CRIKEY IT'S RACE WEEK AGAIN!
But I've now realised that this weekend is the first race weekend of the year. February is usually a month where I'm finding my feet and building up the kilometres rather than focusing on race goals. Yet this year is totally different in many ways, and the early preparation has meant that conditioning under race conditions rather than training runs is a requirement. After all, these races are the easiest way to build up the kilometres I need to succeed in Comrades.
RACE PLAN: Steady for the first couple of kilometres, then look to increase the tempo from kilometres 6-16 before a strong finish. If I can stay with a pack for the first 6km it will be ideal.
TRAFFIC: There is a marathon taking place that begins 15 minutes earlier. Even though it's unlikely that the front runners will catch me prior to the finish given we're using the same course (they're running 2 laps of the half marathon course), I'll need to be mindful of giving room for faster runners much like in the Perth City to Surf when the leading half marathoners pass me when I've done close to 30km. There may be times where I can gauge my pace off a marathon runner particularly when I plan to increase the tempo for the middle 10km sector that I've identified yet I'll need to be mindful that I'm not in their race so there's no need to hold them up without necessity.
Following Sunday the plan will be for a couple of training runs in Melbourne which is basically going to be a recovery type session. Monday is a travel day (the return train trip), but Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will be the scheduled times for training. Then the following week will be another week in Brisbane, again climbing Mt Coot-tha at least once and possibly twice. Hill climbing will be a focus throughout March, as will pain management. I'm certain there will be times where I'll be sore on the long trek in South Africa so being able to cope with the pain whilst maintaining some sort of pace may become valuable if I want to finish. The next few weeks therefore are going to be busy, but hopefully it will be all worthwhile.


Individuals are challenged on a daily basis by the forces of life that can be opportunities or challenges, with even some of the most exciting opportunities becoming quite stressful if not managed properly. These stressors come in many forms, varying from personal stressors to work stressors and range from mild to moderate to major. As more employees are going to work experiencing a form of stress, organizations are seeing increasing risk levels for individuals with mental or physical illness in the workplace.
Cognitive hygiene refers to the ability to effectively manage negative thinking, maintain cognitive abilities to solve problems and make good decisions without thinking errors that might influence mental health. In this white paper, Dr. Bill Howatt explores how coping skills and resiliency impact an individual's everyday life, and how investing in cognitive hygiene has the ability to improve an organization's bottom line.


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Creative Insight
Are vinyl toys about to make a comeback?
Paul Budnitz, the man behind Kidrobot and Ello, is getting back into the art toy business with new "reality agnostic" company Superplastic. CR talks to him about the project
By Emma Tucker 23/05/2018 12:09 pm
In the early 2000s Paul Budnitz launched Kidrobot and started a vinyl toy craze. Collectors and street art enthusiasts were driven wild buying and trading rare editions, and investing in 'blind boxes' to acquire full sets.
The brand's success led to stores in Manhattan, San Francisco, London, LA, Las Vegas and Boulder, and lines around the block to get hold of rare toys and meet artists. But despite its outward success things weren't as bright from the inside, with Budnitz saying Kidrobot was "constantly broke". Bringing on investors in 2006 brought the company out of debt and helped them up the ante, but it also meant a division of priorities. "It was a big lesson," says Budnitz.
After ten years overseeing the company's runaway success – and watching the popularity of vinyl toys reach its peak – Budnitz had reached almost total burnout. He left KidRobot in 2012 and neither the company, nor the art toy business, ever seemed to completely recover.
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Creative Insight Art Graphic Design Product Design

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
You are here: Home Page > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Biomedical Fluid Dynamics
392 Pages | 108 color and 18 grayscale halftones; 293 color line drawings
Biomedical Fluid Dynamics
Flow and Form
Troy Shinbrot
Engaging illustrative experiments
Appendix describing MATLAB tools and tricks
Thought-provoking ethics questions for discussion
Historical vignettes add texture to material
Offers a first-principles introduction to modern mathematical methods needed to solve complex problems
This is a readable and attractively presented textbook on fluid flow in biological systems that includes flow through blood vessels, pulsatile flow, and pattern formation. It bridges the divide among biomedical engineering students between those with an engineering and those with a bio-scientific background, by offering guidance in both physiological and mathematical aspects of the subject.
Every chapter includes surprising, amusing, and stimulating effects that the reader may want to experiment on their own. Brief historical vignettes are also included throughout this book.
We in the 21st century can so easily turn to the computer to provide a solution, that we forget the extraordinary sparks of insight that scientists in centuries past had to rely on to provide us with the foundational understanding and analytical tools that we now depend on. This book is an attempt to maintain our roots in past investigations, while giving us wings to explore future ones.
1. Fundamental Equations
2. Elastic Surfaces
3. Flows Through Elastic Tubes
4. Pulsatile Flows
5. Entrances, branches and bends
6. Shearing flows around cylinders and spheres
7. Intermezzo - effects of increasing Reynolds number
8. Inviscid flows
9. Rheology in complex fluids - 1
10. Rheology in complex fluids - 2
11. Statistical mechanics, diffusion and self-assembly
12. Diffusion
13. Self assembly and beyond
Troy Shinbrot, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University
Troy Shinbrot received his undergraduate degree from Reed College, and his PhD from the University of Maryland. His dissertation dealt with the control of chaos. After leaving Maryland, he joined the faculty at Rutgers University, where he has studied mixing, demixing, soft matter physics, as well as a smattering of topics in neuroscience, pharmaceutical engineering, and astrophysics. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the founding editor of Physical Review Applied.
"This book is an impressive collection of the fluid flow in biological systems. At the same time it is a readable and attractively presented graduate textbook for biomedical engineersâthe book represents a model of an interdisciplinary approach. This book is an attempt to maintain our roots in past investigations, while giving us wings to explores future ones." -- Titus Petrila, zbMath
The Sun: A Very Short Introduction
Philip Judge
Optical Properties of Solids
Mark Fox
Evolutionary Innovation
Maureen D. McKelvey
Sound: A Very Short Introduction
Mike Goldsmith
Quantum Field Theory for the Gifted Amateur
Tom Lancaster and Stephen J. Blundell
Richard A. L. Jones
Michael Faraday: A Very Short Introduction
Frank A.J.L James
Foundations of Biomedical Ultrasound
Richard S. C. Cobbold
Niels Bohr: A Very Short Introduction
J. L. Heilbron
A Modern Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
Michele Maggiore
DNA Demystified
Alan McHughen
The Oxford Handbook of the History of Physics
Jed Z. Buchwald and Robert Fox
James P. Sethna
Constructing Quantum Mechanics
Anthony Duncan and Michel Janssen
Science & Mathematics > Physics > Condensed Matter Physics
Science & Mathematics > Engineering & Technology > Biological Engineering
Science & Mathematics > Engineering & Technology


text:
Q: Self-coded QuestionAnswering models are not trained effectively I tried using Transformers' own Albert ForQuestionAnswering, which was able to train effectively. But I define similar code myself and can't train it effectively.
model = AutoModelForQuestionAnswering.from_pretrained(config.bert_model)

my model:The rest of the code is the same. That is, the code for training and testing is the same, but the loaded model is different.
class BertQA(nn.Module):
    def __init__(self, config):
        super(BertQA, self).__init__()
        self.albert  = AutoModel.from_pretrained(config.bert_model, add_pooling_layer=False)
        # for name, param in self.model.named_parameters():
        #     print(name, param)
        self.qa_outputs = nn.Linear(312, 2, bias=True)
        self._init_weights([self.qa_outputs])

    def _init_weights(self, blocks, **kwargs):
        """
        参数初始化,将 Linear / Embedding / LayerNorm 与 Bert 进行一样的初始化
        """
        for block in blocks:
            for module in block.modules():
                if isinstance(module, nn.Linear):
                    module.weight.data.normal_(mean=0.0, std=0.02)
                    if module.bias is not None:
                        nn.init.zeros_(module.bias)

    def forward(self,
                input_ids,
                attention_mask,
                token_type_ids,
                start_positions=None,
                end_positions=None):
        outputs = self.albert(input_ids=input_ids, attention_mask=attention_mask, token_type_ids=token_type_ids)

        sequence_output = outputs[0]

        logits = self.qa_outputs(sequence_output)
        start_logits, end_logits = logits.split(1, dim=-1)
        start_logits = start_logits.squeeze(-1)  # (32, 512)
        end_logits = end_logits.squeeze(-1)  # (32, 512)

        total_loss = None
        if start_positions is not None and end_positions is not None:
            if len(start_positions.size()) > 1:
                start_positions = start_positions.squeeze(-1)
            if len(end_positions.size()) > 1:
                end_positions = end_positions.squeeze(-1)
            # end_positions: (32)
            # start_position: (32)
            loss_fct = CrossEntropyLoss()
            start_loss = loss_fct(start_logits, start_positions)
            end_loss = loss_fct(end_logits, end_positions)
            total_loss = (start_loss + end_loss) / 2

            return total_loss
        else:
            start_logits = torch.argmax(start_logits, 1)
            end_logits = torch.argmax(end_logits, 1)
            return start_logits, end_logits
model = BertQA(config)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Balenciaga is one of the most influential brands in the fashion world, created in 1936 in Paris, it has led many important trendy movements between 1930 and 1968. Its representative read-to-wear collections perfectly shows the identity of the brand, and its leather goods, shoes and accessories also have achieved global success. The leather bag is one of the main products of this brand.
One is the Classic series and the other is the Giant collection. Classic series, just as the name implies, is considered the most classic one of Balenciaga brand. Small and delicate rivets as well as the tissues on it must appeal your eyes. As for the Giant series, there are bigger rivets on each bag, and it is without tissues. So you can choose one up to your taste.
These Balenciaga replica handbags here are many colors for you to choose. Whether you like a bright color or a dark color, it will meet your needs. Blue, black, grey, pink, purple and other color here is wonderful.
More than 1/2 Balenciaga handbags at rus.tl are same as the real versions looking from the appearance. And the most obvious feature is the rivets on the bag, so Metallic is a unique character of this brand. And then, you can find that the Fringe is another feature of these handbags. Also, there are many other textures of these Balenciaga imitations, you can find one which you are fond of.
This Balenciaga Baby Daim Velo Silver Hardware Rounded Top Handle Anthracite Leather Handbag in my site is hot selling. And I will recommend it to you who like it. All black anthracite leather exterior shows unique charm and exquisite workmanship. Polished silver hardware and exquisite tissue add more charm to this bag. When you open the zipper closure, a zipper flat pocket and a slip pocket as well as the leather framed hand mirror inside plays a very important part when you go outside, since they provide you more room to help you place your different items orderly.
Last but not least, as one of the most reputable site in UK and USA, we Rus.tl here promise you the best quality service for the price and quality. And by virtue of the most professional production team and the rigorous work attitude, with the most sophisticated products, we will try our best to provide every customer the best service, best memories for you leave.


The 71st Annual National Hard Crab Derby and Fair serves up a week of family fun in Crisfield.
Labor Day weekend means one thing in Crisfield, the annual Crab Derby and boat docking contest celebrating the end of another great summer.
At the 71st Annual National Hard Crab Derby and Fair, there is no shortage of events for families.
The fair spans one week starting on Monday, Aug. 27, with the Miss Crustacean Pageant at 7 p.m. with more pageants taking place the following day. Carnival grounds open to the public on Wednesday, Aug. 29 and will be free except on Saturday when there will be a $3 gate charge.
According to one of the organizers of the Crab Derby and former mayor, Kim Lawson, the 71st Crab Derby and Governor's Cup Race and the week of activities the race spawned is a celebration unlike anything else in the area.
Even though the week is based on years of tradition, Lawson said the races are not the only large crowd attraction.
"It is not the only event people care for, one of the biggest things to happen in 47 years and has grown into the most vied for ticket is the Crisfield Boat Docking Contest," Lawson said.
A full list of events and times such as free concert, raffles for prizes, the 54th Annual Crab Derby Cooking Contest that "will knock your socks off" and many more events on the National Crab Derby website.
Lawson highlighted two more events that will be fun — a fireworks display that is the "culmination of the event," on Sunday evening and the Crab Picking Contest.
To Lawson, the focus of the festival is on friends and families having a great end of their summer.
"There is nothing that goes on at any of these events that isn't about family entertainment. I think that is the thing that the city celebrates most about the festival, almost all of it is good fun and trying to have a good time," he said.
Miss Crustacean Pageant , 7 p.m., Crisfield High School. Admission $15.
Little Miss/Little Mr. Pageant, 7 p.m. Crisfield High School. Admission: $10.
Grounds open for carnival only, 6-10 p.m. Admission: Free; wristbands available for rides. No vendors.
Carnival Grounds Open, 6-10 p.m. Rides, food and vendors. Admission: Free; wristbands available for rides.
Also: Arts & Entertainment "Have A Seat" Chair Auction.
Carnival Grounds Open, 6-10 p.m. . Rides, food and vendors. Admission: Free; wristbands available for rides.
Concert — The Kelly Bell Band, 7 p.m. Admission: Free.
Parade, 11 a.m. Main Street. Admission Free.
Carnival Grounds Open, noon-10 p.m. . Rides, food and vendors. Admission: $3.
Concert, The Funsters, 7 p.m. Admission $10.
Open Air Religious Service, 8 a.m. Crisfield City Dock. Admission: Free.
Carnival Grounds Open, noon-10 p.m. . Rides, food and vendors. Admission: Free.
Boat Docking Contest, 1-4 p.m. Crisfield City Dock. Admission: $15.
FireBowl 2018, 6 p.m. Christian artist. Admission: Free.
Christian Concert, 7:30 p.m. sponsored by Living Hope Ministries and Firewall Youth. Admission: Free.


Memphis,Tenn-The Memphis Blast are proud to announce the re-signing of T/DT #54 Steven Fluker. The 6-6, 315 lbs offensive tackle will be entering his fifth season as the Blast starting left tackle. he is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the GDFL during the 2017 Season. The Blast are often lauded for their offensive firepower, and Fluker is an extremely important reason for this. Despite weighing 310 pounds, Fluker has tremendous agility and quickness which he uses to counteract edge pass rushers Fluker played his collegiate ball at Lane College where he also was a standout basketball player which explains his explosive footwork.
Memphis Blast is the longest running sports franchise team in the Mid-south region and is within shouting distance of Little Rock, Arkansas (137 miles) and Nashville (212 miles).
The Memphis Blast will host a tryout for players interested in seeing if they have what it takes to be a member of a premier professional football club. The tryouts are held every saturday in November 2017 thru February 2018.
All prospective players should fill out a Player Tryout Form and attend at least one of the tryout dates, although attending training camp is highly recommended in order to secure a roster spot. The tryouts are for all positions, including punters and kickers. Players should wear and appropriate athletic apparel to run through football drills.
You can also look for more information on 2018 Memphis Blast tryouts on our website, via Twitter, or by visiting our Facebook fan page.
The Gridiron Developmental Football League is a Professional Developmental Football League based in Memphis,Tennessee. This League was established to provide the community with high quality sports entertainment and to provide athletes the opportunity to participate in professional sports. We are looking at partnering with national and local area businesses in our pursuit of excellence and commitment to our community. Our commitment, dedication, and vision are set on building a firm foundation for professionalism and quality. The Gridiron Developmental Football League continues to strive to provide a quality minor professional level of football throughout the United States and beyond giving area athletes and fans the opportunity be a part of history. Our organization would like to thank you for your support. We are excited about the upcoming season and look forward to "Making AN IMPACT" in our Community.
Fans&Players can visit our website at www.gdfl.org for upcoming announcements, ticketing info, and player tryouts.
The GDFL Communications Office contributed to this article.
Next Story → A&W Catfish partner with the Memphis Blast!


text:
Australian Outlook
Filter in Australian Outlook
Search in Australian Outlook
Issues briefs
Hong Kong's Extradition Law Crisis: How Should Australia Respond?
By Simon Henderson — Analysis
With no sign of Hong Kong protestors letting up or the crisis being substantively resolved, the Australian Government and Parliament should each take three initial measures to stand up for democratic values, rule of law and human rights.
The Broad, Substantial Success of the 2019 G20 Osaka Summit
By Professor John Kirton — Analysis
Between 28–29 June, G20 leaders successfully produced substantial achievements on the central trade questions and many development, social, ecological and security issues. But they failed on their greatest challenge: controlling climate change.
Youth Engagement in Southeast Asian Elections
By Gabriele Natalia Siahaan — Fresh perspective
Despite their regional proximity, the political engagement of youth in recent major elections in Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia has differed from the very vocal to the more subtle and secretive, reflecting the distinct challenges in each nation.
Brexit and Article 50
Interview with Professor Richard Whitman — Interview
Professor Richard Whitman speaks with AIIA WA's Flavia Bellieni Zimmermann on the impact of Brexit on the EU and the Northern Ireland border, as well as the impact of a No-Deal Brexit or the possibility of a no Brexit at all.
The Iran–US Crisis: Pathways to Possible Solutions
By Ian Dudgeon — Analysis
Despite Iran's frustrating tactics and stubbornness, the nation's leaders may well know they must renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. However, they are seeking a pathway that avoids simple capitulation to Trump.
Comparing International Law Rhetoric With Foreign Policy Practice: Australia's Diplomatic Asylum Initiative
By Associate Professor Savitri Taylor — Analysis
Australia never once purported to exercise its right to grant diplomatic asylum despite quite exceptionally choosing to assert the existence of that right. Other countries that denied the existence of such a right nevertheless granted it in practice.
Australian Leadership in Regional Institutions: Scott Morrison's Foreign Policy Speech
By Tony Walker FAIIA — Analysis
The Australian prime minister's first foreign policy speech last week repositioned Australia as a creative middle power that seeks to develop a regional security architecture. For this he deserves credit, though the test is to realise these ambitions.
Trade Provides the Ballast for Relations with China
By Professor James Laurenceson — Analysis
While diversification is sometimes presented as a simple fix to apparent economic over-dependence on China, no amount of hoping will make India the "next China." And despite the risks, two-way trade with China provides the ballast when politics gets rough.
Promoting Women in International Affairs: DFAT's "Women in Leadership" Strategy
By Melissa Conley Tyler — Analysis
The last five years have seen a marked increase in the number of women representing Australia at senior levels in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). There are many other areas where the lessons from DFAT's Women in Leadership Strategy can be applied.
Without Reform, Further Violence Is Likely in Hong Kong
By Professor David Zweig
The animosity that motivated this week's violence in Hong Kong runs much deeper than dissatisfaction over a failed extradition bill. While many Hong Kongers believe violence undermines their economic future, the young people who trashed the legislative chamber of the city see no future in the institutions and economic opportunities offered to them.
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© Copyright 2019 Australian Institute of International Affairs. ACN 000 045 170


Many frauds go unreported because victims are too embarrassed to admit that they were duped. When that happens, the con man is free to move on to his next victim.
There is no shame in becoming a crime victim. The unfortunate fact is that it can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. One of the most common scams is called the pigeon drop. Fall for it and it will cost you dearly.
In the pigeon drop, a couple of strangers tell you they've found or won a large sum of money, a lottery or some other item of value. Then they explain that they can't immediately access the fortune for some reason. They may claim that immediate access will subject them to massive taxes. Or they may claim to be illegal aliens forbidden from cashing a winning lottery ticket. All these are simply ruses to draw you into the scam.
Next, they'll tell you that if you put up some good faith money to secure the prize or winnings, the strangers will split the winnings with you. Don't fall for it! If you do, one thing's for sure: You'll never see the strangers or your money again.
Please report any fraud, scam, rip-off or suspicious activity to your local law enforcement agency. The information that you provide might be just enough to thwart a crime, catch a thief or prevent others from being victimized.
There have been a number of recent reports of various scammers who appraoch homeowners (usually elderly homeowners) and offer them a "deal" on roofing or asphalt paving. They price the job at "several hundred dollars", but on completion they insist the homeowner pay them thousands of dollars. Homeowners are often so intimidated that they write checks on the spot for the inflated prices.
PLEASE warn your neighbors and relatives: Do not agree to any home repair work from persons who approach you. Get references before agreeing to have any work done. Pay only the agreed-on (in writing) price. Call the police if you feel you are being intimidated or threatened.
BANKS are alerted to be careful when cashing large checks on elderly customers' accounts presented by out-of-town or out-of-state individuals.
Unknown individuals (probably from Canada or Nigeria) are calling elderly individuals and advising them that they can receive a "Free Medical Card" if they provide the caller with their Bank Account Number.
Advise and Alert your friends and relatives to NOT provide any Bank Account information to callers. Your bank already knows your account information; no one else needs to know!
Beware of "Work At Home" scams that involve the worker returning money to the "employer". This is still another version of the popular "excess amount check or money-order" scams.
In this scam, the person who signs up for (or responds to an invitation for) a "Work At Home" job receives a check or money order which they are instructed to deposit in their own bank account, and then wire part of the amount back to the "company." The entire check eventually is found to be worthless, and the worker is scammed out of the amount they wired back (plus any of the rest of the check that they used).
The latest version of this scam is the "Secret Shopper", where workers are sent a check to use in sample purchases of merchandise, but must send part of the check back.
Be careful how you purchase Gift Cards for gift-giving. It appears that it is safer to purchase cards directly from a clerk than select them from open display shelves.
Crooks can copy numbers from gift cards on store racks. Then, after the card is purchased and activated, buyers use them to shop online by entering the card numbers. So do the crooks. They phone an 800 number to check on the balances for card numbers they have copied. When they discover activated cards, they use the card numbers to buy merchandise on a store's web site.
The legitimate owner of the gift card may find the account empty before they even have an opportunity to make purchases.
A new scam from Canada has been reported. The scammers, using the company name "Prudential Security, Inc.", send out phony award claims with phony cashiers checks. The company claims to be an online gambling company that has awarded the victim a cashiers check ranging from $3,000 to $5,000. The victim must call a phone number to authorize the release of the money, and must provide the scammers with the victim's bank account number. The scammers tell the victim that the cashiers check is only a small portion of the actual money the victim has won - the actual amount is supposed to be between $250,000 to $500,000.
DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM!!
The phone numbers of the scammers have been tracked to boiler rooms in Canada. Any person playing on-line poker or gambling games is a target.
Letters are arriving in local residents' mailboxes notifying them that they have won large cash amounts in the "Euromillones Loteria International", which was held on February 4, 2006. One letter stated "You have been approved for the lump payout sum of $810,179...", which will be deposited in the bank account of your choice (all relevant bank account and personal information to be furnished to the Euromillones folks on a conveniently provided form). DO NOT SEND Euromillones any personal or bank information!
Several people have reported that the ASPHALT PAVING TRAVELLERS ARE BACK IN TOWN, and scammed them on a driveway paving job. They approached the victims with the usual story: "left-over asphalt from another job", and offered to do his drive for half-price. The victim realized later that he had been over charged and the work was half done.
The scammers usually provide several credit card numbers to pay for the merchandise. (The cards later turn out to be stolen or otherwise bogus.) The destination for the merchandise is sometimes England, the Netherlands, or Nigeria (!!red flag!!). Sometimes, the person ordering the merchandise offers to have the order picked up, saving the merchant the trouble of shipping.
There have been numerous instances of this scam in recent years, and an article on MSNBC summarizing the problem is posted at: "Con Artists Target Phone System for Deaf"
Alerts have recently been issued by several states' Attorneys General as well as by the Army concerning a "Jury Duty Scam". Identity thieves pose as representatives of the local court system and obtain personal information from victims under the guise of obtaining "jury duty" information or by telling the victim that they have missed a jury duty summons. The theives then use this information for identity theft purposes.
BE ALERT: Your local court already has all of the information about you necessary for jury duty lists.
There have been at least 10 incidents involving a SCAM that offers Mexican Nationals assistance with obtaining paperwork to provide them with legal immigration status in the U.S. (work permit or naturalization documents). The person tells the victims that he will take care of all the paperwork, collects their money, and then never delivers on what he promised. The fee the suspect collects from each victim is in the thousands of dollars.
Residents reading a newspaper had found an adertisement from an out-of-state company which claimed they could help people with bad credit. The resident called the listed phone number and was told to send $500 through Western Union. The resident was told that this money would be used to clear up the resident's bad credit problems, and that the company would also send the resident back $5000 in the future. The resident sent the money and soon after discovered that the company's phone and fax numbers had been disconnected.
There have been a number of reports from elderly residents about a scam involving the offer of a "free ride." In this scam, the driver of a vehicle pulls up to an elderly person at a bus stop or walking along a road and offers them a "free ride." Often, the driver, a latin female who speaks Spanish and English, leads the elderly person to believe they know each other. Once they get in the car, the driver takes them to their destination, but manages to take their wallet or purse as she helps them get out of the car.
Some elderly residents have recently reported being confused (and losing money) with "No-Risk, Free-Trial" offers they received through the mail for "discount buyers clubs". The envelope contains a check for $10.00, made out to the resident, which the resident is encouraged to sign and cash or deposit. The next month, the resident is shocked to see that their credit card account has been charged $8.99 for "membership fee". The residents were also puzzled as to how their credit card had been charged, when they did not supply an account number. Similar offers for "trial memberships", with accompanying surprise charges, are also made through telemarketers.
Companies sending out such offers include in the fine print that the "trial membership" must be cancelled in a specified number of days, or the "member's" credit card will be charged. The companies sending out the offers have access to credit card numbers through affiliation with the bank or company owning the credit card account, so do not need for the "member" to provide the credit card number.
A resident received a call from a person who said he was with "Publishers Clearing House", offering the resident $250,000 if he would wire $2,500.00 by "Money-Gram" to any family member. The resident sent $1,250, by Money-Gram wire, to his mother in Del Rio, Texas. The resident received a receipt from the Money-Gram company. However, the resident later learned that his mother, in Del Rio, never received the money, and it was later learned that the Money-Gram had been diverted, by an unknown person, to a location in Canada. It was also learned that an unknown person in Canada had already claimed the money.
Law enforcement agencies have sent out alerts about several groups of "Travellers" who are doing Asphalt Paving Scams, particularly on elderly homeowners. In these scams, the Travelers (usually described as white males, in their 30's or 40's, driving nice pickups and pulling trailers with paving equipment), approach the resident with a "too good to be true" discount deal on doing paving work, requiring payment up front. After the resident has paid, the Travellers either do a very quick, slipshod job (often just spreading a little tar on top of the drive), or disappear altogether.
In a few cases, the Travellers actually dump asphalt on the driveway first, then demand payment from the resident, making threats of harm if not paid.
Always call the police if someone threatens you.
There have been several recent cases involving home improvement scams connected with the same "remodeling company". In one case, the complainant believes the remodeling workers were responsible for the disappearance of a large dollar amount of jewelry; in a second case, "owners" of the same remodeling company took a check for $600 from the elderly resident, but did not return to do the work.
NOTICE: All residents considering home remodeling or repairs should only deal with repair companies/persons they already know, or should have the company representative complete the BASIC CONTRACTOR INFORMATION FORM linked here.
Residents report receiving offers from a commercial company to assist them, for a fee, with filling out application papers for the "Green Card Lottery" (the US State Department's Diversity Visa -- DV -- Lottery).
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a Scam Alert concerning "unscrupulus businesses and attorneys who claim that, for a fee, they can make it easier for you to win the DV Lottery."
First Incident: An elderly resident was recently having some plumbing repair work done at her home when she was approached by two "agents": one identified herself as an "insurance agent" and the second as a representative the the District Attorney's Office. The two "agent" suspects told the elderly resident that the plumbers were going to scam her, and the two agents were there to apprehend them.
The suspects told the elderly resident that she would need to cash a $12,000 check and split it with the suspects. One suspect told the resident that the plumbers would ask for more money the following day, and that when the suspects gave the plumbers their share of the $12,000, the "agent" suspects would arrest the plumbers. A friend of the resident's stopped by as the suspects were getting ready to take the resident to the bank to cash the $12,000 check. The friend questioned the suspects, who became nervous and fled.
Second Incident: A few days later, the same two suspects, driving the same vehicle approached another elderly woman and tried to scam her out of $5,000. The suspects identified themselves as Prudential Insurance agents, and told the woman she needed to have her roof replaced. The woman was in the process of writing a $5,000 check when a friend happened to intervene on her behalf.
Law Enforcement has received several complaints citizens who have recently been receiving "Lottery Prize" letters, with an enclosed check for $72,000. The letter states the law requires the recipient to send an "international tax fee" of $1,850.00 to claim the lottery "winnings".
THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY!!! The $72,000 check is worthless!!
Home Repair Scams are frequently discussed on the SCAMNET pages, particularly scams targeting elderly residents. During the past year there have been a number of incidents reported involving roof repairs that were "forced" on an elderly victim. In these scams, the suspect comes to the door and tells the elderly resident that they (the suspect) had installed the roof on the house many years ago, and was returning to do necessary upkeep or repairs (or, in one case, the suspect told the elderly resident that he could see shingles loose and the roof obviously needed repair). When the resident expresses doubt, or refuses the repairs, the con artist uses any number of stories or ways to finally convince the resident to give him a check. Repairs are never done, or if "work" is done, it is superficial and most likely not needed in the first place.
BEWARE of any repair persons who come to your door unsolicited. Call the police if you believe someone is trying to scam you or pressure you into paying for repairs that you do not want or need.
There have been several incidents reported recently involving a business contacting a local resident (often an elderly resident) by phone, claiming the resident owes a large amount of money (for services or for goods). When the resident disclaims any knowledge of the debt or overdue account, the "collection agency" threatens the resident with stronger collection tactics (going to court, etc.), but offers to accept a percent of the money "owed" to settle the account.
Citibank has issued an ALERT concerning fraudulent e-mails Citibank account holders may receive asking them to validate their account information, including entering their PIN number and other personal information into a web page.
For more information on this SCAM, please go to the Citibank "Fraudulent E-Mails" web page.
For an example of one of these fraudulent e-mails click HERE.
The same type of scam has also been sent out using a variety of bank names, the names of various credit cards (Visa, etc.), as well as the names of other financial institutions. ALL have the same goal: to get you to tell them your PRIVATE account information, so they can use it for fraudulent purposes.
An alert concerning a current SCHOLARSHIP SCAM. A company called the College Funding Center has charged $1,000 and promised to assist students find scholarship opportunities.
Recently, two females conned a female out of approximately $15,000.00 in jewelry in a Latin Lotto Scam. One of the suspects approached the victim in a parking lot and claimed to have a $150,000 winning lotto ticket, but said she could not cash it because she was from Costa Rica. Suspect #2 arrived and convinced the victim that if they all chipped in $15,000 they could split the winnings. The victim took both suspects to her house and gave them the jewelry. The victim then drove the suspects to an office, where the suspects disappeared (with the victim's jewelry).
Letters are again being sent by e-mail and snail mail, notifying residents that they have "won the ElGordo Spanish Lottery." The notices provide an amount of winnings (usually US$ millions), and a phone number to contact to make the arrangements to have the winnings transferred to the US, to the "winners'" bank account.
It is such a widespread scam that the actual (legitimate) ElGordo Spanish Lottery has posted an ALERT on their web page, titled : "Advice About Scams" .
Do not reply to this letter if you receive one. Replying will only notify the scammers that your e-mail address is "good", and you will most likely receive additional scam solicitations.
The Internal Revenue Service issued a SCAM ALERT warning taxpayers about a new scam targeting potential recipients of the Advance Child Tax Credit. The IRS has seen isolated instances of this new scheme.
HOW DOES IT WORK ? A taxpayer receives a telephone call from a person who promises to speed up the payment of the Advance Child Tax Credit checks. The catch is the taxpayer must agree to a $39.99 charge to a credit card.
The IRS reminds taxpayers that no person or organization can "speed up" the payment of tax benefits.
IN REALITY: Taxpayers do not have to take any action to get the new benefit, which features an advance payment for up to $400 per qualifying child. The Treasury Department and IRS will perform all the calculations and automatically mail a notice and a check to each eligible taxpayer.
SIMILAR SCAMS: Under the new scam, the IRS is seeing a continuation of a trend that emerged earlier this year when the families of those serving in the Armed Forces were targeted. In both of these schemes, scam artists use current events to prey on unsuspecting victims. The scams also feature callers seeking credit card information to get taxpayers to pay for special benefits. If the taxpayer agrees to the charge and provides a credit card number or other sensitive personal information, she could find a much larger charge to her account. By the time the taxpayer realizes something is wrong, the scam operator is long gone, possibly victimizing another taxpayer.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? If you encounter this latest tax scam or suspect tax fraud or abuse in some other situation, report it to your nearest IRS office. When in doubt, seek help from the IRS or a tax professional.
You can also call the IRS TAX FRAUD HOTLINE at 1-800-829-0433.
Recently, there have been several reported cases involving an individual who goes door-to-door selling bogus subscriptions to the Express-News. The individual approaches the homeowner and offers them a newspaper subscription for the incredibly low price of $20 for six months. After the money is paid, the homeowner never receives a paper. In some instances, the individual has offered to accept credit cards, in an attempt to get the credit card number.
If someone approaches you offering an unusually cheap newspaper subscription, please contact the police, or verify the salesman's credentials with the Express-News before paying the salesman any money or providing him access to your credit card number.
Alerts have been issued by Frost National Bank, the FDIC, the Comptroller of the Currency, and other agencies concerning COUNTERFEIT CASHIER'S CHECKS that are currently being used in various scams originating in internet commerce or e-mail solicitations.
All the scams have in common the payment to the victim of a Cashier's Check for an amount much greater than what the victim is due (for the sale of an item, etc.). The "buyer" usually tells the victim/seller that "someone owes him money", and the victim can take the check in payment, deposit it, and refund the extra funds back to the "buyer" (who is generally in Nigeria or another African country). However, the Cashier's Check is later found to be counterfeit, and the victim is out not only the balance, but also the item sold (if it has been shipped).
One of the more popular Cashier's Checks used in this scam is a counterfeit Frost National Bank Cashier's Check. 98% have surfaced with the name of Joshua Acosta as the "remitter". (Acosta was a victim of this scam chain.) More than 300 victims have been identified from every state in the U.S. so far, with potential losses amounting to over $3 million.
This scam of providing a large amount Cashier's Check and agreeing to a refund of the balance is also used in variations of the very popular "Nigerian Investment Scam", in the newer variation the "Iraq Investment Scam" ("...desperate to get money out of Iraq..."), as well as purchase offers from African and Middle Eastern countries for items advertised for sale over the internet (vehicles are very popular targets), for "signing bonus" fees paid to victims who were offered non-existent jobs, plus a large variety of similar scams.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE FOOLED!! IT IS A SCAM.
This scam is a scam that is pulled throughout the US, using various brand names of audio speakers.
In this scam, a motorist is flagged down (at a stopsign, parking lot, etc.) by individuals in a van or car who say they have some really expensive audio speakers they need to sell (cheaply), because their "boss" (or their company) ordered too many.
After a great deal of bargaining and talking, the motorist finally purchases the speakers for a price that he/she believes is "cheap", only to find out later that the speakers are worthless.
Two scams involving the sale of registered pets are currently being practiced. Both start with advertisements in the newspaper, and end up with the victim losing their money or their pet.
PET SCAM #1: In this scam, a young latin female answers a newspaper ad for a registered pet for sale. She goes to the residence of the seller, and while observing the pets she asks to see a parent of the pet that is for sale. While the owner/seller is fetching the parent animal, the female scam artist leaves with the pet that was for sale.
PET SCAM #2: In this second scam, a 30-year-old latin female is the seller. She is running ads for registered dogs for sale, and taking deposits of up to $300 a pet, but not producing the pet when it comes time to finish the sale. The scam artist takes the deposit money from prospective the buyer and promises a delivery date for the dog(s), but is never seen again.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has learned that some individuals and banks are being victimized by a scheme involving on-line job applications.
SCAM DETAILS: The individuals have applied for and accepted jobs through an on-line job search service advertising "signing bonuses" of approximately $2,500 to new hires. Each prospective employee has received a check ranging from $19,000 to $50,000 by mail from the prospective employer, with instructions to deposit the check, preferably at an ATM. The recipient is further instructed to keep $2,000 to $4,000, depending upon the amount of the signing bonus, and return the balance of the money by wire to a location in Europe.
THE CHECKS ARE FRAUDULENT; therefore, the depositor is ultimately responsible for any amounts charged back to his or her account by the bank resulting from the dishonor of the checks.
In some cases, banks have suffered losses when a customer has been unable to cover the overdrafts resulting from the dishonor and return of the fraudulent checks.
In this scam the suspects identify themselves as volunteers from a senior citizens group and offer free house cleaning services, but actually burglarize the residence instead of cleaning it.
The suspects approach a homeowner and tell them that they are volunteers workers for "Senior Services of America", or some other senior services group. They befriend the homeowner and enter the house, explaining all the services that they have to offer. While one suspect talks to the homeowner, the other suspect walks through the house, stealing money, checks, jewelry, and anything else that they can conceal.
This subject will approach employees in a Department store with a small item (usually under $5.00) and ask to pay for it. The suspect will produce a $100.00 bill for payment of the sale, but as the employee finishes the sale and gives the suspect his change back, he asks for the $100.00 bill back and offers to pay with a smaller bill. The employee in most cases will give the change back along with the $100.00 bill, without realizing they have been taken.
BANK EXAMINER SCAM: If someone tells you they are with "law enforcement" and asks your assistance in finding "dishonest" bank employees by withdrawing money from your account and giving it to the "law enforcement" person, DO NOT DO IT!! This is a scam that is currently being done on elderly bank patrons, most recently by a man who calls himself "Captain Wolf."
BE ALERT: Law enforcement will not ask the public to put up their own money to aid an investigation.
LOTTERY SCAM: In this scam, a "lottery ticket winner" from "another country" approaches an account holder to assist him in claiming the winnings by withdrawing money from the account and giving it to the "lottery winner". The "winner" promises to share the lottery winnings with the account holder, but the "winner" actually takes the account holder's money and disappears.
BE ALERT: U.S. citizenship is not required to claim a winning lottery ticket.
DO NOT GIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE, UNLESS YOU INITIATE THE CALL AND KNOW WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH. MAKE A RECORD OF THE CALL, INCLUDING DATE, TIME, AND THE NAME OF THE PERSON YOU SPOKE WITH.
Contact Fraud Departments of the 3 major credit bureaus.
Contact fraud departments of your creditors.
Contact the U.S. Postal Service if you believe your mail has been stolen.
HOMEBUYERS AND HOMEOWNERS : Be aware of unscrupulous predatory lenders who are using high-pressure abusive tactics in convincing borrowers to borrow at high interest rates. These lenders do not always quote the interest rate or the outrageous fees. These loansharks set homeowners up for failure with these high rates. When the borrower falls behind, the shark forecloses and takes the home.
Who wouldn't help out a grandchild who was in trouble and needed money?
Con artists know that seniors are trusting, caring and generous. In fact, it is these very genuine qualities that tend to make seniors more vulnerable to a scam. And in one scam that has made the rounds, con artists are defrauding seniors all across the country by posing as grandchildren who are in a jam and need some financial help.
In just one day, three people, all in their 80s, were taken in by this scam. Their heartbreaking losses totaled $9,000. Here's what you need to know about this scam to avoid becoming its next victim: This particular scam is initiated with a phone call, perhaps to exploit the fact that some seniors suffer from hearing loss.
"Hi, is this grandma?" the caller says. Momentarily confused, the victim may not exactly recognize the voice, but may assume they are talking to a grandchild. Using the name of one of their grandchildren, the victim may even say something to the caller like: "Is that you, Johnny?" When the caller responds "yes," the hook has been set and the scam is in full motion.
Next, the caller will say that he is in some unspecified trouble and needs money -- not a check, but cash, and they need it right away. The victim will be asked to go to the bank and withdraw the funds and then return home, and a friend will stop by to pick up the money.
It should send up a warning flag when someone, even a family member, won't accept a check and instead demands cash.
Again, it should send up a warning flag when someone, even a family member, sends another person to your home to pick up money.
Generally, the callers are vague about the details or exact nature of their financial problem, which should serve as a sign that they might have something to hide.
Also, the caller's instructions include a common element of most scams - secrecy. The caller asks the victim not to tell anyone about the conversation or the loan.
Unfortunately, the criminals working this particular scam are very smooth and convincing, and the three Deltona victims failed to pick up on any of the warning signs. All three went to the bank as requested, withdrew the money and came home. A short while later, a woman came to their doors, saying they were a friend of the victims' grandchildren and were there to pick up the money.
After waiting hours, or in some cases days, all three victims called their grandchildren to ask if they had received the money. Naturally, the grandchildren didn't know anything about the money, and the victims realized they had been scammed and called the Sheriff's Office.
Get fooled by this scam, and it will be costly. If you receive a call like this, there are several things you can do. First, tell the person claiming to be your grandchild that you must go and that you will call them right back. Then, call your grandchild to find out whether this is a scam. Or you can simply hang up the phone.
We've all heard about scam artists and their tricky and deceitful ways. This is a story about skimmers, or skim artists. Credit card skimming has been around for years and is a growing problem that seems to be getting worse.
Here's how the scheme works: It starts with skim artists who recruit accomplices to find temporary work, usually at places such as restaurants, hotels and retail businesses. The accomplices are given an illegal electronic device, known as a skimmer, that can capture all of the personal information from a credit card or debit card. All it takes is a quick swipe and a few seconds, and the skimmer device captures the card holder's name, address, telephone number, card number, credit limit and PIN number.
If you're like most people, you probably assume that when you make a credit card transaction that the card is in safe hands. However, that isn't always the case. Skim artists will first swipe your card through the legitimate machine, but then secretly swipe it through the smaller skimmer machine when you're not looking. The accomplice usually is paid money to use the illegal skimmer machine and then returns the machine to the con man. The con man now has all the information he needs to download your credit card information onto a computer and make a fake card in your name.
The skim artist may use the phony credit card himself or sell it to someone else. Either way, chances are you won't know any of this has taken place until you get your monthly statement and notice the unauthorized charges made in your name.
Try to keep your eye on your credit card while it's being processed.
Make sure that the clerk returns your card to you. When it's returned, look at your card to be certain that it's really yours.
Check your statements regularly and review them thoroughly to make sure that you haven't been billed for purchases or transactions that you didn't make or authorize.
Obtain your credit report annually from the major credit bureaus and check for any fraudulent activity.
Never leave your credit cards laying around in the open.
When checking out at the store register, shield your credit card from people around you in case someone is looking over your shoulder for an opportunity to copy your credit card number.
Make sure your transactions are accurate. Be on guard for dishonest merchants who might change your credit card slip after you sign it.
Always total your charge slip before signing the credit card receipt. Don't leave blank spaces for others to fill out.
It's called a distraction theft, and it happens more often than you might imagine. Frequently, seniors are the targets of distraction thieves, and winter in Florida is the prime time for these bandits. That's because distraction thieves travel in small packs, move around the country to escape prosecution and ordinarily like to take advantage of the south's mild winters to work their scams.
A distraction theft usually is performed by at least two people, although some distraction thieves work alone. When two people work the scam as a team, it usually involves one person distracting the victim, while the other helps themself to the victim's unattended belongings. These crafty thieves accomplish their distraction in a variety of ways and will use every trick in the book to get inside your home. They may come to the door as a team, pretending to be inspectors, utility workers or sales people for pest control businesses, roofing companies or other home improvements.
Once inside your home, the crime will begin. Working as a team, one of the thieves will engage the victim in a conversation or phony sales pitch to divert the victim's attention while the other thief sneaks away to swipe the victim's belongings.
Other distraction thieves prefer to work alone. They go house-to-house knocking on doors. If no one answers, the thief may go around to the rear of the house and look for any easy way to get in. If someone answers the door, the thief will try a variety of excuses to try to trick you into letting them in your home. Here are some of the distraction thief's most common lines: I'm here to check your pipes, check your telephone line, check the water, you've won a prize or I've lost my pet. Others will ask for a glass of water, a pen or piece of paper to jot down a note or ask permission to use your toilet.
Once inside, it's a green light for the thief to distract you long enough to case your home for valuables.
Stop and think: Are you expecting anyone to come to your home? Most utilities and service staff won't come to your home unannounced. They will make an appointment before showing up.
If your door has a chain, put it on before answering the door. It will create a barrier between you and the caller.
If someone unexpected, who you don't know, comes to your home, don't let them in unless you are absolutely certain they are genuine.
Try not to keep large amounts of cash in your home. Keep things like your pension book, savings book, checkbook and credit cards well hidden.
If a sales person, repairman or utility worker comes to your door, ask for an identification card. Then, read it carefully. If you're still not sure, close and lock the door and call the number on the card while the person waits outside.
If you're still not sure whether the person is genuine, close and lock the door and wait for the person to leave. If he doesn't, call law enforcement.
PIGEON DROP: When someone tells you he or she has just found some money and wants to share it with you.
BANK EXAMINER SCHEME: A phone call from a "Bank Officer" checking on a dishonest employee and wanting your help.
JAMAICAN SWITCH: Foreign person who "flashes" a lot of money and is giving you some "for just helping."
HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAMS: Person appears at your door, offering to spray your driveway or roof, fertilize the lawn, trim your trees, or some other home improvement. The price they quote will seem cheap, and they promise to do the work right away.
MAIL FRAUDS: Fake contract arrives in your mail, usually begins with the news that you have won something.
WORK AT HOME SCAMS: Newspaper or other ads claiming that you can earn money at home. Just send them money.
BAIT AND SWITCH SCAMS: You cannot find the advertised bargains and the salesperson directs you to a higher priced item.
HEALTH QUACKERY: Product or service offered as a secret remedy. Sponsor claims to be battling the medical profession, which won't recognize some marvelous discovery. The remedy is sold door- to-door, or in direct mail solicitations offering free medical diagnosis, etc. The promoter tells you of miracle cures.


An Easter hamper is a eggcellent gift to give and a great way of giving a loved one a selection of goodies! What better way to do this than in an actual egg!
1. For your egg hamper, you will need to prep it ready for decorating by using turquoise acrylic paint. Paint both the inside and outside of the egg and leave to dry. Once this first layer of paint has properly dried, re apply another layer and leave to dry again.
Americana multi surface satin acrylic paint was chosen for this project due to the surface finish it creates. Once the paint has dried, it looks like the surface of an actual egg.
2. Now that you have painted the inside and outside of your egg hamper, you can now decorate it! Start by drawing lots of different sized stars all over the body of the egg as well as the lid. Colour all of these stars in with the marker you are using.
3. Now that you have coloured in all of your stars, you can now add a bit of glitter and sparkle to your egg hamper! You will now need gold glitter, decopauge glue and a paintbrush. Begin by painting over the larger stars you have drawn with the decopauge glue and then sprinkle the glitter on top and then leave to dry. Once this has dried, paint another layer of decopauge glue over the top of your dried glitter.
Decopauge glue is not only great for decopauge paper, it can also be used with a wide range of materials. Decopauge glue is also a sealant, so it is a great product to use with glitter because it seals it in place.
4. Now that you have finished your egg hamper, I would recommend leaving it overnight to completely dry. This will help to ensure that everything is properly glued and secured.
Now your egg is ready to be filled with lots of goodies for Easter!


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Seth MacFarlane says The Orville's second season will be longer, more heavily sci-fi
(Photo: Noah Schutz/Fox)
From the jump, Seth MacFarlane's new hour-long Fox series, The Orville, has been a beast serving two masters, as the urge to fill its scripts with Family Guy-esque sex jokes and asides warred with what seemed like a pretty sincere attempt to recreate the basic beats of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now, MacFarlane is saying that the show's second season—which it received back in November—will double down on its more serious elements, while also being at least a little bit longer than the first.
According to Slashfilm, that declaration came out of a longer conversation at the TCA press tour today, shortly after a table read of a new Family Guy episode. MacFarlane noted that he's slowly picking up confidence in the idea that the sci-fi hybrid series doesn't need to jam in jokes where they aren't needed—a point proven out in some of its more successful first-season outings:
Tone was the biggest experimental part of it. What we found was that we can lean a little more heavier into the science fiction and not have to worry so much about knocking out a joke every page. The show is an hour and really can and wants to service its storytelling in a way that makes it a priority. The jokes come as they come, the comedy comes as it comes.
In any case, The Orville will reportedly have another 14 episodes to work out its kinks; that's apparently the order the series received from Fox for its second year. (Up from 12 episodes for its first.) Meanwhile, MacFarlane is already apparently having to fend off Family Guy writers who want to make an Orville gag on their own series, in what feels like a pretty apt metaphor for the show's conceptual struggles: "We'll have to see," MacFarlane said. "For me, I live with everything I ever do being compared to Family Guy so my first instinct is to let that be its own thing and keep it separate. It's to be continued."


The Stanley Cup Playoffs started off on Long Island and my goodness was The Barn rocking. After a crazy back and forth game in which two teams that absolutely hate each other, Josh Bailey buried an OT winner off a beautiful play by Mathew Barzal, one in which he hit the post. Bailey redeemed himself after nearly ending the game in regulation, on a tip shot from Cal Clutterbuck off the post with five seconds remaining.
The New York Islanders didn't play their best game, but they got off to a scorching hot start. Tom Kuhnhackl scored within the first minute to erupt the Coliseum crowd, but the goal was challenged and overturned after Matt Martin was found to be offsides. It didn't matter as Jordan Eberle scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the crowd once again erupted.
Phil Kessel silenced the crowd a few minutes later when he and Dominik Simon criss-crossed the Isles' defense and he had a wide open shot in the slot. Near the end of the first period, the Islanders found their much-maligned PP and revved it up, scoring on a great feed from Jordan Eberle to Brock Nelson right in front.
The second period was by far their worst, at one point being outshot 11-2. Robin Lehner made some incredible saves, many of them deemed impossible. He made three or four saves that kept the Islanders in the game, and his 41 overall were not easy saves. Unfortunately for him, Leo Komarov took a bad penalty and Evgeni Malkin's shot was deflected off Adam Pelech's stick and in.
The third period was dominated by the Islanders even though the game went to overtime. They had about five to six opportunities to take the lead and build upon it, but they finally broke through Matt Murray midway through the third when a great forecheck by Leo Komarov led to a knuckling shot by Nick Leddy hit off the post and in. The Islanders were a minute and half away from winning the game in regulation when Justin Schultz fired a howitzer through a screen and tied the game up.
This game took overtime in probably the most even matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's no surprise that these teams were neck and neck all season despite their vastly different style of play. The Pens nearly scored within the first few seconds of overtime but the Isles D and Lehner stood strong. Just under five minutes into overtime, Kris Letang got caught deep and turned the puck over to Josh Bailey, who lofted a pass to a wide open Mathew Barzal. Barzy did what he does best, cross up defenders with his elite skating skills, and weaved around Matt Murray. His shot hit the post but Bailey followed the play and buried it into a wide open net. It was true redemption for Bailey after missing with just five seconds to go in regulation, and the Islanders take a 1-0 lead heading into Friday.
Overall, it was a fantastic win for the Islanders despite not playing well in the second and giving up a heartbreaking goal late in the third. They deserved to win that game considering the way they played, and they won in spite of the officials. The game was a little wonky because of all the reviews and stoppages, but a win is a win is a win.
The Islanders next face Pittsburgh on Friday night at Nassau Coliseum. This game will be both on NBCSN and local broadcast MSG. The Isles need to continue to push the pace against the Pens, but on Friday they need to do a better job in the defensive zone. Robin Lehner bailed them out of a few bad plays but they need to push more against the Pitt offense. It doesn't matter because a win is a win, but there's a lot to improve on.


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Dozier Wallace, 92 (father of photographer Sandra Hall)
Dozier Wallace was born July 19, 1921 in Chesterfield, SC a son of the late James Franklyn and Aurilla Katherine Sellers Wallace. He was a retired truck driver whose career spanned over 60 years. Mr. Wallace was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II, and a member of the Chesterfield American Legion Post 74. He was a member of Zoar United Methodist Church, the BWZ Men's Club, and the Chesterfield Masonic Lodge # 220. Dozier was a founding member of the Dixie Saddle Club. He enjoyed riding horses, going to horse shows, and raising bulldogs. Dozier enjoyed life, and was a friend to all. In addition to his parents, Dozier was preceded in death by three brothers, J.P., Dick, and Doc Wallace; and one sister, Edith Faye Wallace.
Survivors in his wife of 66 years, Foye Sellers Wallace; one Son, Dozier Franklyn "Frankie" Wallace, Jr. and Rachel Brooks; one daughter, Sandra Wallace Hall and husband Keith Hall; three grandchildren; three great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; one sister, three sister-in-laws; and two brother-in-laws.
Memorials may be made to Zoar United Methodist Church, C/O Debbie Foote, 2472 Zoar Rd. Cheraw, SC 29520 or to Hospice of Chesterfield County, P.O. Box 293, Chesterfield, SC 29709.


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Guilden Morden is een dorp (village en civil parish) in het Engelse graafschap Cambridgeshire. Het dorp ligt in het district South Cambridgeshire en telt 986 inwoners.

Civil parish in Cambridgeshire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Controversial journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, is at it this new year, as she claimed in her statement that Davido's girlfriend, Chioma is in deep depression.
She further revealed that following the depression, Chioma has withdrawn from the public.
"Poor Davido, after Chioma's page went down when I reported it, Baby Mama #2 Sophia and wife Amanda ganged up on her during Christmas. Why would anyone be dating a man with 3 baby mamas, allow their name in alifetime video and one abandoned child constantly singing her name. Chioma's cousin says she's in "deep depression" Igbo girls dating Yoruba boys is self imposed suicide if they ain't putting a ring on it.


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A Whole New Baltimore Family Found!
Having finally identified the parents of my 3x great-grandmother Rebecca Skillman in the past year, Jacob Skillman and Elizabeth Clackner, I was subsequently led into a whole new fascinating family. Or five!
Jacob and Elizabeth were married in 30 January 1823 in Baltimore and, according to the newspaper notice, had at least 3 children before Elizabeth died 9 November 1834 at age 32. (I've not identified the other 2 children.)
So Elizabeth Clackner was born on March 27, 1802 in Baltimore, the first born of Adam Clackner, Jr and Rebecca Gill. With a unique name like Clackner, I was hoping for some easy finds (for once) and I wasn't disappointed! City directories, deeds, wills, and newspapers laid out the Clackner family grouping:
Father Adam Sr and wife Elizabeth, their children Adam Jr, Catherine, Lydia, Hannah, Joseph and John.
Both Adams were stone masons, but Adam Jr actually owned a quarry on the north edge of Baltimore. When he died in 1818 after a long illness, his wife Rebecca ran the quarry herself until her death in 1847. During the time that they owned it, they supplied stone for several high-profile projects in town (more on that later).
The absolutely coolest find was 6x great-grandfather Adam Sr's Revolutionary War pension file on Fold3!! Not only did it contain handwritten letters from his son Joseph with amazing details of his life, but also a copy of his original commission in August, 1776 as a 2nd Lieutenant in a Company of Foot in the 3rd Battalion of Associators in the County of Philadelphia!! And it is signed by John Morton, then Speaker of the PA Assembly, who later authored a large portion of the Declaration of Independence.
The rest of the file is chock full of info, including that the US Government later discontinued Adam's pension due to his owning property, despite being unable to work and having to support his ill wife and son. Joseph was a great letter writer, demanding explanation for their change in his eligibility. His pension does not appear to have been reinstated when he died in 1826.
Now, more about Adam Jr: As a quarry owner and mason, he submitted estimates and bills to the Baltimore government for building bridges, installing curbstones and supplying stone for other projects. One such project was the magnificent Battle Monument.
The Battle Monument, located on Calvert Street, was started on 12 September 1815, a year to the day after the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, which honors those lost. It was the first monument in the country to commemorate a battle and is featured in the flag and Seal of Baltimore City. It lists each person's name on bands that wrap around the column and Lady Baltimore stands atop it.
Mid 1800's
Recently Lady Baltimore was removed and replaced with a concrete duplicate, but the original can still be seen at the MD Historical Society.
A recent trip to the Baltimore City Archives garnered me this document:
This is a list of income and expenses for the Battle Monument! There are two line items to A. Clackner for stone; one for $250 and one for $68.
Here is an proposal he wrote to build a bridge:
I found lots of documents like this thanks to the City Archives WPA Index which you can find HERE.
More to follow!


We're having an awesome thunder storm right now. The light fixtures are rattling, I love it! So, now I have this song stuck in my head.
Also, apparently a year old main page article is getting attention. So far I'm just getting a few 'recommends', but I'm pretty over dealing with commenting on the main page, so I hope that's all it's going to get.
How is your Saturday going, hivemind?


I picked this car up at the beginning of the year with the intention of tidying up and selling on.
Here's a few snaps of the car just prior to sale.
You did a good job - Same colour and spec as mine except for DSG instead of a manual gearbox. They kind of grow on you and are a pretty decent drive. Doesn't help that I've had most of the faults associated with a 2007 offering, put them right myself and got to know pretty much everything about them inside and out. The time investment I've made (plus a bit of cash) and the fact that I know how to fix most problems, means it will be hard to let go when the time finally comes.
B6 Sport Estate vs. B5 Sport Saloon. Step backwards or just a lemon?
Please Help What's the best choice - A3 Sportback sport or Golf GT Sport?
Sport in May or Sport GT in June?


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Sports dispatches for Wednesday
Sports dispatches for Wednesday Sports dispatches for Wednesday Check out this story on delawareonline.com: http://delonline.us/1tpAgQv
Published 8:11 p.m. ET June 14, 2016
Perriman expected to be ready for camp
OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman is expected to participate in training camp this summer after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday revealed no significant damage to his ACL. It's a rare piece of good news for Perriman, who missed all of last season with a right knee injury after being selected 26th overall out of Central Florida by Baltimore in the 2015 draft. That injury occurred on the first day of training camp, and he was placed on injured reserve after having surgery in October to repair a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. Perriman was running at full speed last week before hurting his knee last week during an offseason training activity session. The injury, as it turned out, was not serious.
Former Phillie Papelbon to DL
WASHINGTON – The Washington Nationals have placed closer Jonathan Papelbon on the 15-day disabled list with a right intercostal strain and reinstated right-handed reliever Matt Belisle following a rehabilitation assignment. Manager Dusty Baker said Papelbon's injury occurred while the right-hander was warming up Sunday, when he pitched one inning against the Phillies. He allowed a go-ahead home run to former teammate Maikel Franco before Washington rallied for a 5-4 win. Baker didn't have a timetable for Papelbon's return. Papelbon is 1-2 with a 3.28 ERA and 16 saves. The 35-year-old heads to the DL for the first time in his career.
Escort's book publisher sues students
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The publisher and author of escort Katina Powell's book alleging that former Louisville basketball staffer Andre McGee hired her and other dancers for sex parties at the Cardinals' dormitory have countersued Louisville students, saying they attempted to "extort" a monetary settlement. Indianapolis-based IBJ Book Publishing LLC and Dick Cady filed suit last Friday, alleging the students sought notoriety for themselves and their attorneys. A judge dismissed the students' suit in April but allowed another to proceed by six women who allege they were wrongly named in the book.
Nominees for Delaware Online Athlete of the Week for Week 6 of the winter season
Moore: Sixers' Elton Brand has some work to do


Rendell, this compelling and clever psychological thriller spins the harrowing tale of a mother's obsessive search for her missing daughter.
What I Say....This was an interesting book. The pace was so slow that it made me crazy at times, but I kept going because I wanted to know what happened to Naomi.
The story starts with the perfect family, two doctors and their perfect offspring. Jenny is becoming worried that her daughter, Naomi, is pulling away from her, but appears to be a little afraid to do anything that might make Naomi mad. You know like saying "no" or "Is there a reason you are acting like a witch?".
Ostensibly, this is because Naomi is the perfect daughter, active at school, good grades, with lots of friends, but later it seems like this is actually more of a byproduct of Jenny's actual disconnect with the reality of her whole family.
Anyway, the dissolution of the family happens within a year of Naomi disappearing after play practice one night. Two of her kids are dabbling in drugs, both of who are stealing drugs from their parents workplaces, the other son is strangely withdrawn, and taking pictures of his sister naked in the woods (it's "art", Jenny defends to her husband!).
So Naomi was dating one boy, desperately trying everything to force a miscarriage of their baby (of course her physician mother had no idea she was 10 weeks pregnant), when she fell in love with a Gypsy (who seduced her to get revenge on her father for a faulty surgery on a member of their clan), and then she ran away with said Gypsy in order to keep her baby from her ex-boyfriend (who still loved her)? This didn't make any sense at all.
And the vengeful Gypsy, who got Naomi to run away and let her family wonder if she was dead for the last year to torment them, he also got her brother hooked on drugs. But he suddenly fell so in love with Naomi that he died for her in a shoot out with the police?
Not to say that any of this took away from my enjoyment of the book, I was drawn into the story. It was just once I finished the last page, all of the areas where it didn't make sense came at me very quickly. I was just so invested in finding out what happened to Naomi. By the end of the book, it was obvious she was a probably a bit of a sociopath, or at least criminally self-absorbed.
Or Jen was even a worse mother than I already thought. And I was already pretty sure that she was an awful mother.


Elevador Lacerda is the world's first urban elevator, an historic art deco elevator with scenic views, connecting the upper & lower parts of Salvador located in the city of Salvador, in Bahia.
A large elevator hosting dozens of people, connecting the Lower City of Salvador with the Pelourinho historical district. Expect long queues during rush hours: this is not a tourist attraction, it is used by locals for their daily commute.


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The harbinger of Illinois politics to come
Lincoln Courier
Take a long, serious and unfettered look at the state of the State of Illinois.
Billions of dollars in unpaid bills. It can barely pay to keep up with the late fees. Even more billions of dollars in the hole in its pension accounts for state workers and retirees.
Crumbling roads, and even more dangerous, crumbling bridges. A veterans' home that needs millions of dollars to fix concerns over health-related issues. Much less serious than the veterans' home, but nonetheless troublesome, dangerously dilapidated historic buildings on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. To address all that, now governed by "a balanced budget" that's not truly balanced.
That's the financial face of the state of the State of Illinois. If Illinois lived under the same rules and regulations of the business world – think Sears, Radio Shack, Bergner's, Macy's, etc. – leaders of this state would be handcuffed to act on anything outside the authority of a federal bankruptcy court trustee. Yeah, Illinois is badly broken. And, that's just on the money side of life in the Prairie State, from which thousands of residents have fled, seeking a less financially painful alternative outside Illinois' borders.
It's nearly impossible to discuss the state of the State of Illinois without taking a glance at the personnel issues among those who govern (or badly govern) this place we call home. In Illinois politics, it's difficult to shy away from the nagging thought that corruption has been and continues to be king. (Think governors Ryan and Blagojevich and the often-spoken phrase, "Chicago politics – as usual.")
Who, the reasonable person might ask, would want to try and straighten up this mess? Well, if you still live in Illinois and have access to television, radio, the Internet, social media, perhaps a printed newspaper, you know the answer to that question a good five months before the election: incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat challenger J.B. Pritzker. From any facet, including upside down or right side up, these two are fat cats extraordinaire. They both are examples of the equation, politics equals power, which is a money-hungry beast.
But money is a moot point for these two. It's simply no object, no barricade for waging a down-in-the-trenches political battle. "Pritzker, who has already pumped $100 million of his own personal wealth into the contest, has not set a limit on what he's willing to spend," online news source POLITICO reported earlier this month. "In fact, a source close to the Pritzker campaign said, the Democratic businessman is vowing to spend double whatever multimillionaire Rauner puts into the contest."
The article was posted in the same week Pritzker opened his own wallet to beef up his campaign with a fresh $25 million. "Since last year, Rauner has spent $30 million on his 2018 election campaign, and gave another $7.5 million in that time to the Illinois Republican Party," POLITICO reported. "In total, the governor's race has so far seen more than $200 million in spending, including from primary candidates on both sides."
The online news source offered comments from Blair Horner, longtime executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, who said Rauner's and Pritzker's campaign spending is stunning given that Illinois is considerably smaller than population giants like California and New York.
"That's a staggering sum," Horner was quoted in the article. "That's Richter-scale measuring spending for a governor's race."
All of that leaves me – and countless Illinois residents, I'm certain – to ponder the question: Why? Is it all about power? Prestige? An unbridled desire simply to serve the citizens of Illinois? (On the latter: You've got to be kidding!)
For all the millions in cash he spent to become Illinois' governor in 2015, Rauner really hasn't demonstrated much in the way of successful power plays. Sure, he kept the Illinois budget process at bay for two years as he unsuccessfully insisted the General Assembly embrace his "turn-around agenda." But this year, the phrase "turn-around agenda" never made it into the budget negotiation process, and Rauner never mentioned it as he signed the spending document. How much power and prestige are showing there? Rauner undoubtedly had hopes of becoming "the governor who turned Illinois around," but I believe those hopes have been dashed, or at least greatly diminished.
What about Pritzker, power and prestige? Quite frankly, other than the fact he can afford to buy a mountain range packed with gold, I don't know anything about him aside from what he touts in his advertising. In other words, it's all good. As a rich private citizen, he's backed early childhood education programs, but, no apology, that doesn't impress me. It's the kind of thing someone planning to run for public office, wants on their resume. As a Democrat, he's obviously pro-union and pro-choice, but those are no-brainers. Did I mention that he's mega-wealthy? The same as his opponent Rauner?
This race leaves a rotten taste in my mouth. Is it a harbinger of politics to come, when only the super wealthy can enter the game? Whatever happened to "may the best candidate win?"
Allow me to veer from the negative side of life to something positive in our midst. Kudos to the volunteers, all the way from Marine vets to ex-Marines' wives to Boy Scouts, who are involved in the cleanup and renovation of All Veterans Park.
That triangular piece of ground off Union Street was dedicated to honoring local folks who served in the military. But it had become victim to mainly neglect over the past few years. Now, it's getting the attention local veterans deserve. Thanks to those who are involved with the work.
While I'm talking about local veterans, congratulations to Bob Sullivan who has assumed commander duties at Lincoln American Legion Post 263. Military promotions are generally based on past performance and Sullivan, as commander of the post's honor guard and firing squad, has earned high accolades from the public he's served in that role.
Dan Tackett is a retired managing editor of The Courier. He can be reached at dtackett@gmail.com.


Many travellers are searching for Top Gay Things To Do In Bangkok,Bangkok can well be described as a city of humble beginnings. In fact around 200 years ago, it was simply a small trading center and port community. Despite the fact that the city had grown rapidly and become renowned for being a modern and vibrant place, it has impressively retained its splendid and enchanting glory. That's why a visit to Bangkok should be on everyone's bucket list. You can find Top Gay Things To Do In Bangkok travel information.
Also known as Wat Chetuphon, this really is a temple that had been built for King Rama in Bangkok a huge selection of years back. It can be believed to be a location where people can receive feelings, and was considered the first pharmacies in most of Bangkok. Additionally it is the location of the first university that was started by way of a descendent of King Rama, a location where you may now get not merely traditional medicine but a foot massage at very inexpensive prices. It is known mostly for your Temple from the Reclining Buddha and that is a Buddha that may be laying perched on his arm. It is actually enormous, roughly 15 m high by 45 m long, and may only be viewed in sections because of its size. There are numerous beautiful precious stones which have been in lead within the soles of your feet, an overall total quantity of 108 stones total. This can be a number relevant to procession, the wobble from the earth, something which is built into lots of the temples throughout Thailand.
It becomes an absolutely beautiful structure which includes a large amount of history, which is the house of what is called Wat Phra Kaeo. It is actually here the emerald or jade Buddha can be obtained, within this palace internal 1782, the residence in the royalty that were in charge of the nation during the time. This palace includes two hours of not just the palace itself but also the Wat Phra Kaew Tour. Our recommendation is that you start early each day to benefit from everything that you may be able to see, or simply do a half day sightseeing tour to view either one.
You can observe a lovely representation in the ancient battles that used to occur between Burma and Siam. This is certainly a mix of Royal Palace and Chapel, and if you can to climb to the very top just before sunset, you will observe the sun setting into the Chao Praya River, a wonderful sight to behold.
Looking at precisely what is called Wat Suthat is what the locals call the giant swing. It is a 27 m high structure, use for religious ceremonies, and its particular purpose is to pass through a ritual that involves groups of three people coming to the top and walking across towards the narrow board. There was a substantial amount of fatal accidents during the 1930s which cause them to not utilize this as a ritual again. However, it is actually a beautiful sight to find out, especially in front of Wat Suthat.
This is certainly literally something out of the movies, an actual floating market which is about 1 hour away from Bangkok. It can be considered by some to get the Venice of the East, just like how the people in that component of Italy achieve this a lot of things around the water. It is also a tourist trap because of how people are planning to check this out market that is certainly completely floating on boats manned by people selling their goods. However, once you do go, you will be treated to probably the most delicious food that is certainly absolutely fresh, served inside an authentic way.
When you have time, it is possible to check out Lumpini Park and that is a literal oasis in the middle of the architecture and buildings of Bangkok. There are several lawns that you could chill at, Chinese pagodas, and you will find a small lake that you could have a boat out on. Is perfect for relaxing for the reason that park is really tranquil, despite each of the skyscrapers which can be surrounding it in all directions. The park is a huge place where antigovernment protests have occurred, so just be sure that once you decide to travel there, it's just people hanging out to chill out.