Up to 5% of a firm's annual turnover may be lost through fraud in the workplace and, according to a recent survey, at least 70% of that fraud is perpetrated by employees. What may surprise many is that most corporate fraud is not billion-euro embezzlement by top directors, but is committed by ordinary workers who never imagine that their actions could be seen as fraud.
'Padding' expenses and overtime, theft of office stationery, and even the popping of personal mail into company post, is thought to cost UK companies £15bn annually. There is every reason to assume that the cost is similarly high in Ireland and elsewhere.
What steps can employers take to prevent fraud?
Employee education is crucial. Employers need to explain to workers the nature of fraud, demonstrating how costly such activities are, and the threat that they pose to the organisation's profits, to its reputation and, ultimately, to job security.
This approach can go a long way toward reducing casual fraud but, in addition, employers need to develop strategies so that fraud can be detected early and stopped. In the same way as employers identify hazard points in a manufacturing process, they must identify situations where financial and product misappropriation is possible. Eliminating opportunities to commit fraud, and creating a culture of non-acceptance of fraud and dishonesty in the workplace, can make a big difference. Reinforcing that financial misconduct, however minor, will not be overlooked or tolerated is crucial to overcoming the problem.
While the systematic checking of stock levels, customer payments and supplier invoices can reduce fraud, heavy-handed monitoring of staff can cause resentment and be counterproductive. A more effective way of tackling fraud is to hire workers who are unlikely to commit an offence in the first place.
The Irish workplace is highly regulated by law, and it can be difficult and time-consuming to fairly dismiss an employee who is suspected of committing fraud. Therefore, careful recruitment is the first line of defence.
An application form should be provided for every job vacancy to supplement or replace the need for CVs. The forms should contain a declaration to be signed by the job applicant, confirming that the information supplied is correct and acknowledging that if the information later turns out to be false, disciplinary action may be taken.
Proof of qualifications, eg degree or training records, and even proof of address should be obtained to ensure that the job applicant is who or what they claim.
Job applicants should be asked to 'self certify' that they have no criminal convictions or charges pending against them.
Sources such as Stubbs Gazette can be checked to ensure that the potential employee has had no significant debt charged against them that could supply a motive for fraud.
References should always be checked. It is estimated that fewer than a quarter of employers verify references consistently.
Employment contracts should expressly prohibit fraud in the workplace, and should require employees to report actual and suspected fraud.
Template contracts of employment and employment policies should be regularly reviewed to ensure that they take cognisance of any changes in the law or practice within the organisation.
Detailed policies in relation to claiming expenses and any other matter where fraud will easily occur should be given to employees. The employer must ensure consistent compliance with these procedures.
Consideration should be given to appointing a person to monitor and audit anti-fraud measures. This person can also be designated as the person to whom employees should report any suspicions of fraud. While there is still no general application for whistleblowing legislation in Ireland, several large organisations have express 'speak up' policies to provide detailed information and guidance to employees who suspect fraud and who wish to report it to management.
Adhering to fair disciplinary procedures in dealing with suspected fraud is a legal requirement, but research also shows that where an employer deals with fraud fairly and quickly, employees are more likely to report fraud in the future. Whether or not an employer has its own disciplinary procedures, careful regard should be paid to the terms of Statutory Instrument 146/2000. This is a code of practice with respect to disciplinary and grievance procedures, and an employer must ensure that the procedures it follows do not fall below the standard set out in the code of practice.
Acting rashly and failing to abide by fair disciplinary procedures, on the other hand, leaves the employer exposed to potential litigation, particularly under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2007. If an employee loses an unfair dismissal action, the employee can be awarded redress of up to two years' renumeration and/or could obtain reinstatement or re-engagement.
Where there is a suspicion of fraud, immediate steps should be taken to investigate. The investigation should be conducted by an appropriate person within the organisation, who can be seen as being unbiased and objective.
The employee under suspicion must be informed of the allegations and how the investigation will be conducted. The employer may consider suspending an employee pending the investigation's outcome, depending on whether or not the employer has a contractual entitlement to do so and depending on the seriousness of the fraud. If the employee is suspended while the investigation is ongoing, the investigation should take place as quickly as possible and the employee should be kept on salary so that the suspension is not seen as prejudging the issues. The Irish courts tend to draw a distinction between two types of suspension: punitive and holding. This was illustrated by Barr J in Paul Quirke v Bord Lúthchleas na hÉireann  where it was said that a suspension can be a 'holding operation'.
The response of the employee to the allegation of fraud must be sought, but impromptu verbal confrontations should be avoided. Instead, the employee should be invited to a disciplinary meeting under the company's disciplinary procedures. The employee's attendance should be requested in a letter that includes an outline of the employee's legal rights and the nature of the allegation. Under the code of practice set out in Statutory Instrument 146/2000, the employee is entitled to be accompanied to a disciplinary meeting by a trade union official or colleague.
Following the investigation and disciplinary hearing, the employer will decide on the appropriate action to take. This may include the termination of the employee's contract or a disciplinary warning.
Warnings should always be recorded in writing and the employee should be made fully aware of the consequences of repeating the conduct that gave rise to the warning. Moreover, warnings should be expunged from the employee's record after a specified time.
If the employer decides on dismissal, it is vital that the correct procedures have been followed during the investigation and hearing. Also, the employer should be confident that dismissal is a proportionate and fair penalty. If the employee has an otherwise clean disciplinary record or if they have explained that there are mitigating circumstances, dismissal may not be appropriate.
A significant issue with fraud investigations, particularly where the issues involved are complicated, is that they can become protracted and go on for so long that the employee submits that their rights under natural justice have been infringed. It is vital that an investigation is thorough, but also that it is concluded as quickly as possible.
If the suspected fraud is serious, the involvement of the police may be appropriate. In such a situation, the police should be contacted early, as even well-conducted workplace investigations can run the risk of unwittingly damaging evidence and compromising a prosecution. This is indicated by the fact that less than 10% of all workplace frauds lead to a successful prosecution.


text:
Unterseeboot 760 foi um submarino alemão do Tipo VIIC, pertencente a Kriegsmarine que atuou durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Comandantes

Subordinação
Durante o seu tempo de serviço, esteve subordinado às seguintes flotilhas:

Operações conjuntas de ataque
O U-760 participou das seguinte operações de ataque combinado durante a sua carreira:

 Rudeltaktik Iller (12 de maio de 1943 - 15 de maio de 1943)
 Rudeltaktik Donau 1 (15 de maio de 1943 - 26 de maio de 1943)

Ver também
 U-boot
 Submarinos da Marinha da Alemanha.
 Submarinos de maior sucesso da Kriegsmarine na Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Bibliografia

Ligações externas

Submarinos alemães Tipo VIIC
U-Boots comissionados em 1942
Operação Deadlight
Submarinos da Alemanha na Segunda Guerra Mundial
Navios construídos em Wilhelmshaven
Navios de 1942
U-Boots afundados de propósito em 1945

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Try this Zesty Cheddar Chicken Mac and Cheese for a tasty spin on your favorite comfort food. This slow cooker mac and cheese is made zesty with buffalo chicken and delicious sharp Cheddar cheese. Try this easy cheddar mac and cheese recipe, and make dinner something your whole family will look forward to. This dish comes together perfectly with the help of your slow cooker. Simply add buffalo wing sauce to shell pasta noodles, sharp white Cheddar and mild Cheddar cheeses, butter, flour, milk and some other seasoning, and you've got one delicious meal that is great anytime!
This recipe reminds me of comfort foods like friend chicken and mashed potatoes with mac and cheese. It sounds so yummy that I am going to add it to my grocery list for this week. I love that you can adjust the sauce to have the heat you want. How long would you cook it for eight servings? I have a big family.


All of us, whether we are we are politically on the left or the right, act more than 225 years later still in the light cast by the Great French Revolution of 1789. It was Hegel who found the decisive words: 'Never since the sun had stood in the firmament and the planets revolved around it had it been perceived that man's existence centers in his head, that is, in thought, inspired by which he builds up the world of reality.' (1) This thought was the idea of human rights.
In the language of the social sciences, one can say that transformation is 'a deliberate process by which structures, institutions […] and models are shaped and reshaped' (2) – a process that unleashes tremendous momentum when it is implemented. Change can be defined as transformation when both of the following two conditions are fulfilled: (a) the dynamic of social change is shaped by the goal-oriented and means-conscious interventions of actors; (b) the activities of these actors are aimed at changing the basic structures of society (sectorally, territorially, or in terms of society as a whole). This means that such actors are also capable of having a certain impact; it is not merely a matter of intentions and good-will. Decisive action can assume an intellectual, political, social, economic, and, last but not least, violent form. Such a transformation-oriented intervention seriously modifies the internal dynamic of complex societies.
Capitalism turns the basic goods associated with the production of life and exchange – labor, nature, money, and culture – into commodities and subordinates economy and society to capital accumulation. Viewed from this Marxian/Polanyian perspective, capitalism is irreconcilable with emancipation and democratic self-determination. The common foundations of a life in freedom are privatised, and the imperatives of a capitalist market society directly contradict social and ecological democracy. Capitalism and democracy are essentially incompatible. This incompatibility gives rise to the authoritarian, imperialist, and fascist tendencies associated with capitalist societies,(3) as well as the lethal, cannibalistic character such societies display towards their weakest members. The flip side of this transformation of the basic goods of life consists in the possibility of combining the conditions of production and reproduction in ever new ways, permanently revolutionising society, and setting in motion an endless process of innovation. Paraphrasing Joseph Schumpeter, one could speak of destructive creation.
In my view, a socio-ecological transformation will only succeed in bringing about the downfall of financial-market capitalism if it proves capable of pursuing all three strategies, operating by means of broad alliances and approaches that are mutually reinforcing rather than in opposition to each other; when it becomes clear that reforms demand a rupture, that 'germ cells' cannot spread unless reforms and ruptures create the requisite conditions; when concrete experiences radiate outward and give people the strength to struggle for reforms and ruptures with utmost determination. This is the only way through which a sufficiently broad alliance can be created and the subjective and objective preconditions for a truly far-reaching transformation develop.
Within this organic crisis of financial-market capitalism, five possible scenarios are emerging.(7) These scenarios determine the spatial and temporal parameters and character of the epoch with which the left has to work.
First, there is the scenario of a neoliberal-driven 'business as usual' with strong authoritarian tendencies, with very different elements and approaches for dealing with the associated contradictions being experimented with at the levels of the EU and its member states. This is currently the predominant elite consensus. Great Britain, with the importance London assumes as a financial centre within the whole economy, and Germany, with its strongly export-oriented economy, would be the main beneficiaries of such a development.
Second, we might see a systematic reinforcement of the authoritarian, repressive, and exclusionary tendencies of capitalism. The result would be a Fortress Europe with various bastions dissociating themselves from each other and competing with one another. The predominance of finance-market-driven accumulation would need to be curbed significantly. There are already clear tendencies towards such a development in some European countries. The rise of right-wing populist, nationalist, and fascist forces indicates that an alliance between sections of the national elite and major segments of the population is possible.
Third, possibilities for further accumulation may be opened up precisely in the field of renewable energies and through an increase in the ecological efficiency of the mode of production, transport, and life. This becomes all the more likely if steps are taken in Asia that lead to more demand for sustainable technologies – a development Germany is hoping for. Security-policy considerations may also stimulate a turn to this kind of 'green capitalism'.
Fourth, there are various conceptions that envision tackling the ecological and the new social issues at one and the same time, by carrying out a socio-libertarian Green New Deal. This would profoundly alter the mode of accumulation and the regulatory regime. It would have to start from major redistribution, and it would initiate a publicly funded and publicly supervised structural break across the whole economy. One part of this approach would be a call for a global 'Marshall Plan'. Steps towards such a change of course are being developed by, among others, trade union representatives.
Translation from German by Max Henninger and Helen Veitch for lingua·trans·fair.
(1) Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, The Philosophy of History (Kitchener, 2001), pp.466f.
(2) Rolf Reißig, Gesellschafts-Transformation im 21. Jahrhundert: Ein neues Konzept sozialen Wandels (Wiesbaden, 2009), p. 59.
(3) Nicos Poulantzas, Faschismus und Diktatur: Die Kommunistische Internationale und der Faschismus (Munich, 1973).
(4) Editor's Note: 'aufheben' in German.
(5) Dieter Klein, Das Morgen tanzt im Heute: Transformation im Kapitalismus und über ihn hinaus (Hamburg, 2013), p. 15.
(6) Erik Olin Wright, Envisioning Real Utopias (London/New York, 2010), pp. 273ff.
(7) Institut for Critical Social Analysis, Organische Krise des Finanzmarktkapitalismus: Thesen. Paper der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (Berlin, 2011) and Mario Candeias, 'Szenarien grüner Transformation', Michael Brie/Mario Candeias (eds), Transformation im Kapitalismus und darüber hinaus: Beiträge zur Ersten Transformationskonferenz des Instituts für Gesellschaftsanalyse der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (Berlin, 2012), pp. 135–150.
(8) De Angelis, Massimo. "Crisis and the Commons Today." In: Communism in the 21st Century. Volume 3: The Future of Communism: Social Movements, Economic Crises, and the Re-Imagination of Communism, edited by Shannon Brincat, 1–26. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger, 2014.
(9) Brie, Michael. "Making the Common Good of Humanity Concrete – For a Life in Solidarity." In: A Post-Capitalist Paradigm: The Common Good of Humanity, edited by Birgit Daiber and Francois Houtart, 133–58. Brüssel: Büro der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 2012. rosalux.de/fileadmin/rls_uploads/pdfs/sonst_publikationen/common-goood.pdf.
Prof. Dr. Michael Brie, a philosopher and political scientist, is senior fellow at the Institute for Critical Social Analysis of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Berlin. He received his doctorate in social philosophy at the Humboldt University Berlin. Areas of research interest are the history and theory of socialism and state socialism, problems of socio-ecological transformation of modern societies in the age of the organic crisis of financial-market capitalism and the perspectives of a solidarity society. He was member of the managing board of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and head of its international and research departments. Among his empirical research interests are projects of free public transport. He is editor-in-chief of the series Contribution to Critical Transformation Research (the fourth volume was published in 2015).
Banner Image: Gardens are paradises of the good life. (The word "paradise" derives from Persian, where it meant "garden".) Photo by Michael Brie 2015.


text:
Couldn't make it through the long bio?
Need a press release and/or author photos?
How about this . . .
The child of two public school teachers, Lisa Yee is a third-generation Chinese American. Born and raised in Los Angeles, her groundbreaking book, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, features one of the first Asian American protagonists in contemporary children's literature. Since then Lisa's had over twenty one more books published! In addition to YA novels, her books for younger readers include the Bobby Ellis-Chan series, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Dan Santat, and popular DC Super Hero Girls middle grade novel series.
Lisa's most recent novel, the critically acclaimed Maizy Chen's Last Chance, has been longlisted for the National Book Awards. It features a Chinese American girl who's been kept in the dark about her family history. When Maizy shines a light on it, she's shocked by what she finds. Packed with surprises, heart, and stories within stories, this irresistible novel celebrates food, fortune, and family.
Even though she's had lots of interesting careers, Lisa says that being an author is the best job in the world. She lives In Western Massachusetts, but spends a lot of time in Los Angeles, especially when it's cold.
Visit Lisa at www.lisayee.com.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING EVEN SHORTER? Well, there's this . . .
Lisa Yee is a National Book Award Finalist for Maizy Chen's Last Chance. She is also the author of over 21 books for young people, including the groundbreaking Millicent Min, Girl Genius; Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time; and the DC Super Hero Girls novel series. Lisa is a frequent contributor to NPR's Books We Love. A third-generation Chinese American, she divides her time between Western Massachusetts and Los Angeles -- but you can always find her at www.LisaYee.com.
Photo Credit: Emi Fujii

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Here's another dry point print, this time of my Cat Izzy when she was a kitten. I have used red ink as well as black this time. Firstly I did a black print, then I experimented a little with the red and black colours. I have done Izzy as a 'joker' and one of her red with a black nose.
Apologies for the awful photographs, they are taken with my mobile phone! I just had to share them. I am really enjoying the process of intaglio printing and I can't wait to do more!


text:
package net.nhs.esb.transfer.route;

import org.apache.camel.ExchangePattern;
import org.apache.camel.component.cxf.common.message.CxfConstants;
import org.apache.camel.spring.SpringRouteBuilder;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

/**
 */
@Component
public class DeletePatientTransferRouteBuilder extends SpringRouteBuilder {

    @Override
    public void configure() throws Exception {

        from("direct:deletePatientTransferComposition").routeId("openEhrDeletePatientTransferComposition")
                .to("direct:setHeaders")
                .to("direct:createSession")
                .to("direct:getEhrId")
                .setExchangePattern(ExchangePattern.InOut)
                .setHeader(CxfConstants.CAMEL_CXF_RS_USING_HTTP_API, constant(Boolean.FALSE))
                .setHeader(CxfConstants.OPERATION_NAME, constant("deleteComposition"))
                .setBody(simple("${header.compositionId}"))
                .to("cxfrs:bean:rsOpenEhr")
                .end();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Did Tony Stewart run down Kevin Ward Jr.?
I've seen the video and think Ward is responsible for his fate. How can we interpret a flinch of Stewart's car as Stewart murderously aiming at Ward when Ward was crazily moving about? Maybe in super-slow motion there is insight into Stewart's head....
Tags: cars, murder, viral video
Why was he out on the track?
"Look both ways," does not apply to a race track. At a race track the rule is, "Do not walk on the race track."
PB Reader said...
Murderous intent? Unlikely, but these are skilled drivers who control their cars as well as surgeons control a scalpal. Manslaughter surely.
Sorun said...
I'm saying Stewart suffered road rage and did it instinctively/intentionally.
Witness: "He approached him and evidently when he was driving by the guy standing on the track gesturing at him, he gunned his engine. What happened was the back end kicked out and clipped the guy and the guy flew across the track.
Ok, he didn't intentionally hit him but he was intentionally aggressive. Stewart is fucked.
Stephen Hamilton said...
Sorum...you're an idiot...you seriously believe he deliberately decided to hit Ward over something as idiotic as THIS race...you don't know jack about NASCAR of him!
But I do know - for those of us outside of NASCAR - it appears the fans finally got what they came for,...
I don't know about Stewart. Ward was stupid.
@Sorun Did you watch the video? I read the text descriptions, then I watched the video and I couldn't believe it. Ward walks all over the track, in front of cars.
Shane said...
Talking about "intent" of another at this point is wrong. Consider that the world does not revolve you and your precious opinion of what you observed on a video as a vehicle blurred by, at night, as you sat in the luxury of your air-conditioned home how many hundreds of miles away. Let the investigators do their work. They are trained and deliberate for a reason, and that reason is so people who cream they know intent from a three second patch of night-time video are thankfully nowhere near our legal system. Maybe you'll be on the jury though, and you can pronounce him guilty before the judge even starts the trial.
Looks like Stewarts vision was obstructed by the car in front of him; might not have seen him until just before impact.
THOMASt WREN said...
Walking onto a racetrack is insane. Sort of like walking into traffic on I-10 because a driver cut in front of you.
T Rellis said...
Dirt track, the rear end comes around in a drift in the corners. That'swhat caused the wreck in the first place and then the guy gets out in the same curve and jumps from side to side. I'm not saying he deserved to die but damn, what else would be expected?
Dark track, black suit and helmet and jumping from side to side, I'd say scientifically the likelihood of getting hit is somewhere around 99%.
If you look at the entire video, check what the cars, including Stewart's, are doing at that point on the preceding lap. Stewart is at a point in the track where he should be gunning the engine and applying reverse lock to get through the corner.
Ward was out on a dirt track in a black driving suit with a black helmet during a night race. He died of terminal stupidity.
Did you see the fishtail? That's what did it. Otherwise Ward wouldn't have been hit.
Gahrie said...
As someone who has hit a pedestrian with my car, (the police said it wasn't my fault..they literally ran in front of my car) the feelings you have are terrible...starting with that millisecond when you realize what is going to happen, and the fact that there is nothing you can do. I was lucky, I was driving slowly, and the person rolled up my hood and only got a few bruises. I was still shocky, and feeling guilty for the rest of the day, and the memory still haunts me when I think about it.
There is a reason why Stewart isn't racing today, and frankly I feel more sorry for him than I do the idiot who did everything exactly wrong and got killed.
Anyone want to explain why people think this was professional road rage of kind?
Was there a beef between the two of them previously?
CWJ said...
Really sad. From what little I know of NASCAR, Tony Stewart has a solid following and a good guy reputation. Even if it's completely Ward's fault, this will follow him the rest of his career and beyond.
But why is a first class NASCAR driver like Stewart sprint car racing in the first place?
Ebbers Palomino I said...
...But I do know - for those of us outside of NASCAR - it appears the fans finally got what they came for
We saw the true face of the NASCAR Community when Dale Earnhardt died too, eh?
Discussions on youtube have some fairly spohisticated commentors that know drag car construction and what drivers and crew are supposed to do in certain situations.
The drag cars cannot be stopped on a dime, and when they slow down they are very difficult to steer (understeer). Avoiding something on the track (knowing no time to brake exists) sometimes actually involves giving the car gas to lift the front enough to really turn the wheel fast and give them bite.
What happened with the young hothead was he was walking right in the middle of the track, blue car before the collision misses him by a foot or so, but obscures Stewart's view.
Investigation should clear Stewart just fine, though he and other drivers will be told they didn't get to the inner edge of the track fast enough. Regrettably, the prime, even sole fault in this will go to the hothead local dirt track kid, Who showed why drivers never get out of their vehicles and fire&rescue never get on the track until drivers are in a slowed dowb, controlled line with no position changes during a caution flag.
Pity - Kid probably saw some angry pros with a decade more experience and judgment get out of their vehicles and break the rules and media creams itself when it happens because a mano-a-mano confrontation is about to happen...And the attacking and defending driver get oodles of lucrative attention from a fisticuffs or one or both dragged away before blows land.
I saw the video. That kid thought he was gonna be on sports center gettin all Kyle Busch on that major league asshole Stewart.
He's got a Darwin Award all wrapped up.
All the Bubbas with a #14 sticker on their pickup are going to be hoppin' mad to defend Tony Stewart.
Eustace Chilke said...
Darwin territory for sure.
@Crack, the dead guy is not black. Your insane hatred lacks focus. Effective trolling sometimes requires a bit of patience.
He almost got hit by another car.
I think there's assumed risk here.
"All the Bubbas with a #14 sticker on their pickup are going to be hoppin' mad to defend Tony Stewart."
The name meant nothing to me. I just looked at the video because of the comments that were being made. Seems to me Ward came charging out to do a confrontation with speeding cars in the middle of the track. That was terminally foolish. I'm sure he was overcome with emotion, and I feel sorry for the guy, but I'm defending Stewart from a completely neutral position.
Because he enjoys racing and the racing community. it is quite common for Sprint Cup drivers to drive other types of race cars.
PeterK said...
CWJ wrote "But why is a first class NASCAR driver like Stewart sprint car racing in the first place? "
because he is a race car driver. Many top driver's do this. Stewart started out in dirt track racing. The track isn't that far from Watkins Glen.
Oy. 20 years old.
TreeJoe said...
I'm not a follower at all of this type of thing, but I understand car control dynamics pretty well.
The video is really rough, I had to slow it down to 1/4 speed to see Ward's actions well enough, but we know a few things:
1. Ward's vehicle was blocking 1/3rd of the track at the end of that turn.
2. Ward himself was IN THE MIDDLE of the remaining 2/3rds of the track AND jumped/hopped inwards several times right before the blue car went by...he was then right in the preferred line of driving for a race car driver through that turn.
3. A car going through that turn at speed with a sudden obstacle in sight is F'd. There are only 3 options: Brake, turn more, or gun it. Let's evaluate each:
1. Braking in the middle of a turn at or near max turn speed on a loose surface will transfer weight to the front of the car, the rear will lose traction, and the car will swing wide out of control as the rear end comes around (oversteer).
2. Turning more into the turn, assuming the driver was already at the maximum turning radius achievable, will result in the car sliding sideways but with the front end leading. A car turns with it's front end, and when it can no longer turn it's called understeer - you turn the wheel but it continues sideways with the front end leading. TO ME this is what it looks like Tony's car is doing; it looks like it's in a mild understeer representing he tried to turn into the turn more.
3. He guns the throttle on a dirt track in the middle of a turn which would most likely induce oversteer again and we would have seen the rear end of the vehicle step out.
The thing is, prior to the accident we see Ward continuing to move towards the inside of the track. At the last possible moment, he leans back realizing he's about to get hit. Stewarts car remains on a straight path during this time, which either was his chosen line or he was mildly understeering.
After Ward is hit, Tony's car fishtails.
Honestly, intent doesn't matter to me at this point. Tony may have had an entire .5 seconds to make a move here and whether he made the right one or the wrong one is beside the point.
Stewart got out of his car in the middle of a race with his car blocking 1/3rd of the track and proceeded to, while wearing all black on a night course with cars racing with no headlights, stalk across the track into the middle of the remaining width IN A TURNING area.
He was hit by Stewart because that's who he was trying to confront, but he would have been hit by someone just because of his behavior.
I mourn the loss of a young man, but this is stupidity on an epic level. He jumped out of an airplane expected someone else to hand him a parachute on the way down.
Sorun wrote: Did you see the fishtail? That's what did it. Otherwise Ward wouldn't have been hit.
This is one of those situations when people with little or no knowledge of a sport should conquer the urge to draw conclusions from a small amount of data.
Everyone here without actual experience of driving a Sprint car on a dirt track in an actual race at night should SHUT THE FUCK UP.
I generally ignore Biblical citations but here's one that's applicable from the Book of Proverbs: Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Sister is using this as a teaching moment with her learners-permitted son. Dead kid had been racing those carts since he was four, so he was undoubtedly a good driver, but his 20 y.o. brain chose poorly when angered.
gspencer said...
I think we have a Darwin Award winner.
Getting out of a car, in the dark, on a live track.
How stupid do you have to be?
Quaestor - "Everyone here without actual experience of driving a Sprint car on a dirt track in an actual race at night should SHUT THE FUCK UP."
Sick of this new debate tactic of saying the only valid view is someone with a PhD in the climate sciences, or went to Harvard Law, or personally is a race pro driving spint cars should SHUT THE FUCK UP about global warming, Obama, Stewart and the numbnuts that got run over.
Unless you are trained professionally in the assessment of the degree of expertise of individuals or institutions,,,,Quaestor and others lacking such assessment bona fides should SHUT THE FUCK UP about other people or info sources having expertise or not.
That also goes for Navy pilots that think because they lost 5 planes and spent time in enemy hands that they know all about Marine tactics, geostrategic studies and counsel..AF capabilities, and submarines.
NASCAR and track racing is a huge waste of gas. You can drive around in a circle. Awesome.
I've pissed off C-Fudd. That's vindication in my book!
Peter Peterson said...
You know how in ice hockey sometimes a player will, in an act of gamesmanship/obnoxiousness, pull up short in front of the goalie and send a spray of ice chips in his face? I think that's essentially what happened here. Stewart clearly goosed the throttle and got the car sideways, which is not something one would ordinarily do where caution flags are being waved (notice how carefully the car immediately preceding Stewart's car went through). I think his intent was to spray some dirt into the face of the youngster who had the temerity to point his finger at him.
I think it's not only Ward's fault, he risked the lives/injury to other drivers had they crashed trying to avoid him.
I think his anger got the better of him and he paid a horrible price. Pictures on his website...he looked like a little boy. Sad.
Thank you Gahrie and PeterK,
I anticipated those answers and indeed they make internal sense. I suppose he can't help himself. But if you're the third highest earning NASCAR driver, which according to forbes he is or once was, why would you risk the franchise on some dirt track "outlaw" sprint racing?
But the question answers itself. People like me who make those calculations even if I had the talent don't have the drive to be the third highest earing NASCAR driver.
garage mahal,
I'm not a NASCAR fan but I've been to a couple of races at the Kansas Speedway and was quite impressed by the entire operation, especially the fans. So not a fan, but appreciate the sport on its own terms.
Must you "piss" on nearly every subject you comment? I just don't get it.
Certainly "terminal stupidity". I am a bit suspicious that all the other cars were much lower on the track than Stewart as the idiot was staggering around. However I don't know enough to come to any conclusions.
Horrible thing for Stewart, worse for the kid.
Humperdink said...
In Stewart's early NASCAR days he was a perpetual (read: weekly) hothead. Over the years he has mellowed a bit. This incident will re-ignite the debate over Stewart's anger management skills.
That being said, Ward was foolish to bob and weave all over the track.
Freder Frederson said...
Well, if you think Ward is responsible for his own fate based on seeing a not very clear video, I guess the case is closed.
What Ward did was undoubtedly stupid, but there needs to be a serious investigation into what Stewart did.
@gspencer, you could be wearing a black racing suit and black helmet.
Oh, wait a minute.
Gary Rosen said...
Fudd, figure out how to blame it on da jooos yet?
The first thing they teach you in these types of cars is that if you crash, stay in the car until the safety crew frees you....for exactly this reason.
"That also goes for Navy pilots that think because they lost 5 planes and spent time in enemy hands that they know all about Marine tactics, geostrategic studies and counsel..AF capabilities, and submarines."
Well, they have a *slightly* better shot than someone sweating over his beefaroni dinner while the flophouse walls are closing in on him.
Let me add to my earlier comment regarding Stewart's temper:
If the Ontario county Sheriff and DA ask NASCAR for video clips of Stewart retaliating with his race car, it would probably comprise several full length movies. (I exaggerate, but not by much.)
@garage mahal said...
OMG! Garage and I agree on an issue. WOW!
NASCAR is code for "Rednecks turning left."
Freder Frederson wrote -
"What Ward did was undoubtedly stupid, but there needs to be a serious investigation into what Stewart did."
Who said there wouldn't be a serious investigation? You write this like there might not be such an investigation. Thumbs up for Freder. Defender of the blindingly obvious. Sprint racing is now on notice.
BTW, there's a world of difference between investigating what happened and "what Stewart did." Sounds like you've drawn your conclusion already.
The first thing they teach you in these types of cars is that if you crash, stay in the car until the safety crew frees you
Like I said, what Ward did was incredibly stupid, but that does not absolve Stewart if he deliberately swerved towards Ward.
Maybe Stewart was drunk and that was giving him trouble texting while driving. Or maybe not.
Seriously, Ward must have looked like a deer running across the road at night to Stewart. It happens too fast to react more than a flinch. And poor Stewart can't stuff and mount this trophy.
But if you're the third highest earning NASCAR driver, which according to Forbes he is or once was, why would you risk the franchise on some dirt track "outlaw" sprint racing?
I've spoken today to a few of my NASCAR aficionado acqauintences which clarified some points to me. From this information I derive this facts
1) Canandaigua Speedway is a minor dirt track, but not "outlaw" in any sense of the word.
2) Where and when drivers race is chiefly a question of their sponsorship. Sponsors pay to have the cars and the drivers perform for the public. Stewart was likely there because his contracts required his participation.
3) Dirt track racing is a sport unto itself requiring different cars, different skills and different techniques than what are used in Grand National events. The "fishtailing" Sorun was so outraged about is normal turning.
4) Stupid or not Ward's behavior was illegal. The rules require a driver to remain in his car until the crash team arrives. If he'd survived Ward would have likely been suspended, fined, or both.
"these facts", sorry for typo
Lucien said...
Sorry -- too soon to tell.
More facts are needed, but, in the meantime, have fun speculating.
I don't think anyone can place the main responsibility, perhaps all of it on anyone but Ward. True in racing there is a "challenge the other driver" act that we see from time to time but its clearly led to this death. Go after him in the pits or in the media. But on the track with cars still driving around, low light, etc. and some one gets killed.
RJ said...
"these are skilled drivers who control their cars as well as surgeons control a scalpel."
You haven't done a lot of dirt track racing, I guess.
Quaestor,
Points taken. Regarding them -
1) That's why I put "outlaw" in quotes. It's how sprint racing was sold back when I lived in Indiana. If there's a distinction I'm missing, please inform me.
2) Stewart is an owner not just a driver. I think that's a big part of how he was #3 in earnings. I would suspect he has more control over when, where, and how he races than you suppose.
these are skilled drivers who control their cars as well as surgeons control a scalpel.
A valid comparison if a surgical procedure involved 35 chainsaw-wielding adrenaline junkies competing to excise the same appendix.
Questor at 6:17 nails the main points, to which I'd add that these cars turn by sliding sideways (upthread I called it "reverse lock" but I have since been corrected -- the front wheels are turned in the same direction as the skid). At that point in the track, exiting a corner, Stewart has very little control of the car as he is balancing the skid using primarily his throttle. The fishtail after hitting Ward is because the balance has been upset.
I'm not a racing fan but from what little I've seen many of the racers are spoiled rich kids with daddies willing to finance their hobby and spare them the responsibility of growing up. Looking at the deceased running out on the track all I can think is that here is one very large and angry child throwing a tantrum.
Nephew, who has done this racing with his middle school son for a couple of years now just blew in with a watermelon. Nephew blames the kid. Experience spoke to me.
Stewart was out there because he's eat up with racing. It is basically his only interest in life and he races at local tracks all the time.
It's a whole lot better than being eat up with hatred to you're fellow man because he's a self motivated high acheiver as opposed to some pasty fat communist hack. It makes him a far superior person.
Stewart is an owner not just a driver...
I'd assume that's immaterial, unless Stewart raced without sponsorship, which he didn't. Stewart's car belongs to Stewart-Hass Racing, not to Tony Stewart personally. Sponsorships are negotiated based on series participation. If you pay for a car to compete in the American Sprint Car Series (of which the Empire Super Sprints is a part) then the owner is obliged to run that car in the series races or pay compensation back to the sponsor.
Stewart is one of the few NASCAR drivers that also races at local tracks. He was scheduled to race at Watkins Glen today, and some were calling for him to be banned from the race.
It's common to see professional drivers competing at multiple levels. It's how they make their living.
I didn't see the video before, but it looks like,
a. Stewart didn't drive Ward into the wall, causing the initial wreck.
b. Tempers do get out of control at local races and at national events, though it seems to be worse in stock car racing than other forms. Adrenaline flowing and all that.
c. Open wheel cars are very dangerous because the wheels are, well, open. It doesn't sound like Stewart "gunned the engine" to cause the back end to break loose. Actually the opposite. And it's likely Stewart didn't see him.
The other local racers were probably aware of Ward's temper-- it probably wasn't the first time he'd done something like that. But Stewart wouldn't have known that.
As to why Stewart would pick up a Saturday night race-- open wheel dirt tracks cars are a blast.
I raced a stock car years ago, and it's a blast-- open wheel cars are stock cars on steroids.
It's a tragedy that this happened and serves as a reminder that auto racing is dangerous at all levels.
As far as I can tell, this was not a NASCAR sanctioned race. NASCAR is the National Association of Stock Car Automotive Racers
NASCAR sanctions a number of series but as far as can tell no "Open Wheel" racing such as Sprint cars.
Sprint cars are very different from the Stock Cars associated with NASCAR whih at least bear a superficial resemblence to a car you might drive to work.
I suspect that the confusion is because:
1) Tony Stewart is best known as a NASCAR driver
2) NASCAR's premier series is its Sprint Cup series. The Sprint here refers to the telco sponsor, not to the type of car.
But all the cool kids likes to hate on NASCAR so knock yourselves out.
Regarding control of a Sprint car:
1) It is a dirt track which is never the same way on two laps. Each car that passes changes it slightly.
2) Dirt is slippery. Especially after it has been chewed up and is loose instead of tightly packed.
3) Sprint cars can be anywhere from 400 to 1000HP depending on the type. In a car with a total weight of 1000 lbs or so. In other words lots of power to weight.
4) sprint cars have no clutch or transmission and damn little brakes.
5) Outlaw, in Sprint car racing is probably trademarked. "World of Outlaws" is one of the main sanctioning bodies. Outlaw originally meant that races were held independently of regular sanctioning bodies such as WoO, NASCAR, USAC. CART etc.
I saw the video. I can't tell if Stewart did this intentionally but nothing I saw makes me believe it.
Ward had no business whatever being on the track. He didn't "get what was coming to him" but he was certainly at fault, perhaps totally at fault, for his own death. IMHO.
Quaester@7:06,
Well there we are. Stewart is an owner of STEWART-Hass racing but has no control over the conditions in which he races. He had no part in those negotiations with the sponsors. Got it. Look. All I said was that he was not the pawn you made him out to be. But if you are going to stick to that so be it.
@Crack - Not a NASCAR fan, but there sure are a lot of them down here. I'm sure there is a tiny minority that go looking for death, just like there are with NFL fans. (OK, it's not a TINY minority in Oakland or Philly, but still a minority.) Anyway, I think most of the fans want to see the drivers defy death. They want to see crashes and see the drivers walk away. There have to be deaths every once in a while so the threat of death is actually there. But that's not what they are there to see.
There is the Whelen Modified Tour series for open-wheel cars. They race on pavement, however, as far as I can tell.
The fatal race was part of the Empire Super Sprints which seems to have some relationship to the larger American Sprint Car Series. Both organizations are sponsored by Lucas Oil. Not a NASCAR event
CWJ wrote: Stewart is an owner of STEWART-Hass racing but has no control over the conditions in which he races. He had no part in those negotiations with the sponsors.
You said it. I didn't.
Really, CWJ, you're either being obstreperous or you're using min-altering drugs.
@Crack. This may interest you. The NASCAR race held today at Watkins Glen was won by AJ Allmendinger, owned by team JTGDaugherty Racing. The Daugherty is Brad Daugherty, former UNC star and Cleveland Cavs player.
Some time ago as Daugherty was getting heavily involved in NASCAR, he asked if asked color mattered in NASCAR. His response was classic: "The only color that matters in NASCAR is green ($$)".
Quaester,
Sarcasm is lost on you.
sane_voter said...
Although the kid was stupid to walk out on the track, Stewart looked like he was driving faster than the other cars at that point and did goose his engine as he approached Ward, something none of the other drivers did as they passed Ward. The guy you can hear talking on the video sure sounded like he thought Stewart hit him on purpose. I wouldn't be surprised if Stewart wanted to scare the piss out of him and ended up hitting him by accident instead.
Kansas City said...
Tree Joe offered what sounds like smart analysis, but I question why he does not recognize that Stewart pretty clearly throttled the car.
Ward's conduct was incredibly stupid, in violation of the rules and the cause of his death. However, I don't think any of those points are dispositive on the separate issue of whether Stewart was negligent or reckless (or I guess intentional, but that would be virtually impossible to prove).
I think the legal issue is whether, when faced with the situation of the recklessly stupid Ward on the track, Stewart engaged in negligent, reckless or intentional conduct that caused Ward's death.
It sounds like Stewart clearly throttled the car. If so, and the result was to throw out the back end so it hit Ward, Stewart better have a very good explanation for why he throttled the car. I thought of the following: (1) get past him more quickly; (2) trying to get the back end to move left rather than right; or (3) a technique that controls the car better and arguably lessens the likelihood of the rear spinning out. I thought the potential problem was that it could have been a "macho" answer to the guy or a technique that would cause the rear to spin right and scare the guy.
It also is another situation where what Stewart said when he "cooperated" with the authorities will be very important. From a purely legal perspective, he should not have talked to the authorities, but that would have been a PR disaster. In hindsight, the best PR/legal approach would have been to plead that he was too upset to talk about it, get legal advice, and then "cooperate" fully. Of course, from the point of justice, I'm glad he talked to the authorities so justice will be done (either pro or anti Stewart).
or I guess intentional, but that would be virtually impossible to prove
J.L.Austin's "Three Ways of Spilling Ink" covers a close case :
So far we have shown that a thing done intentionally need not be done deliberately or on purpose, but what about conversely? Can something be done deliberately or purposely but not intentionally? Can we think of a case in which something is done deliberately but not intentionally? Certainly this seems more difficult. However, there are cases.
I am summoned to quell a riot in India. Speed is imperative. My mind runs on the action to be taken five miles down the road at the Residency. As I set off down the drive, my cookboy's child' new gocart, the apple of her eye, is right across the road. I realize I could stop, get out, and move it, but to hell with that. I must push on. It's too bad, that's all. I drive right over it and am on my way. In this case, a snap decision is taken on what is essentially an incidental matter. I did drive over the gocard deliberately, but not intentionally - nor, of course, unintentionally either. It was never part of my intention to run over the gocart....
Rhhardin:
I was not clear in my "intentional" reference. I meant intent to hit Ward. It is pretty obvious that if Stewart throttled the car, that was an intentional act. The "intent" issue for murder would be if Stewart intended to hit Ward, which I think would be virtually impossible to prove (he also almost certainly did not intend to do that absent extreme road rage type reaction).
The other thing is that Stewart is much closer to Ward than the other cars that drove by him previously. What we don't see in the video is if Stewart veered his car towards Ward as he approached him. That would be evidence of intent.
Stewart intentionally crashed Ward's car then under yellow he intentionally ran him over.
That's what you see and hear. Under yellow why would Stewart not just follow the inside line? He came in high and gunned his engine as he passed. Sprint cars are setup to oversteer. He knew he was swinging his tail into Ward.
Not only that but don't you think he could feel the body under his wheel as he dragged him? Did he stop, hell no.
Prison is where this POS belongs.
Lorne Scheffer said...
Stewart clearly meant to intimidate and bully the kid. He throttled to spray him with dirt and that is what ultimately killed Ward....Wards decision to be out on the track in a fit of rage is the reason he is dead but Stewart will have to live with the consequences of his actions...Stewart did kill Ward not intentionally but his actions certainly was a contributing factor...he needs to be held accountable
Truly pointless and discussing
RIP Kevin Ward Jr
This is just a prelude to the revival of the Roman gladiatorial games!
Praise Jupiter's Cock!
It sounds like Stewart clearly throttled the car. If so, and the result was to throw out the back end so it hit Ward, Stewart better have a very good explanation for why he throttled the car.
Sprint cars have no differential. Steering is done as much with the throttle as the steering wheel, especially at lower speeds and where you are on the dirt track.
If Stewart blipped the throttle is was much more likely in an attempt go avoid Ward, not to hit him. Furthermore, Stewart didn't cause Ward's crash and likely had no idea Ward had crashed (sprint cars have no rear view mirrors and sprint races disallow spotters or any radio communication.) Stewart likely had no idea who the person on the track even was.
Another point is that apparently Stewart likes taking a high line in Sprint Car races, or at least in races on this track.
I posit that Ward assumed that Stewart was on the low line and inadvertently put himself directly in the way of Stewart. Stewart tried to avoid him, but ended up catching him with his rear wheel. Had Stewart done nothing, he probably would have hit Ward head on and killed him.
Bottom line is that Ward caused his own death. It was his rage, not Stewart's, that caused his death.
On another site, a commenter pointed out that Stewart also may have been on a higher line to avoid the mud while removing a tear off (plastic visor coverings which drivers remove to return to a clear visor.)
jim murray said...
Who knows? Car racing is dumb and walking on an active track is dumber.
Although the kid was stupid to walk out on the track, Stewart looked like he was driving faster than the other cars at that point and did goose his engine as he approached Ward, something none of the other drivers did as they passed
Looks to me like he's driving exactly as fast as the car in front of him. From the line they took, it looks like Stewart's vision might have been obstructed by the car in front of him so that he could not see Ward (at night, badly lit, dressed in all black) until just before impact.
I haven't raced these cars, but accelerating through the turn may be exactly the technique used to drift around the corner.
The comments of some above, who are sure that Stewart did this intentionally, are reckless at best.
Depending on the rules of the series or track, you might still be racing after a yellow is thrown.
At my home track racing to the yellow was the rule-- you continued to race until the yellow flag.
Even after a yellow, you are allowed to catch the car ahead of you-- you just can't pass, so those folks that say Stewart was still going to fast are wrong.
A lot of comments from people supposedly at the track think Stewart was trying to intimidate Ward.
I don't know and the video I saw, at the angle it was shot at doesn't show that, IMO.
The Crack Emcee: Anyone want to explain why people think this was professional road rage of kind?
Sure, Ward was dressed all in black, and NASCAR people hate blacks, so Stewart's rage was due to his inherent racism.
[this is how stupid you look when you insert racism into everything]
jr565 said...
It looks a bit like he swerves to hit him. But from what I hear about these cars' when you speed up the cars sometimes swerve themselves. And so he might have been clipped by the back wheel as it shifted right.
One driver suggested thst what Robbins was trying to do was shoot gravel in his face to warn him off as race car drivers often do. Only the car rear wheels shifted in such a way as to drag him under. So I certainly don't think he intended to hit him. But maybe to scare him a bit.
I guess prior to this clip there was a collision where Stewart hit Ward, which wrecked Ward's car and took him out of the race. Ward became so enraged that he lost his senses and tried to ---grandstand --- Stewart.
Did Stewart take any action to deliberately hit Ward? Under the circumstances, I think that would be very hard to prove, even if true. Most reasonable people would conclude that Ward should have stayed next to the fence and waited for the track crew to pick him up and then lodge a formal complaint afterwards. Auto racing is not professional wrestling, as we could see.
As for a Darwin award, I don't know. I was once young and stupid. I was also lucky.
Oh, goodie. An ignorant libtard who thinks Saddam "protected" Yazidis and supported the colossal waste of Stimulus and Obamacare and Cash For Clunkers thinks an industry that provides jobs for tens of thousands of Americans is a waste of gas.
Hey, garage! What's your favorite window flavor, dumbass?
Pat Hill said...
Very bad decision on Wards part. Anger got the better of him. I don't think he was hit on purpose at all. A lot of people don't understand Sprint cars don't turn or stop like a regular car. The RR tire is nearly 2 feet wide. Absulutly no time to react. He did try to throttle it around him but was just too late.
Jo Bu said...
Stewart will be guilty of manslaughter (not murder). Here are the two facts which will lead to his guilty verdict.
1) Every fan in attendance will testify the #14 car 'throttled' his sprinter in turn 2 under caution (for those of us who have seen these races live, if one sprinter is throttling, everyone knows who it is).
2) Not a single professional race car driver (in the World of Outlaws or in NASCAR) will testify there is an appropriate scenario in which a drive should 'throttle' his\her 360 Big Wing sprinter under caution.
Looks like the media and some commenters hereon are getting ready for a lynching.
It has been 50 years and more since I watched 1/4 mile dirt-track racing, but if Ward's car was not on fire, he had no business getting out of it, and if he did, he should have gone for the fence; not out on the track.
TC said...
No matter what the criminal actions will be, no matter that Ward should not have gotten out of his car and unto the track. Tony Stewart will have to look at himself in the mirror and live with what he did... He knows what he did no excuses!
Paul Ciotti said...
I must be seeing things on the tape. When I watched (over and over) it always looked to me like the rear end of Stewart's car (when he gunned it) swung away from Ward, not toward him. Yet all the commentators say the rear swung toward Ward. I don't know if I ought to believe the other commentators or me and my lying eyes.
Note that the video we see was shot with a super open iris light catching lens so that the dark far turn action could be seen.
Human eyes only saw darkness past 20 feet.
In case anyone is still following this, a comment from a car forum about the incident:
"Just because he got on the throttle while near the kid does not mean he intended to hit him, or "spook" him, or anything. This is a sprint car. Making it turn REQUIRES throttle. It's on a dirt track, with a 900hp short wheelbase car that barely turns properly until you get to like 80 mph.... The guy gets out of his wreck and starts randomly jumping around and running into traffic to angrily confront someone. Tony comes around oblivious to this and the guy runs right in front of his 900 hp barely controllable (at low speeds) monster. At the last second Tony notices and tries to avoid by making the car turn. And hits the guy. "Could" Tony have noticed if sooner, maybe he was checking his gauges or something? Sure. Could the lunatic who ran out on the track in front of a field of SPRINT CARS on DIRT have dealt with this shit in the pits later? Definitely. A terrible tragedy that shouldn't have happened."
I wouldn't rush to judgement either way on this incident.
Srewart didn't mean to. When I went to a gocart track do not get out of the cart until all carts stop and they're going 30mph and they're 4ft tall. Now why would he even think about getting out when they're going 40-50 mph and the cars wheel is almost half the size as him.
Brian E...ur an idiot....do u not see the obvious mental challenge and struggle these two had unfold be for us....competition that turned stupid and ugly due to egos and road rage.
Ward made the ultimate mistake in rage of forgetting his environment and the bully Stewart came around the track and trying to intimidate him ultimately killed him in the same corner he crashed him in the lap before...Ward is dead under Rony Stewart's tire for a very sad reason....such a waste...stupid and discusting....vehicular homicide
Lorne Scheffer-- I'm often stupid,but I don't think this is one of those times. From the perspective of the video, I don't think Stewart's car made contact with Ward's in the initial incident. That was a racing incident-- Ward just needed to back off.
As to the rest, here's Circle Track magazine's perspective...
"..The only thing we do know for sure is that Kevin Ward Jr. is dead, the result of getting hit by Stewart. Video footage shows Stewart's sprint car accelerate at the moment of contact with Ward. Was he trying to scare the youngster? Teach him a lesson for getting out of the car and pointing a finger? Or was he trying to avoid him? Did Tony have that oh sh*t I'm going to hit this guy, moment? Nobody knows for sure and at this juncture the answers to all of those questions are purely a matter of conjecture, only Tony knows what happened inside his cockpit. In the coming days or weeks he will make an official statement. Until then we wait, left to debate the situation as a whole.
When tragedies happen it is human nature to want to assign blame. Those of us who have been behind the wheel in competition understand that emotions run high during the heat of battle. We also know that many short tracks in this country are dimly lit making seeing anything let alone a guy in a black firesuit and helmet running at you difficult. In racing bad things can happen, sometimes they are intentional, sometimes they are not..."
Read more: http://www.circletrack.com/news/weighing_in_on_the_tragedy_at_canandaigua/#ixzz3ABRwPQ5X
John Smith said...
Tony's career is over. Even if he's never convicted and or charged, this incident will destroy him.
eny7 said...
I think it's 50/50
TS is aggressive well known and documented
He just pinched off ward by drifting up into wards line
To say he didn't or did see ward on the track is tough
But ward was there jumping moving and waving his arm
The pit guys have radios and there was time to say ward is pissed in turn 2... Or whatever it's not like they weren't watching the track
Based off previous behaviors it's very conceivable that TS would be aggressive towards Wards gestures under caution
This isn't bill Elliot
Tonys car is already in a slide before impact
Ward is beginning to dodge up track before impact
I believe ts was showing he's the boss, running higher than the other cars did and intended to intimidate but not injure
There's all kinds of little gestures in racing that non racing folks don't realize or understand
To me Tony made a gesture that he will have to live with
But he's no murderer
Ward deserves 50% blame bc he lost his temper but this is common in racing and young guys have to show they are not scared
He got to far down and should of just thrown his helmet instead like tony does
john forrest said...
in my opinion , stewart gassed his car trying to sling dirt on the kid and misjudged . you can hear it a split second before he hit him. right rear kicked out and wound him up.not saying he meant to hit him or certainly not to kill him , but his actions cost the boy his life.sure , he should have stayed in his car , but its a scene repeated over and over as drivers bail out to express their displeasure at the guy that spun them. Stewart has been guilty of doing the same thing many times.its a shame and the saddest part is stewart will get away with it scott free.
Savanna Branson said...
Tony Stewart cleared him, then Kevin Ward Jr. grabbed the wing of the car and held on. He fell off and the back tire ran him over. You can clearly see that if it's slowed down.
Jared Morales said...
Sorry to Say this but, Kevin Ward's actions warranted his fate. Stupid , Stupid , and more stupid.
Savannah,
Interesting comment about Ward grabbing the wing. I went to YouTube to look for more footage, perhaps from a different angle.
I found the one video that we all have seen but slowed way down. You are right. It is pretty clear that Ward was grabbing the wing and fell.
No idea what he thought he was going to do, hang on with one hand and bang on Stewarts helmet with the other? It is pretty clear, though when you look at it frame by frame. This is slowed 500% then 1000%
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtj0OqzANCI
Another one, not frame by frame but a bit better quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XvhrPu64Co
svet somerville said...
It's very simple:
Kevin ran into stewart get real!
Why did stewart not see how Kevin was doing after he struck him?
you don't need all these videos
to know it was a hit and run!
where there is smoke there's fire
buellsgirl said...
Tony Stewart is known for "tapping" other drivers, even though I don't follow NASCAR, I do believe he has gotten in trouble for these type of actions. Shouldn't the other cars have been slowing down & going to the inside of track after the accident? Especially considering the paramedics were already on the track? Maybe it wasn't intentional, but he has a history of being a dick while racing. Because he's a "celebrity" he should be charged criminally & made an example. It is NOTHING BUT BULLSHIT THAT CELEBRITIES GET A SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR THEIR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. IF IT WAS ONE OF US LOWLY UNFAMOUS MF'S, WE WOULD GET PRISON TIME. THESE SO CALLED CELEBRITIES WALK AWAY TO DO IT AGAIN OR END UP IN A COUNTRY CLUB. START MAKING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.


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authority to issue "official" rulings legally binding on civilians or civilian groups.
specifically included in the Code may be deemed acceptable as long as proper respect is shown.
attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart14. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto.
illuminated during the hours of darkness.
when an all-weather flag is displayed.
of admission); and on State holidays.
(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days. (g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.
flags, in front of the center of that line.
as provided in subsection (i) of this section.
should be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.
pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.
of another nation in time of peace.
out, union first, from the building.
a north and south street.
position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience.
grave or allowed to touch the ground.
more than two directions, the union should be to the east.
organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation.
the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.
anthem and maintain that position until the last note.
and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.
Corps Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington, Virginia;26 Lexington, Massachusetts;27 the White House;28 the Washington Monument;29 United States Customs ports of entry;30 and Valley Forge State Park, Pennsylvania.31 The reports that accompanied these official acts indicate that the specific authority was intended only as a form of tribute to certain historic sites rather than as exceptions to the general rule of the Code.
preserved by lighting that prevents its being enveloped in darkness.
day, the flag should be lowered during brief periods of precipitation.
own flag or that make such display alone a form of desecration.
type finial used is a matter of preference of the individual or organization.
and no Act of Congress or Executive Order either requires or prohibits the practice.
an equal level with that of the flag of the U.S. is not clear from the face of the statute.
status of these statutes and cases can not be taken for granted in light of Eichman and Johnson.
flags authorized for federal executive agencies can be found in Executive Order No.
residential property to which the member has a separate ownership interest.
1 4 U.S.C. §§ 4-10.
2 36 U.S.C. § 301.
3 4 U.S.C. § 5.
4 4 U.S.C. § 10.
5 4 U.S.C. § 8.
6 18 U.S.C. § 700.
v. Johnson: Flag Desecration and the First Amendment.
8 P.L. 101-131, the Flag Protection Act of 1989, amending 18 U.S.C. § 700.
Summary of Recent Supreme Court Decisions and Proposed Constitutional Amendment.
10 P.L. 623, 77th Cong., 56 Stat. 377.
11 P.L. 829, 77th Cong., 56 Stat. 1074.
13 P.L. 105-225, § 300111.
salute. See, 4 U.S.C. § 9 as amended by P.L. 110-181, § 594.
15 Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday was added by P.L. 106-80, 113 Stat. 1285.
16 P.L. 396, 83rd Cong., 68 Stat. 249.
17 See, West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnett, 319 U.S. 624 (1943).
19 Newdow v. U.S. Congress, 328 F.3rd 746 (9th Cir. 2003).
20 Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, 542 U.S.1 (2004).
21 Now codified at 4 U.S.C. § 7.
265 F. Supp. 308 (D. Del. 1967); see also N.A.A.C.P. v. Hunt, 891 F.2d 1555 (11th Cir.
23 4 U.S.C. § 6(a).
24 Proclamation No. 2795, July 2, 1948, 62 Stat. 1526.
25 P.L. 319, 83rd Cong., 68 Stat. 35.
26 Proclamation No. 3418, June 12, 1961, 75 Stat. 1068.
27 P.L. 89-355,, 79 Stat. 1294.
28 Proclamation No. 4000, Sept. 4, 1970, 84 Stat. 2243.
29 Proclamation No. 4064, July 10, 1971, 85 Stat. 916.
30 Proclamation No. 4131, May 9, 1972, 86 Stat. 1633.
31 P.L. 94-53, 89 Stat. 259.
32 4 U.S.C. § 6(c).
33 4 U.S.C. § 7(m).
in honor of members of the Armed Forces from their jurisdiction.
36 34 Op. Atty. Gen. 483.
37 4 U.S.C. § 8(k).
39 See, United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990).
40 4 U.S.C. § 7(c).
41 4 U.S.C. § 7(g).
42 P.L. 623, § 3(g), 77th Cong., 56 Stat. 377, 378.
43 P.L. 107, 83rd Cong., 67 Stat. 142.
44 S. Rept No. 258, 83rd Cong., 1st Sess. (1953).
540 F.2d 1083 (5th Cir. 1976).
46 4 U.S.C. § 7(e).
47 4 U.S.C. § 7(f).
48 4 U.S.C. § 8(i) & (j).
49 P.L. 94-344, § 1(16).
50 4 U.S.C. § 8(i).
52 See, e.g., Halter v. Nebraska, 205 U.S. 34 (1907).
53 4 U.S.C. § 3.
54 See, e.g., Central Hudson Gas and Electric Co. V. PSC, 447 U.S. 557 (1980).
55 Aug. 21, 1959, 29 F.R. 6865; see 4 U.S.C. §§ 1-2.


Bruce Read enters his second season at Nebraska and brings a veteran special teams coach to Mike Riley's staff. Read has 31 years of expertise in coaching special teams, and also worked for Riley at Oregon State and with the San Diego Chargers.
In his first season at Nebraska, Read's specialists produced outstanding results. Punter Sam Foltz averaged bettter than 44 yards per punt and was the Big Ten Conference Punter of the Year. Place-kicker Drew Brown finished the season by making his final 11 field goals, and his 21 field goals were the second-most in NU history. True freshman long snapper Jordan Ober was nearly flawless in his first season of action. Read's kickoff coverage unit also ranked in the top four in the Big Ten and the top 25 nationally.
Read spent the previous six seasons from 2009 to 2014 with Riley at Oregon State, Read's third stint in Corvallis. He also coached the Beaver special teams in 1997 and 1998, and from 2004 to 2006. OSU special teams players achieved numerous school records and all-conference accolades under Read's direction.
In 2014, Beaver kickers connected on 19-of-22 field goals and were perfect on PAT attempts. In 2012, Jordan Jenkins earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a coverage specialist and OSU led the conference in field goal percentage. Place-kicker Trevor Romaine was one of the nation's most accurate place-kickers that season, connecting on 89 percent of his field goals.
In 2011, return specialist James Rodgers becoming the school's career all-purpose yardage leader with 6,377 yards, partially fueled by 2,385 career return yards. In the 2011 season, OSU ranked seventh in the NCAA in punt returns, just a year after ranking fourth nationally with a school-record 26.4-yard kickoff return average, and sixth nationally in punt return average.
In 2006, punt returner Sammie Stroughter was a third-team All-America selection, while kicker Alexis Serna earned Pac-10 all-conference honors. Under Read's direction in 2005, Serna earned the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker.
Read was also on Riley's San Diego Chargers staff, helping San Diego rank among the best in the league in special teams. The Chargers led the NFL in kickoff return average in 1999, and ranked in the top six in composite special teams rankings twice in three years.
Read also worked as an NFL assistant with the New York Giants (2002-03) and Dallas Cowboys (2007-08). Read began his coaching career at the University of Montana from 1985 to 1996, working for his father Don Read.


text:
Western Investment Company of Canada Receives All Regulatory Approvals and Closes the Acquisition to Acquire 50% Interest in Fortress Insurance Company
High River, Alberta – The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited ("WICC") (TSXV: WI) announces today it has received all regulatory approvals from the Alberta Superintendent of Insurance including licences that will allow Fortress Insurance Company ("Fortress") to conduct business on a wider scale within Alberta.
With all conditions to closing now removed, WICC has completed its acquisition to acquire a fifty percent interest in Fortress. We look forward to updating our shareholders on progress with respect to our new venture with a goal to commence expanded western Canadian operations and insurance sales in July of 2019.
Fortress is an Alberta registered and regulated insurance company, exclusively providing automobile third party liability coverage to Prairie View Holding companies in the rental car and airport services business in Calgary. WICC and its partners have agreed on a plan to transform Fortress from its current narrow scope to seize upon opportunities in specialty and surplus lines of business within the western Canadian insurance marketplace. The plan includes expansion of Fortress' licenced operations to include all four western provinces, offering various property insurance products geared to niche customers.
WICC is planning to implement the conversion of the $4,000,000 in subscription receipts which were issued on April 9, 2019 into convertible debentures on Thursday, May 9, 2019. The gross proceeds will be used for general working capital purposes. Each debenture is convertible into common shares of WICC at a conversion price of $0.55 per share. The debentures will mature on March 31, 2024 and bear interest at the rate of 7.5% per annum, payable semi-annually at the end of March and September. Further details regarding the terms of the debentures are contained in WICC's press release dated April 9, 2019.
The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited is a unique publicly traded, private equity company founded by a group of successful Western Canadian businesspeople, and dedicated to building and maintaining ownership in successful Western Canadian companies, and helping them to grow. The company's shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol WI. For more information on the company, please visit its website at www.winv.ca.


text:
Losson, Joseph Raoul (P1, C1, L2)
Private First Class Joseph Raoul Losson, 19, Bardstown, Nelson County died while on federal active duty of pneumonia at 6:30 p.m. on 18 April 1917 in a military hospital in Louisville. Losson was a member of Company B, First Kentucky Infantry Regiment. Losson served with his unit on the Mexican border during the punitive expedition. After returning from border duty circa February 1917 his company was assigned guard duty at bridges in Kentucky. He contracted his illness one week prior to his death. Losson is buried in the Saint Joseph Cemetery in Bardstown and his headstone lists his name as Raoul Losson.
Losson joined the Kentucky National Guard on 26 June 1916. He was promoted to private first class on 1 January 1917. He listed his civilian occupation as clerk. Losson was born 15 October 1897.
Private Losson's name is one of those honored on the World War Memorial dedicated in 1919 on the 100th anniversary of the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bardstown
The Kentucky National Guard was mobilized for duty on the Mexican border in June of 1916, and would serve on the border at El Paso, Texas, from August 1916, until March 1917. The primary mission of the Kentucky Guard was to patrol a sixty-mile of stretch of the border along the Rio Grande River from El Paso to Fort Hancock, Texas.
Upon returning from the border, most of the Kentucky units were kept in federal status for possible service in World War I. On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war against the Central Powers. The entire Kentucky Guard was mobilized and sent to the newly constructed Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in June 1917.
Photo without permission from Bardstown: Hospitality, History, and Bourbon By Dixie Hibbs Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (October 28, 2002) ISBN-10: 0738523917 ISBN-13: 978-0738523910
"On August 6,1919, the Soldiers' Memorial was unveiled at Saint Joseph. The monument of bronze figures of victory and liberty on native coral stone was erected to remember the men who served in the great war and those who have their lives: Joseph Raoul Losson, Chester Stewart, W. Tom Rapier, and Herman Evans. It was also the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the construction of the" ....


Special to the DailyA truck-load of donated wood for Silvana's Gardens arrived Wednesday in Silverthorne.
SILVERTHORNE The call for wood went out, and the community responded with a truck-load.After a story in the Summit Daily News last week mentioned the Silvanas Community Gardens projects need for wood, donated lumber for the gardens planters arrived Wednesday. Volunteers will meet at the Vista Automotive Center in Silverthorne to turn the lumber into 10 planter boxes next Tuesday. Volunteers broke ground at the site March 18, taking the first step toward creating an oasis for veggie lovers. The gardens land, located just south of the Silverthorne Recreation Center, was donated by the town. Volunteers will run the community garden, and locals will be able to rent plots for growing season. It will be restricted to vegetables, and water will be available for the plants. Named for Silvana del Piccolo the much-admired late wife of former Silverthorne Mayor Lou del Piccolo the garden will promote both community togetherness and honor the memory of a woman who loved to garden and valued community involvement. The goal of the garden is to integrate education, creativity and community cooperation.The SDN reported that Silvanas Community Gardens was in need of substantial lumber donations to complete the first leg of our project, 10 raised planting beds, said Maggie Butler, the fundraiser and communications coordinator for the project. As a result of this public exposure and the gardens outreach efforts, three companies dug deep and went the extra mile to ensure our volunteer builders have what we need. Silvanas Community Gardens recently received more than $3,500 in lumber donations to complete its planter boxes Specialty Wood Products of Aurora, BigHorn Materials of Silverthorne and Campbell Construction & Engineering, LLC in Frisco all participated. The garden board still needs lumber for fencing.According to Butler, Strategic Fence and Wall Co. in Breckenridge is donating labor, equipment, material and services to build a gated, 5-foot high fence around the community garden to allow all members of the community in, but keep four-legged garden munchers out. Silvanas Community Gardens also received a $500 grant from the Summit County Rotary. The garden board is still soliciting funds around $5,000 is needed. The community garden landed donations from the Summit Prevention Alliance and the Summit Foundation earlier this year. The garden board also partnered with Neils Lunceford, a local landscaping company, along with many other local vendors and sponsors. We are out of plots, Butler said. Our focus is on donated time, labor, materials and dollars.To aid amateur gardeners, the community garden board is also planning on-site classes for locals, focused on edible crops. Spanish classes will be offered. A free summer program for kids in English and Spanish will be held once a week over July and August. The garden board still seeks master gardeners willing to teach or to offer technical assistance.For more information, contact Bev Mason at bmason@wildblue.net or visit http://www.silvanascommunitygardens.org. Caitlin Row can be reached at (970) 668-4633 or at crow@summitdaily.com.


President Abdullah Gül, during his visit to the Municipality of Lisbon as part of his official program in Portugal, was presented the golden key of the city. Referring to Portugal's national poet, Luis de Camoes, who described Lisbon as "the princess of all of the cities of the world", President Gül declared Istanbul to be another princess that has a lot in common with Lisbon, adding that these two cities serve as two bridges of friendship between Turkey and Portugal.
Welcomed with an official ceremony by Mayor Antonio Costa upon his arrival at the Municipality of Lisbon, President Gül was also welcomed with applause by students who receive classes about Turkey as part of a program given by the municipality.
Sharing his pleasure with President Gül's visit, Mayor Costa underscored the importance of the economic bonds and mutual investments between Turkey and Portugal and presented the golden key of the city of Lisbon to the President.
The President also expressed his happiness to be visiting Lisbon and to be with children at the municipality and said he regarded these children who welcome him in Turkish, as a symbol of the existing friendship between the two nations, revealing his pride in receiving the golden key of Lisbon. President Gül further declared Istanbul to be another princess that has a lot in common with Lisbon, adding that these two cities serve as two bridges of friendship between Turkey and Portugal. He further had a memoir photo taken with the children.
The visit ended with a fado performance at the entrance of the municipality.


Congratulations!!! Will the winner please contact me as soon as possible with their address so I can organize the package for Tuesday's free shipping day?
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!! I will send my info.
Oct. 7th.... Copy of what I just posted on my blog, in reply, to your commented question there.
RAIN-No, having chicken pox does not protect you from shingles.
Oh, I'm so happy for Christine! She is one of my favourite bloggers and I couldn't be more pleased!
You're so welcome Christine!!! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered!
Happy Thanksgiving Rain and family!
And Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, to you!!!!!
Congratulations, Christine! What a nice giveaway and beautiful books!
Congrats Christine!!! Frankenstine's monster! LOL! Happy Thanksgiving! Big Hugs!
Haha...that is a great gift to win, however they would be totally wasted on me since I hate cooking!
Thanks for sharing the Random Generator via video, Rain. I've never looked up how to do that and didn't realize it was such a simple process. And what a generous prize!
You have such a lovely voice dear Rain - I really enjoyed hearing/watching the video.
Congrats to lovely Christine - I always enjoy her art on our Scribble Picnic days!
Visiting from Christine blog. Enjoyed looking at all art work you done. Even Jack.
If you have time stop in for a cup of coffee.
your voice is so beautiful dear Rain!
Congrats to the winner!!! I do plan on getting a few from Thrift Books someday because you have raved about them. I used to get the W catalog but they are pricey! But i did pluck the recipes out of them,lol! I'm sorry I missed your Thanksgiving....Happy Belated one! What did you make? That was a wonderful giveaway. You are so generous. Love your videos...you should do a podcast! You would have so many viewers...I'd be glued to You Tube as I already am most evenings. Take care sweetie!