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Reliable Classification vs. Idiosyncratic Opinion: A Reply to Gardner
Terence W. Campbell*
Allow me to begin this reply to Gardner by specifying what I will address, and what I will not. Until Gardner reads my articles outlining the rumor model for assessing false allegations of sexual abuse (Campbell, 1992a, b), his hypercritical but ill-informed comments are undeserving of any response. To belabor the obvious, supporting my position regarding the serious shortcomings of Gardner's "Indicators" does not require me to defend my own model.
In his response to my original article, Gardner deserves credit for recognizing his own facility for pedantic excess as he debated obscure issues of grammatical protocol; and I have no desire to imitate him in that regard. I seriously doubt that such pettiness really interests readers. Suffice to say, my use of sic merely conforms to the stylistic requirements of any APA-style journal including this particular publication. Perhaps I should reassure Gardner that I used this same term in a previous article that appeared in this very journal (Campbell, 1992c, p.120). Given this information, Gardner might feel less singled out for criticism.
Disregarding Gardner's tone of self-righteous animus, and his related penchant for ad hominem arguments, enables me to redirect attention to the fundamental question raised by my original article: Can Gardner's "Indicators of Pedophilia" be used in a sufficiently reliable manner to support exert testimony in a forensic setting? My answer to this question is obviously an emphatic "No," and surprisingly enough, Gardner seems to agree with me more often than not. I would furthermore insist that considerations of intellectual honesty and responsible scholarship dictate that Gardner and I confine ourselves to issues that are directly relevant to this question. To do otherwise merely distracts readers from the issue at hand.
Above all else, Gardner's indicators flounder as a result of the many shortcomings related to clinical judgment. These shortcomings were clearly outlined in my original article, but Gardner preferred to ignore them. Despite his preference to the contrary, however, Gardner must contend with the many problems undermining the reliability and validity of clinical judgment in defending his own indicators. Unfortunately, Gardner's response to my original article neglects to address these problems, and moreover, he manages to compound them.
For example, Gardner scolds me for disregarding his emphasis on "the quality and quantity of the criteria satisfied." Nevertheless, addressing considerations of the "quality and quantity" of Gardner's indicators again resorts to clinical judgment. Gardner offers no well-defined decision-making rules specifying exactly how an evaluator should weigh the "quality and quantity" of his indicators. Without well-defined decision-making rules for guiding the endeavor Gardner recommends, evaluators must rely on their intuitive impressions. In other words, Gardner's recommendations regarding the "quality and quantity" of his indicators create more problems than they solve. In fact, an item by item evaluation of Gardner's 24 indicators demonstrates how the vast majority of them suffer the unreliable effects of clinical judgment.
1) History of Family Influences Conducive to the Development of significant Psychopathology
My major criticism of this particular indicator emphasized: "Without well-specified decision rules for defining family violence, familial alcoholism, psychopathy, and serious psychiatric disturbance, the ill-defined ambiguity of these terms guarantees their inconsistent application in practice." In response to this criticism, Gardner replied: "I suggest that the most blatant manifestations of family dysfunction be utilized, e.g., 'history of violence, alcoholism, drug abuse, psychopathy, serious psychiatric disturbance, and suicide'."
Unfortunately, Gardner's recommendations regarding "blatant manifestations" merely beg the question. He provides no well-defined decision-making rules for discriminating between mild, moderate, and "blatant" manifestations of family of origin pathology. Consequently, Gardner has again premised his argument upon the notorious unreliability of clinical judgment; and as result, this particular indicator cannot withstand well-informed cross-examination in a forensic setting.
2) Longstanding History of Emotional Deprivation.
In response to my criticisms of this indicator, Gardner replied: "Again, I am in agreement that this criterion might be difficult to apply in certain cases. I am in agreement, also, that it might be misinterpreted." Therefore, I submit that Gardner himself has closed the case for this indicator. Like the previous indicator, this one also could not withstand well-informed cross-examination in a forensic setting.
3) Intellectual Impairment
In response to my original criticisms of this indicator, Gardner explained: "I recognize that some scientific studies provide support for this criterion and others do not. I have openly admitted that this is one of the weaker criteria, which is certainly deserving of further study (as are all of them)." Beyond my unqualified agreement with Gardner's own assessment of the limitations related to this indicator, these very limitations raise another difficult problem associated with practically all of his indicators.
Co-variation Matrix Applied to Gardner's Indicators.
Indicator Present Indicator Absent
Pedophilia Present A B
Pedophilia Absent C D
Figure 1 represents a 2 x 2 co-variation matrix (Arkes, 1989). This matrix illustrates the most serious problems sabotaging the reliability and validity of Gardner's indicators. Cells A and D in Figure 1 represent classificatory "hits," and cells B and C represent classificatory "misses" or errors. In particular, cell B corresponds to false-negative errors wherein one of Gardner's criteria indicates that pedophilia is absent, but in fact it is present. Conversely, cell C corresponds to false-positive errors wherein one of Gardner s criteria indicates that pedophilia is present, but in fact it is absent.
Like so many other mental health professionals who ignore the classificatory problems associated with base rates, Gardner seems to focus excessively on the frequency with which cases fall into cells A and D, and he overlooks the frequency with which cases fall into cells B and C.1 Without data available to determine the frequency with which Gardner's various indicators lead to false-positive and false-negative errors, their use in a forensic setting could result in an unacceptable number of classificatory mistakes.
In particular, the relative infrequency with which pedophilia occurs throughout the male population alarmingly increases the probability of Gardner's indicators resulting in false-positive classifications. Consequently, one can argue that Gardner's indicators have not yet developed beyond an experimental stage (which he seems to suggest himself); and as result, his indicators cannot satisfy the Frye test (Frye v. U.S., 1923). The Frye test demands that expert testimony be premised on evidence and principles that enjoy general acceptance in the relevant scientific or professional community. In other words, the unavailability of reliability and validity data to support Gardner's indicators precludes their use in a forensic setting. Just as courts have excluded evidence related to Summit's "Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome" because of the frequency with which it results in false-positive classifications (Ewing, 1992; Myers et al., 1989), Gardner's indicators deserve the same fate for the same reasons.
The problems of false-positive errors are especially applicable to Gardner's index of "Intellectual Impairment." Gardner does not specify what he means by intellectual impairment — does this criterion correspond to a below average IQ of 99 or less, or does it correspond to a formal DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) diagnosis of mental retardation with an IQ of 70 or below? Though defining "Intellectual Impairment in terms of DSM-III-R criteria would reduce the frequency of false-positive errors, using this criterion still creates the risk of an unacceptable frequency of mistaken classifications.
4) Childhood History of Sexual Abuse
It would be more appropriate to disregard Gardner's argumentative rhetoric responding to my criticism of this indicator, and instead apply the co-variation matrix table to it. Once again, Gardner reports no data allowing a court to determine the frequency with which this criterion leads to false-positive and false-negative classifications. In his response to my original article, Gardner also neglects to address the problems related to defining a childhood history of sexual abuse. For example, has a child who witnessed the indecent exposure of an adult been sexually abused? The unavailability of decision-making rules for borderline situations such as these make this indicator inherently unreliable.
5) Longstanding History of Very Strong Sexual Urges
Despite Gardner's protests to the contrary, this particular indicator still amounts to a "definitional nightmare." Gardner suggests that specifying the age at which masturbation began allows one to define this indicator more reliably. Pleased as Gardner seems with his suggestion, it merely leads to more problems involving how to define masturbation? For example, does the self-stimulatory rocking of most infants qualify as masturbation? This indicator also overlooks the data reporting significant variations in the frequency of sexual outlet as a result of social class (Berelson & Steiner, 1964; Kinsey et al., 1948). Thus, what is normative sexual behavior for one social class is not for another; and this consideration further underscores the status of this criterion as a "definitional nightmare." Though Gardner regards this indicator as particularly significant, there is an alarming likelihood that it could result in an unacceptable frequency of false-positive classifications.
6) Impulsivity
In his response to my criticisms of this indicator, Gardner neglected to address the single, most important problem — "how do we reliably define impulsiveness?" Without a reliable definition of impulsiveness, Gardner can only rely on the massive shortcomings of clinical judgment to identify what qualifies as impulsivity. I would argue that resorting to clinical judgment to assess impulsiveness leads to an inordinate number of false-positive and false-negative classifications when attempting to identify pedophiles.
7) Feelings of Inadequacy and Compensatory Narcissism
In response to my criticism of this indicator, Gardner replies: "I recognize the difficulties in objectifying feelings of inadequacy. The compensatory narcissism that derives from it is easier to assess." Gardner's confidence in reliably assessing compensatory narcissism amounts to another example of his gratuitous overconfidence. I would remind Gardner that the diagnostic class of "Personality Disorders," which includes "Narcissistic Personality Disorder," fails to satisfy the recommended inter-rater reliability standards for DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association, 1980, p. 470).2
Though DSM-III provides decision-making criteria for diagnosing Personality Disorders in general — and Narcissistic Personality Disorder in particular — this diagnostic class does not qualify as reliable. Given the ill-defined criteria that Gardner uses to assess "compensatory narcissism," it is unlikely that the inter-rater reliability for this indicator would fare any better than the DSM-III diagnosis of Personality Disorders. Therefore, this is another instance of Gardner's faith in his indicators — in this instance the ease with which compensatory narcissism can be assessed — remaining unsupported by relevant data. Once again, then, we have another indicator that cannot survive objective scrutiny.
8) Coercive-Dominating Behavior
In reacting to my original article, Gardner insists: "There is very strong evidence in the scientific literature for this type of pedophile." Whether his assessment of the literature related to this indicator is accurate is not the issue. Instead, the issue involves the now too-familiar question of how reliably can any evaluator assess "Coercive-Dominating Behavior" using Gardner's criteria? As pointed out in my original article, "This index involves multiple categories of behavior (anti-social, aggressiveness, overt and covert domination) which are so poorly defined that they defy reliable classification." Gardner has failed to respond to this criticism; and as a result, I submit that this particular indicator warrants repudiation as inherently unreliable.
9) Passivity and Impaired Self-Assertion
Gardner acknowledges the problems related to reliably assessing the traits associated with this indicator. Therefore, he seems to agree that this indicator also warrants repudiation by virtue of its inherent unreliability.
10) History of Substance Abuse
In responding to my criticisms of this indicator, Gardner begrudgingly acknowledges, "Of course there are borderline situations." I could not agree more, and Gardner's failure to develop decision-making rules for these "borderline situations" can only reduce the reliability of this indicator to an unacceptable level. Applying considerations of base rate data to this indicator also leads to the conclusion that it would result in an unacceptable frequency of false-positive classifications. Because the incidence of substance abuse far exceeds the incidence or pedophilia, this indicator will inevitably misclassify a large number of non-pedophiles as pedophiles.
11) Poor Judgment
In responding to my criticisms of this indicator, Gardner admits: "I recognize that this is one of the more difficult criteria to objectively assess." Nevertheless, he proceeds to admonish me for challenging the validity of this criterion. Gardner needs to carefully review the explanations of reliability and validity in my original article. Perhaps, then, he will understand that while reliable criteria may be valid, unreliable criteria — by definition — are always invalid (Anastasi, 1982). Therefore, given the inherent unreliability of this indicator, it can never be established as valid.
12) Impaired Sexual Interest in Age-Appropriate Women
In response to my criticisms of this indicator, Gardner protests my alleged disregard of the references he cites to support it, and he lamely argues that, "Every criterion will have its borderline subjects." Again, however, Gardner overlooks the fundamental problem undermining almost all of his criteria — how do two or more evaluators reliably use this indicator and the others? Until Gardner can satisfactorily deal with this question via the development of well-defined decision-making rules, his indicators will continue to qualify only as an experimental procedure. To belabor the obvious, courts do not typically admit expert testimony premised upon experimental procedures.
13) Presence of Other Sexual Deviations
As I pointed out in my original article, this indicator is more conducive to reliable definition; but that most certainly does not guarantee its validity. Establishing the validity of this particular indicator, and all of Gardner's other criteria for that matter, necessitates the use of the co-variation matrix presented in Figure 1. Without the availability of data to indicate the frequency with which this criterion would classify a sample of subjects into cells A, B, C, and D, its validity is yet to be established.
14) Psychosis
My comments for Indicator #13 are equally applicable to this criterion.
15) Immaturity and/or Regression
In responding to my criticisms of this indicator, Gardner contends: "The fact that it may be hard to objectively (or reliably) define immaturity in some individuals, the fact that it may be difficult to provide objective criteria for regression, does not preclude the validity of this criterion." Unfortunately, Gardner's argument disregards more than 70 years of accumulated data related to the relationship between the reliability and validity of assessment procedures, and as result, his argument is ill-informed. Quite simply, the validity of any assessment procedure can never exceed its reliability (Anastasi, 1982; Cronbach, 1970). Therefore, the unavailability of objective (or reliable) criteria with which to define immaturity and/or regression most certainly does preclude the validity of this indicator.
16) Large Collection of Child Pornographic Materials
This is the indicator on which Gardner and I most likely share the greatest agreement. Nevertheless, I would suggest that he could strengthen this indicator by defining it in terms of the "Possession of any child pornographic material." Additionally, "child pornographic material" could be defined as any material that would subject an individual to federal prosecution if he or she were to send it through the U.S. mail. By virtue of how they have been re-defined, these criteria now qualify as reliable. Consequently, Gardner would not have to engage in name-calling (e.g., "zealot") directed at evaluators who use this indicator in ways other than he intends. Such misuse of this indicator is precluded by the redefined criteria related to it.
17) Career Choice That Brings Him in Contact with Children
My comments for Indicator #13 are also applicable to this particular criterion. Additionally, this is another indicator that would result in an unacceptable frequency of false-positive classifications despite Gardner's affinity for it. Because the frequency of males who choose careers that bring them into contact with children far exceeds the incidence of pedophilia, this indicator misclassifies many well-adjusted males as pedophiles.
18) Recent Rejection by a Female Peer or Dysfunctional Heterosexual Relationship
My comments for Indicator #13 related to the covariation matrix are also applicable to this indicator.
Additionally, I would also emphasize that this particular criterion would result in an unacceptable frequency of cases falling into cell C, or being classified as false-positives. The rationale supporting this assertion is clearly outlined in my original article.
19) Unconvincing Denial
Because of the massive reliability problems related to this indicator, my comments for Indicator #13 related to the covariation matrix are again applicable to this particular criterion.
20) Use of Rationalizations and Cognitive Distortions That Justify Pedophilia
I suspect that Gardner failed to carefully read my comments in response to this indicator; and therefore, I will repeat them. I emphasized, "This index does not qualify as an 'indicator' of pedophilia; instead, it conclusively confirms pedophilia when a suspect satisfies it." Consequently, carefully reading my comments clearly reveals that I neither trivialize nor offhandedly reject this criterion. I only emphasized that it is much more than a mere indicator. As a result, it seems Gardner would rather argue than accept the credit I gave him. Nevertheless, I would still insist that Gardner deserves credit for specifying an important characteristic of pedophiles via this particular criterion.
20) Resistance to Taking a Lie Detector Test
Gardner unfortunately overlooks the most serious problem created by this indicator. He speaks of a population of "... pedophiles who refuse to take the test for the reason they fear it will disclose their pedophilia," and I would agree with him that this population most certainly does exist. Gardner should also consider the population of suspects falsely accused of child sexual abuse who are disinclined to undergo polygraph examination because of that device's unreliability. Then, when we consider the two populations together, we must ask what decision-making rules does Gardner provide for reliably discriminating between these two populations? To belabor the obvious, Gardner offers no more than clinical judgment for discriminating between these two populations; and as previously emphasized, clinical judgment does not suffice for such discriminations.
22) lack of Cooperation in the Evaluative Examination
Gardner has offered no well-defined decision-making rules for determining exactly what qualifies as "lack of cooperation in the evaluative examination." Consequently, this indicator merely invites unreliable speculation and conjecture.
23) Duplicity Unrelated to the Sex-Abuse Denial and Psychopathic Tendencies
Gardner has failed to respond adequately to the major shortcoming of this indicator — how does an evaluator reliably identify "duplicity" and "psychopathic tendencies?" Without well-defined decision making-rules for these criteria, they also invite the unreliable outcomes of clinical judgment. I am pleased to know that Gardner rejects the "psychopathic deviant (sic)" scale of the MMPI for reliably discriminating between pedophiles and non-pedophiles. I would remind him that he "seemed" to conclude otherwise as a result of citing the work of Haugaard and Repucci (1988) involving the Psychopathic Deviate scale of the MMPI.
24) Excessively Moralistic Attitudes
Despite Gardner's suggestion to the contrary, I have no confidence whatsoever in the validity of this indicator. Instead, I would insist that assessing this criterion via the covariation matrix of Figure 1 would most likely result in an unacceptable frequency of false-positive classifications (cell C in figure 1). Gardner attempts to dismiss my position by claiming, "... he quickly raises his old argument of the difficulties in objectifying this criterion, the problems of inter-rater reliability and the dangers of one's own values interfering with assessing it."
Allow me to commend Gardner for accurately summarizing my position regarding this indicator, and as a result, perhaps he will deal with these issues more substantively in his subsequent response. I would also remind him that however "old" my arguments related to this index are, their supposed age does not invalidate them. Instead the familiarity of these criticisms merely correspond to Gardner's facility for relying excessively on clinical judgment again and again.
Homer and Guyer (1991) have carefully examined the classification problems endemic to child sexual abuse litigation. In their cogent analysis of the classification errors committed by self-styled "validators" of sexual abuse, they emphasized:
Experts who cannot or will not convincingly specify the population with which the targeted individual is being compared and who cannot provide clearly reasoned and documented prevalence rates with which to calculate the likelihood of classification errors, are highly likely to make errors of classification. In our opinion, such experts should be precluded from testifying in sexual abuse oases on grounds that their testimony is prejudicial and not at all probative of the issue before the court (p. 401).
Though Gardner clearly specifies the population with which he compares accused pedophiles, he most certainly cannot document the prevalence of classification errors attributable to his indicators. Consequently, expert testimony premised upon Gardner's indicators is too likely to be prejudicial.
Throughout his response to my original article, the sum and substance of Gardner's reactions involve his shrill protests to the effect that — "But this is not how I intended to use the indicators." Discrepancies between Gardner's thinking, and how others apply his indicators, result in him censuring any evaluator who deviates from what he intended. It would be more appropriate, however, for Gardner to acknowledge that his criteria rely on such vague and ill-defined terms that they invite distortion and misuse. Therefore, self-styled "validators" who twist Gardner's indicators to serve their own biased agenda can do so because of the indicators' inherent unreliability. Ultimately, then, the exceedingly vague and ill-defined terms undermining Gardner's indicators encourage their exploitation.
Reliable classification necessitates clearly defined criteria to reduce the ambiguity that otherwise leads to conjecture and speculation. Unfortunately, however, Gardner's response to my original article offers only his idiosyncratic opinion as a guide for the use of his indicators. To belabor the obvious, idiosyncratic opinion is never a satisfactory substitute for reliable classification.
Gardner's willingness to establish his own idiosyncratic opinion as the standard for reliably using his indicators essentially requires that other evaluators attempt to read his mind. This expectation demands clairvoyance which is as presumptuous as it is impossible to satisfy. Thus, I conclude this reply as I concluded my original article: "Gardner's previously acknowledged reputation as a courageous figure deserves continued respect, but his 'Indicators of Pedophilia' do not."
Anastasi, A. (1982). Psychological Testing (5th ed.) ( )( ). New York: The Macmillan Company.
American Psychiatric Association (1987). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition-revised) ( )( ). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition). Washington, DC: Author.
Arkes, H. R. (1989). Principles in judgment/decision making research pertinent to legal proceedings. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 7, 429-456.
Berelson, B., & Steiner, G. A. (1964). Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientific Findings ( ). New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.
Campbell, T. W. (1992a). False allegations of sexual abuse and their apparent credibility. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 10(4), 21-35.
Campbell. T. W. (1992b). Allegations of sexual abuse II: Case example of a criminal defense. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 10(4), 37-48.
Campbell. T. W. (1992c). False allegations of sexual abuse and the persuasiveness of play therapy. Issues in Child Abuse Accusations, 4(3), 118-124.
Cronbach, L. J. (1970) Essentials of Psychological Testing ( ). New York: Harper & Row.
Ewing, C. P. (1992 July). Judicial notebook: Child sexual abuse "validation" on trial — and retrial. APA Monitor, p. 14.
Frye v. U.S., 293 Fed. 1013, 1014 (D.C. Cir. 1923).
Haugaard, J. J., & Reppucci, N. D. (1988). The Sexual Abuse of Children ( ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Horner, T. M., & Guyer, M. J. (1991). Prediction, prevention, and clinical expertise in child custody cases in which allegations of child sexual abuse have been made. II. Prevalence rates of child sexual abuse and the precision of "tests" constructed to diagnose it. Family Law Quarterly, 25, 381-409.
Kinsey. A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin. C. E., & Gebhard, P. (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male ( ). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
Myers, J. E., Bays, J., Becker, J., Berliner, L., Corwin, D. L, & Saywitz, K. J. (1989). Expert testimony in child sexual abuse litigation. Nebraska Law Review, 68, 1-145.
1 The concept of base rate clarifies the enormous problems undermining any attempt to assess or predict events that occur very infrequently. For example, if 5% of the adult male population are pedophiles, accurately identifying this population subset is exceedingly difficult. An evaluator who capitalizes on this base rate information can classify all males as non-pedophiles, and claim an accuracy rate of 95%. Consequently, the merits of any set of indicators depend on whether their use results in greater classificatory accuracy than merely resorting to the relevant base rate. [Back]
2 DSM-III specifies a kappa coefficient of .70 or greater as corresponding to an acceptable level of inter-rater reliability for its diagnostic categories (p. 468). Phase one and phase two of the DSM-III field trials reported kappa coefficients of .56 and .65 respectively for Personality Disorders as a diagnostic Class. Consequently, one can legitimately argue that Narcissistic Personality Disorder — one instance of Personality Disorder — is an inherently unreliable diagnosis. I should also clarify that it is necessary to cite DSM-III in this regard because DSM-III-R does not report any kappa coefficients corresponding to the inter-rater reliabilities of its diagnostic categories. [Back]
* Terence W. Campbell is a clinical and forensic psychologist at 36040 Dequindre, Sterling Heights, MI 48310. [Back]
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Yacht racing photography is one of the best ways to share the passion of sailing : beauty of the sport, life onboard, success, grace-filled moment, failures… How is the job of yacht photographers evolving? What are the specificities of the industry? We spoke to several industry professionals in order to compare their points of views. This week, Anna-Lena Elled, Editor at Search Magazine and member of the international Jury in the 2016 edition, answers our questions.
What is the most important aspect of a picture according to you ?
Apart from the basics such as light, colour, focus and composition, one of the big challenges in sailing photography is, in my opinion, to capture the moment. Of course, you can be lucky, but I think most of the time there are lots of creativity, hard work and patience behind the really good pictures.
Is there something you're tired of seeing in sailing pictures ?
I don't think I can ever get tired of sailing photography. However, it's always interesting to see something new or rarer. The technical developments open up doors and push the limit regarding what is continuously possible for us. Personally, I'm easily attracted to photos with a lot of emotions. These can be brought to you through a facial expression or by pure nature and extreme weather, for example.
Is there anything you would really like to see more in sailing pictures ?
Difficult question. I think sailing photographers in general are progressive and creative souls. As always, when it comes to art work, it is important to follow your heart and stay passionated, do your own thing.
Should you give one advice to the 2019 participants, what would it be ?
My advice would be, apart from the above comments, to take a lot of photos, try different things and challenge yourself. You always learn something new in the process.
What did you think of MYRI's 2018 pictures ?
Last years photographs where amazing. I loved the variety, from dinghy sailing to the most advanced speed machines and extreme weather conditions you can imagine. I'm really looking forward to this years MYRI's edition.


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Ontario Wind Resistance
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Threats from industrial wind turbines to Ontario's wildlife and biodiversity
Posted on 11/08/2011 by wind resist
Download Policy Guidance Document by Keith Stelling, MA, MNIMH, Dip. Phyt., MCPP and Scott Petrie, PhD
The precautionary principle outlined in The Bergen Agreement, signed by Canada in 1990, has become, over the past fifteen years, part of customary international law and has been included in virtually every recently adopted treaty and policy document related to the protection and preservation of the environment. It states: "policies must be based on the precautionary principle. Environmental measures must anticipate, prevent and attack the causes of environmental degradation. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation".
The unprecedented rapidity with which industrial wind turbine developments are being proposed and constructed in Ontario, raises major concerns about the efficacy of the Green Energy Act which has allowed and promoted this phenomenon.
1. Adverse environmental effects from industrial wind turbines
Industrial wind turbines do not have a benign environmental foot print as has been claimed.
Biologists[1] are observing habitat fragmentation and habitat loss, wildlife disturbance and life history disruption when turbines are placed in natural habitats.
Bird and bat abundance declines at wind turbine sites and this can become more pronounced with time.
Disruption of ecological links results in habitat abandonment by some species.
The loss of population vigour and overall density resulting from reduced survival or reduced breeding productivity is a particular concern for declining populations.
The cumulative effects of multiple on- and off-shore wind developments have not been considered.
Collision mortality resulting from turbines and new transmission lines is increased during adverse weather conditions and migratory seasons. Especially vulnerable are raptors, passerines (songbirds), monarch butterflies, and bats. The consequential cost to agriculture from loss of pollination and natural insect control is a concern.
In addition there are serious concerns that turbine noise impacts within- and between-species communications, including predator defence.
Offshore installations have the added risk of causing waterfowl and waterbird displacement from feeding areas and migratory corridors, contaminant upwelling, and changes in fish communities.
Placing turbines in close association with coastal wetlands can severely compromise movements and foraging of migratory waterfowl.[2]
2. Ontario bird and bat mortality studies: Wolfe Island
Almost all post operational studies of wildlife mortalities from turbines in Ontario have been unavailable to the public, allowing government and industry to contend that wind turbines kill very few birds. The avian mortality records from Wolfe Island, however, have now disclosed the highest recorded rate of raptor casualties outside California. Each of the 86 industrial wind turbines on Wolfe Island killed an average of 13.4 birds during the first year of operation. Some of the species killed are already experiencing population declines: for example, the Tree Swallow and the Bobolink. Until we have public access to independent mortality studies, we will not know the full impact.
Albert Manville, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Division of Migratory Bird management at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has warned: "The numbers of Bird Species of Conservation Concern killed by wind turbines is increasing, and that's troubling. These species are already declining, in some cases rather precipitously."
3. Serious flaws in the Green Energy Act
The government pushed through the Green Energy Act (2009) with negligible legislative or public discussion. The Act exempted renewable energy projects from much of Ontario's existing environmental legislation.
One of its amendments to existing statutes, "Schedule G", exempts renewable energy projects from the Environmental Protection Act, frustrating the purpose of that Act.
Another, "Schedule K", removes planning authority from local municipalities and precludes compliance with the Provincial Policy Statement.
"Schedule L" removes approval rights from Conservation Authorities preventing them from stopping renewable energy projects on their lands.
One of the most troubling provisions of the GEA is the reversal of onus clause that requires citizens to prove a project's harm to the environment or human health. The Chatham-Kent tribunal demonstrated that confronting government and proponent lawyers is well beyond the financial means of most Ontarians, making a mockery of the Statement of Environmental Principles which insists that the need for public engagement and public consultation is vital to sound environmental decision-making. It also debilitates the Environmental Bill of Rights (1994) which encouraged "enhanced ongoing engagement with the public as part of environmental decision making".
4. Regulations
An essential flaw in the Regulations is the "fast tracking" provision for environmental assessments which allows the proponents of renewable energy projects to submit their own environmental screening report by hiring an accommodating consultant.
Many questions have been raised as to the scientific rigour of these reports:
Consultants often lack the proper qualifications, specialized knowledge and technical expertise to provide sound advice (for example, pertaining to waterfowl).
Studies lack scientific rigour and fail to adequately consider existing peer reviewed literature.
There is an insufficient use of local expert knowledge during the planning process and not enough use of available/historic data.
Relative to Europe and the United States, there has been insufficient pre-construction monitoring at proposed wind turbine sites in Ontario (often days/months as opposed to years).
Post-construction studies lack scientific rigour and are not standardized.
Times chosen to make observations are often unsuitable (e.g. after or before migratory seasons and during daylight hours while most migrations of birds and bats take place at night).
Radar observations are not being used to monitor nocturnal migrations and aerial observations are not being used for determining waterfowl populations even though these are the best methods for accurate assessment.
Most "studies" are based on casual observations done over an insufficient number of days, seasons, and weather conditions and they do not include the multi-seasonal or multi-year observations necessary to determine effects on fluctuating populations.
The methodology of the reports has been questioned and serious omissions pointed out: for example, they fail to set any a priori criteria for determining if the wind development in question will have adverse impacts on birds or bats.
Proponent-commissioned reports have generally been rubber-stamped by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Wolfe Island project, for example, was approved despite its location on a major migratory bird corridor adjacent to provincially significant wetlands, staging areas and an Important Bird Area (IBA).
Although the industry continues to claim that it avoids placing turbines near sensitive habitats, far too many projects have been constructed, approved or proposed near critical ecosystems which support threatened species, provincially significant ANSIs and provincially significant wetlands—e.g. Wolfe Island, Ostrander Point, Arran Lake, Point Pelee National Park, coastal wetlands associated with Lake St. Clair, and Manitoulin Island among them. Numerous wind turbines have been proposed for construction in close association with coastal wetlands along the lower Great Lakes (Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario). Coastal wetlands provide critically important staging habitat for nearly 30 species of migratory waterfowl. In fact, millions of waterfowl use these wetlands each spring and fall to rest, feed and acquire the body fat necessary for migration and reproduction. Approximately 85% of our coastal wetlands have already been drained and converted to agriculture and urban development; those that remain are regularly being compromised by additional human impacts and invasive species. Consequently, it is critically important that we do our utmost to conserve and protect all remaining coastal wetlands.[3]
There are other problems and inconsistencies with the Regulations and Guidelines.
The 120 metre setback from Significant Wildlife Habitat (compared to 550 metres from human habitations) is not biologically defensible. The regulations even allow proponents to place developments within Significant Wildlife Habitats when they claim they can "mitigate" adverse effects.
The "Bird Habitat Assessment Process" requires post construction monitoring of avian mortality but does not require an adequate assessment of wildlife displacement.
Cumulative impacts of onshore and offshore industrial wind turbines (including those being proposed for American waters) are not being considered.
Guidelines don't consider bird mortality to be significant until 18 birds/turbine/year are killed. This is 7.2 times the NA average and is not biologically defensible.
Guidelines don't consider the mortality of raptors of provincial conservation concern (i.e. Bald Eagles) to be significant unless 0.2 raptors/ turbine/year are killed. Therefore, a development with 100 turbines that killed 19 Bald Eagles per year would not require mitigation.
Community consultation (a requirement of the Green Energy Act) has been a dismal failure with proponents ignoring and evading community concerns and refusing to hold public consultation meetings in preference for open house product showcases.
5. Advice of international biologists
Repeatedly biologists around the world have stated the obvious and simple warning: industrial wind turbines must be kept well away from sensitive natural habitats, including important migratory corridors.
"Avoid locating wind farms in regional or internationally important bird or bat areas and/or migration routes". Everaert and Kuijken 2007.
"Developers should avoid sites that are important to wildlife". —Dr. Mark Avery, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, U.K.
"Wind turbine developments should not be placed within 1000 meters of waterfowl roost sites; not be placed within 1 kilometre of staging areas; not be placed in flight corridors between roosts and feeding grounds; not be placed on major migratory corridors, and not be erected in areas where the wind turbine development +500 m buffer zone occupies more than 1% of the known feeding areas at a site; not be placed in agricultural fields traditionally used by large flocks of waterfowl". — Bjarke Laubek, M.Sc., Waterfowl Biologist with extensive experience working on waterfowl and turbine placement in Denmark.
"Wind turbine developments should not be sited near populations of birds of conservation importance, particularly Anseriformes". —Stewart, et al. 2004.
"Avoid placing turbines in documented locations of protected wildlife, known local bird migration pathways or near wetlands and staging areas and avoid known daily movement flyways between roosting and feeding areas, as well as bat breeding and nursery colonies or migration corridors. —U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Wind turbine developments must no longer be built in any natural areas". —Spanish Ornithological Society.
"If we are to save our emblematic bird species from this new threat, it is urgent to impose a moratorium on windfarm construction and to call for a fully independent commission to investigate the whole windfarm matter, starting with the effectiveness of this intermittent, unreliable, and ruinous form of energy". – Mark Duchamp, Save the Eagles International.
6. Recommendations
Revision of the Green Energy Act and its Regulations and guidelines is imperative to bring it into compliance with pre-existing environmental protection legislation.
Amendments must be made to loopholes in the Act which exempt renewable energy projects from the Planning Act (and Provincial Policy Statements), the Environmental Protection Act, and the Conservation Authorities Act, and Regulations which change the purpose of the Statement of Environmental Principles and the Environmental Bill of Rights.
Regulations must be revised to reflect the recommendations of scientists and biologists as outlined above. Regulations, guidelines and procedures must be revised to require independent mortality and displacement studies and avoid the problems related to proponent-commissioned environmental surveys outlined above. Biologically defensible setback restrictions and mortality levels must be established for wildlife habitats and migratory corridors.
Industrial wind turbines must not be placed within 2 km of coastal and other provincially significant wetlands and should not be placed on major migratory corridors or in agricultural fields traditionally used by large concentrations of wildlife.
All post and pre-construction monitoring must be made available to the public to allow for participation in environmental decision making as required under the Statement of Environmental Principles and the Environmental Bill of Rights.
The onus of proof of environmental damage must be reversed to make developers of renewable energy projects responsible for their actions and bring these projects into compliance with the Provincial Policy Statement.
7. Questionable effectiveness in saving GHG emissions
Here we discuss wildlife issues related to poorly regulated industrial wind turbine development but the rationale for building the turbines should also be examined.
The ideology behind industrial wind turbine installation has not been validated by experience. It is now apparent that wind turbines will not diminish Ontario's carbon footprint just as they have failed to do anywhere else in the world.
Government advisors and ministers did not listen to the warnings of electricity generation professionals who pointed out the practical complications of adding intermittent and unpredictable wind energy to the grid. Stability can only be maintained by running fossil-fuelled plants inefficiently on standby to back up all potential wind production.
European experience has demonstrated that coal plants cannot be closed in exchange for non-base load wind energy. Germany, which has installed over 20,000 industrial wind turbines, has increased CO2 and other GHG emissions and new coal plants have had to be built to compensate for the destabilizing effect of wind energy.[4] Ontario is building more gas plants for this same reason.
Bennet & McBee (2011) were the first to systematically assess the emission reduction performance of wind generation based on hourly generation and emissions data from Colorado and Texas in the Bentek study. It shows that previous claims were significantly overstated and that actual CO2 reductions are either so small as to be insignificant or too expensive to be practical.
The dwindling areas of wetland and other specialized ecosystems which provide habitat for threatened and endangered species are especially vulnerable to disturbance and degradation from this form of rural industrialization. Migratory avian species including raptors, waterfowl, waterbirds, passerines and bats are particularly vulnerable to displacement from critical habitats and collision mortality. Government and developers have downplayed the negative environmental footprint of wind turbines. However, as developments proliferate, post construction monitoring points to unforeseen cumulative effects and many looming environmental concerns. Ontario's Green Energy Act with its inadequate regulations and guidelines governing the siting of renewable energy installations is urgently in need of revision. Better information on the effects of industrial wind turbines must be obtained through rigorous study and the precautionary principle of the Bergen Agreement adhered to before further construction proceeds and incalculable irreversible damage is done to Ontario's natural heritage.
Barrios, L., and A. Rodriguez. 2004. Behavioural and environmental correlates of soaring bird mortality at on-shore wind turbines. Journal of Applied Ecology. 41:72-81.
Bennet, P., and B. McBee. 2011. The Wind Power Paradox: Bentek Market Alert.
Crowder, A.A., and J.M. Bristow. 1988. The future of waterfowl habitats in the Canadian lower Great Lakes wetlands. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 14:115-127.
Dennis, D.G.,, G.B. McCullough, N.R. North, and R.K. Ross. 1984. An updated assessment of migrant waterfowl use of Ontario shorelines of the southern Great Lakes. Pages 37-42 in Waterfowl Studies in Ontario, S.G. Curtis, D.G. Dennis and H. Boyd, editors. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Pape No 54.
Desholm, M. 2006. Wind farm related mortality among avian migrants – a remote sensing study and model analysis. Ph.D. Thesis, National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark.
Everaert, J., and E. Kuijken. 2007. Wind turbines and birds in Flanders (Belgium): Preliminary summary of the mortality research results: Belgian Research Institute for Nature and Forest.
Frondel, M., N. Ritter, C. Vance, F. Scheffer, and C. Schmidt. 2009. Economic impacts from the promotion of renewable energies: The German experience. Final Report: Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaft sforschung (Rhine-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research).
Herdendorf, C.E. 1992. Lake Erie coastal wetlands: an overview. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 18:533-551.
Irish Electricity Supply Board (ESB). 2004. Impact of Wind Power Generation in Ireland on the Operation of Conventional Plant and the Economic Implications: ESB National Grid.
Kingsley, A., and B. Whittam. 2005. Wind Turbines and Birds: A Background Review: Environment Canada / Canadian Wildlife Service, 81 pages.
Kunz, T., E. Arnett, W. Erickson, A. Hoar, G. Johnson, R. Larkin, M. Strickland, R.
Thresher, and M. Tuttle. 2007. Ecological impacts of wind energy development on bats: questions, research needs, and hypotheses: Journal of Wildlife Management 71:2449–2486; DOI: 10.2193/2007-270.
Liik, O., R. Oidram, and M. Keel. 2003. Estimation of real emissions reduction caused by wind generators: Tallinn Technical University, Estonia.
Manville, A.M. 2005. Bird strikes and electrocutions at power lines, communication towers, and wind turbines: state of the art and state of the science – next steps toward mitigation: Proceedings 3rd
Internatl. Partners in Flight Conference. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191, Vol. 2: 1051-1064.
Ontario Power Authority (OPA). October 2007. Integrated Power System Plan.
Petrie, S.A. 1998. Waterfowl and Wetlands of Long Point Bay and Old Norfolk County: Present Conditions and Future Options for Conservation. Unpublished Norfolk Land Stewardship Council Report. Long Point Waterfowl, Port Rowan, Ontario.
Petrie, S.A., S. Badzinski, and K.L. Wilcox. 2002. Population trends and habitat use of Tundra Swans staging at Long Point, Lake Erie. Waterbirds: 25:143‑149.
Petrie, S.A., and K.L. Wilcox. 2003. Migration chronology of Eastern Population Tundra Swans. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 81: 861-870.
Prince, H.H., P.I. Padding, and R.W. Knapton. 1992. Waterfowl use of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 18:673-699.
Schummer, M. L. 2005. Comparisons of resource use by Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes and Long-Tailed Ducks during winter on northeastern Lake Ontario. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Western Ontario. London, Ontario.
Stewart, G. B., and A.S. Pullin. 2004. Effects of wind turbines on bird abundance; Systematic Review No.4: Centre for Evidence-based Conservation, University of Birmingham, England, 49p.
[1] Major studies include: Barrios and Rodriguez 2004; Stewart et al. 2004; Kingsley & Whittam 2005; Manville 2005; Desholm 2006; Stewart et al. 2006; Everaert and Kuijken 2007), Kunz et al. 2007 among many others.
[2] Long Point Waterfowl data clearly indicate that fields within 2 km of coastal wetlands are used readily by large populations of field feeding waterfowl (as well as many other species of migratory and non-migratory wildlife) and that these are also critical corridors for wildlife movements. For information on the importance of the lower Great Lakes for migratory and wintering waterfowl, also see: Dennis et al. 1984; Prince et al. 1992; Petrie et al. 2002; Petrie and Wilcox 2003; and Schummer 2005. 3 See the following for information on the importance of coastal wetlands: Herdendorf 1992; Crowder and Bristow 1988; and Petrie 1998.
[4] The Irish Electricity Supply Board (ESB) National Grid study of installed wind power in Ireland (2004) concluded: "The evidence shows that as the level of wind capacity increases, the CO2 emissions actually increase as a direct result of having to cope with the variation of wind-power output". Similar reports corroborating this conclusion include the Tallinn Technical University study (2003), the Rhine-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research study (2009), and the Bentek study (2011). Advice to the Ontario government from The Ontario Power Authority (OPA), Integrated Power System Plan, (October, 2007) warned that the use of wind turbines "would result in higher greenhouse gas emissions".
This entry was posted in Bats and Birds by wind resist. Bookmark the permalink.
5 thoughts on "Threats from industrial wind turbines to Ontario's wildlife and biodiversity"
energy01 on 11/08/2011 at 17:07 said:
Wow, an excellent paper. I hope this was sent to all the relevant provincial and federal ministries.
jjdickson on 11/08/2011 at 18:09 said:
Fantastic article, and comprehensive.
http://www.blackstairsconservationconcern.com/#/
MA on 11/08/2011 at 18:17 said:
Congratulations on the refusal to destroy Blackstairs.
Arthur Boyt on 11/09/2011 at 09:25 said:
The very last statement pulls away the main prop of windpower advocates that they are "saving the planet". They are not. They are making things worse.
zen2then on 11/10/2011 at 18:46 said:
Gravelle about to sign permit to allow bobolink and bobolink habitat to be destroyed. If MNR had any ability to create habitat for the bobolink it would not be threatened. How is it a wind company is expected to be able to create habitat to compensate for killing and destroying habitat? God only knows.
This article is the work of the source indicated. The copyright of this article is owned by the author or publisher indicated. Its availability here constitutes a "fair use" as provided for in section 29 of the Canadian Copyright Law as well as in similar "fair dealing" exceptions of the copyright laws of other nations, as part of Ontario Wind Resistance's noncommercial effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a provincial and global audience seeking such information.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
import {VgBuffering} from "./vg-buffering";
import {VgAPI} from "../core/services/vg-api";
import {IPlayable} from "../core/vg-media/i-playable";
import {ElementRef} from "@angular/core";
import { VgStates } from "../core/states/vg-states";

describe('Buffering', () => {
    let vgBuffering:VgBuffering;
    let ref:ElementRef;
    let api:VgAPI;

    beforeEach(() => {
        ref = {
            nativeElement: {
                getAttribute: (name) => {
                    return name;
                }
            }
        };

        api = new VgAPI();
        vgBuffering = new VgBuffering(ref, api);
    });

    describe('onPlayerReady', ()=>{
        it('should subscribe to bufferDetected media events', ()=>{
            spyOn(api, 'getMediaById').and.returnValue({
                subscriptions: {
                    bufferDetected: {subscribe: jasmine.createSpy('bufferDetected') }
                }
            });
            vgBuffering.onPlayerReady();
            expect(vgBuffering.target.subscriptions.bufferDetected.subscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
        });
    });

    describe('isBuffering', ()=> {
        it('should show if buffer is detected', () => {
            vgBuffering.onUpdateBuffer(true);
            expect(vgBuffering.isBuffering).toBe(true);
        });
        it('should hide if buffer is not detected', () => {
            vgBuffering.onUpdateBuffer(false);
            expect(vgBuffering.isBuffering).toBe(false);
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In these days, the demand for online training courses is increasing. This has made most of the institutions to start online career training programs. Why most people tend to enroll in the online training courses is that online learning provides the convenience of the highest level. Looking for the best online training courses may not always be that easy and more so if you are doing it for the first time. This website will provide you with some of the helpful tips, which will guide you when you are looking for the best online training courses. Below are some of the guidelines that you can follow any time you are sourcing for the best learning institution offering online training programs.
One aspect that you have to look for when you are choosing eh best dealership offering online training courses is the licensing. Try as much as possible to look for the school dealing with online career training programs that have been credited. Looking for a credited school that deals with online career training programs mean that you are ready to ignore any crime. Look for certification anytime you get an appointment with the learning institution offering online personal enrichment courses you choose to work with. The best thing about choosing a certified school in online career training programs is that you will end up having the best education.
Technical expertise is the other area that you need to evaluate when you are sourcing for a good school that offers online courses. Make an effort of choosing the online training school that has good knowledge in offering online courses. The good thing about choosing the best learning institution offering online courses with proper knowledge is that you will be trained accordingly. Look for the learning institution offering online courses that have many years in providing online training courses.
This entry was posted in Miscellaneous on October 6, 2018 by aniqe kusumawati.


Bickford's Australia has announced it bought Renmark's disused Renmano Winery to transform into its new Riverland spirit distillery.
Bickford's was awarded more than $2 million in Riverland Sustainable Futures Funding in February towards the establishment of a Riverland spirit distillery, and secured the Renmano winery from Accolade Wines in June.
Group marketing manager Chris Illman said work will begin immediately to refresh the disused site and bring it up to modern standards while working closely with Renmark Paringa Council.
Mr Illman said he hoped the refurbishment of the winery would be complete by June 2015.
Read more about the project in Tuesday's Murray Pioneer.


Moorestown Dental Professionals is a New Jersey biomimetic dentistry practice that offers affordable care for your smile. Whether you have dental insurance or not, you have access to amazing oral health care for yourself and your family with our variety of financing options.
We accept most major insurance plans and we provide complimentary benefits checks so that our patients understand their full benefits. Depending on the type of dental insurance plan you have, you and every member of your family enrolled in the plan may be eligible for two cleanings and exams every year and one set of x-rays annually.
Most biomimetic dentistry procedures will require a deductible, while cosmetic dentistry treatments are typically paid out of pocket. Whatever type of insurance you may or may not have, at Moorestown Dental Professionals we offer a complementary benefits check for every patient so you fully understand your benefits.
If you have questions about whether your insurance makes you eligible for coverage for certain dentistry procedures, don't hesitate to contact our office. Our staff is highly trained to address any of your queries or concerns.
You don't need dental insurance to see a biomimetic dentist! Your teeth are the gateway to the rest of your body, and it is critical for every person to see their dentist at least twice a year for a thorough professional cleaning and dental exam. Even if you do not carry dental insurance or your employer does not provide it, you are eligible to be a patient at Moorestown Dental Professionals. We accept cash and credit cards for this very reason. And it's nice to know that in emergencies or times of great tooth pain, you have a dental practice you can rely on, insurance or not.
Some dental procedures can be costly, but because they are absolutely necessary or greatly desired, we offer several payment options to make it possible for every patient to have immediate access to the dental care they want, including Care Credit, Lending Club, and Wells Fargo Financing. No matter what kind of dental procedure you are undergoing, these financing options are available to you, often with flexible payment plans and low monthly payments.
Financing can be confusing and complicated. Our qualified and knowledgeable staff is here to help! Call (856) 234-4474 to ask questions about insurance, the cost of dental services, or to schedule your free private consultation with Dr. Ahmed Esmail or Dr. Donna Rush-Esmail.


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Located not far from St Petersburg , Russia 's capital of the north, Veliki Novgorod, literally, " Novgorod the Great, the ancient Russian town located on the Volkhov river, is literally steeped in history. Founded in the middle of the 10 th Century, the town is closely linked with the birth of the Russian state. The adoption of Christianity made Novgorod a powerful religious center in the ancient Kievan Russian state. Until the late 15 th Century, when Moscow became the capital of the newly unified Russian state, Novgorod was truly "The Great," a cradle of democratic values, controlling a huge swathe of territory from Finland in the West to the Northern Ural Mountains in the West. Today, Veliki Novgorod is the first stop for anyone with an interest in Russia 's fascinating past and the birth of its cultural traditions.
In the sacred history of the Russian Orthodox Church, art and religion have always been inseparably intertwined. As well as being a religious center, Veliki Novgorod was one of Europes great medieval centers of decorative art, jewelry, and especially icon production. Today, it is possible to visit many of Russia 's oldest religious and artistic sites, all within a stone's throw of each other. At the top of the list is the Cathedral of St Sophia. Built in 1045, it is the oldest surviving Russian stone monument, and still dominates the town's Kremlin, or walled fortress, itself is the oldest Kremlin in Russia , dating back 1000 years.. Inside this church some of the earliest examples of Russian Icon painting can be seen in their natural setting, as part of the breathtaking iconostases that form the backdrop for the orthodox religious services which, to this day, take place within the church.
Also within the walls of the Kremlin is the impressive "Monument to the Millenium of Russia," designed by Mikhail Mikeshin, and erected in 1862. This remarkable bronze edifice pays eternal tribute to the men of state, science, art and letters that made the country an outstanding European power in the 19 th Century.
Across the Volkhov River by footbridge are yet more remnants of a bustling medieval center, the trade yard, which is known as a trading site since the middle of the 8 th Century.
The town can also be seen by boat, with a trip along the river and around Lake Ilmen .
Several museums in the town display the rich finds that have made Novgorod a center of Russian historical and archeological research. The Novgorod State United Museum is the place to see first hand the amazing discoveries unearthed from the soil beneath the city. Also on display are artifacts of medieval jewelry, not to mention famous examples of Russian icon painting from the " Novgorod " period of icon design, from some of Russia 's most famous artists, whose influence has since spread throughout the world.
For those interested in history, Novgorod is an essential stop on a tour of Russia . For those who seek to solve the riddle of the mysterious Russian soul, Veliki Novgorod is the city that holds the answer.


text:
Containerships' newest box ship goes live
The shipping line, part of CMA CGM, has received from the Chinese Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard Containerships Polar, its second in a series of four 1,380 TEUs-big (incl. 360 reefer plugs) gas-run vessels.
Wallenius and Swedish Orient Line form a JV
The Norwegians and Swedes have set up a new shipping company, the Gothenburg-based WALLENIUS SOL, specialised in transporting forest products.
HaminaKotka and Sarens extend their co-op
The Finnish port and the Belgian company specialising in crane rental services, heavy lifting, and engineered transport will extend their 2016 Kazakhstan project.
A new port co-op on promoting intermodal transport
The ports of Hirtshals, Kristiansand, Larvik, Grenland, Risavika, Bergen, Gothenburg, and Zeebrugge have entered into a new agreement aimed at streamlining cargo flows.
Additional sailing between Gothenburg and Zeebrugge
As of January 1st, CLdN's ro-ros are plying between the two ports four instead of three times per week.


What do a broken yellow camera, a pair of contact lenses, a teddy bear with a broken recorder inside of its plush belly, and a tattered copy of The Outsiders have in common? They all are remnants of relationships that have since ended, and they (and many other artifacts) can be found at The Museum of Broken Relationships in Hollywood, California, which opened its doors earlier this month. This is the second branch of the museum, which originally opened in Croatia, and Los Angeles has been anticipating its arrival for months.
The museum exhibits 100 items, all donated by the public, in order to create a profound art project symbolizing heartbreak, grief, and acceptance. Each item is displayed along with a card listing the object, its place of origin, and a blurb from the donor discussing the object's history and their reason for giving the item away.
I went to The Museum of Broken Relationships shortly after it opened near the famous Hollywood and Highland intersection. It was an intense and worthwhile exploration into the emotions we share as human beings who have the capacity to love, to laugh, to change, and to stop loving. Everyday objects displayed as works of art show how much emotional weight a random item can carry when it is attached to a memory, and viewing those random items in the context of another person's life is beautiful and overwhelming.
The Museum offers a chance to overcome an emotional collapse through creation: by contributing to the Museum's collection. Whatever the motivation for donating personal belongings — be it sheer exhibition, therapeutic relief, or simple curiosity — people embraced the idea of exhibiting their love legacy as a sort of ritual, a solemn ceremony. Although often colored by personal experience, local culture, and history, the exhibits presented always form universal patterns, inviting us to to discover them and feel the comfort they can bring.
I spoke to Janna Koretz, Psy.D., licensed psychologist and Azimuth Psychological founder, and asked her to explain the psychology that causes people to have such profound connections to an object."Objects tend to be a representation of something else, such as an experience, a person, or a feeling," Koretz tells Bustle. So the attachment to the object is because of the emotional connection and association to the object."
Visitors to the museum who are affected deeply by the exhibit can sign a guestbook, expressing their own thought about a relationship from days gone by. Though the museum had only been open for a few days, multiple pages were already filled with short tales of fleeting romance, devastating breakups, and gratitude for being able to share their stories.
While I was exploring the many heartbreaking artifacts displayed around the museum, I came across a few donations clearly meant to make the viewer laugh. Not only did they provide levity in a profound, emotionally heavy exhibit, but they demonstrated humor's function as a coping mechanism and proved that our lowest moments in relationships can become great sources of comedy later. As you walk into the exhibit, one of the first objects that you will see is a bright red and white cheerleader dress for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Beneath the dress is a plaque on which the donor describes purchasing the cheerleader dress so that she could wear it for her boyfriend, a Nebraska football fan. It continues, "The night he ended things, I almost put the uniform on in anticipation of him getting home but thankfully opted for a flannel PJ set instead." We've all been there, gurl.
Later, I saw a bright blue frisbee donated by someone from Belgrade, Serbia, listed as "Stupid Frisbee." On its corresponding plaque is a humorous rant detailing how their ex-partner gave them a frisbee as a pathetic second anniversary gift.
When the donors wrote about the significance of their donated objects, many said they chose to give those mementos away because it was too painful to look at the object on a regular basis, but they could not bring themselves to throw it away either. That complex, sorrowful feeling existed whether the object was something as personal as a mix tape or as mundane as a little baggy of contact lenses that was left behind after a partner moved out of a shared apartment.
Koretz explains this profound emotion tied to keepsakes: "When we have experienced a loss, we can be unsure of what to do with the objects that represent those who have passed (literally or figuratively), because they cause both so much pain while also reminding us of something we loved."
A binder of personal love poems was donated as, in the words of the donor, the museum "is a great home for these poems that I can't bear to throw away." A wedding dress stuffed in a jar, donated by a divorcee, was similarly given to the museum; the divorcee explained that throwing it away felt wrong, but donating it to a thrift store where someone could purchase it to wear at her own wedding felt like bad luck. So she hid it away in a jar until the museum gave her a space where it could belong.
The museum also exhibited objects from broken friendships, and the stories of the objects were just as heartbreaking as any romantic love lost — whether it was betrayal by a toxic friend or a decades-old companionship falling apart. These items, a boomerang and a lottery ticket, were reminders that we must let ourselves grieve however deeply we need too when a friendship ends, and not assume that it doesn't deserve the same heartbreak as a romantic relationship.
Instead of wondering if we are being dramatic when a friendship is in trouble, Koretz tells us to remember that mourning any relationship is a unique experience. "Grieving is a very personal process and it is different for everyone," says Koretz. "I think being true to oneself and allowing the experience of true emotions is a good way to manage loss initially."
After a partner of nearly 30 years left the donor for someone else, the donor needed to get rid of the dozens of music cassette tapes that the ex had made throughout their decades together. The card from the donor reads, "My heart is broken. I cannot keep the cassettes any longer and I do not wish to."
What about a broken relationship that was never a real relationship — the unspoken crush on a best friend, the coworker who turned you down, the FWB that never developed into anything more? In the museum, you'll find a small, stuffed Betty Boop doll; it looks like the kind you would win from a claw machine at a mini-golf arcade. The donor had been given the doll by a coworker and friend; when the donor worked late, a woman would come back to the office with random gifts as surprises, including this Betty Boop doll. The donor never spoke up about their romantic feelings for her, and now the woman has a boyfriend. So while the donor never actually broke up with the woman, another kind of breakup had to take place. The plaque reads, "So this isn't a breakup with her... We still work together, and we're still friends. And she's still amazing. But I have to let go of whatever hope I had and heal and move on. This is my breakup with hope."
Koretz justifies the intense emotions that you may feel even if it is over an unrequited romance. "Relationships are personal and bring out everyone's worst fears, mostly about rejection and emotional pain,"Says Koretz. "They can also represent or recreate previous relationships that were unhealthy." Because of the emotions that can be triggered, Koretz continues explaining that "the feelings could indeed be as intense for someone experiencing grief from an unrequited romantic as someone experiencing a breakup."
It is especially moving that the museum acknowledges broken relationships occur not just with other human beings. You can end a relationship with your past, with your beliefs, etc. Among the artifacts detailing love stories and friendships, there is a small Peter Pan plush donated by a 50-year old man who has accepted, simply, that he grew up.
Keep walking, and you'll see a figurine, described as a relic from the donor's religious past: "I was baptized a Christian by my parents. It took me 15 years to be able to break that forced relationship."
Being in a relationship with another human being means there may come a time when your role changes from lover to caregiver. An object donated to the museum, a pair of blue jeans, powerfully tells the story of a wife whose husband experienced severe brain damage after a motorcycle accident. The husband is described as now existing in a different reality in which he can't keep track of present time, thinking it is various different decades of his life. As the wife explains on the blue jeans' corresponding plaque, "He is still here, but I have had to learn how to live with a broken relationship, a one sided relationship."
Koretz emphasizes self care in her advice for learning how to live with this new kind of relationship. "Self care for caregivers is very important. Caring for another is wearing physically and emotionally, and it is difficult to continue to give one's 'all' if emotional resources are depleted." Koretz explains what you can do to still support your partner while also supporting yourself. "Continuing to see friends and family, exercise, and pursue hobbies while caring for another is not selfish, but mandatory to maintain good care taking habits."
You will definitely tear up while walking through the museum. The mundanity of the objects makes the donors' pain feel so familiar — reminding you either of something you have already experienced or reminding you that you will inevitably feel this kind of sorrow someday. Giving memories away to the museum was part of the mourning process for some of the donors. That was an aspect of the museum that I thought about for a long time, even after I was back home. Sometimes, we need to let physical memories go for our own sake, but those memories deserve better than a trash can or a shelf at thrift store where they may or may not ever find a home again. The museum ensures that these tangible parts of people who have left will still be honored and cared for even if we have to let them go.
At the museum, there is a glass case containing six cologne bottles which had belonged to a donor's husband before he passed away from cancer. The card from the donor reads that while she has been slowly getting his things out of the house, she has not been able to give away his cologne. She writes, "I would feel better about doing so if they went into an exhibit."


text:
Q: Can't update to Ubuntu 12.04 on 11.10 I'm having problems on updating Ubuntu 11.10 to 12.04, I've tried to update all possible ways.
I'v downloaded Ubuntu 12.04 from cd...but when booting the upgrade option wont appear...just: Install alongside-Erase disk and Install-Other.
So after waiting 5 days I thought that be enough to update the mirror for my contry, Spain.
Even though is not showing any upgrade to 12.04 just normal updates...I've tried changing the mirrors and changed to main server and luck either...after googling a bit..I've found this mirror which does host an upgrade to 12.04 and switched to that mirror with no luck on upgrade either. ftp.halifax.rwth-aachen.de
Read here and there and tried Sudo apt-get update Sudo apt-get dist-upgrade and do-release-upgrade
No luck with all of them....in doing do release upgrade I get:
Checking for a new ubuntu release
Unhandled exception in thread started by <bound method MetaReleaseCore.download of <UpdateManager.Core.MetaRelease.MetaReleaseCore object at 0x7f03a9f09fd0>>
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/UpdateManager/Core/MetaRelease.py", line 261, in download
uri=urllib2.urlopen(req, timeout=20)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/urllib2.py", line 126, in urlopen
return _opener.open(url, data, timeout)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/urllib2.py", line 394, in open
response = self._open(req, data)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/urllib2.py", line 412, in _open
'_open', req)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/urllib2.py", line 372, in _call_chain
result = func(*args)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/urllib2.py", line 1201, in http_open
return self.do_open(httplib.HTTPConnection, req)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/urllib2.py", line 1174, in do_open
r = h.getresponse(buffering=True)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/httplib.py", line 1027, in getresponse
response.begin()
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/httplib.py", line 407, in begin
version, status, reason = self._read_status()
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/httplib.py", line 365, in _read_status
line = self.fp.readline()
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/socket.py", line 447, in readline
data = self._sock.recv(self._rbufsize)
socket.timeout: timed out
^CTraceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/do-release-upgrade", line 83, in <module>
time.sleep(0.5)
KeyboardInterrupt

After doing what jhon suggested I got no network working with ethernet or wireless either.
Any ideas??I think netroot is what crashed the networking..?

A: Try on a terminal:
sudo update-manager -d

A: Have you tried booting with RecoveryMode and then attempting to repair you packages? Here's what I think I would do.

*

*Boot to your GRUB boot menu.

Note: If the GRUB menu does not appear when you boot, hold down the Shift key immediately after the BIOS finishes loading and booting begins. The GRUB menu should appear. If instead you see the Ubuntu logo, then you've gone too far. Try again.

*The Grub menu should look something like this:

    Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.0-23-generic
    Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.0-23-generic (recovery mode)
    Memory test (memtest86+)
    Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)

Select the (recovery mode) GRUB menu item and press enter.

*You should eventually see the RecoveryMode menu (image below).

Now perform the following steps ...

*

*Select & run the fsck entry in the Recovery Menu.
When you boot into RecoveryMode the filesystem in your root (/) partition is mounted as read-only as a safety measure. If fsck completes successfully, your install partition will be remounted as read/write allowing you to make changes.

*Select & run the network menu entry.
This should enable you to access the Internet and download updates during the next step.

*Select & run the dpkg menu entry.
This will examine the software packages on your system. If a problem is found, it will attempt to repair them if it can.

*When the processing for dpkg has completed you can resume booting. However, you may need to reboot for your graphics drivers to be properly initialized.

A: Yes, this error happens when you don't have a proper connection.
Errors like:
socket.timeout: timed out
socket.error: [Errno 104] Connection reset by peer

Probably your network was disconnected during the upgrade or some temporary server problem.
Check if you are behind the firewall or re-try again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This weeks Ed ition brings tries to grab a swath of "Vote for Me" links into one area. It's amazing how many sessions are being submitted by the various vendors, and I think it lends credence to their push to engage at a full partnership level with the OpenStack community. It also means that with so many vendors pushing for sessions, that the voices of the common man may be diluted. At this stage, OSS is starting to take on the feel of earlier VMworld conferences, say circa 2009/2010. And with that comes the maturation into a vendor driven conference, that is still very much driven by the developer community at large. This is bound to happen as the platform matures, and as businesses start to adopt it whole sale. As I wrote the other day, the Developers have won, and as such their voices will carry more weight, and the growth of OSS is one more inflection point that backs this.


The 1 Ounce Gold Eagle is the premier gold bullion coin of the United States and the world. Since it's inception by an act of Congress in 1986, it has been one of the most popular bullion coins in the world. It is approximately the size of a 50¢ piece and showcases Saint-Gaudens' timeless Lady Liberty, with the reverse showing the namesake Eagle, the coins troy weight, and nominal face value of $50. While containing a full troy Ounce of gold, the eagle weighs a bit more than a troy Ounce, as it is coined in the 1986 legislated gold alloy of 91.67% gold, with the remaining mix in silver and copper. This makes the gold stronger and less likely to scuff from mishandling. These coins will be minted between 1986 and the present.


text:
Q: Subset whole nested dataframe structure R I have a dataset with nested structures in R (some cells are arrays from its original JSON structure).
set.seed(123)
data = list()
data$nested_df_1 = data.frame(a = letters[1:10]
                              , b = round(rnorm(10), 0))
data$nested_df_2 = list()
data$nested_df_2$nested_df_2_1 = data.frame(c = letters[11:20]
                                            , d = sample(-100:100, 10))

Now I want to subset the whole list data so that it only includes all instances (= all rows in all structures) where data$nested_df_1$b >= 0.
> data$nested_df_1
   a  b
1  a -1
2  b  0
3  c  2
4  d  0
5  e  0
6  f  2
7  g  0
8  h -1
9  i -1
10 j  0

Thus: rows 1, 8, 9 would need to be removed from the whole structure (i.e. from data$nested_df_1 and data$nested_df_2$nested_df_2_1.
If I just wanted this for the data$nested_df_1 dataframe, I could do:
data$nested_df_1 = data$nested_df_1[data$nested_df_1$b >= 0, ]

(The indices remain constant, i.e. if row_i in data$nested_df_1 meets the criterion, then this is also true for row_i in data$nested_df_2$nested_df_2_1).
But how can I do the subset for the whole nested structure?

A: We can create a logical index, loop through the list, if it is a data.frame subset or else loop through the list and subset (assuming list nest is of depth 2)
i1 <- data$nested_df_1$b >= 0
lapply(data, function(x) if(is.data.frame(x)) subset(x, i1) else
        lapply(x, function(y) subset(y, i1)))


text:
Smaller firms lead the pack on website performance
Borrett: Just one or two particular facets of SEO can let down a site's performance
Two of the smaller firms in the UK top 200 law firms are leading the way on website performance, new research has found.
Stephensons, a national firm ranked 148th, was named as having the most effective website pound for pound, when adjusted to take revenue into account. City firm Pinsent Masons, top last year, fell to seventh place.
Second place was taken by Scottish firm Lindsays, ranked 153rd, replacing DLA Piper, the biggest law firm in the top 200. DLA Piper's position in the table plummeted to 20th.
However, Irwin Mitchell maintained its grip on third place. The firm was also top in terms of its total score before the adjustment for revenue.
Digital marketing specialists Legmark studied the performance of the top 200 firms in terms of digital metrics and search engine ranking factors for the third year in its Legal Sector Website Performance Analysis 2021.
Smaller firms took the top spots when it came to speed of loading from mobile phones. Consultant-led firm Gunnercooke – which managed the single biggest improvement of its overall rating in the 200 – led the way, followed by BDB Pitmans, Lindsays and Stephensons.
This followed the pattern set last year, where the top positions were taken by firms outside the top 50.
Researchers said the "fluctuating results" for website speed demonstrated "how volatile mobile can be" and advised firms to "compress large images, switch your hosting provider or look to implement 'lazy loading', and if none of these options were available, focus first on their transactional pages, such as services or contact".
In terms of traffic value Irwin Mitchell came top, as it did last year, followed by Slater & Gordon. However, DLA Piper lost third place to national firm Blake Morgan.
Legmark said Blake Morgan's website team had been "focusing heavily on link-building – with more than 13,000 links from sites in the business, industrial, jobs, education, law and government sectors".
DLA Piper won again in the battle for the number of referring domains, or links to its website from third-party sites, with Pinsent Masons remaining the runner-up. Hogan Lovells retained third place.
Researchers said larger firms tended to "take pole position" in this category, thanks to their broad range of referring domains.
"Whilst you should focus on getting multiple, relevant links, you should take care not to have too many from one domain. Aim for a wide range from both journalists and legal or business sites."
DLA Piper and Pinsent Masons kept their grip on first and second place for 'trust flow' − a way of measuring the quality of links pointing to your site. Hogan Lovells, Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy remained in joint third place.
The top firms for value per keyword were personal injury specialists Winn Solicitors and Scottish firm Digby Brown. They were followed by Slater & Gordon.
Rather than trying to rank for everything, researchers said smaller firms should "focus on their best converting services and push these, which will naturally increase value per keyword".
Legmark founder Sam Borrett said: "The general trend from this year's report appears to be that often just one or two particular facets of SEO can let down a site's performance.
"Some firms fall short on link-building, many have low-quality content, while others are plagued by user experience issues.
"This year we've seen that almost all of the top 10 largest law firms have improved their performance from last year's data but many firms have not yet prepared their sites for Google's major algorithm update that will penalise slow websites."
He stressed that Google was in the business of "delivering the right content to the right searcher to best answer their query".
That meant firms able to produce "the very best content" on a particular subject have a good chance to get on to page one.
"If you optimise your website to within an inch of its life but don't have great content, you'll struggle to get to the top of Google search results. Content is still king."
Start-ups boosted by £1.2m investment and top judge hire
Major study proposes ODR to handle small business debt cases
Law Society: Solicitors must not use AI without clients' consent
Technology and innovation "step-change" in last year but barriers persist
Fears about using judicial data to predict judges' actions "exaggerated"


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text:
Elinor Smith VS Amelia Earhart / October 28, 2018 by Theasa Tuohy
My Op-Ed Daily News, October 21st 2018
Only five of New York City's 150 statues of historical figures are of women. As the city looks to correct this egregious imbalance, it should look to a little-known teenage aviator named Elinor Smith.
Ninety years ago today, on a clear October day, Elinor, then 17 years old, took off from Roosevelt Field to wing her way into aviation history by flying under all four of Manhattan's East River bridges in an open-cockpit biplane.
It was an extraordinary feat, never done by man or woman before or since. The clearance at various points between bridge and water is as little as 200 feet.
Some four months earlier, Amelia Earhart had become famous for being the first woman to fly the Atlantic — but as a passenger.
That same year, Smith set two endurance records. For the second, she stayed in the sky for 26 hours, 21 minutes. Meanwhile, Earhart wrote a book about her passenger experience that became a bestseller.
Within two years, by age 19, Smith had set speed, endurance and altitude records and been named the best female pilot in the country. She worked as a test pilot for both Bellanca and Fairchild aircraft companies before she was 20.
But Earhart is the woman forever immortalized as the icon of female pilots. Why?
As always, it's our reverence for those with a superior marketing plan. We bow down to actors. We worship athletes. We vote by name recognition.
In 1929, the year women were first allowed to enter transcontinental air races, a year after Elinor Smith had proved her mettle by flying under the bridges, she could not even get sponsorship to enter what screen star and humorist Will Rogers had dubbed the Powder Puff Derby. Smith was being blocked at every career turn by Earhart's then-publisher and publicist, George Putnam, who had sought Earhart out for the specific purpose of writing a bestseller about the transatlantic flight and then became enamored of her.
Earhart and Putnam married two years later.
Earhart's serious biographers recount the consistent rumors that the "mechanics" who almost always flew with Earhart were, in fact, doing most of the flying. Smith, in her autobiography, "Aviatrix," said she was blackballed by Putnam when she turned down a "mechanic" offer.
Translation: Smith was too good and Putnam wanted her out of the way so she wouldn't cut into the cult of celebrity he was building up around Earhart.
The Powder Puff Derby entrants took off from Santa Monica for the nine-day race without Smith. In Cleveland, Earhart came in third after an embarrassingly poor and bouncy landing. She was in fourth place the day before until the pilot in third place, Ruth Nicholas, cracked up at the last stop in Columbus.
The following year, Smith was voted by her peers as best female pilot in the country.
She went on to quit flying to raise a family. But she picked it up in her later years. At age 89, she made a simulated shuttle landing for NASA, and the following year flew an experimental plane at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
On the 90th anniversary of her bridge feat, let's celebrate Elinor Smith's lack of name recognition. Maybe let's even correct the record — by building a monument to her at the base of one of those spans.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-remember-elinor-smith-20181016-story.html
Another Bad Day for Journalist / October 9, 2018 by Theasa Tuohy
A war against the press? Today's news makes Trump's sound like small potatoes. Item: Saudi national columnist for The Washington Post goes missing in the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul. Turkish officials suspect he was murdered there. Item: An investigative reporter was raped, beaten and murdered in Eastern Bulgaria. No suspects. Item: The Asia news editor of the Financial Times had his Hong Kong visa yanked. The guess as to why? He presided over a press club meeting where a speaker was pro-independence.
Flying Jenny launches in NYC / March 22, 2018 by Jeff Kaplan
Hope to see you at the Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village at 3 p.m. on April 28.
https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2018/04/28/flying-jenny-new-york-launch
Countdown to Tet Offensive / January 21, 2018 by Theasa Tuohy
The 50th Anniversary of Tet is Jan 30th
https://www.instagram.com/theasa_tuohy/ January 21, 2018
Memoir / May 21, 2017 by Theasa Tuohy
Beautifully written and poignant essay, teaser for upcoming memoir by NY Times reporter Jeffrey Gentleman. "Love Africa." He talks about "a rapidly shrinking sliver of an opportunity to bring peace to Somalia" in 2006. "Mogadishu wasn't an abattoir. The killing had stopped, and the populace seemed indebted to the young men who had stopped it. They simply called them the Youth, but they used the Arabic word, al Shabaab."
"In December that same year, the Pentagon helped the army of Ethiopia, Somalia's historic enemy, invade."
[read article@NewYorkTimes]
Friends / May 11, 2017 by Theasa Tuohy
Check out the Friends of Jenny (FOJ) website. They are a non-profit organization bringing to life the significance of the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny biplane, a hundred years after it was conceived and test flown. Forever associated with barnstorming, the first mass produced World War I flight trainer also carried the first regularly scheduled. A true icon in the story of American aviation.
http://www.friendsofjenny.org/home.html
Stamp / January 9, 2017 by Theasa Tuohy
Nearly a century after it was first issued, America's most famous stamp - the misprinted 24-cent Inverted Jenny —Reprinted as a $2 stamp [full story @ US Postal Service]
Also, check out [Stamps of Distinction] website to read the history of the famous 1918 stamp.
Movie / December 17, 2016 by Theasa Tuohy
Check out movie trailer for the one hour PBS documentary "Jenny", the story of Glenn Curtiss and his most famous airplane.
Finally / January 17, 2016 by Theasa Tuohy
A plane carrying Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and two other Americans released by Iran left Tehran en route to Europe on Sunday after the implementation of a landmark agreement on Iran's nuclear program. But we're hardly out of the woods. The French Reporters Sans Frontieres reported that at the end of 2015 there were 54 reporters held hostage around the world. The release of Rezaian would drop the number held down to 53. Not an easy biz to be in.
[read article@washingtonpost.com]
Op Ed / May 3, 2015 by Theasa Tuohy
The Washington Post has just published an Op Ed piece I wrote concerning the arbitrary choice of March 1965 as the start of the Vietnam War – when 3,500 Marines landed in Da Nang. We already had 23,000 so-called 'advisers' in Vietnam before that date. Until we acknowledge how the conflict really started, we can't come to terms with the origins or our nation's involvement.
US military personnel in South Vietnam, August 1963 (AP Photo)
THEASA TUOHY'S BLOG


Southern California's largest trade show of its kind. This one day show feature a full day of Free educational seminars, providing you the latest trends, innovative ideas and the latest news. The day also features more than 165 exhibitors and includes the Maintenance Mania competition.


A former player for the Generals (1999), Matt Lee returned to his alma mater in 2003 to serve as Head Men's Basketball Coach. The 2018-2019 basketball season will be his 16th with the program.
Since 2003, Lee has ten regional finals appearances, six Region III Championships (2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015, 2017, and 2018), seven Mountain Valley Conference Championships (2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 ,2016, 2017), a 3rd place, three 4th place and one 7th place finish at Nationals.
Under Lee's guidance, the Generals have a record of 374-112. Lee also is the Coordinator of Physical Education and Athletics in Herkimer's Athletic Department and an adjunct professor, teaching non-majors basketball.
Coach Lee was named the 2017 CCBNY Junior College Coach of the Year. In 2007, he received the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Lee has been named Region III Coach of the Year twice, in '07 and '10, along with Mountain Valley Coach of the Year in '09 and '10. In 2010, Lee was named BCNY NY State Men's Junior College Coach of the Year. In 2008, Lee was named a Division III National Representative to the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association's Executive Counsel.
Lee previously worked under legendary coach Tom Murphy at Hamilton College, where he was the head junior varsity basketball coach and assisted with the varsity team. While at Hamilton, he was also the head golf coach. Lee coached varsity basketball at Whitesboro High School and junior varsity baseball at Holland Patent High School. Lee was an All-State athlete at Holland Patent High School where he was a four-year starter on the varsity basketball team and recorded over 800 points and 800 rebounds. Prior to coaching at Herkimer, he guided a Tri-Valley League All-Star team to back-to-back tournament championships in the prestigious Zebra Classic.
Coach Lee is a resident of Utica, NY. He and his wife Kim have a daughter Jordan, and sons Matthew and Jaydan.