, 10
IP) and senior Scott Silverstein (1-0, 1.59, 11.1 IP). The
Cavaliers boast a team ERA of 2.14 after allowing three runs in
a three-game weekend sweep of Toledo.
Coach Brian O’Connor said you’re a little
apprehensive going into the season anytime you have a young and
inexperienced staff, but his pitchers have responded.
“I’m not surprised because I think we have quite
a bit of talent both on the mound and position-wise,” O’Connor
said, adding that the Cavaliers still are in the process of
figuring out the different roles for their pitchers.
And at Vanderbilt, the promise of junior Kevin
Ziomek and sophomore Tyler Beede may be becoming realized.
Ziomek (2-0, 1.38, 13 IP, 3 BB, 18 K) and Beede (2-0, 1.50, 12
IP, 6 BB, 12 K), along with sophomore Philip Pfeifer (2-0, 0.64,
14 IP, 4 BB, 17 K), led a Commodores staff that shut down
Monmouth over the weekend to the tune of three runs.
Hawks coach Dean Ehehalt texted before boarding a
flight Sunday night that Vandy has the best pitching staff he’s
faced in his 20 years with Monmouth. “From a velocity
standpoint, no doubt the best,” he said.
And then there’s Oregon State, which improved to
8-0 on Sunday, completing a four-game sweep at San Diego State
for the best start in 51 years.
The Beavers have allowed just 13 runs (nine
earned) in eight games, good for a 1.12 ERA. Although the
Beavers haven’t been striking guys out like the staffs above (47
in 72 innings), they’ve practically been unhittable, yielding a
.179 batting average. Amazingly, the bullpen – Max Engelbrekt,
Scott Schultz, Tyler Painton, Brandon Jackson, Tony Bryant, Zack
Reser and Cole Brocker – has yet to allow an earned run in 30
innings, with Engelbrekt (1-0, 1 SV, 7.2 IP) and Schultz (2 SV,
6.2 IP) leading the way.
Including Oregon State, there are 13 undefeated
teams among those who have begun their seasons. Mississippi
State and Oklahoma are both 9-0, while Cal State Fullerton joins
the Beavers at 8-0. The 7-0 squads include Cal Poly, Florida
State, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, South Alabama and Virginia. North
Carolina is 6-0, VCU is 5-0 and Creighton sits at 3-0 after
being forced to cancel its weekend trip to Lamar.
Teams beginning their seasons this week include
CCSU, Fairleigh Dickinson, Massachusetts, NYIT, Omaha,
Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and UMBC, as well as seven of the eight
schools in the Ivy League. Yale opens play on March 9.
Florida Gulf Coast entered the weekend 1-6
against Florida. After Sean Dwyer’s three-run homer in the 11th
inning on Sunday, the Eagles (5-1) had pulled off a sweep of the
Gators in Gainesville.
Good things came in threes for FGCU, as in
homers. In the opener, Brooks Beisner blasted a three-run homer
in the sixth inning for a 3-1 lead, and ace Ricky Knapp tossed a
complete game to improve to 2-0. On Saturday, Michael Suchy hit
a three-run homer in the sixth inning to break from a 2-1 game.
And on Sunday, it was Dwyer’s turn. He may never have had the
chance if not for junior Harrison Cooney, who tossed five
scoreless innings of relief. In the 10th inning, Cooney loaded
the bases, only to get a fly out to center, a fielder’s choice
at the plate and another fly out to give the Eagles a shot in
By now, you’ve likely heard about the
benches-clearing brawl during
UC Riverside’s game at Sacramento State on Friday, when
Sacramento State’s Andrew Ayers tagged out Riverside’s Eddie
Young, who retaliated with a pair of punches after Ayers shoved
him away. According to the Sacramento Bee, both players, and
Highlanders catcher Drake Zarate, were suspended four games per
NC State sophomore ace Carlos Rodon rebounded
from the first loss since his junior year in grand fashion – he
tossed the first seven innings of a no-hitter, with Karl
Keglovits working the final two innings against La Salle. The
combined no-no was the first for the Wolfpack since 2005.
Akron coach Rick Rembielak is one of those
coaches who believes that to be the best, you have to play the
He’s backing that up with an early-season
gauntlet for his Zips.
Last week, Akron dropped three games at No. 17
Georgia Tech, including a 5-3 defeat last Sunday. Over the
weekend, the Zips fell three times to No. 18 Louisville,
including a 2-1 setback yesterday. Up next? A three-game set at
No. 9 Kentucky.
“[We] want to build this program by our players
understanding how precise you need to play to compete at the
highest level,” Rembielak texted on the bus ride back to Akron.
“Early schedule is designed to expose them to the highest
caliber of play in preparation of [the] MAC season. [The] goal
is to win MAC tournament and be prepared to play the same
competition we faced at the start of the season.”
East Tennessee State is off to a 6-1 start after
a sweep of Seton Hall that included walk-off wins on Saturday
and Sunday. The Bucs have had plenty of heroes, but none bigger
than Clinton Freeman, who’s meant as much to his team as any
player in the country.
Freeman, a junior outfielder/pitcher, has gone 12
for 24 with nine extra-base hits – six homers, two doubles and a
triple – and 11 RBI. On the mound, the lefty has gone 2-0 with
two saves in 5.1 innings of relief.
ETSU coach Tony Skole said that Freeman pretty
much put the Bucs on his shoulders and carried them over the
first five games.
“It’s just an amazing start, he was squaring up
everything he saw…he just hasn’t been missing the center of the
ball,” Skole said.
And on the mound, Freeman, whose fastball reaches
the upper 80s, hasn’t allowed a run.
“He’s just throwing strikes, three pitches for
strikes,” Skole said. “The thing that makes him so good on the
mound is that he’s a competitor.”
Air Force reached a milestone on Saturday,
defeating Navy 8-7 in the Freedom Classic at Grainger Stadium in
Kinston, N.C. It was the 1,000th win in program history. The
Falcons began play in 1957. LSU head coach Paul Mainieri
accounted for 152 of those victories. He led the Air Force
program from 1989-94 before becoming head coach at Notre Dame.
Another example of pitching being ahead of
hitting early in the season is the number of no-hitters so far.
TJ Renda of Alabama State no-hit Chicago State on Opening Night.
This past Saturday, Carlos Rodon and Karl Keglovits of NC State
combined on a no-hitter against visiting La Salle. On Sunday,
Colby Holmes, Forrest Koumas and Josh Knab of South Carolina
worked together to no-hit Albany. Bryce Biggerstaff also
accomplished the feat on Sunday, not allowing a hit to Jackson
State. In the near-miss category, Ohio State was one out away
from a combined no-hitter against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
(photo by Matt Brown) | <urn:uuid:2379eb3d-4b16-4007-9b00-161570439cf1> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.collegebaseballinsider.com/13Articles/atn225.html | 2015-04-01T05:50:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131303502.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172143-00056-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940335 | 2,561 |
About Lone Star College
Nationally recognized, globally connected, locally focused
Lone Star College is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation. Not only great in size, LSC is a key driver and growing contributor to the local and regional economy with an annual economic impact of $3.1 billion.
Students rely on Lone Star College for Associate Degrees, certifications for work in high-demand industries, and credits that enable them to transfer anywhere. In fact, LSC provides more than 180 programs of study close to home. No wonder 95,000 students choose Lone Star College!
LSC understands the balance between work, family and completing an education — that’s why it offers the most affordable, high-quality higher education option in the region, close to home, at a fraction of the cost of a four year university.
Attending LSC is more affordable than other state institutions. Attending LSC saves students, and their families, thousands per semester.
source: Net Cost Calculator Resident Tuition and Fees, based on 12 hours/semester
Choice of more students
LSC is the choice of area high school graduates – 5,848 high school graduates attended LSC in fall 2013, 10 times the number of students choosing the University of Houston; six times as many who attended Texas A&M University.
Committed to Student Success
A national leader in conferring degrees and dedicated to student success and credential completion, Lone Star College is:
- Recognized nationally as a Top 10 Associate Degree Producer
- Leading the Texas Reverse Transfer Initiative, in collaboration with The University of Texas, a key strategy in Texas' goal of increasing higher education degree attainment
- Leading the Texas Completes effort statewide to dramatically increase college completion rates
Proven Financial Management
LSC is fiscally responsible and maintains a AAA Bond Rating from Standard & Poor’s Rating Services – enabling LSC to borrow money at lower interest rates. LSC's credit rating was increased eight times in the last 10 years. In addition:
- LSC maintains administrative operating expenses under 12%, which is one of the lowest in Texas. (Source: Texas Association of Community Colleges)
- The LSC tax rate is lower than it was 15 years ago. And the Board of Trustees has lowered the tax rate 6 of the last 10 years. (11.74 cents/thousand (2000) vs. 11.6 cents/thousand (2015)).
- LSC has received a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting recognition each year since 2004.
- LSC maintains a tax freeze for residents age 65+ and/or disabled which means the actual dollar amount owed will never increase, even if the property value increases.
At a Glance
Chancellor: Stephen C. Head, Ph.D.
Student Enrollment: 95,000
University Centers: 2
Additional Centers: 7
2013-2014 Operating Budget: $317,790,000
view more facts about Lone Star College
We're Close To Home
Lone Star College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science Degrees.
Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lone Star College, to file a third-party comment at the time of the ten-year review, and to file a complaint against the institution for alleged non-compliance with a standard or requirement. Normal inquiries about Lone Star College such as admissions requirement, financial aid, educational programs, etc. should be addressed directly to Lone Star College and not to the Commission's office.
Accredited since 1976, Lone Star's accreditation was reaffirmed in 2012.
Board of Trustees
Position 1: David Holsey, D.D.S.
Position 2: Kyle A. Scott, Ph. D.
District 3: Alton Smith, Ed.D.
District 4: Art Murillo
Position 5: David A. Vogt
Position 6: Bob Wolfe, JD, CPA
Position 7: Linda S. Good, JD
Position 8: Ron Trowbridge, Ph. D.
District 9: Ken E. Lloyd
Stephen C. Head, Ph.D.
Austin Lane, Ph.D., Ed.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor
Chief of Staff, Board Liaison
Rand W. Key
CEO, Lone Star College-System Office at University Park
Keri Rogers, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs
Melissa Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor, Workforce & Economic Development
Vice Chancellor, External Affairs
Vice Chancellor, Administration & Finance/CFO
Vice Chancellor, College Services
Dr. Audre Levy
President, Lone Star College-CyFair
Dr. Katherine Persson
President, Lone Star College-Kingwood
Dr. Rebecca L. Riley
Interim President, Lone Star College-Montgomery
Interim President, Lone Star College-North Harris
Dr. Lee Ann Nutt
President, Lone Star College-Tomball
President, Lone Star College-University Park
We Make a Difference
Our graduates help keep our community safe
- We graduate 84% of all emergency first responders (fire, police, EMS)
- We train 60% of all health care workers
Lone Star College is the college of choice
- 1 in 4, or 25%, of May graduates from area high schools attend LSC in the fall
- 8,000+ high school students take dual credit courses, earning simultaneous high school and college credit, to accelerate their college completion
- Associate Degree graduates earn, on average, 25% more than high school graduates
- 78% of Texas bachelor’s degrees are awarded to students who attended a community college like LSC
We provide the education and training to meet area employers needs
- By 2018, 63% of all jobs will require postsecondary training. A strong workforce equals a strong community.
We provide educational programs for all ages
- Academy for Lifelong Learning for residents 50+
- Discovery College summer programs for youths
Lone Star College serves an area of more than 1,400 square miles with a population of 2.1 million including some of the fastest growing communities in the state. In the past four years alone, the LSC service area has grown by 176,000 people, more people than 39 U.S. states added during the same time period. An additional 242,000 people are expected to increase the region’s population to 2.55 million by 2019.
The workforce in the LSC area has grown by 9% in the past five years. From fall 2007 – fall 2013 LSC added more than 28,000 credit students — a 57% increase.
Community College Advantage
- We're close to home.
- We're affordable.
- We want you to succeed.
Careers. Not just jobs.
LSCS offers a wide variety of degree programs designed to prepare you for employment in a specific career. See the Programs We Offer
Start here. Transfer anywhere.
LSC Advisors can assist you in applying for admission, choosing courses that will transfer to your desired university, and assist you with the registration process. We're here for you! Learn How to Transfer to a University
1/5 the cost of UT Austin.
Consider this: Many students leave four-year universities with a diploma but empty pockets and the burden of school loans for years to come. With higher education costs on the rise, Lone Star College is one of the most affordable options today to earn a college degree, certificate or continuing education hours. See our Tuition & Fees
Budget 2014-2015 - $331,930,000
Funding Sources 2014-2015
Property Tax - $116,230,000
State Funds - $72,510,000
Other - $6,200,000
Auxiliary - $15,000,000
Tuition & Fees - $110,680,000
Property Tax Rates
Maintenance and Operations - $0.0765
Interest and Sinking - $0.0316
Tax Rate Total - $0.1081
BOND RATING - STANDARD & POOR'S AAA
Tradition of Excellence
Lone Star College has been opening doors to a better community for more than 40 years. With its beginnings in 1973, LSCS remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion.
In 1972, residents in the Aldine, Humble and Spring Independent School Districts elected to create a junior college district, which became known as North Harris County College. The college opens its doors in the fall of 1973 and the 16-member staff welcomed 613 students to the first classes held at Aldine High School.
Fast forward 40 years and Lone Star College has grown to six colleges, multiple centers and two University Centers with 83,000 credit students and a total of more than 95,000 students.
LSC is now the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and is one of the fastest-growing community college systems in the nation.
In 2008, Lone Star College became the new name for the North Harris Montgomery Community College District after months of deliberation and a polling process that included input from more than 5,000 participants from the community. The board of trustees voted unanimously to change the name to Lone Star College, which was the overwhelmingly favorite choice among those who participated.
The original three school districts have been joined by eight others: New Caney in 1981, Tomball in 1982, Conroe in 1991, Willis and Splendora in 1996, Klein in 1998, and Cypress-Fairbanks and Magnolia in 2000.
The Lone Star College System offices were relocated to their current location in The Woodlands in 2003. The Training and Development Center was added to serve as the home of the district's monthly board meetings as well as create an ideal learning facility for the college system and the community.
|Report Card to the Community|
|2012-2015 Strategic Goals|
|Economic Impact Report|
|What We Believe About Student Success|
|Completion Task Force Recommendations|
The SilverStar Newsletter is distributed to residents age 65+ in the Lone Star College service area. For more information, visit our Media Relations page.
Lone Star College System provides comprehensive educational opportunities and programs to enrich lives.
Lone Star College System is recognized globally as the premier community college for student success, innovation and partnerships. | <urn:uuid:68857b50-40f1-47b4-96a5-c2d26f09b608> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.lonestar.edu/about-lsc.htm | 2015-04-01T05:50:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131303502.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172143-00056-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916178 | 2,212 |
In August of 1924, hundreds of people gathered on the shores of New Bedford Harbor to see the last wooden whaling ship – the Wanderer – depart on what all knew to be its final voyage. It didn’t last long. Two days out to sea, the Wanderer was caught in a storm, and the last living vestige of American whaling was wrecked on the shores of Cuttyhunk Island.
In earlier and better times, New Bedford had been the undisputed whaling capital of the world. In its heyday in the 1840s the New Bedford fleet comprised over 60% of the world’s whaling vessels. The oil from leviathans hunted in all oceans of the world was used principally for lamps and candles. Globally renowned, New Bedford was one of the wealthier cities in the United States, known as ‘The City that Lit the World.’
But technology changed. In 1859, ‘Colonel’ Edwin Drake drilled his successful oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The discovery of cheap and widely available oil quickly led to the widespread use of kerosene in lamps, displacing the whale oil that had built New Bedford, and gradually bringing death to the whaling industry.
Now, nearly a century later, a new energy technology is being developed, and New Bedford seeks to claim its rightful place in this new energy era. In a strange evolution, those abundant winds upon which the whalers sailed have themselves now become the source of energy. And unlike the whales – hunted into nearly irreversible decline – the offshore wind resources are inexhaustible. So the Commonwealth of Massachusetts plans to harness the wind to meet today’s demand for electricity. With the help of the Port of New Bedford, the Commonwealth intends to build a Marine Commerce Terminal – costing as much as $100 million – to support a budding offshore wind industry that will be worth tens of billions of dollars for equipment manufacturers like General Electric, Siemens and American Superconductor, when mature.
It will not be an easy task. Yesterday’s wooden ships and whaleboats will give way to towers soaring hundreds of feet into the sky, carbon fiber blades the length of football fields, and turbines the size of small trucks. The turbines and blades being considered for the job will probably be in the neighborhood of 6-10 MW each (this compares with the turbines in offshore Europe which typically range between 3-6 MW today, and averaged 4 MW last year). These new windmills will be leviathans themselves – current wind turbine blades are maxed out at 75 meters, but the technology will soon be pushing 100 meters. Put another way, when three blades are combined with a tower, they will eclipse the Washington Monument in height by 50%.
These turbines have to be large. Since offshore costs are 2 to 3 times those on land, one needs to put in the biggest turbines possible to take advantage of the constant winds offshore. Both blades and turbines will have to get bigger, better, and stronger in order to harvest the maximum amount of energy at the lowest cost. For example, increasing the rotor diameter from 150 m (today’s largest blades) to 200 m (currently in development by at least one competitor) the blades will increase in length by 33%, but the swept area, which captures the wind energy, will increase by 78% (πR2). The move towards bigger turbines is clearly accelerating. In 2012, 31 companies announced plans for 38 turbine models. Of these, 76% were for turbines larger than 5 MW, and a few were as large as 10 MW or greater.
With these types of improvements, the DOE’s National Offshore Wind Strategy looks to lower costs to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020, with a long-term goal of 7 cents by 2030. Significant technological developments will clearly need to happen for this to occur. Each windmill will cost in the tens of millions of dollars. However, the energy extracted from thin air by these wind farms could well be worth billions, and create thousands of new jobs in the Commonwealth.
It’s an alluring story. And so, on a cold day this past January, I visited the Port of New Bedford at the invitation of Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, to learn more about the Commonwealth’s ambitious plans for the Marine Commerce Terminal and the offshore wind industry as a whole. As we strolled the pier with his staff and clambered down onto the beach, a seal swam just offshore between us and the silk curtains deployed to prevent winter flounder from spawning near the construction site.
Walking the shoreline, Secretary Sullivan and his team explained the aims of the Commonwealth and the specific details of the project. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has articulated a goal of developing 2,000 megawatts of wind energy by 2020, with most of it offshore. The offshore wind resource is considerable: A recent US Department of Energy survey indicates there is enough offshore wind to equal four times current US electric consumption, with 25% of that off the Northeastern US. In an effort to streamline the permitting process, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has identified two formal wind energy areas off the Massachusetts coast covering nearly 1,000 square miles, with leases to be offered for sale by competitive auction in 2013. Secretary Sullivan explained that these two areas alone contain the potential for 9,000 MW of wind energy. To put that number in context, New England’s highest peak demand for electricity tops out at just over 28,000 MW.
Turning that wind into energy will require the development of multiple wind farms and hundreds – if not thousands – of turbines. And if the European experience is anything to go by, it requires a significant investment in onshore infrastructure and supporting industries to make it happen. Massachusetts intends to position itself at the crux of this development, and is therefore moving ahead with the infrastructure to make this happen. The Commonwealth has already developed the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown, MA, just outside of Boston, where they are testing the enormous blade technologies necessary for offshore. The next step is to develop the requisite port facilities.
To that end, the Commonwealth recently issued a tender for construction of a 28-acre terminal, as well as dredging 47 acres of the harbor to the necessary depth. The actual terminal will be multi-duty, able to handle both the highly specialized needs of the offshore wind industry, as well as more generalized merchant shipping. Three bidders responded in time to meet the February 15th deadline, and selection of the contractor will occur shortly. The 1,000 foot extension to the existing South Terminal bulkhead will be the only one of its kind on the East Coast, reinforced with specialized steel, and built to withstand a pressure of 4,000 lbs per square foot. The affiliated crane will also be specialized as well to handle heavy and cumbersome loads.
The planners are not merely building for the needs of today’s industry, but rather for the requirements of the offshore wind industry in the decades to come. Everything is being supersized in anticipation of technology which may be on the drawing board but which does not exist today. They are also building with an eye to our possible climate future – in anticipation of projected sea level rise, the bulkheads will be 11’ (rather than 9’ of the surrounding piers) above sea level.
In order to allow passage for the required vessels (which are likely to cost up to $100 million each – base on the experience of offshore wind in Europe), the adjoining channel will be dredged to a depth of 30 feet. The avoidance of surprise is critical here: to ensure they know the level of work involved, and whether blasting would be required (probably not), over 60 borings have already been taken to ascertain both the strength of the bedrock upon which the bulkhead will be constructed as well as the material to be removed from the harbor. The bulkhead will be long enough to accommodate two ships plus two jack-up barges.
In the immediate future, it is probable that the ships arriving will be from European companies, carrying blades, towers and nacelles for the projects. The Europeans have been working offshore for years, and are currently the only ones with the expertise and know-how at this point. At the end of 2012, they have installed 1,662 turbines in 55 offshore wind farms, totaling 4,995 MW. Last year alone, 293 turbines were installed, totaling 1,166 MW, and representing investments estimated to be in the range of $4.5 to $6 bn. Many of these turbines have been installed in the unforgiving and harsh environment of the North Sea.
All of this equipment will be offloaded at the terminal. The value-added work taking place on shore will largely involve the electrical integration of the pieces. Once ready for assembly, the towers, blades, and nacelles housing the generators will be carried to sea on jack-up barges. These vessels are technological marvels themselves, involving a combination of buoyant hulls and movable legs that allow them to ascend to a desired height (as high as 150 feet above sea level). They are also expensive – the biggest of them go for nearly $100 million. Jack-up barges create the stable platforms necessary to drive the pilings for the towers 80 feet or more into the seabed, and secure the wind turbines.
Longer-term, if and when the industry gets a secure foothold, it is expected that the offshore wind companies will bring investments to the local area. Secretary Sullivan expressed optimism: “We think, from experience in Europe, that the tipping point is 2,000 MW in the pipeline. After that, the imported components will start to decrease and more manufacturing would take place here.” The result would be to establish the New Bedford and neighboring Fall River area as a core area for production of the various necessary inputs. Everybody from local shipbuilders to machine shops could benefit from the economic ripple effects.
Bob Mitchell, CEO of the Atlantic Wind Connection, a company looking to build out the transmission backbone linking the windfarms off the coast of New Jersey, feels that this on-shoring of the manufacturing capability is critical in the long run. “We need to get manufacturing on US soil. The range of cost saving, if that were to happen, is somewhere between 18 and 25%. That’s pretty dramatic.”
- Page 1 / 2 | <urn:uuid:f3f354df-36ae-4797-92ae-0601f782482e> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2013/02/21/in-a-bold-move-massachusetts-stakes-out-its-role-in-us-offshore-wind-development/ | 2015-03-26T23:44:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131293283.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172133-00124-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945775 | 2,167 |
Egypt's President Morsi Is Ousted From Power By Military
A huge celebration has begun in Egypt's Tahrir Square, after army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi proclaimed that Mohammed Morsi is out as president and the country's constitution has been suspended. The new plan calls for Egypt's chief justice to lead an interim government and set a date for early presidential elections.
The military announced the transition in a TV broadcast in which al-Sisi was accompanied by Mohamed ElBaradei, the leader of the liberal opposition to Morsi, as well as the imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque and the pope of the Coptic Church. Members of the youth group that led the charge against Morsi also attended.
Mass protests that have persisted since Sunday prompted Egypt's military to replace Morsi, who was democratically elected last year. The military had set a deadline of today for Morsi to come to a compromise agreement with his opponents. Instead, he remained defiant, insisting he would not resign.
As NPR's Parallels blog explains, "Egypt's military has played a dominant role in the country since a 1952 coup."
The coup led the U.S. State Department to warn U.S. citizens today "to defer travel to Egypt and U.S. citizens living in Egypt to depart at this time because of the continuing political and social unrest."
We're continuing to follow developments in the story.
Morsi and his supporters said earlier that they saw the army's demand as a de facto threat of a coup. On Morning Edition, NPR's Cairo bureau chief Leila Fadel said Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood supporters had vowed to "face a coup with martyrdom."
The anti-Morsi protesters who flooded Egyptian cities' streets in recent days said they wouldn't stop until the president resigned, Leila reported. Among the things fueling the protesters' discontent: the country's deep economic problems.
The military, meanwhile, has said it will "sacrifice even our blood for Egypt and its people, to defend them against any terrorist, radical or fool."
Gehad el-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood party, said Morsi was under house arrest at a Presidential Guard facility where he had been residing, and 12 presidential aides also were under house arrest, according to The Associated Press.
News outlets that are live blogging include:
-- The Guardian
-- BBC News
A related post on the Parallels blog: "Who's Who In The Egyptian Crisis."
All Things Considered also talked with NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Abdul Mawgoud Rageh Dardery about some of the questions surrounding Wednesday's coup.
Egypt's military must preserve the rights and safety of its citizens, President Obama says, in a statement issued Wednesday in which he called the situation in Egypt "very fluid."
"The voices of all those who have protested peacefully must be heard — including those who welcomed today's developments, and those who have supported President Morsy," Obama said. "In the interim, I urge all sides to avoid violence and come together to ensure the lasting restoration of Egypt's democracy."
The president also said he has order a review of the ouster's "implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt."
We've put the president's full statement in another post.
Update at 6:30 p.m. ET: Travel Warning Issued For Egypt
The State Department this afternoon warned U.S. citizens "to defer travel to Egypt and U.S. citizens living in Egypt to depart at this time because of the continuing political and social unrest."
Announcing the Travel Warning, the State Department added that it has ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave Egypt.
Update at 5:30 p.m. ET: No U.S. Aid After Coup, Leahy Says
The question of how the U.S. might adjust its political and financial dealings with Egypt could be a difficult one.
While acknowledging that Morsi's government "has been a great disappointment to the people of Egypt," Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Budget Committee for the State Department and Foreign Assistance, stated today that U.S. funds cannot continue after a coup.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Leahy says he hopes the military keeps its promise to allow civilians to govern the country. But he also said that "our law is clear: U.S. aid is cut off when a democratically elected government is deposed by military coup or decree."
While saying his committee would wait to see how things develop in Egypt, Leahy added, "As the world's oldest democracy, this is a time to reaffirm our commitment to the principle that transfers of power should be by the ballot, not by force of arms."
When the State Department outlined U.S. policy after a coup took place in Fiji in 2006, it said that while providing military and peacekeeping aid was forbidden, some aid could continue, "such as programs that deal with environmental issues, health issues such as HIV/AIDS and avian flu, counterproliferation, supporting refugees and support to non governmental organizations (NGOs)."
Update at 4:05 p.m. ET: Calling It A 'Coup'
Morsi's ouster may present a prickly situation to the U.S. government, reports NPR's Michele Kelemen, who notes that U.S. officials might hesitate to call the incident a coup.
"The U.S. would have to cut off aid to Egypt's military if it does determine this was a coup," Michele reports. She cites today's daily briefing at the State Department:
"Spokesperson Jen Psaki was asked to spell out the department's definition of a coup. She would only say, 'I'm happy to get you that, but I wouldn't ascribe, you know, specific words. Each scenario is different. And if you need our specific, formal, government definition, we'll get that around to everybody.' "
As for reaction elsewhere in Washington, the White House says Obama "is being updated by the National Security Staff" on the situation in Egypt, NPR's Scott Horsley reports.
Update at 3:45 p.m. ET: Morsi Rejects Coup, Urges Peace
Mohammed Morsi is using his official presidential Twitter account to respond to his removal from power by Egypt's military, which he says "represent a full coup categorically rejected by all the free men of our nation."
Morsi says the move "turns Egypt backwards."
But Morsi also"urges everyone to adhere to peacefulness and avoid shedding blood of fellow countrymen," according a tweet posted just before 3:40 p.m. ET.
Update at 3:15 p.m. ET: Morsi Is Out, Military Says
Military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says Morsi is out as president and that the country's constitution has been suspended. Egypt's chief justice will hold power during the transitional period and set a date for early presidential elections.
As the news spread, massive crowds gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square erupted in celebration.
Update at 2:35 p.m. ET: Egypt's New 'Roadmap' To Be Announced:
A new political "roadmap" for Egypt's shift from President Mohammed Morsi's rule to an interim government will be announced shortly, reports the Middle East News Agency, the official state agency. As of now, there has been no public reaction from Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egyptian state radio said that the transition plan is expected to be announced within an hour by Mohamed ElBaradei, the leader of the liberal opposition to Morsi, along with two clerics: the imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque and the pope of the Coptic Church. Members of the military and of the youth group that has led the charge against Morsi are also expected to attend.
Reuters reports that the plan, backed by Egypt's military, calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections, after an interim rule. Citing the army's Facebook page, Reuters says the army chief met with political and religious leaders Wednesday evening.
Update at 2 p.m. ET: U.S. Sides With The People, State Dept. Says
Insisting that the U.S. will not take sides in Egypt's conflict, U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki says, "We're on the side of the Egyptian people."
Psaki told reporters at today's daily news briefing that all sides of the clashes in Egypt need to listen to one another, and to the Egyptian public. She also said the U.S. is monitoring events closely, saying officials are "very concerned."
On Tuesday, Psaki said, "The reports that we have been urging early elections are inaccurate."
Following up on the reports that Morsi has been banned from traveling, Egyptian State TV is saying that all charter flights have been grounded — which would effectively bar travel by any officials.
Meanwhile, troops and equipment have been seen moving toward places in Cairo where Morsi's supporters have gathered and Reuters says "barbed wire [and] barriers" have been put around the "barracks where President Morsi [is] working. The wire service adds that the army says it is "securing the area only."
"A senior adviser to the president says an ultimatum was given to Morsi" by the military, NPR's Leila Fadel reports from Cairo. He was reportedly told: "resign or else." That adviser also tells Leila that Morsi refused. Note: The army has not commented on such reports and it's worth noting that the account is coming from the Morsi camp, which has an incentive to try to shape the story's narrative.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press is now reporting — as The New York Times' David Kirkpatrick did earlier — that the military has banned Morsi from traveling.
"For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let's call what is happening by its real name: Military coup," writes Essam al-Haddad, Morsi's assistant for foreign relations and international cooperation, on his Facebook page.
Those may be among "the last lines I get to post on this page," he also says.
From Cairo, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson sends us an English translation of the statement from Morsi.
In a statement on his official website, Morsi "remains defiant," The Guardian writes, but also suggests there could be a transition plan "based on constitutional legitimacy" (according to Al-Jazeera's translation).
"Egypt's military leadership has confirmed it has held talks with opposition figures and senior clerics, and that it will make a statement after the meeting," The Guardian writes.
Al-Jazeera is among several news outlets streaming live reports.
The Egyptian president believes it would be better to defend Egypt's democracy and die "standing like a tree" than to step aside, spokesman Ayman Ali has told Reuters.
According to Reuters, "Egyptian liberal opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei met army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday, two political sources said, hours before an army deadline for Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to yield to mass protests or quit. ... 'In the meeting, ElBaradei will urge the armed forces to intervene to stop the bloodshed,' one opposition source said."
ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. | <urn:uuid:d8bccc27-3dfc-4fca-9a18-978c13162eca> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://wesa.fm/post/showdown-egypt-wednesdays-developments | 2015-03-29T00:37:23Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298015.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00240-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968017 | 2,393 |
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7 August 2013
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Sights & Sounds – July 17Published Jul 17, 2013 at 7:20 am (Updated Jul 12, 2013 at 4:53 pm)
Whiskey Rebellion event
Woodville Plantation, Bridgeville, will hold a special weekend event July 20 and 21 to commemorate the anniversary of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.
Events will take place 3-6 p.m. July 20 and noon-5 p.m. July 21 at the living history museum.
On Saturday, Woodville and The Scott Conservancy will present the Fourth Annual Encampment and History Walk on Bower Hill, the site of the beginning of the Whiskey Rebellion. Interpreters will discuss and re-create the fateful events, and activities will include an encampment along the Tom the Tinker Trail, cooking demonstrations, musket firings and tactical demonstrations. At 3 p.m., a history walk will begin at the PA State Historical Marker on Bower Hill (near Kane Regional Center) and end at the Whiskey Point Trailhead. The walk covers approximately one mile. Topics covered include the Battle of Bower Hill, the participants of the battle and the Whiskey Rebellion. The walk is free and reservations are not required.
Sunday is Whiskey Rebellion Day, with interpreters portraying the troops as they make camp at Woodville to defended John Neville’s property. Learn what camp life was like and participate with the soldiers as they march and drill. Activities include battle reenactments, musket firing, music demonstrations, marching and ceremonial drills. Learn 18th century cooking techniques as Woodville’s cooks prepare dinner for the encamped troops. Visit with rebels encamped at the site and discuss the other side of the insurrection. Special admission price is $5 per person, and children under age 6 are free.
For more information, visit call 412-221-0348 or visit www.woodvilleplantation.org.
The Old Schoolhouse Players will present “Annie” July 19-28 at the Mt. Pleasant Twp. Community Center. Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. July 19, 20, 26, 27 and 3 p.m. July 21 and 28. For tickets, call 724-344-7467.
Solar Concert Series
The Sixth Annual Solar Concert Series – a project of SLB Radio Productions, Inc., the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the New Hazlett Theater – will feature live music performances powered by a solar-energy sound system at Buhl Community Park at Allegheny Square, in front of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Open to all ages, concerts take place from 12:15-1 p.m. Wednesdays in July and August.
Pittsburgh’s first green concert series will feature a diverse lineup of acoustic-based performances by emerging and established local musicians, including: The Squirrel Hillbillies (acoustic country and folk), July 24; Mark Dignam (original contemporary Irish and folk), July 31; The Josh & Gab Show (anti-bullying kid rock), Aug. 7; Members of Timbeleza (Brazilian batacuda drumming), Aug. 14; The Flow Band (reggae), Aug. 21; Crusic Percussion (percussion ensemble), Aug. 28.
For more information, visit: www.solarconcertseries.org.
The Meadows Racetrack & Casino announce its entertainment line-up for July with a mix of national and local performers. All shows are free admission.
• Silks Lounge – shows begin at 8 p.m.: Tony Janflone Jr. (variety/blues), July 19; No Bad JuJu (dance/variety), July 20; Smoke n Guns (Nashville chicks), July 26-27.
• Pacers Lounge: AJ Fresh and a country artist battle it out, 9 p.m. Fridays in July; AJ Fresh and his Fresh Girl-Club Music, 9 p.m. Saturdays in July.
For more information, visit www.meadowsgaming.com.
3rd Street Gallery, Carnegie, presents Frank Cunimondo & Patricia Skala in concert at 3 p.m. July 21. The concert will combine jazz, salsa and Brazilian-style music. Cost is $15.
Johnstonbaugh’s Music Centers, Bridgeville, will hold its Second Annual Ensemble Camp Concert at 7 p.m. July 27 at the Bridgeville Public Library.
The concert will feature the Woodwind Chamber Ensemble under the direction of Suzanne Levinson, and the Brass Ensemble under the direction of Ryan Wolf.
More than 40 elementary, middle and high school musicians from Chartiers Valley, South Fayette, Mt. Lebanon, Canon-McMillan, Carlynton, Upper St. Clair, West Allegheny, Keystone Oaks, West Jefferson Hills and St. Thomas More will perform.
The Woodwind Chamber Ensemble, consisting of two flutes and an oboe, will perform an eclectic mix of classical and modern popular music.
The Brass Ensemble will present Brass Camp: Los Bronces Latinos. Selections include music from “The Mask of Zorro,” hits by Carlos Santana, Latin tunes from Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” and Chick Correa’s jazz fusion piece, “La Fiesta.”
The concert is free and open to the public.
The Hollywood Theater’s July schedule, includes the return of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight on July 27. This is a special 35 mm screening and will include the Junior Chamber of Commerce Players, Pittsburgh’s official Rocky Horror floorshow cast. Get tickets at www.showclix.com/event/rockyhorrorjuly2013. Other events include:
• “Informant,” 7:30 p.m. July 18. Documentary.
• Breakfast and a Movie – “Rebel Without a Cause (1955),” 11 a.m. July 21. The light breakfast begins at 11 and the movie starts at 11:30. Tickets are $15 at the theater during regular operating hours and at www.showclix.com/event/breakfastandamoviejuly2013. Breakfast tickets must be purchased by July 18, or purchase movie tickets only for $7 at the door. “Rebel Without a Cause” screens again at 4 p.m. July 21, and it will be the Hollywood’s July Senior Movie Matinee showing at 2 p.m. July 25. Tickets for the senior matinee are $5 for all.
• “Broken,” 10 p.m. July 19; 9 p.m. July 29; 7 p.m. July 21. A brutal attack happens on a quiet avenue with a devastating impact on three families. The Sunday viewing is free to Hollywood Theater members.
• 48 Hour Film Project, 1 p.m. July 20 and 7 p.m. July 28. Both are $8 general admission, $6 students/kids/seniors.
• “The Artist and the Model,” 7:30 p.m. July 24. This new French-language Spanish drama takes place during the summer of 1943 in an occupied France.
Sign up at gathr.us/series/dormont-previews for a membership that costs $19 for a month or $49 for three months, for a savings off of the regular box office price, or pay the regular price of $7 at the door for any movie.
Call 412-563-0368 or check the Hollywood’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HollywoodTheaterDormont) and website (www.thehollywooddormont.org) for updates.
Pittsburgh CLO will hold auditions for the staged reading of the new musical “Judge Jack Justice, The Trails of Love,” directed by Van Kaplan. Principal actors must be available Sept. 30-Oct. 5.
Needed are five actors who can sing well.
Auditioners can meet by appointment, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 27 at the CLO Academy. Callbacks will be made by July 28. Call or email to schedule an audition time. Auditioners should prepare two songs of their best material; one up-tempo and one ballad. Bring legible sheet music in the correct key. Applications can be downloaded from www.pittsburghclo.org or picked up at the audition. Requests for an audition appointment should be emailed to [email protected].
If email is not available, call 412-281-3973 ext. 234.
‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) South Campus Theatre presents the Tony award-winning musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at 8 p.m. Aug. 1-3 and 9-10. The production also includes a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Aug. 11.
Set in Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century, “Fiddler on the Roof” follows the compelling personal journey of a Jewish patriarch as he struggles to maintain his family ties and cultural and religious traditions amid an atmosphere of social upheaval and religious persecution.
Tickets are $10 and are available at the door or by calling 412-469-6219. The CCAC–South Campus Theatre is located at 1750 Clairton Road in West Mifflin.
The Heritage Players will hold auditions for the musical “Oliver!” at 7 p.m. Aug. 3 and 4 at the Schoolhouse Arts Center, Bethel Park. Seeking ages 10 and up. Must do cold readings from the script. Prepare a song of your choice. Performances will take place Oct. 11-13 and 18-20 at the Seton Center, Brookline.
The Heritage Players will present its annual “Summer Broadway Revue” at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 and 15 at the Castle Shannon Municipal Center. Admission is $5. Box office opens one half hour before curtain. For more information, call 412-254-4633 or visit www.heritageplayers.org.
Relay’s Got Talent
Relay For Life of Peters Township will host Relay’s Got Talent from 3-5 p.m. Aug. 3 at Peters Township High School. Categories are vocal music, instrumental music and dance. There are three age groups: grades four-eight in the 2012-2013 school year, high school students and adults.
Judging will be by a panel of local celebrities and prizes will be awarded following the competition. Entry fee is $5, a donation to Relay For Life.
Deadline to enter is July 19 and any music tracks needed must be submitted by July 28. The theme is Carnival for Relay for Life of Peters Township and activities begin at noon Aug. 3 at the high school with an opening ceremony. There will be live music, carnival-style family-friendly games and festival foods.
The luminaria ceremony, which honors survivors and those who lost their battle with cancer, begins at 9 p.m. Luminaria may be purchased at the luminaria tent the day of the relay for $10. Pinwheels that can hold up to six names honoring or remembering someone affected by cancer are available in advance at the luminaria tent for $20.
For more information about the pinwheels or luminaria, contact Rita Reo at 724-263-9329. For those interested in forming a team for the relay, supporting a team, or who need more information about the teams or the talent show, call Margie Smith at 724-222-6911 or visit www.relayforlife.org/papeterstwp.
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department will offer a trip to “Noah the Musical” at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster on Oct. 12 for those 18 years of age and older.
Cost of $139 per person includes dinner, show and transportation.
Register by Aug. 26. Call 412-343-3409 for information. | <urn:uuid:4fbc774d-e8ba-48c7-8608-01baed1983cf> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20130717/LIFESTYLES04/130719955/0/SPORTS0601 | 2015-03-30T17:59:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299515.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00064-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904837 | 2,559 |
The following story is fiction about high school youths. The story contains scenes of spanking, strapping, shaving and gay sex. If these subjects are offensive, uninteresting or if you are a minor (i.e., child) please leave now.
This work is copyright by the author and commercial use is prohibited without permission. Personal/private copies are permitted only if complete including the copyright notice.
The author would appreciate your comments – pro and con, including constructive criticism, and suggestions. Please take a moment to e-mail
How I Got My School Letter
I was the team manager. I was only a junior and just sixteen but I had managed the JV team the year before and the guys were happy with the results. Mr. Engeldow, the school's coach, took care of the training, of course. I made sure that the cleanup was taken care of by a couple of towel boys so I wouldn't have to do that shit job. They were just freshmen (freshboys!) but they drooled like groupies hungry for rock band idols. Actually, it was good because it prevented a lot of grab-ass horseplay in the locker room. There was not any need to do that when there were a couple of eager boys about who would happily bend over, and not just to pick up something from the floor, anxious to please the gods, er, the team members. With ten randy HS seniors, I limited the actions in the showers to protect the laddies. That gave me an additional, although pleasant, task – saying who was to get what (whom) after practice and after the games. I used Jeffery and Timmy, the towel boys, as a reward for extra effort. They were great incentives.
I ran a tight ship, as the saying goes, and I used both carrots and sticks. The main carrots were the two boys as I already mentioned while the main stick was a stick. Well, not literally but a strap which I would use to roast the tail of any slackers. You may wonder why the guys would accept discipline from a dude at least a year younger, smaller and weaker then themselves. It was simple – they wanted to win. To do that they had to work together as well as working hard. They could accept stuff from me better than from any adult because they were adolescents constantly fighting with their dads and teachers for dominance. I wasn't threatening so they listen to me.
The coach pretended not to know what was going on. He wanted to be the coach of the winning team and was happy to skirt the regulations. School policy forbade the use of CP by the faculty but consensual stuff was a different matter. He was quite happy to concentrate on what he loved – training the guys hard to be winners (so he could bask in their glory). It was a win-win situation for all. Even for the towel boys were happy for they got, er, quality time with the senior hunks they drooled over. They, too, were subject to the strap and even boyish OTK spanking when appropriate.
The towel boys learnt the importance of keeping to their commitments the very first week. Jeffery was late twice and Timmy was spending far too much time staring at his personal gods in the shower. I had to take prompt action to get them back on course and to make sure that the team members knew that I was totally purposeful and that they should keep on their toes. With the team watching, I gave both of them a lecture and told them that they would be spanked. Since their duties required them to be in the shower area, they were both naked as, incidentally, were the team members and myself. It was a practice that I encouraged as it helped bonding and thus team performance.
Jeffery accepted his fate stoically even though he was the younger of the two and had barely started puberty. He did not resist as I lowered him over my lap and got a firm grip on his waist. He took hold of a leg of the bench and placed his other hand on the floor and then without prompting said: "Ready for my spanking, Sir." I hoped that he did not notice that my cock twitched at that but I was absolutely delighted at the great example he was showing his total acceptance of the team's discipline. I gave him a couple of love pats and then started to spank him for real. I gave him ten hard spanks on each cheek which turned his butt a nice rosy red. Several of the team members were sporting full hard ons by them and none of the others were limp. When I let him up he thanked me for the spanking and promised to be on time. He only took a few steps when one of the team members, Jack, grabbed him and held him close. I'm sure that he could feel the dude's hard cock pressing at him and was happily anticipating what Jack planned.
Timmy was different. He objected to being spanked like a little boy OTK and I had to remind him that he was the "Towel Boy". That did not convince him to cooperate and then he protested that he already had pubes and should be strapped like a young man. I asked the team: "Do boys get strapped?" and they said no. After that he yielded to me and went over my lap like Jeffery had. Timmy tried to be stoic but he wasn't and after a few spanks was complaining. By the time I stood him up with his hot-red bottom glowing, he was sobbing.
I asked a few question of the team. "Do young men cry?"
"No!" and "Never!" were the responses.
I queried again: "Do boys have pubes?" and again they said no.
"OK, Timmy, the team has spoken. You are not entitled to have pubes." He was horrified. "Ask someone to shave you – here and now or I'll do it." It was not necessary to tell him that if he refused, he would be replaced so he made a selection. I guess if something unpleasant is going to happen, having it done by one's favorite god would less unpleasant.
Everyone went into the shower and Matt turned one on and got Timmy's crotch wet. He used the regular soap on it and then the safety razor I handed him.. There was not much to shave away and it went fast. He was rinsed off in front as Matt soaped up his crack and bent him over for his own pleasure. Timmy was very docile as he yielded to the big team member he had chosen. He also enjoyed being fucked based on the joyful sounds he made.
During the shaving, Jeffery was also happily sucking Jack's hard shaft and then he also bent over and got properly fucked. Both towel boys had now been introduced to their primary duties of keeping the team happy. I had eight more horny team members who want to get off and I selected four to get bj's as a reward for extra effort on the field during the day's practice.. My rules limited each towel boy to one fucking and two bj's per day. Rationing made the rewards more valuable to the recipients.
* * * * * * * * * *
Things were going smoothly and the team worked well together. The towel boys provided that extra incentive to put out (sorry, pun not intended) for the good of all. The two boys were also very happy for they got a lot of hard, hot cock from their heros. There was a little joking that I should have had gotten a towel girl also, but that quickly became a stale joke. The het dudes really did not want to share their chicks, like they did with the boys, with the other team members.
Occasionally, I had to deal with a team member for some failing. The naughty one was certainly not thrilled with this happening but owning up and getting one's due helped to cement to team cohesiveness. When Chad messed up, he was a wonderful example. He accepted his lecture well and then apologized to his team mates. He even went back to his locker and got his own belt which was heaver than mine to show how he accepted his guilt and had a high level of penitence. He presented his butt for the strap with as much dignity as if he was getting a medal. I got into position and with his folded belt started to strap him. Even before the red stripe was noticeable, Chad said: "One. Thank you Sir." He did this for each cut and when his butt was red-hot at the end, again apologized to his fellow team members.
It was a perfect example of the solidarity I had been striving for and he was truly forgiven by his team mates.
It would be nice to report that every time a team member got strapped he acted that well but that really was not the case especially near the beginning. What I'm most pleased to report is that we were doing very well and had a record of eight wins in nine tries.
* * * * * * * * * *
After that ninth game the team was depressed because before it they had their sights on a perfect ten-for-ten season. The tenth game was scheduled against a weak team so the ninth was the last real game that was a tight contest. What made it extra depressing was that we lost it because the coach messed up. There are lots of rules in the league and the coach managed to break one. The referee called a technical foul on the team and awarded the ball to the opposition and they regrettably scored. Engeldow had managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. As long as we won the last game, we would still be the champs, although not having a perfect record was depressing.
After the game the Coach came to the locker room and apologized to the team for his great blunder. I don't know who yelled it out but some did. "If one of us had done that, his butt would be strapped – hard." The mood instantly became even grimmer and everyone was silent waiting to see what the Coach would say. We must have waited three minutes with everyone silently glaring at the Coach before he spoke.
Engeldow did not prevaricate and just said it like a man should. "Strap me." He pulled his belt off and handed it to me.
"Drop 'em and bend over that bench." I said. Then I got into position and gave him a good set of five which left his big fat ass bright red. He took it very well without much more than a grunt or two. "Everyone gets two cuts." I announced handing the belt to a team member.
They each gave two hard cuts to the Coach and it was clear that they were angry but this was definitely lightening up the mood. I could see how hard it was for the Coach for his knuckles were white from gripping the bench so tightly. When all ten had delivered their two cuts, I was given the belt back. I beckoned to the two towel boys and they also gave him two cuts each. I finished up the strapping with another two cuts and told the Coach to get up.
"That hurt." he said. He got a round of applause.
"It supposed to." I said. "Showers everyone." The team stripped down and went to shower while the Coach retired to his office.
We won our last game and were the champs. Everyone was happy and we all got school letters.
© Copyright A.I.L. March 7, 2010
Your comments are appreciated. [email protected]
See more of my stories at: Nifty's Prolific Net Authors
and on my web site: http://www.asstr.org/~YLeeCoyote/ | <urn:uuid:bcec4c86-c5ea-4a37-9190-4fbd565b5642> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/how-i-got-my-school-letter.html | 2015-03-27T05:25:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131295084.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172135-00248-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.995095 | 2,436 |
Lipman suggests City Council play more active role on county jail front; priority should be placed on meeting all state & federal standards
LACONIA — City Councilor Henry Lipman (Ward 3), who chairs the Finance Committee, this week suggested that the City Council take an initiative to loosen the logjam that has stalled discussion of the future of the county jail by calculating what the city can afford to contribute to the project.
In 2013, the city, which budgets within the bounds of a property tax cap, bore 18.9-percent of county tax commitment and would bear the same share of annual debt service carried by the county to fund the cost of a new or renovated jail. When Ricci-Greene Associates presented a proposal for a facility of 184 beds and a community corrections component with an estimated cost of $42.5 million to the Jail Planning Committee, the City Council wrote to the Belknap County Commission expressing concern at the cost.
"We've got to make some progress," Lipman said, "and we've got to get something done." He indicated that the highest priority is to ensure that the facility complies with all state and federal standards by providing a structure that is "safe for both jail inmates and corrections officers."
Addressing his fellow councilors on Monday, Lipman said he considered rehabilitative programming, which requires additional space and personnel, as "step two."
Lipman said that by by reviewing the city's outstanding debt and annual debt service, the council could determine an amount or a range of amounts of additional principal and interest payments the city could carry. "We can say this is what we can afford," he said. "The number would not be an absolute post in the ground, but I think it would help move the ball."
So far discussion about the jail has been largely confined to the Belknap County Commission and its Jail Planning Committee, on the one hand, and the Belknap County Convention, on the other, and has reached a stalemate. Lipman ventured that an initiative by the City Council might change the course of the dialogue.
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 July 2014 12:42
GILFORD — A transient 18-year-old broke into a woman's house on Breton Road at 3:30 a.m. yesterday morning, startling her as she was asleep in her bedroom.
The victim said she woke and found a young man she identified as Isaiah Hughes in her bedroom. She said the two briefly struggled and the assailant was able to get away from her. Police said the victim got a small cut on her hand but was able to tear intruder's shirt sleeve.
Police said yesterday that Hughes and the victim are known to one another but declined to elaborate. The victim told police who they were seeking.
Affidavits obtained from the 4th Circuit Court, Laconia Division said the victim contacted her mother who told her that Hughes was on her porch at an address on Old Lake Shore Road.
Two police officers went to the house on Old Lake Shore Road and made contact with Hughes, who they said had blood on his hand and was shoeless. They told him he was being detained but he ran from them.
The two officers struggled with Hughes who they said was actively trying to get away from them. After a short struggle he was taken into custody.
Police verified his identification by conducting a K-9 track from the victim's house to where he was found.
Police allegedly found Hughes's shoes, two backpacks and a coin jar and food that they believe he allegedly stole from the victim's home.
Hughes was already out of bail after being charge with theft by unauthorized taking on June 2 for allegedly stealing from Walmart, and for unlawful possession of alcohol — a bail violation — from June 21.
Hughes faces one new count of burglary, resisting arrest, and breach of bail.
While he has no criminal record, Gilford Police asked Judge Jim Carroll to hold Hughes on $10,000 cash-only bail because his recent behavior indicates he is unwilling or unable to obey the law and that he is a dangerous threat to the general public.
Judge Carroll ordered him held on $1,000 cash bail for the burglary and $5,000 personal recognizance bail for the misdemeanors.
He is order to stay away Breton Road and Walmart.
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 July 2014 12:36
LACONIA — City officials yesterday shuttered a four-unit apartment building at 145-147 Union Avenue, displacing five adults and eleven children, where Fire Chief Ken Erickson, who serves as the city's health officer, said they found numerous violations of the fire code and sanitary conditions he described as "deplorable."
Erickson, who spent several hours in the building with Code Enforcement Officer Steve McClusker, said that smoke detectors were not working, while corridors and doorways were obstructed, in some cases by clothes dryers that were installed in hallways. He said that garbage and debris was strewn about the four units and common spaces, which were "infested with flies."
Erickson said that officials were drawn to the building by complaint from the mother of a male tenant who lived there with his father. The building was immediately evacuated, its power disconnected and posted as "uninhabitable," Erickson said.
Residents of two of the four units received rental assistance from the Laconia Housing Authority (LHA) under the federal government's so-called Section 8 program. Erickson said that Dick Weaver, executive director of the LHA, "was shocked to see what his agency was paying for" after walking through the building.
Although the city welfare officer was on hand to arrange shelter for the residents, Erickson said that some chose to stay with friends or relatives and two went to the Carey House, the nearby shelter operated by the Salvation Army, but none sought assistance from the city.
Erickson said that repeated attempts to contact the owner of the building "came to no avail."
According to city records the building has been owned by Walter and Janet Hutchinson doing business as WJK Realty Corporation, with the address of a post office box at Winnisquam, New Hampshire, since June, 2004.
WJK Realty also owns a property at 322 Union Avenue and a building with commercial space and residential units at 322 South Main Street. Walter Hutchinson is listed as the owner of a single-family home at 34 Doloff Street and Janet Hutchinson as the owner of a three-unit residential building at 46 Winter Street.
"We're forming a task force to go after the irresponsible landlords aggressively," Erickson said. He noted that city officials will work closely with the LHA, which intends to withhold rent assistance for housing units that fail to pass inspection by the city. "We're going to make sure they clean up or have no tenants."
Noting that that there are many conscientious and responsible landlords in the city, Erickson said "if you're going to be a property owner in the city of Laconia, "you're going to have to do it the right way.
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 July 2014 12:29
by Thomas P. Caldwell
ALEXANDRIA — Well in excess of 100 sign-carrying opponents of wind power from five local towns lined the road in protest when the project developer and attorney for EDP Renewables arrived July 15 at the Alexandria Town Hall to seek a building permit for a meteorological tower.
Jennifer Tuthill of Alexandria, wife of Selectman George Tuthill, said she and the other protesters were there "to show this multinational company that we want no part of it".
Residents had voted against allowing wind farms in the town in 2013 and, this year, they passed a "rights based ordinance" or RBO that claimed the authority to regulate what happens in the town, specifically banning "unsustainable energy systems".
EDP Attorney Mark Beliveau told the Board of Selectmen, "We don't believe the rights based ordinance is enforceable ... but even if it is, it addresses a wind farm, not a meteorological tower, which is a passive collection structure." He went on to note that the RBO refers to projects controlled by state and federal authorities, while the 80-meter tower EDP is proposing does not fall under those jurisdictions.
"We applied for a building permit," he reminded the town fathers.
Later in the meeting, resident Bob Piehler, a strong opponent of wind power, contradicted the attorney, saying they also had applied for a permit from the Federal Aviation Authority, proving there is federal oversight.
"This is Trojan horse," Piehler said. "Once this is in, they will have control of the road, and they're looking to take out local control."
Beliveau's argument centered on the conditional approval the selectmen had given a year ago, subject to five conditions. The company had met four of the conditions prior to Tuesday's meeting and the final condition — the posting of a $34,000 decommissioning bond — was what brought the company to town this week.
"Now that you have the bond, we believe that satisfies all five conditions," Beliveau said.
When Selectman Tuthill said it troubled him to say so but he agreed that the company had met its obligations, Beliveau commented, "I understand the opposition to the wind farm, but this is a small, passive, data collection structure, and I suggest you review it for what it is: a meteorological tower. The decision is really administrative, and personal opinions should not play a part."
Selectman Michael Broome, who came on board this year, said that, in light of the citizens' opposition and the RBO, he would not sign the permit. When Tuthill made a motion calling upon the selectmen to affirm that the five conditions had been met, he did not receive a second, and the hall erupted in applause.
Beliveau responded with a remark indicating that the decision would be challenged on the basis of members' bias.
The meteorological tower had been proposed to determine the viability of a wind project on the private property for which EDP had entered into a seven-year lease agreement last year. Known as the Spruce Ridge Project, the proposal would cover land in Alexandria, Groton, Hebron, and Orange and involve 15 to 25 turbines at a proposed cost of $140 million, producing 60 megawatts of power.
Project Manager Derek Rieman said all talk of a wind farm is premature, as they first need to determine the project's viability; but when challenged on why they would pursue the matter in the face of so much local opposition, Rieman said, "We're pursuing a clean energy project here."
Sue Cheney of Alexandria commented, "You say the met tower is passive, but it's here for one purpose, and that's not passive."
Carl and Paul Spring of Groton, who live on Groton Hollow Road which has become the access road for the Groton Wind Farm, already in place, said before the meeting that wind energy is not clean at all.
"We saw that project from Day 1," Carl Spring said. "Our quiet, country road is now as busy as the Hooksett toll booth, almost. Every day, there are trucks going by, doing everyday business, troubleshooting the problems the wind farm has had, and there are garbage, linen, and FedX trucks going by four to five times a day. It has opened up the mountain to logging. I'm a logger myself, but they're going clear into the wilderness area. There goes our forest canopy. And the water in the streams is black, or like chocolate milk. They say, 'It wasn't us,' but those of us who have lived there for a while never saw that kind of sediment in the streams before."
The Springs also spoke of the noise of the turbines. "They say it's low-decible, and it is, but so is a mosquito, and they can keep you awake. We can't sit in the front yard without hearing the whoosh or the jet engine noise. You hear it continually, and it's never going to go away."
Jim Lawrence, a former representative to the N.H. House from Hudson, who is running for U.S. Congress, took the public comment period as an opportunity to state his continued opposition to wind farms. "If I'm elected," he said, "I will continue to fight this every step of the way."
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 July 2014 12:22
- Laconia schools giving up on growing grass from seed on Bobotas Field
- Negotiations involving Laconia police union still ongoing
- City's Motorcycle Week revenue was off 14%
- Correction: Joshua Fox never lived at 918 North Main Street
- Clarification: Laconia Shoe at S&W from 1972-1987
- Gilford man alleged to have hit girlfriend wiht car | <urn:uuid:1d8cf134-63b7-4a75-afb1-f126bbc9e3c9> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.laconiadailysun.com/index.php/newsx/local-news?start=1328 | 2015-03-30T23:04:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300031.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00188-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978634 | 2,690 |
The query optimizer is one of the most complex pieces of code in the SQL Server database engine. The optimizer's job is to generate a query plan, which is a set of steps that SQL Server will take to carry out a user query. The optimizer makes decisions such as which indexes to use for each table, which join method to use and in which order to process the joined tables, whether to build an internal worktable to hold intermediate results, whether to perform an internal sort, and whether to run the query on multiple processors.
In the next few months, I'll tell you about many of the changes to SQL Server's query optimizer that Microsoft introduced in the last two releases. This month, I look at the optimizer's background and describe ways the optimizer has changed. In upcoming articles, I'll show you examples of queries that are optimized differently in SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 than in previous releases and that perform better because of the changes.
The Old Days
Before SQL Server 7.0, the optimizer had very few choices to make. It evaluated each possibly useful index and either chose one of them or chose to perform a table scan. SQL Server could process a JOIN operation in only one way, so the optimizer needed to decide only the order in which to join the tables. SQL Server could process GROUP BY and DISTINCT queries in only one way, and a query couldn't run on multiple processors.
The optimizer in SQL Server 6.5 and earlier releases was so straightforward that once you understood the way it worked and the way SQL Server could use indexes, you could predict fairly accurately what the query plan would (or should) be, even before running the query. If the optimizer didn't produce the plan you thought it should, you could enable a couple of trace flags to see the steps that the optimizer took to determine the plan and all the potential plans the optimizer considered. In addition, the optimizer had so few choices to make that if it didn't make the best choice, Microsoft considered it a bug. In effect, you had an implied guarantee that the optimizer's query plan was always the best plan.
For SQL Server 7.0, Microsoft completely rewrote the optimizer and added many query-processing techniques. The updated optimizer was completely modular so that as Microsoft developers added new processing techniques to the product, they could easily amend the optimizer to consider each new technique in any query plan.
The query optimizer in SQL Server 7.0 and later releases is orders of magnitude more complex than its predecessors. SQL Server can use so many different processing strategies that, for many queries, it's almost impossible to predict which plan the optimizer will choose. These releases also have no equivalent to the trace flags that showed you the plans the optimizer was considering, probably because the optimizer goes through hundreds of thousands of steps to choose each plan, so the output of such trace flags would be too complex to use.
As I mentioned, before SQL Server 7.0, you had a kind of guarantee that the optimizer would find the best plan to process your query as long as the optimizer had all the information it needed. If you, as a programmer, could use a query hint and make the query perform better, it meant that the optimizer hadn't come up with the best plan, and Microsoft usually considered this to be a bug. SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 carry no such guarantee, either implicit or explicit. In these releases, the optimizer's goal is to find a "good-enough" plan. In most cases, this plan will be the best—but not always.
You can think of the current optimizer's processes for coming up with a query plan as cyclical, with each iteration of the cycle trying a more complex plan. For example, the first iteration might evaluate the cost of using only each table's clustered index and a simple nested-loop join. If that approach doesn't produce a good plan, the optimizer might evaluate nonclustered indexes, then different join methods, then try using multiple indexes.
As the optimizer evaluates increasingly complex plans, it calculates the cost-benefit ratio of continuing to search for a better plan than any it has found so far. For example, suppose the optimizer spends 1ms finding a plan that it estimates will take 30ms to execute, then determines that it might find a plan that would run in 25ms—but finding it would take 2 more seconds. SQL Server will usually decide that the cost of continued searching isn't worth the benefit. So, it uses the plan that takes 30ms, which the optimizer decided was good enough.
If you think that plan isn't good enough, you could try modifying your query with hints. You might find that by using hints to force SQL Server to use particular indexes and join methods, you can reduce the execution time to 25ms. The fact that you can find a faster plan is no longer considered an optimizer bug; it's a choice. It was SQL Server's choice to stop the optimizer from continuing to search for a better plan. And you have a choice, too—whether to use the hint in your code for that 5ms performance gain.
Can You Take a Hint?
I don't intend to fully explain all the query hints you can use when writing SQL Server queries. Not all hints affect the plan that the query optimizer chooses; quite a few query hints control the locking mechanisms that SQL Server uses when executing a query, so they're irrelevant to this discussion. However, I want to make sure you understand a couple of important details about hints.
First, a hint isn't really a hint as we know it. In English, a hint is a gentle suggestion, but in SQL Server terms, a hint is more like an order. Unless the order is physically or logically impossible, SQL Server will obey any hint you give it.
Also, bear in mind that a hint that improves your query performance today might make it worse tomorrow. Once you use a hint to tell SQL Server how to process your query, you lose all benefit of the incredibly sophisticated query optimizer. A change in your data distribution because of updates or batch loads might mean that the hinted query plan is no longer optimal, but the optimizer can't decide to disregard the hint and come up with a better plan.
Running the Numbers
One of the most important things the query optimizer needs for decision-making is accurate, up-to-date statistical information about your data values and their distribution. Although the way that SQL Server tracks statistics has changed over the years, the idea is still the same. Statistics give the optimizer a way to make an educated guess about an index's usefulness.
For example, you're probably familiar with the basic structure of a nonclustered index, in which the leaf level has a pointer (also called a bookmark) for every data row in the table. Suppose you have a nonclustered index on a field called lastname. Every lastname value in the table, including duplicates, is in the leaf level of the index, and a pointer indicates where to find that row in the table. The last names in the index's leaf level are in order, so all the names that start with Mc are near each other. However, the corresponding table rows might be on separate data pages, possibly spread out over dozens of pages. A query to find all those surnames might look like this:
SELECT lastname, firstname, address, phone FROM PeopleTable WHERE lastname LIKE 'Mc%'
In general, a nonclustered index is useful only if you need to access a very few rows through the index. If you need to access a lot of rows, scanning the whole table might be more efficient because SQL Server wouldn't have to follow all the bookmark pointers. How many rows are "a lot" depends on many factors, including the size of the table, the percentage of rows to be accessed, and the number of rows that fit on a page. I've found that if a query needs to access less than 1 percent of a table's rows, SQL Server can effectively use a nonclustered index that helps locate those rows. Of course, that's just a ballpark figure; every query and index will have their own cutoff point. (For more details about the use of indexes, see my July 2001 column, "Are You in Tune?" InstantDoc ID 21038.)
How can SQL Server know, before your query has executed, whether the table contains a lot of names that start with Mc or only a few? The answer is that it can get an estimate by examining the index statistics. As I mentioned, the format of statistics changed completely in SQL Server 7.0 and again in SQL Server 2000. For details about how SQL Server 2000 stores statistics, see the Microsoft white paper "Statistics Used by the Query Optimizer in Microsoft SQL Server 2000" at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library /default.asp?url=/library/techart/statquery .htm. My October 2001 column, "Statistically Speaking," InstantDoc ID 22075, contains additional information about how SQL Server uses index statistics.
For DBAs, one of the most welcome additions that Microsoft made in SQL Server 7.0 was automatic statistics updates. Before SQL Server 7.0, a DBA had to remember to update the statistics on indexes every time data volumes and distribution changed. For example, if last week you had half a dozen customers in Arkansas and you ran a query looking for customers in that state, a nonclustered index on state might have been useful. This week, you acquired two Arkansas-based companies whose customer lists contain thousands of names. Now, using the index that was appropriate last week might give horrible performance. The optimizer in SQL Server 6.5 wouldn't know about the new Arkansas customers unless you manually updated the statistics. Worse, you had no way to update all the statistics in a database. You could use the UPDATE STATISTICS command on only one table at a time, and you'd have to write your own procedure to access every table in the database if you wanted to update all database statistics as part of regular maintenance.
SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 have a database setting called auto update statistics that's set to TRUE by default. Every time an internally defined percentage of values in an index changes, the optimizer updates statistics before trying to determine the optimal plan. In addition, SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 have a stored procedure called sp_updatestats that updates the statistics on every index in the current database.
A related feature Microsoft added in SQL Server 7.0 lets you exclude individual indexes from automatic statistics updates. You can use the WITH NORECOMPUTE option with the UPDATE STATISTICS command to override the database setting of auto update statistics for individual indexes. These options give you almost total control over index-statistics updates.
Put the Optimizer to Work
The optimizer is now so modular and so easy to enhance that Microsoft frequently adds query-processing techniques in service packs without mentioning them in the README file. For most people, that's not a problem. If SQL Server starts performing better after an update to a new service pack, most people won't complain. However, for someone like me who writes and speaks about the optimizer and the various query-processing techniques, it means a recheck of all my demos and sample files after every service-pack upgrade to make sure that my query plans are what I expect them to be. I don't always remember to do this, and I've been taken by surprise in front of an audience more than once. Next month, I'll tell you about some optimizer changes that have caused me embarrassment. And I'll show you some examples of queries that take advantage of these and other improvements in SQL Server. | <urn:uuid:83beb584-5fd4-4717-bec9-4ac6875e049a> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://sqlmag.com/print/t-sql/inside-optimization | 2015-03-27T12:23:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131296383.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172136-00080-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937722 | 2,444 |
Spring Flowering Bulbs: Daffodils
Division of Plant Sciences
Few garden plants give as much pleasure with as little effort as daffodils. They are one of the most vigorous and colorful flowers of spring. With good drainage they thrive in most soils, although they prefer a medium-heavy loam.
Planting of naturalized daffodils.
Daffodil, narcissus or jonquil?
Much confusion has existed over the proper name for these plants. Actually, both daffodil and narcissus are correct. Narcissus is the generic botanical name given these plants in 1753. In England, however, the plants commonly were known as daffodils. This term was carried to other countries by English-speaking people. Jonquil refers to a specific kind of narcissus, and is not correct for the group in general. True jonquils have a reedlike leaf and sweet-smelling flowers. Narcissus, then, is the correct botanical name for the genus; daffodil is the correct common name for all members of the genus; and jonquil correctly refers to one particular division of the genus.
Parts of the daffodil flower.
Parts of the flower
The daffodil flower is distinctive in form and consists of a central whorl of tepals (the corona) surrounded by a ring of petals (Figure 1). Daffodils may be separated into 13 major divisions based on several distinctive forms of the flower (Figure 2).
Corona, trumpet or cup
The center part of the flower, which may range from a long, tubular part to a short, flattened disc. If the corona is longer than the petals, it is commonly referred to as a trumpet; if it is shorter, it is known as a cup.
The circle of three petals and three sepals surrounding the central cup or trumpet.
Length of perianth segment
Refers to the petal length from its junction with the corona to its tip.
Length of the corona
Measured from its junction with the petal to the end of its furthest extension when flattened out.
Perhaps the most exacting need of daffodils is good drainage. Bulbs planted in poorly drained locations become weakened, fail to flower and often develop bulb rots. Bulbs in locations that remain moist during summer when soils are very warm develop rots easily. If drainage cannot be improved, raised beds should be built for the daffodils
Daffodils must have sunlight to continue to develop and flower year after year. Since much of their growth is completed before trees fully leaf out, they may be grown beneath trees. In such locations, they may need additional water and fertilizer to compete with tree roots. Plant them where they get at least a half day of sunlight. Avoid north sides of buildings and tall, dense trees such as evergreens.
Because of their need for well-drained conditions, they grow poorly in tight soils that have poor internal drainage even though a location with good surface drainage has been chosen. The natural soil type should not deter anyone from growing daffodils, however, as soils may be improved.
Since the base of the bulbs should be set 5 to 6 inches below the soil surface, and since root feeding is below that level, soil should be worked deeply — about 10 to 12 inches. Light soils generally will not need many amendments, but in heavy clay soils add liberal quantities of coarse sand and some organic material such as peat moss or leaf mold. Animal manures tend to encourage the development of basal rot. In tight soil, as much as six bushels of organic material per 100 square feet of bed area may be added.
Daffodils do not require heavy fertilization. When preparing the beds, use 2 to 3 pounds of a complete garden fertilizer such as a 6-24-24 or other fertilizer with a 1:4:4 or 1:3:3 N-P-K ratio. Incorporate this fertilizer into 100 square feet of soil along with the sand and organic material. Packaged bulb food is convenient to use. When planting bulbs in clumps rather than beds, about a handful of fertilizer per 12 bulbs will be adequate. Be sure to mix the fertilizer thoroughly with the soil. Never place it directly in the bottom of the hole. A high fertilizer concentration can kill newly emerging roots and promote bulb rots.
Where to plant
Daffodils are suitable for the shrub border, perennial beds and among groundcovers. They should be planted in groups of three to a dozen bulbs of one variety for the best effect. They are especially suitable for planting in front of evergreens that provide background and wind protection. Those planted near the house foundation in a southern exposure or those on a southern slope generally flower earlier than the same variety in another location.
Time to plant
Daffodils must have time to develop a good root system before cold weather sets in and the soil freezes. For this reason, planting before mid-October is generally best. In areas where cold weather arrives late, planting as late as Thanksgiving may still give good results. Select large, firm, healthy bulbs to get the most from your planting.
Daffodils should be spaced 6 to 12 inches apart. For a quick display, the closer spacing should be used. Close spacing will require digging the bulbs about every three to five years. If you prefer to leave bulbs in one location longer, the wider spacing should be used.
Depth of planting
Daffodils should be planted so the base of the bulb is about 6 inches below the soil surface. In light soils, bulbs may be planted about 8 inches deep.
Mulching daffodils helps keep soil temperature uniform, keeps down weeds and prevents mud spatter on the flowers during heavy spring rains. Pine needles, wood chips, shredded bark and aged sawdust are all good mulching materials. Peat moss tends to shed water and it splashes blooms badly during hard rains.
Daffodils must have good moisture to flower well. If rainfall is deficient, be sure to water bulbs well after planting and during the fall so that they can develop good roots. If the autumn or winter is dry or if the daffodils are planted under trees, be sure to give additional moisture.
Daffodils need little care during the early spring. Established bulbs should be fertilized lightly each spring just as the leaves begin to come through the soil. Scatter a handful of a garden or bulb fertilizer lightly around each clump. Be careful not to get it on the new leaves or they may be burned. If any gets on the foliage, wash it off promptly. In naturalized areas, spread the fertilizer uniformly over the surface and water it in.
Both during and after flowering, daffodils need plenty of moisture to make active growth. During the summer, when the bulbs are dormant, they should remain fairly dry. Therefore, unless they are removed, daffodils should not be planted in beds that are heavily watered in summer.
The leaves manufacture the food that is stored in the bulb and helps produce flowers the following year. Foliage should be allowed to remain on the plant undisturbed for eight weeks after bloom. After that period, it can be removed by hand-picking. The use of a knife or scissors to remove foliage encourages the spread of virus diseases and should be avoided. Tying the leaves together cuts down the amount of light they receive and reduces food production. When planted in borders, mix daffodils with daylilies, ferns or other plants that partially hide the foliage but still allow it to manufacture food for the bulb. Flower heads should be promptly removed to prevent seed production.
If bulbs have not been planted too close together, daffodils need digging only about every five to 10 years. Usually, when flowering is reduced or flower size becomes smaller, the time for digging and dividing has come.
Dig the bulbs while the foliage is dying and can still be seen so bulbs can be located. A spading fork is best to prevent bruising while digging.
Do not let bulbs lie in the hot sun after they have been dug. Remove loose soil and allow bulbs to dry in shallow trays, onion sacks or old nylon stockings.
Never pile up bulbs while drying or those on the inner part of the pile will be ruined. Allow bulbs to dry in a cool, well-ventilated place for several weeks. Discard any that rot.
After bulbs are dry, the offsets may be removed from the mother bulb, provided they can be separated easily (Figure 3). Remove old, dried skins and roots. After division, place them in a cool, dry location in shallow trays or porous sacks until planting time in the fall. Burlap sacks do not give enough ventilation. Some of the poeticus narcissi have a short dormant period and should be planted immediately after drying.
Offsets may be removed when the bulb is dry.
Insects and diseases
Daffodils have few insect and disease pests. Healthy bulbs planted in good location will have few problems once established.
Bulb rots are perhaps the most frequent cause of disappointment. Plants that have been attacked may not emerge or may have weak or blighted leaves. Bulbs usually begin to rot at the base.
To control the problem, plant high-quality bulbs, well cured and free of cuts or bruises. Well-drained soil is essential to keep the problem from developing. Avoid over-fertilization, especially with nitrogen or manure. Diseased plants should be immediately destroyed so the problem does not spread.
Forcing daffodils for indoors
Daffodils are not difficult to force in the home. Begin the forcing process about Oct. 1. Large bulbs will force best. Soaking the bulbs in a rooting hormone for 24 hours before planting helps develop good root growth. Use a 6- to 8-inch pot with drainage. Use a well-drained soil and fill the pot to 2 inches from the top. Add the bulbs close together and fill the pot with soil. About 5 bulbs may be planted in a 6-inch pot. The noses of the bulbs should be exposed. Water plants thoroughly. Fertilizer will not be needed.
Place the pots in a trench outdoors and cover with soil or soil and leaf mold or peat moss so the pots are covered about 6 inches. The pots may be taken indoors for forcing when they show good top growth and flower buds are clearly visible. This usually takes 10 to 12 weeks. When the pots are first taken indoors, they should be kept in a cool room where temperatures are about 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit for about two weeks. During the next two weeks, they should have temperatures about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. By this time flowers should begin to open and plants may be moved where desired. Keep the plants well watered. Not all varieties force well. In general, the earliest bloom for plants forced in this way is Valentine's Day. Some cultivars that force well are Abba, Avalanche, Beryl, Bridal Crown, Cantitrice, Carbineer, Carlton, Cragford, February Gold, Fortune, Geranium, King Alfred, Peeping Tom, Printal, Saint Keverne and Silver Chimes.
Selecting varieties for outdoors
Many daffodil cultivars are available in a wide range of types and prices. Most can be grown with some success in our area. Others show more vigor and durability. We cannot begin to name all suitable cultivars. Gardeners are urged to access the American Daffodil Society website, www.daffodilusa.org, for a complete list of cultivars. If a desired cultivar is not available locally, it generally can be obtained from bulb and daffodil specialists commonly listed in popular garden magazines. | <urn:uuid:32614db0-e288-40e2-a828-a05475f4faab> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.extension.missouri.edu/p/G6610 | 2015-03-27T11:57:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131296383.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172136-00080-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939709 | 2,474 |
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UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20110616 : The Q2/2011 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q4/2010 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20110419 : The Q1/2011 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q3/2010 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20110110 : The Q4/2010 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q2/2010 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20101025 : The Q3/2010 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q1/2010 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20100726 : The Q2/2010 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q4/2009 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20100427 : The Q1/2010 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q3/2009 maps.
MAC version of the Fresh software (OS X, v10.5 and above) also available.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20091207 : The Q3/2009 edition is now available via Navigon Fresh, that would normally translate to Navteq Q1/2008 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20090520 : Q2/2009 edition available, that would normally translate to Navteq Q4/2008 maps.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20090128 - New Q1/2009 Freshmaps available, details in this topic.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20081105 - As expected the new Navigon Q4/2008 Maps (Navteq Q2/2008) maps are now available via the FreshMaps program as well as a free MN|7 update for the 2100max and 2120max models. A good surprise since software upgrades are far and between on GPS systems. Not such a good surprise is TMC Traffic information that has stopped working properly with the Q4/2008 maps as discussed in this topic in detail.
As a side-note, if you don't have your Navigon Fresh subscrition yet, you can get it here for a low $25 vs the $79 MSRP.
UPDATED BY GPSPASSION 20080801 - The Navigon FreshMaps program has now launched in the US, just in time to meet the July 31st deadline for the release of Q3/2008 FreshMaps that are in fact Navteq Q1/2008 maps. Still these are the most up to date maps available on a GPS system at this point, Garmin's "2009 maps" being Navteq 2007 based, and represents a little revolution in the world of GPS where getting map updates has always been problematic. The fact that Navigon are only asking $79 (street price : $59) for 3 years and 12 map updates makes it a deal that's difficult to pass on. Forum member aljacket has downloaded the maps and has started sharing his thoughts on page 3.
Navigon is going to a subscription model for map updates. It actually looks like one heck of a deal to me.
Basically you pay $79 and you get 12 map downloads over a 3 year period. They say they will release a map update whenever navteq does an update. That's less then $7 per map update if you download them all.
"NAVIGON Unveils Fresh Approach to Map Updates - NAVIGON's FreshMaps provides users with three years of quality map updates
CHICAGO, March 4, 2008 – NAVIGON, the fastest growing brand in GPS navigation in North America, today announced a bold solution to a conundrum that is as old as the consumer GPS category itself: how to provide consumers regular, easy access to quality map updates.
NAVIGON's convincing response to the dilemma is FreshMaps, a new service that ensures NAVIGON GPS devices stay accurate and viable over the long haul by allowing users to download up to 12 map updates in three years. NAVIGON FreshMaps is available for all NAVIGON 7100, 5100, and 2100/2120 series devices and can be purchased online and at major North American retail outlets for $79.99 (MSRP)... continues here on the Navigon site.
They have also announced a new 2100 model called the 2100 max, see this topic (ed)
|15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
||Posted - 05 nov. 2012 : 14:45:12
Maybe, but I still downloaded the latest maps from Fresh a couple months ago, and can still log into the Navigon site, but the Navigon site no longer lists my devices with Fresh subscriptions, which is why I cannot do a zip download.
||Posted - 05 nov. 2012 : 10:26:31
I thought they stop stop supporting Navigon this past summer?
||Posted - 05 nov. 2012 : 05:32:40
I am using the older version, specifically 1.4.7.
||Posted - 05 nov. 2012 : 02:31:41
Well there is a problem, unless I am just missing something. I am able to launch fresh and login, but when I try to select my device, I get a message that indicates something to the effect that my software is not currently supported.
Are you using the older version of fresh, or a newer version where you must create a new account with garmin?
||Posted - 04 nov. 2012 : 20:52:27
I still cannot get the updates from the website, but Fresh works, and I save the zip that is temporarily downloaded as a backup.
If you have fresh, try using the website as that should include all the software along with the maps which you will need if you wiped your flash.
||Posted - 03 nov. 2012 : 16:50:59
elkinm, were you ever able to find a zip file of the last update you were able to download?
I have a 8100T that kept locking up on me this past week. So I thought I would try refreshing the card, but find I did not keep the last file I downloaded.
I would appreciate any help you might be able to provide.
||Posted - 06 juin 2012 : 01:27:33
Big waste of time, it is no deal unless you send your old unit back and pay the postage
||Posted - 04 juin 2012 : 01:14:21
Thanks for that info... I'll try calling them to see what they will do for a 5100 exchange.
||Posted - 04 juin 2012 : 01:06:15
They sent me a E-Mail
Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I will be happy to help
you with this. Over the past year, Navigon has been acquired by Garmin
International. Because of this, there is no way to correct or update
your device. Garmin will be happy to exchange your Navigon 2100 max for
a Nuvi 2455LT unit for $99. This will be a new device, however it will
only have a 90 day warranty. If you would like to find out more
information on this device, please click on the following link.
If you would like to do this, please contact the Garmin/Navigon phone
number, 866-273-4271, as we cannot take payment via email. Our phone
hours are Mon-Thur, 8-6 Central, and Fri, 8-5. If you have any other
questions, please reply to this email. Thank you.
||Posted - 03 juin 2012 : 02:05:36
Hmmm.. I have an old Navigon 5100. I wonder what they would charge me for an uypgrade of some sort for that unit ?
How did you learn of the upgrade possibility from Garmin ?
||Posted - 03 juin 2012 : 01:56:14
Anyone get the E-Mail from Garmin?
Over the past year, Navigon has been acquired by Garmin
International. Because of this, there is no way to correct or update
your device. Garmin will be happy to exchange your Navigon 2100 max for a Nuvi 2455LT unit for $99.
||Posted - 07 avr. 2012 : 07:25:59
Navigon Freshmaps Q1/2012 is out.
||Posted - 05 avr. 2012 : 16:37:33
Anyone tried to active a new Freshmap recently? Mine is going to end very soon.
||Posted - 19 févr. 2012 : 09:10:33
Just downloaded the Q4-2011 maps form FreshMaps. I still cannot get the standalone zip from the site so I did it with the app.
This map seems to induce all of North America as the previous had only the 48 states.
Also, this map changed how street names are displayed. Capital first letter then lower case. This also has a script which converts the routes and favorites to the new name format.
It was interesting to see the difference. Will see if I like it more on the road.
||Posted - 30 déc. 2011 : 03:47:14
free navigon 5100 max USA maps
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Having listened to Josh, it was plain to George that in addition to his grief, the young man was blaming himself for Lee’s accident. ‘Have you thought about having a word with your doctor?’
‘Why? I am not ill,’ Josh replied.
‘But you are depressed, it occurs to me that you feel that you are to blame for the fatal crash and that is why you feel as low as you do,’ George suggested.
‘Why else should he have gone up in that wretched glider and ended his life, it has to be because of the way I went on at him over that fuck fest he was having when I walked in on him.’ By now Josh was near to tears and George sought to comfort him.
‘Surely there was some investigation following the accident; was it determined that he had committed suicide?’ George asked.
‘They found a fault in the glider’s controls; it should never have been taken up there was no question of suicide.’ Josh said. ‘He was still in a bad mood when he went out that morning.’
‘But he could not have launched the glider alone, he had to have help – a tow plane with a pilot?’ George replied.
‘Yes, of course.’
‘There you are then, he did not just walk out on you with the intent to kill himself. He must have pre-arranged the flight. For your own sanity you must accept that what happened was a very unfortunate unplanned accident. From what you have told me, I am sure that Lee loved you and although he was not always as faithful as you would have him be, he did love you and would never do anything that would hurt you. You have the rest of your life in front of you, cheer up and start to enjoy it again. Tell you what; Patrick is lonely make friends with him. I’m not suggesting that he should be a surrogate for Lee or anything like that but you are two young men in need of companionship.’ George sat back in his chair to see how Josh would react. His words seemed to have a good effect and instinctively both men stood and approached one another. George felt Josh’s arms go round him in a hug. They stood hugging for some moments and Josh kissed George lightly on the cheek. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘Go and find Patrick, thank him personally for his story, see how you get on with him,’ George said softly as they broke apart. Josh smiled and nodded and made his way from the room. As he walked along the corridor to go back downstairs he met Patrick who was on his way to his room.
‘Hi!’ Patrick said.
‘I hoped to see you,’ Josh replied. ‘I wanted to thank you for the story, it quite moved me and has helped me to bury some of my own ghosts.’
‘Why don’t you come in and join me for a night cap. I’ve got a bottle of single malt whisky that is crying out for some attention,’ Patrick said with a welcoming smile.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Several tots of whisky later the two young men lay back on the bed upon which they had been sitting as they chatted into the wee small hours of the night. Comfortable in each other’s alcoholic haze they fell asleep. Part way through the night Patrick woke and pulled a comforter over Josh and himself, for although they had not undressed the air in the room was quite chilly. Josh gave a little whimper as the bedding closed over him but did not wake.
It was early morning when Josh did wake and he was aware of a weight upon his chest. Opening his eyes he looked down and saw that Patrick had turned on his side and it was his right arm that lay across him. Feeling an urgent need to urinate, Josh gently lifted the arm up and moved it away. He got up from the bed and made his way the adjoining bathroom. As he relieved himself he wondered whether he should rejoin Patrick on the bed or make his way quietly to his own room. Before he could make a decision Patrick walked into the bathroom rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
‘Sorry,’ Patrick said, ‘I didn’t realize you were in here.’
‘No problem,’ Josh replied as he pushed the flush lever. ‘Did you sleep OK?’
‘Yes, thanks, like a babe. The single malt helps but it has left me with a slightly thick head. I guess a nice hot shower will help clear it.’
‘Yeah, I find a shower does help after I’ve had a few too many,’ Josh replied. ‘’I guess I will go and take one.’
‘Why go, share mine it’s a double shower stall – shame to not use it,’ Patrick said as he stood at the lavatory pan and pulled out his cock to pee.
‘I think that sounds like a good idea,’ Josh said with a grin. Patrick finished his business and they both went back into the bedroom to shed their crumpled clothes. Naked they returned to the bathroom and Patrick turned on the shower to let the water run warm. ‘You’ve got a fine body,’ he remarked as he cast an appreciative eye over Josh’s frame. The two men were of similar height and build but Patrick’s body was pale through lack of exposure to the sun whereas Josh had a fine tan that covered all but the outline of a Speedo around his butt and lower abdomen. T was then that Josh did something that he had wanted to do from the moment he first set eyes on Patrick, he closed in on him and kissed him on the mouth.
‘Wow! Where did that come from?’ Patrick exclaimed.
‘I’m sorry if I have offended you,’ Josh replied, feeling embarrassed by his action.
‘No not at all, on e of us had to make the first move and I am happy you made it,’ Patrick replied putting his arms around Josh and holding him in a close hug. ‘So what now, shower or bed?’
‘Let’s have that shower, it will wash away the effects of last night’s drinking and we can take up the bed option to follow,’ Josh laughed. By now the shower was running warm and they stepped into the cubicle. They soaped one another and explored their bodies with their hands growing every more horny and eager for what was to follow. Cleansed and refreshed they grabbed towels and dried off and walked back into the bedroom. Patrick draped his towel around his waist and carefully opened the door to the hallway in order to hang a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door. He then dropped the towel and climbed onto the bed where Josh was laying in wait for him.
Patrick knelt between Josh’s legs and took a gentle grip on his flaccid penis. Josh smiled in anticipation as Patrick brought his lips to the tip he exposed as he had drawn back the foreskin to reveal it in all its glory. It took seconds for Josh’s cock to respond and start to grow hard. Using his left hand to guide Josh’s cock as he sucked on it and teased it with his lips, he reached up his right hand and Josh took it and put the thumb in his own mouth, sucking on it and then sucking each finger in turn. With his fingers lubricated by Josh’s saliva, Patrick explored the crack below the penis and balls that were enjoying the attention of his mouth. Josh shifted his hips so that Patrick could place a finger on his rose bud pucker. Josh moaned with pleasure as he felt the finger exploring his secret place.
Then Patrick lifted Josh’s legs so that he could get a clear view of the butt hole his finger had been working. The light covering of hair was no deterrent to his desire to rim Josh. Where his finger had probed Patrick’s tongue was playing and pressing, licking and savouring Josh’s man pussy. With Josh’s hole slick with saliva Patrick eased a finger in to find his prostate, rubbing it softly to enhance Josh’s sensual pleasure.
‘God that feels so good,’ Josh said. ‘Fuck me, I want you deep inside me,’ he pleaded. Patrick’s cock was hard and dripping pre-cum that acted as a further lubricant as he pressed the pulsating mushroom head into Josh’s anus. His hands pressed Josh’s legs back on to his abdomen and Josh jerked on his cock in time with the thrusts of Patrick’s deep invasion of his rectum. Using his muscles, Josh clenched tightly on Patrick’s cock as it was shoved piston like in and out of his hole. He could feel and hear Patrick’s balls as they slapped against his ass. They continued like this for some time but Patrick’s knees were beginning to feel sore from their pressure on the bedding. A quick change of position and with Patrick now flat on his back, Josh sat astride him looking down at Patricks smiling face as he reached behind himself to guide Patrick’s cock back into his hungry hole.
It was Josh that was doing the work now as he rode Patrick’s ever harder cock, feeling it pulsating inside him as he began to climax. Josh jerked hard on his own cock and with a cry of ‘Oh fuck! I’m cuming!’ he shot a hot wad over Patrick’s chest. Patrick scooped it up with his fingers and licked it off. Josh leaned forward and kissed Patrick sharing the taste of his cum that Patrick was swilling around in his mouth. Josh then lifted himself free of Patrick’s cock and scooted down the bed so that he could suck up Patrick’s juices as he finally ejaculated in three or four hot jets of cum.
They lay spooned, Josh behind Patrick for some twenty minutes or so when Josh’s cock that had gone soft after he had cum was slowly erect again. Patrick felt the knob probing his ass and he lifted his leg so that Josh could penetrate him with comparative ease. Josh used a slow and regular rhythm giving Patrick as much pleasure as he was enjoying himself until he came again filling Patrick’s hole with hot jism. All that was necessary from that point was to bring Patrick to another climax which Josh achieved by giving him a blow job that resulted on a mouthful of salty man juice. It was Josh’s turn to share the spoils with Patrick and they worked their tongues over and over in the sticky white cum until they had swallowed it in its entirety.
When they arrived some time later in the dining room looking for a late breakfast George smiled to see their faces both looking like the cat that got the cream. ‘Good morning guys,’ George said greeting them.
‘The best of mornings,’ Patrick replied and Josh smiled in happy agreement.
George went off to tell Scott that a little bit of magic had been worked and they had two more truly satisfied guests. | <urn:uuid:19b3f621-1f82-40e6-8d8e-22b72f622e10> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.justusboys.com/forum/threads/382046-Tales-from-Gledhill-House/page2?p=8325109&viewfull=1 | 2015-03-29T11:20:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298464.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00196-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991522 | 2,405 |
Ruggs Ranch: A Fertile Base for the Touring Motorcyclist
Traveling East-Central Oregon via Motorcycle
Sitting on the patio sipping a quality cup of hot coffee, we await the morning sunrise that is about 20 minutes away. The yellow-orange hue of the coming morning light is the backdrop for the picturesque valley before us. It stretches away to the east and has a deep golden color, as it had been planted months ago with several different grain crops.
On this trip, our travels are based out of Ruggs Ranch, located in a relatively remote area of Morrow County in east-central Oregon. Primarily a hunting ranch, Ruggs Ranch caters to the sportsman.
Herd-managed big game hunts include elk and deer, taken by bow or rifle. Wild birds, including Hungarian and Chukar partridge, pheasant, and quail, are hunted by horseback or horse-drawn wagon, with Ruggs’ specialty – side-by-side and over-and-under shotguns. Sporting clays are also available.
At over 2500 feet in elevation, Ruggs Ranch affords a pleasing view in most any direction one chooses to look. As more light enters the valley, dark shapes move slowly or stand to test the morning air with a sharp sense of smell and sharper hearing. Their long ears first cocked this way, then that, alert for any possible danger.
Some 30 deer are counted that include a mixture of mule and whitetail deer. As the first rays of sunlight strike the valley floor, one big muley buck ushers his harem of does to the edge of the field and towards the gullies that reach down into the valley from the ridges above.
Breakfast and coffee are finished, and we move out towards our motorcycles. We pause a moment before the engines are fired. One rider points out the distant crow of a pheasant, then the cackles from a flock of Chukars, possibly disturbed by some wandering coyote. It is time to go.
Wasco-Heppner Highway leads visitors up the valley to the ranch from the nearest town of Heppner, some 20 minutes away. Beautiful distant mountains and high plains are noted by those who make their way to this sprawling 86,000-acre ranch.
During the off-season for hunting, Ruggs Ranch is a fertile destination for motorcyclists enjoying the region’s appealing weather. Whichever direction is chosen, the freedom to ride these open roads allows the rider to see great expanses of this part of The Beaver State. The roads lay paths that run between the wheat fields, and then rise, fall, twist and turn, crossing large areas of farmland. One small valley after another is traversed, taking you to the treed valleys and thicker forests at the higher elevations.
Starting out from Heppner after fueling up, there are a few sightseeing stops made before leaving town, including the court house, the one room school house, the U.S. Forest Service building, and an old horse barn complete with a variety of horse tack hanging on a large sliding door set right up against Oregon Route 207. There is more to see, but the summer morning is warm and the riding gear is crying out for ventilation.
Within a few minutes, a nice set of S-curves are encountered while climbing up out of the valley. The Triumph Scrambler and Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide demand we kick it up to top gear once we are on Route 206 as the road straightens out. Visibility is unencumbered passing between wheat fields that stretch way off into the distance.
Riders need to stay alert as these straight shots can abruptly end, when the road may turn sharply then traverse back and forth down the side of a valley, giving time only for a short flat run before heading up the opposite side of the cut. This is repeated time and time again, with each mile traveled revealing a change in the view.
Farmhouses that are passed share no common architectural style, causing the eyes to be drawn to them for a brief moment to try to spot some item of interest. Usually there is some old vehicle, a weather worn building, or animals wandering about; that is the reward for the moment taken for the glance.
After about 45 minutes we pull over at the crest of a ridge for a stretch and see in the distance, miles away, dozens of gigantic electricity-generating wind towers, with their massive blades spinning against a deep blue sky backdrop. There is just something alien about their presence here on Sixmile Canyon Highway, leading to the town of Condon.
That image is washed from memory a short while later, as a great set of turns – seven to be exact – has the boot toe-and-heel twitching the shifter as the road drops over 900 feet within a mile.
Arriving in Condon we are greeted by Rob Turrie, proprietor at the Hotel Condon, which offers exquisite accommodations set in the theme of vintage Las Vegas, complete with The Rat Pack. Dean, Sammy, and Frank are represented, along with a host of other period jetsetters, with photographs, paintings and statues a-plenty. The hotel has all of the modern conveniences and is a definite must-see stop.
Other towns encountered along the way are simply named Mayville, Fossil (check out the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument), Service Creek, and Spray. Every town on this route has the welcome mat out for motorcycle riders. Pictures pinned to the walls of the businesses attest to the variety of motorcycles and riders that have passed through these parts. Our group was treated quite nicely, and locals were a wealth of information regarding sites to be seen around their community.
Just outside of Service Creek we join John Day Highway and, within a few minutes past the town of Spray, the Heppner-Spray Highway (still Route 207) gains elevation and enters another forest of evergreen trees with their wonderful fragrance filling the air. Highway 207 takes more than a few good turns and bends, with several posted as low as 15 mph.
Taking a break, the motors are shut down for a short time at Bull Prairie Lake. As the lake is located over a mile from the highway, it is very quiet here with the low voices of other visitors across the lake carrying to our location. Back on the main road, we continue on at a faster pace as we are still climbing higher. It is getting noticeably cooler as we rumble on towards the comfort and warmth of the lodge at Ruggs Ranch.
Hardman is the last community we visit, about 15 minutes shy of Ruggs. A cluster of homes is located here, with some much older homes that were built for large families in a farming community. The more children in a family, the more helpful hands there would be to run the farm.
It is nearly possible to hear the laughter of the children that must have run here and there about this small community of pioneer-spirited families. Some children are seen as we pass by and give a small wave. Of course, we return the wave and reward them with a beep from the horn.
Locals suggested that towns farther east, towards Pendleton, also hold the interest of many who visit there. One fellow said a good place to dine is Hamley Steakhouse in Pendleton; just ask for Par, the owner.
The town of Joseph was also mentioned as a destination for motorcyclists who favor two-lane roads that wind through evergreen forests. Located just a few miles north of pristine Wallowa Lake, it is a good day’s ride from Ruggs Ranch, but well worth it to experience the Wallowa Mountains.
I remember my Boy Scout summer camps at Wallowa Lake, and a local once telling me I should take notice of how they stand their mountains on end rather than lay them down like most other areas may do. Steep mountains, as this area has, result in highway designs that favor motorcycle enthusiasts as the roads usually follow some winding stream that cuts through the narrow valleys.
We arrive back at Ruggs Ranch right at sunset and are greeted at the lodge by the wonderful smells of dinner being prepared by resident chef and part-time photographer John Kulon. The handmade dinner table accommodates but a dozen people, making the dining experience uniquely personal and intimate, and the chef can customize the menu for any dietary requirements you may have.
Rather than a sprawling and overwhelming place to spend the week, Ruggs Ranch’s lodge is just six bedrooms and seven baths. There is also a pro shop, which has a pair of deluxe rooms. There is a rustic, though not aged, feel. General Manager Dave Ford is serious when he says, “If our staff does not do everything within their ability to make your experience at our ranch as good as it should have been, you don’t owe us a dime!”
Set on a bluff, the lodge has a 360-degree view of the Rhea Creek Valley. Glancing out the huge windows facing east across the patio the small herds of deer are seen returning to the valley to spend the night. I retire to my room, with its custom Pendleton bedding – a great way to end a fantastic day.
It is decided on the final day we would head north out of the area, catch Interstate 84 and travel west to the town of Hood River a good two and a half hours ride following the Columbia River as it heads towards the Pacific Ocean.
Folks had told us of some great wineries there and they were proven right. Stopping off at Cathedral Ridge Winery, there were many varieties of wine offered with many wearing the awards they had gained in numerous tasting competitions. There is no shortage of wine selections here, and an attentive staff as well.
Before everyone parts ways, we gather around the map we used to highlight the routes traveled since our arrival. As much fun as had been packed into the short time we were here, we realize that we had only ridden a small portion of the numerous intriguing two-lane routes throughout the area.
Eastern Oregon offers a playground for motorcyclists, and Ruggs Ranch is the perfect centralized home base to explore the area. The Umatilla, Malheur, and Ochoco National Forests are all within easy reach to the south and east. To the west is Mount Hood and to the north the Hood River and the state of Washington. We will return.
Photography by Jim Chun and John Kulon
This story is featured in the Mar/Apr 2013 issue of Ultimate MotorCycling magazine—available on newsstands and good bookstores everywhere. The issue is also available free to readers on Apple Newsstand (for iOS devices) and Google Play (Android). To subscribe to the print edition, please visit our Subscriber Services page. | <urn:uuid:f9b7202c-432a-46de-bbf4-2b1b2d3fa1ca> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2013/04/02/ruggs-ranch-a-fertile-base-for-the-touring-motorcyclist/ | 2015-03-29T10:41:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298464.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00196-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962624 | 2,265 |
CONTINENTAL TIE & LUMBER CO. v. UNITED STATES.
286 U.S. 290 (52 S.Ct. 529, 76 L.Ed. 1111)
CONTINENTAL TIE & LUMBER CO. v. UNITED STATES.
Argued: April 14, 1932.
Decided: May 16, 1932.
- opinion, ROBERTS [HTML]
Mr. George E. H. Goodner, of Washington, D. C., for petitioner.
The Attorney General and Mr. Charles B. Rugg, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the United States.
Argument of Counsel from page 291 intentionally omitted
Mr. Justice ROBERTS delivered the opinion of the Court.
For the year 1920 the petitioner filed a consolidated income tax return for itself and the Cimarron and Northwestern Railway Company and paid the tax shown as due. Subsequently a claim for refund was prosecuted, whereupon the Commissioner made a reaudit and added to the railway's income some $27,000. The refund granted was diminished by the amount of the additional tax resulting from the increase in income so determined. The petitioner objected to this reduction and brought suit in the Court of Claims to recover the full amount claimed to be refundable. The railway company is a short-line carrier whose road was in possession and control of the United States and operated by the Director General of Railroads from December 28, 1917, to June 3, 1918, when it was relinquished, and thereafter throughout the remainder of the period of federal control operated by its owner. Approximately $25,000 of the additional income determined by the Commissioner consisted of a payment to the railway pursuant to an award of the Interstate Commerce Commission under the terms of section 204 of the Transportation Act 1920. 1 This section provided for such an award and payment to a railroad which during any part of the period of federal control competed for traffic, or connected, with one under federal control, and sustained a deficit in operating income for that portion of the period during which it operated its own railroad. The act directed the Commission to compare the results of such operation with those of the test period, defined as the three years ending June 30, 1917; and, if less favorable during the period of federal control than during the test period, to award an amount calculated as prescribed by the section. The Commission made an award and the Secretary of the Treasury paid the railway.
The petitioner asserted (1) that the sum received was not income within the intent of the Sixteenth Amendment or section 213 of the Revenue Act of 1918, 40 Stat. 451; (2) that, if income, it was not taxable for 1920, as held by the Commissioner, but for 1923, the year in which the amount was determined and paid. The Court of Claims denied recovery.
What we have said in Texas & Pacific Railway Co. v. United States (No. 634), 286 U. S. 285, 52 S. Ct. 528, 76 L. Ed. , decided this day, is determinative of the first contention. Section 209 of the Transportation Act 1920 (49 USCA § 77) guaranteed the payment of any deficiency below a fixed minimum of operating income for the six months ensuing the termination of federal control to railroads which had been taken over by the United States. By the terms of section 204 payment was to be made to railroads not under federal control of a proportion of any operating deficit suffered in the period of such control. The underlying purpose of Congress was the same in both cases. Railroads falling within section 204 were principally short lines. They were known to have suffered serious losses in income due to routing arrangements and other administrative measures made necessary by government operation of the larger railroad systems. The Transportation Act did not contemplate that the payments to be made pursuant to section 204 were in any sense just compensation for the taking of property. There was no room for such reimbursement, as the short lines were during the time to which the section applied in the possession and management of their owners. Congress, nevertheless, realized that federal operation had caused them consequential losses, at least partial redress for which was the purpose of the section where actual deficits in income had resulted. For the reasons set forth in No. 634, we hold that these payments were not subsidies or bonuses, but were income within the intent of the amendment and the statute.
The petitioner kept its accounts upon the accrual basis. The government insists, and the Court of Claims held, that the right to payment having ripened in 1920, the taxpayer should have returned the estimated award under section 204 as income for that year. The petitioner replies that a determination whether it would receive any award under the section and, if so, the amount of it, depended on so many contingencies that no reasonable estimate could have been made in 1920, and that the sum ultimately ascertained should be deemed income for 1923, the year of the award and payment.
The Transportation Act took effect on February 28, 1920. On June 10 the Interstate Commerce Commission issued general instructions governing the compilation and submission of data by carriers entitled to awards under section 204. The petitioner correctly states that at the date of the act's adoption no railroad had a vested right in any amount; until the Commission made an award nothing could be paid, no proceeding was available to compel an allowance, or to determine the elements which should enter into the calculation. In short, says the petitioner, the carrier had no rights, but was dependent solely upon the Commission's exercise of an unrestrained discretion, and until an award was made nothing accrued. But we think that the function of the Commission under the act was ministerial, to ascertain the facts with respect to the carrier's operating income by a comparison of the experience during the test period with that during the term of federal control. The right to the award was fixed by the passage of the Transportation Act. What remained was mere administrative procedure to ascertain the amount to be paid. Petitioner's right to payment ripened when the act became law. What sum of money that right represented is, of course, a different matter.
The petitioner says that at the date of the passage of the act it was impossible to predict that any award would be made to the railway, and, assuming one would eventuate, its amount could not be estimated, for the reason that the principles upon which awards were to be made had to be settled by the Commission and were not finally formulated until 1923. The government insists that, while adjustments or settlement of principles by the Commission might vary the amount to be awarded, the petitioner's case presented problems not differing from those confronting many business concerns which keep accounts on an accrual basis and have to estimate for the tax year the amount to be received on transactions undoubtedly allocable to such year. Admitting there might be differences and discrepancies between the railway's estimate and the amount awarded by the Commission, these, says the government, could, as in similar cases, have been adjusted by an additional assessment or a claim for refund after final determination of the amount due.
The case does not fall within the principle that, where the liability is undetermined in the tax year, the taxpayer is not called upon to accrue any sum (Lucas v. American Code Co., 280 U. S. 445, 50 S. Ct. 202, 74 L. Ed. 538), but presents the problem whether the taxpayer had in its own books and accounts data to which it could apply the calculations required by the statute and ascertain the quantum of the award within reasonable limits.
The carriers kept their accounts according to standards prescribed by the Commission; and these necessarily were the source of information requisite for ascertainment of the results of operation in the two periods to be compared. In the calculation for two such brief periods allowance had to be made for the fact that certain operating charges entered in the books would not accurately reflect true income. Such, for instance, were maintenance charges and those to reserve accounts. The enormous increase in labor and material costs after the expiration of the test period had also to be considered in comparing charges for costs of repairs and renewals in the two periods. Section 204 incorporated by reference the terms of section 209 applicable to the method of treating such items, and the latter in turn referred to the relevant provisions of section 5(a) of the standard operating contract between the Director General and the various railroads. As might have been expected, the general principles thus formulated did not cover in detail questions of fact, the solution of which required is some degree the exercise of opinion and judgment. Thus difference might fairly arise as to when reserve accounts ought to be closed out, as to how much of the sum actually expended for maintenance within a given time was properly allocable to that period, and how much to later years; at what price renewals and replacements should be charged in view of the rapidly mounting cost of material; what factor of difference should be allowed for the efficiency of labor in the pre-war and postwar periods. The petitioner points to the fact that these questions were raised by the railroads under section 209, that the Commission gave extended consideration to them, and that, as respects sundry of them, the applicable principles were not settled until 1921, 1922, and 1923. Petitioner might have added that the Commission, while attempting as far as possible to formulate general principles applicable to large groups of carriers, found it necessary in addition to consider the peculiar conditions and special circumstances affecting individual carriers in order in each case to do justice to the carrier and to the United States. 2 But in spite of these inherent difficulties we think it was possible for a carrier to ascertain with reasonable accuracy the amount of the award to be paid by the Government. Subsequent to its order of June 10, 1920, the Commission made no amendment or alteration of the rules with respect to the information to be furnished under section 204. Obviously the data had to be obtained from the railway's books and accounts and from entries therein all made prior to March 1, 1920. These accounts contained all the information that could ever be available touching relevant expenditures. Compare United States v. Anderson, 269 U. S. 422, 46 S. Ct. 131, 70 L. Ed. 347. The petitioner was promptly informed by the terms of section 209 is supplemented by the instructions issued by the Commission of the method to be followed in allocating charges to operation during periods under inquiry. It does not appear that a proper effort would not have obtained a result approximately in accord with that the Commission ultimately found.
Much is made by the petitioner of the fact that, as a result of representations by the carriers, the Commission from time to time during 1921, 1922, and 1923 promulgated rulings respecting the method of adjusting book charges to actual experience, and it is asserted that petitioner could not in 1920 have known what these rulings were to be. But it is not clear that, if the taxpayer had acted promptly, an award could not have been made during 1920, or at least the principles upon which the Commission would adjust the railway's accounts to reflect true income have been settled during that year sufficiently to enable the railway to ascertain with reasonable accuracy the amount of the probable award. The reports of the Interstate Commerce Commission show that it was possible for a carrier whose claim arose under section 209 to obtain a final award early in 1921, prior to the time for preparing its income tax return. 3 From the record it would seem that, in spite of the fact that its teturn was not made until November, 1922, the petitioner made up its claim by taking maintenance charges as appearing in its books without attempt at allocation as between the limited periods in which they were entered and the probable useful life of the installations. Petitioner must have known that the entire amounts charged to maintenance during the respective periods would not be properly allowable in ascertaining true income for each period. The books and accounts fixed the maximum amount of any probable award, and, if petitioner had endeavored to make reasonable adjustments of book figures, it could have arrived at a figure to be accrued for the year 1920. Any necessary adjustment of its tax could readily have been accomplished by an amended return, claim for refund, or additional assessment, as the final award of the Commission might warrant.
For these reasons the Court of Claims correctly held that the amount awarded was taxable income for the year 1920.
CC∅ | Transformed by Public.Resource.Org
Chapter 91, 41 Stat. 456, 460 (49 USCA § 73).
Maintenance Expenses under Section 209, 70 I. C. C. 115.
Norfolk Southern R. R. Co., 65 I. C. C. 798. | <urn:uuid:5e8bf12a-50d7-4399-a85a-ff8be472a7e9> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/286/290 | 2015-03-29T10:57:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298464.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00196-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976268 | 2,577 |
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name (and often the official name) of the primary retail street of a village, town or small city in many parts of the world. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in the central business district, and is most often used in reference to retailing and socializing. The street running parallel to a town's numbered streets, before First Street, may be Main Street.
The term is commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the United States, and less often in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In most of the United Kingdom the common description is High Street. However, the term "Main Street" is sometimes used in the UK, for instance, in the village of Sutton Cheney. In Jamaica the term is Front Street. In some parts of the south west of England the equivalent used is Fore Street.
In some larger cities, there may be several Main Streets, each relating to a specific neighborhood or formerly separate city, rather than the city as a whole. In many larger U.S. cities "Main Street" is a U.S. Highway; "Main Street of America" branding was used to promote U.S. Route 66 in its heyday.
American cultural usage
In the general sense, the term "Main Street" refers to a place of traditional values.
In the 1949 movie adaptation of On The Town, the song "When You Walk Down Main Street With Me" refers to small-town values and social life.
In the North American media, "Main Street" represents the interests of everyday people and small business owners, in contrast with "Wall Street" (in the United States) or "Bay Street" (in Canada), symbolizing the interests of large national corporations.
Main Street was a popular term during the economic crises in 2008 and 2009: the proposed bailout of U.S. financial system, the 2008 US presidential campaign, and debates. One widely reviewed book was Bailout: An Inside Account of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street (2012) by Neil Barofsky.
"Main Street" is part of the iconography of American life. For example, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the outfit that operates the PX and BX stores on military bases, chose the name "Main Street USA" for its food courts.
In small towns across the United States, Main Street is not only the major road running through town but the site of all street life, a place where townspeople hang out and watch the annual parades go by. A slang term popularized in the early 20th century, "main drag", is also used to refer to a town's main street.
Main Street, or small town life generally, was a symbol of stifling conformity drawn by the social realists from 1870 to 1930. Sherwood Anderson, for example, wrote Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small Town Life in 1919. The best-selling 1920 novel Main Street was a critique of small town life, by the American writer Sinclair Lewis. The locale was "Gopher Prairie," presented as an 'ideal type' of the Midwestern town, while the heroine, Carol Kennicott, as the 'ideal-typical' Progressive.
Two Walt Disney Company theme parks, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and the Magic Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, both have "Main Street, U.S.A." sections immediately at their front. These areas, which are designed to look like the main street of a small town, house gift shops, restaurants and various services, along with park offices on the second floors. While the architecture of these "streets" appears to be turn-of-the-20th-century, in fact these are decorative false-fronts on industrial-style buildings. Main Street, U.S.A. is also present at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. At Tokyo Disneyland the area is named "World Bazaar," but has the same look as Main Street, albeit housed under a decorative glass roof for protection from Japan's unpredictable weather.
Disney's design copied visual elements of small-town America seen in films by Frank Capra and others, in a deliberate attempt to capture the iconic symbolism of small-town America. Disney wanted to embed the values and memories associated with life in small towns into an entertainment experience for tourists.
Preservation and Main Street
Main Street Inc. is the name of a community revitalization program begun by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the late 1970s. The core of the Main Street philosophy is the preservation of the historic built environment by engaging in historic preservation. Main Street focuses on a holistic approach to revitalization based on the 4-point approach of design, promotion, economic restructuring, and organization. Originally targeted at small, traditional downtowns, the program has expanded to include towns of various sizes, including neighborhood districts in several large urban centers.
In many communities, a merchants' association or business improvement district serves a promotional role on behalf of the merchants of a downtown Main Street. Individual city governments also may engage in revitalisation or historic preservation efforts to support a downtown core, either to make a community appear more unique for tourism or to stem a flow of commerce out of the city into suburbs with shopping malls and cookie-cutter big box stores.
In the United States federal funds are allocated specifically for restoration of historic properties on the former U.S. Route 66, the main street of many roadside towns; this funding is administered by the US National Park Service.
International use and equivalents
- Many small Canadian cities and towns also have Main Streets (en français, « la rue Principale ») although in most cases the street itself will have a name particular to that town, rather than being officially known as "Main Street." The phrase "a town where the main street is still called Main Street" is occasionally used as being synonymous with small-town values.
- In Ottawa, main streets of various individual villages which had been annexed to the larger urban municipality bear names like "Manotick Main" or "Osgoode Main" to distinguish them from Smyth Road (which becomes "Main Street" in one small area southeast of downtown Ottawa) and from each other. The actual main street of centretown Ottawa is Bank Street.
- In Toronto, however, Main Street is a mostly residential avenue in the city's east end. (At one time it was the main street of the hamlet of East Toronto, which was annexed by the city of Toronto in 1908. It has kept its historic name, and evidence of its commercial origins can be seen in the stores at the corner of Main and Gerrard Streets.) Toronto's main street is Yonge Street.
- Saint Laurent Boulevard, which divides Montreal between east and west, is unofficially known as "the Main." Main Street in Vancouver is a neighbourhood shopping street, near the dividing line between east and west side of town. However, the city's main city centre shopping street is Robson Street.
- In Australia and New Zealand, smaller urban centres often have a main street. In some towns this street is officially designated Main Street or High Street; rarer variants include Main Road, Commercial Road, and Commerce Street. Often, though, the street is given a name peculiar to the town. For many small towns, the main street forms part of the principal road into, or through, the town. Large centres often have a central business district in which no one street is a clear focus for commercial activity, though for historical or cultural reasons there is often one street regarded as the city's "main street". Examples include Melbourne's Collins Street, Sydney's George Street, Adelaide's King William Street, Auckland's Queen Street, and Christchurch's Colombo Street.
- In Ireland most towns have a "main street", and this is usually the term given colloquially (for example, in offering road directions), though the primary thoroughfare of cities are often named after an historical figure, e.g. O'Connell Street. A more recent phenomenon in the media and with younger people is the misapplication of the term "high street" to describe typical or average street level fashion—likely due to advertising by various British retail multiples which began operating in Ireland during the "Celtic Tiger" years.
- In England, the terms "Market Street" or "Market Place" are often used to designate the heart of a town or city, as is the more common High Street (particularly in newer urban developments, or towns or cities which were not original market towns). High Street is often the name of a fairly busy street with small shops on either side, often in towns and villages.
- In Germany, the Hauptstraße (literally "Main Street") is a highly trafficked street. Hauptstraßen even have formal recognition in road construction guidelines, which specify the width of lanes, for example. The term chiefly refers to motorized traffic, whereas "Einkaufsstraße" (shopping street) or "Fußgängerzone" (pedestrian district) refer to retail in the sense of Engl. "Main Street".
- In Sweden and Norway, almost all towns and cities have their own main street, a street called Storgatan/Storgaten (literally, "The big street"). They are typically surrounded by stores and restaurants, and increasingly open for pedestrians only. Likewise, in both Sweden and Norway this type of street is called gågata/gågate (literally, "walkingstreet").
- In most Italian municipalities, the highway or at another major route is called Via Roma. This was done at the behest of Benito Mussolini, who gave the order in 1939 to commemorate the March on Rome.
- Jalan Besar (roughly translated from Malay as "Main Road") is a common street name used in Malaysia (and to a more limited extent, Singapore) when referring to main streets of older urban centres in the country. Such main streets were originally constructed during British colonisation of territories in present day Malaysia and Singapore, and were named in English as "Main Street" or "Main Road", depending on the size and nature of the urban centre, and often are laid out as parts of major thoroughfares between larger towns and cities.
- The independence of states that would form Malaysia and the introduction of the Malay language as the country's national language in 1967 led to extensive renaming of certain Main Streets or Main Roads to "Jalan Besar" in Malaysia the following decades. Large cities (such as state capitals) tend to forgo the use of "Main Street" or "Main Road" altogether as commercial or transport activity may be concentrated along more than one street.
- In South Africa, Main Road is the term used for the same concept as Main Street in the U.S. and High Street in the UK.
- In Cambodia, the Main Road is between the Rice fields and settlements.
- Ruth Ann Alexander, "Midwest Main Street in Literature: Symbol of Conformity," Rocky Mountain Social Science Journal (1968) 5#2 pp 1-12
- Hans-Jürgen Grabbe, "The Ideal Type of the Small Town: 'Main Street' in a Social Science Context," Amerikastudien (1987) 32#2 pp 181-190.
- Robert Neuman, "Disneyland's Main Street, USA, and its Sources in Hollywood, USA," Journal of American Culture (2008) 31#1 pp 83-97, online
- "Home Page". Main Street. National Main Street Center. 2009-04-09.
- "Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary: Route 66". US National Park Service.
- Edward Relph (2014). Toronto: Transformations in A City and its Region. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
The names of many of the old municipalities have been preserved in business improvement areas, and, for example, Main Street subway station refers to the main street of East Toronto.
- Ron Brown (2013). Rails Across Ontario: Exploring Ontario's Railway Heritage. Dundurn Press. p. 19. ISBN 9781459707542. Retrieved 2014-02.
Many wonder why there is a "Main Street" in Toronto's east end. This too came about when the GT selected a tract of land to create another sea of railway sidings. While it named its yard "York," the town that grew nearby was incorporated as "East Toronto" and the commercial main street became "Main Street."Check date values in:
- MikeFiley (2008). Toronto: The Way We Were. Dundurn Press. p. 209. ISBN 9781550028423. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
One remnant of the ancient hamlet was the retention of the name of one of its original thoroughfares. That's why there's still a Main Street several miles east of Yonge, Toronto's original main street.
- Orvell, Miles. The Death and Life of Main Street: Small Towns in American Memory, Space, and Community (University of North Carolina Press; 2012)
- Poll, Ryan. "Main Street and Empire: The Fictional Small Town in the Age of Globalization." New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2012.
- Davies, Richard et al., eds. A Place Called Home: Writings on the Midwestern Small Town (2003) 34 selections of cultural history, fiction, and poetry, both classic and contemporary
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Main Street.|
- Mapping Main Street - a collaborative documentary media project that creates a new map of the country through stories, photos and videos recorded on actual Main Streets
- Schneider-Cowan, Joy. "A Case Study of the San Marcos Main Street Program" (2007). Applied Research Projects. Texas State University. Paper 268. | <urn:uuid:c614b021-dd23-471e-b50a-6179c07ed535> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_street | 2015-03-31T05:37:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300313.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00020-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944991 | 2,885 |
Walkthrough written by Icy Comet & Slanted Fish
The ancient city of Poptropolis rises from the depths of the ocean once every 100 years. Each tribe in Poptropica sends a representative to compete in the Poptropolis Games. Can you bring glory and honor to your tribe in this brutal competition, or will you have to live with shame forever?
Happy Poptropolis Games…
Select Your Tribe
Go to Poptropolis Games, if you’re not already there. You will be brought to a screen where you can choose which tribe you will represent. The eight tribes that you can represent are Flying Squid, Wildfire, Yellowjackets, Pathfinders, Black Flags, Nightcrawlers, Seraphim, and Nanobots.
Choose the tribe that you want to represent, and press the “Start” button. You will receive a Jersey with your tribe’s colors on it. You don’t have to wear it, but you can use it to show some spirit!
You are on Main Street. Walk to the right and talk to the guy with a microphone in his hand. He will tell you that you’re late for the games. You’ll ask what the games are, and he’ll tell you that the games are where each tribe in Poptropica sends a representative to compete in sporting games. Whoever wins will be a hero for all time. When you ask what happens when you lose, the guy will tell you that you have to live with “eternal shame and dishonor.”
The man will ask you if you’re ready. Tell him that you are ready. He will tell you to go to the Coliseum. The man will walk off in the direction of the Coliseum, and you’ll follow him.
When you get to the Coliseum, the man will walk to the right and begin talking into his microphone. He will ask the representatives to come forward. The Poptropolis flame will be lit, and the games will begin!
Go over to the man and talk to him when you want to compete in an event. If you want to see what place you’re in, there’s a scoreboard above the man. Just click on it to see which tribes are in what place.
You don’t have to get first in all of the events to win the Poptropolis Games. You do have to be consistent, though. Try not to keep going up and down with your scores. It’s a good idea to practice each event until you are at least decent at it before doing the actual event. That doesn’t mean that you are going to win the event if you do that, but it might help you get a better score than you would have if you hadn’t practiced.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
This guide will tell you about all the different events and give you tips on finishing first:
You aim your bow with the mouse. When you aim, make sure you pay attention to the wind speed and direction. There’s an arrow that indicates which way the wind is blowing. If the wind is blowing to the left, you move your mouse to the right. If it’s blowing to the right, you move your mouse to the left. How much you move it depends on the wind speed.
The higher the speed, the more you should move your aim off-center.
There’s a power meter on the right side of the screen. There are two bars in the power meter, one that moves and another that stays still in the center. Try and shoot your arrow when the moving bar is close to the one in the middle. To shoot your arrow, just click your mouse. You have ten arrows, so try to get as many bull’s-eyes as possible.
In the diving event you have three routines that you have to do. The routines are made up of different spins that your Poptropican has to do. There are arrows on the bottom left hand corner of the screen that show you which direction your Poptropican needs to spin.
Your Poptropican will spin in the direction of your cursor, so put your cursor to the right of your Poptropican to make it spin to the right. Put your cursor to the left of your Poptropican to make it spin to the left. The instructions say that you have to click right before you hit the water to perform a perfect dive, but don’t worry if you can’t do it. It shouldn’t affect your score.
In the hurdles event you race against two other representatives. You have to click to jump over the hurdles. If you don’t time your jump just right, though, your Poptropican will trip over the hurdle and you’ll get a little bit behind the others. It’s best to jump when your character is almost at the hurdle; about a pace or two away – don’t wait until you’re right there because it’ll be too late.
If you haven’t practiced before the other events, I definitely suggest practicing a couple of times before this one. That way you get a better hang of the timing of the jumps. It’s okay if you trip over a couple of hurdles, don’t get freaked out and start doing horribly. The others will trip every now and then, too, so you still have a chance if you do trip. Just try not to be distracted by the other two representatives and just try your best.
In the javelin event, you have to set the angle and power of your javelin so that it flies far. To set the angle, click when your javelin is in the green zone. To set the power, click when the bar reaches the green zone. When you’re setting the power, the bar doesn’t go back and forth like your javelin does when you’re setting the angle.
If the bar goes into the red zone, your Poptropican will run off and fall down onto the ground. So, make sure that you click before the bar reaches the red zone.
In the long jump, the goal is to jump farther than any of the other representatives. Click your mouse and hold it when you are ready to start running. You’ll notice that the tiles on the ground are labeled with their own number, going from 10 to 1. Try and jump when you reach 1. Don’t jump too late, though, otherwise you’ll fall into the mud.
When you’re in the highest that you can go in the air, click to thrust yourself forward. That will add a little extra distance to your jump. Try not to click too soon, though.
In the pole vault event, there will be a countdown and your Poptropican will begin running. You will reach and part of the ground where the word “Launch” is written. Click to start the vault. A little bar will appear to the left of your Poptropican. Click again when the arrow is pointing to the part of the green part that’s the greenest.
Your Poptropican will soar into the air, over the bar, and down on the other side. If you do that right, then you should get in first.
In Octopus Volleyball, you play volleyball against an octopus – bet you didn’t see that coming – and the goal is to get six points before it does. The game begins when the octopus serves to you from across the net, and you have to volley it back and forth, being careful not to drop it on your side (a point is awarded whenever the ball drops on the other side). To get the ball high enough so it goes over the net, hit it with your the front tip of your head (not your face) and aim for the back side of the octopus where he can’t reach with his tentacles fast enough.
The angle the ball bounces off of you is based entirely on where it hits you. If it hits the front of you, it’ll bounce forward. If it lands on top of your head, it will bounce straight into the air. And if it hits the back of you, it’ll bounce backward. The key is to try to position yourself in such a way that you’ll bounce the ball at a angle that is hard for the octopus to defend.
In the power lifting event, you have to click on a moving button. Each time you click on the button your Poptropican will lift the bar a little bit higher. But, if you click when your mouse isn’t on the button, your bar will go down a little bit. Make sure that you are on the button when you click.
There are four rounds, with a short break in between each to give your fingers time to rest. After each round you’ll pick up a bigger weight: 100kg, 200kg, 300kg, 400kg. The number in the middle counts down the seconds left to go (in total, not for each round).
For the Shot Put event, there are two things that you have to do. The first thing you have to do is choose your angle. There are three arrows. Try to get each arrow in the green zone.
The second thing that you have to do is to click when all the arrows that are going around in the circle are in the green zone. Do those two things right, and you’ll get a good throw.
In this Volcano Race event, the idea is to get to the bottom of the lava slope as fast as you can. Every time you slide through the torch slalom gates, it subtracts a second from your time count, so go through them as much as you can! What you do want to avoid are the stones and statues that can get in the way of your path and will add to your total time. Also, look for the little slopes that help you sail over obstacles and land you in front of torch gates.
The best way to make sure that you hit gates and avoid obstacles is actually to go off jumps! Make sure you watch where you’re going (slow down if need be), but don’t be too slow either. If you find that all the movement hurts your eyes, try to not sit so close to your computer screen so you’ll be able to see better.
Triple Jump is the last event in the Poptropolis Games. Here’s how it works: click and hold your mouse to start running, release your mouse to jump before you cross the white line, and click for the next two times that you land to jump again. You have to time the jumps right, though, because if you don’t jump before the white line, you’ll fall down.
Once you make it past the first two blocks, the last jump should determine your score, so land well.
And the winner is…
As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to place first in all of the events to get first place, but you should definitely practice before you actually do each event. If you mess up during an event, don’t get all upset, because then you’ll just do even worse on the next round. Remember, you can always restart the island if you want to.
Anyway, once you have completed all of the events, the announcer dude will announce the winner of the Games. Hopefully it’s you! But, if it isn’t, you will have the option of starting over and trying again.
If you win, you will receive the island medallion and some credits to spend in the Poptropica Store.
Congratulations! You have now completed Poptropolis Games Island!
Bonus Quest (members only)
Once you beat the Poptropolis Games, the ground will begin to shake. An ancient warrior, a past winner of the Games, will come in. He will call you a fraud and challenge you to a wrestling match.
You can either accept or decline. If you accept, here’s what to do:
There are three different tiles. Each tile is a different shape. The tiles will change from one to another on the Ancient Warrior’s side until it randomly pics a certain tile. All you have to do is pick the tile that matches the shape of the one on the Ancient Warrior’s side. If you pick the right one, you’ll counter the Ancient Warrior’s move and win the round. Win more rounds than the Ancient Warrior to beat him.
Once you beat him, he will tell you that you are truly the champion of Poptropica, and you’ll receive the Ancient Warrior Outfit as your prize. Congratulations! You’ve now beaten the Bonus Quest!
Looking for more walkthroughs? Check out our Island Help page! :) | <urn:uuid:50904eb2-102c-4303-8868-aef15b3cdfd2> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://poptropicahelp.net/island-help/poptropolis-games-island/poptropolis-games-guide/ | 2015-03-31T05:22:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300313.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00020-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933483 | 2,712 |
Real-World Aero: Wind Tunnel Testing For the Weekend RacerWritten by on October 7, 2006 Ever wonder how information gleaned from wind tunnel tests performed on Nextel Cup cars actually applies to you?
Wonder no moreYou hear the advice all the time from the "know-it-alls" in racing (yes, that applies to us, too): No matter how small your track or how slow your car, good aerodynamic practices can help improve your lap times.
Yes, that advice is true. As a general rule, if you have to apply the brakes anywhere on the racetrack, you need more downforce. When that downforce is achieved aerodynamically (as opposed to achieving it by weight), it is doubly beneficial because it is gained without the disadvantage of inertia trying to push you into the wall as the car turns. The problem is that wind tunnel testing is expensive, so the information provided to Saturday night racers is too often based on tests done on Nextel Cup cars or theory with no real-world numbers to back it up-until now, that is.
Noted aerodynamicist Gary Eaker has been operating his own private wind tunnel, AeroDyn, in Mooresville, North Carolina, for a few years now. AeroDyn has been quite successful with its Nextel Cup clientele because it is one of the most affordable wind tunnels in the country. That all changed with Eaker's newest innovation, affectionately known as A2. A2 is the little brother to the AeroDyn wind tunnel, and was designed for the express purpose of making wind tunnel testing accessible to race teams that may not have the support of big-money sponsorships. A2 doesn't have all the bells and whistles that AeroDyn offers, such as a simulated rolling road and yaw control, but it does offer solid, repeatable aero testing that can be greatly beneficial to a race team.
We've always wanted to get a real-world short-track car into a wind tunnel to see how it performed, but as experienced by most race teams, the cost was too prohibitive. When Eaker opened the A2 facility, we finally had our opportunity. We joined drivers Freddie Query and Preston Peltier at A2 as they ran Query's Super Late Model asphalt car through a series of tests. Query and Peltier are both savvy veterans and came prepared to make the most of their time in the tunnel with a complete list of all the tests they wanted to perform and all the hardware they needed to get it done quickly. We followed along to see what worked and what didn't. Over the course of approximately five hours, Query, Peltier, and a handful of volunteers were about to pull off 33 tests. The following are some of the most interesting tests we witnessed.
After making a few baseline runs, the first test with the car fully taped in qualifying trim and sitting at inspection ride height involved raising the spoiler angle from 50 to 70 degrees. This was done to see how it affected front versus rear downforce balance, but the surprise was how little it actually helped downforce at all. Downforce improved by 11 counts in the front and only 8 in the rear, while drag increased dramatically. Normally, a team testing a downforce car in a wind tunnel cares very little about drag numbers. In this instance, it shows that the spoiler was already approaching its stall angle closer to 50 degrees and wasn't helping appreciably at 70.
Because the spoiler is behind the rear axle, downforce here has a mechanical cantilever effect on the car, which reduces load at the front. Raising the spoiler angle (as long as it isn't stalled) will increase rear downforce and mechanically decrease load on the front tires. Lowering the spoiler will have the opposit effect. For reference, one count in a wind tunnel is equal to 1 pound of downforce on the track at 135 mph. It does not change with the weight of the car, only speed. The second interesting thing to note from this test is that by moving the spoiler, the downforce improved more over the front wheels than the rear. Aero, it should be noted, is as much about creating pressure differentials above and below the body sheetmetal as it is about air actually hitting a surface and pushing it down. The spoiler actually causes air to dam up in front of it, and the high-pressure zone created by the spoiler can reach all the way to the hood. The car responded as much as it did at the front because the chassis is remarkably open. There is no front or rear firewall to speak of. The Super Late Model has an offset chassis, and the only area boxed off with sheetmetal is the driver's compartment. Because the area underneath the body is so open, the front and rear wheels are easily able to "talk" to each other, so a change at the rear of the car will affect front downforce much more than a car with a full firewall.
As you might expect, taping up the grille and brake ducts is one of the most effective things you can do when it comes to legally adding downforce. On our ARP-bodied car, taping up the nose was worth over 100 points of front downforce. At 135 mph, that's 100 pounds of extra pressure adding grip to the front tires.
Peltier took things a little farther to see if taping all the body seams to seal them off would further improve the aero. This, as you might expect, had no noticeable effect.
Finally, we experimented to see how a partially taped grille opening affected the car. Adding two strips of tape over the bottom portion of the 28.5x5.75-inch grille added approximately 25 counts of downforce over an untaped grille, while two strips across the top of the opening added approximately 31 counts. This is probably because the tape at the top of the grille created a solid surface for the air to move across that was unbroken all the way to the windshield.
Inspection Height versus Actual Height
It is common knowledge that your race car is rarely at inspection height when it's at speed on the racetrack. Of course, that's fine on the setup plate because you can set such things as camber gain to account for suspension movement. Conversely, testing a car's aerodynamics at ride height or inspection height is a little more problematic. The car's attitude can significantly affect its aerodynamic performance.
If the front end drops because of aerodynamic downforce or simply because the driver applied the brakes, that increases the car's rake, or body height from front to back, which will increase downforce. If the car rolls over on its right side through the turns and lifts the left-front fender, that will allow more air underneath the car, raising the pressure and reducing downforce. Before testing in a wind tunnel, you need to track your car's attitude through a turn and try to mimic that in the tunnel. The easiest way to do this is simply to record your bump stop locations on the shocks after a set of hot laps.
In the wind tunnel, the car needs to be off of its springs and locked at the height you choose. You can do this by fabricating a set of solid struts out of metal tubing that will replace the shocks and springs. If the body moves once the air hits it, it will throw off your findings.
Query and Peltier brought two sets of struts to set the car both at ride height and at the attitude the car will normally be in through the turns. We won't give away those heights because they have worked really hard to develop their shock and spring packages, but we'll say the effect was dramatic. It also changed many of the things we had already tested. As you can imagine, the nose was significantly lower than ride height when the car was set at racing attitude. This not only dropped the front valence closer to the ground, reducing pressure under the car and raising downforce, but it also raised the rear spoiler angle.
If you remember, the spoiler was already reaching stall above 50 degrees on this particular car, so a taller spoiler did no good. Query and Peltier were forced to deviate from the planned test schedule slightly to find the best spoiler angle when the car was raked forward.
Another example is a false radiator box floor the team had tested. The bottom of the radiator box on this car is flush with the bottom of the grille opening. In an effort to build-in a deep gurney lip of sorts (racers may also know it as a belly pan), the team fabricated a piece of sheetmetal that ran from the bottom of the radiator forward to the bottom of the valence. When the car was at ride height, the sheetmetal actually ran downhill from the valence to the radiator. The difference in height was minimal-less than half an inch-but it was enough to hurt downforce. However, when the car was reset at racing attitude, the increased rake indicated that the false floor was closer to the ground at the valence than it was at the radiator, and it helped downforce.
If you are still trying to understand the difference between kingpin angle and caster, then you might not be ready to test in a wind tunnel. On the other hand, if you are confident in your setup skills and are looking to take your team to the next level, starting an aero program may be just what you need to do. The A2 wind tunnel was designed to be affordable for touring and even serious Saturday night teams. First-time customers can get two hours of testing for $690, and the price stays reasonable for longer test sessions.
Gary Eaker, the owner of A2, understands most teams using his wind tunnel won't have an engineer on staff, much less a trained aerodynamicist, and may need a little help making the most of their time. Because his staff is adamant about not sharing secrets learned by another team, they cannot coach you on what to do. Fortunately, he has written a workbook that can help a team prepare for and make the most of a test. He says there are also local engineers who can be hired to help a team if they prefer that option.
Here are some tips Eaker says should help a team make the most of its time under the fan:-When you are at the wind tunnel, you aren't learning anything unless the fan is blowing. Do all the prep work you can at your shop beforehand. Plan in advance all the changes you wish to make and prefabricate anything necessary to minimize time between "blows."
-Aero is notorious for interactions between seemingly "independent" mods. This means that virtually everything in aerodynamics affects something else. Be prepared to be surprised by something you didn't expect. Build time into your testing plan to deviate and test an idea that may have popped up from the previous test.
-You should have a goal for your test. Do you want to try a bunch of different things just to see how they affect the car? Are you trying to correct specific handling problems? Maybe you are looking at different aero packages for different applications or tracks.
-A2 has anemometers to measure airflow through ducting. Don't concentrate only on downforce. You can also test to see which duct routing method gets you the most airflow to your brakes, or which radiator box design allows the smallest grille opening while still maximizing flow to the radiator.
-If you are testing things such as fender shape, begin with the minimum volume (a convex fender versus flat). This will allow you to build up the area or surface with panels or filler materials.
-During a test in the A2 tunnel, the wind speed is 85 mph. This is enough to blow things off the car. The leading edges of applied pieces should fit well and be securely fastened to the car (pop rivets work well). Don't depend on tape to hold everything in place. | <urn:uuid:f0ca1fc6-9583-4a83-9767-7ea381c9df60> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/additional-how-to/ctrp-0610-real-world-aero/ | 2015-03-31T05:27:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300313.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00020-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969708 | 2,469 |
The RuPaul fan cruise had everything - including a marriage proposal
by Shaun Kelly -
Special to the SGN
So what do we all know about cruises in general? There will be pools, spas bars, and casinos. There will be tons of food and booze, a hairy chest competition, and maybe a few dance revues. But what made the Carnival Glory stand out from the crowd in the first week of December? For a ship that can hold 2,974 passengers, if you fill it with 34 drag queens from RuPaul's Drag Race (Logo TV) and then add about 1,300 of their fans you are in for a boatload of fun! Of course that sort of fun could all come to a screaming, hair-pulling, bitch-slapping halt if you roll Vicky Rey, vice president of guest services for Carnival cruises, into the mix, though.
The cruise had been announced for about a year and many people had been booked on it from the start. Who wouldn't want to mingle with their favorite drag queens and the gorgeous Michelle Visage? There was a lot more interest than was originally anticipated, and so we quickly got moved to a larger capacity ship and took off full force - the Gays were going to sea! We were to have use of a huge theater with three private drag shows as well as Q&A panels, cocktail parties, a luncheon, and theme party evenings.
THE INFAMOUS LETTER
For anyone who missed out on all the drama, everything was going along nice and smooth until Rey sent out her letter, directed initially just at the guests booked into the Drag Race grouping. This letter came less than a week before the cruise was about to set sail, and boy, did she not read her intended audience before she penned her missive. It started off friendly enough, welcoming us all onto the ship and hoping that we would have a great time. It went on to state that the cruise line strives to present a family-friendly atmosphere and that everyone should 'refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas.' Anyone who breaks the rules, she said, will be 'disembarked at their own expense and no refund will be given.'
That in itself didn't seem too unreasonable - OK, no sex on the Lido deck, no drugs in the pool, no orgies or fraternizing with the crew - in other words, don't turn the ship into a floating bathhouse. We could handle that. But then she got down to the real point of the letter. The performers, she said, are booked into the main theater and that is it as far as drag is concerned. 'Guests are not allowed to dress in drag for the performances or in public areas at any time during the cruise.' Oh no you didn't, bitch - you try to stop a queen being a queen and you are going to have all sorts of problems.
This wonderful little message finished with this great closing comment: 'Thank you for your cooperation. Now that we've taken care of business ... let the FUN begin!' Vicky, honey, you don't even know the meaning of the word 'fun' until you have cruised with a group of drag queens and their followers. You're fortunate that your only appearance onboard was in the form of a bloke in a dress with a big red wig and a beard, or else you would have been strung up with stockings and G-strings. The drag Vicky made a huge splash, though - even taking photos with the ship and cruise-line bigwigs.
A CHANGE OF HEART
The cruise line, to its credit, did a complete 360 on the decision. Gerry Cahill, the president and CEO, allowed anyone who wished to dress in drag to do so. Hell, yeah! As you can imagine, the call went out for everyone to toss a dress and a wig in their case and bring some solidarity fierceness. Cahill also made a very gracious offer to let anyone cancel and 'receive a full refund of their cruise fare, as well as reimbursement for any non-refundable travel related expenses.' All social media was blasted with this news, and the story even went global with cruise promoter Al and Chuck Travel being bombarded by media interview requests.
I for one didn't even get to talk with my partner for the week before the cruise, as he was the Norma Rae of Facebook, defending the Gays and then the cruise line after they changed their mind. He got into some pretty heated debates and made a mental scrapbook of who he had sparred with - and then started to pick them out in the embarkation lounge!
So, move forward to departure day and there we are in the lounge where the lines are huge, the information is sparse, and the crowd is getting restless, thirsty, and hungry. There is a strange energy as one side of the room seems like it could burst into a flash-mob dance and the other side is sitting kinda nervous with a touch of pearl clutching. Hide your children - the Gays are here!
So what was the first step? Mark all the Gays and Gay-adjacent fans with a white wristband so that we stand out (not necessary for some) and then let the fun begin. It could have been a scene from West Side Story with Gays versus straights instead of Sharks versus Jets, but fortunately it didn't come to that - I think there would have been too much infighting on our side over who would choreograph.
The shows were out of this world - the queens brought their A-game and knocked the socks off everyone. It is so hard to select a favorite, but Stacey Lane Matthews made a hit when some shady queen scratched her CD and her performance was cut short. She offered to eat a bucket of chicken on stage (which would probably have been fun) but ended up singing an out-of-this-world a-cappella version of Diamonds by Rihanna. Morgan McMichaels stunned us with her Pink medley, which got the energy level way up after a low-key start by season-two winner Tyra Sanchez. The body beautiful Carmen Carrera came out with just a few pasties and gave us realness that was second to none. I have to also mention Pandora Boxx - who else would have thought to do a drag routine to Pippi Longstocking? - and one of the most fabulous queens as both a boy and a girl was Rebecca Glasscock, who performed like a star and mingled like the sweet guy he really is.
The wonderful host for the shows was Michelle Visage, who was stunningly beautiful and incredibly quick-witted and funny. As the head judge (although with the tightness of the tux there isn't much 'head' to see) on the Logo TV show since Season Two, she was very well-suited for this hosting gig. She is also not afraid to make fun of herself, especially when people started to tell her how much better-looking she was in real life. The consensus was that her TV makeup artist was making her look too much like a drag queen herself - and apparently she now has a new makeup person!
They also showed their personal side by actually spending time with fans and chatting, making friends, and just generally hanging out with everybody. Cameras went crazy and drag queens were seen out of their natural habitat in full makeup during the daylight hours. I think that the best time was when they were in boy drag and just being themselves - new fan favorites were made.
HARD TO STARBOARD!
For anyone who has been on a cruise before you are probably aware of the 'Friends of Dorothy' meetings that will be held most evenings in a bar on board. Very discreet, but a way to meet like-minded guests. They still advertised them in the daily briefings for the ship's activities, but that hardly seemed necessary, seeing as how every night the starboard side of the ship was Gay central! Yes, there were some people who rushed through that area of the ship each night like they were making their way through a gang meeting or something, but for the most part everyone was happy to see people having fun, jealous that they couldn't join in, and taking as many pictures as they could.
The whole week progressed from an 'us and them' situation to a warm and fuzzy love-fest. Hearts and minds were changed as people who had probably never spent any time with a real live Gay person got up close and personal and made new friends. I did a karaoke duet with a total redneck dude who was the best straight guy I could have wished to meet. There were also a pair of nightclub bouncer types who were seen watching karaoke without cracking a smile until two boys did a dance routine behind a woman singing 'Gloria,' and at that point they melted and had the time of their lives.
Was the food great? Not really, but there was a lot of it. Was the booze cheap? No, but again there was a lot of it. Did we all have a great time? Hell yes, and hell yes again. After talking with the bar staff, hotel manager, and guest services manager, it was pretty clear that Carnival made the right decision to let this go ahead in the way it did. The liquor sales were up and the trouble level was down - they even had to restock the bar at one of the ports.
BRAVO, AL AND CHUCK
And now for the shameless plug portion of the review: The drag part of the cruise was billed as the 'Drag Race at Sea Cruise - Revenge of the Wench,' and was organized by the fantastic Al and Chuck Travel Company. As sponsors of the RuPaul show they are billed as the No. 1 Gay travel agency and I have to say that they will get my business from now on. I may not always want to go on a Gay vacation, but being surrounded by like-minded folks on a cruise is pretty sweet, as it created a safe zone where many friends were made. The whole team from Al and Chuck worked so hard to make sure that everyone had a great time - can you imagine herding drag queens and a gaggle of Gays around a boat for a week?! Always available and always very gracious and accommodating, they made everything run very smoothly and were so sweet to be around. The last show of the week started off with a video thank-you message from Al to Chuck (they have been partners for 25 years), which ended with Al proposing to Chuck. There wasn't a dry eye in the house!
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Of all the state's regions, the South Texas Plains stands out as one of the most colorful and richly documented during early Historic times. Spanish explorers, officials, missionaries, soldiers, and others traveled across the grassy plains and brush country in the early 1500s and 1600s. Their journals and reports give us tantalizing glimpses of the region’s native peoples. These accounts, though inconsistent and often frustratingly brief, are peppered with mentions of sparsely clothed people, odd-sounding languages, primitive shelters, wild foods, and curious cooking techniques. Some writings, such as those of the explorer Cabeza de Vaca—who actually lived and worked among south Texas native groups —provide rare insights into the traditions, worldview, and thinking of some of the native peoples.
The earliest Europeans in south Texas encountered peoples whose basic way of life seems to have changed very little over the centuries, what anthropologist W. W. Newcomb termed "fossil cultures." Said differently, when the first Spanish arrived, the native peoples of the South Texas Plains followed a very long cultural tradition, a quintessential example of what anthropologists call a successful adaptation to a challenging setting. Because of this, these early historic encounters are of prime significance to archeologists and others hoping to understand and interpret prehistoric lifeways. They are, in effect, our most direct connection from the relatively recent to the distant prehistoric past, providing eye-witness accounts of some of the behaviors we see represented in artifacts and archeological sites.
By the time of their witness, however, cultural upheavals among these aboriginal groups had already begun, although the effects may not have been recognized by the Spanish observers. As early as the 16th century, perhaps even before Cabeza de Vaca's shipwreck, the impact of the Spanish in other areas of New Spain was being felt indirectly by native groups in Texas. European diseases spread rapidly across the continent, unwittingly passed from group to group through trade and other interactions.
The appearance of totally foreign Old World peoples in the New World set off so many far-reaching changes, through disease, new technologies, new animals and plants, new forms of transportation, new religions, and new economic patterns. Group after group, their numbers ever thinner, retreated, joined together with one another, fought losing battles with intruders, and tried to adapt to the new world order. Within a few centuries most native societies were gone forever.
When first encountered, all of the native peoples of the South Texas Plains were hunters and gatherers, just like most societies in adjacent regions of Texas. Hunter-gatherer life is highly mobile and requires people to move seasonally and even daily from place to place in search of food and other resources. For the first few centuries after contact these traditional lifeways continued, even in the face of increasing influences by the Europeans. Some groups took on new trappings acquired from the intruders—horses improved their ability to move from place to place, metal and glass were adapted to make traditional tools and weapons. Over time, however, the foreign influences were devastating to the native cultures, as the European intruders sought, alternately, to enslave, convert, congregate, or eliminate them.
In spite of the relatively fuller accounting we have of some of these indigenous peoples, our overall knowledge of the Indians of the South Texas Plains remains a complex puzzle with most of its pieces missing. There were hundreds of native bands living in the region at the time of contact, hundreds of different names for them, and only fleeting, spotty accounts of some of their territorial locales. Our modern understandings of the native peoples of the South Texas Plains are complicated by the fact that a single overarching, or collective, name has been applied to them all: Coahuiltecans.
The name comes from Coahuila, that part of the northeastern frontier of New Spain which once included most or all of the area occupied by the modern state of Texas on one side of the Rio Grande, as well as portions of the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas on the other. As applied to native peoples, the term Coahuiltecan comes from Coahuilteco, coined by a 19th-century Mexican linguist for one of the major native languages spoke in the area. But other unrelated languages were also spoken in south Texas and northeastern Mexico and it is clear that the peoples of the region represented many different ethnic groups, tribes, and nations.
The term Coahuiltecan has become entrenched in history books and other literature. Unfortunately, it is interpreted by nonspecialists as implying that the native peoples of south Texas and northeastern Mexico (Coahuila) were, in essence, one large, genetically and/or ethnically related culture, who spoke the Coahuilteco language.
Researchers today see the cultural milieu on the South Texas Plains in Late Prehistoric/Early Historic times as far more complicated. We now understand that many of the native groups of the region, although practicing similar ways of life, were ethnically distinct, had different names for themselves, and spoke diverse languages, including Coahuilteco, Sanan, Comecrudo, Cotoname, and others. Today we realize the term Coahuiltecan is only valid in a geographic sense as a broad reference to the many native groups that once ranged across the Spanish province of Coahuila in northeastern Mexico and throughout the South Texas Plains.
Tracing South Texas Peoples
The earliest glimpse of the groups who occupied this region was given to us by Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions. Shipwrecked on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1528, these men walked from the shores near present-day Galveston to Mexico City in a journey of between 2,300 and 2,640 miles that, after they finally left south Texas in 1534, took them 14 months. Their reports of that amazing journey, written in Mexico and Spain after their return, provide fascinating information on the many native peoples they encountered, including native groups of the South Texas Plains.
After 1536, Spanish authorities in Mexico were occupied with events unfolding elsewhere in New Spain. There were encounters and battles with native groups such as the Cacaxtle in the mid-1600s, but most of the South Texas Plains remained a native domain. The pace of change and encounter picked up in the late 1600s when the Spanish learned that La Salle, a French entrepreneur, had established a French colony on the Texas Gulf Coast. Spanish military and missionaries returned to south Texas in relative abundance. They crossed the South Texas Plains on their travels to and from Matagorda Bay and to and from the Caddoan areas of east Texas. During those expeditions, the Spanish identified hundreds of names for groups occupying the region. Researchers believe that some of these groups were native to the region, while others moved in during the centuries after the Spanish were well established in Texas.
A list of groups thought to have spoken Coahuilteco and Sanan is shown here to illustrate another complexity in studying the native record. Based on the sheer numbers of native group names alone, it would appear the region was heavily populated. According to inventories and other records of the time, however, that appears not to have been the case. Although accounts vary, most of the groups were relatively small in number. For example, one group, the Pacuache, found by the Spanish along the middle Nueces River drainage, was estimated to have a population of about 350. Information for others, where it exists, suggests that individual groups maintained a population between 100 and 300.
Looking at the region from a human ecology perspective, Texas A&M archeologist Alston Thoms believes that the south Texas native population, though relatively small, was the maximum that the environment could support at the time. The region was “packed.” Further, the presence of enemies made for even greater competition and need for ingenuity in subsistence strategies.
By the mid 1700s, other native groups had began moving into the region, either pushing local groups south into Mexico or assimilating them into their own societies. These intruding native groups included the Tonkawa and Mescalero and Lipan Apache, tribes which themselves had been displaced from home territories far to the north and northwest. The availability of horses transformed many Plains groups into mounted raiders the likes of which the New World had never known. Chief among them were the war-like Comanche who forced the Apache and others, in turn, to flee and push southward, form alliances, and adopt the mounted-raider lifestyle themselves or risk annihilation.
The small, indigenous south Texas cultures were crushed by the unrelenting forces all around them. Disease, intertribal conflict, and diminished access to resources left weak, displaced bands.Some willingly turned to the Spanish for protection; others were coaxed or forced into mission settings, although their confinement was usually temporary and “conversion” incomplete. Others were captured and taken into Mexico to provide labor for mining enterprises. All the while, disease continued to take its toll on the vulnerable native populations. By the 19th century before the Republic of Texas was birthed, the true native peoples of the South Texas Plains were reduced to remnant survivors who were soon absorbed into Mexican society. Even today, however, there are surviving genetic traces and there are individuals and "resurgent" groups who identify with the Native American heritage of the region.
In This Exhibit
In the following sections, we look at the native peoples of South Texas and those who have helped uncover their stories. How Do We know About Native Lifeways? introduces readers to the researchers who have pored over Spanish documents to tease out descriptions and bits of information. Who Were the "Coahuiltecans"? provides a look at some of the many naciones who have been grouped under this name and what we know about their traditions and ways of life. Native Intruders from the North provides a brief overview of latecomers to the region who in some cases, effectively delivered a death thrust to many of the native groups of the South Texas Plains or forced them into the Spanish missions for survival. Credits and Sources provides useful resources for learning more about the region and its peoples. | <urn:uuid:965d547b-2bca-4ca7-af25-6f0599944110> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/st-plains/peoples/index.html | 2015-03-31T05:22:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300313.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00020-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972541 | 2,110 |
To submit information for upcoming issues or to subscribe, contact Brian Spano, communications manager, at [email protected]
Nov. 21: KCAI is partnering with the Parkville Chamber of Commerce, Missouri Valley Impressionists Society and the Cathy Kline Art Gallery to host the annual Parkville Chamber of Commerce Plein Air Auction from 6 to 9 p.m. at the North Campus, 1801 N.W. Platte Road, Suite 275, Riverside, Mo.
Nov. 21: Ross Sawyers (‘03 photography) will speak at 7 p.m. in Epperson Auditorium in Vanderslice hall on the KCAI campus as part of the college's “Current Perspectives” lecture series. Sawyers began his career as an educator teaching photography at KCAI and then at the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of California-Riverside.
Nov. 22: H&R Block Artspace at KCAI hosts T.N.T (The Noon Thing), a gallery talk with “New, Four: Kanas City Art Institute Faculty Biennial” artists at noon in the Artspace Studio.
KCAI will host a Patron Preview from 6 to 10 p.m. on the eve of the public opening of the end-of-semester student exhibition and sale. Partygoers will have an opportunity to tour selected studio departments; view and purchase work before the exhibition and sale opens to the public; and enjoy a progressive evening of food and drinks. Proceeds benefit the student scholarship fund. For more information, visit www.kcai.edu/PatronPreview
or call 816-802-3483.
Dec. 6-8: KCAI’s “End-of-semester student exhibition and sale” showcases work by students in the departments of ceramics, digital filmmaking, fiber, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Exhibition and sale hours are 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 7 and noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 8.
Through Dec. 12:
“New, Four: KCAI Faculty Biennial” at the H&R Block Artspace at KCAI, 16 E. 43 St. For more information, visit www.kcai.edu/artspace
Sculpture students complete project at ‘sustainable living’ demonstration home
Students in a class taught by sculpture professor Karen McCoy have completed a bike rack and cistern screen at Project Living Proof, a century-old house at 917 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd. The site is less than a mile southeast of the KCAI campus. Students enrolled this fall in McCoy’s “Toward a Green Sculpture: Artists in Conversation with the World” class worked on the project. More than 20 other students previously have been involved, dating back to 2011, McCoy said.
“Unplugged” is the name of the bike rack and an installation “screen” that shields newly installed cisterns, McCoy said. She noted that Advantage Metals Recycling donated all of the metal for the project.The house is a demonstration project celebrating energy efficiency and “green” building practices. Metropolitan Energy Center owns and manages the house with assistance from Kansas City Power and Light, Missouri Gas Energy and more than 40 businesses throughout the metropolitan area. For an overview of the project, visit www.kcenergy.org/pdfs/PLP.Greenability.article_2010.10.pdf
. Tours of the site are offered by appointment. To schedule an appointment, email [email protected]
. For additional information, visit www.kcenergy.org/
Brianna Bosworth (senior, photography) and Casey Holden (senior, photography) have been selected to show work in the exhibition “Survey of the Plains” at the University of Kansas Art and Design Gallery. The exhibition runs through Dec. 13. Pictured: (top) Photo by Casey Holden and (bottom) photo by Briana Bosworth.
Kahlil Irving (senior, ceramics and art history) has been named a finalist for the 2014 NICHE Award, sponsored by NICHE Magazine, and is also one of a few chosen undergraduates for the 2014 National Student Juried Exhibition at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference to be held in Milwaukee in March. Pictured: “Layered Depths,” Kahlil Irving.
Grand Arts is hosting this year’s Charlotte Street Foundation Visual Artist Awards Exhibition featuring the 2013 Awards Fellows: Mike Erickson (’99 painting and printmaking), Erika Lynne Hanson (‘06 fiber) and Paul Anthony Smith (’10 ceramics). All three artists will be honored during an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 22 and then will participate in a gallery talk at 2 p.m. Nov. 23. The reception and gallery talk are free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on view through Feb. 1.
Each of the awarded artists will exhibit works made within the past one to two years, and most of these recent works have not been seen by Kansas City audiences.
(’11 sculpture and art history) and Shae Bishop
(’12 ceramics and art history) are two of the six new artists-in-residence at Red Star Studios, and they will be featured in a presentation on their own artwork and projects from 5 to 6 p.m. Nov. 23 at Belger Crane Yard Studios, 2011 Tracy Ave. Attendees can learn what makes their approaches unique and how they came to Red Star. A potluck dinner follows at 6 p.m. For more information, contact studio manager Tommy Frank at [email protected]
or call 816-474-7316. Pictured: (back, left) Lea Griggs, Noah Riedel, Studio Manager Tommy Frank, Shae Bishop, Emily Duke. (front, left) Jamie Bates Slone, Catie Miller.
Local KCAI-related exhibitions
Blue Gallery – Rich Bowman (’91 design) will show paintings as part of a group exhibition at Blue Gallery, 118 Southwest Blvd., running through Dec. 2. Pictured: “Greener Pastures,” Rich Bowman, oil on canvas, 64 inches by 56 inches.
City Ice Arts –
Gerry Trilling (’90 painting) has an exhibition “In Site,” running through Dec. 7 at City Ice Arts, 2015 Campbell St. The gallery is open noon to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and Sunday through Thursday by appointment. www.cityicearts.com
. Pictured: “Neon Toile,” Gerry Trilling, 2012, 48 inches by 48 inches.
Leedy-Voulkos Art Center – A 25-year retrospective exhibition of paintings and drawings by Richard Mattsson, who retired this spring after teaching at KCAI for 48 years, opens with a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, 2012 Baltimore Ave. The gallery also will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 for First Friday. The exhibition continues through Dec. 28. Pictured: “Corcoran Rainbow,” Richard Mattsson, 2010, 48 inches by 72 inches.
Red Star Studios at the Belger Arts Center – Work by Paul Donnelly, assistant professor of ceramics, and Rain Harris is featured in “Confluence,” running through Dec. 28 at Red Star Studios at the Belger Arts Center, 2100 Walnut St. Pictured: “Pitcher and Tumblers,” Paul Donnelly, 2013, porcelain reduction-fired, (pitcher) 9 inches by 8 ¼ inches, (tumblers) 5 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches.
Calls for artists
Encore Unique Boutique in Shawnee, Kan., is offering a cash prize for a photo contest. Low-resolution digital photos should be submitted by Nov. 30 to [email protected]
. If accepted, the photo must be framed or matted and ready to hang by Dec. 1
. They will be displayed throughout December at the Chez LaRue studio next door to Encore. For more information, contact Encore at [email protected]
P&M Artworks, which is based in Prairie Village, Kan., seeks entries within the greater metropolitan Kansas City, Mo., and Lawrence, Kan., areas for its third annual juried exhibition. Works in a range of visual art media are welcome, including painting, works on paper, photography, sculpture, glass, jewelry/metal work, furniture, textiles and digital/video responding to the theme “Divine.” A variety of interpretations centered on individual meanings and reflections on the idea of “Divine” will be selected for the exhibition. The exhibition will take place in the front gallery of Leedy-Voulkos Art Center between Jan. 3 and March 1, and the deadline for submission is Dec. 2
. For more information, visit www.pm-artworks.com
The Undergrads Underground Gallery at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center and the Destination Gallery at the Student Living Center are seeking proposals for six exhibitions for March, April and May 2014. Shows are one month long, and each will have an opening reception during First Fridays. Proposals should be submitted to Erin Jones in the KCAI Student Life office no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 13
. For more information, contact foundation faculty members Misty Gamble at [email protected]
or David Overholt at [email protected]
A friendly black cat was found Oct. 31 at 46th and Main Streets, and the family who found the cat hopes to reunite it with its owners. If you think the cat might be yours, contact them at [email protected]
KCAI’s Academic Advising and Career Services office regularly publishes a creative opportunities and career listing with employment, freelance, volunteer and RFQ listings for students and alumni. Download the current creative opportunities list here
. Download the current career list here | <urn:uuid:0db028d4-ede5-4450-beff-23a312f60310> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.kcai.edu/news-blogs/artnotes/2013-11-18?page=2 | 2015-04-01T22:33:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131309963.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172149-00136-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923909 | 2,219 |
Between July 13 and 16, 1863, the largest riots the United States had yet seen shook New York City. In the so-called Civil War draft riots, the city’s poor white working people, many of them Irish immigrants, bloodily protested the federally-imposed draft requiring all men to enlist in the Union Army. The rioters took out their rage on their perceived enemies: the Republicans whose wealth allowed them to purchase substitutes for military service, and the poor African Americans—their rivals in the city’s labor market—for whom the war was being fought. On July 20, four days after federal troops put down the uprising, a group of Wall Street businessmen formed a committee to aid New York’s devastated black community. The Committee of Merchants for the Relief of Colored People Suffering from the Late Riots gathered and distributed funds, and collected the following testimony.
This young man who was murdered by the mob on the corner of Twenty-seventh St., and Seventh avenue, was a quiet, inoffensive man, 23 years of age, of unexceptionable character, and a member of the Zion African Church in this city. Although a cripple, he earned a living for himself and his mother by serving a gentleman in the capacity of a coachman. A short time previous to the assault upon his person he called upon his mother to see if anything could be done by him for her safety. The old lady, who is noted for her piety and her Christian deportment, said she considered herself perfectly safe; but if her time to die had come, she was ready to die. Her son then knelt down by her side, and implored the protection of Heaven in behalf of his mother. The old lady was affected to tears, and said to our informant that it seemed to her that good angels were present in the room. Scarcely had the supplicant risen from his knees, when the mob broke down the door, seized him, beat him over the head and face with fists and clubs, and then hanged him in the presence of his mother.
While they were engaged, the military came and drove them away, cutting down the body of Franklin who raised his arm once slightly and gave a few signs of life.
The military then moved on to quell other riots, when the mob returned and again suspended the now probably lifeless body of Franklin, cutting out pieces of flesh and otherwise mutilating it.
Peter Heuston, sixty-three years of age, a Mohawk Indian, with dark complexion and straight black hair, who has for several years been a resident of this city, at the corner of Rosevelt and Oak streets, and who has obtained a livelihood as a laborer, proved a victim to the late riots.
His wife died about three weeks before the riots, leaving with her husband an only child, a little girl named Lavinia, aged eight years, whom the Merchants' Committee have undertaken to adopt with a view of affording her a guardianship and an education. Heuston served with the New York Volunteers in the Mexican War, and has always been loyal to our government. He was brutally attacked on the 13th of July by a gang of ruffians who evidently thought him to be of the African race because of his dark complexion. He died within four days at Bellevue hospital from his injuries....
Wm. Henry Nichols
Died July 16th, from injuries received at the hands of the rioters on the 15th of July.
Mrs. Statts, his mother, tells this story:—
The father of Wm. Henry died some years ago, and the boy has since, by good behavior, with persevering industry, earned his own living; he was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in good standing. I had arrived from Philadelphia, the previous Monday evening, before any indications of the riot were known, and was temporarily stopping, on Wednesday, July 15th, at the house of my son, No.147 East 28th street.
At 3 o’clock of that day the mob arrived and immediately commenced an attack with terrific yells, and a shower of stones and bricks, upon the house. In the next room to where I was sitting was a poor woman, who had been confined with a child on Sunday, three days previous. Some of the rioters broke through the front door with pick axes, and came rushing into the room where this poor woman lay, and commenced to pull the clothes from off her. Knowing that their rate was chiefly directed against men, I hid my son behind me and ran with him through the back door, down into the basement. In a little while I saw the innocent babe, of three days old, come crashing down into the yard; some of the rioters had dashed it out of the back window, killing it instantly. In a few minutes streams of water came pouring down into the basement, the mob had cut the Croton water-pipes with their axes. Fearing we should be drowned in the cellar, (there were ten of us, mostly women and children, there) I took my boy and flew past the dead body of the babe, out to the rear of the yard, hoping to escape with him through an open lot into 29th street; but here, to our horror and dismay, we met the mob again; I, with my son, had climbed the fence, but the sight of those maddened demons so affected me that I fell back, fainting, into the yard; my son jumped down from the fence to pick me up, and a dozen of the rioters came leaping over the fence after him. As they surrounded us my son exclaimed, “save my mother, gentlemen, if you kill me.” "Well, we will kill you," they answered; and with that two ruffians seized him, each taking hold of an arm, while a third, armed with a crow-bar, calling upon them to stand and hold his arms apart, deliberately struck him a heavy blow over the head, felling him, like a bullock, to the ground. (He died in the N.Y. hospital two days after.) I believe if I were to live a hundred years I would never forget that scene, or cease to hear the horrid voices of that demoniacal mob resounding in my ears.
They then drove me over the fence, and as I was passing over, one of the mob seized a pocket-book, which he saw in my bosom, and in his eagerness to get it tore the dress off my shoulders.
I, with several others, then ran to the 29th street Station House, but we were here refused admittance, and told by the Captain that we were frightened without cause. A gentleman who accompanied us told the Captain of the facts, but we were all turned away.
I then went down to my husband’s, in Broome Street, and there I encountered another mob, who, before I could escape commenced stoning me. They beat me severely.
I reached the house but found my husband had left for Rahway. Scarcely knowing what I did, I then wandered, bewildered and sick, in the direction he had taken, and towards Philadelphia, and reached Jersey City, where a kind, Christian gentleman, Mr. Arthur Lynch, found me, and took me to his house, where his good wife nursed me for over two weeks, while I was very sick.
I am a member of the Baptist Church, and if it were not for my trust in Christ I do not know how I could have endured it.
I am a whitewasher by trade, and have worked, boy and man, in this city for sixty-three years. On Tuesday afternoon I was standing on the corner of Thirtieth street and Second avenue, when a crowd of young men came running along shouting “Here’s a nigger, here’s a nigger.” Almost before I knew of their intention, I was knocked down, kicked here and there, badgered and battered without mercy, until a cry of “the Peelers are coming” was raised; and I was left almost senseless, with a broken arm and a face covered with blood, on the railroad track. I was helped home on a cart by the officers, who were very kind to me, and gave me some brandy before I got home. I entertain no malice and have no desire for revenge against these people. Why should they hurt me or my colored brethren? We are poor men like them; we work hard and get but little for it. I was born in this State and have lived here all my life, and it seems hard, very hard, that we should be knocked down and kept out of work just to oblige folks who won’t work themselves and don’t want others to work.
We asked him if it was true that the negroes had formed any organization for self-defence, as was rumored. He said no; that, so far as he knew, “they all desire to keep out of the way, to be quiet, and do their best toward allaying the excitement in the City.”
The room in which the old man was lying was small, but it was the kitchen, sitting-room, bedroom and garret of four grown persons and five children.
Instances of this kind might be multiplied by the dozen, gathered from the lips of suffering men, who, though wounded and maimed by ruffians and rioters, are content to be left alone, and wish for no revenge.
Burning of the Colored Orphan Asylum
Our attention was early called to this outrage by a number of letters from the relatives and friends of the children, anxiously inquiring as to the whereabouts of the little ones. It is well known that as soon as the Bull’s Head Hotel had been attacked by the mob, their next destination was the Colored Orphan Asylum, on Fifth Avenue, near Forty-third street. The crowd had swelled to an immense number at this locality, and went professionally to work in order to destroy the building, and, at the same time, to make appropriation of any thing of value by which they might aggrandize themselves. About four hundred entered the house at the time, and immediately proceeded to pitch out beds, chairs, tables, and every species of furniture, which were eagerly seized by the crowd below, and carried off. When all was taken, the house was then set on fire, and shared the fate of the others.
While the rioters were clamoring for admittance at the front door, the Matron and Superintendent were quietly and rapidly conducting the children out the back yard, down to the police station. They remained there until Thursday, (the burning of the Asylum occurred on Monday, July 13th, when they were all removed in safety to Blackwell’s Island, where they still remain.
There were 230 children between the ages of 4 and 12 years in the home at the time of the riot.
The buildings were of brick and were substantial and commodious structures. A number of fine shade trees and flowering shrubs adorned the ample play grounds and front court yard, and a well built fence surrounded the whole.
The main buildings were burned. The trees were girdled by cutting with axes; the shrubs uprooted, and the fence carried away. All was destroyed except the residence of Mr. Davis [the superintendent], which was sacked.
Some four or five white women, wives of colored men applied for relief. In every instance they had been severly dealt with by the mob. One Irish woman, Mrs. C. was so persecuted and shunned by every one, that when she called for aid, she was nearly insane.
Source: Report of the Committee of Merchants for the Relief of Colored People, Suffering From the Late Riots in the City of New York. (New York, 1863). | <urn:uuid:ffa9fe75-e58f-48e6-8507-e42278e87f2e> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6216/ | 2015-03-27T17:18:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131296587.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172136-00204-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989188 | 2,479 |
Can't decide ...(9 Posts)
Hi, I'm posting here because, although going from 2 to 3 children isn't exactly what I'd call a 'larger' family, it certainy is a medium-sized family and I'm hoping I'll receive useful advice from people on this forum.
I'm 30yo: we have 2 DDs aged 4.1yo and almost 1yo. Both desperately wanted and who took a while to conceive (DD1 naturally after 9 months of TTC; DD2 after six cycles of Clomid and 2y TTC).
Now, DD2 is 1yo next month and DH has told me a couple of times recently that he is broody and would like another DC. I'm hesitating and I'm going to list my reasons (in no particular order):
? I can't ever 'actively' TTC again. I'm scarred after our experience trying for DD2. If I did get pg again, it really would be a case of nature having just taken it's course. (That is, if I was lucky enough to ever conceive again. I don't think making babies is instant with DH and I.)
? I had a long and traumatic labour with DD1. I had an ELCS with DD2. Another baby would likely be another ELCS delivery. Whilst I much preferred my ELCS, I can't deny that it did knock me about for a couple of
weeks. I wasn't 'back to normal' for about 8 weeks and didn't feel completely myself until about 12 weeks after. I think about how I'd manage taking DD1 to school and looking after DD2. I've said this is DH but I dot think he really understands what I'm talking about (prob because
I just got on with it after DD2's birth, and had the luxury of DD1 not being school-age then).
? Age gaps: I love the 3.2yr age gap between our girls. I'd prefer at least a 2yr, preferably 2-and-a-half year
gap ... But then I think of how difficult it was to get pg last time, and I'm back to square one.
? We are lucky to have a baby and a child with good temperaments. However, when they both need me, it's tiring. I wonder how is stretch myself to look after 3 and give them equal and adequate attention (it's basically just me during the day). I'm also concerned how I'd
manage in late pregnancy and early post-partum, not being able to hop, skip, dash and jump after them, IYSWIM.
? Our 2 feel like 'partners' already. How would a third child likely affect this relationship? Would a third child feel left out? What if we had a boy; would he feel on his own with 2 big sisters?
But then, I adore our daughters, loved my pregnancies, love babies and watching them grow. And I keep returning to thinking about how lucky I'd be if I just got pg, you know? Sorry forth long ramble, but any advice
to stop me thinking in circles would be greatly appreciated.
Oh nuts, the question marks were supposed to be bullet points. Sorry about that!
We've got 3 girls: DD1 8yrs, DD2 5yrs, DD3 5 weeks. we thought long and hard about number 3 and we're so glad we went with it! She has slotted right in and the older two love her to bits. However, I wish that we had a smaller age gap between DD2 & 3 as i feel that she is a bit tagged on at the end. So much so that i'm trying to convince DH to ttc DC4 ideally in a years time so we have a 2-3 yr gap.
I have no experience of CS or difficulty ttc but I do agree when others say that you never regret the children you have, only the ones you didnt.
DD1 & 2 are both at school and actually this forces me to be super organised to get up and out in the morning. DH only took 4 days off for paternity leave so when DD3 was 5 days old I was doing the school run myself! After the first day it was fine.
Attention wise its just the same as when you have two children and have to split yourself between them. I'm one of 3 and never felt I received any less attention than friends from smaller families.
Early days with us, but if I was able to do anything differently it would be to have had DD3 earlier and therefore have a smaller age gap, although I appreciate that this is something that can't always be planned!
Instead of actively trying to concieve (which I can understand must be stressfull for you), could you just stop using contraception for the next year before taking things up a level (maybe then use clomid and ovulation predictors).
I think you would manage just fine with three and will find you always have enough love to go around and somehow make enough time.
Although you are worried how you will manage the school run, on the up side it does mean you will still only have two at home to care for all day (and you managed that last time). You don't say if you have to drive to school or how far away it is. Do you have any family or friends who could help if you had another CS?
I have 5 DCs and it is true that all pregnancies, labours and recoveries are different. You might find you bounce back really quickly if you have another, so don't let the long recovery last time put you off.
Now you know what to expect from a CS you can plan and make arrangements that will help you.
Even though you would like a 2.5yr age gap, would you rule out having another if it took longer? This might take the pressure off and hopefully things will eventually happen by themselves. You are only 30, so have time to let nature take its course, if this is your preferred route.
If you decide you don't want any more DCs then you need to let your DH know and the reasons why. I'm sure he would understand.
Thanks for your replies. Buttons, congrats on your new baby and for sharing your experiences
NAR4, lots of useful things to think about there, thank-you. DH understands how stressful TTC was last time (it was hard on him, too). I think he would prefer to stop using contraception and just see what happens.
School is a 15 minute walk or 5 min drive. We are looking to move though, as our house is currently too small for our needs with 2 DCs, so if a third DC came along, we would definitely needed to have moved already. We're taking our time as we'd like to stay in the area (house size shouldn't be an issue as we've decided to make a move before the end of this year).
Yes, family and friends are on-hand after another CS.
After re-reading my OP, I wasn't clear about the age-gap, sorry. I'd like at least a 2 or 2.6 year age gap and I don't mind a larger one up to 4 years or so. Have to consider the age gap between DD1 and a third DC and after reading Buttons post, I wouldn't want the 'tagged on' feeling as I'm pretty sure that 3 would be our limit (finances, age and not keen on having a few CSs!)
Maybe I just need more time? DD2 is still so young and I am really, really enjoying her being a baby (and almost a toddler!) Very exciting - and trying to decide is not a 'problem' as such, in the grand scheme of things.
I'm sure it will be easier for you to decide as your youngest DD gets older. She is only a baby still, like you say.
Yes, thanks I just remember wanting another baby when DD1 was about 6mo, and ttc from then. I definitely, absolutely knew I wanted another. I'd hear friends saying 'oh, I'm not ready just yet' or 'there's no way I'd cope with another just yet' and not being able to relate to them. Of course, the longer it took, the more desperate for her I became.
I just can't go through that again. It made me depressed, I think; too preoccupied to be the best Mom I could be. DD1's toddler stage kind of passed me by because of my, sadness, I suppose, over how long DD2 was taking to show her shiney face.
So, anyway, I digress. I can now relate to what friends had said about not being ready but I'm caught between feeling like that, then deciding I'd actually quite like another baby, and then it taking ages again, or not happening at all.
You never know, it might not be that difficult to get pregnant again! It took me clomid and 18mths to get pregnant with DD1, clomid and 6 months to get pregnant with DD2 and DS was my surprise boy (I'd assumed I always needed drugs to get pregnant )
I think sometimes your body gets "better" at getting pregnant the more you have!
I'd always planned on having 3 but not so close together (2yr gap between 2 and 3). His babyhood was manic but very happy and I love the dynamics of 3. Best of luck with whatever you choose.
nico thanks for that lovely post I'd like to think that's how it would happen for us x
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Swamps to Camp Fires. Rockets to Origami. Fireworks to Hometown Parades. Hieroglyphics to Bridges… These are just a few of the learning highlights we’re featuring this week! Peruse our list below and make plans to get out into your community and learn while you play!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
4th of July Highlights! From the state where the American Revolution began, families can take part in the multitude of 4th of July celebrations happening in Western MA. Check our 4th of July preview of events, parades & fireworks happening to celebrate in Western MA: 2013 Fourth of July Celebrations & Fireworks
Independence Day ♦ Plants, Nature & Animal Studies ♦ STEM ♦ Archaeology ♦ Local History ♦ Arts & Crafts ♦ Lawn Concerts & Family Dinners ♦ Movies
Explore Whately’s Great Swamp with the Pioneer Valley Institute on Saturday morning, June 29th, and learn about the swamp’s many different tree species, including Black Gum, Pin Oak, and Swamp White Oak. Time will also be spent discussing the swamp’s ecology, geology, and history. The swamp is what is known as a perched swamp, meaning it is not directly connected to the water table, rather it is perched atop layers that prevent drainage as a result of the region’s glacial history. This is a great way to improve your tree identification skills while learning & exploring a truly unique geological area.
The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is hosting a Firefly Hike and Campfire for the whole family on Saturday evening at Sheep Hill in Williamstown. Bring blankets and curl up with family & friends near the fire while eating s’mores and listening to stories told by the three-generational Leamon boys. There will also be nature crafts for children and a hike to search for fireflies.
Bats are the only flying mammals and among the most misunderstood animals. On Friday evening, July 5th, join Rene Laubach to learn about bats found in our region at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox. The program will begin indoors for an overview of the ecology and diversity of bats, and will conclude outdoors with a search for bats, weather permitting. A bat detector will be used to eavesdrop on the bats as they hunt for food.
Check out these links too:
- Amazing Butterflies in Springfield All Summer!
- State Forests & Parks in Western MA
- Firefly Watch! Citizen Science Project
Be a mad scientist at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield on Saturday morning, June 29th at their monthly chemistry based event, Kitchen Kaboom! Along with the help of the museum’s very own crazy chemist, kids can learn how to do exciting and surprising (and safe!) experiments with regular household materials.
Build LEGOs with friends at the Sunderland Public Library on Monday morning, July 1st! Kids 6 and up can exercise creativity and practice their engineering skills by making their own LEGO creations or by following one of the library’s themes.
Origami is a fun way for kids to engage with an activity that supports their discovery of geometry. Learn the art of origami and other paper arts at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield on Tuesday afternoon, July 2nd. This event is held in conjunction with the museum’s PaperWorks exhibit, which focused on the many different things that can be created with paper.
Do your kids want to know more about rockets? What better way to learn about them than designing and testing their own! The Boston Museum of Science is helping to host this hands-on physics program at the Wheeler Memorial Library in Orange on Tuesday afternoon. Not only is this event super fun (and free), but kids will also engage in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)!
Join Odyssey Bookshop for Camp Odyssey in South Hadley on Wednesday afternoon, July 3rd! This once-a-week camp features a weekly book and activities to go along with it. This week’s book/activity is Pop Bottle Science. Come learn about hands-on science experiments you can reproduce with large plastic soda bottles, the perfect mini science lab!
Check out these links too:
- Young Scientist Challenge: Encouraging Students to Share Their Passion for Science
- Art & Science of Paper at the Berkshire Museum this Summer
- 8 Ways to Create Engaging Engineering Activities at Home
Are your kids interested in learning about archaeology this summer? Most Western MA libraries are participating in the Dig into Reading summer program, and many are offering supplemental programs, including the Mason Library in Great Barrington. Kids ages 5yo+ are invited to stop in on Saturday morning, June 29th to learn about mummies, write in hieroglyphics, make cave painting, and discover treasures. This event connects nicely with the “Dig Into Reading” summer reading program!
Join storyteller and scientist Paulette Morin at the Hatfield Public Library for a special free storytime all about fossils and dinosaurs on Tuesday morning, July 2nd. Youth participants will get to do some hands-on exploring with real fossils too! Paulette will also be at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield on Wednesday afternoon, July 3rd, this time learning about the earth’s exciting prehistoric past!
What was it like crossing the Connecticut River before the construction of our modern bridges? Learn about the history of local bridges and the difficulties associated with building them while riding around Turners Falls and Montague City on a leisurely bike tour with the Great Falls Discovery Center on Saturday afternoon, June 29th. This is a free and engaging way to learn local history by exploring our towns and villages. Bring a bike and helmet!
Join the Kemp-McCarthy Museum in Rowe for a special free celebration as they celebrate their 50th anniversary on Sunday afternoon, June 30! Visitors can view the “Childhood Memories” exhibit, which includes antique games and children’s clothing, see the historic hat display, learn about a research project cataloging Rowe’s houses, see the newly refurbished Music Room, study rare documents from the 18th and 19th centuries, and see “The Way We Were,” an exhibit of clothing and artifacts from 1963, the year the Museum opened. There will also be a buffet, treats, and live music. Immerse yourself in local history by experiencing and learning about what life in the Hilltowns was like many years ago.
Check out these links too:
- Irish Legacy Exhibit Blends Local Immigration History with Artifacts at Springfield Museums
- Plainfield Historical Society Offers Online Resource, Rich Hilltown History!
- Historic Northampton Museum & Education Center Highlights the History of Silk Thread and the Pioneer Valley
Here are four free events happening this week at local libraries or museums that support creativity:
- Saturday morning, June 29th: Kids can exercise their creativity and art skills at the Ramsdell Library in Housatonic during a story cube activity. Draw illustrations on the cubes, roll them like dice, and create stories as you go!
- Tuesday afternoon, July 2nd: Children ages 5-12 are invited to a craft activity all about worms! The Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield is hosting this activity as part of the “Dig Into Reading” summer reading program. It offers a chance for kids to do a craft related to the greater theme of the program.
- Tuesday afternoon, July 2nd: Teens participating in the summer reading program can come make gummy worms in “dirt” desserts at the Sixteen Acres Library in Springfield. This event is purely fun and teens will enjoy getting their hands dirty while making a tasty dessert together!
- Tuesday afternoon, July 2nd: 2pm-6pm: Stop by the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown for an all-ages watercolor workshop. Open to people with all skill levels, this workshop helps you learn the art of watercolor painting while translating the natural beauty of the Clark onto paper.
Check out these links too:
- Let’s Play: Books and Creative Free Play
- Language Play: Supporting the Creativity of Writing
- ZooBean: Handpicked Books for Kids
There’s a lawn concert happening nearly every evening this week! A great solution to finding time for your family to dine together, pack up a picnic dinner, BYO blanket & chairs, and lounge on the lawn listening to music with your family while enjoying dinner together:
- Saturday, June 29th in Longmeadow: Pack a picnic dinner and bring the whole family to join the Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department at the Longmeadow Green for an outdoor concert. Mandeville and Raianne Richards, a folk duo from Massachusetts, will perform country and classic Americana-inspired tunes.
- Sunday, June 30th in Greenfield: Coop Concerts Summer Concert Series takes place weekly at Greenfield Energy Park. This week’s show features Jennie McAvoy and Michael Nix, Katie Clarke, and Devlin Miles.
- Monday, July 1st in South Deerfield: Monday Night Concerts at the Tilton Library are a great chance to have an exciting family dinner – bring chairs, a blanket, pack a picnic, and bring the whole family! This week’s performers are Bruce King and Doctor Dan.
- Tuesday, July 2nd in Williamstown: The Clark Art Institute is hosting concerts on their South Lawn every Tuesday in July! This week’s performer is Red June. Pack a picnic dinner – or purchase barbecue food at the Clark – and enjoy the show while spending time with family.
- Thursday, July 4th in Wilbraham: The Wilbraham Nature and Cultural Center’s summer concert series at Fountain Park presents John Brandoli. Brandoli’s repertoire includes rock, folk, and pop, so bring the whole family and sit on the lawn while enjoying entertaining live music.
- Friday, July 5th in Easthampton: Arts in the Park Summer Concert Series happens at Millside Park. Pack a picnic dinner, bring the family, and enjoy an evening of live music outdoors on a Friday evening!
If the heat or rain makes you want to head indoors this summer, there are often times screenings of family movies happening at area libraries or at a special rate at a local theater house. This week the Westfield Atheaneum, Sunderland Library and Cinemark in Hadley are screening family films for a dollar or less!
If you’re in the mood for an outdoor evening film, the town of Adams will be hosting a summer film series beginning this week (among several others in July!) and Northfield Drive-In is always a family favorite destination for outdoor viewing.
Find out about these events and over 100 other events & activities happening all next week in our List of Weekly Suggested Events. All of our listed events are “suggested.” Please take a moment to confirm that these events are happening as scheduled, along with time, place, age appropriateness and costs before heading out. | <urn:uuid:76dc8eb9-59b1-4d25-9781-3815b061c8d5> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | https://hilltownfamilies.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/community-highlights-15/ | 2015-03-29T17:21:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298660.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00028-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935235 | 2,299 |
Los Angeles wants to bring fiber-based broadband to all of its residents and businesses and build a citywide Wi-Fi network at the same time. The best part for LA is that the buildout won't cost the city a dime.
That's because LA is going to issue an RFP (request for proposal) asking vendors to build out the network themselves at an estimated cost of $3 billion to $5 billion. Despite the vendor bearing that cost, it would also be required to make the network open to any other service provider on a wholesale basis. Longtime watchers of the broadband industry say Los Angeles seems to be asking for the impossible.
"My first reaction is 'I look forward to their RFP for a unicorn supplier, because I think it's about as likely under these terms,'" Harold Feld, senior VP of the technology-focused consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge, told Ars.
There would be benefits to a winning bidder in LA's fiber bonanza, though. While the vendor would have to provide free Internet to everyone at the network's slowest speeds (potentially with ads to support the service), it could also charge a premium for everything up to gigabit lines and could sell TV and phone service to everyone in LA. Moreover, the winning bidder could get contracts to provide the city government with data center hosting and perhaps other IT services like e-mail.
"I like to think of it as limited at this point only by your imagination," Los Angeles City Council member Bob Blumenfield, who came up with the idea, told Ars.
Blumenfield wants city residents to have completely portable Internet connections, available both at home and on Wi-Fi hotspots wherever they go in Los Angeles. "While I may be getting five megabits as Joe on the street wanting to connect, if I'm a customer of the vendor then I have portability. I can get the same high speed access I would get in my home anywhere in Los Angeles," he said.
The Wi-Fi component of the project would cost less than $100 million, he said. "When completed, Los Angeles would be the largest city in the United States with free universal access to wireless broadband," Blumenfield's office said in a press release.
The problem is that the city needs to bring something to the table to make the construction costs worthwhile to the vendor, Feld said.
"If there were a lot of municipal fiber in the ground already so you didn't have to pay to deploy the asset, and the issue was 'we're looking for a manager to take over management of existing urban fiber and turn that into an open system,' that would be one thing," Feld said.
Los Angeles Information Technology Agency GM Steve Reneker told Ars, "The city is going into it and writing the agreement, basically saying, 'we have no additional funding for this effort.' We're requiring the vendors that respond to pay for the city resources needed to expedite any permitting and inspection associated with laying their fiber."
Reneker further said the winning bidder would hopefully be able to provide not just fiber Internet but also cellular service and data center hosting. That potentially limits the field to AT&T and Verizon.
"There are only two companies that could do that for both wireless and fiber, and neither one of them is going to take those terms," Feld said.
We've asked AT&T and Verizon if they would bid on the project, but we didn't get an answer.
The city previously considered a citywide Wi-Fi initiative in 2007, but a report completed by 2009 determined that it would be too expensive.
“It’s kind of a mystery to me”
Feld's views were echoed by Christopher Mitchell, director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "I was looking back over the LA thing to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's kind of a mystery to me," he said. "As I understand California law at this point, LA would be asking someone to do something that they could do now. LA doesn't appear to be giving them any specific inducement to do so. And a lot of providers, if they were going to do this they would just pick a part of LA and do it there. There's no reason they would choose to do it everywhere."
The offer of a contract to provide data center hosting and other services to LA isn't enough to lure a vendor to build out the whole fiber network, Mitchell said.
One more realistic, albeit slower, approach LA could take is to install fiber or conduit (essentially a placeholder that makes it easier to install fiber in the future) each time the city rips up the road for another project.
"If you're already digging up the streets to fix the road or put in water pipes, the cost of adding conduit and/or fiber can be about 1 percent of that project cost, so it's incredibly affordable," Mitchell said. "Santa Monica has done this over a period of more than 10 years, and they've built a substantial network."
Just how much fiber does Los Angeles have already? Blumenfield said it's not clear. "DWP [LA's Department of Water and Power] has a fair amount of fiber in the ground, some of the research institutions have fiber in the ground, the movie studios have some fiber. I don't know, frankly, if anybody has done a complete catalog of what's out there."
Feld and Mitchell wondered if more details on LA's current fiber would be available once the RFP is issued, but it doesn't appear that this will be the case. "The opening RFP is going to be pretty broad; it's going to come out in the next couple of weeks," Blumenfield said.
The initiative unanimously approved by the City Council this week instructed the tech department to "[d]evelop a City of Los Angeles Broadband Request for Proposal with a list of available assets and services that would entice a vendor to provide a build out of some level of free broadband service to all City residents while respecting the commercial carrier's basic levels of service and to not significantly influence carrier competition."
"It's potentially a huge value proposition for them to be able to leverage the city's assets," Blumenfield said. Those assets include "light posts on every street that have power," providing a place to put Wi-Fi access points. The city would also make it easy for the vendor to get all the required permits, he said.
Which companies does Blumenfield expect to place bids? "I would certainly expect AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner, some of the big tech companies. Maybe Google, maybe Microsoft. There would be partnerships between these different companies," he said.
LA wouldn’t be the first, but it might be the biggest
Citywide fiber rollouts have been achieved elsewhere in the US, if not in metro areas the size of LA. EPB, the community-owned electric utility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, started building a fiber network in 2008, served its first fiber Internet customers in 2009, and had the whole network done by 2011.
Installing 8,000 miles of fiber optics cost about $97 million, EPB communications VP Danna Bailey told Ars. The Internet service, which has 60,000 customers out of a potential 170,000 homes and businesses, offers 100Mbps connections for $57.99 a month and gigabit connections for $69.99 a month. TV and phone service are offered as well. The network spans Chattanooga and the surrounding rural areas.
It's already turning a profit. "It absolutely has paid for itself and is putting money back into our electric system as well," EPB Chief Operating Officer David Wade said. "This year our fiber communications portion of the company will probably put about $20 million back into our electric system."
EPB modernized its electric system with 170,000 smart meters at the same time that it installed fiber.
"I think we would have welcomed the incumbents to come into town and to have done some of this work, but frankly no one was interested in doing it," Bailey said. After the network launched, incumbents Comcast and AT&T finally started upgrading their services, EPB officials said. The project thus benefited nearly everyone, not just people who signed up for EPB Internet service.
It would be easy to conclude that LA should follow a Chattanooga model, building out the network itself. Mitchell said that this would provide the city the advantage of having greater control over the quality of service for one of its most important assets.
With 3.5 million residents, LA is very different from Chattanooga, however. The huge city may well be able to entice vendors to build something, if not something as ambitious as what the planned RFP proposes.
For EPB's part, Bailey said, "we are very excited that LA is looking into building a fiber-to-the-home system."
An “opening gambit?”
We'll find out soon enough whether broadband companies will submit bids to LA. Mitchell speculated that LA's RFP is "an opening gambit to see how the industry responds."
"I understand, big cities simply don't want to do something if they don't have to, and I think some big cities haven't understood they have to get involved to a greater extent," Mitchell said.
Feld said the proposal seems more like LA is "laying out their priorities and agenda rather than a serious RFP."
"The cities that have fiber have funded it themselves," he said. "The typical city experience, when they want to do a commercial fiber network and can't attract FiOS or something like that, is they put together a municipal corporation and fund it themselves through a bond offering or something. So the city becomes the ISP."
A city could also contract with a vendor, but in those cases the vendor often gets exclusivity provisions that would be at odds with LA's desire for an open network available to any vendor that wants to provide services over the fiber.
Blumenfield acknowledged that the city could ultimately opt for a compromise if it can't get everything it wants. "We could end up with some sort of hybrid, where you've got fiber in major sections, and then you've got coverage with Wi-Fi in other sections, and you could even have 4G coverage on some of the harder-to-capture sections," he said. "You could have some sort of a deal there where you cover everything."
But as for details, there just aren't many yet. When asked to be more specific about what assets and incentives the city could offer a vendor, Blumenfield replied, "You're asking me to define these things and at this point I'm hesitating to define them, because at this point we're just really at the early phases. It's what you imagine it to be. We're issuing these RFPs to get people to think big and to bring forth proposals to the city of how they would partner with the city." | <urn:uuid:643ee3ae-1233-4ef1-beda-8db1f34af01e> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/11/skeptics-say-las-free-fiber-plan-as-plausible-as-finding-a-unicorn/?comments=1&post=25651527 | 2015-03-31T10:20:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300464.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00144-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976584 | 2,274 |
Well fall is definitely here or Autumn as I call it when being fancy. So many things about fall are great and as I write this blog I am eating a HoneyCrisp apple. The other great thing is sports and hoodies. I love college football and soccer so this time of year is great for my sports fandom. The other thing that is awesome is this time of the year you can cook things you don't cook in the summer. Those things mean dusting off that crockpot and getting to work fella. I know that summer time is great for grilling but as far as real BBQ goes the fall is a great time to put a piece of meat in a smoker and let it do its work. The temperature has go down a little but not cold yet and that is good with me. I love shorts and a hoodie, have for years and feel like it is really the best look that combines looking cool with comfort. Pumpkin beers also are great, shout out to the Night Owl. As a guy you are not supposed to like pumpkin patches and all that stuff but I went to one last year and had fun. I should also say I am a city boy so anything out in the country like that always seems like a fun adventure to me. Now the other key to having a blast in the pumpkin patch is to combine it with some of those pumpkin beers. Have fun out there and enjoy Autumn
This weather just won't quit. Sun and 80's for months now and I hope you are still enjoying it since fall or autumn is just around the corner. I have been lacking a bit on the blog as summer gets busy and I am giving you bad excuses, my bad I will get back on it. I have also found that some of blog thoughts are easy to get out on my podcast Thee Podcast. One of the reasons I bring up Thee Podcast is because my co-host Cobb said a thing a few weeks ago we try to live by and that is "Come from a place of love, not fear." I thing today with all that is going on with the domestic violence discussion in the NFL and USA right now it is also to time to talk about violence in our society. We are a warring culture and rage war almost continuously for 15 years now. We also talk tough all the time to people and for some reason believe that violence is the answer. If you are in a bar and someone brushes by you and want to fight, then I know you are not smart. Street cred is another thing that is just a joke, you don't need it and at no point is your street cred going to get you that job. I often hear things like if I was him I would beat his ass, why? In all the fights these kind of angry upset people get in, they never win. Sure they are good street fighters and don't get beat up but within themselves is the real fight and they are losing badly. Violence in our system is OK to use sometimes but not others? Put me in the camp of non-violence movements and it should be a last resort. Sorry for the deep blog post but this last week has been a serious one.
How is the summer going for you so far? I am back to asking questions to start the blog. Sorry I have been gone for a minute just got busy with summer and living. At this point in the summer I have been doing a ton of fun things and just enjoying the great Seattle weather. 80's during the day and they cool and night is just the best weather in my mind. Now I have become a Seattle person so I am looking forward to a rainy day in the fall but we will have plenty of those so for now I will take the sun and if I have to sweat a little bit then that's fine with me. I went to Hempfest on Sunday and if you like to people watch and good food options then you should go next year. It is crowded and long lines but it is fun and just have fun with the fact it is Hempfest and its going to be slow walking around. I had a tasty strawberry smoothie followed up by the best damn grill cheese sandwich ever thanks to The Grill Cheese experience. Summer is great in Seattle and I hope you are out there enjoying it. Have fun and Go Sounders, they are going to make the push into the playoff's soon so make sure to give your full 90
Everyone run for cover the jets are taking over or so it seems. Not really it is just Seafair and the Blue Angels are in town. The NAVY is here as well in numbers, Belltown was full of the sailor's. It is crazy when you see those Jets and the power they have. I also think it is fun for the Military guys and girls to have fun in the town. I would have to image it is a good time to blow off some steam and enjoy the town. I also get the argument about our Military power and show of it but the guy has to say its so cool. I could watch those jets all day long and I think it looks cool when you see everyone in the uniforms. Seafair is also just a great weekend to be in Seattle. Between the Blue Angels and the hydro races on the weekend it is overload on the senses. Summer in Seattle is awesome and I can't wait for this weekend and to see the Blues flying above the lake. Hope you get out there and have fun and if you are on the log boom, be safe and drink one for me.
So summer is here and so is the great weather as well. The funny thing is in Seattle I feel like we do a good job of bitching when the weather is not good and then in time we start to bitch about the heat. Let me start by saying I love summer but I am going to do some complaining. When I got home last night around ten my house was hot. I live on the sixth floor of a building in a one bedroom condo. I am not sure if it is from being on the sixth floor or from the fact my place faces west but in the evening and night it is warm in that sucka. Now what do you do when you get home and it is just hot and sticky in your place? I myself go straight to mesh shorts and t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. I basically go home and turn into Larry the Cable guy. One thing that has changed for me in the last year though is this summer I have a portable Air-conditioning unit in my bedroom so it is nice and cool when I sleep. Shout out to STP for the hook up on that air-conditioner. I also like being outside but when it comes to eating outside in the sunlight I am not for that. I don't mind eating outside but eating in the sunlight is just not fun in my book. I will have some drinks with you sure but if you to grab some food lets go inside honey. Now he is the deal though with all that bitching I just did I still love summer in Seattle and hope it last for months. Get out there and enjoy life
This weekend is the 4th of July and I am excited. I am fired up for many reasons but number one is I have some family coming into town and I can't wait to show off Seattle. I have had a couple ideas about what I want to show them but in the end it is Seattle in the summer. I sometimes take for granted how beautiful the city is. I have options and not sure what to do with them but I like the idea of showing them Discovery Park because it is a nice park and you can get down to the beach for some great views of the city. I have also thought about just hoping on a ferry and going across to one of the islands to show them the difference and maybe grab a quick bite over there. The 4th itself is also one of my favorite holidays. I think part of the reason I like it so much is just having a BBQ with friends and enjoying some cold beverages and fireworks
With all the World Cup fun going the last couple of weeks I sometimes forget the bad side of sports but then someone reminds of it. Today clearly I am talking about a player for Uruguay named Luis Suarez who once again bite someone today during a World Cup match. Now I use the word again because he has a history of biting people. Just last year he was suspended for nine games for biting someone while playing for Liverpool in the English Premier League. That bite came on the heels of a bite he did in another league a couple years before that. Part of the problem with this guy is that because is such a great player and scores so many goals he stay's in the line up for club and country. I have heard and even kind of believed the arguments for the other two indecent but three times is just silly. I also have to wonder what is wrong with the guy, does he really think in the World Cup you can do anything on the field without a camera watching? I just can't get over the fact that not only did it happen again but now it happened in the World Cup. He has to get some kind of suspension in my mind and I think at this point Liverpool has to wonder if keeping him on the club is worth it. Last year there was talk he might come over to play for my favorite English Club Arsenal, now I am glad that did not happen because I don't want to cheer for someone like him
So clearly a lot of people are excited about the World Cup and some are not. I was late to the party and did not become a soccer fan until my adult life but have learned to love the sport with passion. I also as a adult played on a indoor team for a couple years and learned how to play the sport and that helped in making it more fun to watch. I get that not everyone likes soccer but I never understand why people have to hate on the sport so much if they do not like it. If you don't like soccer, that's fair but the constant bashing on it from people during the match on Monday was stupid. I don't watch a ton of NASCAR and that's why you rarely see me tweet or talk about it. Now even if you do not like soccer I challenge you to look at a gallery of World Cup fans and not think the girls are hot. It is one of the best parts of the World Cup is that they put out photo's of all the girls from around the world that show up and they are beautiful. The Brazilian girls are unfair because that country has so many different types of people and skins tones you are bound to find some that are hot and to your taste. I like to watch the Netherlands as well because they have a country full of hot blonde women and great soccer. The Dutch also had some of the first rules on marijuana to make it some what legal so I respect that. The central American countries have a bunch of hotties as well. Trust me even if you hate soccer you will enjoy the ladies of the world cup. Enjoy fellas
World Cup is back and man is it exciting. Rarely do you hear people around the office getting excited for teams that no one is loyal too but happy to watch. Today the Netherlands is playing Spain and I want both teams to play well. That's the fun thing about the world cup is clearly I am a USA fan but for some games I just pick a nation and cheer for them. I do enjoy the Dutch because I was a huge Robin Van Persie fan when he played at the best club in the world Arsenal. I also like the Dutch because of their way of life but on the same token there is a bunch on guys on the Spanish team I enjoy watching as well. Plus have you ever had Iberico ham, it's great and from Spain so another reason to cheer for them. I really just like cheering for goals and great saves as well. My point of this blog today I hope you are getting a chance to see the beautiful game and enjoying it on the highest level. Monday our boys open up play and I am stoked, I believe that we will win
So last weekend it seemed like everyone I know was out having a great time. Now I am not sure if it is just my friends or if there was something in the water. I have friends that rarely go out and they were even out late last weekend. I do thing a part of it has to be the weather and the sunshine. When it is sunny out it seems like people are just more apt to go out. I also think it has something to do with the fact that since it does not get dark until later in the evening people start the night later. Summer time is the time for that kind of stuff too since it seems like you can have a couple drinks or beers and some good food that is not terrible for you. I like the fact that a lot of fruits and veggies are in season and sometimes you can just hang out by the fruit salad bowl and snack on veggies as well. In the winter time people don't want to be messing with that stuff, they want pizza's and wings on the side of the bowl of chips. Take chili for instance, do you really want to get down on a big bowl of chili with cheese in it on a warm sunny day? Either way last weekend was a ton of fun for a lot of people and I for one am always happy to see other people having fun too. | <urn:uuid:b01828e5-ab26-46a3-a028-caa52a31eb7f> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.kisw.com/Superbowl-2-11-10/11281395 | 2015-03-31T09:48:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131300464.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172140-00144-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985707 | 2,735 |
Mansion Ushers in a New Era of Debauchery
BY OMAR SOMEREYNS
VIP director Patrik Slettman speaking at Mansion’s staffing meeting
Just past 1 AM on a Wednesday night, it’s a madcap party at Mansion. The crowd, dancing in unison, is surrounded by arcing showers of colorful light, and people appear as pixilated versions of themselves, extensions of the LED light fantasy. And then, suddenly, an odd display: An oversize creature looms over the partygoers on stilts with a long, black mane and woolly, hot-pink legs. Some sort of deranged Minotaur/rabbit hybrid? It bears a slight, yet still spooky resemblance to that ominous bunny in Donnie Darko, and people twist their necks for a few seconds to get an awed glance, not fully sure what to make of it, before resuming the dance.
When Nervo, the Australian twin sisters/DJ duo and the night’s headliners, come on—fiercely manning the decks, the bass dropping unapologetically— the club explodes, confetti blasts into the air, and the crowd is enraptured, intoxicated. Inside the VIP area, semi-naked dancers in Queen’s Guard-style bearskin caps show off their bodies, female servers pop Champagne and light sparklers, and even more partially nude women are entangled in the net just a few feet overhead—no matter where you go, you’re in the show.
However, this kind of nightlife crescendo doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes a full team, hustle, creativity, custom-made costumes, and sober execution. Mansion was always a mega-club, but following a $2.5 million renovation that embraces a new 360 concept (which means that from all sections in the cavernous main room, viewers are surrounded by lights, music, videos, and performers), its newest incarnation launched at the beginning of this year is more than that: It’s a tantalizing theater-slash-cabaret, a 360-degree sound and LED light-show phantasmagoria.
3 PM—Earlier that day at Mansion. Calvin Harris’s “Feel so Close” plays from the speakers. “One, two, three, four… five, six, seven, eight,” Audrey Mazens-Sanchez, the club’s lithe, 28-year-old choreographer, utters firmly. She directs a group of six lingerie-clad dancers through a sequence of pole-dance moves. “Every Wednesday afternoon, the girls learn a new choreography to perform that night,” says Mazens-Sanchez. “Then there are also the aerialists and contortionists, so overall we try to create a mix between cabaret and the circus—though some funny things can happen, like girls losing their pasties onstage because they’re moving a lot.”
Wednesday nights are now home to Cirque de Mansion, a spectacular bacchanal that puts to complete use the venue’s new 360 concept, especially on the production side, with stage shows, acrobats, dancers, and in-crowd performers popping up all over the space during the course of the night. Inspiration is gleaned from the Crazy Horse in Paris, with 41-year-old Mike Lee, entertainment director at The Opium Group (the umbrella company that owns Mansion), overseeing the productions. He and the club’s general manager, Sushi Seibert, will concoct a theme, and then Lee will book the night’s talent and conceptualize the costumes.
“The theme is all about coming up with a creative thread we can run with, something that differentiates us from other clubs where it’s just go-go dancers,” he says. “Almost all our dancers are professionally trained. We try to make them as naked as possible, but tastefully, so we’ll put elaborate rhinestone arrangements or interesting headpieces on them.”
Through the back and upstairs, Mike Lee’s office/studio is filled with neatly organized garments and accessories: purple Mohawks, white tutus, foamy mermaid tails, metallic pleated wings, and two sewing machines. The fact that everything here is handmade—the attention to craft and detail—is a testament to the venue’s affirmed love of the spectacle. Depending on what he needs, Lee will either create the costumes himself by hand or hire outside contractors, such as seamstresses or dressmakers. Tonight’s theme is “Queen of England.” “We’ll also have performance artists and drag performers, and they’ll be dressed as theme-related as possible, although we give them more creative freedom. And Sushi works with the bar staff so that their uniforms are in line with the theme, too.”
Meanwhile, Mark Lehmkuhl, 40, the creative director who led the renovation for The Opium Group, points to the theatrics and the new lighting system as a major part of the refurbishing. “Two things came about when we started the renovation,” he says. “One, since this place was originally a theater when it was built in 1936, we wanted to bring back that exuberant, theater-like atmosphere. So we moved the DJ booth, which used to be on the stage, to the front of the VIP section so it’s integrated within the VIP and juts out into the crowd itself. Two, it had to be totally different from what it looked like before—that whole sultry, velvet, and quite frankly dated design. We wanted to give it a very clean, modern look, but also emphasize the sound and lighting.”
In a space near the entrance sits GM Sushi Seibert’s office, cluttered with knickknacks, paperwork, Mansion merchandise, and a printout that says, motherhood can be such a drag, a cheeky reference to her staff for calling her “Mama-san.” A nightlife vet, now 46, Seibert is highly meticulous, engaged in her role like a hard-nosed production manager on a film set. She makes sure everything is right in terms of ordering, scheduling, theme layout, who’s coming, and whether there are big spenders.
She captains a 50-person staff on most nights, sometimes more, works with VIP hosts to keep high rollers happy, and with Lee to ensure there’s constant entertainment. And then there are the crazy clubgoer antics—people jumping off the mezzanine into the net above the VIP, or “a girl talking to herself in the mirror and me having to comfort her,” she says.
5:30 PM—It’s still several hours before Mansion opens, and Eric Milon is running around, tending to last-minute details before he can head home for dinner with his family. Milon, 59, his brother Francis, 46, and Roman Jones, 41, are the managing partners at The Opium Group. During the day, before their clubs open, the three sort out the business side, working from their office on Lincoln Road, while still checking in on their venues. The Milons and Jones are hands-on, closely collaborating with their production teams, researching what’s happening with house music in other markets with their talent bookers, and making sure the different nights have their own identities.
Right before 6 PM, Jones arrives in the main room, sunglasses on, and immediately calls out for someone to clean the too-sticky VIP floors. He explains how Mansion is moving away from the hip-hop and urban programming it once had to focus more on house and compelling electronic music, both major and emerging acts. “We’re still going to have the bigger names, like David Guetta and Afrojack, though it’s not just about huge names, but also the pointy ones, the ones making a dent, like Art Department and Style of Eye. That’s why we’re doing a Thursday party called Kontrol, where the focus is really on the music. We’ll be honing in on deep house and more experimental stuff.”
6:30 PM–10 PM—The calm before the storm, as everyone goes home to eat, shower, and relax with family.
10:30 PM—Time for lineup. The staff—bartenders, performers, dancers, doormen, techs, security guards—are all gathered in the main room, and Sushi Seibert presides. She nitpicks their uniforms, mentions a $200 incentive to sell an anti-hangover drink called Mercy, and announces that Nervo are taking over the turntables at 1:30 AM. “Keep that time in mind,” she says. “I want to blow them up.”
Seibert’s job here is to motivate her staff, boost their energies, and push the sales. It’s about music and entertainment, but of course it’s also about money. According to a 2012 survey from Nightclub.com and Technomic, Mansion raked in an estimated $10 to $15 million in total revenues in 2011.
As the night progresses, Level Six, the venue’s theatrical inner sanctum, is getting busy. This used to be the projection room when the place was a theater; it’s now a small yet glamorous dressing area for dancers and performers, many with thin layers of taut body tape for the night’s theme, along with long leather boots and bedazzled football pads. Supervising it all is Mike Lee, who seems calm and composed, though he says, “It’s exciting, but once it really starts, there’s something happening every 15 minutes, so it can get stressful.”
Downstairs, by the club’s back door, Najib Elmasri, 41, director of talent buying for The Opium Group, awaits Nervo’s arrival. When the cheery blonde pair walk in, exuding an enthused rock star aura, they go up to the green room for a quick chat before their set time. Elmasri gets them drinks (Diet Coke, water, vodka, and whiskey). Liv, Nervo’s long-haired half, says, “We’ve been coming here to support our DJ friends, and we also played the Dim Mak party during WMC this year. Mansion has that bougie, upscale side to it, but it hasn’t lost its dirty, warehouse vibe, which we love.”
1:15 AM—The dance floor is packed. All eyes are on the dancers onstage, looking good and fantastically absurd in their body tape and tall bearskin fur caps while they perform a short, choreographed show. “There you go,” says Lee. “Two hours of rehearsal for a three-minute performance.” Amid the multitude of people, drag queen Adora is perched on a table, in massive turquoise hair and voluptuously drawn lips, blowing kisses. There’s zaniness all around. Girls in peacock headdresses spray fiery grinders, and spunky aerialists swing, do splits, or hang upside down. Everything has come together, and now the crowd is hyped and ready for Nervo on the decks—the promised apex of the night.
“We want to do something that’s more than just a discothèque,” says Eric Milon as Nervo work into their set. “We may have more performers on a Wednesday than on other nights, but every night here is a show. I mean, we’re happy to have an economy that’s rebounding, but people still remember the harder times, so what they want is real value for their money, and we give them that, whether they’re VIP or not.”
Photography by World Red Eye
We're behind the scenes with Marlins outfielder, who now has the largest contract in sports history. | <urn:uuid:02b0d41a-7593-40c7-b131-880974367463> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://oceandrive.com/dining/articles/mansion-ushers-in-a-debaucherous-new-era | 2015-04-02T03:08:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131310006.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172150-00260-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948521 | 2,594 |
This post is the latest in the “Secret History Series.” They’ll make much more sense if you read some of the earlier ones for context. See the Secret History bibliography for sources and supplemental reading.
Swords Into Plowshares
After the end of World War II, returning veterans were happy to beat swords into plowshares (and microwave tubes) on the Stanford campus. From 1946 until 1950, Stanford’s Electronic Research Lab conducted basic research in microwave tubes. Although this reseearch would lead to the development of the Backward Wave Oscillator and Traveling Wave Tube for military applications, Stanford was building tubes and circuits not entire systems. The labs basic research was done by graduate students or Ph.Ds doing postdoctoral internships, supervised by faculty members or hired staff (many from Fred Terman’s WWII Electronic Warfare lab.)
In 1949, with the detection of the first Soviet nuclear weapons test, the Iron Curtain falling across Europe and the fall of China to the Communists, Cold War paranoia drove the U.S. military to rearm and mobilize.
We’ll Do Great in the Next War
Early in 1950, just months before the outbreak of the Korean War the Office of Naval Research asked Fred Terman to build an Applied electronics program for electronic warfare. All branches of the military (the Air Force and Army would fund the program as well) wanted Stanford to build prototypes of electronic intelligence and electronic warfare systems that could be put into production by partners in industry. The Navy informs Terman that, “money was not a problem but time was.”
Pitching the idea to the President of Stanford, Terman enthusiastically said, “In the event of all-out war, Stanford would become one of the giant electronic research centers…” (A bit optimistic about the outcome perhaps, given that both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had nuclear weapons at this point.)
Crossing the Rubicon – The Applied Electronics Lab
Setting up a separate Applied Electronics Lab for military funded programs doubled the size of the electronics program at Stanford. The new Applied Electronics Laboratory was built with Navy money and a gift from Hewlett-Packard. With the memories of WWII only five years old, and the Cold War now a shooting war in Korea, there was very little discussion (or dissension) about turning a university into a center for the production of military intelligence and electronic warfare systems.
The work in the applied program focused in fields in which faculty members or senior research associates specialized. Many of the other staff in the applied program were full-time employees hired to work solely on these military programs.
ELINT, Jammers and OTH
The Applied Electronics Lab used the ideas and discoveries (on microwave tubes and receiver circuits) from Terman’s basic research program in the Electronic Research Lab. The Applied Lab would build prototypes of complete systems such as Electronic Intelligence systems, Electronic Warfare Jammers, and Over the Horizon Radar. The Applied Electronics Lab also continued work on the Klystron, pushing the tube to produce megawatts in transmitted power. (Stanford designed Klystrons producing 2½ Megawatts were manufactured by Varian and Litton would power the radar in the BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System) built at the height of the cold war.) The close tie between the two labs was a unique aspect of the Stanford Lab. Stanford had a Customer Development loop going on inside their own lab. The discoveries in tube and circuit research suggested new electronic intelligence and countermeasure techniques and systems; in turn the needs of the Applied Lab pushed tube and circuit development. With the Applied Electronics Lab Stanford was becoming something akin to a federal or corporate lab run under university contract. The university found government contracts profitable as the government reimbursed their overhead charges (their indirect costs.) This means they could fund other non-military academic programs from this overhead.
The Stanford Applied Electronics Lab built prototypes which were handed off to the military labs for their evaluation. Subsequently military labs would contract with companies to build the devices in volume. In some cases, branches of the military contracted directly with Stanford which worked with local contractors in Silicon Valley to build these components or systems for the military. The prototype ELINT receivers built by the Applied Electronics Lab used the Stanford Traveling Wave Tubes. They quickly went into production at Sylvania Electronic Defense Labs down the street in Mountain View and Hallicrafters in Chicago. Later versions would be built by numerous industry contractors and installed on the fleet of ELINT planes orbiting the Soviet Union. These traveling wave tubes would also become the heart of the panoramic receiver used on the B-52 by the electronic warfare officer to get the bomber through the Soviet Air Defense system.
Jammers built by the Stanford Applied Electronics Lab used the Stanford Backward Wave Oscillators to produce high power microwaves. Unlike the simple noise jammers used in World War II, Soviet radars were becoming more sophisticated and newer designs were fairly immune to noise. Instead the jamming signal needed to be much smarter and have a deep understanding of how the targeted radar worked. Taking the information gleaned from our ELINT aircraft, Stanford built prototypes of jammers modulated with two new deception jamming techniques – angle jamming and range-gate pull-off. Some form of these deception jammers would eventually find their way into most electronic warfare defense systems used in the Cold War; first in the U-2, A-12 and SR-71. (Ironically the B-52 bomber, which would become the airborne leg of our nuclear triad, would use dumb noise jammers for two more decades – the Air Force opting to put the smart jammers on the B-58 and B-70, high altitude supersonic bombers – one soon obsolete and other never made it into production.)
The last major area of research that the Applied Electronics Lab group investigated was how radio signals propagated within the earth’s ionosphere. Over the next fifteen years this Radio Science Laboratory would receive the most funding of all departments in the lab (from the CIA) to build a ground based ELINT system. They would build and deploy two Over The Horizon Radar (OTHR) systems to detect Soviet and Chinese ballistic missile tests using ground based radars.
Guards at the Door – Stanford Joins the Cold War
In 1953 the Office of Naval Research told Terman that all military-funded projects (basic or applied, classified or not) needed to be in their own separate physical building. As a result Stanford moved the Applied work from the Electronics Research Lab into its own building.
In 1955, the pretense of keeping unclassified and classified work separate imposed too much of an administrative overhead and Stanford merged the Applied Electronics Lab and the Electronics Research Laboratory into the Systems Engineering Lab. The Applied Electronics portion of the lab was now the size of a small company. It had 100 people, 18 of them full time faculty, 33 research associates and assistants and 33 other tube technicians, draftsman, machinists, etc. Over half this lab would hold clearances for military secrets. (Top Secret: Terman, Harris, McGhie, Secret: 44 others, Confidential: 8 others. Terman, Harris and Rambo also had Atomic Energy Commission “Q” clearances.) Some students who were getting their engineering graduate degrees wrote masters and PhD thesis that were classified. Unless you had the proper clearances you couldn’t read them. Terman and Stanford had just made a major bet on the cold war, and Stanford ranked sixth among university defense contractors.
A security guard was stationed at the door of the Applied Electronics Lab to ensure that only those with proper security clearance could enter. The law of unintended consequences meant that this most casual addition in front of a university building would result in the occupation and destruction of the lab (and its twin at MIT) and the end of the program 14 years later. (More on this in a later post.)
Show and Tell – The Stanford ELINT and Electronic Warfare Contractors Meeting
During a typical year, the Applied Electronics Lab would host classified visits from military labs and defense contractors. By early 1950’s Stanford started holding a two day meeting for contractors and the military.
The 1955 attendee list gives you a feeling of the “who’s who” of the military/industrial establishment: RCA, GE, Motorola, AIL, Bendix, Convair, Mepar, Crosley, Westinghouse, McDonnell Aircraft, Douglas Aircraft, Boeing, Lockheed, Hughes Aircraft, North American, Bell Aircraft, Glen Martin, Ryan Aeronautics, Farnsworth, Sperry, Litton, Polarad, Hallicrafters, Varian, Emerson, Dumont, Maxson, Collins Radio. Other universities doing classified ELINT and Electronic Warfare work attended including University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology and Cornell. Over a hundred government contractors reviewed Stanford’s work on tubes and systems.
This was a classified conference at a university, the contractors not only got to hear the conference lectures, but also visited exhibits on the devices and systems the lab had built. The lab would repeat the conference the following week for government agencies doing military work.
Barely noticed at the 1955 conference, a year before the first transistor company opened in Silicon Valley, one of the sessions described how to use a new device called a“transistor” to build wide-band amplifiers. (Terman had sent faculty and graduate students to the University of Illinois in 1953 to learn transistor physics.)
The World Turned Upside Down
The Applied Electronics Lab solidified Stanford’s lead as one of, if not the place in the U.S. military for advanced thinking in ELINT and Electronic Warfare. It would turn on its head the relationship of universities and corporations.
Traditionally universities chased corporations for funding and patronage, but the military’s dependence on Stanford’s and Fred Terman’s judgment turned that relationship on its head. Now the military was listening to Terman’s advice about which military contractors should get the order for to mass produce the Stanford systems. The contractors were now dependent on Stanford.
Terman the Rainmaker
During the 1950’s Fred Terman was an advisor to every major branch of the U.S. military. He was on the Army Signal Corps R&D Advisory Council, the Air Force Electronic Countermeasures Scientific Advisory board, a Trustee of the Institute of Defense Analysis, the Naval Research Advisory Committee, the Defense Science Board, and a consultant to the President’s Science Advisory Committee. His commercial activities had him on the board of directors of HP, Watkins-Johnson, Ampex, and Director and Vice Chairman of SRI. It’s amazing this guy ever slept. Terman was the ultimate networking machine for Stanford and its military contracts.
Stanford Industrial Park – Microwave Valley Booms
By the early 1950’s many of the corporations that attended the yearly Stanford Electronic Warfare conferences would establish research labs centered around Stanford for just this reason – to learn from Stanford’s basic and applied research and get a piece of the ELINT and Electronic Warfare contracting pie.
Stanford Industrial Park was the first technology office park set up to house local and out of state microwave and electronics startups. First occupied in 1953 it would include Varian, Watkins Johnson, Admiral, HP, General Electric, Kodak, Lockheed. Other east coast companies which established branches in Microwave valley in the 1950’s included IBM, Sylvania, Philco, Zenith and ITT.
The Future is Clear – Microwave Valley Forever
By 1956 Fred Terman had every right to be pleased with what he had helped build in the last ten years in and around Stanford. The Stanford Electronics Lab was now the center of ELINT and Electronic Warfare.
Startups were sprouting all over Microwave Valley delivering microwave tubes and complete military systems, slowiy replacing the orchards and fruit trees. Granger Associates was a 1956 startup founded by Bill Ayer, a graduate student in the Applied Electronics Radioscience Lab, and John Granger, a former RRL researcher, building ELINT and Electronic Warfare systems (the Granger jammer was carried on the U-2.) Four years later Ayer and another Granger engineer would leave Granger and found one of the preeminent electronic warfare and ELINT companies: Applied Technologies.
The future of the valley was clear – microwaves.
1956 – Change Everything
Yet in 1956 two events would change everything. At the time neither appeared earthshaking or momentous. First, a Bell Labs researcher who had grown up in Palo Alto, had his own interesting World War II career, and recently served as a military advisor on cold war weapons systems, decided to follow Fred Terman’s advice to locate his semiconductor company near Stanford.
The second was when a Southern Californian aircraft company decided to break into the missiles and space field by partnering with Stanford electronics expertise. It moved its electronics research group from Burbank to the new Stanford Industrial Park and built its manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale.
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory and Lockheed Missiles Systems Division would change everything. Read about it in Part XI of the Secret History of Silicon Valley here. | <urn:uuid:143f465d-c03a-4fb5-ab35-fa435ddf11eb> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://steveblank.com/2009/08/17/stanford-crosses-the-rubicon/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=9514d1f115 | 2015-04-02T03:06:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131310006.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172150-00260-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949433 | 2,736 |
June 14, 2012
Two Tech teams honored by NCAA with APR Public Recognition Awards
Tennessee Tech’s softball and women’s golf teams are among those who received Public Recognition Awards Thursday from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for top academic performance.
May 24, 2012
Junior Katherine Bell named MVP of women's golf squad
Katherine Bell has been named the Most Valuable Player of the Tennessee Tech women's golf team, and several additional team awards were announced this week by head coach Polk Brown to wrap up the 2011-12 season.
April 24, 2012
Golden Eagles finish sixth at OVC Women's Golf Championship
The Tennessee Tech women's golf team wrapped up the 2012 season with a sixth place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships, closing play Tuesday at the GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson. Brandy VanEtten was the team's top finisher.
April 23, 2012
Golden Eagles in sixth place after two days at OVC Women's Golf Tournament
Brandy VanEtten is in 14th place overall individually as Tennessee Tech broke a tie with Eastern Illinois and moved alone into sixth place with one final round remaining Tuesday at the OVC Women's Golf Championships.
April 22, 2012
Tech gets early start Sunday at OVC Women's Golf Championship
Tennessee Tech golfers will be the first off the tee Sunday morning at the Ohio Valley Conference championship tournament, being held at GreyStone Golf Course in Dickson. Katy Beth Glover gets the tourney underway at 8 a.m.
April 22, 2012
Golden Eagles tied for sixth after first day at OVC Tournament
Brandy VanEtten is in 11th place individually, but the first day of the OVC Women's Golf Tournament didn't go as Tennessee Tech had hoped as the Golden Eagles are tied for sixth place with two rounds remaining.
April 10, 2012
Shepherd, Randolph represent Tech at Samford Intercollegiate
Amber Shepherd and Amanda Randolph wrapped up play Tuesday as individual entries in the Samford Intercollegiate. The pair were the only Golden Eagles able to compete due to illness and injuries.
April 9, 2012
Shepherd, Randolph only two playing at Samford Intercollegiate
Amber Shepherd is tied for 21st place and Amanda Randolph is tied for 46th, the only two members of the Tennessee Tech women's golf team able to play this week in the Samford Intercollegiate. Injuries and illness have sidelined the remainder of the Golden Eagle squad.
April 7, 2012
Golden Eagles at Samford Intercollegiate for final OVC Tourney tuneup
This week's play in the Samford Intercollegiate is the final tuneup for the Tennessee Tech women's golf team before the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
April 4, 2012
Amber Shepherd shares OVC Golfer of the Week honor
Tennessee Tech's Amber Shepherd earned her first all-tournament honor on Tuesday, and Wednesday was named as the Ohio Valley Conference co-Golfer of the Week, another first for the Golden Eagle sophomore.
April 3, 2012
Shepherd earns first all-tournament honor, Tech places sixth at Belmont Invitational
Sophomore Amber Shepherd earned her first career all-tournament honor with a fifth place individual showing and the Tennessee Tech women's golf team finished sixth in the Belmont Invitational Tuesday at Old Hickory Country Club.
April 2, 2012
Old Hickory: Tech tees off Monday morning in Belmont Invitational
The Tennessee Tech women's golf team is in Nashville to begin play Monday morning in the Belmont Invitational. The 36-hole event will feature seven schools at the Old Hickory Country Club.
April 2, 2012
Shepherd in second place heading to final round at Old Hickory
Sophomore Amber Shepherd is tied for second place with an even-par 72 in Monday's first round of the Belmont Women's Invitational at Old Hickory Country Club. Tech is in sixth place in the team standings heading into the final round Tuesday.
March 26, 2012
Final-round push gives Golden Eagles strong finish
The Tennessee Tech women’s golf team sliced 13 strokes off its first-round score to finish strong in Monday’s final round at the Low Country Intercollegiate at Moss Creek Plantation.
March 25, 2012
Bell leads Golden Eagles at Low Country Intercollegiate
Katherine Bell shot a first-round 81 to lead Tennessee Tech in the first round of the Low Country Intercollegiate on Sunday at Moss Creek Plantation.
March 24, 2012
Carolina in my mind: Golden Eagles prep for Low Country Intercollegiate
Less than a week after completing play at the 2012 Pinehurst Challenge, Tennessee Tech will return to the Carolinas to compete in the Low Country Intercollegiate Sunday and Monday in Hilton Head, S.C.
March 20, 2012
Tech rallies, moves up two spots in final round at Pinehurst
Tennessee Tech finished strong at the 2012 Pinehurst Challenge on Tuesday, moving up two slots to secure a 15th place finish against strong competition from throughout the Southeast.
March 19, 2012
Bell leads Golden Eagles on first day at Pinehurst
Tennessee Tech struggled against stiff competition in the first day of play at the 2012 Pinehurst Challenge on Monday, shooting a combined score of 642 through two rounds of play.
March 18, 2012
After long break, Golden Eagles resume play at historic Pinehurst
Tennessee Tech's women's golf team will get to play at one of the game's most storied venues this week as it takes part in the 2012 Pinehurst Spring Challenge.
February 20, 2012
Golden Eagles finish runner-up, VanEtten places 10th
Tennessee Tech completed a strong start to the 2012 season on Monday, maintaining Sunday’s second-place spot to finish runner-up at the BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational.
February 19, 2012
Tech one stroke out of lead after first day of Ann Rhoads Invitational
Amanda Randolph and Brandy VanEtten are both tied for second place, one shot off the lead, and the Tennessee Tech women's golf team is in second place among the 16 teams at the Ann Rhaods Invitational, also one stroke behind the leader.
February 17, 2012
Golden Eagles open season Sunday at Ann Rhoads Invitational
The Tennessee Tech women’s golf team will get the 2012 spring schedule underway this weekend when it plays in the Ann Rhoads Invitational, hosted by Birmingham Southern College.
February 7, 2012
Golden Eagles announce 2012 schedule, look for strong start
For Tennessee Tech women’s golf coach Polk Brown, success in 2012 begins with Day One. Brown announced the team's schedule this week, with the first meet set for Feb. 19-20 in Birmingham.
February 2, 2012
Tech men, women picked fifth in OVC preseason golf poll
Tennessee Tech’s men’s and women’s golf teams were both pegged for middle-of-the-pack finishes in the Ohio Valley Conference in the league's preseason poll released Thursday.
December 1, 2011
Polk Brown inks five newcomers to join Golden Eagle golf teams
First-year golf coach Polk Brown has announced the addition of five signees who will join the Tennessee Tech golf teams in 2012-13, with two newcomers for the women's team and three on the men's.
November 1, 2011
Tech takes seventh in fall finale at UAB Fall Beach Blast
Tennessee Tech’s women’s golf team moved up two spots from ninth to seventh place in the second and final round of the UAB Fall Beach Blast on Tuesday, wrapping up their fall season.
October 31, 2011
VanEtten leads Tech at UAB Fall Beach Blast
Tennessee Tech sat in ninth place out of 11 teams after one round at the UAB Fall Beach Blast on Monday behind a 79 from Brandy VanEtten.
October 29, 2011
UAB Fall Beach Blast promises beautiful conditions for Golden Eagles
Tennessee Tech’s women’s golf team will be in search of a warmer climate as it wraps up its fall season at the UAB Beach Blast beginning Monday in Gulf Shores, Ala.
October 17, 2011
Getting to know Brandy VanEtten
Take a look into the personality of TTU women's golfer Brandy VanEtten. The sophomore describes why she loves the game of golf, why she adores Tim Tebow, and which facial expression she can never make.
October 12, 2011
Stallings Dinner sold out; Guests to bid on exciting items
Guests who attend the sold out dinner Friday night in recognition of PGA Tour champion Scott Stallings will have an opportunity to bid on some outstanding items during a Silent Auction at the event.
October 11, 2011
Golden Eagles finish seventh at F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate
Amber Shepherd shot a second-round 75 to lead Tennessee Tech in closing out the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate Tuesday at The Links at Novadell.
October 10, 2011
VanEtten, Everts shoot 75, lead Tech after one round
Brandy VanEtten and Madalyn Everts both fired first-round 75s to lead Tennessee Tech Monday at the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate at The Links at Novadell.
October 8, 2011
Flat, links-style course awaits Golden Eagles at F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate
With the fall schedule winding down, the Tennessee Tech women’s golf team will head to a site at which they have enjoyed past success on Monday and Tuesday.
September 20, 2011
Everts continues strong play, leads Tech in final round at Great Smokies
Freshman Madalyn Everts tied her career-best round, firing a two-over 74 to lead Tennessee Tech in the final round of the Great Smokies Intercollegiate Tuesday at Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa.
September 19, 2011
Golden Eagles hang tough in tight field at Great Smokies Intercollegiate
Katherine Bell shot a one-over 73 to lead Tennessee Tech in the first round of the Great Smokies Intercollegiate at Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa.
September 18, 2011
Golden Eagles hope to build on past successes at Great Smokies Invitational
A 23-team field awaits Tennessee Tech at the Great Smokies Invitational, the squad’s third tournament of the 2011 fall season, on Monday.
September 13, 2011
Everts leads strong final-round push, Tech finishes sixth
After entering the final round of the Drake Creek Invitational in a sixth-place tie with Western Kentucky, Tennessee Tech bested the Hilltoppers by nine strokes Tuesday morning to slide into sole possession of a sixth-place finish out of 10 schools at Murray State’s home event.
September 12, 2011
Golden Eagles in tie for sixth after two rounds at Drake Creek Invitational
Tennessee Tech teed off its second tournament of the fall season Monday under warm and sunny conditions on the banks of the Ohio River at Murray State’s Drake Creek Invitational.
September 11, 2011
Tech women to tee off at Drake Creek Invitational
The Tennessee Tech women’s golf team is hoping for fairer weather at the Drake Creek Invitational on Monday and Tuesday after rain canceled the final two rounds of the squad’s season-opening event last weekend.
September 7, 2011
Tech golf to host "An Evening with PGA Champion Scott Stallings"
PGA Tour professional and Tennessee Tech alumnus Scott Stallings is coming home to Cookeville for an evening in mid-October. Fans and supporters are invited to the event, but must reserve seats by Monday, Oct. 3.
September 6, 2011
Final round rained out at Chris Banister Classic
The final round of the Chris Banister Gamecock Golf Classic was rained out Tuesday, leaving Tennessee Tech with a sixth place finish out of eight teams in its first tournament of the 2011 fall season.
September 5, 2011
Second day rained out, Tech in sixth heading into final round at JSU
After opening play in sixth place at the Chris Banister Classic Sunday, the Tennessee Tech women's golf team spent Monday watching the second round get washed out. The final round is scheduled for Tuesday.
September 2, 2011
Golden Eagles set for fall opener at Chris Banister Classic
Polk Brown will make his coaching debut when the Tennessee Tech women’s golf team begins its fall season Sunday at Jacksonville State’s Chris Banister Golf Classic.
August 16, 2011
Tech golf teams to play on familiar courses during 2011 fall season
The Tennessee Tech women's and men's golf teams will be teeing it up on several familiar courses this fall when first-year head coach Polk Brown takes the Golden Eagles through the 2011 fall schedules.
August 6, 2011
Golden Eagle golf adds one men's, one women's signee to fall rosters
The Tennessee Tech men’s and women’s golf teams have each added a name to their 2011-12 rosters.
July 21, 2011
Polk Brown named men's and women's golf head coach, Peni Austin new assistant
Former Golden Eagle player Polk Brown has been named as the head women’s and men’s golf coach at Tennessee Tech University, while Peni (Davis) Austin has been named assistant coach for both teams. | <urn:uuid:80f1bea0-cea3-47ca-87e0-2f8eec8ea53c> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://ttusports.com/sports/wgolf/2011-12/news?dec=/printer-decorator | 2015-04-02T03:25:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131310006.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172150-00260-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924164 | 2,829 |
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Two new conditions -- osteoporosis and diabetes -- are hitting HIVers. Whether caused by the virus, the meds or both, these ailments have researchers alarmed about a graver syndrome -- premature aging. Jennifer Block reports on how to keep Old Man Time at bay.
Treatment types love to construct neat metaphors for life with HIV. There's the old standby: train (you), ravine (opportunistic infections) and bridge (anti-HIV meds). POZ, of course, prefers the party analogue: You're throwing a glam gala. You've invited select guests from that famous family, HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy). But suddenly some crashers are making a mess of things -- there's diarrhea dancing under the disco ball and nausea sporting a lampshade hat. You expected depression and anxiety to slip in -- they're out on the balcony with a half-gallon of Absolut -- but you never thought you would see Lady Lipo and Buffalohump Bill.
Call the promoters for back-up bouncers, baby, because osteoporosis and diabetes just toppled the red-velvet rope. Unfashionably late and low on the HAART side-effects list (see "Side FX," POZ September 2000), these arrivistes can still be 86'd if you act now.
No Bones About It
You may hear osteoporosis and think Golden Girls, but new research suggests that the condition -- marked by weaker, fracture-prone bones -- is likely increasing among HIVers. Lacking conclusive data, it's still too early to put all the blame on your combo, but the prevalence of bone-tissue loss is apparently significantly higher in people taking protease inhibitors (PIs) than in those on non-PI combos. What's not yet clear is whether it's HAART or some combination of the drugs, HIV and advancing age that's to blame.
Osteoporosis is a common complaint in an aging body: 50 percent of women and 12 percent of men actually lose bone after age 50. Say what? The problem is that while pre-midlife, the body continuously loses bone cells and continuously replenishes them in equal measure, with aging the number of cells made doesn't match the number gone -- there's a gradual loss of bone tissue. The result is thinner, weaker bones that may become brittle and break easily.
Pablo Tebas, MD, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is on the case. In 1999, he began looking for a link between HAART and bone-mineral density (BMD), a measure of bone strength used to diagnose osteoporosis. In a small study of HIV positive men, he found that of all HAART-takers, those on a PI were at greatest risk: Half of the protease poppers had osteopenia -- the prelude to osteoporosis. But the increase in PI-taking men was not statistically significant when compared to neggies. The trouble is, there are no symptoms of osteopenia. "Lots of people with HIV are walking around undiagnosed," says Lori Panther, MD, an HIV specialist in Boston. A full-body x-ray, called a DEXA scan, can be used to determine your baseline bone density, which is expressed as a "T score." That score -- taken before you break a bone -- will help catch deterioration. But while osteopenia has been reversed in post-menopausal women, whether or not that will be true in HIVers is still unclear. What we do know is that osteoponic bones are twice as likely to fracture or break, and osteoporotic bones are four to five times more likely to do so.
Tebas has yet to absolutely establish a causal connection between HAART and BMD loss, but he hypothesizes a notably chilling scenario and synergy: HAART, HIV or both are effectively speeding aging's inevitable toll. "Several years of HAART may accelerate the typical loss of bone mineral that occurs with advancing age," he says. Unfortunately, some common collateral damage caused by HAART and HIV also increases the likelihood of bone loss, including fatigue (leading to decreased weight-bearing exercise), nausea (leading to bad nutrition) and hormone decreases (in both men and women). Of course, booze and
cigarettes, those time-honored solaces, only up your risk.
But don't get out that walker just yet. This doesn't mean that if you have osteopenia, you'll sneeze and break a rib. But it does mean that your bones could be more likely to break than you'd expect at your age, and so monitoring is important. And, anyway, just how serious is a fractured finger or a broken rib compared with HAART-related liver and heart damage or the consequences of HIV progression itself? "Not that serious yet," says William Powderly, MD, a professor of medicine and Tebas' colleague at Washington University. "There is no reason to stop or even change treatment based on these findings. We are convinced there is a link, but it is still not clear how severe or progressive treatment-induced osteoporosis is."
That's easy for a whitecoat to say, but bone-breaking PWAs might see it differently, if their input is sought. In Boston, Sonia Nagy, MD, and others at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are trying to nail down more specific stats through a larger study of both men and women, which they hope will uncover additional risk factors. (They're still enrolling participants in the area, so call 617.632.0769 for details.) Another unknown is how bone loss affects HIV positive men and women differently. Because women are more prone to osteoporosis in general, it's reasonable to expect that women with HIV, who often experience the premature onset of menopause, are at greater risk and need early, effective intervention.
For now, garden-variety advice must suffice, but generally HIVers on HAART should start following guidelines for older neggies now: regular exercise (weight-bearing activity such as walking, running or weight-training -- not biking or swimming -- is best) and a diet rich in bone-building nutrients, along with nutrient supplementation to ensure adequate calcium (1,000 mg daily for men; 1,000 to 1,500 mg for women) and magnesium (500 to 1,000 mg per day; excess magnesium can cause loose stools) and vitamin D (400 to 800 IU a day). Good foods for this include milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, soy or white beans and tofu made with calcium. Drugs prescribed for bone-loss prevention include Fosamax, Actonel, Raloxifene, Calcitonin and, for women, hormone-replacement therapy, but of course all these treatments come with their own party crashers, too.
Sweet and Sour
Feeling a little bit sensitive about lipodystrophy's humps, paunches and ballooning bosoms? Tell that to your cells. An old theory about lipo is that it is the result of cells becoming desensitized, or "resistant," to insulin. But looks aside, this is a serious condition that may put you at risk for type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
You eat. You digest. Your body extracts glucose (the simple sugar needed by cells for energy) from food and dispatches it into the bloodstream. Your pancreas produces insulin to escort the glucose into the cells, which keeps your motor purring. But the insulin receptors in an HIVer's cells -- especially those of HAART takers -- may start boycotting the insulin and, with it, the glucose. Because your body needs that glucose, it compensates by signaling the pancreas to produce more insulin. For a time, this works: The cells absorb the energy.
Recent studies have shown that many HIVers with lipo overwork their pancreas because they need to make twice as much insulin as normal to sustain normal glucose levels. This worries researchers for two reasons: Either the pancreas could exhaust itself or the cells could become increasingly resistant. If either happens, then blood sugar is unabsorbed and levels skyrocket, which means that your cells are essentially starving to death. Behind both doors No. 1 and 2 lie diabetes and its fearsome risks: damage to blood vessels throughout the body, resulting in complications from top (blindness) to bottom (neuropathy and leg amputations) to in-between (heart-attacks, strokes and kidney failure). The early symptoms alone -- extreme thirst, hunger, weight loss, fatigue and itchy skin -- could make you feel worse than if you spent the night singing drunken karaoke.
While such high glucose is more obviously dangerous, the effects of high insulin levels may be subtler but ultimately just as worrisome. It is believed that they directly harm the blood vessels, even when blood glucose is not high. So consider that elevated insulin level to be a red flag for cardiovascular disease. There is evidence that PIs, particularly indinavir (Crixivan), may have a direct effect on glucose transport, which would in turn affect insulin sensitivity. But researchers also suspect that insulin resistance is connected to lipo-related fat changes. "Understanding the connection between fat and insulin is extremely important for HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy," says Steven Grinspoon, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "But we just don't know why insulin resistance is happening or how much it increases the risk for diabetes and heart disease."
The sad truth is, if your regimen includes protease inhibitors and you have lipodystrophy, you have a 50-50 chance of also having insulin resistance. But you'll have to give blood to be sure. Then you'll undergo tests for insulin and glucose levels on an empty stomach ("fasting levels") and then retest after downing a high-glucose drink ("post-prandial levels") to determine your degree of resistance. A high post-prandial glucose level suggests that insulin receptors are becoming increasingly resistant. But the neon alarm flashes when your fasting glucose levels are elevated -- this signals that your cells are not getting the energy they need. It could mean a diagnosis of type II diabetes.
That's what Dominic Hamilton-Little, an HIVer in New York City, got just one year after he failed a fasting glucose test. "I was permanently hungry and constantly thirsty, and it was gradual. I didn't realize it until the doctor said, 'Whoa, your blood sugar is way too high.'" Within a year he was diagnosed with diabetes.
If you do have high insulin levels, you should exercise and eat a high-protein, high-fiber, moderate-fat diet, with a reasonable amount of carbs, as directed by your doc. As for switching to a no-protease combo, that's a delicate decision only you and your doc can make. In a few small studies, ditching their protease inhibitors for efavirenz (Sustiva), nevirapine (Viramune) or abacavir (Ziagen) helped people increase insulin sensitivity.
Certain drugs aimed at reducing blood glucose, including metformin (Glucophage) and two drugs from the glitazone group, rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos), have been used with some success. Metformin decreases the liver's glucose production; glitazones up cells' glucose absorption. Both drugs are used to treat overt diabetes, but recent studies on their lipo and insulin-resistance effectiveness show reduction not only of insulin and glucose levels but also of blood pressure as well as belly size. Some docs have started prescribing these drugs even to nondiabetic HIVers, and while it is too early to tell if the benefits of improving insulin sensitivity outweigh the drugs' potential risks -- weight loss, diarrhea and lactic acidosis -- signs point to yes. "My hunch is that we will be using insulin-sensitizing agents more routinely in the future," Grinspoon says. So don't pack up that party just yet. First treat the osteo and insulin crashers to the old kill-'em-with-kindness routine -- kindness to your body, that is. | <urn:uuid:67a37a3c-5947-4bf3-8846-2b3fcdb2750f> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.poz.com/articles/193_1253.shtml | 2015-04-02T03:11:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131310006.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172150-00260-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947316 | 2,568 |
Individual differences |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Dual-coding theory, a theory of cognition and a information processing model, was hypothesized by Allan Paivio of the University of Western Ontario in 1971. Paivio used the idea that the formation of mental images aids in learning when developing this theory (Reed, 2010). According to Paivio, there are two ways a person could expand on learned material: verbal associations and visual imagery. Dual-coding theory postulates that both visual and verbal information is used to represent information (Sternberg, 2003). Visual and verbal information are processed differently and along distinct channels in the human mind, creating separate representations for information processed in each channel. The mental codes corresponding these representations are used to organize incoming information that can be acted upon, stored, and retrieved for subsequent use. Both visual and verbal codes can be used when recalling information (Sternberg, 2003). For example, say a person has stored the stimulus concept, “dog” as both the word 'dog' and as the image of a dog. When asked to recall the stimulus, the person can retrieve either the word or the image individually or both, simultaneously. If the word is recalled, the image of the dog is not lost and can still be retrieved at a later point in time. The ability to code a stimulus two different ways increases the chance of remembering that item compared to if the stimulus was only coded one way.
There are limitations to the dual-coding theory. Dual-coding theory does not take into account the possibility of cognition being mediated by something other than words and images. Not enough research has been done to determine if words and images are the only way we remember items, and the theory would not hold true if another form of codes were discovered (Phylyshyn, 1973). Another limitation of the dual-coding theory is that it is only valid in for tests on which people are asked to focus on identifying how concepts are related (Reed, 2010). If associations between a word and an image cannot be formed, it is much harder to remember and recall the word at a later point in time. While this limits the effectiveness of the dual-coding theory, it is still valid over a wide range of circumstances and can be used to improve memory (Reed, 2010).
Types of CodesEdit
Analogue codes are used to mentally represent images. Analogue codes retain the main perceptual features of whatever is being represented, so the images we form in our minds are highly similar to the physical stimuli. They are a near-exact representation of the physical stimuli we observe in our environment, such as trees and rivers (Sternberg, 2003).
Symbolic codes are used to for mental representations of words. They represent something conceptually, and sometimes, arbitrarily, as opposed to perceptually. Similar to the way a watch may represent information in the form of numbers to display the time, symbolic codes represent information in our mind in the form of arbitrary symbols, like words and combinations of words, to represent several ideas. Each symbol (x, y, 1, 2, etc.) can arbitrarily represent something other than itself. For instance, the letter x is often used to represent more than just the concept of an x, the 24th letter of the alphabet. It can be used to represent a variable x in mathematics, or a multiplication symbol in an equation. Concepts like multiplication can be represented symbolically by an "x" because we arbitrarily assign it a deeper concept. Only when we use it to represent this deeper concept does the letter "x" carry this type of meaning.
Support for this theory Edit
Many researchers today have agreed that only words and images are used in mental representation (Phylyshyn, 1973). Supporting evidence shows that memory for some verbal information is enhanced if a relevant visual is also presented or if the learner can imagine a visual image to go with the verbal information. Likewise, visual information can often be enhanced when paired with relevant verbal information, whether real-world or imagined (Anderson & Bower, 1973). This theory has been applied to the use of multimedia presentations. Because multimedia presentations require both spatial and verbal working memory, individuals dually code information presented and are more likely to recall the information when tested at a later date (Brunye, Taylor, & Rapp, 2008).
Paivio found that participants when shown a rapid sequence of pictures as well as a rapid sequence of words and later asked to recall the words and pictures, in any order, were better at recalling images. Participants, however, more readily recalled the sequential order of the words, rather than the sequence of pictures. These results supported Paivio's hypothesis that verbal information is processed differently than visual information and that verbal information was superior to visual information when sequential order was also required for the memory task (Paivio, 1969). Lee Brooks conducted an experiment that provided additional support for two systems for memory. He had participants perform either a visual task, where they had to view a picture and answer questions about the picture, or a verbal task, where they listened to a sentence and were then asked to answer questions pertaining to the sentence. To respond to the questions, participants were asked to either respond verbally, visually, or manually. Through this experiment, Brooks found that interference occurred when a visual perception was mixed with manipulation of the visual task, and verbal responses interfere with a task involving a verbal statement to be manually manipulated. This supported the idea of two codes used to mentally represent information (Sternberg 2003).
Dual-coding theories complement a dual-route theory of reading. When people read written information, dual-route theory contends that the readers access orthographic and phonological information to recognize words in the writing.
Paivio’s work has implications for literacy, visual mnemonics, idea generation, HPT, human factors, interface design, as well as the development of educational materials among others. It also has implications for, and counterparts in, cognitive sciences and computational cognitive modeling (in the form of dual process cognitive models and so on; e.g., Anderson, 2005; Just et al., 2004, Sun, 2002). It also has had implications for cognitive robotics.
Cognitive Neuroscience SupportEdit
Two different methods have been used to identify the regions involved in visual perception and visual imagery. Cerebral blood flow allows researchers to identify the amount of blood and oxygen travelling to a specific part of the brain, with an increase in blood flow providing a measure of brain activity. An event related potential can be used to show the amount of electrical brain activity that is occurring due to a particular stimulus. Researchers have used both methods to determine which areas of the brain are active with different stimuli, and results have supported the dual-coding theory. Other research has been done with positron emission tomography (PET) scans and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show that participants had improved memory for spoken words and sentences when paired with an image, imagined or real, and showed increased brain activation to process abstract words not easily paired with an image.
The dual-coding theory is not accepted by everyone. John Anderson and Gordon Bower proposed an alternative method- the propositional theory- of how knowledge was mentally represented, the propositional theory. The propositional theory state mental representation are stored as a proposition rather than as images. Here, proposition is defined as the meaning that underlies the relationship between concepts (Sternberg, 2003). This theory states that images occur as a result of other cognitive processes because knowledge is not represented in the form of images, words, or symbols.
The common coding theory has also been proposed as an alternative to the dual coding theory. The common coding theory looks at how things we see and hear are connected to our motor actions. It claims that there is a common code that is shared between perceiving something and the respective motor action.
- Associative processes
- Elaboration likelihood model
- Elaborated code
- Elaborative rehearsal
- Multimedia learning
- Restricted code
- Unified Theory of hypermemnesia
References & BibliographyEdit
- Anderson, J. R. (2005). Cognitive Psychology and its implications. New York: Worth Publishers.
- Anderson, J. R. & Bower, G. H. (1973). Human associative memory. Washington, DC: Winston.
- Baddeley, A. D. (1986). Working memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Paivio, A (1986). Mental representations: a dual coding approach. Oxford. England: Oxford University Press
- Paivio, A (1971). Imagery and verbal processes. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
- Reed, S. K. (2010). Cognition: Theories and application (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
- Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Cognitive theory (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
- Sun, R. (2002). Duality of the Mind. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
- Brunye, T. T., Taylor, H. A., & Rapp, D. N. (2008). Repetition and dual coding in procedural multimedia presentations. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 22, 877-895.
- Clark, J.M.; Paivio, A. (1991), Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 71, 64-73
- Denis, M. and Mellet, E. (2002). Neural bases of image and language interactions. International Journal of Psychology, 37 (4), 204-208.
- Just, M. et al (2004). Imagery in sentence comprehension: an fMRI study. NeuroImage 21, 112-124.
- Mayer, R. E. & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psycologist, 38(1), 43-52.
- Mayer, R. E ; Simms, V.K. (1994), For whom is a picture worth a thousand words? Extensions of a dual coding theory of multimedia learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86 (4), 389-401.
- Mayer, R. E. & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 43-52.
- Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. (2000). A coherence effect in multimedia learning: the case for minimizing irrelevant sounds in the design of multimedia instructional messages. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 117-125.
- Paivio, A (1969). Mental Imagery in associative learning and memory. Psychological Review, 76(3), 241-263.
- Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory: retrospect and current status. Canadian Journal of Psychology 45, 255-87.
- Phylyshyn, Z. W. (1973). What the mind's eye tells the mind's brain: A critique of mental imagery. Psychological Bulletin, 80, 1-24.
- Simpson, T.J. (1995), Message into medium: An extension of the Dual Coding Theory. In Imagery and Visual Literacy: Selected Readings from the Annual Conferenece of the International Visual Literacy Association (26th, Tempe, Arizona, October 12-16, 1994), 2-10
- Sternberg, Robert J. (2006). Cognitive psychology fourth edition, 234–36, Thomson Wadsworth.
- Thomas, N. J.T., "Mental imagery", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2011 Edition), Edward N Zalta (ed.).
- [http://chd.gse.gmu.edu/immersion/knowledgebase/strategies/cognitivism/DualCodingTheory.htm Dual Coding Theory: A Theoretical Foundation of Learning with Graphics
- Multiple Code Theory
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HTC is getting back to basics: after starting a long One series over the past few years with One X, One S and One V, the manufacturer has presented its master smartphone at the start of 2013. With its minimalistic design and technological superiority, the flagship makes all if its predecessors look old-fashioned and teaches its competitors the meaning of fear. The HTC One ups the ante for the Android Champion league and its pros heavily outweigh its cons. When putting the challenger to the test, is this device as good in practice as we expect it to be? The naked truth will be revealed to you in today's hands-on test.
- ✕No microSD slot
HTC One Design & Build Quality
HTC has put all hopes in one hand with its new flagship, the HTC One. It's been a losing battle for the Taiwanese company over the last little while as they experienced less than desirable sales, never really finding their way back to the road of success. This bad luck was fueled by many unfortunatly occurrences like oddly planned product politics and marketing decisions, bad support, missing and late updates, the list goes on.
That's why it was crucial for HTC to finally have a bout of success. With the HTC One, the chances look good. Once you have the device in your hand, I admit it's hard to give back. Whether you are a Samsung hater or not, the thought of switching the sleek aluminum chassis for the shiny piece of plastic, the Galaxy S4, is not a pleasing thought.
You can only really get a sense of how successful HTC is with its new cool device when you actually have the smartphone in your hand for the first time. It's uni-body's backside is made of luminescent aluminum, it has a display made from Gorilla Glass and is accented with white and black plastic. When combined, these give it a flattering look as it lies in the palm of my hand. Thanks to its slightly bent back, it sits perfectly in your hand. The coolness of the aluminum leaves an elegant impression; its weight gives it a stable sensation. The craftsmanship is impeccable, the pieces fit seamlessly together, free of rattling or moving pieces. The only hardware buttons are the volume control and the power button. Behind these hide infrared sensors that transform the device into a remote control.
There are also very few openings. On top you have the earphone jack, underneath a microUSB slot, which doesn't flaw its otherwise sweet-looking exterior. The only feature, which bugs the HTC One's nearly perfect design, is the power button found on the top left side. This makes it impossible for left-handed people to activate the lock-screen using one hand only. Placing it on the side would have been friendlier for everyone. That being said, I don't have anything else to complain about in this category.
HTC One Display
The scratch-proof Gorilla Glass protects one of the best displays available on the market right now. Yet when comparing it to the Galaxy S4, it doesn't compete in terms of brightness. When placed next to the Sony Xperia Z and the LG Optimus G, the HTC One comes out a clear winner. The full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels) and the 4.7'' diagonal screen display result in a pixel density of 468ppi. This makes individual pixels disappear for the naked eye. The visual angle is also paramount; even when tilted it at the extreme horizontal perspectives, the display content is still quite recognizable. Unfortunately we couldn’t test out the readability in direct sunlight because of the constant snow and overcast state that Berlin is currently experiencing.
HTC One Software
HTC offers the One with Android 4.1.2 and as usually, the user interface Sense. The HTC One is the very first device, which offers the most recent version of Sense 5. It appears refreshingly cleaned up and serious compared to older versions. The company has made an effort in making its device look high-end and to offer the client not just an excellent device technology-wise, but also the attractive-looking whole package.
Whether you keep Sense is a matter of taste. It's user-friendly and setting up its widgets, backgrounds and themes is can easily be carried out. The most important settings are found without any lengthy searching. Extra features like lock-screens, music, news-feed and picture gallery apps are also at your disposal. The launcher found under the display's edge is divided into four standard apps: telephone, messages, browser and camera. Changing or customizing them can be accomplished by going through another route.
The advertized BlinkFeed, found on HTC One's home screen is also not quite what I had expected. It's a live-feed and an RSS-Reader in one and delivers non-stop news from Facebook, Twitter and/or your customized news sources. A few channels and categories are there by default and you're not able to add other sources. This way the user is assigned a few pre-selections chosen by HTC. BlinkFeed loses a lot of points because of this. What's more, the automatic synchronization is sometimes limited to WLAN connections, protecting your data from being completely milked. You can't actually completely suppress the BlinkFeed either, nor can you completely displace it on your phone.
The help offered by HTC, which is at your service right when you purchase your first smartphone. There are several possibilities to transfer data from older devices with the HTC transfer program that is offered through Play Store. You can also configure your smartphone via web-setup to your PC, in order to open email accounts, choose backgrounds and install data.
Another note-worthy feature is the audio-software BeatsAudio, an HTC standard. The manufacturer works with studio quality, which you can't actually hear using normal headphones. The sound is surprising and is produced by stereo speakers along with BoomSound software. Listening to music with HTC One is enjoyable, even with smartphone speakers. The sound comes out crisp and if you listen a little closer, you can even hear a bit of bass.
The smartphone lets you enter words just like Swype, instead of typing them in. During my test, it worked quite well, only fudging up my words a few times when writing up an SMS or a WhatsApp message. I needed about five tries before it recognized the word ''joke''. After a while, you get the hang of it and then it goes smoothly. If you compare it to other devices though, the keyboards belonging to LG Optimus G or Sony Xperia P work much better.
HTC One Performance
HTC One is decked out with a Snapdragon 600 processor and a 2 GB memory. The quad-core chip from Qualcomm beats at 1.7 GHz, making it one of the fastest processors on the market, bestowing HTC One with a speed that lives up to expectation. The device and its navigation components run as fast as lightening, without any lag-time, freezing or other problems.
Photo taking worked like a dream and my music was only paused for a second or two when snapping a few pics. With older versions, it was often the case that the music will pause when using the camera (or anything for that matter) and you need to manually start it up again. The HTC One allows you to comfortably snap pictures and listen to music uninterrupted.
Normal usage will lead to a device warming up, making it the perfect hand warmer for those especially colder temperatures. However it's expected that high-end smartphones remain cool. But when it comes to performance, the HTC One is a real powerhouse as you can see in our Quadrant and AnTuTu tests.
HTC One Camera
At the heart of HTC One's many great features lies the camera. The company has ventured in a whole new direction with its ultra-pixel technology and has presented a one of a kind camera for its smartphone. Instead of simply stagnating with the normal 13 MP that most of the other sought-after smartphones have, it dives right into using a 4 MP sensor. What's achieved are bigger pixels that supposedly capture more light, reduce image noise and improve the overall quality.
This isn't just a theoretical enhancement, it worked when put into practice too. The results were fantastic and were even more impressive on a computer screen. On the other hand, I was left with another impression when it came to the automatic mode, which was tested while comparing the camera along with other high-end devices(Galaxy S3 and Xperia Z). The colors fell flat, especially when there was little light. Perhaps the reason for this is that HTC optimized its camera software for the production of smoother pictures with less saturation and color noise. When zooming in, it looks as if the image has been flattened out. The details in zoomed-out pictures don't look very good; close-ups are more acute and detailed.
Honestly, I'm being a little nit-picky since HTC One has clearly completed leaps and bounds when comparing it to other devices. I wasn't able to prove its promised 300% more light during our testing. Even the front camera can take HDR pictures, though the results are less than promising. The front lens is impressive with its wide-angle and high representational quality.
Using the panorama function was a blast. In my first test, I simply turned around on one spot, which then resulted in a good quality, awesome 360º picture.
HTC Zoe is yet another nice feature, whose software amalgamates multiple pictures and short videos into small clips. These can then be shared on any of your social networks. You'll have to activate the Zoe function in the camera menu in order to accompany a photo with a three second long clip with sound.
HTC One Battery
HTC One has a built-in, non-removable battery with 2300 mAh, which doesn't do much to set it apart from its competitors. Its capacity is more than sufficient for day-long usage, however when I tested it out for the first time, it didn't leave a very good impression. After about seven hours, the battery was almost completely milked. This also had to do with the fact that I was heavily using it to sync all of my data from my older device, listen to music, take test pictures and set up Facebook email and Twitter accounts. This tuckered the poor lil guy right out!
On the other hand, when I used the device as someone would on any normal day, it was more than promising. Throughout the day I used it for music, mobile internet (emails, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter), Google Maps with GPS, about 10 minutes of photo taking and four calls lasting from 3 to 5 minutes. Once I got home, the device was in desperate need of power. Its energy saving plan lets you scrape a few more minutes out of the remaining power reserves. All in all, its battery performance did well, but I wouldn't compliment it too much for its endurance.
HTC One Technical Specifications
With the ONE, HTC decked it out with all the bells ans whistles, making it one of the best available on the market. The 4.7'' display offers a impressive pixel density, the Snapdragon S600 processor with the software creates a powerful combination and the camera is one of the best android cameras of the moment.
HTC has created a classy device with its new flagship, launching the manufacturer out from Samsung's shadows. Along with its first class hardware, HTC made some crucial decisions. For one, the design is distinct and sophisticated with a luxurious look and feel. The display makes for some eye-popping visuals with its 468 ppi, one of the highest resolutions at the moment. The device could even be an Apple relative; its aluminum chassis is reminiscent of the look and feel that Apple Macbook Pro exudes.
In comparison to other top-notch devices, the stereo speakers' sound optimized rocking-out music. The camera is a shutter-bug's dream with stress-free picture-taking, even though the final results weren't as good as promised. The HTC Sense overview has a styled and cleaned-up look and goes well with the phone's exterior. A downside for me was the BlinkFeed, which isn't for everyone. HTC offers the whole package and leaves little room for complaints. It easily takes a stand as a worthy competitor against the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Lastly, the cultivated HTC has claimed a title of underdog in that it has ventured away from the mainstream. It's the smartphone for the high-maintenance user, who wants something extra, something that not everyone has. Yes indeed, HTC One is definitely something else and has arrived just in time. Whether it remains a niche product or explodes into the mass market is yet unknown. The answer will be revealed when it finally rolls out in the coming weeks (some are luckier than others and will get the device sooner. Others like North America will have to wait.) It's more than possible that the Taiwanese company, with the HTC One, will climb its way back to the top. | <urn:uuid:67953867-983d-4414-a813-e0285f270320> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.androidpit.com/htc-one-test-the-new-android-superhero | 2015-04-02T09:56:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427132827069.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323174707-00092-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96006 | 2,691 |
Why's that? I personally didn't enjoy having to fight everything everywhere in pre-BC, for me flying mounts were a natural successor to ground mounts, the only mistake is not having made interesting aerial combat for them to respect their Gryphon Rider Warcraft 2 roots.
Doing Isle of Thunder dailies reminds me how much I hated ground mounts only, not to mention leveling any alts in pandaria after you've experienced the lore and environments once on your main.
At least in WOTLK they had the decency to give us those tomes to learn to fly at 80.
I think it was Mike Morhaime (or another high ranking Blizzard employee) who did an interview (i think for the financial press) back in Wrath where he admitted that only around 50% of Wow subsciptions login more than once per month. He went on to say its a concern for Blizzard and they want to encourage those players to login more. Thats a fukking hell of alot of inactive accounts which r paying cash to Blizzard every month.
So basically at any one time around 50% of Blizzard subs r actually logging in more than once per month... the other 50% dont login but they still pay their monthly subs.
This is no different to games like GW2. Sure not everyone who bought GW2 logs in regularly... but *drum roll* that was exactly how the game was designed to be! *shock horror face!*
Basically Blizzard does not release how many people login every month and nor does GW2... its the same.
GW2 shows how many unit sales they made and Wow shows how many monthly subscriptions is has.
You know what is really sad about threads like this?
The exact same people that dislike WoW and those that like WoW flock to it and regurgitate the exact same nonsense back and forth for the Nth time.
OT: Overall, retail sails are down but digital sales are up. That is fairly common knowledge these days. As for WoW subs declining, there are a multitude of reasons. It's old, people have moved on, people don't have the cash for it, people dislike it.... and so on...
Nothing has ruined WoW but the community itself. Not flying mounts, not RBGs, not dailies, not LFD or even LFR. The players. Tell me about server rep all you like but the fact is that it was an illusion. You were simply in a friendly guild and knew a few other people on the server. But of course, this has to be exaggerated to make a point. Flying mounts actually increase immersion (imo, it's flying on dragons in a fantasy game... immersion). World PvP? It died when Battlegrounds were introduced. Instead, it's players trying to dictate how people have fun, trying to remove content for people they deem less than themselves, trying to claim their blatant nostalgia proves the game was always better at this exact time and any other opinion is just wrong. Players are also trying to exclude others from content (hell thread asking to stagger LFR tiers by 6 months) and it's the attitude players take with each other that harms the game more than anything else.
Stop beating the same old dead horses and just leave them be. Either play the game if you still enjoy it or move on from the game if you dislike it so much that you have to argue with random people on the internet.
My only comment will be that WoW is an old game, and if anybody is expecting it to continue growing or maintain its peak, then you're fairly delusional. Of course its going to start dropping off, especially when "its the same old shit" every expansion. They do a FANTASTIC job, don't get me wrong, but its still the same game no matter what sword the boss is holding or what color the dungeon is, nobody is going to play forever and there are many other games now to consider playing than WoW for newcomers to the market. WoW originated as a cutting edge MMO, it is no longer and will continue to decline without serious overhaul that changes the game entirely. The veteran players get bored and move on. Game companies don't recognize the effect veterans have on the community. If you don't keep them interested you will fail.
With the human population growing, games getting better and better, I refuse to believe that gaming is in a decline because some site i never heard of has some article and statistics which are probably not even accurate.
Morhaime is talking about people with who are still subscribers who are paying but not logging in (there are many people like this). They count that as revenue, because its money coming in, even if the account is considered inactive. It is still income counted in a financial statement.
GW2 has no subscription, so whether or not people are playing does not impact their bottom line (outside of operating costs). It certainly does not bring any revenue in. Anyone playing is a POTENTIAL source of revenue post-box-sale, but POTENTIAL doesn't mean anything in a financial statement.
ArenaNet is counting its gem store revenue, Blizzard is counting the income from not only their own store and services, but also their subscriptions. And in fact, only people with active accounts.
The difference is that with Blizzard, you have an active metric of people who are putting money into the game, because they report subscriber numbers, which people harp on. Since there is no such model in GW2, you only have revenue from box sales and gem sales. The 1st quarter of this year showed a substantial dip following the previous quarter, which was part of the GW2 hype and Christmas season. Second quarter financials will probably be very telling. Another drop off would infer that GW2 is actually nowhere near as sustainable as WoW. Again, since GW2 posts fewer metrics than WoW, stating how many people are playing it is pure speculation.
All we know is that its hit 3 million, but not 4 million. If it had hit 4 million, they'd be crowing from the rooftops about it. But they say nothing about what their retention rate is, just the box sales. And the gem store is a major part of their financial model, otherwise they wouldn't push a new lottery box every 2-4 weeks.
GW2 got the money they wanted when they sold the game... if u login after that isnt an issue. Blizzard gets their money every month from your sub regardless if players login or not.
Both of these games have inactive accounts and both of them do not release how many do or dont login.
basically it was pointless bringing this up in the first place... thats my point.
All the rest is bla bla bla.
Here, I'll add the latest one just in case anyone is in doubt.
The reason is simple: people "play" social media these days instead of playing video games.
Like the article said: iPads and other social media "games" replaced traditional video gaming (MMORPG play included).
Of course F2P models for MMORPG's are a last straw to save the furniture ...
Those thinking this is just a lull between new consoles ...
yeah the new Sony portable and WII U are doing "fantastic" isn't it ...
---------- Post added 2013-06-26 at 08:51 PM ----------
Last edited by BenBos; 2013-06-26 at 08:53 PM.
I disagree. The quality of pc gaming in general was slowly declining. Sure you had your hits but more and more games were coming out with stop bugs, unfinished endings or unusable multiplayer. WoW's quality forced companies to step up because it was embarrassing. Electronic Arts was one of the most guilty publishers at the time.really?
Ive played all the other MMOs out there and quality isnt much different. Theyve simply invested in different parts of their MMO. Some dont have raiding, others invested in massive PvP worlds. Others invested heavily in story and questing.
This idea of quality is totally subjective, afterall Wow looks the most out of date graphically than all of them yet that doesnt effect their subs much.
Basically there isnt much difference in quality between F2P or B2P games to Wow or Eve, who are pretty much the only paid subs MMO games out there right now.
Aside from launch day or planned maintenance you are guaranteed that you can login to WoW and do virtually anything that's advertised. That wasn't always the case in many other games. So yes the quality of WoW has pushed the industry to be better as a whole.
But if you want to talk about content quality I have been through EQ, EQ2, Dark Age of Camelot, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Age of Conan, Asheron's Call, Warhammer Online, Swtor, Rift and recently dabbled in Neverwinter. The only ones worth a damn in that list was EQ, Daoc and City of Heroes. The rest were infested with bugs, unfinished content and lag.
Bugs to me are stop problems that prevent me from playing the game. Stuck on an island, unable to zone, npc stuck 100 feet in the air or under the damn world, can't complete a quest. Having a NPC be missing a head, my cloak not displaying, walking animation gone, etc are cosmetic and don't limit my gameplay.
WoW does not look out of date in MOP and even most of Cataclysm which is where the game is current. You need a computer capable of displaying this on Ultra but it's there. WoW has the cartoon feel to it so if compared to say Neverwinter, Rift or SWTOR it looks less realistic but overall detail is the same.
So I repeat nonsense by stating (and proving) that a subscription model is by far the BEST way to collect resources (money) for having extreme polished open world play in ever lasting adventures in MMORPG ?
Ok So then ... Does GW2 have mounts now to replace their loading screens ? Nope.
Does GW2 have an open ended world you can cross without loading screens ? Nope.
Does it have ANY other transportation to jump from one instance to another than a loading screen ? Nope.
GW2 is sewed together with loading screens to jump from one instanced map to another. Someone should tell GW2 fans the wheel was invented thousands of years ago already.
And 75 million dollars over 2 years (in sold boxes - deducting retail/distribution costs) is not going to change that in the future either.
Bottom line : a GOOD open world MMORPG with decent polish AND state of the art background loading worlds that expand endlessly is not supported by B2P or F2P mechanics.
Proof: 15 years of MMORPG history.
YOUR STATS R RETAIL SALES ONLY U ****
Your sources do not show any digital sales of videogames... and that market is growing massively.
Dude do yourself a favour and stop posting cos everyone in this thread has told u that your data is wrong... ru actually blind?
"Sales of packaged game products are sinking as more consumers download games on smartphones and tablet.
And what did I write ?
"iPads and other social media "games" replaced traditional video gaming (MMORPG play included)."
And just above that: "The reason is simple: people "play" social media these days instead of playing video games"...
It shows you simply flip when you see BenBos . The same applies to Pann. Funny how some dudes lose all pedals and NOT reading my posts ...
Ough, that hurt didn't it ?
Last edited by BenBos; 2013-06-26 at 09:25 PM.
... which I alluded to by stating people "play" now the social media.
You are being intellectual dishonest by NOT citing the sentences I alluded to. Simple as that.
BTW: Hardware and accessories can't be downloaded....
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- Rape jokes seem to be more of a presence than ever
- Writer and comedian Lindy West was ripped for column about rape jokes
- Some say it's a free-speech issue; others point out consequences
- West just wants to keep dialogue open, she says, not stifle comics
Did you hear the one about the rape joke?
Like the motivational-style poster of a man cradling an unconscious woman with the caption "How did you lose your virginity??" The answer: "Rohypnol." Or the governor of Maine's quip comparing a political foe's budget plan to anal rape "without Vaseline"? Or the club incident in which comedian Daniel Tosh responded to a woman's criticism by asking, "Wouldn't it be funny if that girl got raped by, like, five guys right now?"
Or what about the Filipino comedian who made a gang-rape joke about a local newscaster, or the "just wait, it'll be all over soon" reference at the E3 video-game convention, or the Emma Watson "rapey" debate in "This Is the End"?
Lindy West isn't so sure. In response to a series of columns and an appearance on the FX show "Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell," where she debated the issue with comedian Jim Norton, she was besieged by angry commenters who insulted her looks, questioned her comic bona fides and said that, well, she should be raped.
West read some of the most vituperative responses in a much-passed-around video and wrote a follow-up column for Jezebel. "How did (the commenters) try to demonstrate that comedy, in general, doesn't have issues with women? By threatening to rape and kill me," she said.
West has emphasized she's not against rape jokes. In fact, she wrote a column called "How to Make a Rape Joke," which explained that context was everything. As for the angry comments, she described them as "an occupational hazard" in an interview with CNN.
But, she added, she wants to keep prompting readers to think about what they're saying -- or hearing.
"There are a lot of people who don't have a concept of certain things being important," she says. "It's not just a joke. It doesn't just exist on your Twitter and then go away. Things have real-life consequences."
The disrespect is nothing new for female comedians, says Ever Mainard, a Chicago-based comic who was featured in the "How to Make a Rape Joke" column. Standup comedy remains a male-dominated field, and the young bucks going for laughs want to make a quick impact, she says.
"Rape jokes, for a lot of newer comedians, tend to be an easier joke," says Mainard. "You can tell the newer dudes by their talking about rape or homosexuality as a punch line. I think our culture is a little desensitized to it."
Comedy has always pushed limits. That's often the point -- to question authority, shatter preconceptions, tell truth to power.
In the 1960s, Lenny Bruce was arrested for his use of profanity. A decade later, George Carlin was hauled in for speaking the "Seven Dirty Words." Sam Kinison ranted; Andrew Dice Clay told scatological nursery rhymes; Louis C.K. takes audiences into the darkest corners of his mind, and Anthony Jeselnik sounds calmly psychopathic. Magazines, television, movies and the Internet have followed the blazed trail.
But joking about rape -- an act of violence that overwhelmingly affects women -- means walking a fine line, and too many comedians are unable to balance on the tightrope.
Brett Wheeler, who's seen the issue from many sides -- he's an amateur comedian, a psychology instructor, a humor researcher and a former rape crisis center worker -- believes some of the increase in rape jokes is due to increased aggressive humor on the part of standup comedians.
"There are different kinds of humor, often grouped into affiliative -- you're laughing with someone -- and aggressive. And one of the things that we have seen is more aggressive forms of standup," he says. "It doesn't mean the people themselves are aggressive -- it just means the humor has become more hostile in some ways. People feel like they're bucking authority or bucking social norms."
Aggression can come with the comic territory. Comedians often talk about their performance in life-or-death terms: "I killed out there" for success, "I died" for failure. The atmosphere breeds me-or-them attitudes, says Benjy Susswein, who books comedians and manages Stand Up NY in Manhattan.
"It's terrifying, it's revealing, it's brutal," says Susswein. "(Standup) comedy lives in those two extremes where you either want to kill yourself or you're the king of the world. It's one or the other."
Perhaps for that reason, standup tends to draw more men. (Improv and sketch troupes, which have a group dynamic, attract far more women, says Susswein.) In fact, observes Wheeler, occasionally there will be "some old dinosaur" who'll ask if women are even funny. When he hears that trope expounded by comics, Wheeler immediately asks his friends if they can imagine someone suggesting that men aren't funny.
"And the response is, of course no one can imagine that," he says. "Because that's what privilege looks like."
Which is where the discussion of rape jokes gets into deeper, even more treacherous waters.
There's no question that the world has changed in the decades since Henny Youngman said, "Take my wife -- please." Women now hold positions of power, and some men feel threatened by the changes in society.
"My sense is that one issue is that men are feeling disempowered, and there are probably fewer venues for getting together and talking that way and getting away with it," says David Reiss, a San Diego-based psychiatrist who studies personality dynamics. "A lot of what used to be acceptable isn't, and men are feeling they're being hemmed in."
Lisa Wade, a sociology professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles, says that West's posts hit a raw nerve with some men unused to being questioned.
"Whenever we see people pushing back and saying, 'You have to start being accountable to women in your audience, and I'm going to start making you accountable with this piece,' only then is it necessary for people to be defensive," she says. "Anytime someone is in a position of privilege and they have unearned benefits by virtue of that privilege, when you take those unearned benefits away, to them it feels like you're taking something unfairly."
Sound too strong for a discussion about jokes? Comedian and psychology instructor Wheeler has a routine in his act, drawing on his academic studies, that shows just how deeply comedy -- and gender roles -- can cut, while also making a point about rape jokes.
"I do a fair amount of my routine on how bad people are about communicating about sex," he says. "I talk a lot about how men in particular, not through any fault of their own, are just really pretty bad at sex because nobody really teaches them anything, we have this expectation of competence on their part, and they sort of watch porn and figure, 'OK, I know what I'm doing.' And we have lots of data that shows there are a lot of women who are in heterosexual relationships who are pretty sexually unsatisfied," he says.
As he reels off some jokes about the issue, he can see the men in the audience squirm while the women cheer. At which point he will stop and address the men.
"I'll say, 'I'm sorry, is a comedian saying something that's making you uncomfortable? Maybe I should tell some rape jokes so we can all relax,'" he says.
Women appreciate the role reversal, he says.
"I've had multiple female comedians come up to me after my set and shake my hand and say, 'I want to thank you for doing that, because when I do that, it's too easy for them to dismiss as me just being a bitch. But when you do it, there's really nowhere to hide,'" he says. "So it's not that comedy is right or wrong, it's how you're using it."
Still, there are comedians concerned that essays like West's can have a chilling effect on comedy. They worry that they'll have to censor themselves, and that clubs will err on the side of caution.
Roseanne Barr, while defending West's opinion, pointed out that comedians have to be allowed to fail if they're going to learn the trade -- and that includes telling rape jokes.
"Comedy clubs are a testing ground for comics, and the freedom to be bad and to be offensive are part of the training process itself," she wrote in the Daily Beast. "Free speech can be messy and bloody and offensive; if you aren't prepared for the grossout, stay out of comedy clubs that birth comics like Sam Kinison and Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and Bill Hicks."
Barr added that telling rape jokes got her into trouble on at least one occasion.
"I was not allowed to work in a popular comedy club in Denver in 1980 because I told rape jokes," she wrote. "Some women, delicate flowers that they were, took the utmost offense to my presence and my directness."
But comedian Adam Christing, who runs a firm called Clean Comedians ("Laughter you can trust"), points out that to succeed, you have to know your audience. After all, the First Amendment doesn't just give you the right of free speech; it also gives your audience -- or your client -- the right to react to your speech.
"You look at the words 'show business,' and business is the longer word," he says. Clean Comedians supplies a lot of talent for corporate retreats, and some clients have gone over material line-by-line, he points out. "In recent years, (it's been said) that the new prophets are comedians, and I love that. But read the Old Testament -- there are very few prophets and most of them got stoned."
Even the most outrageous comedians know their audience, says Wheeler. After all, without their support, the room is as silent as a tomb when it should be rocking with laughter.
It's an easy lesson to forget, especially these days, when many prospective comedians are trying their hand on the Internet -- which means the entire world is judging. After one of West's attackers was, in turn, flamed on Twitter, he asked if she could intercede. "I was just trying to make Jim Norton laugh," he said.
As with any edgy comedy, context is everything. Even the most offensive material can be hilarious with the right comedian and the right audience. (Just watch "The Aristocrats" for many examples.) As West noted in her column, rape jokes can be funny -- with a certain self-awareness, attitude and intelligence. It's just that too many comedians take shortcuts straight to hostility and parrot "eighth-generation versions of Anthony Jeselnik," she says.
Some comedians are reassessing. Patton Oswalt, who once defended rape jokes on censorship grounds, has now reconsidered. "I've read enough viewpoints, and spoken to enough of my female friends (comedians and noncomedians) to know it isn't some vaporous hysteria, some false meme or convenient catch-phrase," he wrote on his blog. "I'm a man. I get to be wrong. And I get to change."
Which is all that West is asking.
"It's a process and it's an art, and people who love the art want the art to get better, and that's where I'm at," she says. "I just want it to evolve and I want it to feel less exclusionary to people like me. And there are a lot of people like me." | <urn:uuid:dc73d1e5-7a02-41f6-9724-b96535a2e3ac> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/25/living/rape-jokes-women-comedy/index.html?hpt=li_mid | 2015-03-28T05:14:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297281.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00160-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97787 | 2,519 |
SEATTLE -- Having one of the first few picks is great when it comes to Draft day, but the reason for having high selections isn't such a positive.
So Mariners scouting director Tom McNamara isn't about to complain about choosing 12th in Thursday's first round of the First-Year Player Draft after Seattle had one of the top three picks in three of the previous four years.
"Obviously all of us would rather have a lower pick," McNamara said, knowing that would mean a better win-loss record the previous season. "But we'll make the best of it and take advantage of picking 12."
The Mariners need their recent high picks to start paying off, and they're still waiting on catcher Mike Zunino, pitcher Danny Hultzen and even 2009 first-rounder Dustin Ackley after he was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma last week to iron out his struggles at the plate.
Zunino was the third overall selection last year after Hultzen (2011) and Ackley (2009) were the No. 2 picks. This time the Mariners have more uncertainty about who'll they wind up with in the first round, given the way things could play out above them.
What McNamara does know is they'll wind up with an excellent young prospect.
"I keep reading and hearing this is a weak Draft and I always stay away from that," McNamara said. "I think it's fine. Where we're picking, we're fine."
The lower selection did affect how the organization spent its time over recent months in regard to its first-round pick, given the variables of who will be on the board when their name comes up Thursday.
"There's always pressure to pick the right guy, no matter where you're at," McNamara said. "The biggest difference is when you have one of the first three picks, you identify about five guys you're considering and you'll see them play [in person] five or six times. But when you're picking 12th, you don't have that luxury because you're looking at more players. But we've still seen them plenty of times."
The 2013 First-Year Player Draft will take place Thursday through Saturday, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB.com and MLB Network on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. Live Draft coverage from MLB Network's Studio 42 begins at 7 p.m., with the top 73 picks being streamed on MLB.com and broadcast on MLB Network. Rounds 3-10 will be streamed live on MLB.com on Friday, beginning with a preview show at 12:30 p.m., and Rounds 11-40 will be streamed live on MLB.com on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m.
MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 100 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of Draft-eligible players. You can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.
McNamara and general manager Jack Zduriencik have steadfastly stood by the policy of always picking the best player, regardless of position, and that certainly remains true this year. The club has accumulated considerable strength in pitching prospects in recent years, but this season at the Major League level has shown again that you can never have enough in that area.
While rookie Brandon Maurer initially cracked the rotation coming out of camp, other more highly touted prospects like Hultzen, Taijuan Walker, Erasmo Ramirez and James Paxton have yet to become available due to either injury (Hultzen and Ramirez), age (Walker) or lack of production (Paxton) even with the Mariners needing help at the big league level.
Ackley's recent demotion to Tacoma, along with a similar move with catcher Jesus Montero, also served as a sharp reminder that even the highest-regarded position players aren't slam dunks for immediate success either.
So the Mariners will go about adding whatever player they feel has the best chance of being a difference-maker down the road, regardless of position or age. McNamara said the fact the Mariners took college players every time they had a top-three selection the past four years was purely coincidental.
"Each year we've had high school guys ranked right next to guys we took," he said. "Last year our top three guys weren't just college guys. We've never said we have to pick a college guy this year. It's just line up the board and take the best player. That's what we do.
"There are no magical potions. We keep it simple. High school, college, Northwest, Southeast, West Coast. We don't care. We just want the best guy."
One of the best guys this year happens to be in the Mariners' backyard, with catcher Reese McGuire of Kentwood High School in nearby Kent, Wash., regarded as a top 12 pick by most experts.
The Mariners took Zunino with their first pick last year, but McNamara wasn't giving any hints on whether McGuire was a consideration or not.
"He's a good-looking kid," McNamara said. "I can't really comment otherwise, but we're quite aware of where he's playing. We've been in there plenty. That's kind of neat because he's in your backyard, so we've gotten to know him and his family pretty well. He's a good player. He represents the Northwest pretty well."
It would seem surprising for Seattle to tab a catcher in the first round for a second straight year. They've been linked more with left-handed-hitting outfielder Austin Meadows out of Grayson High in Georgia or power-hitting corner infielder D.J. Peterson from New Mexico.
If they opt for pitching, the top arms likely to still be available in the No. 12 range include right-handers Ryne Stanek from Arkansas, Chris Anderson from Jacksonsville, Jonathan Crawford from Florida and Phil Bickford from Oaks Christian High School in California.
Here's a glance at what the Mariners have in store as the Draft approaches:
In about 50 words
Seattle could go any direction with the 12th selection, the main thing is getting the pick right. This is an organization with a lot of young pitching in the pipeline, but the club also continues searching for offensive help and certainly would welcome adding a promising bat to the mix.
The Mariners have had to play things a little more coy this year, given the variables of the 12th pick. McNamara says the team didn't want to tip its hand on some of the players it's most interested in, so Zduriencik wasn't able to view as many of the top prospects in person as in previous years.
But that's the way most organizations operate, given few teams are in a top-three spot and everyone is playing the guessing games on who is drawing interest from other clubs. The Mariners did their due diligence and McNamara and his scouting department have spent the past week setting up their Draft board. Now they'll wait to see who falls to them at 12, with fingers crossed that one of the three or four players they most covet will still be available.
The Mariners feel there's good value with the 12th pick, which is one they refused to give up by pursuing one of several free agents last winter that would have cost them that selection in compensation.
There are several outstanding college pitchers at the top of most team's boards, but after that it's tough to know what direction this year's Draft will take. Because of that, the Mariners will have several options among their favored picks, but there seems to be growing speculation they' try to land a position player with some pop if possible.
MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo has Seattle taking New Mexico's Peterson in his second mock draft. Others have linked the Mariners to Meadows. But in reality, the Mariners are playing things close to the vest and it's hard to know exactly where they'll wind up on Thursday.
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $100,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total.
Any team going up to five percent over its allotted pool will be taxed at a 75-percent rate on the overage. A team that overspends by 5-10 percent gets a 75-percent tax plus the loss of a first-round pick. A team that goes 10-15 percent over its pool amount will be hit with a 100-percent penalty on the overage and the loss of a first- and second-round pick. Any overage of 15 percent or more gets a 100-percent tax plus the loss of first-round picks in the next two Drafts.
If the Mariners choose strictly on need, the outfield would seem the best place to start. With Franklin Gutierrez's contract coming to an end this year and Michael Morse, Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay all on one-year deals, there certainly seems room for an up-and-coming youngster for a club that went out and signed Endy Chavez and Corey Patterson this year just to add organizational depth.
That said, the Mariners would welcome offensive thump at any position. And while the organization has been lauded for its pitching depth in the Minors, this season has shown that cultivating young arms is a tough task as injuries have slowed Hultzen and Ramirez, while Paxton hasn't shown the consistency to warrant a promotion and Walker is still developing in Double-A at age 20.
The Mariners have plucked a pitcher with their first pick in five of the past seven years, the lone exceptions being Ackley in 2009 and Zunino last year. During Zduriencik's tenure, Seattle has picked a college player with its top pick three times -- all three when they had a high first-round pick -- and opted for a high school player first only in 2010 when they didn't have a selection until the sandwich round and took Walker with the 43rd pick.
• Recent Draft History •
2012 Mike Zunino, C, Triple-A Tacoma
2011 Danny Hultzen, LHP, Triple-A Tacoma
2010 Taijuan Walker, RHP, Double-A Jackson
2009 Dustin Ackley, 2B, Triple-A Tacoma
2008 Josh Fields, RHP, Houston Astros (15-day DL)
Zunino has shot up through the system since being drafted with the second pick last June, playing Class A ball in Everett and Double-A with Jackson in the final months last year and then opening this season at Triple- A Tacoma. Another youngster on the move is shortstop Brad Miller, a second-round pick in 2011 out of Clemson who was impressive last year with Class A High Desert and Double-A Jackson, then opened this season again at Jackson before getting promoted to Tacoma last week.
Right-handed rookie starter Maurer developed into the long-shot success story this spring as a 23rd-round pick in 2008 who leapfrogged highly touted pitching prospects Hultzen, Walker and Paxton to land a spot in the rotation.
But Maurer was sent down last week, so the biggest Cinderella now surely is veteran Ibanez, a 36th-round pick by Seattle in 1992 who has gone on to play 18 years in the Majors and is on his third go-round with the Mariners.
In The Show
In addition to Ibanez, there are only four other Mariners Draft picks who are on the current 25-man roster. Outfielder Michael Saunders was an 11th-round selection in 2004, third baseman Kyle Seager was a third-round pick in 2009, recently promoted infielder Nick Franklin was a first-rounder in 2009, and reliever Carter Capps was a third-round pick in 2011. | <urn:uuid:3a4df0ee-054d-4645-950d-54a5685341db> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/49346204/mariners-see-plenty-of-promise-with-no-12-pick-in-first-year-player-draft | 2015-03-28T05:39:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297281.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00160-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973331 | 2,518 |
i7-3930k @ 4.6 | Sabertooth X79 | 32GB DDR3-1600 | GTX-680 Jetstream SLI | TX950W
Explo>Black Arrow>Glaive Toss>Arcane Shot>Cobra shot. But if you have 3 free Arcane's, you obviously get to shoot 3 arcane's more before you have to shoot one cobra.
All in all, dela, as said, I think Fervor may come out ahead on a pure singletarget fight, ever so slightly. But I'm also convinced that TOTH will win out over fervor in most progress-related encounters, due to the extra utility it "has" over Fervor - it really doesn't matter if the focus provided can be used on only AS or both AS and ES, as the focus you'd use on AS would just translate into focus for ES instead (if you understand what I mean, can't really think of a better way to word it).
In the end, I'm convinced that the major difference between you and calebh/eiwo isn't the talent (because why would it be such a huge difference - 17K dps between you and eiwo, and nearly 30K between you and caleb), but rather, a level of skill. No offense to either of them, but Caleb/Eiwo has never been hunters I have been particularly "wow'd" by. Not saying that I'd do better, and they're obviously in the top percentile, but I'm convinced they're in the guild for other reasons than being extremely good hunters - EG, the ability to spend the neccessary time required for a top guild, being good with multiple characters, or good leading/organising skills, etc - I find that the majority of their top ranks are usually achieved when they have "all the gear", and all the other more mediocre guilds are still catching up, being multiple item levels behind. When the playing field has been levelled, and people who do the shitty jobs because they're just the only one's capable of it, they drop alot. You usually don't =P.
Fervor is opportune if it's off CD at a time you're really low on Focus, for example unloading a chain of ES, BA, GT and Crows. On the other hand, Fervor can come off-CD at a high-Focus time (LnL + refreshing Sting, etc) and then you have to push to dump Focus in order to use Fervor on CD and not waste its gain.
TotH is the opposite. If it pops up at a very low-Focus time it can be frustrating because you can't safely burn off the free shots without jeopardizing your ability to keep SrS up and ES/BA/GT/possibly Crows cooling. So if you get really low on Focus and TotH prox, you may need to Cobra a few times anyway to not push back your next important ability.
On the other hand if TotH prox at a medium/high-Focus time, it's no real concern since you can't "cap" Thrill unless it expires and it can be consumed in little bits, weaving it with Focus-consuming stuff or Cobra shots as needed. It's true that you unavoidably overwrite TotH sometimes while following the prio, but I suspect the ability's DPS contribution is balanced around an assumption of not-perfect efficiency.
I guess that's one clinical reason I like Thrill. It can be used at any point in your Focus bar if needed, but there's no penalty for using it at high Focus. As noted, both have times they shine and times they're frustrating.
As for Dire Beast, I'm sorry, but I can't comment since I pretend it doesn't exist. To me it's one of the lamest, grossest, most underwhelming abilities ever implemented. "Look! Yet another giant stupid animal!" <shudder>
You do know that if TOTH procs at a low focus-time, there's no reason not to fill up the bar to make sure you can cobra/BA before bleeding the arcane's out, right? Only shots that costs focus can proc TOTH, which would mean cobra/TOTH arcane's cant. TOTH should never be able to alter your rotation, apart from the obvious "fire more arcanes instead of cobras"
Sure, opportunities like this exist on encounters such as Spirit Kings (if you avoid the responsibility of dispelling) and Vizier (if you avoid the responsibility of breaking MCs), why focus on getting that extra 5K DPS when playing so aggressively will increase the likelihood of you dying to a crucial mechanic on an encounter where you are minutes ahead of the enrage anyway?
I feel like if the first thing you look at on a log is the damage meters you are probably going to get a distorted view of which players are actually good.
But then it is as I said - they're there for their ability to play, not to top DPS as a hunter. Which is perfectly legit - most top end guilds are no different from a top 50, or top 100 guild in level of skill - the difference is amount of hours put into the game (through dedication with alts, or just hours spent smashing a seemingly impossible boss).
In any case, the argument was that the talent is not far apart, as no talent will cause a 17K, let alone 30K, difference in DPS, so that was not the reason for him being ahead. If it's the added responsibility that took its toll on the other two, or skill difference, can be argued I guess. But historically, caleb has never been a reliably high ranking hunter on "farm", only when he's several gear levels ahead of people, while Eiwo's a bit better in that regard.
You're wording it like it's a matter of ability, when really it is a matter of choice.But then it is as I said - they're there for their ability to play, not to top DPS as a hunter.
Actually they are pretty much identical - 2486 focus (Fervor) vs 2460 focus (TOTH). If you scale for player uptime TOTH is even ahead.In any case, the argument was that the talent is not far apart, as no talent will cause a 17K, let alone 30K
Clearly I am unable to distinguish anything at all about a fight before I have actually been to the last phase of it, and my raid's overall progress and performance is a direct reflection of my own, as we are all equally good - I am a clueless fool, who will shut up because a random person tells me to, as I am clearly too bad to ever accomplish whatever you have. I bow down to you, my master. Clearly, you are the superior alpha male.
In any case, as I've said multiple times, my opinions will be my opinions. People don't have to agree with them. I'll be the first to admit that my performance this tier has been worse than the previous due to new responsibilities. But that doesn't take anything away from what my point has been, and I don't think anyone's disagreeing with me - TOTH and fervor are as close as can be, and the difference between the hunter's dps in that kill has nothing to do with the talent, but rather, responsibility/skill.
Caleb triggered 474 ISS, Eiwo 486, and Dela 526. So a difference of 52/40 serpent sting applications - mind that multishot will trigger anywhere from 2 to however many adds+sha you get of these in the last phase, so realisticly, he can't have shot more than 10 multishots more.
The big difference between dela/eiwo probably comes from Barrage, but caleb has glaive toss.
And I didn't say anything about it being impressive - I said that judging my level of skill on my raid's performance is stupid . I'd have prefered shekzeer/tsulong to die before christmas, but our roster didn't allow for that. Tough luck, I guess.
Do you truly not believe I could do in a top end guild? I know what the requirements are - but I can't adjust my life around them at the moment due to school. Maybe someday, I'll be impressive to you, because I get to clear content fast because I raid four times as much and skip school for a few weeks.
It annoys me because it screams 'Do this now!' and I go 'But you're my lowest priority shot! What about this other stuff I have to do!?'. And then it goes 'Well maybe I'll come back later then when you're in a better mood!' and storms out.
There's nothing saying you have to use ToTH procs. It's not designed to shoot all of them because it's not possible.
It's awesome to weave in a free AS when you are waiting 0.5s on that ES or GT.
Looks like you might have butt hurt some tweens Draco. LOL
Chillax people, opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. Some of you are one. Draco gives his opinions, I don't always agree with them, but he's allowed to give them. For someone to reply that his 15/16 is unimpressive, that's pathetic. Retarded 4 year-old children would reply better than that.
Basically, IMO, if you aren't top 25 in the world, you are just another guild wishing you were. My guild is just another guild wishing it was one of those guilds wishing. Thanks for the discussions Draco and Dela, informative to some of us.
Don't be elitist, it's a video game for crying out loud. Cure cancer, then you can be an asshole.
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PEEK INSIDE THE HAPPY FAMILIES ISSUE OF YES! MAGAZINE
When family members do not work or live well together we sometimes call the family dysfunctional. We prescribe professional help for the family or advocate for social policies that would support it—child care, parental leave, extended unemployment insurance, debt forgiveness.
But the real challenge to the family is that it has lost its job. The functions of the family have been outsourced. The problem is not dysfunction—that’s just a side effect. The problem is non-function, and this has much to do with the growth of the consumer society.
The End of the Functional Family
Consumer society has put an end to the functional family. We normally think of consumerism as buying stuff we want but don’t need, but it runs deeper than that. The essential promise of consumerism is that all of what is fulfilling or needed in life can be purchased—from happiness to healing, from love to laughter, from raising a child to caring for someone at the end of life. What was once the task of the family and the neighborhood is now outsourced. Aunt Martha is forgetful? Little Arthur is restless? Get them a diagnosis and a prescription. In this simple act, we stop being citizens—we become consumers.
The cost of our transformation into consumers is that the family has lost its capacity to manage the necessities it traditionally provided. We expect the school, coaches, agencies, social workers, probation officers, sitters and day care to raise our children. The family, while romanticized and held as a cultural ideal, has lost its function as the primary place to raise children, sustain health, care for the vulnerable, and ensure economic security.
The Rise of Neighborhood Incompetence
The neighborhood has also lost its function. Our neighborhoods and communities are no longer able to support the family in its efforts. In most cases, we are disconnected from our neighbors and isolated from our communities. The community and neighborhood are no longer competent.
A competent community provides a safety net for the care of a child, attention and care for the vulnerable, the means for economic survival for the household, and many of the social tools that sustain health. The community, particularly the neighborhood, has the potential to provide the extended support system to help the family in all these key functions. The usefulness that used to reside in the neighborhood is now provided by the marketplace.
Outsiders Raising Children
“It takes a village to raise a child” is an African saying repeated as a matter of faith by American leaders of all persuasions. Yet most of our children are not raised by a village. Instead, they are raised by teachers and counselors in school, youth workers and coaches out of school, juvenile therapists and corrections officials if they are deviant, television and computers and cell phones if they have spare time, and McDonald’s if they are hungry. What this means is that the space that the family and neighborhood once filled has been sold and is now filled with paid professionals, electronic toys, and marketing.
Until the 20th century, the basic idea in rearing children was that they become effective grownups by connecting with productive adults and learning from them the community’s skills, traditions, and customs. Youth learned from the community and had jobs to do: caring for the elderly and young, doing errands for the household, working on machines, helping with food. When they became adults, they were equipped to care both for the next generation and for those who had cared for them.
What we now know is that the most effective local communities are those where neighborhoods and citizens have reclaimed their traditional roles. The research on this point is decisive. Where there are “thick” community connections, there is positive child development. Health improves, the environment is sustained, and people are safer and have a better local economy. The social fabric of neighborhood and family is decisive.
Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods
Creating a more community-based way to live and find satisfaction, even when surrounded by a consumer culture, requires only that we act as if each of us has what we need. We have the gifts, structures, and capacities to substitute for our habit of consumption. We can decide to shift our attention toward building the functions of our family and neighborhood.
Freer, Messier, Happier:
These days, moms, dads, kids, grandmas—even neighbors—are sharing the work of family.
Here is a story of how this works, drawn from the real-life experiences of families from neighborhoods around the world that we have worked with.
Naomi Alessio and Jackie Barton were walking through the neighborhood, talking about being overwhelmed with work, meals, lessons, school, and especially the kids. Except, Naomi noted, her son Theron had begun to turn around.
Last summer, when Theron looked through the open door of the metalworking shop Mr. Thompson had set up in his garage, the old man invited him in. Something clicked. Theron began to stop by every day, and he started bringing home metal pieces he’d learned to make.
Naomi could see Theron change. He was proud of what he made—Mr. Thompson even paid him to make a few things. Naomi said she’d finally stopped worrying about what Theron was doing after school. Jackie admitted that her son Alvin was in trouble, and she asked Naomi if there might be someone in the neighborhood whose skills would interest Alvin.
They knew that Gerald Lilly was into fishing, and that Sam Wheatley was a saxophonist, but that was about it. They decided to ask all the men in the neighborhood about their interests and skills. Mr. Thompson agreed to go with them.
It took three weeks to visit all the men on the block. When they were done, they were amazed at what they had found: men who knew juggling, barbecuing, bookkeeping, hunting, haircutting, bowling, investigating crimes, writing poems, fixing cars, weightlifting, choral singing, teaching dogs tricks, mathematics, praying, and how to play trumpet, drums, and sax. They found enough talent for all the kids in the neighborhood to tap into. Three of the men they met—Charles Wilt, Mark Sutter, and Sonny Reed—joined Naomi, Jackie, and Mr. Thompson in finding out what the kids on the block were interested in learning.
5 Questions to Awaken Your Functional Family
The path to restoring function to the family in a citizen society, not a consumer society, is quite simple.
When they got together after interviewing the kids, Mark talked about a boy he met who knew about computers. Why not ask all the kids what they knew about? Then they could match adults to the kids, just as they planned to match up the kids with the grown-ups. When they were done, they found they had 22 things the young people knew that might interest some adults on the block.
The six neighbors named themselves the Matchmakers and, as they got more experience, they began to connect neighbors who shared the same interests. The gardeners’ team shared growing tips and showed four families how to create gardens—even on a flat rooftop! Several people who were worried about the bad economy created a website where neighbors who knew about available work could post job openings. To give it some flair, they found people in the neighborhood to take photos for the site and gradually opened it up for all sorts of neighborhood uses.
Jolene Cass, for instance, posted one of her poems on the website and asked if there were other poets on the block. It turned out there were three. They began to have coffee, share their writing, and post their poems online.
Eleven adults and kids formed the Block Band, and neighborhood singers formed a choir led by Sarah Ensley, an 80-year-old woman who’d been singing all her life.
Charles Dawes, a police officer, formed a team of adults and young people to make the block a safe haven for everyone.
Libby Green had lived on the block for 74 years. The Matchmakers got two neighborhood teenagers, Lenore Manse and Jim Caldwell, to write down her stories about the neighborhood and post them on the website.
Then Lenore decided to write family histories for everyone on the block, and persuaded Jim and her best friend, Lannie Eaton, to help her record the histories and round up photos to go along with them.
Charles Wilt suggested a way for the Matchmakers to welcome newcomers to the neighborhood and begin to connect them with their neighbors: give them a copy of the block history and get information about the new family’s history, skills, and interests.
Three years later, at the annual block party, Jackie Barton summed up what the neighborhood had accomplished:
“What we have done is broken all the lines. We broke the lines between the men. We broke the lines between the women. Then the lines were broken between the men and the women. And best of all, the lines were broken between the adults and the children and between all of us and our seniors. All the lines are broken; we’re all connected. We’re a real community now.”
Seeing the Abundance in the Neighborhood
The story has the elements of what we can call a competent neighborhood. Creating competence starts with making visible the gifts of everyone in the neighborhood—the families, the young people, the old people, the vulnerable people, the troublesome people. Everyone. We do this not out of altruism, but to create the elements of a satisfying life.
All in the Ohana:
How Hawaiians embrace the land,
its abundance, and their responsibility to each other.
This thickens the social fabric. It makes the community’s gifts more widely available in support of the family. If we do it, even in small way, we find that much of what we once purchased is at hand: carpentry, Internet knowledge, listening, driving a truck, math, auto repair, organizing ability, gardening, haircutting, wallpapering, making videos, babysitting, house painting, accounting, soccer coaching, artistic abilities, cooking, fitness knowledge, sitting with the old or the ill, health remedies, sewing. And some of those things will come from the elderly, the young, the isolated, and the unemployed.
With the consciousness of our gifts and the ability to connect them and make them practical and usable, we experience the abundance of a community.
These local connections can give the modern family what the extended family once provided: A place with a strong culture of kin, friends, and neighbors. Together we raise our children, manage health, support local enterprise, and care for those on the margin.
When we become competent again and have families reclaim their functions, we see emerging from our community culture those essential qualities of a satisfying life: kindness, generosity, cooperation, forgiveness, and the ability to live with our common fallibilities. These will all be given a home and nurtured by families who have reclaimed their function.
McKnight is a community organizer and emeritus professor of education and social policy and co-director of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University. He is co-author of and author of
Block is a citizen of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a partner in Designed Learning, and is on the board of Cincinnati Public Radio and Elementz, a local Hip Hop Center for Youth. He is the author of , , , and .
- More stories from , the Winter 2011 issue of YES! Magazine.
8 personal essays on what family is today.
Caught in the consumer trap? Radical Homemaker Shannon Hayes discovered that producing what she needs at home lets her live on a fraction of what she thought she needed. | <urn:uuid:bd48a3d9-b554-451d-9dfc-13430911abda> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/what-happy-families-know/the-good-life-its-close-to-home?icl=yesemail_decjan11&amp;ica=GoodLifeTitle | 2015-03-28T06:07:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297281.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00160-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975173 | 2,442 |
Time flies! Last year around now, I was moving to a completely new city, meeting strangers I would not have otherwise met, and doing lele homework until the wee hours of the morning. No matter how much the 2nd years tried to drill into our heads that jobs are more important, we just refused to buy it. Last night, I was sitting with my buddy Eric in the case rooms applying to jobs. It was dejavu to its max. As I passed by the stuffy hallways, I noticed all the “trees” drawn on the whiteboard. Of course, decision trees! In the spirit of decision trees, I just want to share some 2nd year wisdom with the 1st years. All the things that the 2nd years are telling you right now are for you to not go down that dead node in your decision tree. I understand you all are overwhelmed with information, but take a minute and chew on them. Your ultimate goal for getting an MBA degree is to get that dream job you’ve been longing for. Don’t put off the networking, career coaching until later! When you realize that you have to get back on the job wagon, it’s already too late. I will end with the title of Incubus’s newest album: “If not now, when?”.
Oh man, tonight is the biggest event of the AMBAA. We have a great line-up of student performers and professional performers, each of them bringing a piece of their culture and heritage. On top of that, this entire event is MC’ed by yours truly. I haven’t really done anything like this before, so I’m extremely nervous. Nevertheless I think this is what being an MBA student is about, stepping out of your comfort zone. I see this as a great opportunity to promote the AMBAA’s presence at Smith, and also hone my public speaking skills. Practice makes perfect, I am looking forward to tonight!
This event was hosted by yours truly and Karan Arora (also a 1st Year MBA). Karan put together an amazing video recollecting the two Asia trips that took place this winter. We interviewed the participants of the China Business Competition in Beijing, also the Study Abroad Trip to India and put together a short film describing their experiences. We also had a panel with Julie Mullins, Ken Chen, Eric Choi and Pradeep Suthram, they answered many questions regarding business etiquette in Asia and shared interesting tidbits of their trip. Overall the event was a success, it was both informative and entertaining. Btw, the Vietnamese sandwiches were really delicious!
In every spring semester at Smith, we dedicate an entire week to celebrate the diversity of the school. We started the week with a Chinese New Year Party at Mandarin Delight. The main color theme of the night was red, which represents good luck in the Chinese culture. We taught everyone how to sing the Chinese New Years song, everyone was really into it and sang along. It was an honor to have Professor Lele and Professor Bailey each heading a team to participate in the dumpling making contest! Professor Lele’s team prevailed, but I am not sure how many dumplings can survive in the boiling water to be eaten afterwards.
What a week! Two internship interviews, internship search, case write-ups, team project meetings, Graduate Assistant meeting, new markets growth fund applications…Luckily, thursday classes were canceled due to the snow. The most difficult part was adjusting my sleeping schedule from 1.5 months time off. The classes for this semester are really interesting, a lot of case based class discussions. I’m looking forward to the exciting opportunities and challenges ahead!
After a much anticipated and lengthy winter break, I am finally back to school. The pre-class jitters have occupied my mind for the better part of week. With all the school work ahead and preparations for interviews, I am very overwhelmed to say the least. But I am looking forward to see my friends from MBA, I want to hear about their winter experiences, whether it’s traveling around the world or internship search etc. I am excited and nervous about my own internship interviews as well, I am trying to prepare for two on-campus interviews that are coming up this week. Wish me luck!
Growing up in New Jersey, I have always been curious about what goes on in the skyscrapers in NYC. The concrete jungles were merely blocks with lights that made up the NYC skyline. My goal is to explore what’s inside of those buildings. Luckily, the Finance Association organized a Career Trek for the finance-focuses MBA students to visit some of the biggest players in the financial industry.
The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park is a 1,200 ft (366 m) skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan district of New York City, in the United States. It is located on Sixth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Street, opposite Bryant Park.
The US$1 billion project has been designed by Cook+Fox Architects to be one of the most efficient and ecologically friendly buildings in the world. It is the second tallest building in New York City, after the Empire State Building, and the fourth tallest building in the United States. Construction was completed in 2009.
JPMorgan Chase Tower at 270 Park Avenue, New York
One Beacon Court (also called the Bloomberg Tower), is a skyscraper on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It houses the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. in the lower floors and luxury condominiums in the higher floors. It is located at 731 Lexington Avenue between East 58th and 59th streets. It is currently the 15th tallest building in New York and the 46th tallest in the United States. The building’s zip code is 10022.
It was such an eye-opening experience to walk into these buildings and talk with our alumni that work at these perspective companies. Discussing current issues with Senior Bankers and Managing Directors of these big firms seemed surreal, at the same time informative. NY Trek definitely bridged the gap between my goals and reality. I look forward to the challenges that I will face during my internship search in NYC, because dreams are made in these concrete jungles.
I came to business school for many reasons: advance my education and build a new network of friends to name a couple. However, there has been one benefit that I had not counted on. It never factored into the equation when I was comparing business schools. It never made it into the schedule of major events and classes that I made before attending Smith. It never even entered my mind until orientation. I can only be talking about one thing: flag football. Unless I get a scholarship from Maryland to be their punter, it’s the closest any of us will get to a meaningful sporting event for a long, long, long time. Taking the ride over to the fields, Rick Spadaro (WR, 5’9’’, 165lbs, Drexel University, Strength: Speed, Needs to work on: Humility, Most like: Wes Welker), Anthony Moniello (WR/FS, 6’0’’, 185lbs, George Washington University, Strength: Coverage, Needs to work on: Capturing the Sleeve Monster, Most like: Troy Polamalu), and I (TE, 6’5’’, 250lbs, Washington and Lee University, Strength: Soft Hands, Needs to work on: not making fun of his friends in blog posts, Most like: Antonio Gates) get pumped up for the game by blasting “All I Do Is Win” (that’s right, we haven’t lost a game yet).
Once the game starts, we’re like our school: all business (only corny joke I swear). Something happens when you play under those Monday Night Lights. The air feels crisper and the turf causes more raspberries. Our defense is stalwart; our offense, relentless. As the pressure builds, we keep our composure, but still continue to joke about how we’re adding or dropping each other from our fantasy teams. After the victory, we hold our own informal team dinner, whether it is at Cal Tort, Chick-fil-a, or the case rooms doing finance homework. And after our Monday night games, what is there to look forward to the rest of the week? Oh ya, our coed games on Tuesday nights.
This week has been one of my busiest weeks here at Smith. The 7-week long core courses had come to an end. We had a final exam in Managerial Economics on Monday and a final exam in Financial Accounting on Wednesday. Our Human Capital & Leadership professor also had “strategically” sandwiched a quiz in between those finals on Tuesday (Professor Chen, I still like your class!). Needless to say my sleep to study ratio was disproportionally magnified during those days. After getting over the post-exam jitters, I had some time to reflect on my first MBA class experience on my drive back to New Jersey. I was astonished on how many topics we covered in those classes. From write-offs, allowance to impairment loss and accumulated other cumulative income (AOCI), Professor Hann has covered the universal language of business. The Swahili-looking balance sheets and cash-flow statements had been translated to meaningful business transactions in my eyes. The asymmetric curves and lines that professor Sampson had drawn in economics class are now tools to describe the market’s supply and demand. Although I sighed with the feeling of relief after those exams, my curiosity has never been so heightened about the more advanced classes that Smith has to offer. Next week, spring registration is set to start. After looking at the elective schedules, I am faced with another dilemma: there are so many classes that I want to take, but there aren’t enough time in the day to take all of them!
How best to relax? It was the question I kept asking myself during study breaks the weekend before our Financial Management and Data Models and Decisions tests. I wanted to do something different, and not just celebrate with the cracking of a beer. After brainstorming with a classmate, we decided to go to a Terps soccer game. Initially, I believed this would be a small event, but more and more people kept expressing interest in attending as well, and soon we had about 20 people confirmed. After the tests, we met in a case room to eat some dinner and collectively exhale after a tough day. We deserved a break and a reason to act unlike MBA students. With our brains fried from all the studying, we were in the perfect mood to cheer like hooligans at the World Cup. And to us, it might as well have been. I’m sure the other people around did not enjoy our excessive enthusiasm, but we didn’t care. It was a bunch of people who still didn’t really know each other coming together to root, yell, and (for some) go shirtless in supporting our new favorite soccer team (please don’t tell anyone I still have some allegiances to the opponent that day). As much fun as the soccer game was, I enjoyed the dinner in the case room more – twenty people in a small case room makes for a lot of intimacy. I just can’t wait for the next round of tests to come, because I know we’ll do something similar, yet completely different from the norm to collectively relax.
Adam is a fellow 1st Year MBA student at the Smith School. He is in the same track as me, therefore we have every core class together. It is great to have Adam in the classroom, his witty and intelligent comments definitely lightens up the classroom. I look forward to more posts from Adam, I hope you are too. | <urn:uuid:4312f4de-25ac-4405-abc9-44303de96194> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://blogs.rhsmith.umd.edu/daspindr/ | 2015-03-30T01:00:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298871.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00276-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968885 | 2,481 |
Vanderkitten-Focus Women’s Cycling Team has been ripping it up stateside this Summer. After top ten finishes by Jazzy Hurikino and Kate Chilcott at UCI Gatineau GP in Canada, and podiums from ruth Winder in the UK, Emily Collins went on a rampage scoring a dozen podium finishes and winning Pleasanton Fast and Furious.
Vanderkitten-Focus has continued its winning season, with two squads racing simultaneously on the East and West coasts of the USA this past Memorial Day weekend- and WINNING both races.
In California, Maura Kinsella was supported by teammates Starla Teddergreen, Courtney Dimpel and Vanessa Drigo in a hotly contested Memorial Day Criterium presented by San Jose Bicycle Club.
After a race filled with ferocious attacking by the Vanderkitten-Focus gals, Maura put in a massive attempt in the closing laps of the race. Despite a concerted chase from the entire peloton led by the Red Racing Team, Maura managed to hold off her opponents and claim the victory.
For a full report in classic MKULTR4 style, read her blog here
While this was going on, Bridie O’donnell, Kathleen Billington, Jazzy Hurikino, Emily Collins and Kate Chilcott were tearing up the east coast at the USA’s longest running race, Tour of Somerville, New Jersey.
Against a stacked field of 65 top shelf crit riders, Vanderkitten-Focus launched multiple attacks to soften up the opposition. In the finale, a stellar, full force lead out by all 5 VK teammies led Ruth to her biggest win to date, edging out Laura Van Gilder in the throw to the line. Emily Collins, who ran 5th, explained “Ruth has got a huge kick! Van Gilder jumped after the great leadout by Kathleen, but when Ruth went as well only 100metres out, she really surprised with her speed”.
A fantastic win for Ruth as she heads to USACrits Palm Bluffs and Glencoe GP this weekend with Van Dimpel and Teddergreen, while Collins, Hurikino, Chilcott, O’Donnell and Bilington race UCI 1.1 Liberty Classic in Philadelphia on Sunday.
jennifer Reither led the Vanderkitten-Focus to their 11th win of the season by taking out the final leg of the Tour de Grove MOPRO Series in Missouri.
Here is Jenn’s Race report:
A weekend at MoPro St. Louis MO.
The kittens were in St. Louis this past weekend racing hard and successfully bringing home a WIN!
LOOP de LOOP
The Kittens opened up with a warm reception at Friday night’s Loop de Loop, making their presence known by launching attacks, contesting primes and ripping the legs off the field. The crowd went crazy cheering and screaming GO Vanderkitten! The litter attacks included a purrrrfect launch and time off the front from Ruth Widner. Jasmine “Jazzy” Hurikino, hit awesome counter attacks after Captain Kitten JennX was reeled back in by the pack on a few occasions. The fan’s passion and support paid off as the team delivered kitten Kate “Chilly” Chicott to a 3rd place finish.
1st Sam Schneider – Tibco
2nd Sarah Feder – Pepper Palace
3rd Kate Chilcott
Saturday’s race in The Grove was another day of attacking and chasing. The pack was a bit more aggressive as this race was part of the National Criterium Calendar and the heavy hitters were out for sprint points and a prestigious win. Vanderkitten raced the windy 1.5 mile course as tactically as possible sending girls off the front and having other team’s reel them back in. The wind took a toll on team VK. Efforts being put in were taking the kick and zap out of each kitten’s legs. We did have the extra kitty power with Maura “MK Ultra” Kinsella joining us with Fresh legs, who chased down attacks and stayed close to sprinter Emily “Mooney” Collins along with her teammate Jazzy. On the last lap, Jazzy strung out the pack for the last 2 while Jr. Kitten, Ruth “1K” Widner took a nice flying and spent a few laps off the front. took teammate Emily “Mooney” Collins through the last corner for the 200 meter sprint, Emily took a chance to sprint the open lane to the right but it was Erica Allar who won from the left lane. Emily held on for 4th.
1st Erica Allar – Ride Clean
2nd Sam Schneider – Tibco
3rd Laura van Gilder – Mellow Mushroom
4th Emily Collins – Vanderkitten
Without a win on the books for the weekend, Sunday’s race in Dutchtown was the last opportunity for VK to bring it home for the team. The plan stays the same… RACE the hell out of your bike. Whoever wins this race will have to put in a lot of work to do so. From the gun “MK Ultra” launches an attack, using her mad TT skill stays away for 10 minutes. Once reeled in “Chilly” hurts that pack on the climb, and then Jazzy launches with another rider on her wheel and stays away till 4 to go. When Jazzy is reeled in I launch a vicious attack getting a 11 second gap quickly, all the while, “1K Widner” and the rest of the kittens are protecting “Mooney” near the front of the pack. Quick side note, while Jazzy was off the front, Ruth railed a corner, flatted, skipped her bike across the pack and STAYED UPRIGHT!!! Mad skills, glad I saw it; no one would have believed her. From here on out the details get a bit vague as I was lacking oxygen, seeing stars and bottles Michelob Ultra (Title sponsor banners). I think people were telling me I had a gap of 20 seconds at 2 to go, but all I could hear was my mind saying, “Frack!! 2 more laps, Mooney better be ready when I get caught”. I think to myself to push just a bit harder to make them chase me and wear out the other sprinters legs. So put it to them I do and never look back. I then had the finish line in sight, thinking that the pack was on my heels I gave it every effort I could to get across the line, and I did, so exhausted that I couldn’t even fist pump my victory. I did finally looked back and wondered where the rest of the pack was, a spectator told me I had a 27 second gap, I was shocked.
The plan came together and the Vanderkittens did it as a team. This win meant so much to me, because it meant so much to all of us, Emily, Jazzy, Kate, Maura, Ruth, Bridie, Courtney, Starla, Vanessa, Jono, Dave and the Fans to celebrate another victory for Vanderkitten.
1st Jennifer Reither – Vanderkitten
2nd Sarah Feder – Pepper Palace
3rd Laura Van Gilder – Mellow Mushroom
Enjoy the photos,
Enjoy the Ride
Captain JennX Fairy Princess
For more pics and story, click JennBonics Blog
Yesterday, Aussie powerhouse Bridie O’Donnell rode a fast race at the Amgen Tour of California Womens Invitational TT. The 2009 Australian TT Champion clocked a 44:34 over the windswept 29km course that the Pro men contested directly afterwards. Report and more pics to come!
3 Time Oceania Champion and 2009 Australian Open Pro Time Trial Champ Bridie O’Donnell has been announced as one of the ten elite women to contest the 2nd annual Amgen Tour of California Women’s TT presented by SRAM.
The event, run in conjunction with the Mens Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California in Bakersfield, is set to once again showcase the very top female Time Triallists in the world, with 2008 Olympic Gold Medal Winner Kristin Armstrong (USA) recieving top billing against esteemed company including Sweden’s Emilia Fahlin (Specialized Lululemon) and USA’s Alison Powers (Now and Novartis for MS).
For Vanderkitten-Focus, the invite represents an important milestone in the development of the squad as a top tier team.
According to Vaderkitten-Focus Sports Director Jono Coulter: “Vanderkitten has always strived to empower women through athletics, and we are thrilled that AEG and Medallist have once again created an event in which the worlds best female cyclists are showcased alongside the best male riders in the world at their event. Vanderkitten owner Dave Verrecchia has consistently built upon the success of the program every year, and we were thrilled to be a part of the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium in 2008, where the kitties were among the crowd favourites! Over successive years we have built an International squad capable of competing on the world stage and now, with the inclusion of Bridie, have one of the worlds top Time Triallists on our team. To have Bridie rocking the Vanderkitten-Focus kit in one of the most prestigious specialty women’s events in the USA. We could not be more happy”.
Bridie will race a 2012 Focus Izalco Chrono 1.0 at the event, with Kask K.31 Chrono Helmet giving her an aero advantage over the 29km slightly rolling course.
Vanderkitten-Focus has enjoyed a #kickass first quarter of the year, with Jazzy hurikino scoring the 10th win of the season this weekend at the 39th annual Mikes Bikes Classic in Los Gatos California.
Jazzy was one of the favourites heading into the prestigous event, having won the 2010 edition of the famed hilly criterium as a 19 year old.
With Katheryn Curi Mattis Directing and on form Vanderkitten-Focus team behind her, however, Jazzy was unstoppable.
From lap two Hurikino and Kiwi teammie Emily Collins broke away from the pack over the famed 19% power climb, and when a Stevens Pactimo rider, Marley Smith bridged on the downhill, VK’s Kate Chilcott also came across. This made it 3 VK riders in a 4 rider break!
The bunch would not give in easily however, and over multiple ascents of the brutal climb, the peloton slowly reeled the breakaway to within launching distance.
With 5 to go it was gruppo compatto so without hesitation VK team captain Jenn Reither launched a solid attack and cleared the field, gaining 12 seconds immediately with only 4 laps to go.
The chase behind was furious and with 2 to go Jenn X was brought back into the field. no sooner had she come back that it was 3 time Oceania champion Bridie O’Donnell that made a bid for the line. The proven 2009 Time Trial Champion of Australia established a huge gap and the field was reduced to a selection of only the best as
they worked to contain the damage.
With half a lap to go, the last time up the climb Bridie was caught and this time Jazzy made her move. Within 300 metres she had formed a 100 metre gap to the field and put her head down with only half a mile of downhill to the finish line.
To the joy of the assembled crowd and sponsors, as well as Jazzy’s parents who had stepped off an international flight from Australia and made their way straight to the race, crossed the line and threw her hands in the air with exhausted jubilation.
Only 2 seconds later her friend and teammate Emily Collins crossed the line punching her fists, with another Aussie, SportVelo’s Bec Werner in 3rd.
A momentous day for the Vanderkitten-Focus program and all is looking good for the next 2 months of competition that will see racing across the USA and UCI events in Canada and Philadelphia.
Earlier in the month Vanderkitten-Focus had notched some top performances at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, with Emily Collins 3rd on Stage 1 and Emily and Kate recording top ten finishes in the final Circuit Race.
The 2012 Redlands Cycling Classic lived up to its hype as a spectacular kickoff to the Women’s NRC season. Vanderkitten-Focus sent a strong squad of 8 athletes, and although bad luck hit the team early on in the tour, our resilient kitties carried on in brave fashion representing VK in style! | <urn:uuid:88f015fe-06cc-4daa-8ebb-415b4c50dba3> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | https://vanderkitten.wordpress.com/ | 2015-03-30T01:01:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131298871.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172138-00276-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952753 | 2,711 |
By The Playlist Staff | The Playlist July 15, 2013 at 2:13PM
Murky and repetitive fight scenes that are hard to follow.
At first, the different kaiju types and jaegers are pretty thrilling, and exciting, in their size, power and unique capabilities. Then, del Toro throws them all in the ocean, at night (is it ever daytime? or not raining?) by the handful. The behemoths gnash and clash, and while there are a few notable moments, such as the much-trailered barge bat maneuver, it’s mostly a crashy mashup of gray and black against gray and black. At least Crimson Typhoon had three arms, and was, uh, crimson. But in the mid-film pile up of Crimson Typhoon, the Russian jaeger, and and the other kaiju, it was nigh impossible to discern which kaiju was doing what to whom, which jaeger was being drowned or blown up. Even when the fight made its way to land it just seemed repetitive and stretched on too long. Whatever goodwill and excitement was built up in anticipation of these clashes is quickly worn out in the smashy-smashy that just looks all the same.
Charlie Day and the Other Nerd/Everyone's Accents
There were at least two points in the movie where we leaned over to our seatmate and said, “What accent is that?” with Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam, both Brits, two of the worst offenders. Elba, a master of accented disguise in “The Wire” seemed to be using his British accent, which is slightly Americanized, whilst Hunnam was definitely doing an American accent but unfortunately with a British lilt. Then the Aussies showed up, egads (Max Martini, do not pass go, do not collect $200 and proceed directly to Australian accent school again), which resulted in Rinko Kikuchi being the only actor with a believable accent (though she's not the easiest low-talking actor to understand either). With this collection of wonky accents, rapid fire delivery and nonsense future science jargon, we understood about one-third of the dialogue (but maybe that’s for the best). Then we have Charlie Day. While Day doesn’t have any accent problems and he pulls off an annoyingly shrill mad scientist/Rick Moranis in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” his lightning speed patter is nearly impossible to discern and his shrieking persona is so obnoxious you want to club him to death. And don’t even get us started on Burn Gorman as the mathematician counterpart to Day’s scientist, sporting a parody bowl cut and limp and doing his best Crispin Glover. Maybe every other sentence out of their mouths is intelligible, and because they’re either talking about kaiju math or Vulcan mind-melding with a seafaring alien dinosaur at a high pitched, panicky squeal, it only complicates matters. As our seatmate said, “that might as well have been in French.”
We live in probably the most advanced military age imaginable. A guy sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen can send an unmanned drone plane around the world to drop a bomb on a target; all manner of computerized imagery gives personnel unprecedented information about geography, topography and enemy troop movements; weapons are being made smaller but even more deadly. So when a monster rises from the bowels of the Earth in the future, the best plan of action are big, clunky robots that require a neural bridge to operate them? (Side note: it’s never quite clear what the advantage is in using a neural bridge, particularly when the pilots wind up shouting commands to each other anyway). In the crazy near-future of “Pacific Rim,” can we not simply send drones boasting devastating payloads to deal with these guys? Surface-to-air missiles? While there is a certain my-gun-is-bigger-than-your-gun logic to humanity building equally sized robots to deal with these monsters, the all-or-nothing, go-Jaeger-or-go-home-and-build-some-big-walls-that-won’t-work framework of the movie doesn’t make much sense. Is it a dealbreaker? Probably not, and this kind of movie requires at least some suspension of disbelief, but throughout the movie, as the jaegars fall, get blasted by plasma and/or rendered useless and ripped apart, you do wonder if this is the best plan that humans can come up with.
“Pacific Rim” presents us with a bad boy jaegar pilot (Hunnam), who doesn’t follow the rules, but still is one of the best out there... until he follows orders exactly to save the day (what happened to his rule-breaking creativity to defeat the Kaiju?). The jaegers are outdated relics that can’t possibly defeat the increasingly huge and constantly-adapting Kaiju rising the depths of the ocean... until the “analog” old-timey version manages to miraculously survive a vicious beating at the bottom of the ocean, jump into a dimensional portal, and return both pilots alive. Oh no, Gipsy Danger is being flown (what?) into outer space (HUH?), but no worries, bro, it had a hidden sword the whole time! Oh no, it looks like our heros are going to run out of oxygen and die somewhere between our universe and another galaxy, but it’s cool, the jaegars (who inner geography expands and shrinks as necessary) have some high-tech escape pods (that none of the other killed pilots used). Also, it turns out that in the future, the military has some bitchin’ wifi that allows them to communicate with people at hundreds of miles at the bottom of the ocean, and even further in the Earth’s core, from even more hundreds of miles away. In short “Pacific Rim” never really has many dramatic stakes, because right around the corner, there is an 11th minute deus ex machina device introduced so our heroes can escape danger. The movie doesn’t really have a playbook... it writes it as it goes along.
While Mako and Raleigh are given a bit of backstory, no one else is really given anything or any motivation beyond just a hint (Pentecost is protective of Mako, the father and son are... father and son), and this is glaringly obvious with the Chinese and Russian pilots of the jaegers in Hong Kong. The Chinese triplets who pilot Crimson Typhoon are shown playing basketball and then always holding a basketball, so apparently... they like basketball. It’s too bad they don’t have any lines! The Russian pilots are even more badass, a male-female duo who sport cheesy platinum dye-jobs and look intimidating, sexy, and weird. Apparently the extreme hair and affinity for basketball are supposed to make us like them, because they play a rather crucial role in the 4 on 2 jaeger v. kaiju battle in which Gipsy Danger, Raleigh and Mako prove themselves. But, we know nothing about them, so when a kaiju smushes them into the ocean to drown, it’s fairly anti-climactic. “D2: Mighty Ducks 2” has better characterizations of its supporting characters and villains. Then there's the main characters themselves. Raleigh is simply a blander version of Tom Cruise's Maverick character in "Top Gun" and all the other leads are mostly one-note characters. Idris Elba delivers throaty speech after speech, Mako is the ace-in-the-hole fighter with a heart of gold or whatever, Ron Perlman plays the eccentric Ron Perlman character (who ultimately has zero bearing on the plot and could have been removed entirely), Charlie Day and Burn Gorman are insufferable Twiddle Dee dummies, etc. etc. And of course, there's the Australian pilot who plays the Iceman character and rips off the "Top Gun" internecine pilot conflict once again (Beacham apparently loves that movie). None of these characters mean much to the movie. They're all silo archetypes to fulfil the movie's various plot needs, which obviously put monsters and robots before human beings.
Weird & (So-So) Kaiju
Post-credits sequence is exactly the same as the climax of Sharknado. Nuff said.
So we didn’t watch “Sharknado,” the viral SyFy hit on Thursday night, but we did read a recap right before we went to see "Pacific Rim" and wouldn’t you know it, but someone is copying someone else’s paper. In the climax of “Sharknado,” one of the great whites gobbles up the lady friend of Ian Ziering’s character, Fin (yup, that’s his name). What else is Steve Sanders to do but launch himself, chainsaw first, into said shark and cut out his lady love Nova (yup, her name)? So, it seems a little fishy that, SPOILER ALERT, in the post-credits sequence, Ron Perlman’s Hannibal Chau character cuts himself out of the baby kaiju that gobbled him up earlier, grumbling about his shoe (what’s with the shoes?). Of course, this has sort of been a trope since Biblical times, but it at least seems telling that one low-budget, so-bad-it’s-good, made for SyFy shark movie would use the same gag as one of the contenders to the summer blockbuster throne. Let’s try to aim higher than that next time, shall we?
One of the more refreshing aspects of "Pacific Rim" is that it isn't, like most big movies of this ilk, a case of America (fuck yeah!) saving the world from the threat of giant hulking beasts. “The other sort of big summer movies often feel to me like it’s about one race, one credo and one country saving the world, and I wanted to make it about the world saving the world, no matter what skin color you have, what race you have, what belief you have – everybody in the movie saves the world,” Del Toro told Salon, and it's absolutely true. Del Toro's cast has more multi-culti diversity than the crew of the starship Enterprise, but it never feels phony or forced. The world comes together to fight the monsters and it adds texture and flavor to what could have another boring Caucasians saving the world effort. The only problem with this is: see above. Diversity is great, but it's not so fun to see Asians, Australians, Russians that are poorly drawn, one-dimensional characters.
During the climactic battle, the Jaegers intend to head to the underwater breach where the kaiju are keeping the clone army (or something). Striker, piloted by Idris Elba and the bad, mean Aussie son do some sort of suicide thingy. Then, because Hunnam and Kikuchi’s jaeger is a nuclear warhead, they drag a kaiju carcass to the breach in order to access it (BECAUSE DNA!) and then fall into Kaiju alt-dimension, which doesn’t make much sense because are they in the center of the earth or space? Electric purple labial folds open up and envelope the jaeger into their midst, where some kind of crazy, bug-eyed kaiju overlords ready their armies. It’s all very confusing, bad, dumb-looking, and dangerously close to the pyschic alien mummies of “Indiana Jones 4.” Thankfully, it is blessedly short and the jaeger ejaculates its two escape pods before blowing up all the kaiju. (But what happens when you set off a nuclear bomb at the center of the earth?? Nothing good, I imagine). This sequence looks very dumb, makes little sense, and they are smart to keep it as short as possible.
There's a lot more to discuss with a world as rich and wonky as "Pacific Rim," including the names (Stacker Pentecost? Hercules Hanson? We want to see the futureworld's version of a baby-naming book.), the way that the movie was always referencing whatever is in del Tor's fabled mancave, and "Game of Thrones" composer Ramin Djawadi's admittedly boss score. Also the debate rages on as to whether "Pacific Rim" is riddled with tired cliches or if it was just hitting all the right beats, exceptionally well. Please, by all means, continue the discussion below. We can't wait to drift with you. - Katie Walsh, Kevin Jagernauth, Drew Taylor | <urn:uuid:63b96cba-8c96-4ee7-b591-9a42bec6ac9f> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-bad-and-the-weird-of-guillermo-del-toros-pacific-rim-20130715?page=2 | 2015-03-31T20:53:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131301015.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172141-00100-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954654 | 2,726 |
The Titanium Dog Tag is one of our best selling products because it is lightweight, durable, and hypoallergenic.
Titanium Dog Tag Red with Oval Chain
Number of Reviews: 310,
Reviewer: Ron L.
Thu Feb 26, 2015: Necklace is sturdy enough to withstand normal common sense use. Nice job of engraving.
Reviewer: James W.
Tue Feb 17, 2015: It has far outweighed my expectations - It is Extremely well-crafted and sturdy.- I especially like the professionalism in which it’s been created. I LOVE it - I also Love the bead-chain that came with it...much more stronger and more sturdy than any other necklaces I’ve purchased in the past
Reviewer: Patricia S.
Fri Feb 06, 2015: This was very nice. High quality
Reviewer: Kathy B.
Wed Feb 04, 2015: Husband liked it but the ball chain bothered him. He wears a cross and was able to attach to the dog tag to the same chain.
Reviewer: Linda L.
Tue Feb 03, 2015: I purchased the ID for my son he love it.
Reviewer: Raymond B.
Tue Jan 20, 2015:
Reviewer: Jessica G.
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Reviewer: Paul W.
Fri Jan 02, 2015: as advertised, very good
Sat Dec 20, 2014: Perfect fit, looks great and is just what I need, thanks
Reviewer: Jim K.
Sat Dec 20, 2014: the writing on it is clear and can be read easily
Sat Dec 20, 2014: Very nice
Reviewer: Celina S.
Thu Nov 13, 2014: Liked it very much .
Sun Nov 09, 2014: nice looking
Reviewer: Gregory A.
Sun Nov 09, 2014: Very good, looks great and it is a nice key ring.
Reviewer: Norm G.
Sat Nov 08, 2014: Looks good, easy to wear
Reviewer: Betty D.
Tue Nov 04, 2014: I ordered this for my husband and it was exactly what he wanted. Very pleased
Reviewer: Paul W.
Wed Oct 29, 2014: Good. Need longer chain.
Thu Oct 23, 2014: Overpriced.
Reviewer: Shirley H.
Mon Oct 20, 2014: My Grandson loves the necklace. He has special needs and this one opens and closes easily.
Reviewer: Robert P. N. S.
Fri Oct 17, 2014: It’s what I wanted.
Thu Oct 16, 2014:
Sat Oct 11, 2014: I got one for me several years ago and very satisfied. I got this one for my wife.
Reviewer: Dwight L.
Sat Oct 11, 2014: The chain excellent - just as I suspected. The medallion Close to excellent but if asked to improve upon it, I’d make it a little thinner, round the edges somewhat and make the engraving a bit bolder. Bottom line, I,m very satisfied with my purchase.
Reviewer: Dan R.
Fri Oct 10, 2014: THE TITANIUM IS AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT. IT CAME EXACTLY AS I ORDERED IT.. I DID THINK THE CHAIN WOULD BE A LITTLE LARGER AROUND AND MORE HEAVY DUTY, BUT IT SEEMS TO WORK JUST FINE. THANK YOU.
Reviewer: John T H.
Thu Oct 09, 2014: This should work well. I had a bracelet before, and it tore up the furniture and sometimes fell off my arm. I don’t believe this will fall off my neck.
Reviewer: Sarah T.
Wed Oct 08, 2014: Very pleased with the dog tag. Like the size that is the regular size of a dog tag. Thank you.
Reviewer: Peter W.
Mon Oct 06, 2014: like the overall product
Reviewer: Geoffrey J.
Fri Oct 03, 2014: very satisfied with the quality
Reviewer: Patrick M.
Tue Sep 30, 2014: Decently made, tad high for the end product. I would have liked a bit more ability to change font size on the name side to fill space better. I got this for a friend, and over all I was satisfied, but for the overall cost of 75 including s/h I dropped one star.
Reviewer: Barbara H.
Tue Sep 30, 2014:
Reviewer: Zelma M.
Thu Sep 18, 2014: very nice
Tue Sep 09, 2014: Good prouct. Easy to order.
Sun Sep 07, 2014: Its wonderful
Reviewer: Raymond W.
Sat Sep 06, 2014: I had this product before and it had a better quality chain. I am not pleased with this current 24 in. chain.
Reviewer: David K.
Sat Sep 06, 2014: adequate space for name plus medical information. Hopefully no allergic skin reaction.
Reviewer: Charles B.
Thu Sep 04, 2014:
Mon Sep 01, 2014:
Reviewer: Peggy P.
Sun Aug 24, 2014: I am very impressed with the accuracy of information, quality of tag and necklace. It arrived very timely with regular US mail.
Thu Aug 21, 2014: Chain too short. Dog tag was dull within first 2 days
Reviewer: Thom W C.
Thu Aug 21, 2014: Perfect--printing, size, comfort, life saving info AND it arrived very quickly, even ahead of the predicted arrival time.
Reviewer: Jim L.
Mon Aug 18, 2014: It is neat and clean. I am very satisfied and proud of it.
Reviewer: Kim B.
Sat Aug 16, 2014:
Reviewer: Harry V.
Sat Aug 16, 2014:
Reviewer: Stuart W.
Sat Aug 16, 2014: Ecellent
Reviewer: Lloyd H.
Fri Aug 15, 2014: great
Reviewer: Joanne T.
Wed Jul 23, 2014:
Thu Jul 17, 2014: I ordered the titanium dog tag because my stainless steel dog tag seemed very heavy. I like the weight of new dog tag although I thought both tags could be made thinner like a real issue military tag. The engraving on the titanium tag is lighter and therefore a little harder to read than the steel version.
Reviewer: Scott E.
Tue Jul 15, 2014:
Reviewer: Peter H.
Sun Jul 13, 2014:
Reviewer: Davi H.
Sat Jul 05, 2014: No surprises exactly what I ordered. It really arrived 10 days earlier than I expected.
Reviewer: William T.
Tue Jul 01, 2014: Light weight, can hardly notice that I’m wearing it.
Thu Jun 26, 2014:
Reviewer: Mashell T.
Wed Jun 25, 2014:
Reviewer: Gryphon C.
Tue Jun 17, 2014:
Tue Jun 17, 2014:
Reviewer: Nelson E.
Sun Jun 08, 2014: It was what I wanted. Very pleased with my purchase .
Reviewer: Sharita Y.
Sun Jun 08, 2014: It looks timeless
Sun Jun 08, 2014:
Reviewer: Dan C.
Fri Jun 06, 2014: very nice quality, extremely sturdy, will last a long time and stylish not gaudy
Fri May 30, 2014:
Reviewer: Tom M.
Fri May 16, 2014: I like having the option to engrave the front as well as the back of the dog tag. When typing in the words, it shows you exactly how it’ll look.
Reviewer: Maxine R.
Wed May 07, 2014: Like the fact it was titanium. Was able to include quite a bit of information on the back.
Reviewer: Dave A.
Fri May 02, 2014: Very light and well done. It looks and feels indestructible (like the face of a driver in golf). It is, however, darker (in color) and less polished looking that your other alternatives that I have had. It took me a while to get used to that look. But, it’s fine ... don’t even notice that I’m wearing it because of the lightness.
Fri May 02, 2014:
Reviewer: Lisa D.
Tue Apr 29, 2014: Very light and comfortable. My 15 yr old thinks it’s very cool. Loves how light it is compared to his stainless dog tag and that it’s a darker metal color.
Fri Apr 25, 2014:
Reviewer: Toni L G.
Fri Apr 25, 2014: Ok. Chain too short.
Reviewer: Cherie M.
Tue Apr 08, 2014: Exactly what we needed for my Dad. Love it.
Fri Apr 04, 2014:
Tue Apr 01, 2014:
Reviewer: David J.
Sun Mar 23, 2014: I wasn’t sure how I would like wearing a necklace, ive never worn one before. The titanium is very light and I barely know its there. Im quite pleased with my purchase.
Reviewer: Ray C.
Sat Mar 22, 2014:
Fri Mar 21, 2014: excellent
Reviewer: Ashley R.
Fri Mar 21, 2014: Met all my expectations
Reviewer: Deborah S.
Thu Mar 20, 2014: Awesome My husband really likes his necklace
Thu Mar 20, 2014:
Reviewer: Rickey B.
Thu Mar 20, 2014: I m very pleased , I highly recommend products of American Medical ID. All my friends from church is ordering them.
Reviewer: Thomas A E.
Tue Mar 18, 2014: I am really happy with the titanium necklace.
Reviewer: Don T.
Tue Mar 11, 2014: Bought the longest chain and it is a bit too short
Reviewer: Warren A.
Sat Mar 08, 2014: I was very happy with product and it’s sturdiness.
Reviewer: Wilda L.
Sat Mar 01, 2014: It looks cheap and metal won’t shine. Not sure I knew what to expect with titanium. Wish I had ordered silver. Very pleased with engraving and service.
Reviewer: Carolyn B.
Wed Feb 26, 2014: Product looks good and tells what needs to be told about wearer.
Reviewer: Robert G.
Tue Feb 25, 2014: Nicely made and engraved. Will serve the purpose for which it is intended.
Reviewer: Kevin M.
Mon Feb 24, 2014: It looks great has a good weight to it . The info printed on it stands out well.
Reviewer: Ben L.
Wed Feb 19, 2014: Very good job....love it
Reviewer: Daniel H.
Sun Feb 16, 2014: So far have been very satisfied with the product.
Reviewer: Sarah M.
Sat Feb 15, 2014: need to add enough lines on the back to be able to add a emergency contact
Reviewer: Bill H.
Fri Feb 14, 2014: I was absolutely thrilled with the quality and appearance.
Reviewer: David M. C.
Tue Jan 28, 2014: Nice item and so far good quality. Engraving could contrast better then it does.
Reviewer: Cynthia P.
Thu Jan 23, 2014: Lightweight, sturdy, attractive.
Reviewer: Terrie M.
Sun Jan 19, 2014: It is neat and very readible. I haven’t seen a doctor yet to see what they say, but I think it is ok. I also want to thank you for your quick response when my chain was too short. Thank you for all you’ve done to get things done with the least amount of stress. Thank you very much...
Fri Jan 17, 2014: I am very happy with my purchase.
Reviewer: Carolyn H.
Mon Jan 13, 2014: The medical ID was very practical and well done. We were completely satisfied with the product.
Reviewer: Daniel C.
Fri Jan 10, 2014: Nice quality, good weight, nicely inscribed
Reviewer: Susan B.
Sun Jan 05, 2014: I was very impressed at how quickly I received the necklace after I ordered it. I now feel more secure that my husband has his information close to him instead of just in his wallet.
Reviewer: Jerre A.
Fri Jan 03, 2014: Very good quality, and looks nice.
Reviewer: Irma M.
Fri Jan 03, 2014: Professinal work, legible to read
Reviewer: John B.
Wed Jan 01, 2014:
Reviewer: Stephen S.
Fri Dec 27, 2013: nicely made
Reviewer: Mark R.
Sat Dec 21, 2013: It is exactly as described | <urn:uuid:68a8a78d-0eb4-488e-afe8-0e263f30c13f> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.americanmedical-id.com/marketplace/category.php?mastercategory=necklaces&bbscrollerpage=7&scrollcat=neck_titaniumdogtag | 2015-03-31T20:46:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131301015.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172141-00100-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928358 | 2,662 |
Nokia is learned to be developing a 3D version of Google Street View in association with its mapping partner Navteq. According to a report, the company may be using images built with the system to be ported to gaming applications to be used as a backdrop for realistic games.
The whole technology is expected to be much more sophisticated than the Google Street View application. Unlike the latter where users can only navigate linearly over a predefined path that Google displays, users on Nokia’s 3D street view application may seamlessly navigate in the environment thus offering much more realistic navigational experiences.
Nokia demonstrated an early stage version of the product earlier this week at Nokia World in London. Espoo is expected to dispatch its cars to London and other major European cities starting in November this year and they are expected to be incorporated in navigational products starting next year.
Nokia has been building an in-house app for the popular location-based check-in service, FourSquare. The new service will not be a part of the Nokia Ovi Maps service that has recently got its own social check-in service. Instead, this will be an independent application that has been developed by Nokia engineers in collaboration with FourSquare.
The app is expected to hit the Ovi Stores next week and according to Holger Luedorf, the VP of Mobile & Partnerships at FourSquare, partnerships with mobile manufacturers to help FourSquare reach out to a wider audience is primary in their expansion strategy. Luedorf also noted that FourSquare’s growth has been completely viral so far and the new partnership will boost this viral growth. The new FourSquare app from Nokia will be compatible with Symbian^3, 5.0 and 3.2 devices. Check out a demo of the app in action in the video below.
The Nokia World Expo is currently underway and the Finnish giant has just unveiled two very promising smartphones – the Nokia C6 and C7. Both the devices are pretty similar except for the fact that the C7 is pretty slimmer. Both the devices come with a 3.5-inches display screen built with “ClearBlack Display“. The display is said to be as good as the hyped retina display on the iPhone. Anssi Vanjoki, the executive Vice President of Mobile Solutions at Espoo explains,
“It’s a premium touchscreen that provides a higher contrast viewing experience than anything before. the background of the ClearBlack Display is blacker than black, because we have used a polariser to remove unwanted reflections for important outdoor visibility. It has lower power consumption too. It’s not only blacker, it’s also greener.”
Other features on the upcoming devices include an 8-megapixel camera, webTV, free Ovi Maps,etc. That is everything we have at present with respect to the specifications list. No word on the pricing though the launch date is touted to be in Q4 this year. Here’s hoping for a great launch. Check out our earlier article on Nokia C7 specifications here.
Nokia is showcasing its new E7 smartphone at the Nokia World 2010 show. The E7 is a beautiful 4-inches ClearBlack display device and is pretty similar to the Nokia N8 except that it is slightly larger. The device comes with a 16GB mass memory with a 350MB internal memory. With an 8-megapixel camera that supports 720p HD video playback, you do have a nice alternative to the Android and iOS handsets out in the wild. The form factor includes a full capacitive touch as well as a slider keyboard design. As you should already know, the device runs on Symbian^3 and has a 1200mAh battery/
There is no word on the pricing or launch date as yet though speculations are that it will launch in Q4 this year at an estimated price of €495. The phone will come in five colors – Dark Grey, Silver White, Green, Blue, Orange.
Here are a couple of pictures and a video demo of the Nokia E7.
Looks like the earlier speculations about the launch date of the new Nokia N8 scheduled towards the end of September are sort of correct. Tapani Kaskinen, Senior Comms Manager at Nokia has revealed to a Finnish newspaper that the company will begin the fulfillment of Nokia N8 pre-orders starting the 30th of this month. Now, since this revelation was made to the Finnish media, it is not clear if the dates hold true for the rest of the world. But since Kaskinen is specifically talking about pre-orders , I’m assuming the news holds true for all markets where Nokia has opened its preorder counters.
If you are in the USA, this would definitely mean September 30. A report in mid-August had speculated the launch to happen in the end of September at a price of $550. Also, Espoo is noted to have purchased ad spots on Google Adwords for a week-long campaign starting September 23. So that nearly explains it.
Nokia N8 – the 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen display Symbian^3 device with a 12-megapixel camera is now available for pre-orders in the United States. We had earlier written about the launch date which has so far been set tentatively at “end of September”. The phone runs on a 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and contains a 256MB RAM, Xenon Flash and a storage space of up to 32GB.
The device has been available for quite sometime elsewhere in Europe and the pre-orders in Germany were open as early as May of this year. In the US, Nokia N8 shall be available at a pre-order price of $549 that is not too different from the Europen price that is roughly about $587 accounting for the exchange rates.
You can check out the detailed features and book your phone on the Nokia USA website here.
So here’s the latest from Nokia. Espoo is launching its new Nokia 5250 device that is based on Symbian and will come at a pretty attractive price of €115 ($146). Of course, subsidies and taxes are not accounted as yet, and so expect to pay a lot lesser if you are planning to get this on contract.
According to what we hear, the Nokia 5250 is the successor to the Nuron – Nokia 5230 – and will come with a 2.8-inches touchscreen with a 640×360 pixel resolution display. The phone will run on Symbian S60 5th edition and will come with 51MB internal memory, a 16GB microSD slot, FM radio, a 2-megapixel camera, social network integration and a mobile version of Guitar Hero 5 pre-installed. With a battery life that will last 18 days including 24 hours of music playback and a storage that can accomodate 4000 songs, this device is aggressively targeted at the young music lovers.
How do you like it?
There has been a buzz over the past few days with respect to an upcoming smartphone from Nokia, named the N9. Of course, most of these rumors are still unsubstantiated and so need to be taken with a pinch of salt. But if the device is anything like what we are hearing, this is definitely going to be one hot gizmo.
First of all, the Nokia N9 could be running the all-new MeeGo operating system and that in itself should get a lot of Nokia enthusiasts interested. Besides this, the N9 is expected to come with a 4-inches OLED display along with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 512MB RAM, a 1GB storage space and a huge 64GB of internal memory. I’m still trying to double-check if the storage and memory specs got mixed up.
As you expect, the device should also come with 720p HD video recording, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Nokia N9 is also rumored to offer an HSPA+ connectivity. There’s a lot more we would like to know and confirm. So stay tuned.
If you are a Nokia fan, you should look at this. A few pictures of the upcoming Nokia C7 are doing the rounds in the blogosphere and they are truly going to catch your imagination. The Nokia C7 is going to feature an 8 megapixel camera – ok, it’s not as good as the 12-Megapixel camera that the N8 is going to come with. But without doubt, this one definitely has a market. The device is also known to feature a 3.5-inches capacitive touchscreen display – that’s as big as the iPhone. The phone is also reported to run on the latest Symbian^3 platform which will bring features like threaded messaging, enhanced graphics and lesser prompts.
Here are a couple of pictures of this beautiful gadget below. While it is not confirmed, I hear that the launch is happening in October and Nokia C7 could be priced at close to €300.
These are crucial times for Nokia – more importantly its CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. The fact that the company has not been able to launch one major product in the western market that can take on the new breed of smartphones from Apple and the OHA manufacturers has meant that the Finnish giant is bracing itself up for a decisive launch of the new Nokia N8.
According to reports, this new Symbian handset could be launching in the US towards the end of September – that’s presumably after the Nokia World Event in London that concludes on September 15. If the price is anything to go by, expect for lukewarm sales. The Nokia N8 is expected to ship at $550 in USA.
Do note that the N8 is no iPhone. But it’s not a dud either. The device comes with a powerful 12-megapixel camera, HD video recording capability, HDMI output and a 16GB internal memory. All this does qualify it for the $550 price point and it is now up to the consumers to make their choice. | <urn:uuid:a8adb0b1-4bfc-45e9-86e2-809e19b7e998> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://gorumors.com/category/nokia/page/3 | 2015-03-28T12:15:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131297505.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172137-00284-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953493 | 2,078 |
Guide to the Point Lobos League records, [ca. 1927-1945]
Guide to the Point Lobos League Records, [ca. 1927-1945]
Collection number: BANC MSS C-A 285The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
- The Bancroft Library.
- University of California, Berkeley
- Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
- Phone: (510) 642-6481
- Fax: (510) 642-7589
- Email: [email protected]
- URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu
- Processed by:
- The Bancroft Library staff
- Date Completed:
- ca. 1969
- Encoded by:
- Xiuzhi Zhou
Key to Arrangement
Point Lobos Master Plan, plus various reports, notes and comments on the master plan.
Vegetation map of Point Lobos, 1935, plus guide, by Edward Lee.
Vertebrate Animals of Point Lobos Reserve, 1934-1935, by Joseph Grinnell and Jean M. Linsdale; and Point Lobos Reserve, by Newton B. Drury, 1938 (Reprint).
Various articles on California State Park System, and on the preservation of Point Lobos. Some maps.
2 letters to Mrs. Philip Van Horne Lansdale, 1933, one including balance sheet of the Point Lobos Association, Apr., 1927-Aug. 29, 1930.
Draft of volume on Point Lobos Reserve State Park for series "Landmarks and Monuments of Historical California" prepared by the State Division of Parks.
Various reports from Olmsted Brothers, Landscape Architects, Brookline, Mass.
Point Lobos as a Memorial.
Point Lobos Book; draft with quotations from various sources, and captions apparently intended for use with photographs.
Various chapter headings, captions, intended for use in reports of the Point Lobos Advisory Committee.
Copy of Vertebrate Animals..., by Grinnell and Linsdale; clippings; reprint, Further Notes on California Brown Pelicans at Point Lobos, California, by Laidlaw Williams.
Copies of newspaper items re sea lions, 1944.
North Shore Memorial
Report of the Point Lobos Advisory Committee to the California State Park Commission, Mar. 1, 1936 (copy); newspaper clippings.
Various letters re Point Lobos, 1935-1938, to and from Newton 3. Drury.
Point Lobos Book, notes and letters, Newton B. Drury.
Design for emblem for Point Lobos Association, taken from clipping which is included.
Comments on the Olmsted Report.
Misc. letters, memoranda and notes re Point Lobos and surrounding land.
Misc. letters of Grinnell and Linsdale
Point Lobos Reserve: Highlights of Scenic Beauty, by Clark Wing (copy).
Misc. letters, articles, clippings re Point Lobos, 1945-
Interpretation of a Primitive Landscape, published for the Point Lobos Advisory Committee, 1946 (copy).
Misc. letters of John C. Merriam, 1932-1936.
Misc. letters of henry S. Pritchett, 1932-1935.
Revisions by J. M. Linsdale of section of book on vertebrate animals.
Letters to and from G. Frederick Schwarz and Ida T. Z. Schwarz, 1909-1933.
Various maps of Point Lobos.
Misc. papers, including several balance sheets for Point Lobos Association, 1930-1934.
Misc. letters, reports, etc. re Point Lobos, 1929-1933.
Letters of W. L. Jepson, Aubrey Drury, C. M. Goethe re Sargent Cypresees.
Letters re county aid to State Parks.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, 1932?
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, 1933.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1934.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1934.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1935.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1935?
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1936.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1936.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1937?
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1937.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1938.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1938.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1939.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1939.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1940.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1940.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1941.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1941.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1942.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1942.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1943.
Point Lobos Advisory Committee, July 1 to Dec. 31, 1943.
Minutes of the Point Lobos Association, Apr. 11, 1927 -Feb. 15, 1933.
Point Lobos Reserve: Report of a State Park Nature Guide, by Louis C. Wheeler.
Misc. letters and reports re Point Lobos (copies).
Corrections by McDuffie on revised Report of the Point Lobos Advisory Committee to the State Park Commission.
Reports on the History of Point Lobos, by V. A. Neasham and Waldo R. Wedel.
Aubrey Drury: Notes on the History of Point Lobos. Several Copies.
Reports on the Vegetation of Point Lobos, by Edward Lee and Herbert L. Mason.
Misc. letters, etc. re preservation of Point Lobos, many addressed to and written by Caroline Hunter (Mrs. Robert Hunter).
Sponsors - letters.
Various reports (copies) on Point Lobos by Edward Lee, E. P. Meincike, F. L. Olmsted, Ralph W. Chaney.
W. K. Fisher: Life between Tides. Several copies and some photographs.
Report of the Point Lobos Advisory Committee to the California State Park Commission; Personal Observation of Visitors in Point Lobos reserve, by R. A. Wilson; Regulation of Tourist Travel in the Cypress Grove of Point lobos, Calif., by E. P. Meinicke.
Botanical reports re Point Lobos; Reports of State Nature Guides, 1936-1937; and various other documents.
General correspondence re Point Lobos, 1943-1945.
Animals -- land and marine; Birds of Sea and Shore: 2 chapters of Point Lobos book (also 2 wildlife sketches).
Protection of the Primitive, by John C. Merriam; also misc. papers re Point Lobos.
Various photographs of the Point Lobos region.
Various papers re flora and fauna of Point Lobos Reserve.
Papers on esthetic value of Point Lobos.
The geology of Point Lobos, 2 papers.
Misc. papers re the cypresses of Monterey County.
Misc papers re preservation of Point Lobos.
Minutes of Board of Directors of Point Lobos Association.
Various letters re Sponsors
Misc. correspondence (A-Z)
Misc. memoranda, including Memorandum on the Development of the Campaign of the Point Lobos Association.
Misc. correspondence, 1933.
Misc. correspondence and notes, 1933.
Letters of Duncan McDuffie.
Suggested procedure - Articles of Incorporation.
Articles about Point Lobos and environs.
Correspondence, Mrs. Robert Hunter, before 1931.
Correspondence, Mrs. Robert Hunter, 1931-1932.
Correspondence, Mrs. Robert Hunter, 1933.
Correspondence, Mrs. Robert Hunter, 1943.
Edward S. Harkness.
Reports and Surveys.
Misc. clippings re Point Lobos.
Acknowledgment of contributions.
A. M. Allen.
Appraisal and Valuation.
Booklet - layout and photographs.
W. B. Bourn.
Constitution and bylaws.
Contribution blank and draft for contribution blank.
Henry W. de Forest.
Samuel P. Eastman.
Mrs. Elizabeth Gerberding.
D. T. MacDougal.
Adolph S. Ochs.
F. L. Olmsted.
John D. Rockefeller.
George B. Vaughan: article on esthetic features of Point Lobos.
George B. Vaughan: Misc. articles and photographs.
H. A. Spoehr: Scientific Work Necessary for Preservation of Point Lobos.
Allyn G. Smith: Land Snails of the Point Lobos Reserve.
Olmsted Bros. : Specific Recommendations for Preservation and Utilization.
F. E. Clements: Summary of Ecological Suggestions.
Note to accompany Grinnell reports.
Corrected pages for Report and Recommendations to Park Commission.
W. K. Fisher: Marine Invertebrates.
Vertebrate Animals of Point Lobos Reserve - Summary (several copies); and correspondence re this report.
Willis L. Jepson: The Cypresses of Monterey.
Emerson Knight: Aesthetic Resources of Point Lobos Reserve; Chronicle of Comments...; Report on Motor Car Parking.
James L. Leitch: Interests and Activities...; Species of Marine Invertebrates...; Report on the Nature Walks....
Thomas H. McBride: Point Lobos (1916).
Herbert L. Mason, and L. R. Mason: Algae of Point Lobos Reserve.
Herbert L. Mason: List of plants....
E. P. Meinecke: Comments upon Olmsted, Grinnell and Linsdale, and Lee reports; Regulation of Tourist Travel....
John C. Merriam: Protection of the Primitive...; Purposes served through the Preservation of Point Lobos; Primitive Appeal of Nature.
Vernon Aubrey Neasham: Historical Background of Point Lobos Reserve.
Olmsted Report on Point Lobos State Park, 1935-1936.
Olmsted, F. L. : Memoranda as to Ecological Investigations; Types of plant communities...; Revision of Entrance, Plate III (copies).
Charles B. Wing: Report re Width of trails and administration of Whaler's Cottage.
R. A. Wilson: Personal Observation of Visitors....
Louis C. Wheeler: Lichens of Point Lobos Reserve; Plant Diseases of Point Lobos Reserve.
Waldo R. Wedel: Archeological Reconnaissance of Point Lobos State Park, Calif.
Raymond B. Waldo: Report of Nature Guide.
Willis W. Wagener: Tree Diseases... Point Lobos State Park.
A. W. Dimock: Report on 1936 Cypress Canker Control Surveys..., with comment by W. W. Wagener.
Appendix to Master Plan.
George B. Vaughan: Outline of Part II Olmsted Report; Report of Visit to Point Lobos...; Summary of Part III, Olmsted Report.
George B. Vaughn: Part II, Olmsted Report.
F. L. Olmsted: Part III (copies).
Weather records of Point Lobos.
John C. Merriam, misc. letters and statements.
Correspondence re photographs.
Photographs and pictures.
Misc. reprints re Point Lobos.
Photographs (in album).
Rainfall and temperature records - Carmel.
Suggested program for raising money.
Extra copies of Grinnell-Linsdale report. | <urn:uuid:d9632f85-15a6-4479-bfc3-996765cc73ea> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt9n39p0kb/entire_text/ | 2015-03-30T06:10:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299114.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00108-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.798097 | 2,629 |
Caring for a Sick Bird / Emergency Care
Emergency treatment for the ill bird at home
The following instructions refer to emergency treatment to be given at home, prior to hospitalization. Veterinary attention should be sought as soon as possible to determine the cause of illness and treatment options.
Other Useful Links:
Identifying sick birds ... Emergency care for a sick bird ... Heavy Metal Poisoning / Caring for your Bird ... First Aid Procedures ... First Aid Kit ... Do-It-Yourself Disease Testing and DNA Sexing ... Bacterial Testing / Microbiology (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Sick birds need supportive treatment, such as warmth and fluids. You also need to watch the bird carefully because if it stops eating and drinking then forcefeeding may be necessary.
Optimal Set-up for a Sick Bird:
- First of all, the cage needs to be kept meticulously clean -- this is especially important when it houses a sick bird that cannot deal with germs as well as a healthy one might.
- UNLESS your pet is running a fever, WARMTH IS CRITICAL! Provided your pet is NOT running a fever, its environment should be kept at about 90 degrees. In cases where a pet bird does have fever, you don't want to increase the ambient (room) temperature further as it would raise your pet's temperature even more - and that alone could be lethal. A chilled bird will be fluffed up. An overheated bird will raise its wings away from its body and potentially pant.
A hospital cage would be great, as it would keep the temperature at the level you want. But most people don't have that available and an acrylic bird carrier or fish tank available at pet stores can potentially be substituted. If you use one of those, you have to monitor the temperature quite carefully. This being said, putting a sick bird into a new environment may be stressful. Maybe placing the cage into a small room that can easily be heated (small bathroom, for example) might do. Drape a heavy cover on one of the sides, but make sure that the bird doesn't "sit in the dark" -- except at night. Potential heat sources can be a heating pad underneath the cage, hot bottles or heat lamps. Of course, the heat lamps shouldn't be used at night, as your pet needs to rest. Maybe a combination of heating pad at night and a heat lamp during the day might be an option. Do whatever works best for you.
- Look out for dehydration (symptoms and protocol below).
- Make sure that all food and water dishes are within easy reach.
- Reduce stress as much as possible. This may mean minimizing handling and removing other birds from the cage. It is vital that the sick bird gets at least 12 hours of undisturbed rest per day.
- Keep any perches low to reduce injury from falling.
- Sick birds may benefit from live bird-specific probiotics that reduce the proliferation of infectious, pathogenic gut bacteria, and boost the immune system. Birds that have undergone an antibiotic treatment in particular need to replace beneficial bacteria that were destroyed during the treatment.
The Healing Power of Natural Sunlight: It is very common for birds to have a vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency that can lead to myriad health problems. Providing a sick bird with beneficial rays can lifts its mood and potentially remedy any deficiency that could have contributed to its health problems ...
The most common health problems associated with vitamin D deficiency are: weakened immune systems / susceptibility to diseases, soft bones, bent keels, splayed legs, abnormal beak development, reproductive problems (egg binding, soft-shell eggs, dying chicks) as well as seizures and, to a lesser extend, Stargazing (twisted back) ... In sick birds, the light exposure helps in remeding any immediate need for vitamin D, as well as boosting the mood of a sick bird -- another important healing factor.
- In areas where access to natural sunlight is limited (such as in the northern hemisphere during the winter months), full-spectrum lamps can be used to provide UVA and UVB rays.
- Natural food sources rich in Vitamin D
- Potentially discuss supplementation with your vet. Supplementation needs to be carefully screen ed and supervised by a vet since an excess of vitamin D (in the form of a supplement) causes kidney damage and retards growth.
Emergency Nutrition for Sick Birds / Avoid Dehydration:
Birds suffering from dehydration may have crinkly skin around theirs eyes. Another way to diagnose dehydration is to pinch their skin for a second (which is possible in chicks or birds with unfeathered areas on their bodies). Dehydrated skin will remain tented for several seconds, rather than bouncing right back.
The ill bird has low blood and energy levels that must be restored rapidly.
- Fresh, clean water should be available at all times.
- Adding a little honey to the water may encouraging drinking; however, the water needs to be changed frequently as bacteria grows easily in sweetened water
- Commercial electrolyte replacement fluids (i.e., Pedialyte) will also help prevent dehydration - the biggest risk a sick bird faces. When caring for a sick bird I replace the water with Pedialyte, which will counteract any dehydration.
To remedy dehydration use:
- commercial electrolyte fluids, such as Pedialyte; or
- mix one pint of water, one pint of Gatorade, 1 teaspoon of honey or Karo syrup, 1 level teaspoon of aluminum-free baking soda (such as "Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda"), 1 level teaspoon table salt.
- Caution: Measure with care; inaccurate measurements can cause severe diarrhea. Orange or cherry juice helps in hydrating your bird.
Force-feeding is necessary when the energy levels drop so low that the bird does not eat or drink and is in danger of dying. You may try getting fluids into the sick birds using a dropper.
Crop needling is recommended for those who are confident with the crop needle technique. This procedure is technically difficult and should not be undertaken by those who are inexperienced, as it is potentially fatal if done incorrectly.
The ill bird requires warmth (about 30-35 degrees Celsius / 86 - 95 degrees Fahrenheit). Use a thermometer to monitor the cage temperature. Especially birds with cold feet need to be in a heated environment. Options are:
- hot water bottlebar heatera heating pad set on low placed beneath (not in) the cage. Make sure to place a towel or blanket on top of the pad as a physical barrier to any metal of the cage.an incandescent light bulk can also be installed overhead to provide extra warmth (avoid white bulbs because the bright light will interfere with the patient's sleep. It's best to use a 40 to 60-watt green bulb as a source of heat.Heating Options A towel, blanket or cage cover can be used to provide additional seclusion and to keep the warmth inside the cage. Keep the cage covered three-fourth during the daytime and cover the cage completely at night.
- Do not use fan heaters or lights.
Give sterile seed and remove all other foodstuffs.
Poor quality feed has been cited as the most common cause of illness in pet birds. At the first sign of illness remove all other foodstuffs from the cage, including seed, millet sprays, grit or sand, fruit or vegetables. Grit and minerals are removed until recovery is complete because the ill bird will over-engorge on grit and become ill with an obstruction problem.
If possible give the appropriate medicines by mouth.
Finches, canaries, doves and some parrots drink enough water to ensure that they get the correct medicine dose each day, but other small birds - especially sick cockatiels or budgies may not drink enough of the medicated water to be fully effective. For this reason some medicines are best given by injection, crop needle, nostril or by dropper in the mouth.
Administering medication to less than cooperative birds.
Vet Examinations: The New Bird Exam
Find a Vet / Vet Listings: Recommended Vets
Complete Blood Count (CBC) / Avian Blood Panel / Hematology / Serology
Info on Frequently Used Drugs: Itraconazole - RxList Monographs
HEATING OPTIONS (for both Baby Birds and Convalescent Adult Birds):
I feel strongly that any bird should be provided with veterinary care. For breeders or multi-bird households it is even more crucial to act upon a sick bird, to find out the cause of the sickness and if it is something that is infectious. The responsibility we breeders carry is enormous, not only over the lives and wellbeing of the many birds that we own, but also for the babies that we sell.
Saying this, I am also aware of the RISKS associated with a vet visit. Like a breeder friend of mine said: "What better way to pick up a disease!" I totally agree with that. I feel a breeder would be better served to have a vet come to their premises rather than going out and potentially exposing their bird to a deadly disease. Unfortunately, it is very difficult nowadays to find a vet who offers this kind of service
However, there ARE ways to minimize risks of 'catching a disease' at the vet's:
1. Express your concern of your bird getting in contact with an airborne (or otherwise) disease pathogen at the veterinary office, and ask to make an appointment very early in the morning before many (if any) sick birds have been on the premises, or -- if this is not possible -- at any other time when traffic in the office is slow. Of course, if it's an emergency and the bird is very sick, we can't be all that picky about the appointment time, but still, there are measures you can take to minimize exposure to any airborne or otherwise pathogens.
2. Keep your bird in a COVERED carrier at any times other than the actual examination by the vet. (A clean, oversized towel or a blanket serves this purpose well.)
3. Stay away from any other patients and their owners -- consider them potentially contagious. Do not allow anyone to touch your bird with the exception of the health care staff for the purpose of examining your bird.
4. Once in the treatment room, place a CLEAN towel on top of the treatment table and place your bird on it. Preferably, your bird should at no time touch the surface of the treatment table. On numerous occasions I was told, "I don't have to worry about that! My vet disinfects right in front of me!" Please note that the "Spray and Wipe" method of disinfecting does NOT work since disinfectants need up to 20 minutes of actual contact to kill disease causing pathogens.
5. Observe the vet / vet's assistant to see if they wash their hands in between patients and if not, I would strongly recommend changing vets. In an ideal situation, a vet would comply with advanced infectious control measures.
A bird that was at the vet's, or any other place where there are birds of unknown health status (i.e., bird shows), should be considered potentially contagious and quarantined for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks, preferably a month up to three.
How long I quarantine my birds depends on the risk they were exposed to. If they came from a pet situation prior to coming to my place and have been of good health for many years, I may only quarantine for 2 weeks. If they come from a petstore or a suspect breeder, then I may go up to 3 months. Additionally, I perform disease testing at the vet's for really suspect birds, or for healthy looking birds perform DNA testing, which only costs $55 for three diseases (i.e., Polyoma, Beak and Feather, and Psittacosis). There are several companies listed
Species Research by Sibylle Johnson
For updates please follow BeautyOfBirds on Google+ (google.com/+Avianweb)
NEED A VET?
USA: Find Your Local Avian Veterinarian
Information contained on this website is provided as general reference only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought.
Please Note: The articles or images on this page are the sole property of the authors or photographers. Please contact them directly with respect to any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU! | <urn:uuid:c4fafebd-f4df-490c-abf7-7a75f185e43b> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.beautyofbirds.com/sickbirdcare.html | 2015-03-30T05:48:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299114.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00108-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939928 | 2,624 |
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Written on April 30, 2008 at 10:56 am, by Eric Cressey
Did you ever see a caveman wear orthotics?
And, did the cavewomen ever rock high heels?
Written on April 29, 2008 at 8:47 am, by Eric Cressey
Q: I’ve developed some issues with my right shoulder due mostly to pitching in baseball. I’ve had an MRI done recently and I’ve been working with an ART specialist as well. So here’s the email I just received from my chiropractor:
I just got your MRI results in, it shows tendonitis of the supraspinatus tendon and a small “hot spot” on the anterior/superior aspect of the glenoid labrum, which might represent a small tear. The radiologist has recommended an arthrogram, which is an MRI with contrast injected directly into the joint capsule instead of intravenously.
You have two options: We could try some more ART and more laser treatments. If your pain decreased after one treatment, than I think it would definitely help. Option two is referral to an orthopedist. He would in turn probably refer you for 4-6 weeks of physical therapy. In any event, the possibility of a major labral tear is slim as a large tear should have been visible on the MRI.
Based on the MRI results what do you recommend as far as the options he layed out for me? The ART has helped some but it is still very painful to throw hard. I have no clue what to do and I’m afraid of getting in over my head with medical bills and still having a hurt shoulder.
A: Congratulations! You have the same MRI that every pitcher I’ve ever seen has ever had!
I can pretty much tell you that your labrum is frayed regardless of whether or not you get the MRI. According to the research, the main difference between those in pain and those not in pain is internal rotation ROM.
Get the PT – and bring this list with you:
1. Scapular stability
Tell them that you want to address each of these 10 factors (in this order) in your rehab.
In particular, tell them to check internal rotation ROM, and even print this out for them, if need be: http://www.jaaos.org/cgi/content/full/14/5/265/JA0008404FIG9
Click here to purchase the most comprehensive shoulder resource available today: Optimal Shoulder Performance – From Rehabilitation to High Performance.
Written on April 26, 2008 at 8:38 am, by Eric Cressey
Q: There have been a few quadriceps pulls in MLB this year. Have you seen these before in baseball players? What gives?
A: This is why I love baseball; it’s probably one of the most at-risk sports you’ll ever see (particularly in pitchers). Here’s a little excerpt from a slide in a recent presentation I gave on training for overhead athletes:
-Very Long Competitive Season
-Unilateral Dominance/Handedness Patterns
-The best pitchers – with a few exceptions – are the tallest ones. The longer the spine, the tougher it is to stabilize.
-Short off-season + Long in-season w/daily games = tough to build/maintain strength, power, flexibility, and optimal soft tissue quality
Specific to the quad pulls, I’d add to this list that baseball guys rarely hit top speed; all of their sprint work is done in acceleration, where the quads are dominant. Factor in that they spend a lot of time sitting on airplanes/buses, and it’s no surprise that they’d get tight anteriorly. It’s why it’s so important to really hammer on hip mobility in any population that sits a lot.
The stop and go nature of the sport also dictates that strains would be common, whether they are groins, hip flexors, hamstrings, or quads (likely rectus femoris, which is a hip flexor that can get overactive, particularly alongside poor psoas function).
So, all that said, before anyone jumps to conclusions and tries to criticize some strength coach, it’s important to consider:
a) the certain amount of happenstance that occurs with any baseball player due to the nature of the game and the season
b) what that athlete does on his own in the off-season
In terms of “b,” I’ve seen some pretty bad stuff, unfortunately. For many guys, it becomes a leg extensions and curls off-season if they’re on their own – or they do nothing.
I’d like to think that our success in working with baseball guys is not just in the fact that we’ve made the programming good, but also in the fact that we’ve changed the culture a bit in our guys: they appreciate what lifting is doing for them and look forward to getting after it in the gym.
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
Written on April 24, 2008 at 7:59 am, by Eric Cressey
I have a confession to make: I’m an ex-Ironman. Sure, in late July, 2006, in Lake Placid, NY, I crossed the line following a 140.6 mile endurance event, but, following that race, mental weakness prevailed. This story shouldn’t take away from the accomplishments of those who have tried and missed, succeeded once, or succeeded many, it’s a lesson I learned from the heart of sport (not just triathlon). You see, training for any event takes many successfully repeated steps, over a long period of time; nothing of merit can be accomplished in short bursts of over-enthused effort. The mental divide between these two approaches is immeasurable.
– Jon Boyle
Is your plan structured for long-term success? LearnThe Art of The Deload
Written on April 22, 2008 at 12:43 pm, by Eric Cressey
Just came across this excellent article:
Written on April 21, 2008 at 8:51 am, by Eric Cressey
Written on April 16, 2008 at 6:50 pm, by Eric Cressey
Q: Another guy from my favorite basketball team went on the injured list with plantar fasciitis this week. What can be done to prevent this?
A: Welcome to professional basketball!
The average NBA player has very little dorsiflexion range of motion (ankle). The only way the epidemic of plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinosis, high ankle sprains, and patellofemoral pain is going to stop is if the players quite wearing 10-pound high top sneakers and taping their ankles.
Or, at the very least, lose the tape and focus on barefoot training, low-top shoes off the court, and plenty of ankle mobility work.
Just ask Shaun Livingston:
Written on April 13, 2008 at 9:33 pm, by Eric Cressey
Written on April 8, 2008 at 7:30 pm, by Eric Cressey
Warning: this is as political as I will ever get in a blog or newsletter.
Today, I read this article about Hillary Clinton advocating a partial boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by the U.S. in light of China’s “reaction to recent protests in Tibet and its lack of action in the troubling Darfur region of the Sudan.” Frankly, this gesture from Clinton made me want to puke in my mouth.
You see, I interact with Olympic hopefuls on a daily basis. These are people that sacrifice everything for the sports they love – and the opportunity to compete in the single-most prestigious sporting event the world has ever seen.
They often struggle to make ends meet financially as their hectic training schedules compete with real jobs and school.
They leave their spouses for months at a time to travel all over creation to train and compete.
Meanwhile, Bill and Hillary Clinton’s 2000-2006 tax returns report that they earned a “not-so-financially-stricken” $109 million during that time period. I have a hard time believing that the Clintons have even the slightest semblance of a clue to realize what a huge deal an Olympic appearance means to someone who is making the sacrifices to which I alluded above.
Don’t get me wrong; I am all for human rights and sincerely hope that these issues are resolved quickly and peaceably – and I know that she was just recommending a partial boycott. However, Mrs. Clinton, if you need to make a political statement, stop wearing clothes that were made in China. Don’t buy cars of Chinese origin. Or, stop ordering Chinese takeout; take up your beef with General Tso.
But, DO NOT even attempt to use a political spectacle to compromise anything for which all these athletes have devoted their lives. They deserve every bit of glory that comes to them.
Written on April 5, 2008 at 10:34 am, by Eric Cressey
This morning, my girlfriend turned on Regis and Kelly. Now, before you start giving me a hard time, I’ll make it known that a) it was her choice and b) I was checking my emails, and my computer happens to be in the neighborhood of my television.
My attention shifted from emails to the TV when I saw that they were featuring a transformation contest where a bunch of ordinary weekend warriors went to different personal trainers to get “toned” (I knew I was in for it when I heard that word).
In the minutes that followed, I heard the word “core” mentioned approximately 487 times as trainers put clients through all sorts of stuff:
1. interval jogging on a treadmill (nearly made me vomit in my mouth)
Incidentally, this third trainer was featured with some hardcore Kelly Clarkson blaring in the background. I not only got dumber (and angry) by watching this segment; I also realized that if I ever go nuts and decide to write my suicide note, you’ll hear “SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE!!!!” blaring in the background as I sob over my pen and paper.
Normally, my reaction wouldn’t have been so pronounced, but after this weekend, I was all about REAL “core stability.” You see, I got to catch up with my buddy, Jim Smith (of Diesel Crew fame), while in Pittsburgh to give a seminar. “Smitty” and Jedd Johnson gave an awesome presentation outlining their innovative and effective methods on everything from sled dragging to grip work – and most specific to the discussion at hand, they both raved about how much they love Kelly Clarkson! Plus, they’re HUGE Regis and Kelly fans.
Okay, so that last little bit wasn’t entirely accurate; I’m pretty sure that these guys would have Hatebreed or some other angry, belligerent, “my-mother-didn’t love me” music blaring in the background when they finally get their moment in the spotlight on Regis and Kelly. Anyway, they DO know a ton about non-traditional means of training “core stability.”
In addition to watching a great presentation, on the plane ride home, I finally got a chance to read through Smitty’s new e-book, Combat Core: Advanced Torso Training for Explosive Strength and Power. To say that I was impressed would be the understatement of the year.
You see, I spend a ton of money each year on seminars, books, DVDs, etc. – and if I can take away even one little thing from each of them, I’m thrilled. In many cases, it’s “same-old, same-old.” Smitty has quickly built a reputation for overdelivering, and this resource was no exception. In the 133 pages of photos and descriptions of loads of exercises you’ve surely never seen, I found:
-13 sweet modifications to exercises I’m already doing
So, to put it bluntly, I think it’s an awesome read – and well worth every penny, especially when you factor in all the bonuses he’s incorporated (including lifetime updates to keep you up to speed on his latest bits of insanity). If you’re interested in some effective, fun, innovative ways to enhance TRUE core stability, definitely check it out: | <urn:uuid:e4072529-ff4a-41e7-8bce-7e32e49c8a7f> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.ericcressey.com/2008/04 | 2015-03-30T05:55:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299114.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00108-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958179 | 2,717 |
Interview With Jontho from Ragnarok
Interview By Anders Sandvall
Here is an interview with Jontho, the drummer from the Norwegian black metal band Ragnarok, about
their new album, Blackdoor Miracle and about their plans for 2004 - a year
when they also celebrate 10 years as a band.
Where in Norway do you live? Are all of you based in the same city?
I live I Sarpsborg, just 50km from Strömstad in Sweden and just 85km from Oslo. I,
Jerv, and Ryme live here but Hoest lives in Bergen in the west of Norway 500km from
Sarpsborg. I can also inform you about that Metalion of Slayer mag lives in the same city
if that help people to understand where we live.
What has the response been from the crowd on your previous three albums?
First of all I can tell that we have released four albums and the response has been
fucking great. I can proudly say that we have never got very bad reviews on the four last
albums. Some reviews have been less good than others but in general always great reviews
and unbelievable good response from the fans.
In 2001 you signed with the Swedish metal label Regain Records. You have released
one album on that label. How was the response on that one and how is it to work with
That's right. We signed a deal with Regain Records for two albums. Compared with HNF
records it is 110% improvement when it comes to distribution and promotion on the first
album, "In Nomine Satanas." But these days I can see that Regain have become
even better than before to promote our album. I am always working hard with promotion
myself also, so together with the label we manage to do a greater job for each album.
Why did it only take 11 days to record the previous album?
That is simply because we work very well together in studio and we have rehearsed
before we enter the studio. This time we also got the chance to work with Tommy Tägtgren
in Abyss and that made us work even faster and smoother together.
On this album you - once again, have a new singer. Why has it been so hard to stick
to one vocalist through the years?
Well it is not hard to stick to a vocalist but as it happened with time he decided to
leave because of personal reasons, so we couldn't do anything about it except to respect
Why did your last singer Lord Arcamous quit the band? According to the info note it
was because he couldnt handle the pressure of being a front man. Would you please
like to tell us why he left?
The reason of why he in the first place wanted to live the band was because he met a
girl that didn't manage to respect that he was playing in a band. She was so fucking
jealous and fucked up his brain every time he went on rehearsal or on tour. The pressure
from us was then very hard... He had to choose between the band or the girl because in all
of this it was a lot of problems for us also because of their relationship problems. He
did not take the pressure on tour either and was always complaining...... Anyway, that is
How did Hoest end up in the band?
I met him at the cult festival Under The Black Sun festival in Berlin when I played
there with Tsjuder. I really liked his energy on stage when I saw him with Taake and it
just hit me that he would been perfect in Ragnarok. After the gig and still on the
festival we got together and talked, and I just asked him if it sounded interesting to try
Ragnarok. He said that he had to think about it, and when we was back in Norway I called
him up and he was interested in to give it a try. At that moment we were going to record a
cover song of Celtic Frost for a tribute to them and he found it very interesting
participate on that song as the first involvement in the band. He then came to Sarpsborg to
put on the vocals and it worked out very well and he decided to take part as a full time
member in Ragnarok.
Why have you chose to record your new album in the Abyss Studios once again?
The reason is because we were in Abyss Studios under the recording of In Nomine Satanas
and the outcome of that stay was very satisfying. We also enjoyed working with Tommy he is
the best sound engineer we have ever used. When we stay in Abyss we also live there so we
get all the time we need to really concentrate about the music and the recording. Besides
of all this, Abyss have a very good sound and especially the drum sound is something of
what makes Abyss that magnificent.
What is it that makes Tommy Tägtgren so special that youve used him as a
He is a great guy and is very easy to work together with him. He understand what we
want and are really into our music. He is a very skilled sound engineer and at this time
we have not had one single problem with him.
Are you going to record the next album in the Abyss Studio as well? Or are there any
plans of changing studios?
At this time we would go straight to Abyss without even thinking of another studio...
But anything can happen in the future...We'll see.
Do you have any favorite band that you look up to in the black metal scene?
We do not look up to any other bands but there are different bands that we do respect.
I think that you play genuine, old school black metal without any keyboard or
samplers. How come you ended up it that genre?
Well I can not say that we do play completely Old school black metal because we have
different sound compared to the earlier days and old school band as Darkthrone and so....
Musically it is Old school, at least the two last albums. On the three first albums we
used synth but much of it was more old school than to day also. It is hard these days to
explain the exact term of Old school, but we are not in the scene of new wave black metal
as Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child, Susperia, and bands like that. Or Satyricon for that
What do you think of black metal bands that use keyboards in their music, like Dimmu
Borgir for example?
I think it is up to the band it self to decide to use it or not. But it is not my cup
of tea. I like the more brutal style that Ragnarok plays, filled with pure terror and
Why has it taken you so long to follow up your previous album? Why have you chosen
to call this new record, Blackdoor Miracle? Does it mean anything special to
First of all we got a new vocalist and had to rehearse a lot before we could enter the
studio. But we recorded the album in March last year so it has taken more than a year
before the release. That was because the cover art took fucking long time and the label
used a lot of time to get the albums from the print. It had just been delayed for different
reasons the whole time. But in the future we will change that. The reason we have called
it Blackdoor Miracle is because it is a song in the album with the same name which deals
with releasing your inner demon. This is an important aspect of the Ragnarok concept and
therefore representative as an album title.
Who writes the music/lyrics in Ragnarok?
The music is always written by Rym, but on the In Nomine Satanas album, Lord Arcamous
wrote the title track. The lyrics are always written by the vocalist, but on
Blackdoor Miracle, Hoest only wrote three lyrics because lack of time before we
entered the studio. The other lyrics are written by a friend called Espen Dyngen and the
lyrics we have used is from his archive of many lyrics and poems he have done through the
last 10 years.
The cover looks very brutal. Whats the story behind that?
The cover in itself does show exactly what we mean by black metal. You can
find all the symbols of true black metal in that cover. It is also a symbol to show what
kind of music that is inside the album. The pentagram shows the satanic essence, the naked
woman and the candles symbolizes black magic, me with the gun symbolizes the unleashed
demon and total destruction of the weak, and the flames symbolize the chaos forces of
hell. All in all the cover explains the themes of the lyrics but still it is more to find
when you read and understand them.
Why are there only nine tracks on the record?
Of all the songs we had, we chose the best songs together to form a magnificent
At this time we just needed nine songs to create a great album with a decent running time
of 42 minutes.
Have you done a lot of touring through the years? Have you been out as a headliner
act or as a support act?
We have been on some tours but not as many as we wanted to. That is something we are
going to change now and we will do a lot of headline shows and also some support
tours/gigs. We have toured with bands as Dark Funeral, Marduk, Macabre, Exodus, Impaled
Nazarene in the past. Future gigs will always be added to the homepage
www.ragnarokhorde.com when they are booked. Keep your self updated there.
Have you read any reviews of the new album yet? If so what does the media think
Yes, I have read about fifteen reviews so far and they have been just fine. All of them
are of top points so I am satisfied. I know more will come and all of the reviews are
great in the way of for example 5 out of 5, 9 out of 10, and so on. The media so far loves
the new album. Check all the reviews under the media section at the homepage!!
Are you going to do any touring on the album? If so, are you going to do a world
Yes we have some offers but I will not tell with which bands we will tour with yet. Some
gigs so far as headlining is one gig in Sweden (Karlstad) the 5th of March, Belgium (the
Fronline) the 6th of March and Holland (Baroeg) the 7th of March. More will come, and
again, check the homepage regularly to keep your self updated.
How many albums do you think youre selling across the world? How big are
I am not sure, but after this album we will sell a lot more than earlier, and we are
growing stronger and bigger day by day now. It is just up to the audience to open their
minds for Ragnarok. How big is hard to say, but we are not a small band anymore and it is
always a lot of people at our gigs.
Youre celebrating ten years as a band this year. Are there any plans of doing
anything special for the fans this year?
We have some plans, but it's too early to talk about.
How does the black metal scene look right now in Norway?
It is strong as always, but I would like more of the good old feeling that many of the
bigger bands have made disappear. It is good that there are still strong bands as
Ragnarok, Tsjuder, Gorgoroth, etc left to strengthen the scene.
What do you think of the Swedish black metal scene? Do you have any favourite bands
I have always liked the Swedish scene. Good bands are Marduk, Dark Funeral, Lord Belial,
Naglfar, Setherial, Sigrblot, and Dissection
What are the plans for Ragnarok during 2004-05?
Play a lot of gigs and do one or two big tours. In 2005 a new album will be recorded
but still unsure of which label.
Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of metal-rules.com?
I want to thank the people that support us and believe in us. Check out the new album
and the homepage www.ragnarokhorde.com for updates everyday.
Thanks to Regain Records for the promo pictures of the band.
Band Website: www.ragnarokhorde.com
Label Website: www.regainrecords.com | <urn:uuid:18f6ce3a-99c9-42e8-9681-08b49e1e6c9a> | CC-MAIN-2015-14 | http://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/Ragnarok-March2004.htm | 2015-03-30T06:07:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-14/segments/1427131299114.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20150323172139-00108-ip-10-168-14-71.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971163 | 2,648 |
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By Silverback, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Staff Writer
Los Alamitos, CA - Alright, so here's the deal: we're pretty excited about this card. Stoked, you might say. There's a fantastic combination of bad blood, fresh faces, and exciting, uniquely Pro Wrestling Guerrilla-style matches, everything we can hope to have on one of our cards. But we forgot to write the intro paragraph. Whether it was the skunk that was hanging around outside of the offices, spraying every cat, dog, person, and dust mote that came within range, or the beautiful, half-Chinese girl that's super nice but intriguingly distant that we just can't get out of our heads, something has got us distracted. So just imagine that this space was used for recapping the events of DDT4, where Super Smash Bros. defied the odds and came away with three hard fought victories to win the tournament. Or about "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen, making the first defense of his current Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship Title in an open challenge against Sami Callihan.
Actually, that's not too bad. Take that, you raven-haired temptress!
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Death To All But Metal takes place on Friday, May 25, 2012 at American Legion Post #308 (7338 Canby Ave., Reseda, CA 91335) in Reseda, CA, and is scheduled to feature:
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship Title Match
"Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen (Champion) vs. Brian Cage (Challenger)
-- Immediately after the conclusion of DDT4, "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen returned to the locker room and demanded to know "Who's next?!" While most of those seated in the locker room were puzzled by Steen's Goldbergian query (Kevin is, after all, a huge Therock Lesnar fan), one man immediately put himself forward as the next challenger for the World Championship: Brian Cage. Still smarting after being bounced from the DDT4 tournament in the first round, Cage was looking a chance to prove that he belongs in the upper echelon of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and the opportunity presented itself in the form of a battered and bruised champion still looking for a fight. Steen retorted with a verbal assault aimed at Cage's manhood, to which Cage responded with a shove and a less-than-polite offer to "go right now," but the two men were restrained and separated before the confrontation could escalate further. They then agreed to face one another on May 25th at Death To All But Metal while being escorted to opposite ends of the locker room.
The following Monday, the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Board of Directors, keen to seem like a powerful matchmaking group, sent a very stern memo to both World Champion Kevin Steen and would-be challenger Brian Cage about the importance of respecting the decisions of the Championship Committee. Cage was first to respond (via text message) saying "Bro? Bro. BRO." Steen was heard from moments later (via email) with a very terse seven letter response ending with "you." The blatant insubordination by both men infuriated the Board of Directors, who handed out 30-day suspensions to both Steen and Cage. The Board then began work on determining the next challenger for "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen's World Championship, after he serves his suspension, of course.
In a highly innovative and unexpected move, the Board of Directors announced that "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen would be defending the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship against Brian Cage on May 25th at Death To All But Metal, for reasons the Board has yet to disclose. This could have something to do with the fact that the 30-day suspension barring both Steen and Cage from competing on Pro Wrestling Guerrilla events actually ends just prior to May 25th, or that the Board is (allegedly) physically intimidated by both Mr. Cage and Mr. Steen. Whatever the reason, all hail the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Board of Directors, the smartest governing body in all the land, and the people that sign our checks!
No Disqualification Tag Team Match
Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Stupefied) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
-- For the first time in three years The Young Bucks, were not in the DDT4 finals. This was a startling realization for Matt and Nick Jackson, who went from being the team most closely associate with DDT4 success to first round losers in a matter of seconds. How did this happen? Is this how all of the teams that The Young Bucks vanquished in previous tournaments felt? What a terrible feeling! This feeling made the Jackson brothers sad at first, but very quickly that sadness turned to anger. Intense, burning anger. Rage. Who is responsible for making The Young Bucks feel this way? Certainly not The Young Bucks!
No, the answer to that question, to Matt and Nick Jackson at least, was in the ring celebrating their victory in perhaps the most competitive DDT4 to date, the Super Smash Brothers. Player Uno and Stupefied began their day with only a single victory in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, but would go to sleep knowing they defeated three of the toughest opponents imaginable, all in one night. At least, they would think that until the ultimate sore losers, The Young Bucks hit the ring to disrupt the celebration and attack all four competitors in the DDT4 final round match. After three grueling matches, the Super Smash Brothers, and their opponents 2 Husky Black Guys (El Generico & Willie Mack) were far too exhausted to mount any sort of sustained defense, and the assault only ended because World Champion Kevin Steen ran from the commentary position to confront The Young Bucks.
When The Young Bucks took a moment to explain themselves, their refusal to take responsibility for their tournament loss became even more apparent. According to the Bucks, DDT4 was supposed to be about them, by virtue of their past accomplishments. How dare another team come along to not only eliminate The Young Bucks, but go on to win the tournament. That's not how things are supposed to work, and Matt and Nick Jackson are prepared to rectify that.
With Super Dragon out of action until after May 25th and their Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Championship title shot postponed, the Super Smash Brothers have opted to give The Young Bucks a chance to back up all of their talk. But if The Young Bucks are going to attack from behind, bend the rules, and act like all-around jerks, why shouldn't Player Uno and Stupefied have the option to do so as well? That's why on May 25th at Death To All But Metal, the Super Smash Brothers and The Young Bucks will meet in a no disqualification rematch!
El Generico vs. Ricochet
-- When El Generico and Ricochet met for the first time in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla at The Curse of Guerrilla Island in October, 2010, fans saw something they were not at all prepared for: a frustrated El Generico that considered breaking the rules to score a victory. While he's never been thought of as one of the more articulate professional wrestlers, El Generico's unspoken moral code is obvious to anyone that has seen him compete over the years. But when he found himself standing across the ring from a man that is a few years younger, a step faster, and can jump a few inches higher, Generico thought about resorting to drastic measures. Whether it was due to second-guessing himself, or Ricochet's innate aptitude for professional wrestling, El Generico lost that day, not just in the literal sense, but in the eyes of the fans, as well.
The realization that he disappointed his fans as well as himself caused El Generico to do some serious soul searching, and ultimately lead to an alliance, though not quite friendship, between himself and Ricochet. That alliance was put to the test just over a year ago when the pair began teaming together to do battle with some of the very best tag teams from around the world. Despite their natural abilities, the team of El Generico and Ricochet suffered three consecutive losses, leading to the dissolution of their team and alliance.
With the bad blood between the two men having built for months, El Generico and Ricochet will have their long-awaited rematch at Death To All But Metal on Friday, May 25th. While both men have obviously aged since their first meeting, El Generico rekindled his rivalry with "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen, a rivalry that took years off of his career, not to mention his life. Will the competitive gap between Ricochet and El Generico have widened further in the intervening years, or will Generico have no compunctions about using every available advantage, whether legal or otherwise, in order to defeat the younger man?
"Unbreakable" Michael Elgin vs. Willie Mack
-- While the fans can be quite vociferous when it comes to new talent they'd like to see in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, it's worth noting when both the fans and the locker room are asking to see the same guy. And as we've seen in the case of Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly), when you have former World Champion Davey Richards demanding that you be given an opportunity to compete, chances are that the Board of Directors will listen. Such is the case with Toronto, Ontario, Canada's "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin, who will make his Pro Wrestling Guerrilla debut on Friday, May 25th at Death To All But Metal. Nicknamed "Unbreakable" not just because of his physical durability but his seemingly unflappable drive and determination, Elgin comes to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with not only high expectation, but an incredibly difficult opponent right off the bat.
When talking about young and tough (both mentally and physically) competitors, no list is complete without Willie Mack's name on it. Much like Michael Elgin, Willie Mack has experienced a meteoric rise in recent years, calmly facing (and defeating) some of the top names in professional wrestling today. After their match at Steen Wolf in October, 2011, Davey Richards sang the praises of Willie Mack, and advised the professional wrestling world to watch their backs, because this guy is gunning for the number one spot. This opinion became fact when last month at DDT4, Willie Mack, alongside El Generico, was a heartbeat away from winning the tournament. Now that he is so close to the apex of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Willie Mack will fight tooth and nail to make his way onto the top, something Michael Elgin will be forced to confront head on at Death To All But Metal!
Six-Person Tag Team Match
Candice LeRae & RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma) vs. "Pretty" Peter Avalon, Ray Rosas, & Joey Ryan
TJ Perkins vs. Ryan Taylor
B-Boy vs. Famous B
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Death To All But Metal takes place on Friday, May 25, 2012, at 8:00 PM at American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, CA. American Legion Post #308 is located at 7338 Canby Ave., Reseda, CA 91335. Front Row tickets are $30, and General Admission tickets are $25. Online tickets orders are subject to the PayPal Service Charge (2.9% + $0.30). Tickets purchased in advance allow for priority admittance to the venue, along with guaranteed event seating. Online tickets sales for this event will end on May 21, 2012, at 11:59PM. Any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Tickets are not refundable.
Absolutely no outside alcoholic beverages are allowed on American Legion property. | <urn:uuid:ea0d2262-4b56-4156-873f-39e48e5bce77> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=43761&f=1 | 2016-07-25T08:07:30Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257824217.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071024-00152-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95797 | 2,450 |
Members of the Sloan Jury at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, chosen by the Sundance Institute and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, also participated in the Science in Film Forum Panel at the Festival. The members of the 2013 Sloan Jury were: Paula Apsell (Senior Executive Producer, Nova and Nova ScienceNow, Director, WGBH Science Unit), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, The Fountain, Pi), Scott Burns (writer, Contagion, Pu-239, The Informant and producer, An Inconvenient Truth), Dr. André Fenton (Professor of Neural Science at the Center for Neural Science at New York University), Dr. Lisa Randall (Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science, Harvard University, author of Knocking on Heaven’s Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World).
2013 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Alfred P. Sloan Science in Film initiative, a collaboration between Sundance Institute and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support the development and presentation of film projects that explore science and technology ideas, or depict scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in engaging new ways. Activities include the Science in Film Forum, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Sloan Commissioning Grant, and the Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “Scientists, engineers, mathematicians are – like filmmakers – some of the most imaginative and adventurous thinkers of our time, and the Alfred P. Sloan Science in Film initiative has fostered awareness of and engagement with these fascinating themes in independent film for the last 10 years.”
"We are thrilled to celebrate our tenth anniversary with Sundance, which has been such a great partner in our nationwide effort to encourage filmmakers to engage with science and technology themes and characters,” said Doron Weber, Vice President, Programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “Anyone who looks at the incredible list of winning films, from Shane Carruth's Primer and Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man to Jake Scheirer’sRobot and Frank and Musa Syeed's Valley of Saints—or at the amazing screenplays that have been developed through the Sloan Fellowship at Sundance Institute Labs and the Sloan Commissioning Grant—will see that science and technology can reveal the human condition in ways previously unseen and undreamt of."
For more information about the Science in Film initiative, along with updated content, a complete list of supported filmmakers, trailers for completed films, and an interview with Jake Schreier (director, Robot and Frank, 2012 Sloan Prize Winner), visit www.sundance.org/science-in-film.
Feature Film Prize Jury
The Sloan Jury determines the recipient of the Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Sundance Film Festival which is presented to an outstanding Festival feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character. The Prize includes a $20,000 cash award by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Previous Alfred P. Sloan Prize Winners include: Jake Schreier and Christopher Ford, Robot & Frank, and Musa Syeed, Valley of Saints (2012); Mike Cahill and Brit Marling, Another Earth (2011); Diane Bell, Obselidia(2010); Max Mayer, Adam (2009); Alex Rivera, Sleep Dealer (2008); Shi-Zheng Chen, Dark Matter (2007); Andrucha Waddington, The House of Sand (2006); Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man (2005), Shane Carruth, Primer(2004) and Marc Decena, Dopamine (2003). Several past winners have also been awarded Jury Awards at the Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize for Primer, the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for Sleep Dealer and the Excellence in Cinematography Award for Obselidia.
Science in Film Forum Panel
The Science in Film Forum Panel takes place at Sundance Film Festival on January 22 at 2:30 p.m. MT at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. Sloan Jurors Aronofsky, Burns, Dr. Fenton and Dr. Randall will engage in conversation with moderator Paula Apsell.
Juror and Panelist Bios
As Director of the WGBH Science Unit and Senior Executive Producer of the PBS science series NOVA, Paula Apsell has overseen the production of hundreds of acclaimed science documentaries, including such distinguished miniseries as The Fabric of the Cosmos with Brian Greene, Origins with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Making Stuff with David Pogue and the magazine spin-off NOVA scienceNOW. NOVA is the nation’s most watched science series, a top site on pbs.org, and recipient of every major broadcasting honor, including the Emmy®, the Peabody®, and the duPont-Columbia Gold Baton. Paula has won numerous individual awards and has served on many boards including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. She was recently journalist in residence at UC Santa Barbara’s Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Academy Award® Nominated Director Darren Aronofsky was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His most recent film, Black Swan, won Natalie Portman the Academy Award® for Best Actress and received four other nominations, including Best Picture. The film received scores of other accolades, appeared on over 200 critical Top Ten lists, and swept the 2011 Independent Spirit Award with wins for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Cinematography. Prior to Black Swan, Darren directed The Wrestler. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it won the esteemed Golden Lion making it only the third American film in history to win this grand prize. He also directed The Fountain, starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, and Requiem for a Dream, which was named to over 150 Top Ten lists. Darren’s first feature, π, won the Director’s Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. He is currently at work on Noah, based on the biblical story of Noah’s ark. Among his honors, the American Film Institute gave Darren the prestigious Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal, the Stockholm Film Festival presented him the Golden Horse Visionary Award, and he has won three Independent Spirit Awards.
Scott Z. Burns
Scott Burns is screenwriter, director and producer. He wrote the original screenplay for Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Matt Damon, penned the screen adaptation of Soderbergh's The Informant! and co-wrote the Academy Award® winning Bourne Ultimatum, directed by Paul Greengrass. He was a producer on An Inconvenient Truth, the Academy Award® winning documentary, for which he received the Humanitas Prize and the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild of America. Scott recently completed production on Side Effects, a psychological thriller, slated for release in early 2013. It stars Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta Jones and Channing Tatum and is again directed by Steven Soderbergh with Scott writing and producing along with Greg Jacobs and Lorenzo Di Bonaventura. Currently, Scott is writing The Library, a stage play based on the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School with Steven Soderbergh directing and Kennedy/Marshall producing. The play is under development at the Public Theater in New York City. Scott began his career in advertising and was part of the creative team responsible for the original "Got Milk?" campaign. His advertising work has been recognized by the Clio Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival.
Dr. André Fenton
Dr. André Fenton, is a neuroscientist, biomedical engineer and entrepreneur working on three related problems: how brains store information in memory; how brains coordinate knowledge to selectively activate relevant information and suppress irrelevant information; and how to record electrical activity from brain cells in freely-moving subjects. André and colleagues identified PKMzeta as the first memory storage molecule, a discovery identified by Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s journal, as one of the ten most important breakthroughs in all the science reported in 2006. Recordings of electrical brain activity in André’s lab are elucidating the physiology of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. It was recently discovered that preemptive cognitive training during adolescence changes the brain sufficiently to prevent the adult brain dysfunction and cognitive impairments that arises from brain damage during early life in a schizophrenia-related animal model. André is a Professor of Neural Science at New York University’s Center for Neural Science. He founded Bio-Signal Group Corp., which is developing an inexpensive, miniature wireless EEG system for functional brain monitoring of patients in emergency medicine applications and other clinical scenarios.
Dr. Lisa Randall
Dr. Lisa Randall studies theoretical particle physics and cosmology at Harvard University where she is Frank J. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science. Her research connects theoretical insights addressing puzzles in our current understanding of the properties of matter, the universe, and space. Dr. Randall is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is the recipient of many awards and honorary degrees. Professor Randall was included in Time Magazine's “100 Most Influential People” of 2007, was among Esquire Magazine's “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century," and was one of 40 people featured in “The Rolling Stone 40th Anniversary issue" in 2008. Dr. Randall's two books, Warped Passages (2005) and Knocking on Heaven’s Door (2011) were featured on the lists of New York Times 100 Most Influential Books. Her ebook, Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space, was published last summer.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Founded in 1934, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a non-profit philanthropy that makes grants in science, technology and economic performance. This Sloan-Sundance partnership forms part of a broader national program by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to stimulate leading artists in film, television, and theater; to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology; and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in the popular imagination. Over the past decade, the Foundation has partnered with some of the top film schools in the country – including AFI, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, NYU, UCLA, and USC – and established annual awards in screenwriting and film production and an annual first-feature award for alumni. The Foundation has also started an annual Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival and initiated new screenwriting and film production workshops at the Hamptons and Tribeca Film Festival and with Film Independent. As more finished films emerge from this developmental pipeline—four features were completed this year, with half a dozen more on deck—the foundation has also partnered with the Coolidge Corner Theater and the Arthouse Convergence to screen science films in up to 40 theaters nationwide. The Foundation also has an active theater program and commissions over a dozen science plays each year from the Ensemble Studio Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club and Playwright Horizons.
The Sundance Film Festival®
A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2013 Sundance Film Festival® sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire PreferredSM; Leadership Sponsors – DIRECTV, Entertainment Weekly, FOCUS FORWARD, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – Adobe, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., CÎROC Ultra Premium Vodka, FilterForGood®, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene®, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Intel Corporation, L'Oréal Paris, Recycled Paper Greetings, Stella Artois® and Time Warner Inc. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute's year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival.
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global, nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to nurturing artistic expression in film and theater, and to supporting intercultural dialogue between artists and audiences. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to unite, inform and inspire, regardless of geo-political, social, religious or cultural differences. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival and its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. | <urn:uuid:b66d6d0e-ce46-4e03-9c33-a7e554fe1727> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.indiewire.com/2013/02/sundance-institute-and-alfred-p-sloan-mark-10th-anniversary-of-collaboration-170021/ | 2016-07-29T06:35:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257829972.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071029-00156-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926953 | 2,836 |
Mustangs knock off No. 9
NEWELL - The Newell-Fonda football team knocked off their second consecutive ranked opponent here Friday night, trouncing No. 9 (8-Man) Remsen-Union by a 47-14 final.
Junior Rigo Johnson delivered a pair of touchdown runs for the Mustangs (3-0 overall, 1-0 in district). Johnson found paydirt from 53- and 1-yard out, respectively.
Brady Bohe also contributed a 53-yard scoring jaunt for Newell-Fonda, who compiled 329 yards of total offense, including 246 on the ground.
Defensively, the Mustangs held the Rockets (2-1, 0-1) to just 87 yards rushing. Newell-Fonda's Matt Juilfs (55 yards) and Dalton Anderson (25 yards) each returned interceptions for touchdowns.
Through three weeks of action, the Mustangs have outscored their opponents by a lopsided combined margin of 166-22.
Warriors run through Spartans
GOWRIE - The Prairie Valley football team scored a convincing 43-7 victory over West Monona to open district play Friday night.
The Warriors (2-1 overall, 1-0 in district) had 292 yards rushing, led by Nick Carlson's 104 yards and three TDs.
Mason Gordon added 92 yards on 18 carries, while Matt Streit had 44 yards and two touchdowns.
Streit also added three receptions for 48 yards.
Branden Fiala and Blake Kromrie had 11 tackles to spearhead Prairie Valley.
Lynx knock off Ballard, 28-14
WEBSTER CITY - The fifth-ranked (Class 3A) Webster City football team kept its perfect season intact with a 28-14 home victory over District 3 foe Ballard here Friday night.
Keagan Parks continued his impressive senior campaign for the Lynx (3-0 overall, 1-0 in district) by rushing for 182 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Parks found the endzone from 1-yard out in the first quarter and put the game out of reach with a 75-yard dash to paydirt late in the final frame.
Sam Mossman of the Lynx also gained 64 yards on eight attempts, while Jonny Davis pitched in 63 yards on 12 totes, including a 31-yard scoring scamper midway through the second period. Davis' other touchdown came on a 2-yard plunge early in the fourth.
Boone Myers led the Webster City defense with 6.5 tackles.
Seth Weeks ran 29 times for 90 yards for the Bombers (1-2, 0-1).
Eagle Grove thumps BCLUW
EAGLE GROVE - Eagle Grove posted a resounding 34-7 triumph over BCLUW in Class 1A, District 4 play on Friday night.
Brandon Johnson, a junior, sparked the Eagles (2-1 overall, 1-0 in district) offensively with 110 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries.
Mitch Gambrill added 86 yards and a score on 13 attempts for Eagle Grove, which produced 379 yards of total offense.
Johnson also anchored the Eagle defensive unit with an interception. The Comets (2-0, 0-1) finished with 198 yards of offense.
MNW rolls at home
MANSON - Manson Northwest Webster's Brody Eischeid opened Friday night's district contest against Hinton in perfect fashion, taking the kickoff back 93 yards as the Cougars rolled to a 33-6 victory.
Eischeid scored two more times on the night, catching 40- and 10-yard passes from Tucker Herzberg. He finished the game with eight receptions for 174 yards.
Herzberg was 12 of 16 passing for 204 yards and the two TD strikes to Eischeid, while Chris Stuhrenberg added 10 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Stuhrenberg went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for his Manson NW (2-2 overall, 1-0 in district) career, as the senior now has 1,047 yards on the ground.
CLARION - The Clarion-Goldfield football team earned a win in their district opener Friday night, downing Iowa Falls-Alden, 32-24.
Dominic Brandt led the Cowboys (2-1 overall, 1-0 in district) with 149 yards rushing and four two-point conversions.
Wyatt Sann added 94 yards on the ground, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Sann became the 29th player in Iowa high school history to return a kickoff 99 yards, tying a state record. Kickoffs that reach the endzone in high school are automatically brought out to the 20-yard line.
Jake Haberman scored three rushing touchdowns for Clarion-Goldfield.
No. 5 Titans shut out JSPC, 28-0
LAKE CITY - The fifth-ranked (Class 2A) South Central Calhoun football team claimed a convincing 28-0 victory over Jefferson-JSPC to open district play Friday night.
Jacob Simpson paced the Titans (3-0 overall, 1-0 in district) with 89 yards rushing and a touchdown, while Austin Blair had 84 yards on 14 totes and a score.
Nathan Christensen completed 5 of 10 passes for 76 yards, including a 46-yard score to Brett Monahan for the first score of the game. Monahan finished with four receptions for 56 yards.
The final score of the game came from Brett Snyder, his first of the year.
SCC's defense held the Rams (2-1, 0-1) out of the endzone, as Blair picked up eight tackles, Kirby Vogel had seven and Simpson registered six with a fumble recovery.
E-Hawks roll past Rebels
ALBERT CITY - No. 1 (Class 1A) Emmetsburg had no trouble with District 2 counterpart Sioux Central on Friday night.
The E-Hawks (3-0 overall, 1-0 in district) rolled past the Rebels (2-1, 0-1), 35-7.
Senior Brady Berkland ignited the prolific Emmetsburg ground assault with 175 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
Andrew Wellik of the E-Hawks also ran 20 times for 173 yards and a score.
Emmetsburg's other touchdowns came on a 4-yard jaunt from Jake Jackson and a Marcus Akridge 57-yard blocked punt return.
The E-Hawks outgained Sioux Central in total yardage, 462-279.
Defensively, Berkland also collected a team-high 12.5 tackles from his linebacker spot.
No. 7 Wolverines stay red-hot
WEST BEND - The seventh-ranked (8-man) West Bend-Mallard football team opened up district play with a convincing 44-14 victory over Harris-Lake Park Friday night.
Mitch Bonnstetter led the Wolverines (4-0 overall, 1-0 in district) with 191 yards rushing on 23 carries, including four touchdowns, and was a precise 7-for-11 passing for 119 yards.
Collin Thatcher added 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns for West Bend-Mallard, which limited H-LP to just 26 yards on the ground.
Logan Streit pitched in 50 yards rushing for the Wolverines.
BG's Wadle throws for 203 yards in win
ALGONA - The Bishop Garrigan footbal team rolled to a 20-6 victory over West Sioux Friday night.
Freshman Reece Wadle led the Golden Bears (2-1 overall) with 203 yards passing on 6 of 13, including a 75-yard touchdown strike to Luke Eischen. Wadle also added a team-high 89 yards rushing.
Eischen finished with two grabs for 93 yards, while Zach Keith added two catches for 103 yards.
Daniel Gelhaus led the Garrigan defense with an interception, while Alex Boisjolie had a team-high 10 tackles.
Indians lose tight contest, 13-10
POCAHONTAS - Despite a valiant effort, the Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer football team dropped a nail-biting 13-10 decision to South O'Brien in Class 1A, District 2 action here Friday night.
Cody Rahn, a senior, powered the Indians (0-3 overall, 0-1 in district) offensively with 124 yards on 28 carries.
Luke Sommerlot also churned out 95 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer, who actually outgained the Wolverines (2-2, 1-0) in total offense, 222-124.
Jeff Mefferd kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter as well for the Indians.
On the defensive side of the ball, Sommerlot (13) and Jay Brinkman (10) were the tackle leaders for the?Indians.
Sommerlot added a sack.
Laurens-Marathon blanks Spalding
LAURENS - The Laurens-Marathon football team had another strong offensive showing Friday night, but the defense made sure to match them, as the Chargers defeated Spalding, 52-0.
Justin DaSilva had 14 carries for 133 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Chargers (1-2, 1-0).
Alex Runneberg balanced out DaSilva's strong rushing game, completing 8 of 15 passes for 100 yards and two scores. He also ran in a 25-yard TD jaunt, finishing with 95 yards rushing.
Laurens-Marathon held Spalding to just 95 yards of total offense.
Algona falls to Boone
ALGONA - The Algona football team suffered a 28-8 setback against Boone Friday night.
Derek Person led the Bulldogs (0-3 overall, 0-1 in district) with 50 yards rushing and the lone score, as he also ran in the two-point conversion.
Person had a strong night passing the ball, as well, going 8-for-15 for 101 yards, including three connections with Dylan Cink for 42 yards.
Algona led 8-7 at the half before Boone reeled off 21 unanswered points. | <urn:uuid:6a4533ee-61b4-4fd1-af6c-28e0b1f2cb02> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/542222/Area-prep-football.html?nav=5253 | 2016-07-29T05:55:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257829972.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071029-00156-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95112 | 2,170 |
Scouts panned the state of Florida’s talent all year, starting with the usual fertile southern part of the state. Not only did the University of Miami have a down season, but the area’s high school talent sank to what many scouts considered an all-time low.
|THIS YEAR’S CROP|
|*****||One for the books|
|***||Solid, not spectacular|
|**||Not up to par|
|*||Nothing to see here|
|Rating compares this year’s group to what a state typically produces, not to other states|
The Florida Gators had significant roster turnover after three straight trips to the College World Series, and Florida State’s top talents are underclassmen. Florida Gulf Coast figures to have the most players drafted among the Sunshine State’s colleges, and the junior-college ranks were just solid, with few standout prospects.
The state’s prep class also failed to wow, as top talents such as Oscar Mercado hit below .300, infielder Tucker Neuhaus battled injuries, and few pitchers with projectable frames made steps forward. The state’s prep talent put on one final uninspiring display in the all-star weekend in Sebring, Fla., in the last week of May. A complicating factor in Florida’s prep ranks is the growing number of private schools that have attracted top-tier talent but are not members of the state’s high school association, which puts on the all-star game.
One wild card in the draft class is Karsten Whitson, the 2010 first-round pick of the Padres who instead went to college and pitched the prior two seasons at Florida. Whitson had shoulder surgery prior to the 2013 season and is draft-eligible but is taking a medical redshirt at Florida. He’s expected to re-enter the 2014 draft class.
|NATIONAL TOP 500 PROSPECTS|
|BA 500 Scouting Reports|
1. Jonathan Crawford, RHP/OF, Florida (National Rank: 24)
2. Oscar Mercado, SS, Gaither HS, Tampa (National Rank: 38)
3. Cord Sandberg, OF, Manatee HS, Bradenton, Fla. (National Rank: 40)
4. Chris Anderson, RHP, Jacksonville (National Rank: 45)
5. Chris Okey, C, Eustis (Fla.) HS (National Rank: 72)
6. Tucker Neuhaus, SS, Wharton HS, Tampa (National Rank: 83)
7. Tyler Danish, RHP, Durant HS, Plant City, Fla. (National Rank: 96)
8. Daniel Gibson, LHP, Florida (National Rank: 100)
9. Christian Arroyo, SS, Hernando HS, Brooksville, Fla. (National Rank: 102)
10. Zack Collins, C/1B, American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla. (National Rank: 113)
11. Brett Morales, RHP, King HS, Tampa (National Rank: 118)
12. Victor Caratini, 3B/C, Miami Dade JC (National Rank: 124)
13. Ben Lively, RHP, Central Florida (National Rank: 127)
14. J.B. Woodman, OF, Edgewater HS, Orlando (National Rank: 135)
15. Sean Brady, LHP, Baker HS, Cape Coral, Fla. (National Rank: 184)
16. Brian Navaretto, C, Arlington Country Day HS, Jacksonville (National Rank: 185)
17. Ricky Knapp, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast (National Rank: 187)
18. Ben DeLuzio, OF, The First Academy, Orlando (National Rank: 201)
19. Willie Abreu, OF, Mater Academy, Hialeah Gardens, Fla. (National Rank: 205)
20. Carlos Asuaje, INF, Nova Southeastern (Fla.) (National Rank: 208)
21. Stephen Alemais, SS, Elev8 Sports Institute, Delray Beach, Fla. (National Rank: 209)
22. Ian McKinney, LHP, Boone HS, Orlando (National Rank: 213)
23. Luis Guillorme, SS, Coral Springs (Fla.) HS (National Rank: 222)
24. Ronald Healy, C/1B, Elev8 Sports Institute, Delray Beach, Fla. (National Rank: 236)
25. Harrison Cooney, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast (National Rank: 240)
26. Bryan Baker, RHP, Choctawhatchee HS, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (National Rank: 241)
27. Brandon Bednar, 2B/SS, Florida Gulf Coast (National Rank: 262)
28. Tyler Marincov, OF, North Florida (National Rank: 270)
29. Jon Keller, RHP, Tampa (National Rank: 295)
30. Nick Longhi, OF, Venice (Fla.) HS (National Rank: 296)
31. John Sternagel, 3B, Rockledge (Fla.) HS (National Rank: 297)
32. Luis Aviles, SS, Southwest Miami HS (National Rank: 299)
33. Sean Dwyer, OF, Florida Gulf Coast (National Rank: 326)
34. Mike Adams, LHP, Tampa (National Rank: 351)
35. Stephen McGee, C, Florida State (National Rank: 392)
36. Marcus Davis, OF, Florida State (National Rank: 409)
37. Kyle Westwood, RHP, North Florida (National Rank: 412)
38. Zach Alvord, 3B, Tampa (National Rank: 429)
39. J.D. Underwood, RHP, Palm Beach State (Fla.) JC (National Rank: 438)
40. John Magliozzi, RHP, Florida (National Rank: 439)
41. Ryan Etsell, RHP, Hillsborough (Fla.) JC (National Rank: 445)
42. Mike Reeves, C, Florida Gulf Coast (National Rank: 456)
43. Blake Hennessey, SS, Arlington Country Day HS, Ponte Vedra, Fla. (National Rank: 482)
44. Dane Dunning, RHP, Clay HS, Green Cove Springs, Fla. (National Rank: 490)
|OTHER PROSPECTS OF NOTE|
45. Peter Miller, rhp, Florida State
46. Karsten Whitson, rhp, Florida
47. Nick Eicholz, rhp, Cambridge Christian HS, Odessa, Fla.
48. Garrett Nuss, rhp, Seminole State (Fla.) JC
49. Taylor Blatch, rhp, Jensen Beach (Fla.) HS
50. Daniel Sweet, of, Polk State (Fla.) JC
51. Adrian Chacon, 3b/c, Jesuit HS, Tampa
52. Pete Alonso, 1b/3b, Plant HS, Tampa
53. Josh Greene, of, Forest HS, Ocala, Fla.
54. Corey Bass, c, North Florida
55. Nick Gonzalez, lhp, South Florida
56. Ian Hagenmiller, 3b, Palm Beach Central HS, West Palm Beach, Fla.
57. Michael Danner, of, Tampa
58. Cody Crouse, rhp, Bloomingdale HS, Valrico, Fla.
59. Scott Moss, lhp, Deland (Fla.) HS
60. Tyler Alexander, lhp, Florida International
61. C.J. Chatham, ss, American Heritage HS, Fort Lauderdale
62. Iramis Olivecia, of, Arlington Country Day HS, Jacksonville
63. Trey Norris, rhp, Polk State (Fla.) JC
64. Nestor Cortes, lhp, Hialeah (Fla.) HS
65. Darryl Knight, c, Seminole State (Fla.) JC
66. Matthew Railey, of, North Florida Christian HS, Tallahassee, Fla.
67. James Ramsay, of, South Florida
68. Shane Crouse, rhp, Chipola (Fla.) JC
69. Shaun Anderson, rhp, American Heritage HS, Coral Springs, Fla.
70. Taylor Cockrell, rhp, Lake Wales (Fla.) HS
71. R.J. Brown, lhp, Florida Gulf Coast
72. Brett Clements, c, Nova Southeastern
73. Mike Sylvestri, rhp, Florida Atlantic
74. Jhalin Jackson, of, Hillsborough (Fla.) JC
75. Nathan Pittman, of, Florida Atlantic
76. Alex McGathey, rhp, Seminole HS, Treasure Island, Fla.
77. Dale Carey, of, Miami
78. Clay Simmons, ss, South Sumter HS, Bushnell, Fla.
79. Spencer Davis, rhp, Central Florida
80. Bryan Radziewski, lhp, Miami
81. Brandon Bixler, lhp, Florida Gulf Coast
82. Cody Stiles, rhp, Nova Southeastern
83. Eugene Vasquez, of/1b, Timber Creek HS, Orlando
84. Michael Mann, c, Seminole HS, Treasure Island, Fla.
85. Tyler Sanchez, c, Hillsborough (Fla.) JC
86. John Kilichowski, lhp/1b, Jesuit HS, Tampa
87. James Rasmussen, of, Stetson
88. Ricky Claudio, rhp/of, St. Thomas (Fla.)
89. Tyler Moore, rhp, North Florida
90. Chantz Mack, of, Miami
91. Chris Newcomb, of, St. Leo (Fla.)
92. Mario Amaral, c/1b, Miami-Dade JC
93. Vikash Ramjit, 1b/of, Florida
94. Kyle Zech, 2b/of, Stetson
95. Danny Patrick, rhp, Florida Gulf Coast | <urn:uuid:47c52530-ea76-41cf-af40-f55bfd8058a6> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/2013-state-draft-report-florida/ | 2016-07-31T03:37:06Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469258948913.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723072908-00308-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.720761 | 2,108 |
Get WRITE down to it!
Attend the Shocking Real Life Fall Writers Retreat Weekend to Jump Start Your Book!
September 24–25, 2016
Reserve Your Spot Now!
This is not your average writer’s retreat! This writing seminar is a lively, active, results-oriented symposium of creative and accomplished authors, attendees and answers to the questions that have been dogging you for years regarding how to go about getting a book deal. At the end of this book-writing retreat you will have a surmountable format for mapping out your book, the components you need to pitch a literary agent, including the agent contact information and the sample pages you need to send the agent. So, with that said, what’s stopping you?
Click the button below to enroll in The Shocking Real Life Writers Retreat with Hollis Gillespie on Sept. 24–25, 2016 (Or to register by phone, call 678-661-7080)
Price: $374* 100% Safe and Secure – We are PayPal verified. (SRL Alumni, enter the coupon code WRITEATLANTA to receive your $40 discount!) Click now and you’ll get an immediate email confirming your seat. Instant confirmation only available online. *Includes snacks, beverages and inappropriate conversation. (See the end of this post for Atlanta class location.)
Coming from out of town? Click here to see the lovely hotels and Bed & Breakfasts very near the SRL Learning Center!
Okay, you have a fantastic idea for a book — but do you know how to begin, finish, and sell it? Or let’s say you’ve already finished a manuscript, but now you’re at an impasse trying to get the attention of agents and publishers.Whether you’re at the idea stage or in the home stretch, this weekend will show you how to navigate the competitive world of book publishing and get your project sold.
Fact: People who enroll in this workshop become bestsellers!
Christal Presley, author of 30 Days with my Father, became a best-seller after taking this workshop. She’s been featured on NPR, Atlanta Journal Constitution and others news outlets. Click here to see her on Fox News.
“[Hollis Gillespie’s] writing class is where my life was TOTALLY and COMPLETELY changed forever!”
Lisa Baron, author of Life of the Party; a Political Press Tart Tells All, became an Amazon best-seller after taking this class. Recently she sold her film rights to NBC! Click here to see her feature in Atlantamagazine.
“I had two things working for me that I believe made the difference: determination and Hollis Gillespie’s kick-ass work shop! The workshop gave me the confidence I needed to continue following my dream of becoming a published author. She was key to helping me fine tune my proposal and her personal involvement in my journey has been invaluable.” Lisa Baron
“I wanted to THANK YOU, Hollis, for your workshop. It played a crucial role in being able to complete and submit a successful book proposal.”Rachael Brownell
(Check out the clip below to see what past participants have to say!)
Reserve Your Spot Now!
Click the button below to enroll in The Shocking Real Life Atlanta Writers Writers Conference with Hollis Gillespie on Sept. 24–25, 2016 (Or to register by phone, call 678-661-7080)
Click now and you’ll get an immediate email confirming your seat. Instant confirmation only available online. *Includes snacks, beverages and inappropriate conversation. (See the end of this post for Atlanta class location.)
(SRL Alumni, enter the coupon code WRITEATLANTA to receive your $40 discount!)
GIFT this class to someone you love! Enrollees will receive a gorgeous gift certificate attached to your confirmation email (if I do say so my own damn self). Printable, and ready to put under a bow! WOW, how great will THAT look ?
Whether you’re at the idea stage or in the home stretch, this weekend will show you how to navigate the competitive world of book publishing and get your project sold.
- In this workshop, you’ll learn:
- The marketability of your idea, and how to make it more so
- How to pitch an agent for representation and write the perfect query
- What publishers and agents are really looking for and what they hate
- How to avoid the most common rookie mistakes
- Which pages to send to a literary agent as a sample of your work (hint: It’s rarely the very first pages)
- How publishing houses and literary agencies benefit the author
- How to decipher the miasma of advances, royalties, subsidiary rights, foreign rights, and dramatic rights
Hollis Gillespie and a collective of other successful authors will share their secrets to unclogging your creative arteries so you can tell the world what you’ve been telling your friends all this time; that your book idea is a slam dunk, and now it’s time to cash it in. She and the other co-hosts will offer their candid critiques, suggestions for selling your work, and answer all your questions about breaking into book publishing.
Here’s some more things you will learn:
- How to pick an eye-grabbing title.
- Which genre best suits your idea (Memoir? Novel? Self-help? Humor?)
- When it’s permissible to embroider, improvise, and reorder real-life events.
- Exactly how to format your pitch letter.
- Exactly which agent to pitch (including contact info).
- How and when to contact agents.
- The difference between an illuminating essay and a journal entry.
And that’s not all, classes come with complimentary booze and finger food, as well as inappropriate conversation and other basic essentials for unleashing creativity and unlocking buried memories. Classes fill up quickly, so sign-up now!
Coming from out of town? Check out the Highland Inn, a charming, inexpensive boutique hotel within walking distance of the SRL Learning Center. It’s in the center of the artsy Virginia Highlands neighborhood, near popular restaurants, artisan gift shops, coffee houses and bars.
The Shocking Real Life Writers Conference Itinerary:
11:00 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Morning One-Hour Workshop hosted by Hollis Gillespie or a renowned guest speaker. Learn the slew of rookie mistakes that keep your manuscript from the eyes of a literary agent, and the surprisingly simple insider tricks that put your pitch ahead of all the others.
- Continental Breakfast — coffee, tea, hot cocoa, etc. (doughnuts will definitely make a showing).
- Introductory discussion with Hollis Gillespie, topics to include finding an agent and publisher for your manuscript, determining the genre of your book, breaking down doors and ass-kicking writing techniques.
- Lunch is served with complimentary mimosas and inappropriate conversation (useful for dislodging buried creativity). Menu to include items like 5-cheese flatbread, mushroom-and-spinach flatbread, deli spirals, fresh fruit and POT LUCK!. Coffee, tea and snacks will also be available throughout the day during workshops.
- Initial individual assessment of attendees’ manuscripts and ideas for manuscripts. Here is your chance to work on the preliminary format, working title and points of an elevator pitch for your manuscript or manuscript idea. Anytime you pitch to an agent, you need to sum up your book in one sentence. It’s harder than it sounds, and believe it or not it often falls to this precise sentence to make or break an agent’s decision to take you on as a client.
- Writing exercises. Material assessment. Homework distribution. (Yep. Homework, though we don’t make you sit in a corner if you don’t turn it in the next day.) (It’s fun homework, though, so you will want to do it.)
11:00 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Continental breakfast.
- Format your book, pitch an agent, learn to avoid rookie mistakes AS WELL AS learn the secrets that will put you ahead of 80 percent of the competition — it’s Hollis Gillespie’s sure-fire formula that has helped DOZENS of people get agent representation and/or book deals.
- Material assessment. Choosing the pages to present to the agent. (Hint: It’s almost never the very first pages.) How to treat, clean, edit and prepare your pages for presentation to an editor. Writing exercises.
- Lunch with complimentary mimosas and inappropriate conversation (marvelous for unblocking buried creativity)
- Afternoon workshop: The Con Game: Keeping Confidence That Your Work Will Work, hosted by Pulitzer Prize nominee Charles McNair, whose first novel, Land O’Goshen (St. Martin’s Press) received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for fiction and critical acclaim from the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post, and other venerated publications. This workshop is a personal approach to helping writers who haven’t broken through to keep believing they will. Charles will discuss the little ways you can build and nourish confidence along the way, until the novel is ready to be born, or the big work. “This is a topic that really deeply matters to me, since I struggled 10 years before a first book was ready,” says Charles. His novel, Land O’ Goshen (St. Martin’s Press, 1994) received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for fiction and was critically acclaimed by The New York Times and Washington Post.
- Each attendee will be assigned the contact info of a literary agent who is in the market for their type of material, and by the end of the weekend they will have a pitch letter formulated to attract that agent, a workable format for their manuscript plus 10 sample pages to include with their agent pitch.
- Your goal, by the end of this book-writers boot camp, is to have completed a professionally written query package to pitch your book, which includes a surmountable and creative format for your manuscript or book idea, a researched, completed pitch letter to a literary agent, and 10 professionally edited and treated sample pages to include with your query. Just give us this one weekend! Your life will change. | <urn:uuid:84a424d3-5e43-4b01-8a2b-2fd98a3ab25a> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.shockingreallife.com/writers-retreat-georgia/?type=day&date=2012-06-20 | 2016-07-23T15:00:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257823072.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071023-00019-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922575 | 2,201 |
132 F3d 40 United States America v. Erevia-Suarez
132 F.3d 40
UNITED STATES of AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee,
Alberto EREVIA-SUAREZ, Defendant-Appellant.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
Argued and Submitted Nov. 4, 1997.
Decided Dec. 9, 1997.
NOTICE: Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3 provides that dispositions other than opinions or orders designated for publication are not precedential and should not be cited except when relevant under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, D.C. No. CR-95-01927-RMB; Rudi M. Brewster, District Judge, Presiding.
Before BROWNING, BRUNETTI, and FERNANDEZ, Circuit Judges.
Appellant Alberto Erevia-Suarez appeals from his jury conviction and sentence of 97-months imprisonment on one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846, and one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. We affirm both the conviction and sentence.
Appellant first argues that his conviction must be vacated because the district court improperly admitted at a suppression hearing a report written by a border patrol agent who died prior to the hearing. We review a district court's decision to admit or exclude evidence for abuse of discretion. United States v. Hernandez, 109 F.3d 1450, 1452 (9th Cir.1997).
Appellant was stopped by Border Patrol Agent Valencia at a checkpoint along a California highway. At the time, appellant was driving a car which was being followed by three pickup trucks, which were also stopped. Upon searching the vehicles, agents found large quantities of marijuana hidden in the three pickup trucks. All four drivers were arrested.
In the district court, appellant filed a motion to suppress the fruits of the warrantless vehicle searches. After a hearing, the district court denied appellant's motion. Appellant now contends that Agent Valencia's report should have been excluded from the suppression hearing as inadmissible hearsay. We easily reject this argument because both the U.S. Supreme Court and this circuit hold that a trial judge is not bound by the hearsay rule in making preliminary determinations during suppression hearings. United States v. Matlock, 415 U.S. 164, 172-73 (1974); United States v. Whitten, 706 F.2d 1000, 1019 (9th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1100 (1984).
Next, appellant argues that his Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause rights were violated by the admission of Agent Valencia's report. The district court made the finding that the detailed arrest report was sufficiently trustworthy and highly probative, despite the lack of an opportunity to cross-examine Agent Valencia. Because we find that the district court did not abuse its discretion in making this determination, we reject this argument as well. See Idaho v. Wright, 497 U.S. 805, 816-17 (1990); United States v. George, 960 F.2d 97, 99 (9th Cir.1992).
Finally, appellant claims that the admission of Agent Valencia's unsworn report violated Southern District of California Local Rule 73.6(i)(2), which requires the filing of declarations with respect to motions involving factual disputes. However, a district court has the inherent power to excuse a party's failure to comply with local rules. See Allen v. United States Fidelity & Guar. Co., 342 F.2d 951, 954 (9th Cir.1965). Here, the deceased agent obviously could not provide a sworn declaration regarding the events surrounding appellant's arrest. Therefore, we find that the district court did not abuse its discretion by excusing the government's violation of the local rules.
Appellant next argues that we must vacate his conviction because certain of Agent Valencia's hearsay statements were improperly admitted at trial. A district court's evidentiary rulings during trial are reviewed for abuse of discretion. Old Chief v. United States, 117 S.Ct. 644, 647 n. 1 (1997); United States v. Gallagher, 99 F.3d 329, 331 (9th Cir.1996), cert. denied, 117 S.Ct. 1274 (1997). "Evidentiary rulings will be reversed for abuse of discretion only if such nonconstitutional error more likely than not affected the verdict." United States v. Workinger, 90 F.3d 1409, 1412 (9th Cir.1996).
Appellant first raises the issue of Agent LaGasse's testimony that he received a radio call from Agent Valencia regarding the narcotics found in the trucks. The testimony regarding Agent Valencia's statement was properly admitted solely for the purpose of its effect on the listener, Agent LaGasse. The jury was instructed as such.
The other statements at issue now are the hearsay statements of Agent Valencia contained in Agent LaGasse's report. The district court properly permitted Agent LaGasse to read portions of his report to the jury after he was cross-examined by the defense about the contents of that report. See Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(1)(B); see also United States v. Payne, 944 F.2d 1458, 1471 (9th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 975 (1992); United States v. Miller, 874 F.2d 1255, 1274 (9th Cir.1989). While Agent Valencia's statements contained within Agent LaGasse's report may have been inadmissible hearsay, none of those statements provided evidence regarding a contested issue at trial, as appellant himself admitted to agents that he had been leading the pickup trucks and that he knew they contained marijuana. Therefore, even if the admission of Agent Valencia's statements was erroneous, any such error did not likely affect the verdict. We thus affirm appellant's conviction.
At sentencing, the district court imposed a three-level upward adjustment based on appellant's role as a manager or supervisor of the criminal activity. See U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(b). Appellant argues that the evidence was insufficient to support such an adjustment. We review the district court's findings regarding role in the offense for clear error. United States v. Ponce, 51 F.3d 820, 826 (9th Cir.1995).
The district court did not clearly err when it adopted the Probation Department's finding that appellant led his codefendants and oversaw their activities. The evidence at trial indicated that appellant was driving the lead vehicle, that he knew that there was marijuana in the pickup trucks, and that he coordinated the activities through the use of pagers. In addition, appellant had the trucks serviced in preparation for the criminal activity. There was sufficient evidence to support the district court's imposition of a three-level upward adjustment based on appellant's aggravated role in the offense. See United States v. Mares-Molina, 913 F.2d 770, 773-74 (9th Cir.1990).
Appellant further argues that the district judge violated former Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(c)(3)(D) (now Rule 32(c)(1)) by failing to make findings regarding contested factual issues in the Presentence Report ("PSR"). The district judge complied with the substantive requirements of Rule 32(c)(3)(D) when he expressly adopted the analysis of the Probation Department at the sentencing hearing. See United States v. McClain, 30 F.3d 1172, 1174 (9th Cir.1994), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 1030. Nonetheless, appellant asserts that the district judge technically violated Rule 32 by failing to append his findings to the PSR. Appellant, however, provides no proof beyond the argument that the district judge did not follow Rule 32. "Absent a more sufficient factual record, we will not remand to the district court simply to investigate whether this ministerial task was performed and, if not, to do so." United States v. Cain, No. 94-50518, slip op. 13863, 13870 (9th Cir. November 19, 1997).
Finally, appellant challenges the district court's denial of a downward adjustment for acceptance of responsibility pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1. Whether a defendant has accepted responsibility is a factual determination reviewed for clear error. United States v. Cooper, 912 F.2d 344, 345 (9th Cir.1990). The district court's determination will not be disturbed unless it is without foundation. United States v. Aichele, 941 F.2d 761, 767 (9th Cir.1991). The acceptance of responsibility adjustment under U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 generally is not intended to apply to a defendant who "puts the government to its burden of proof at trial by denying the essential factual elements of guilt, is convicted, and only then admits guilt and expresses remorse." U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1, appl. n. 2. While proceeding to trial does not automatically preclude a defendant from consideration for an acceptance of responsibility reduction, only in the unusual case will such an adjustment be warranted absent a guilty plea. Id.; see also United States v. McKinney, 15 F.3d 849 (9th Cir.1994).
Here, appellant went to trial, made no statement at trial, was convicted, and refused to talk to the Probation Department. In addition, throughout these proceedings, appellant has attempted to minimize his role as a manager or supervisor in the marijuana smuggling operation. Nonetheless, appellant argues that he is entitled to a downward adjustment because he confessed prior to trial and attempted to enter a conditional guilty plea, which was rejected by the government.
Based on appellant's overall course of conduct, the district court did not clearly err in finding that an acceptance of responsibility reduction was not warranted in this case. See United States v. Morales, 11 F.3d 915, 918 (9th Cir.1993).
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3 | <urn:uuid:44769de4-3304-47d9-99f9-339139f9ec8e> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://openjurist.org/132/f3d/40/united-states-america-v-erevia-suarez | 2016-07-29T12:08:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257830066.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071030-00175-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940554 | 2,236 |
Tex is not my real name but I really enjoy reading and hearing stories about various sexual encounters. I really enjoy oral and anal sex stories along with open minded pets (as in submissive women), slut wives, threesomes, moresomes and at times where "anything" goes no matter who you're with. Yes, I'm kinky like the pix in my photo album. If are kinky like me, I'd love to hear from you...
Lose herself and not worry about right or wrong. It's only wrong if you don't enjoy it and how can it be wrong if you haven't tried it? Open up her mind and accept the lovin' she deserves.
My vote is for a sexy MILF or a mature woman. My reasoning comes from my experiences. A mature woman knows what pleases her and knows how to please her lover. Younger women are normally learning what their likes and dislikes are, and rarely understand what it takes please a man. Most younger women can be great eye candy although their lack of experience can lead to learning moments for them, which can be a lot of fun. However, overall mature women use more than their bodies in bed, they use their minds to provoke intelligent conversations before, during and after love making which can lead to a more satisfying experience.
Although I would never turn down any type of a shaven puss, B gets my highest vote! It looks very tastyyy!
Until the guy can't get it up again. That's what I'm thinking unless she isn't satisfied. Then my tongue and fingers will get her there! <img src="/forum/images/emoticons/regaeman.gif" alt="Regaeman Man">
It's an easy answer in my opinion. Three reasons: (i) it's taboo and so feels naughty and makes me think I am with a 'bad girl'; (ii) it's incredibly intimate and requires a special trust between the two partners; (iii) the anus tends to be very tight and so the sensation is very intense. Well stated from someone that understands anal sex! If she's into it, I'm more than willing to take her there. I love it because it's an act that goes beyond the norm and can be very erotic for both participants, if done right. <img src="/forum/images/emoticons/my2cents.gif" alt="My 2 cents">
Boobs are nice to play with, but her ass is more erotic to give my utmost attention to.
Yes, in the very same fashion as you DPW by more than a few pets. They couldn't do it any other way and it was usually after I went down on them or after intercourse.
Yes, I love intelligence in a woman. However, the first thing I usually notice in a woman is how does she keeps herself. If she keeps herself clean and presentable, she's my kind of woman. I've seen so many women who go out into public with their hair a total mess and dress as if the clothes hadn't been washed in months, not matter how potentially pretty should could be, it's a major turn off for me. I love a woman in a pair of tight shorts, t-shirt, and open toed shoes when weather permits. This way I can see her tasty assets; ass n' toes...
Giving a massage can be erotic and relaxing for me. It gives me the chance to explore her body long before being sexual. You can find her erogenous and work them to your favor. Baby oil is the best to use for giving a massage because it will guarantee some wet and slippery fun. I enjoy receiving massages as well, but giving is most pleasurable for me.
Here are a few articles I found that give the basics. I think the most important thing is to pay attention to his bodies reactions and combine the prostate massage with a blow job. Adding some toys like cock rings, prostate vibrators, dildos etc. can ramp up the experience as well. I find teasing and rubbing his hole till it just sucks my finger or a toy right in then begin massaging the prostate the way to go. Most information recommends using a come hither motion with your finger as the best massage technique which is how I start but I find just pressing into it and rubbing in a circular motion better and change it up from come hither to circular to pressing and releasing works well. When his hole begins involuntarily contracting around my finger and his prostate is puffed up and throbbing that is a sign of anal orgasms which many can occur before the final explosive ejaculation. If you are really working that prostate good he will often just ooze cum during the process which I've been told feels like a long slow orgasm. I also like to keep the blow job going after the big eruption and sometimes get second and third smaller eruptions. I want to try giving a prostate massage while doing some sounding I think that will really blow his top! http://www.eve.com.mt/2013/07/15/how-to-give-a-mind-blowing-prostate-massage/http://niche-men-health.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-give-prostate-massage.html I had pet that loved doing this to me and loved having her please me this way! It's like no other pleasure I've experienced in all of my years of sexual activity. Of course, she was greatly rewarded for pleasing me this way because she always knew I'd return the favor and please her...
It was 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday when Jane stirred under the sheets. Her eyes were closed but her mind was wide awake with sexual thoughts of the man beside her. Sean was her husband of 29 years and her lover for much longer. She’d had other lovers before their marriage but none could match what he brought, and still brings, to their loving relationship. His loving skills please...
Added 06 Oct 2012 | Category Straight Sex
| Votes 4 | Avg Score 5
| Views 5,677
| 4 Comments
Gina, my lovely 53 year-old lover, had been over for the afternoon before I left town that night for a business trip and we were naturally in bed fucking our brains out. She rode me to several of her own orgasms that afternoon. Before that she had given me one of her awesome blowjobs that had drained my nuts but left me yearning for more of her loving delights. We had been in bed for a couple...
Added 05 Sep 2011 | Category Straight Sex
| Votes 5 | Avg Score 4.6
| Views 5,956
| 1 Comment
I had been exchanging emails and staying in touch with Jan for sometime via a social networking site and it so happened that I was meeting with a potential client in Orlando, FL, where she lived. Jan is 45 years old and had gone through a bitter divorce with her husband of 25 years who dumped her for 20-something. She’s a mother of one who is married with a child of her own but the pictures...
Added 06 Aug 2011 | Category Straight Sex
| Votes 4 | Avg Score 5
| Views 4,819
| 2 Comments
The night before with my 53 year-old looker Gina and her younger friend Becky had been one of the hottest nights of my life. This morning was somewhat normal for Gina and I as she joined me in the shower for a hot Sunday morning banging. After some play in the hot tub Becky gave me the ride of my life and I reciprocated by giving her the anal sex she longed for. I had just finished...
Added 17 Jul 2011 | Category Group Sex
| Votes 2 | Avg Score 4
| Views 4,942
I had one of the most enjoyable nights of my life with my 52 year-old lover, Gina, and her younger friend, Becky. It was a night that all nights in which my sexual adventures will be compared to but the next day led to more sexual adventures… I woke around 8:00 and both women were gone. I slowly replayed last night in my mind and I soon had a raging hard-on. I couldn’t help but stroke...
Added 04 Jul 2011 | Category Group Sex
| Votes 2 | Avg Score 4.5
| Views 7,147
| 2 Comments
Part 2 I had just watched one of the most erotic acts of my life. I had to pinch myself several times to be sure this was real; two hot women were in my bed and made the sweetest love to each other. Almost heavenly... As the Becky and Gina were coming down from the sexual pleasure they had shared with each other, I poured more wine for us. We made small talk and there was no mention of...
Added 25 Jun 2011 | Category Group Sex
| Votes 3 | Avg Score 4.67
| Views 8,409
| 4 Comments
Gina and I had been friends for 15 years. She’s a 52 years-old cougar. She stands five foot ten inches with a rock hard body from working out five days a week. She has long dark black hair and the face of a model. She has been married twice but has no children and is happily single and has been for 10 of the 15 years I’ve known her. Gina is a business professional that has earned her...
Added 18 Jun 2011 | Category Group Sex
| Votes 8 | Avg Score 4.75
| Views 8,066
| 2 Comments
I was in between marriages and I was pretty much a slut puppy. I partied a lot and I had one goal in mind and that was to get laid. One Friday night I met up with a fiery red head. She was hot looking and had one of the best asses I had ever seen in a pair of jeans. We danced and drank the night away. We kissed each other every chance we could. When we slow danced it was one continuous...
Added 26 Jun 2010 | Category Straight Sex
| Votes 2 | Avg Score 4
| Views 6,337
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VA health care: One man’s story
Health care has been in the news and on the minds of Americans lately with the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” taking center stage in the political theater. While civilians wonder how the act will affect them and whether the changes might be positive or negative, veterans already struggle with health care issues of their own. Local clinics without emergency services and hospitals with multitudes of patients are some issues veterans face when navigating the potentially perilous pathway to good health through the veterans health care system.
One veteran shared the story of his journey through that system. Frank Miller served with the Marines in the Vietnam War. Miller spent 13 months trekking through jungles, fighting for his life on behalf of the United States of America. Because he is a veteran, Miller receives his medical care through the Veterans Administration (VA).
On Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, Miller awoke in pain and bleeding at 3:22 a.m.
“It was a nosebleed,” Miller said. “I woke up bleeding and tried to stop it. I called my sister, Donna. She came over, and we tried to stop the bleeding but couldn’t. We called an ambulance, and I went to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Beaumont.”
Miller said once the emergency room staff stopped the bleeding using balloons in each nostril, he was considered stable and able to be moved to the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston (MEDVAMC).
Bobbi Gruner, public affairs officer with the VA, confirmed the procedure regarding the emergency health care needs of veterans.
“The standard of care is if you have an emergency as a veteran, you go to the closest ER,” Gruner said. “If the hospital says you are stable but you continue to need inpatient care, once you are stabilized, you will be transferred to the closest VA hospital for continued care.”
Gruner said Beaumont has a clinic for veterans, but the clinic can only provide general care and urgent care, not emergency care. She said the requirement to visit the closest emergency room is important to the welfare of veterans in need of immediate care.
Miller said he was transported to MEDVAMC in Houston via ambulance. He said he arrived about 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 28. Once there, he was put in the emergency room. While he was in the ER there, he started bleeding again. ER personnel attempted to stop the bleeding.
“They kept me in the ER on morphine,” Miller said. “I was throwing up blood. They just kept inflating the balloons. They used something, I think silver nitrate, on a Q-tip and tried to cauterize it.”
Miller said he was weak to the point of stumbling due to the amount of blood he had lost by that time. When a specialist finally saw him at around 6 or 7 a.m., Miller said he was told he would not be admitted.
“Dr. David Cuthbertson, the (ear, nose and throat) doctor there, said it would cost too much to admit me,” Miller said. “He wrote me a prescription for 500 mg Cephalexin, an antibiotic. By this time, I had probably lost around 6-7 pints of blood.”
Miller was with his family and friends when the doctor told him he would not be admitted into the hospital. He went downstairs to the hospital pharmacy to have his prescription filled. While waiting, his nose began bleeding again. He said he was sitting in a wheelchair in the hallway with hospital personnel walking by without stopping.
“The maintenance worker was the only one who offered to help,” Miller said. “I have no idea why they would not admit me. That’s just what he said.”
Dr. James Scheurich, medical center deputy chief of staff at MEDVAMC, nurse’s notes indicated that an ER physician saw Miller at 2:35 a.m. He said there are doctors on staff in the ER and on the hospital floor around the clock. At 3:30 a.m., Scheurich said hospital records indicate a resident applied silver nitrate to Miller’s nose to cauterize it and stop the bleeding. Miller said from what he recalls, the silver nitrate was not applied until after he saw the specialist in the morning at around 6 a.m. Scheurich said Miller was under observation for several hours at the facility. He said the notes indicated staff did not see focal bleeding when examining Miller, which Scheurich said would be a clear sign of potential arterial bleeding. He said Miller was released at about 1 p.m. after the bleeding had stopped for a period of two hours.
“It doesn’t make sense to me,” Scheurich said regarding Miller’s assertion that the doctor he saw told him he would not be admitted due to cost. “It would not be any more expensive for us. … We never run out of beds.”
“It didn’t make sense to me either,” Miller said. “It didn’t make sense to any of us standing there. I’ve never heard a doctor say something like that.”
Scheurich said if the hospital staff had believed Miller’s bleeding stemmed from arterial bleeding, he would not have been released. Miller was, however, released from MEDVAMC and sent home. On his was from Houston to his home in Vidor, the bleeding started again. He said he was close to the College Street exit ramp on Interstate 10 in Beaumont when it started. His daughter was driving and took him to the nearest ER at Baptist Hospital. Upon arrival, the family stopped near the ER entrance and two EMTs from a nearby ambulance offered assistance in getting him into the ER. Miller said ER staff at Baptist told him he had to be admitted immediately due to blood loss.
“By the time I got to Beaumont, they were not going to release me until they got some blood back into my system,” Miller said. “I was guessing I had lost 6-7 pints earlier because I had lost 8 pints by the time I got to Baptist.”
Miller said the hospital did not have an ENT doctor on staff. A friend referred him to Dr. Carey Jordan of Southeast Texas ENT. Dr .Jordan went to Baptist Hospital to treat Miller. He was diagnosed with epistaxis, a nosebleed that in this case was caused by a ruptured artery. Dr. Jordan performed an interior maxillary artery ligation to stop the bleeding. Miller said he was hospitalized for seven days while receiving blood transfusions at the hospital. He credits Dr. Jordan and Baptist Hospital with saving his life after the VA hospital facility almost killed him, he said.
“The VA Hospital in Houston is just way, way, way overloaded,” Miller said. “All they need are doctors. It was strained already with the guys from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Now, with the veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s just flooded.”
MEDVAMC has 397 beds, according to the Houston VA website. For fiscal year 2012, running from October 2011 to September 2012, 128,387 veterans were enrolled in the system serving Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, Washington, and Wharton counties in Texas. During that time, 13,301 veterans were admitted to MEDVAMC. In Houston, 879,222 went for outpatient visits. Gruner said she could not confirm the exact number of patients whose care each doctor provides but that if there is a need for a physician, the facility will bring in a doctor.
“If we don’t have the staff for whatever reason, we fee base it out,” Gruner said. “If we find a problem, we fix it.”
She said MEDVAMC has a close relationship with the Baylor Medical Center next door.
“We are a teaching hospital,” she said, and because of that, there is a lot of opportunity for research and a variety of techniques in use at the facility. “We have some of the best doctors in the world here.”
Gruner said MEDVAMC was recently given the “go ahead” for a breast cancer center, which the facility is currently lacking. She said soon, MEDVAMC will be able to perform liver and kidney transplants at the facility. She said the hospital is one of five VA hospitals in the nation that will have the ability to perform kidney transplants.
Gruner said there is light at the end of the tunnel for veterans seeking faster, better and more convenient care. She said when she started with the VA 11 years ago, there were only two veterans medical clinics in the area, one being the Beaumont clinic.
“Since then, we’ve opened up a number of clinics in the area,” Gruner said. “Next year, we are opening clinics in Katy and Tomball. We will have nine outpatient clinics to service veterans closer to where they live.”
She said the clinics would provide outpatient care for veterans so they do not have to go exclusively to MEDVAMC for care. She said by alleviating the number of veterans seeking care at the hospital, staff would likely be able to see patients hoping to receive rapid care or in need of emergency care in a timely manner. If veterans are able to access local clinics, they would not be forced to travel to MEDVAMC. She said the VA is also looking into staffing the local clinics with more specialists. She indicated the facility receives government funding and more is always welcome.
Miller said he feels more needs to be done to provide better care for veterans’ health care. He hopes his story will bring attention what he says are serious deficiencies in Texas, particularly.
“I’m not the only one who has had problems with the veterans health care system,” Miller said. “I have several friends who are veterans. They feel the VA is so bad in Texas they are willing to go to other states for care. One friend goes to the VA hospital in Louisiana. … I would like to help veterans get better benefits and better medical treatment. If this opens some eyes, then good.” | <urn:uuid:9751a9d5-1d7b-4f9c-8337-a9ef5e80da79> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://theexaminer.com/stories/news/va-health-care-one-man%E2%80%99s-story?page=1&quicktabs_1=1 | 2016-07-25T21:36:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257824345.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071024-00190-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980522 | 2,267 |
It has also been shown to have a strong synergistic effect against cancer with resveratrol, and also with EGCG in green tea.
Taking a Curcumin supplement
Curcumin supplements provide curcumin in good amounts but curcumin is difficult is difficult to absorb. Absorption can be helped by piperine the active ingredient in black pepper. This also seems to enhance some of its actions.
According to the American Cancer Society, absorption of curcumin can be improved by mixing the supplement with a teaspoonful of olive oil and sprinkling the black pepper on it. Warning: Don´t spill it on your skin or clothes - it stains!
So is curcumin a cure for cancer? No, of course not. What is exciting the experts in cancer centres in America is that it can play a role against several of the steps in what is a multi-step cancer process. As such it would seem stupid to ignore it as a part of an Integrative or holistic cancer treatment programme.
If you are already thinking of buying Curcumin, you might like to look at the Natural Selection shop. Do it by clicking here.
What are curcumin and turmeric?
Curcumin is the active ingredient of the Indian/Asian curry spice Turmeric. To put this technically, curcumin is the principal curcuminoid in turmeric. Curcuminoids are polyphenols. Turmeric powder is ground from the root of a plant called Curcuma Longa, which is a member of the ginger family and is found throughout Southern Asia, even growing wild in the Himalayas.
This vivid yellow to brown spice was used, like many Asian spices and chillies, to hide the taste of stronger tasting meats and fish even those that might have gone a little off in such hot climates. Like many such spices, it also performed a necessary and functional role it was a cleanser, a bacteria-killer in the stomach, protecting against tainted foods!
Curcumin first caught my attention when I read a research report on its ability to prevent the crossed wires of Alzheimer´s, through blocking a certain peptide forming. Therapeutic doses seem able to prevent, and also reverse, early stages of the disease. (My father had the disease, in case you wondered!). As I started to do my homework, I found clinical trials for all manner of illnesses from cystic fibrosis to reduction of risk in stomach and colorectal cancers.
Curcumin is the most researched compound in medicine! And new research is coming thick and fast. You will find the latest in Cancer Watch
Curcumin/turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years as a cleanser of the body. It appears to work at a number of levels:
1. It can inhibit unwanted bacterial action in the stomach and intestine:
For example (i) , University of Chicago researchers have shown it inhibits Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium known to be responsible for stomach ulcers and some stomach cancers. In Ayurvedic medicine, curcumin was used in poultices for this same reason to kill unwanted bacteria.
2. It is a significant anti-inflammatory:
Arachidonic acid is a precursor/stimulator of the production of bad eicosancids (see our reviews of omega 3 and vitamin D) and thus to inflammation, which is itself a precursor to certain cancers. Curcumin has been found to inhibit several of the pre-inflammatory enzymes (e.g. COX2 and iNOS) in vitro and in vivo with animals. Japanese research suggests it works in much the same way as salicylin. (ii)
3. It boosts crucial cellular glutathione levels:
Glutathione is a crucial intracellular antioxidant, helping the cell maintain its correct oxygen levels and fight off the effects of stress hormones. Research has shown that curcumin can prevent the action of an enzyme that limits glutathione production.
4. It is a powerful antioxidant:
Turmeric extract tested more potent than garlic, omega 3 and cat´s claw (devil´s claw) said German research. (iii)
5. It can help prevent liver damage
2010 research from St Louis has shown that it can turn off a protein called Leptin, which causes liver damage. It has also been shown to be capable of detoxifying the liver. Thus curcumin may be of help in keeping the liver healthy during chemotherapy cancer treatments.(vii)
6. It can prevent and even ´treat´ cancer:
As we have covered above, curcumin can suppress tumour initiation, promotion and metastasis. Extensive research over the last 50 years has indicated it can prevent and treat cancer. The anti-cancer potential stems from its ability to control gene signalling, and affect a wide variety of tumour cells, down-regulate transcription factors, down-regulate enzymes such as COX-2 and other inflammatories, cytokines, chemokines, cell-surface adhesion molecules, down-regulate growth factors, etc., etc. (iv)
But, its not just MD Anderson that are fans:
Tufts have conducted research with breast cancer patients concluding that curcumin and isoflavanoids seem to inhibit the action of environmental oestrogens. (v)
UCLA have researched its potential with colorectal cancer (San Diego, Chauhen). And there are Clinical Trials underway (according to the Mayo Clinic to investigate curcumin as a way to prevent cancer in people with precancerous conditions, as a cancer treatment, and as a remedy for signs and symptoms caused by cancer treatments.
Kentucky University researchers report on its inhibition of B lymphoma cells. (vi)
Emory School of Medicine showed that it attacked Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors cutting the ability of tumours to generate their essential blood supply lines. Many drugs are being developed specifically to stop VEGF´s, but this common spice already does the job
Memorial Sloan-Kettering (New York) even offered that ´green tea spiced with curcumin was a double anti-cancer beater´!
There are a dozen or more studies where curcumin has caused cell death in cancer cells; and even more where it prevents tumours forming a blood supply.However as always, some things seem too good to be true; and despite the euphoria of major hospitals in the USA, a few words of realism have to be added.
Firstly, much of the work original used cell cultures. Increasingly studies use a variety of animals, and there have been human trials, even clinical trials, primarily with cervical cancer lesions and with gastrointestinal cancers. So, although the biochemical knowledge is vast, the use of oral curcumin to prevent and treat cancer is still in its infancy.
Next, there is a problem maintaining effectiveness inside the cells; there are several studies that show oral consumption needs to be maintained in order to maintain blood and cellular levels. But it is not as simple as curry every day!
Actually, a single curry meal delivers very small amounts of active curcumin, so you would have to maintain daily consumption. Or you can supplement. (Research from Taiwan shows that even 8 gms per day for three months is safe. In one UK clinical trial a variety of doses from 0.45 to 3.6 gms per day was used with colorectal cancer patients, all having no adverse effects.) As we said above piperine (from black pepper) seems to aid absorption and action.
Curcumin supplements may be heavily contaminated with everything from pesticides to other spices so you must choose a reliable supplier, ideally of curcuma longa. If you are thinking of buying Curcuma Longa you might like to look at the Natural Selection as they are based in the UK and they tend to have natural compounds that avoid pesticides. Click here. Alternatively in the USA you might like to go to the Natural News or Dr Mercola websites.
Some supplements contain piperine, supposedly to increase bio-availability. This can interfere with certain drugs.
Curcumin can inhibit coagulation in vitro and so may be inadvisable if you are taking anti-coagulants. It might increase the risk of bleeding.
It might also be advisable not to take it if you are pregnant or lactating.
At last, the definitive, research-based book on how to build a diet to help beat cancer. Click here to read about it.
Clearly there is a huge enthusiasm, even expectation, overseas for curcumin, if not in British hospitals and oncology departments. But the real issue is can you take enough of it orally to deliver it in adequate doses to your breast or prostate cells? Certainly curcumin (curcuma longa) was seen to be an important herb in the natural and successful treatment of prostate cancer that we covered in Cancer Watch (icon 2006, issue 3 ). We will just have to wait and see whether this longstanding Ayurvedic medicine will curry favour with the UK medical fraternity.
(i) Magad et al, Anticancer Res 2002. 22(6C) 4179-81
(ii) Vane: Nobel Prize 1982
(iii) J Pharmacology 2003 55; 981-6
(iv) Aggarwal et al Anticancer Res. 2003. 23; 363-98
(v) Environ Health Perspective 1998; 106. 807-12
(vi) Clin. Immun. 1999. 93; 152-61
(vii) St Louis University 2010
Professor Aggarwal has been the subject of a number of ´blogs´ - some anonymous and from Europe - attacking his credibility and even alleging fraud in his research. Aggarwal has withdrawn or revisited several of his very many research papers for methodology reasons. MD Anderson have investigated the issue and Aggarwal continues in his Professorial role. However, as a result we use only one MD Anderson study in the above report and that has been verified by a second research source.
While this all sounds concerning, to put it in context, it should be noted that in 2015 the FDA found flaws in almost 40 per cent of clinical trials for drugs in recruitment, detail and methodology.
People who read this article, also read:
Resveratrol: CLICK HERE to read
Grape Seed extract: CLICK HERE to read
Green Tea: CLICK HERE to read
Please be clear: At CANCERactive we do not consider the above compound to be a cure for cancer, despite what the research says or experts doing the research may claim. The above, is an article on the compound from published research and expert opinion in the public domain. At CANCERactive we do not believe that any single compound (drug, vitamin, whatever) is a cure for cancer. We believe that people can significantly increase their personal odds of survival by building an Integrated Programme of treatments. Equally, cancer prevention is best practiced through a width of measures. | <urn:uuid:2021c24a-69ad-465c-b125-108363fbf6a8> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=1571 | 2016-07-25T20:03:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257824345.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071024-00190-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946329 | 2,299 |
'My Illustrated Life'
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Art Emporium presents "My Illustrated Life -- Watercolor Reflections," a series of recently completed works by Sharon Harms, Sept. 17 through Oct. 13.Growing up in Chicago, Harms studied at the Art Institute of Chicago from age 8 until college, when she enrolled at the American Academy of Art to focus on communication art, graphic design and illustration.She moved to West Virginia 30 years ago to work as an illustrator for a large paper product manufacturer and fell in love with the state's natural beauty. Harms' work reflects her love of nature and gardening and her personal experiences.
Art Emporium, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 823 Quarrier St., Charleston; www.artemporium.net or 304-345-2787.Poffenbarger at Art Store
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Art Store will open "New Works" by award-winning West Virginia native Susan Poffenbarger on Sept. 15 with a talk by the artist at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow until 7:30 p.m."New Works" allows the viewer to experience the landscape through Poffenbarger's eyes, depicting scenes she has experienced on her exploration of the West Virginia outdoors. From Hawks Nest to Bear Town, this body of work showcases her ability to capture natural light and interpret the play of light and texture on scenes of waterways. The exhibition will continue through Oct. 18.The Art Store, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1013 Bridge Road, Charleston; www.theartstorewv.com or 304-345-1038.Gallery features Pat Miller
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gallery Eleven's featured artist for the month of September is Pat Miller.Gallery Eleven, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1035 Quarrier St., Charleston, WV, 25301; www.galleryeleven.com or 304-342-0083.High school contests
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, in cooperation with the West Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, is sponsoring two contests with cash prizes for high school students.Students who submit essays on a topic related to the Civil War and West Virginia statehood have the chance to win a $1,000 cash prize, while the teacher of the winning author will receive a $500 cash award.
Student photographers who capture historic sites related to the sesquicentennial as part of the division's Sesquicentennial Snapshot program also could win $1,000.Winners of both contests will have their work published in Goldenseal magazine, the state's journal of traditional life, and the best photos will be included in the West Virginia State Museum's "WV 150" exhibit set to open in early 2013.Deadline is Nov. 1.For more information about the essay contest, contact Caryn Gresham at [email protected]
or 304-558-0220. For more information about the Sesquicentennial Snapshot contest, contact Tyler Evert at [email protected]
or 304-558-0220. For forms and other information, visit www.wvculture.org/wv150/sesquicentennial.html
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Applications are being accepted for a second round of historic preservation development grants through the State Historic Preservation Office of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. About $250,000 will be available, contingent upon appropriation of funds from the Legislature or Congress.
Eligible projects include the restoration, rehabilitation or archaeological development of most historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are properties that aren't eligible.The Preservation Office also is accepting heritage education grant applications for technical workshops related to historic preservation restoration work. Local and county governments, historic landmark commissions and nonprofit organizations interested in co-sponsoring a workshop with the preservation office should contact the office for a workshop application.For more information, contact Pamela Brooks, grants coordinator, at 304-558-0240, ext. 720. Visit the division's website at www.wvculture.org/shpo/forms.html
.Clay Center exhibits
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The following exhibits can be seen at the Clay Center:"The Edge of Vision: Abstraction in Contemporary Photography": Contemporary and abstract photography, from the Aperture Foundation, featuring 20 international, contemporary artists. Open through Sept. 23."Artist to Icon: Early Photographs of Elvis, Dylan and the Beatles": Three music icons, just before the world knew them as legends, are documented in black-and-white photographs. Open through Sept. 23."Gallery Divided: A Head-to-Head Matchup Between Marshall & WVU Art Faculty."Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, One Clay Square, Charleston; www.theclaycenter.org, 304-561-3570. "Smart Pass" (includes galleries, film and planetarium) $14.50 adults and $12 children, teachers and senior citizens; Galleries only $7.50 adults and $6 children, teachers and seniors. Members get free unlimited access to galleries and planetarium shows, as well as discounts on films.Correction
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In the 2012-13 Arts Calendar published in the Sept. 2 Life & Style section, dancer Noelle Frame was identified as being part of the Charleston Ballet. She dances with the River City Youth Ballet.'West Virginia Cookbooks'
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Susan Scouras, archives and history librarian, will present "West Virginia Cookbooks" at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center. The program is free and open to the public.Scouras will discuss cookbooks as historical resources and food availability and recipes during periods of rationing, such as World War II. She will explain how newspapers have been used as a source for cooking, recipe and food information from the mid-19th century to the present.Scouras will showcase cookbooks from the Archives collection, including those compiled and distributed by commercial publishers, church and civic groups, appliance and food manufacturers and individuals.Scouras holds a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in library science from the University of Kentucky. She is interested in American and family history, libraries and discovering how books, papers and objects from the past can reveal details about a specific era.Contact Robert Taylor at [email protected]
or 304-558-0230, ext. 163.HMOA needs docents
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- The Huntington Museum of Art invites anyone interested in becoming a docent to an open house from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.A docent is someone who volunteers time to lead schoolchildren and museum visitors on guided tours. No experience or background in art is required. Docents work with the museum's education department and receive training on Huntington Museum of Art exhibits on Monday mornings.Contact Cindy Dearborn at 304-529-2701 or [email protected]
.Huntington Museum of Art, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 2033 McCoy Road, Huntington; 304-529-2701 or www.hmoa.org. Admission is $5 per person or $18 for a family of four or more. Admission is free on Tuesdays and to museum members.Civil-rights lectures
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall University will host a series of free lectures during the fall semester by distinguished scholars, centering on the U.S. civil-rights movement, according to David Trowbridge, associate professor of history and director of African and African American Studies.The first lecture is at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 in the Marshall Foundation Hall. Dr. Thomas J. Sugrue will speak on the unique aspects of the civil-rights struggle in Northern communities. He is the author of "Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North."Lecture on the role of Congress
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Dr. Thomas E. Mann, the W. Averell Harriman chair and senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, will speak at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Marshall University Foundation Hall.His lecture is part of a series on the U.S. Constitution titled "Amicus Curiae." Mann will speak on Congress' role in governance and its current performance in fulfilling its mandate as outlined in the Constitution. He is the co-author, with Dr. Norman Ornstein, of "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track" (2006) and "It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism" (2012).The series is sponsored by Marshall's Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy and the College of Liberal Arts, with financial support from the West Virginia Humanities Council. For more information, contact Patricia Proctor, director of the center, at 304-696-2801.To have your announcement included in Arts Notes, email [email protected] or send it to Arts Notes, The Charleston Gazette, 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301. Artwork can be submitted electronically or by mail. Deadline for inclusion in the Sunday Gazette-Mail is the Tuesday before Sunday publication | <urn:uuid:af15a779-ecdf-4d62-b416-8f6bfe6a213f> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.wvgazettemail.com/News/201209070230 | 2016-07-25T20:09:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257824345.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071024-00190-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917585 | 2,150 |
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Elle Decor’s 8 Better Ways to Display Art
July 29, 2016
We just got some Audubon bird reproductions framed with a dusty blue mat. I’ve been wanting a set of photos or paintings to go on our long bedroom wall, and I think we picked a winner! When my place is finished decorating, I’ll make sure to post photos!
Ways to Display Art
I just loved this Elle Decor feature on 8 different ways to display art in your home. We all need more art in our lives, and it doesn’t have to be expensive! I’ll either frame photos that I took, frame a special token that was given to me, or buy art from local artists. Check out the article here.
My trip to Purl Soho! Embroidery and fabrics yay! (Trouvés Top Five)
July 27, 2016
Boy is it ever hot here in Southern California! I made a new cooling mist that I love, but I wish I had some spearmint oil to add to it. It’s distilled water + lavender essential oil + peppermint oil in a mister bottle, kept in the fridge. It’s pretty yummy.
Fashion & Beauty
I was working at an event recently that had guests dressed to the nines. Several girls were dressed very Kardashian, with crop top skin-tight outfits, fake lashes, heavy eyeliner, the works. I couldn’t help but think that the makeup aged them by twenty years, and I realize now that I automatically avoided looking at them for the rest of the night because I felt like it was such a shame! The most beautiful gal I saw though, was a plus-size girl who had on a very elegant ’20s art deco long gown that fit her figure. She paired it with simple hot-roller loose locks and natural makeup. Belíssima! As far as the heavy makeup, more is sometimes just. . . more.
My tip for evening makeup? Strong brow, bronzer on the cheeks, highlighter. But if you struggle with how to pull off a certain look, check out Pixiwoo’s Youtube channel. She’s a makeup genius!
So I was looking for some embroidery ribbon so that I could start asap on my Alabama Chanin tank top I was making. I called a few places and looked at JoAnn and Hobby Lobby, but to no avail. Then I saw on Google Maps a location near me that said PurlSoho.com. . . It’s their warehouse! It made for a great reason to shower. Yes, it’s not a storefront, it’s a warehouse, but the public can shop in it during certain hours. Everyone was friendly, and we rocked out to modern tunes. Well, I ended up getting the wrong ribbon for my top, but I’ll use it for some craft eventually. I can’t wait to go back there and buy some fabric! I have my eyes on, well, everything, but realistically, the next thing I’ll probably buy is this Nani Iro just because it’s so beautiful.
One thing I regret is not finishing decorating my last bedroom the way I really wanted. It’s so important to create your living space into one that you’ll enjoy resting in, as well as a space that is hospitable to your guests. In my last place, when I didn’t have people over (and unfortunately even when I did) my place was a sewing mess. Fabric and projects everywhere. It took away from the little decorating I did do in the main area. Never again!
I’ve been trying to finish up decorating our little place, which is hard when you’re on a budget, but not even close to impossible. The latest thing I did was sew a box-pleat bed skirt. It grounds the room and hides the ugly box spring I’ve been looking at for far too long. I’ll post a photo when I’m done decorating the whole bedroom! Matthew says that the bed with the skirt looks better than he thought it was going to look. When will he learn to trust me, really? Here is a “during” photo. I found a few tutorials online, then created my own pattern.
I was realizing, as we were touring the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, that I am so bad at living in the moment when it’s not a face-to-face conversation. That’s one thing I can be present for! I’ve never been great at remembering history, but there is a definite need for us to be informed of our past to help us navigate our future! Amazing what Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan did to help end the Cold War.
Always Ice Cream
If you’ve never tried this kind, you’re missing out. I started eating it in the car. It made a mess but it was worth it.
Trader Joe’s Complete Body Cleanse Review – detox your body
July 11, 2016
I just watched Age of Adaline on Hulu, and I loved it! Not like, 10-Things-I-Hate-About-You-love. More like, that-was-beautiful-I’ll-probably-only-watch-it-once-or-twice-again-love. This morning I waxed on to my husband on the genius of Blake Lively while he got ready for work. He said, “Who’s that?” Um, she was only in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! And, of course, made a perfect Serena van der Woodsen. Well, anyway, I cried a few times during the movie, once when Harrison Ford broke down. I think I’m going to start dressing more charming ’50s now.
Trader Joe’s Complete Body Cleanse Review
I went to TJ’s for some probiotics and thought, Well the Complete Body Cleanse is only $12, may as well. I started the gentle two-week cleanse the night before I went on vacation, don’t ask me why, I had my reasons. Let me just tell you, it works. The cleanse totally cleans you out since you’re taking a ton of fiber. I am no expert but I am assuming you need to continue to take your multivitamins and probiotics since the cleanse probably rids you of both the bad and good bacteria in your gut, so you need probiotics via supplements or yogurt or kombucha to restore healthy gut flora.
The downside to the cleanse is you have to swallow a ton of pills for two weeks. Also, waking up early to head to the bathroom. The upside is, you are cleaning your body! If you don’t do a cleanse for no other reason, do it as a science experiment, it’s quite entertaining actually. I’ll probably do this cleanse once or twice a year, especially at the beginning of the year so that I can get a fresh start after holiday sugar intake. An upside is, you’re not running to the bathroom 24/7, just in the morning, and mainly during the first 3 days. Be sure to drink plenty of water so that is helps flush out the toxins.
That same week I also used my birthday facial and massage. I loved it! My skin was never smoother. I had to write down what parts of my body were achey. An issue I have been having for months is my knees click when I go up the stairs. No bueno. Only a couple days after my massage did I realize that my knees no longer clicked! I think my muscles were probably so tight and things were out of alignment. A downside to my massage is that because massages do such a good job of detoxing and relaxing your body, and on top of that I started taking my Trader Joe’s cleanse, my nose started to run like a faucet, and then I got stuffed up for a week. This tends to happen to me whenever I eat something greasy after getting a massage and then I feel really sick. I’ll never learn.
Beautiful Oregon and Washington Mountain Photos (Independence Day)
July 6, 2016
If you’re looking for our wedding photos post, here is the post.
Today I woke up and felt inspired to finish decorating our bedroom, so I went on craigslist to look for estate sales and found Ruby’s estate sale, from the orginal Ruby’s Diner. I’m sad I wasn’t in town for this!
As promised, here are some photos from our family reunion in Bend, Oregon! People came from as far away as Arizona and Maine. We laughed, we cried, we played mini golf.
I opened up this family’s tent, and you’ll never believe what I saw… (Independence Day, Alabama Chanin, Mount Hood)
July 5, 2016
Well, Independence Day weekend came and went. We are back home from our family reunion trip to Bend, Oregon, and we are tired and full of chicken and cole slaw. I smiled for a gajillion photos and blew bubbles until I almost passed out while a 3 year old growled and danced before all the bubbles. Grandpa G. showed us the wood shop he built and told us some jokes. One of my favorites:
Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack came down and broke $10 and I got a buck twenty-five.
And we heard variations of this knock knock joke for ten minutes straight from 3-year-old Lucy:
Knock Knock. Who’s there? Banana. Banana who?
Don’t worry, we’re going in a banana!
Knock Knock. Who’s there? Purple banana. Purple banana who?
Don’t worry, we’re going in a purple banana!
So the title of this post is poking fun at click bait. But I guess it literally is click bait, sorry. Well, I’ll tell you what I saw that left me shocked for the next hour or so.
So there I was, walking with little Lucy to their tent to get her toy. She opened up the tent, and this is what I saw. I just stared at it, not fully hearing Lucy’s questions to me. Could this be? I wanted to believe it but didn’t want to get my hopes up. We walked back to where everyone was lounging and I asked my new sister-in-law Lorraine, “So, is Alabama Chanin in your tent?” She laughed and said, yes, she’s making a dress, and has almost all of their books.
*photos taken with permission from hand-sewing goddess
I previously wrote about my obsession for Alabama Chanin here. And… my freakout starts again- THEY HAVE A NEW COLLECTION!! Instagram, you let me down. How did I not know this?
The Antheia skirt… words cannot express how much I love and need this skirt. But at $3,240, you can see why Natalie Chanin publishes books teaching people how to make their own!
Back to Lorraine’s creation: The hanging pieces are panels on her dress that are two pieces (one red, one black) of jersey fabric put together and then embroidered and appliquéd, like a lovely handmade quilt, but for clothing! A few tricks Lorraine has to making the stencils is to get a special craft swivel stencil X-acto knife. She also uses fabric spray paint for the stencils instead of paint-and-sponge since it both dries quickly and can be applied quickly. I loved that while a bunch of us played mini-golf in the backyard, she followed us, appliquéing away.
The thing I love about us youngins hand-making, hand-appliquéing our own clothing is we are carrying forth the traditions that our grandmas/aunts/mothers had. If I were a journalist I would love to chronicle all of the quilts Grandma G. handmade for all of her grandchildren. And I do mean entirely sewn by hand, in her lap, and hand-quilted. Later this week I’ll share the amazing quilt that was hanging in our guest bedroom in Bend, Oregon.
Tomorrow’s post I’ll show some photos from our family reunion during Independence weekend. | <urn:uuid:552121ed-dd79-492e-ab30-2621c9d71fff> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://trouveshome.com/ | 2016-07-29T17:47:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257831770.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071031-00194-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957834 | 2,690 |
Britons feared among 38 dead after packed ferry heading for Hong Kong firework show collides with another boat and sinks
- Seven crew members from the two boats that crashed have been arrested
- Sunken pleasure boat was carrying more than 120 passengers
- Vessels collided off Lamma Island, two miles from Hong Kong island
- Survivors said people broke windows to swim to the surface
- They waited 20 minutes to be rescued after the crash at 8.30pm last night
- More than 100 people were admitted to hospital last night
- Hong Kong chief promises full investigation into collision
- Tragedy is the worst to hit Hong Kong since 1996, when more than 40 people died in a fire in a commercial building
British officials fear that UK citizens might be among the 38 people dead after two passenger ferries collided off Hong Kong.
Seven crew members from the two boats that crashed were arrested today after more than 100 people were hospitalised following the dramatic accident last night.
Bodies were pulled from the pitch black water after one of the boats – carrying 120 workmates and their families to a holiday firework display in Hong Kong harbour – sank off Lamma island, two miles from Hong Kong island.
Scroll down for video
Tragedy: Rescuers check on the half submerged HongKong Electric boat Lamma IV after the shocking crash last night
Upturned: Thirty eight people were killed after the ferry carrying HK Electric staff and their families collided with another near Lamma Island
Overnight drama: The bow of the Lamma IV is dragged out of the water following its doomed trip to watch a national day fireworks display in Victoria harbour
Final respects: Relatives of the victims throw paper 'spirit money' into the water today as they pay tribute to the dead
Ripped open: The Sea Smooth ferry with its bow badly damaged sits docked at the Lamma Island pier after the violent collision
Grieving: A woman who lost her mother in a ferry collision sobs as she leaves a public mortuary with relatives of other victims
A major rescue operation took place overnight, with terrified survivors from the sunken vessel struggling to the surface of the water.
This morning, distraught and sobbing relatives of the dead visited the scene, where they tossed paper 'spirit money' into the sea.
The ritual is based on a Chinese tradition of furnishing the dead with ready currency for their arrival on the other side. The deceased are often provided with passports for their journey.
Three crew members of the sunken HongKong Electric pleasure craft, where all the fatalities
occurred, have now been detained, along with three from the regular ferry vessel
that collided with it. Another person was arrested later today.
'Police arrested six individuals this afternoon... They are being investigated for endangering people's lives at sea,' Security Minister Lai Tung-kwok told a press conference a day after the collision.
Pitch black: The rescue operation was hampered by low visibility and clutter in and around the vessel
Rescue: Dozens of survivors from the sunken vessel were pulled from the dark waters in a major operation
Police chief Tsang Wai-hung said the suspects were responsible for the boats' operation.
He said both crews are suspected of having not 'exercised the care required of them by law', but he did not elaborate.
Searchlights swept across the water after the crash at 8.30pm last night as dive teams, helicopters and boats desperately tried to locate the survivors.
Survivors said they had little time to put on life jackets before the ferry flooded, trapping passengers.
'Within 10 minutes, the ship had sunk. We had to wait at least 20 minutes before we were rescued,' said one male survivor, wrapped in a blanket on the shore.
Some survivors said people had to break windows to swim to the surface. 'We thought we were going to die. Everyone was trapped inside,' said a middle-aged woman.
Survivor: A woman is carried ashore by rescuers following the collision between two ferries off Lamma island
Support: Rescuers carried the injured from the scene (left) and comforted a young girl (right) after the crash
One woman told local television that she swallowed a lot of water as she swam back to shore.
Another man said he didn't know where his children were. Neither gave their names.
Social media sites lit up today with discussion of the tragedy and condolences for the victims and their families.
A man who gave only his surname, Lee,
said he and several relatives had spent the night searching for his
52-year-old sister, who had boarded the utility company boat with three
'My niece called me last evening and
said she believed my sister was on the boat so we should do something
right away, we should go find them,' he said.
Trauma: A visibly distressed survivor is helped to safety by two rescuers following the disaster
Operation: A man and two children are taken from the scene of the collision by emergency services
They went from hospital to hospital, to the pier and a nearby yacht club. Today he was at the morgue, which he said would be the best place to get information.
Many Hong Kong residents hold British national overseas passports, but the former colony is also popular among UK tourists. The British consulate in Hong Kong has been closed for the holiday and did not immediately comment.
The Fire Services Department said today that 123 people had been rescued from the sunken vessel.
Twenty-eight people were declared dead at the scene. Eight others died by the time they reached hospitals.
Safe: A young boy is carried from the scene as a cameraman films the rescue operation
Ordeal: Wrapped in a red blanket to keep warm, a girl is brought to safety by a rescuer wearing a facemask
100 people were sent to five hospitals during the incident,’ said a
Fire Services spokesman. ‘Nine of them have sustained serious injuries or
are in critical condition.’
The rescue operation was hampered by the darkness, clutter in the vessel and by many obstacles that had broken free from the sunken ship.
The government said 28 bodies were recovered overnight, and eight more people were declared dead at hospitals. Two bodies found aboard the vessel today raised the death toll to 38, according to government statements. At least four of those killed were children.
This morning, the boat, which was half-submerged with its bow pointing almost straight up, was lifted out of the sea by crane.
Interest: Members of the media surround rescue workers as they carry a victim into an ambulance
Tragedy: More survivors are brought ashore following the disaster as rescue efforts continue
Teams of men in white coats, green rubber gloves and yellow helmets carried corpses off a police launch in body bags.
At one of the city's public mortuaries around 50 grieving relatives gathered, some crying, while others were called into identify the dead.
Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying visited survivors of the collision in one of the hospitals and pledged a thorough investigation into the crash.
of Hong Kong's emergency forces are focused here,' he said.
'Wide-ranging rescue work is being carried out on in the sea, land and
in the air.'
Concern: Local residents watch from behind a wall as rescuers tend to a victim of the disaster
Help at hand: A survivor is carried to an ambulance on a stretcher after being pulled from the water
flew at half mast at Li's Cheung Kong Group headquarters in the heart
of the city's financial district on Tuesday, as well as at government
A male passenger who was on the Lamma ferry said: 'After the accident, it was all chaos and people were crying. Then water began seeping in and the vessel began to tilt to one side and people were all told to stand on the other side and everyone started putting on life jackets.'
The other boat, owned by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry Holdings, suffered a badly damaged bow in the collision but made it safely to the pier on Lamma, an island popular with tourists and expatriates about a half-hour boat ride from Hong Kong.
Mission: Rescuers bring equipment to the scene where a ferry carrying more than 120 people sank after colliding with another vessel
Questions: Hong Kong chief Leung Chun-ying has promised a full investigation into the collision
Several of its roughly 100 passengers and crew were taken to hospital with injuries.
waters around Hong Kong were busy on Monday with ferries, leisure boats and fishing vessels out to watch the
city's fireworks, but it is unclear why the two ferries collided on such a clear night.
Ng Kuen-chi, acting deputy director of fire services told local television this morning: 'We will continue our search. We also don't rule out that some may have swam to shore themselves and haven't contacted their families and so may not be accounted for.'
Despite the tragedy, the firework display, to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, went ahead on Hong Kong harbour.
Emergency: Searchlights swept across the water as rescuers desperately searched for survivors from the sunken vessel
Crash: The sunken vessel had been carrying passengers to a firework display in Hong Kong harbour
Dramatic: A rescue boat approaches the sunken vessel as the hunt for survivors continues
Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest shipping channels, but serious marine accidents are rare in its safe and most regulated waterways.
The tragedy is the worst to hit Hong Kong since 1996, when more than 40 people died in a fire in a commercial building.
Electric’s director of operations, Yuen Sui-see said: ‘This is a very
happy holiday and it turned out to be such a tragic incident.
'There was a boat that came in close and crashed. After the crash, the other boat continued away, it didn't stop.'
Distraught family: Relatives of the victims cry as they pay tribute to the ill-fated people who were aboard the boat
Farewell: A relative of a victim throws paper money into the water, in a custom based on the idea of the dead needing ready currency for their advent to the other side
Distressed relatives of the victims toss paper money into the water. The Chinese have a tradition of furnishing the dead with paper money and passports
Mr Yuen denied the vessel was overloaded, saying it was carrying 121 passengers and three crew but had capacity for more than 200 passengers.
Chairman of HK Electric, Canning Fok Kin-ning, said the company has been contacting staff and their families since the tragedy happened last night, and has been accompanying victims and their family members in hospitals overnight to offer immediate assistance.
Mr Fok said: 'Cheung Kong Centre has already lowered Group flags to half mast to express the Group’s sorrow and condolences. A high level co-ordination team has been set up to co-ordinate the aftermath.'
Mr Fok added that the company has also arranged professional counsellors to help victims, staff and their families, and employees disturbed by this tragedy.
Investigation: Police officers on a small boat secure the area around the half-submerged vessel
Casualties: Frogmen from firefighting team retrieve a body, right, this morning as the search continues
What happened on board: The boat is lifted by cranes as police arrest six crew members following the collision
Seeking answers: The stricken ferry is pulled out of the water near Yung Shue Wan on Lamma island this morning following last night's dramatic collision
Sorrowful sight: Police and rescue officers carry the body of a deceased passenger at the Marine Police Base in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, this morning
Dawn operation: A crane on a floating barge lifts the Lamma IV out of the sea
He thanked all organisations engaged in rescue operations and stressed that the company will fully co-operate with the government in the investigation and will pursue parties responsible for the crash.
Victor Li, deputy head of the company that owns Power Assets, said the company would provide emergency payments of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars ($25,800) to the family of each person killed.
Li's father, Li Ka-shing, is Asia's richest man. Power Assets and Hong Kong Electric, one of the city's two electrical utilities, are two of several companies in the elder Li's sprawling business empire.
Li Ka-shing visited a hospital Tuesday and told reporters he felt 'very sorry'.
'I don't want to say too much. I just know that many people have passed away,' he told Cable TV Hong Kong.
A spokeswoman for Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry said they were assessing what had happened.
'Our captain is not well and we have not been able to talk to him so far,' the spokeswoman told local television.
Busy harbour: The government, police and companies who own the the vessels were today investigating the reason behind the crash
Who was harmed? The identity of the 38 people killed and dozens injured is still not certain
A maritime department spokesman told reporters: 'Normally vessels ought to stay and help other vessels in distress. But what we heard was that the other ship had passengers who were injured and needed help.'
A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said they were speaking to the authorities involved and offering consular assistance. It is not yet known whether any British people were on board.
Lamma is the third-biggest island in Hong Kong and near one of the coastal Chinese city's busiest shipping lanes.
The island is home to about 6,000 people, including many of the former British colony's expatriate workers. Thousands of Hong Kong residents live on such outlying islands. | <urn:uuid:f5a25c41-1fb2-4895-944a-1e3b4f0c32c4> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2211549/Hong-Kong-ferry-crash-38-dead-boat-sinks-Lamma-Island.html?ITO=1490 | 2016-07-29T18:01:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257831770.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071031-00194-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977811 | 2,870 |
NEW YORK CITY (October 9, 2013) Ola Afolabi will challenge Poland’s Lukasz Janik for the vacant International Boxing Organization’s Cruiserweight World Title on Saturday, NOVEMBER 2 in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, announced Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions.
The Afolabi/Janik 12-round clash will be part of MONSTERS COLLIDE, the Middleweight World Title Clash between boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and world ranked contender Curtis Stevens.
Presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events, GGG Promotions and Madison Square Garden, tickets for MONSTERS COLLIDE, priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 are on sale at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com
“We’re very excited to add this compelling cruiserweight clash to an already sensational event,” said Loeffler. “Ola has proven to be one of the top cruiserweights in the world and is thrilled to be fighting in New York City for the first time.”
Over the last four years the London born, Los Angeles based Afolabi, 19-3-4 (9KO’s) has battled in three classic wars with current cruiserweight world champion Marco Huck, most recently on JUNE 8 of this year. In spite of having no amateur bouts, Afolabi has demonstrated the ability to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
“Ola has the draw and a majority decision loss to Huck in his last two fights, but always expressed interest in facing any of the top cruiserweights. This is a great matchup as Janik hasn’t lost in four years and has defeated many of the top fighters in Europe,” continued Loeffler.
“It seems like my whole career has been defined by my fights with Marco Huck” said Afolabi. “I’m happy to move on and very excited to be fighting in the United States and at Madison Square Garden in particular. I watched a lot of fights when I was growing up on TV from there and always thought ‘one day I will fight there.’”
About his future plans, Afolabi stated, “First I have to take care of business on November 2 against Janik and win the IBO title. After that I’m ready for any of the top names at cruiserweight. It’s a hot division right now with a number of great fighters.”
The 27-year-old Janik has compiled a record of 26-1-0 (14KO’s), over his six-year career.
Fighting out of Jelenia Gora, Poland, Janik has won eleven fights in a row and this will be his third start of 2013.
Also featured at MONSTERS COLLIDE is an outstanding heavyweight battle between Cuban born Mike “The Rebel” Perez, 19-0-0 (12KO’s), now living in Ireland and Russia’s Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov, 18-0-0 (18KO’s), for the WBC USNBC Heavyweight Title
The Golovkin/Stevens and Perez/Abdusalamov bouts will be televised Live on HBO®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
The Perez/Abdusalamov bout is presented in association with Sampson Boxing, LLC.
October 9, 2013 – Philadelphia's undefeated heavyweight contender, Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) has signed a co-promotional contract with Gary Shaw Productions and Antonio Leonard Promotions. Advised by manager James Prince, Jennings on the verge of fighting for a world title, is ranked IBF No. 3, WBO No. 14 and WBC No. 21.
Having fought stiff competition thus far in his career, Jennings is the type of battle tested warrior America is seeking to represent the heavyweight division on a global stage. With a powerful team behind him, Jennings feels he's ready to take his career to the next level.
“I'm glad I'm finally moving forward in my career with a great team,” said Bryant Jennings. “Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard are two great promoters who have been in this sport for many years and have promoted some of the biggest fights in boxing history. I'm ecstatic to be managed by James Prince because he's guided the careers of many world champions and his knowledge as a boxing manager is impeccable. It's truly a blessing to have these experienced gentlemen working on my behalf. I'm ready to take my career to the next level.”
Having promoted some of boxing's greatest fighters, which include Mike Tyson, Diego Corrales, Shane Mosley, Winky Wright, Vernon Forrest and Lennox Lewis to name a few , Gary Shaw sees Bryant Jennings as the next heavyweight contender to conquer boxing most glorified division.
“First off I want to say I'm very thrilled to be working side by side with my good friends Antonio Leonard and James Prince,” Shaw said. “We've worked harmoniously together in the past when we had Corrales and it was an astonishing journey. Now we've come together again with an outstanding heavyweight in Bryant Jennings. From what I've seen, Jennings has the personality and talent to become a star in this sport. He's a very kind young man who brings an exciting style to the heavyweight division. I'm very pleased to add Jennings to our rich history of great fighters here at GSP and I'm working hard with Antonio and James to get him in a big fight. He'll be in the ring very soon.”
James Prince, Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard made history when they worked together with Diego Corrales. Prince, who currently manages some of boxings best fighters, is eager to unite with Shaw and Leonard with the hopes of taking Jennings to the peak of the heavyweight division.
“I'm just excited to be working with Gary Shaw Productions and Antonio Leonard Promotions once again,” said James Prince. “It was beautiful ride we all had with the late Diego Corrales and once again I feel like I'm bringing them an outstanding fighter in American Bryant Jennings, who I believe is the best heavyweight in the world.”
Antonio Leonard has the same feelings as Prince when it comes to working with Gary Shaw.
“When Gary Shaw and I team up its like dynamite,” stated Antonio Leonard. “Whoever we work with is going to be the next superstar in boxing. With Diego Corrales we did amazing things together. I have great respect for Gary Shaw who I started out with, not just as a boxing promoter, but as a loyal friend. I know Bryant Jennings is in the hands of a great promoter with Shaw who cares about his fighters just like I do.
Antonio Leonard continued saying, “Jennings' work ethic is unbelievable and he reminds me lot of Andre Ward. Bryant carries himself with great respect inside and outside of the ring. James Prince along with Gary and me will take this man to the top. I can promise you Jennings will leap to the top of the heavyweight division and will whip the Klitschko brothers. Bryant who hails from Philadelphia will make America proud!”
NEW YORK (October 8, 2013) – Much has changed in the life of undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (29-0, 21 KOs) since his last fight on April 27, when Quillin dropped challenger Fernando Guerrero four times en route to an impressive victory by seventh-round technical knockout.
Quillin will make his second world title defense Oct. 26 against challenger Gabriel “King” Rosado (21-6, 13 KOs), airing on Showtime Championship Boxing, live from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. WBO No. 11-rated Rosado, fighting out of nearby Philadelphia, was stopped in the seventh round of his only world title fight to World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight title-holder Gennady Golvkin last January.
In the past five-plus months, Quillin has turned 30, married Allison Berger, and started a few businesses (T-shirts and headphones).
“I'm in the best shape of my life and preparing to elevate myself to another level for this fight,” Quillin said. “Since my last fight I've set myself up in a lot of good ways, financially-speaking, so I'll be able to pay bills for years. I have a family now with a wife who is my inspiration. My wife has a good career. She's the producer of NBC's Today Show. She supports me 100-percent and has helped me a lot with some creative ideas.
“I learn more about myself every fight. I know what my purpose in life is and who I really am. I've got past any insecurities I may have had – not insecure feelings about fighting my opponent – about letting people down. I've learned in life that you can't make everybody happy. I've elevated myself as a fighter and person.”
Rosado is coming off a fight with J'Leon Love last May, in which Rosado lost a disputed split decision that was overturned and ruled a no-contest, when Love failed a post-fight test. The 27-year-old Rosado had won seven fights in a row prior to his loss to Golovkin.
“We're both looking for definitive performances,” Quillin remarked. “I'm putting in the work at training camp to continue improving, physically and mentally. Rosado is coming ready to fight. He may have six losses, including one to a guy I bet (Guerrero), but I'm expecting to fight the best Gabriel Rosado.
“If all the talking he's been doing is good for him, well, that's fine with me. I don't come up short. He knows how to lose, I don't. I know some of the guys I fought aren't the same. If the punches he's taken in the past have hurt him, it'll just make my job easier. I don't have a problem with him. This fight isn't personal; it's business. We've both signed a contract to fight. We'll shake hands before and after our fight, when I walk out of the ring the winner once again.” | <urn:uuid:7074dba0-8281-4057-a531-635d63677cd8> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.thesweetscience.com/press-releases/17372-news-on-bryant-jennings-ola-afolabi | 2016-07-29T17:54:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257831770.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071031-00194-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966347 | 2,254 |
Webtag: a new web tool providing tags/anchors for RT-PCR experiments with prokaryotes
© Pinto et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2007
Received: 01 June 2007
Accepted: 25 October 2007
Published: 25 October 2007
Webtag is a tool providing oligonucleotide sequences (usually called tags or anchors) that are absent from a specified genome. These tags/anchors can be appended to gene specific primers for reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction experiments, circumventing genomic DNA contamination.
The use of a relational database, in conjunction with a series of scripts written in PHP and Perl, allows the user to rapidly obtain tags that are: 1) suitable for a specific organism, and 2) compatible with other oligonucleotides to be used in the experimental procedures.
This new web tool allows scientists to easily and rapidly obtain suitable tags for RT-PCR experiments, and is available at http://www.egs.uu.se/software/webtag/.
In order to better understand different aspects of metabolism it is important to study the underlying transcriptional profile. A key factor to assemble such profiles is the ability to obtain good gene expression data. For that purpose, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) became the method of choice more than a decade ago [2, 3].
RT-PCR allows exponential amplification of even a very low copy number mRNA. Because of its high sensitivity, the process is very vulnerable to DNA contamination.
Unfortunately, no RNA extraction method can guarantee the absolute absence of DNA in any given sample, ultimately leading to amplification, during PCR, of both cDNA and contaminating genomic DNA [4–11].
The effects of DNA contamination can be overcome using techniques like oligo d(A) selection, intron spanning primer design, DNase I treatment or restriction endonuclease digestion [7, 8, 11]. However, these procedures can be time consuming, expensive and contribute to RNA degradation. Moreover, in the particular case of prokaryotes, oligo d(A) selection and intron spanning primer design are not applicable solutions.
Due to the constant growth in available genomic data, tags that were before considered adequate, or are even part of commercially available kits, produce significant alignments for many microorganisms when BLASTed (data not shown). Tagenerator was our first effort to give the molecular biologist the possibility to associate to the potential of the above described methods with the use of genome-absent tags. The tool proved useful, but the software requirements (Perl, BioPerl and BLAST ) and the long runtime for bigger genomes made it somewhat unpractical for some users. In order to improve the ease of use we decided to create Webtag – a web based tool that, while having the same goal as Tagenerator, would be based on improved algorithms for tag/anchor generation, much faster runtime and the possibility to handle batch runs.
Basic components of the Webtag tool
The web tool consists of two components: 1) a MySQL relational database and 2) a web interface implemented in PHP, running on an Apache web server and using Perl scripts for batch processing. Prior to building the database, Perl scripts were also used in the generation of tag sequences, genome adequacy evaluation (BLAST) , melting temperature calculation and likelihood of secondary structure formation [15, 16].
Generation of genome adequate tags
Since specific, high yield, PCR can only be achieved using carefully designed primers, the following tag construction parameters were considered and implemented: tag length, melting temperature, GC content, absence of repeats and absence of secondary structures.
After full assembly, all sequences were analyzed for GC content (40% to 60%), correct melting temperature (above 52°C) [15, 16] and secondary structure formation (maximum free energy must be above -4 kcal/mol for dimer formation, and above -3 kcal/mol for hairpin formation) . This process resulted in the generation of more than half a million unique tags.
All tags are then tested for genome adequacy, against each prokaryotic genomic sequence found at the NCBI FTP server . For this purpose BLAST settings are defined as length 7 and E value 10. With such settings, even statistically poor hits resulted in tag rejection.
Finally, suitable tags were then integrated in the relational database.
If needed, it is possible to submit batch jobs to Webtag. When using this feature a group of sense primers must be supplied by the user (in some cases, reverse transcription gene specific primers can be specified along with the sense primers). Three types of batch jobs can be run, depending on the user's needs:
Type 1 – returns one tag for each submitted sense primer or a pair consisting of sense primer and reverse transcription gene specific primer.
Type 2 – after returning one tag for a sense primer (or a pair consisting of sense primer and reverse transcription gene specific primer), Webtag checks whether the tag may be compatible with other submitted queries. In this way, the number of needed tags is reduced.
Type 3 – only one tag will be returned, compatible with a list of sense primers submitted by the user (RT gene specific primers are not considered). The average melting temperature is calculated and used to select a set of compatible tags. These tags are then checked for secondary structure formation against all sense primers, and the first tag to have all dimerization free energies above -6 kcal/mol is output as a suitable tag.
Results and Discussion
Molecular biology methods
RNA extractions from Nostoc PCC73102 were carried-out using TRI Reagent (Molecular Research Center, Inc – USA), based on protocol given by the supplier. All RT-PCR reactions were performed in a two-step fashion using the RevertAid First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit (Fermentas, Lithuania) and 2× PCR Master Mix (Fermentas, Lithuania), according to manufacturer's instructions. Between these two steps cDNA was cleaned using MSB Spin PCRapace kit (Invitek, Germany), following manufacturers' protocol.
Validation of new tag generation algorithm
The new method to generate tags resulted in higher sequence variation, since it does not limit the 3' and 5' ends to a pre-defined list . As a consequence, more than half a million unique sequences were found possessing good priming.
Primers used in RT-PCR and generated PCR product sizes (in base pairs). During PCR the tag used as antisense primer was CAACAGACGCACGACGCAGCAGAC (bold in the tagged RT primer sequences).
Tagged RT primer
Webtag database content and output
At the moment, the database holds tags suitable for 410 prokaryotic strains, downloaded from the NCBI FTP server . The database will be frequently revised to include additions to NCBI.
As shown in Figure 3, the final results are returned in a simple format that facilitates primer ordering and experimental procedure planning.
Webtag is a unique web service allowing the user to rapidly obtain tags that are: 1) suitable for a specific organism, and 2) compatible with other oligonucleotides to be used in the experimental procedures.
Availability and requirements
Project name: Webtag
Project web page: http://www.egs.uu.se/software/webtag/
Operating system(s): platform independent
Other requirements: web browser and internet connection
License: free for academic use
Restrictions to use by non-academics: license needed
List of abbreviations used
basic local alignment search tool.
complementary deoxyribonucleic acid.
genomic deoxyribonucleic acid.
messenger ribonucleic acid.
National Center for Biotechnology Information.
polymerase chain reaction.
reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
This work was financially supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Nordic Energy Research Program (project BioHydrogen), and the EU/NEST Projects SOLAR-H (contract #516510) and BioModularH2 (contract #043340). Håkan Svensson received financial support from the Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse. Ola Lundström (Department of Evolution, Genomics and Systematics, Uppsala University) is acknowledged for his contribution to the layout and artwork of the webpage. We would like to acknowledge Åsa Söderberg (Department of Photochemistry and Molecular Science, The Ångström Laboratories, Uppsala University) for her input during the development and testing of this tool.
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. | <urn:uuid:2b03bb86-ef8c-4045-885a-52c48fb22842> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://bmcbiotechnol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6750-7-73 | 2016-07-24T03:50:41Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257823935.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071023-00057-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.793506 | 2,855 |
Pokémon Emergency! (Japanese: たいけつ！ポケモンセンター！ Showdown! Pokémon Center!) is the 2nd episode of Pokémon: Indigo League.
After the encounter with Spearow, Ash goes to Viridian City and find a hospital. A police officer named Jenny takes him to the Pokémon Center, while the girl Ash borrowed the bike comes to get him. Though Pikachu rests at the Center, a group named Team Rocket attack the Pokémon center and demand all Pokémon. How will Ash and the girl deal with them and will Pikachu be fine?
The episode begins showing Ash stating that he will be the greatest Pokémon master of all time and recaps the events of Pokémon, I Choose You!. The camera then shows an overview of Viridian City and the voice of Officer Jenny is heard warning the citizens of Pokémon thieves. She then spots Ash rushing to the Pokémon Center with Pikachu. She accuses Ash of stealing Pikachu, but quickly apologizes when she realizes he is going to the Pokémon Center. She asks for his identification and spots Ash's Pokédex, which confirms that Ash is a Pokémon trainer and not a thief. Ash then asks to take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center, but Officer Jenny decides to take him in her motorcycle. As they pull away, Misty appears with her destroyed bike.
Team Rocket then take their picture off the wanted board and, from their hot air balloon, talk about their plan to steal the rare Pokémon of Viridian City. Ash and Officer Jenny are then seen driving towards the Pokémon Center, with Officer Jenny driving the motorcycle into the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy, after quickly reprimanding Officer Jenny, calls for a stretcher for an electric type Pokémon. Two Chansey come out with the stretcher and put Pikachu on it. Nurse Joy then goes to start the treatment and then criticizes Ash for allowing Pikachu to battle until it was in such a bad condition. Ash attempts to tell her the story, but is cut off. Nurse Joy then goes into the theatre room and Officer Jenny goes to get her motorcycle out of the Pokémon Center.
Ash is forced to wait in the waiting room and after a while decides to phone home. His mom answers the phone and talks to him, and he is depressed due to Pikachu's condition. He talks down about himself, telling his mother he feels like a falling Pidgey, but his mother tells him that he can do anything he puts his mind to. Ash then spots a board showing four Pokémon and he notices the mysterious bird Pokémon he saw flying over the rainbow. The telephone then begins to ring and Ash answers, discovering that Professor Oak is phoning to check up on him. Professor Oak tells Ash that the other three Pallet Town trainers had already made it to Viridian City and that he bet his grandson, Gary, a million dollars that Ash would have caught a Pokémon by the time he reached Viridian City. He then tells Professor Oak about seeing the mysterious flying Pokémon and then hangs up to collect his pizza.
An angry Misty then appears and shows Ash her bike, which was destroyed by Pikachu using Thundershock. She angrily tells Ash that he will have to pay for a new bike. Ash tells her about Pikachu, stating that 'he's not too good'. Misty quickly becomes sad and, after a brief moment, Nurse Joy and the two Chansey bring Pikachu out on a stretcher. Nurse Joy, happy from the successful treatment, tells Ash that Pikachu will still need to stay in the Pokémon Center. Misty also calms down, stating that she will give Ash time before he has to replace her bike.
The voice of Officer Jenny is then heard as she informs the citizens of Viridian City about an aircraft being detected. Jessie and James of Team Rocket are then seen, with James being unhappy about the fact that they being treated like criminals. The two then drop one Poké Ball each through the roof of the Pokémon Center. Koffing and Ekans come out of their Poké Balls and Koffing uses SmokeScreen, with Team Rocket and Meowth dropping into the building, and reciting their soon to be infamous motto. Afterwards, they tell Ash, Misty and Nurse Joy of their plot to steal the rare and injured Pokémon at the Pokémon Center.
They then command Koffing and Ekans to attack, with Koffing using smoke screen and Ekans using tackle attack and ripping the power cables. Ash, Misty and Nurse Joy run into a room filled with the injured Poké Balls and begin to transport the Poké Balls to the Pokémon Center at Pewter City. Koffing and Ekans then burst into the room along with Team Rocket and Meowth, causing many of the Poké Balls to fall on the floor. Ash picks one up and throws it, with a Pidgey appearing, although the Pidgey is scared away by Ekans. Ash then throws another Poké Ball, which is empty and then another with a Rattata inside, which is also scared off by Ekans.
Misty then steps in and begins a battle against them, throwing her own Poké Ball, with Goldeen appearing, although it is only able to fall on the floor. She calls Goldeen back and tells Ash to run away with Pikachu. Ash runs away and the stretcher crashes. Pikachu is woken up and tells the other Pokémon Center Pikachu to come out and attack. They use Thunder Shock to attack Team Rocket, Koffing and Ekans, although Meowth escapes the attack. Pikachu then tells Ash he needs more energy and he gets on Misty's destroyed bike, pedaling to make the light come on. Pikachu then uses the energy from the light to use Thunder Shock. Koffing then uses Smokescreen, which causes an explosion that destroys the Pokémon Center, just as Officer Jenny arrives. Team Rocket are then sent blasting off and manage to hold on to a rope from their hot air balloon, deciding to follow Ash and to kidnap his Pikachu.
Nurse Joy is then seen talking to her older sister from Pewter City. Her sister states that the Pokémon were successfully transferred. Nurse Joy of Viridian City then states that Ash, Misty and Pikachu have headed out to Viridian Forest and questions whether they will be okay, although Officer Jenny is confident they will be 'from what I've seen'. Ash, Misty and Pikachu are then seen walking through the Viridian Forest and Misty screams after seeing a Caterpie, causing a bird Pokémon to fly away. Ash decides to try and capture the Caterpie and throws his Poké Ball, which remains in mid-flight as the episode comes to an end.
- Nurse Joy's Chansey
- Team Rocket's Meowth
- Koffing (James's)
- Ekans (Jessie's)
- Goldeen (Misty's)
- "I am Dexter. A Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced." — Dexter
- "A wanted poster. How flattering." — Jessie
- "Flattering? This picture makes me look terrible." — James
- "Then you should be happy that the photographer captured the real you." — Jessie
- "Exactly." — James
- "We'll show these bumpkins."— Jessie
- "The people of Viridian City will be sorry they ever saw this face." — James
- "We're all sorry to see your face. Stay focused. We're here to capture rare and unusual Pokémon. Don't forget, Meowth." — Meowth
- "Absolutely." — Jessie
- "But of course." — James
- "And just remember, I'm the top cat." — Meowth
- "You got it." — James
- "Meowth." — Meowth
- "What happened to my bike? You happened to my bike you little loser! This is what's left after you stole it to save your Pokémon! Now I can see why your Pokémon is in - whoaoaoaoah!" — Misty after Ash asked what happened to her bike
- "I don't want any of your lame excuses, kid! I just want a new bike right now!" — Misty being more angry
- "Don't be frightened, little boy." — Jessie
- "Allow us to introduce ourselves." — James
- "To protect the world from devastation." — Jessie
- "To unite all peoples within our nation." — James
- "To denounce the evils of truth and love." — Jessie
- "To extend our reach to the stars above." — James
- "Jessie." — Jessie
- "James." — James
- "Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light." — Jessie
- "Surrender now or prepare to fight." — James
- "Meowth, that's right." — Meowth
- "Too late, but not for the fireworks." — Officer Jenny
- The Who's That Pokémon of this episode is Koffing.
- The episode marks the arrival of Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, who have subsequently appeared in almost every episode of the series attempting to capture Ash's Pikachu, although they didn't show any interest in stealing it at first (ironically enough).
- Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother, mentions Ash's father for the first time.
- A cuckoo clock is seen during the episode with a green Pidgey in the place of the cuckoo, despite Pidgey not being green.
- This is the first time Team Rocket blasted off.
- In the original Misty introduces herself to Team Rocket as the most beautiful girl, only to get mocked at, however in the dub, she thanks them for complementing on her "Pretty Talk", only to have Jessie saying that she's Pretty pathethic, near the end of the episode only Nurse Joy mentions her name.
- In the original Misty uses what's left of her bike (that she's been carrying over her shoulder to the Pokémon Center) as an analogy to fish.
- Meowth has a more leadership role in the dub (though it loses out the first hint of Team Rocket's Mysterious Boss), while in the original, Meowth mentions that if they succeed, the boss would run happily in the garden, and that the cat would enjoy the coins in the heating table.
- Moreover, his analogy pertaining to Coins and Pokémon was also only in the original.
- Officer Jenny reminding to the citizens of Viridian City that it was almost dinner time was only in the original.
- Officer Jenny's tones of voice as she said "Speak of the Devil" were different between the Original and the Dub. | <urn:uuid:ac9a1d19-9df2-441b-81c9-ce7a02b0f69d> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/EP002 | 2016-07-24T02:54:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257823935.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071023-00057-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96046 | 2,212 |
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