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Tag Archives: Bruce Trail
After Day 1, the hikers in the group had warmed up to one another and started in a cheerful mood. After all, we only had less than 22 Km ahead of us. We were bused from Limehouse to the start point at Kelso where the Toronto Club section connected with the Iroquoia Club section. A short walk on flat ground soon turned into a climb up the Niagara Escarpment. It was still early morning hour, but we were blessed with the view of sunrise to a beautiful morning as we tread carefully uphill.
When we reached the top of the Escarpment, the landscape changed to rocky formations.
The route was varied. We passed forest areas, rocky crevices, a resting area, open roads, as well as farm trails, corn fields and orchards.
The 22-km hike turned out to be challenging as we negotiated down a narrow rocky cliff.This was the so-called "Hole in the Wall". What a test of balance and strength!
By now, we were tired and was only too happy to come the landmark of an old, abandoned lime kiln.
We reached the finish point at Limehouse, where we completed our hike the day before but coming from a different direction. This badge will add to the collection and probably sewn onto a backpack.
Reference:The Bruce Trail Reference Maps and Trails Guides. Maps 11 and 12.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, End to End, Toronto End-to-End on February 20, 2020 by Opalla.
From Caledon Hills to Limehouse: End-to-End with the Bruce Trail Toronto Club (Day 1)
The Bruce Trail Conservancy's Toronto Club End-to-End expected hikers to complete about 50 Km over two consecutive days. (There was a one-day option, but I decided to forego this ultra distance which would take me 10 hours of walking and took it easy instead.) My group met at Limehouse in Halton Hills. This small community of about 500 people were still asleep when we arrived. There were over ninety participants in this event and we were taken by bus to the start point which divided the Toronto Club section from the Caledon Club section.
The first lag was the paved asphalt surface of Credit View Road and then Boston Hill Road. We were flanked on both sides by farmland. We passed a cornfield and an orchard. We walked over a kilometre before entering into the trail.
The footing and the trail surface changed as soon as we were in the woodland.
It was more shaded, but it also meant more obstacles. Some trees that had fallen across the trail were there for us to walk over or duck under. I negotiated three such tree trunks within a short distance. I felt like a horse jumping over hurdles in a steeple chase.
This section soon ended and we were back on the road of Heritage Road, which led into the Caledon Trailway.
The Trailway had an old rail buried under it. It reminded me of the Rail Trail in Hamilton that I frequented. As another hiker remarked, "Once you've seen a rail trail, you've seen them all."
After exiting the Trailway, we entered some private property by climbing over a stile, and out again, but not before we saw many apples by the roadside. They were likely from apples trees of an abandoned orchard in an area close to the Terra Cotta Conservation Area.
The forest is a mixture of deciduous and evergreen tree. This is the military formation of tree planting.
We had walked over 10Km and was glad to reach the first check point near Vaughan Road for some snacks. Leaving the Terra Cotta Conservation Area, we entered the Silver Creek Conservation Area for a totally different challenge and scenery.
This was also a very rocky section on high elevation.
I suddenly realized that I had been here before, when I came to this narrow rocky section. I was here in early spring here when it was still covered in ice and snow on what I called a treacherous hike.
We were hiking by Silver Creek and the sound of the running water accompanied us for some distance. This was a well-maintained section by the volunteers of the Bruce Trail. We came across many bridges like this one.
One more rocky patch and the second checkpoint was in sight.
This also meant out of the woods into more urban area of the trail. The remaining hike went through the grounds of Scotdale Farm, road ways and finally the Limestone parking lot was in sight.
Day 1 was now completed and we had accomplished 28 Km. The weather was most co-operative. What we needed was a relaxing bath and a good night sleep to recover for the following day.
Reference: The hike followed Maps 13 and 14 of the Bruch Trail Maps and Trail Guide Edition 27.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Leisure, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Bruce Trail Toronto Club, Toronto End-to-End on October 14, 2013 by Opalla.
Hiking in Hockley Valley
The Bruce Trail in Ontario is divided into nine sections, each of which is maintained by volunteers from the local areas. I often hike in the Iroquia and Niagara regions, which are the two southernmost sections of the Trail. For a change, my hike today is at Hockley Valley of the Caledon Section.
We enter the trail by walking up an incline, and there is a sign indicating that this trail has a friendship counterpart in Korea.
The Hockley Valley is known as a popular resort–golfing in summer and skiing in winter. From the trail, we can see the ski runs looking green but deserted at this time of the year.
It is a hot day, but the trail is shaded. It seems to be so as we move further into the forest away from the farms. But first, we say hello and goodbye to the cattle fenced behind the trees.
I notice that the trees are a mix of deciduous and pine. The predominance of pine means that we are north of the Carolinian forest that I often see hiking further south of the province.
We enter Tom East Side Trail. There is a narrow water way along the trail, but it does not look like a natural stream. Our experienced hike leader explains that this is a ditch dug single- handedly by the wife Tom East, Isabel, when she was in her seventies. Both husband and wife were avid hikers and contributed much to the Bruce Trail. The ditch is meant to drain water away from the higher grounds to avoid flooding. There is also a side trail named after Isabel, except that we are not hiking there this time.
Our route takes us to Glen Cross Side Trail and Snell Side Trail, and we hike on the Main Trail (Bruce Trail) in between. We cross several streams, and we seldom walk over as many bridges or board walk as this morning.
We come to an open field. The ski hills are now in a distant in a different direction.
Fortunately we do not have to walk too long in the sun and we are back into the forest again. Tall trees and running water again.
You may wonder if we take any breaks. Indeed we do for a hike of 13 to 14 Km like this morning. Besides a half hour lunch break, we take water breaks after walking up a hill, and quite often when we pause to examine unusual flora.
This is the Indian Pipe, a native plant.
This is even more unusual. Nobody knows how it gets here in the first place.
The grand finale is a panoramic view of the Valley and we can see the Hockley Valley Resort Hotel in the heart of the valley. We also notice a hint of red among the green leaves. We are counting our summer hikes before we begin to hike for the Fall colours.
(My dear readers, I am away from home in Ottawa at the moment, and work has kept me too busy from blogging. I am glad I find the draft of this post, and surely I must publish this, because the colours of the trees are changing fast. Thank you for dropping by!)
This entry was posted in Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Bruce Trail Caledon Club, Glen Cross Side Trail, Isabel East, Snell Side Trail, Tom East Side Trail on October 9, 2013 by Opalla.
Walking in the Footsteps of Laura Secord: A Bicentennial Hike
I usually think of chocolates when I think of Laura Secord. However, the Laura Secord hike organized by the Niagara Club of the Bruce Trail takes us back into Canadian history. The British and the Americans were fighting in the War of 1812. Laura Secord, neé Ingorsoll, was born in Massachusetts, U.S.A. She moved with her Loyalist family (Americans who supported the British during the American Revolutionary War) to Upper Canada (now Ontario). She married James Secord and lived in the small village of Queenston in the Niagara Region.
One day in June 1913, Laura Secord overheard some American soldiers who came to her house talking about the plan of a surprise attack on the British soldiers in Beaver Dams. She set foot on a 32 Km (20 miles) journey, arriving at De Cew House on June 22, 1813 to warn Lieutenant Fitzgibbon about the American ploy. Two days later, the British defeated the American at the Battle of Beaver Dams.
To commemorate Laura Secord's walk, the Niagara Club of the Bruce Trail Conservancy organizes a Laura Secord hike every year. This year is the Bicentennial Hike.
My husband and I arrived at the meeting place–car park of the Niagara Region office–at 5:45 a.m. to board a bus which took us to Laura Secord's Homestead in Queenston to start the hike. The town was asleep, but the sun was up, and the town was adorned with flags to mark the bicentennial occasion. Around the corner of the Homestead, General Brock Column came into view. We began our climb up the stairs beside the printing museum. It was a couple of kilometres of hills to reach the Queenston Park, where there was also monument to remember Laura Secord.
The Bruce Trail Main Trail began here. Our journey was to follow the white blazers of the Main Trail until we get to De Cew House in St. Catharines.
There were so much to see on this hike. The terrains were variable, hence providing interesting challenges. The part I liked the least were the muddy downhills. Otherwise, I enjoyed the occasional leap over a water puddle or a stream, and an incline when my hiking stick became an asset. We came to a hill where everybody had to climb down carefully, due to the muddy slipperiness. It was a relief to overcome this steep slope!
We continued by climbing over a stile to enter a private property, came out to walk on city roads, and walked over a bridge which crossed the highway. We hiked on narrow country paths, past a swamp, on the edge of people's backyard and through the vineyards of Niagara.
We looked out for historical features along our route. Besides Laura Secord's homestead, General Brock Column and the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum in Queenston, we walked through the Screaming Tunnel, which according to legend, a young girl died here and if you strike a match inside the tunnel, you'll hear her screaming. The tunnel was dark and wet. There was such a eerie feel to it that we just hurried on. For a few kilometres, we were walking along the banks of the Welland Canal. Only Canal #3 was in operation and to my delight, I came across a lift bridge, which had played a very important role in the industrial development of southern Ontario.
Our last lag was to hike around the campus of Brock University. When finally we saw the grounds of De Cew House of which only the relics of the foundation remained, we picked up our pace to cross the river, and were received by Laura Secord and her friend.
It was a long hike and it took us over six hours to complete the 32 Kilometres. The Niagara Bruce Trail Club provided the hikers with a wholesome lunch at De Cew House, and very hospitable reception on all the four check points. The greatest reward at the end of the day was the badge of the Laura Secord Bicentennial Hike to sew on my backpack.
This entry was posted in Hiking, History, Nature, Trails, Walking and tagged Battle of 1812, Battle of Beaver Dams, Bruce Trail, Laura Secord, Laura Secord Bicentennial Hike, Niagara region, Queenston on June 27, 2013 by Opalla.
Cee's Fun Foto Challenge: SPRING (River and Ruin Hike)
Everything I saw on my hike on the River and Ruin Trail in the Lowville Park area in Halton Region, Ontario was a representation of Spring. I am therefore integrating this as my submission to Cee's Fun Foto Challenge: SPRING. The moment we set out on our hike from the carpark, Spring was tangible. Photography could only capture what one could see. The green of the grass and the leaves is a Spring green, which looked so promising after the rain from the night before. I could hear Spring from the birds' singing and chirping, and the rustling of the wind, I could feel Spring from the cool, refreshing breeze, and I could smell Spring in the air. The flowering trees were starting to bloom and the open fields were covered with dandelions, bright yellow contrasting with bright new green.
Other vegetation, from the fern to the May apple (with its bud hiding underneath the leaves), the trilliums to the marsh daisies are out. I saw the Bracket Fungi for the first time.
We also spotted the Garlic Mustard, an unwanted foreign specie because they would edge out the other plants.
We took the River and Ruin Side Trail, crossed a bridge to join the Bruce Trail Main Trail. We hiked to Kilbride, took a lunch break and hiked back, using a different arm of the side trail to see the ruin. The water level was high and we had Bronte Creek to our right for half of the hike. The ruin appeared as a surprise among the trees. It was the relics was a big farmhouse.
We had to use our imagination to think back two hundred years ago when this part was farmland and the residents were using out hiking trail to go to their general store in Lowville. What kind of bridge did they have back then?
This entry was posted in Hiking, Leisure, Life, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Lowville Park, River & Ruin Side Trail, spring hike on May 19, 2013 by Opalla.
Surprises On A Spring Hike: Silver Creek Conservation Area
Our hike today was in the Silver Creek Conservation Area. None of us going on the hike had expected that there was a snow bank by Fallbrook Trail, where we parked our cars.
Our experienced hike leader immediately checked to see if anyone of us had our icers/tracks with us. Well, none of us did, except him. He put his on and he had a spare pair that he offered to our "sweep", the person who stayed at the back to make sure nobody got lost.
We began our hike by walking less than 200 metres of the Irwin Quarry Side Trail, which joined the Main Trail of the Bruce Trail and we started our climb of the Niagara Escarpment. No sooner had we entered the wood than we realized that surprises were waiting for us. The trail was in parts still covered with snow and shiny icy patches were visible. We landed our feet as carefully as possible, but the slipperiness could not be easily ignored.
As we continued, we tried to develop strategies to avoid slipping. One hiker suggested walking on the crystalline snow, which crumbled under our feet; at least the footing was better than ice. However, there were sections where we had no choice. All we could do was to slow down, use our hiking pole to anchor before landing. At times, we latched onto tress and swung our bodies forward. There was one narrow strip which was covered by ice and in the absence of an alternative path, the only way to get pass was to hang on to the rocks, aimed for a tree ahead and grabbed it to come to a stop. It was treacherous!
However, I was excited that I was hiking in an area that I had never hiked before. The rushing of the Silver Creek could be heard for a good distance even though it was not in sight. Then it appeared, with snow banks in parts, and we crossed this creek, which was a feeder stream into the Credit River a couple of times.
The hike took longer than anticipated, because we had to slow down frequently. It was incredible that within a short span of time, we were treading on ice, snow, water, mud and dry grounds.
The hike took us on part of the Bruce Trail Main Trail, the Great Esker (side) Trail and the Bennett Heritage (side) Trail. We passed en route Scotdale Farm and crossed also the Snow Creek. This section of the Bruce Trail was under the stewardship of the Toronto Club.
Two hikers fell, but fortunately nobody was injured. The experience was unique, and we were all relieved to be eventually out of the woods.
Map Reference: Bruce Trial Reference Map and Trail Guide Edition 27, p. 13.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bennett Side Trail, Bruce Trail, Bruce Trail Main Trail, Silver Creek Conservation Area on April 22, 2013 by Opalla.
The Interconnecting Trails in Dundas Valley
The first thing I noticed when I set foot on McCormack Trail in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area this morning was the snow from overnight on the fallen trees trunks. It was a good reminder that before too long, we would be hiking with our snow tracks. The McCormack Trail was a gentle trail which went through open fields and it had an incline at the top of which, we could enjoy the panoramic view of Hamilton.
Flanking the roadside and meadows were goldenrods which had turned silvery white.
After doing a loop on the McCormack Trail, we took up part of the Main Loop of the Bruce Trail, and hiked on the John White Trails, joined the Sawmill Trail before ending our hike from Spring Creek Trail after hiking for 14 Km.
The fun of hiking in Dundas Valley was that the trails with mostly interconnected and under the guidance of an experienced hike leader, we could customized our distances. Today we returned to the Trail Centre of the conservation area from the back, just a different view from the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail.
This entry was posted in Health, Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Dundas Valley Conservation Area, John While Trail, McCormack Trail, Sawmill Trail on December 10, 2012 by Opalla.
A Hike to Hilton Fall
This was my first hike since my long End to End hikes four weeks ago. I was admiring Fall colours on my hikes back then, and now, the trees were all bare as they displayed a sense of ethereal beauty on this foggy morning.
My hiking group set off from the Hilton Fall Conservation Centre and our goal was to explore some of the overlapping trail loops in the conservation area before reaching the Hilton Fall. (For any visitor who just wishes to visit the Fall, there is a trail of about 1 Km in distance that leads directly to it.) For us, we first entered the Philip Gosling Side Trail and after a short walk, I was attracted by the moss-covered rocks which jutted from the brown fallen leaves. Middle Earth, anyone?
We joined a short section of the Bruce Trail Main Trail and turned into Red Oak Trail, which also was a Bruce Trail side trail. This was probably the most beautiful and challenging section of the hike. It rose above the Hilton Fall Reservoir, that we caught a glimpse of it occasionally from among the trees. All around us was moss-covered landscape. There were caves and cliffs and rocks, but photography was impossible, because with this terrain, it was easier to keep going than to attempt to balance and focus into a camera. In fact, I possessed neither the balance nor the photographic skills to even attempt.
Next we joined the Hilton Fall Trail, towards the direction of Beaver Dam Trail on the right of the fork; the left trail should lead directly to HIlton Fall.
The ground cover on the trail was a mottled brown and silvery grey.
One of the hikers who knew about forestry explained to us that the trees were planted in "military formation", as they were straight and orderly.
We crossed the Beaver Dam, from which the trail was named, but there was a dam no more, because what used to be a beaver dam had blocked the flow of the water. Instead, we walked over a structure which served the purpose of a bridge and at the same time should prevent beavers from building a dam here.
The stream here is one of the feeders of the Sixteen Mile Creek.
We took a rocky side trail following the Bruce Trail blue blazers and arrived at the picnic area of Hilton Fall!
As a result of the persistent rain the previous month, water was rushing down the cliff edge of the Fall.
I was finally able to take a picture of the Hilton Fall in clear weather.
Just beside the Fall was was remains of a sawmill which dated back to the 19th century.
Besides heritage remains, another landmark revealing the history of the area was the pothole formed by the glacial swirl millions years ago.
We broke for lunch and then made our descent back to the conservation center.
I paid attention for the first time to the tamarack (larch). I always learned something when I hiked with this group of experienced hikers. In spite of its coniferous shape and needle-like leaves, the tamarack is a deciduous tree which shed their leaves in autumn. Its wood is used by the Algonquian natives to make snow shoes. Its golden glow transported me to a sense of satisfaction and peace as we concluded this hike.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Beaver Dam Trail, Bruce Trail, Hilton Falls, Hilton Falls Conservation Area, Hilton Falls Trail, Philip Gosling Side Trail on November 26, 2012 by Opalla.
From Grimsby to Dundas: End to End with the Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club (Day 4)
This was the fourth and final day of the hike. We woke up with a mixed feeling of excitement and wariness.We had come a long way and we should be completing our first End to End hike of the Bruce Trail. At the same time, we did not want a repeat of yesterday's soaking wet hike. To our relief, it was not raining when we drove to Mountain Brow Blvd. in Hamilton, near the arena to park our cars.
The bus took us to Grimsby to enter the starting point of Bruce Trail that was managed by the Iroquoia club. It was relatively dark still. We heard the leaves shuffling under our feet and the sound of the water rushing down Forty Mile Creek as we climbed up Grimsby Mountain. It was quite an incline, but once we were on top, and dawn had broken through, the hike became more relaxing. The first check point at Fifty Road emerged after an uneventful 9 Km hike.
We heard occasionally the sound of traffic and trains passing, which suggested that we were close to the rail track and the main road. The narrow trail surface was very muddy, and often slippery. It started to rain too, although not as relentlessly as the day before. It demanded full concentration on where we landed our feet with each step.
The check point at New Mountain Road was right beside the rail track. We quickly devoured our sandwiches with their water and hot cider. We only had one-third of the day's journey to go–move on!
As if nature (or the hike planners) wanted to reward us for our effort, a waterfall came in sight. We did not have any sign to tell us what its name was.
When we went further downstream and captured a better view of the landscape, this was very well the Devil's Punch Bowl, another punch bowl waterfall like the Borer's Fall we saw on Day 3. I was hiking near here in the summer but it was dry then.
Since this section of the trail was very popular with visitors who would come only to look at the falls, the surface was paved, and there were railings keeping people away from the precipice. Felkers Falls came into view next.
We made another turn to go around the gorge.
This creek further down probably fed into the Red Hill Creek,
which we crossed over a big metal bridge. These were the views upstream and downstream. The water level was high with all the rain in the past week.
We turned into the Red Hill Creek Side Trail uphill (left side of photo above). We came down here on Day 3 and hiked towards Dundas in the opposite direction on the Main Trail. Now we were finally out of the woods on Mountain Brow Boulevard. We climbed over the guard rails to cross the road to report to the finish check- point. We forgot that we were soaked through and proudly received our hard-earned badge that was awarded for the completion of the Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club End to End—a four-day hike of almost 130 Km.
Reference: The Bruce Trail REference Maps and Trail Guide Edition 27 (2012). Maps 5, 6 and 7.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club, End to End on November 17, 2012 by Opalla.
From Hamilton to Dundas: End to End with the Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club (Day 3)
We had five days to rest after Day 2. Came Saturday the following week, we were up again to meet outside Dundas Golf Club at 6:30 a.m. for Day 3. It had been raining the past few days, and it was still raining when we headed out. We had to wear our ponchos, which despite keeping us somewhat drier, also made climbing uphill more dangerous.
We had done almost 70 Km so far walking from north to south on the Bruce Trail. The organizers planned it such that the hike was in a south to north direction this weekend.
The bus took us to Mountain Brow Blvd. on Hamilton Mountain. We entered the trail by the Red Hill Creek Side Trail (following blue blazers) and joined the Main Bruce Trail (following white blazers) at the bottom of the hill. The hike today was to walk across Hamilton Mountain, enter Dundas Valley Conservation Area to return to the golf club. We were hiking on the same elevation in the beginning, but because of the rain, footing was slippery, and we had to be extremely careful not to step on the moss.
We hiked through King's Forest and soon found ourselves on the Escarpment Rail Trail. The rail line was below us and Sherman Access, a thoroughfare, was above us. We heard the sound of trains and traffic, and this was a different experience from just hearing the sound of wind and rain splashing in the forest. On a day like this, I much preferred the feeling that I was close to civilization. The first check-point was at Beckett Drive.
The next lag was on the Chedoke Radial Trail and the paved surface was a reprieve in the rainy weather. Soon after passing the car park of the Chedoke Golf Course, we saw water rushing down from the mountain above. The rain had brought the waterways and waterfalls to life. However, it had also caused flooding. There was an area where we had to wade through a rushing torrent and our shoes and socks were all soaked. Fortunately, we had hiked on this section of the trail before, and the knowledge that after crossing the bridge over Hwy 403 we should be arriving at the second check point at Filman Road motivated us on.
The next section of the trail should also the most scenic. First we passed Tiffany Fall and its bridge.
Then there was Sherman Fall and we had entered the Dundas Valley Conservation Area.
Canterbury Falls soon appeared.
Then we crossed the Sulphur Creek.
Had it been a sunnier day, the Dundas Conservation Area would have been ideal for photography. Meanwhile, we focused on our hike and what a wonderful feeling it was to arrive at the third check-point at the Dundas Valley Trail Centre, where bagels with cream cheese were waiting for us.
We had less than 5 Km to go, and we knew that the end would soon be in sight when we were hiking along the perimeter of the Dundas Golf Club.
We were very wet and soaked at the end of the hike. It was a relief nevertheless that we had completed almost 30 Km on this third day. The feeling was more of anticipation than fatigue, because we only had one more day to go. We must rest well this night.
Reference: The Bruce Trail Reference Maps and Trail Guide, Edition 27 (2010). Maps 7 and 8.
This entry was posted in Health, Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club, End to End on November 15, 2012 by Opalla.
From Burlington to Dundas: End to End with the Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club (Day 2)
After Day 1 and the Epsom salt bath when we got home, there was little time for recovery, because Day 2 followed immediately the next day, Sunday.
The meeting place was at the entrance of Dundas Golf Club at 6:30 a.m. and the bus took us to where we finished the hike the day before on Guelph Line and No.1 Side Road in Burlington to begin the hike. No sooner had we entered the trail, we had to climb over a stile which demarcated private property line, and because the Bruce Trail was passing private property the Bruce Trail Conservancy had an agreement with the owners for hikers to walk on their land. In fact, we climbed over several stiles on this day's walk.
The sky was clear and the sun has come out.
It was a pleasant hike through open fields and farmland and we were hiking south-west passing Kerncliff Park and City View Park Side Trail (one of the newest Bruce Trail side trails). We reported to the first check-point on King Road and we continued on through Waterdown Woods. It was mid-morning and what a glorious day! The most spectacular sight came into view at the Great Falls of Smokey Hollow.
However, we had to slow down, partly to enjoy the scenery, but more so, to avoid colliding with the numerous photographers who had set up their tripods to capture the beauty of the falls. There was only a very narrow footpath to get by. We were essentially squeezing by with a hanging cliff on our left and a ravine on our right. One faulty step and one could fall off the ravine.
The trails eased off along the banks of Grindstone Creek.
When we came out of Clappison Wood, there was a tunnel to cross under Hwy 6 to avoid the heavy traffic, and we arrived at the second check-point. Time for a quick lunch which went down well with hot apple cider, and up the hill we climbed again. We entered the grounds managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens.
A creek flew serenely on the lower grounds and on the higher grounds, the lookout onto the city was equally peaceful.
I was excited to see Borer's Fall, one of the "punchbowl falls" on the Bruce Trail. The name "punchbowl" came from its semi-circular shape, which was formed by the erosive turbulence of the whirlpool of melting ice when it came downstream many years ago.
From the escarpment here, we looked out to the city near the horizon.
The Bruce Trail continued on Sydenham Road and we were walking on paved road again, down the city streets of Dundas, into its residential area and uphill to King's Street West to our cars outside the golf club.
It was a day blessed with nice weather, breath-taking scenery, and great comradeship walking with other hikers. We looked forward to resting our feet in the next five days before Day 3. We did almost 70 Km so far in two days.
Reference: The Bruce Trail Reference Mpas and Trail Guide Edition 27 (2012). Maps 8 and 9.
From Kelso to Burlington: End to End with the Bruce Trail Iroquoia Club (Day 1)
The Bruce Trail (Ontario) runs a total of 885 Km along the Niagara Escarpment from Queenston in the south to Tobermory in the north. It is divided into nine sections, each managed by a local Bruce Trail club. The Iroquoia Club takes care of the section of the trail that runs between Grimsby and Kelso, and it is my home club. Every year at late Fall, the Iroquoia Club organizes an End to End hike which spans four days over two consecutive weekends. The total distance is about 130 Km. A badge is awarded at the end of the four-day hike. My husband and I were first-time participants in this year's event.
The first day started at 7 a.m. and we parked our cars on the shoulder of Guelph Line, Burlington, just north of Hwy 5. It was still dark. The morning air was cold. However it could not chill the excitement of the hikers who were in full gear for a one-day hike of about 40 Km. We were taken by two school buses and were dropped off at the northern-most point of the trail in Kelso near Hwy 401 for the start.
The organizers had planned out check-points en route. This was to make sure that everybody who signed up reported there and to get some refreshments,or other assistance. The volunteers who came out brought juices, water and hot cider, as well as cookies, muffins, granola bars and cheeses.
Dawn had just broken as we set foot on the Bruce Trail in the Kelso Conservation Area. We hiked through the Glen Eden ski area and got to the top. Here the ski lifts looked forlorn while they waited for their time to wake up with the winter skiers.
The trail was covered by fallen leaves. It had rained the night before, and we had to watch our steps, because there were often slippery rocks under the wet leaves.
Even so, we took time to take in the view of the Carolinian Forest at this time of Fall.
After the first check-point at Appleby Line and Steele Avenue, the trail entered the Crawford Lake/Rattle Point Conservation Areas. This was a very rocky section which involved climbing up rocks faces and this brought us to the Nassagaweya Canyon. The view was spectacular once on top of the gorge.
Although the elevation flattened out slightly, the trail was rugged and footing was poor, and then there was a rocky downhill, reaching the second check-point at Twiss Road.
We crossed a couple of creeks, up and down hill again, before reaching the third check-point at Blind Line and Britannia Road. The feeling that we were over half the day's designated distance was very encouraging.
Mixed in with the rugged trail were a few paved road surfaces which also formed part of the Bruce Trail. Given the long distance of the day, it was nice walking on flatter surfaces but extra care was necessary because there was passing traffic. The flat stretch of Collin Road led us to the entrance of Mount Nemo Conservation Area. My heart leapt, because the city of Burlington was in sight. The Brock Harris Lookout provided a panoramic view of the city.
A steep climb down from Mount Nemo took us to the fourth and final check-point at No. 2 Side Road and Walkers Line. We felt re-energized after drinking the hot cider served by the volunteers. There was a long stretch of paved road along Walkers Line, and turning into No.1 Side Road, but we still had to follow the white blazers (for the Main Trail) of the Bruce Trail. It started to rain, and we picked up our pace. We turned into the unpaved trail again and soon emerged into an open field. We followed the path which took us to where we parked our car in the morning on Guelph Line. We checked off our names and enjoyed the cheeses and the drinks before heading home for the day.
Our legs were tired, but we were very happy that the longest lag of the four-day hike was done. Day 2 would be a shorter day.
Reference: The Bruce Trail Reference: Maps and Trail Guide, Edition 27, (2012). Maps 9, 10 and 11.
Into The Woods (Dundas Valley Conservation Area)
My one-day record on my recent walk in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area: Five sightings of deer, with a total number of 18! I was ecstatic because I could capture this family of six on my smart phone before the sound of the click sent them dashing away.
The weather was more pleasant for walking these day. There was a coolness in the air while the sun was shining for my morning walks. My group walk this particular day started off from Sanctuary Park , Dundas, ON and we soon found ourselves meandering along the trails of Dundas Valley. We were deep into the woods and twice, we had to lower our heads in order to follow the trail even though a tree had fallen across it.
We were rewarded with nature's blessings: the streams, the rapids, the trees and wildlife.
We were equipped for the rocky climb and for the change of underfoot from stones, to roots and to softer padding.
The vegetation changed suddenly from the Carolinian deciduous which is typical of this area to a rare stretch of pine. They were neatly planted in row, which was also a nice reminder of man's contribution to preserve nature.
When we walked in silence and mindful of the stillness surrounding us, a rabbit, a chimpmunk and sometimes a squirrel crossed our path. Looking up the forest hill and down into the dale, there were the deer sightings of course.
I not only became aware of what nature was offering us in the present, but I was struck by what it had left for us from the past in the form of rock formations and remains of ancient tress.
Halfway up the Monarch Trail, we reached an open air auditorium with seats and an altar.
I remembered coming across a bridal party jogging along the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail on one of my walks. The bride was wearing a lace tennis frock , and her bridesmaids also in white tennis attire. They passed me and left me wondering where they were heading for. I think I had got my answer when I saw that altar. One question remained unanswered though: How are the relatives and guests going to get there?
The Dundas Valley Conservation Area has over 40 interconnected trails. Just on this hike, we walked parts of the Spring Creek Trail, the Sawmill Trail, a considerable section of the Bruce Trail Main Loop and the Monarch Trail, which took us back to the Rail Trail and to where we started at Sanctuary Park.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Monarch Trail, Sawmill Trail, Spring Creek Trail on August 30, 2012 by Opalla.
The Amazing Trail "Loop"
The subtitle of this post is "The Interconnections of Hamilton's Trails ". I walked about 13K with my group this recent weekend, and we went through the most varied of terrain and scenery, and above all, we remained relatively close to the city without feeling its presence; well, for the most part.
The last time I walked on the Chedoke Radial Trail, I turned towards Hillcrest Avenue. This time I walked on the escarpment towards Scenic Dirve.
This section of the trail passed through a wooded section, which then opened up to the view of the city of Hamilton. On the other side, the trail offered the rugged rock face of the escarpment.
We walked on the new Bailey Bridge at Chekode Fall, now longer, wider and stronger to withstand the eroding of the escarpment and the instability of the water course it crossed. This bridge was opened in January, 2012.
The Chedoke Radial Trail also belonged to the main Bruce Trail. We had a choice of staying on the main trail all the way to the Scenic Drive Side Trail or take the Iroquoia Height Side Trail to get to the same point. We continued on the main trail and crossed another bridge over Hwy 403.
This probably was the least attractive part of the trail which paralleled the highway alongside its noise barrier.
The main Bruce Trail then led to the Filman Side Trail, which offered a more hllly and rugged terrain until it came out onto Wilson Street.
We walked along Wilson Street (which joined Main Street) and took a flight of stairs to the the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail.
From here, we headed towards Hamilton using the Ewen Road entrance. We continued on the new extension of the Rail Trail. This was a 2.25 K paved trail which passed the rail yard and ending at the residential area bordering the Chekdoke Golf Course. It was opened in 2011 and formed part of the Canadian Pacific Link.
We rejoined the road where we walked uphill to the golf course earlier and headed back to Westdale, our usual starting point. When I downloaded my walking data from my Garmin, I realized that we had completed an amazing loop by connecting several trails that ran through the city!
This entry was posted in Hiking, Leisure, Nature, Walking and tagged Bruce Trail, Filman Side Trail, Hamilton, Iroquoia Height Side Trail, Rail Trail on August 2, 2012 by Opalla.
Climbing a Stile in Style
What is a stile?
This was the stile I climbed over on my hike on the Bruce Trail this week. A stile is a ladder-like structure which gives access to the Bruce Trail when it crosses the property line of private property. On this day, I climbed over five stiles.
On this walk, we started from the entrance to the trail on #1 Side Road, east of Guelph Line in Burlington (Ontario) and hiked over 8K to Kerncliff Park. We stayed on the main trail for the most part, walking south and west towards Cedar Spring Road, but also included the Ian Reid Side Trail.
The hike was listed as "moderate" in the trail guide. This meant uneven surfaces with roots and stones. We were on rolling hills. There were a couple of times when we stepped or leaped over rocks. Challenging, but fun! My more experienced hiking friends said that for this section of the Bruce Trail, one could bring a walking stick.
This hike took me to the Fisher's Pond. It looked dreamy to me this morning.
We walked past a big field, and would somebody tell me whether this was wheat, barley or oats?
We walked very close to some residential property, with its vegetable garden.
Its overlooked a majestic-looking tree.
What did I learn on this hike?
#1 When I am with experienced hikers, I can follow their example and try these wild raspberries. They are fresh and sweet.
#2 The tree on the right is call shag dog hickory. The bark seems to be peeling off the trunk; hence the name. The bark is hard and sharp, and so do not lean on the tree.
This entry was posted in Hiking, Leisure, Nature, Trails and tagged Bruce Trail, Burlington, Ian Reid Side Trail on July 9, 2012 by Opalla.


text:
Search norfolkandtillsonburgnews.com
Tillsonburg News
Share this Story: Students get big-screen treatment
Students get big-screen treatment
Susan Gamble
Oct 28, 2019 • 1 year ago • 2 minute read
Student filmmaker Lucius Czerlau had his short film about beautiful spots in Norfolk County shown as part of the Routes to Roots Film Festival Saturday. SUSAN GAMBLE
It's not everyday your home movie gets shown to a theatre full of people on 'the big screen' but it happened for a small group of local Norfolk kids Saturday.
As part of the Routes to Roots Film Festival which shows national and international films that have a rural life or root theme, local Grade 7 to Grade 12 students were invited to submit work.
Students get big-screen treatment Back to video
"It's pretty cool to be here," admitted Lucius Czerlau, 11, a St. Cecilia School student who shot a nature film of lovely scenes in the area called The Most Beautiful Things in Norfolk County.
Lucius said he spends a lot of time outdoors and wanted to share some of the things he sees.
Using an Apple iPad, he captured scenes that ranged from the Port Dover beach and lighthouse to a field of waving rye, Ivey's Dam and Grant Anderson Park, editing the shots together using Filmmaker Pro.
"I want to keep doing this kind of thing."
A piece called Roadside Caterpillars featured three home-schooled brothers who were documented by their mom as they prowled the Backus Trails looking for caterpillars to research.
"Caterpillars and butterflies are something me and my brothers are interested in and we wanted to make a film about caterpillars and what they do," said Rusty Georgiev, 12, the youngest of the three performers.
He was joined in the short film by his brothers Finn, 13, who also played the banjo, and Owen, 15.
"It's awesome to think it will be on the big screen," said Owen.
Lisa Anderson is mom to the trio of boys and the one behind the camera. She said the mini-movie is an honest telling of something the kids do a lot.
"Almost daily we're out in the summer, doing a lot of original research, looking for things they don't know about and finding the answers," said Anderson.
"These kinds of things are like what kids used to do naturally."
Anderson said the siblings had very definitive ideas about the editing process.
"Who was the director? I'm not really sure," she said.
"We had hopes of a longer film but we'll start shooting now for next year's entry."
A third short was also shown Saturday – three girls from St. Cecilia School did a clay-mation, stop-action movie based on a Biblical parable.
"We only got three entries but you've got to start somewhere," said Jim Carroll, the chair of the festival and the one in charge of the student film competition.
"I think it really validates their work to see their movies on the big screen with an audience. This is the YouTube generation and they are used to telling their stories using video. We wanted to encourage that."
The student shorts were shown before an audience of about 60, just before the viewing of By the Woods, which was shot in Norfolk County, and Ontario farm-based The Drawer Boy, which were two of two dozen films that were part of the weekend, all at the downtown Strand theatre in Simcoe.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you're wondering whether you've selected the right B2B agency for your business's marketing needs and goals, start by taking a close look at the varieties of critical data they collect, interpret and use on your behalf. Without a strong understanding of certain key stats, trends and metrics, your marketing agency cannot hope to help you achieve breakthrough levels of success in the coming year. Here are some of the key numbers you want to see influencing your marketing efforts.
Which content marketing tactics or platforms should your B2B agency be emphasizing in your inbound marketing campaigns? It helps to understand what marketers as a whole are doing -- and it appears that social media (not including blogging) is the most popular tactic of all, with 87 percent of marketers employing an average of 6 marketing channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook et cetera) simultaneously.
Blogs rank pretty highly in their own right, with 76 percent of marketers emphasizing regular blog posts. But on-site articles, in whatever form they may take, outrank blog articles at 81 percent and off-site articles at 61 percent. White papers (64 percent), online presentations (63 percent), webinars (62 percent) and infographics (51 percent) represent the next-highest tier of popularity, with every other content marketing tactic ranking under the 50-percent mark.
76 percent of marketers use blogging as one of their marketing tactics.
Of course your B2B agency can't just look at which forms of content marketing are most commonly utilized by sellers -- they must also pay close attention to how B2B buyers choose to consume that content. For instance 48 percent of buyers must consume 2 to 5 different content assets before they're ready to obey that final call to action and become a customer. A further 25 percent need to consume 6 to 8 content assets before you can reel them in. That's usually because they need to be guided through your sales funnel (called the Buyer's Journey), asset by asset, until they reach the critical decision point.
The types of content assets your B2B agency is putting out there can also make a difference -- but here you need to look at the final results as well as mere consumption habits. For example, although 52 percent of B2B buyers consume both emails and white papers, only about 15 percent credited emails as directly influencing their purchase, while white papers had that effect on more than 30 percent of them.
In addition to knowing which content platforms and assets tend to work better with B2B buyers, it's also important to understand what kinds of content buyers prefer to absorb. For example, 46 percent of B2B buyers respond most readily to hard data and statistics, clearly preferring factual data over entertaining or sensationalistic fluff. This isn't an overwhelming majority by any means, but it's worth noting as you portion out your different types of articles and other marketing pieces.
B2B buyers' preferences differ from those of B2C buyers in some significant ways. For one thing, only 18 percent of B2B buyers are likely to click on blog posts, compared with 30 percent of B2C buyers. But they're actually more enthused about clicking on video posts (at 18 percent) than their B2C brethren (at just 11 percent). Additionally, while B2B and B2C buyers generally match up closely in the channels they use to interact with a brand, the two categories go their separate ways when it comes to customer reviews and case studies. Only 54 percent of B2B buyers rely on reviews and case studies before making a purchase, as opposed to a whopping 79 percent of B2C buyers. Make sure your B2B agency really is a B2B agency, in the sense that it caters to your specific field and target audience.
Which marketing strategies offer the highest odds of a successful close? The more data you're given in this regard, the more wisely you can allocate your marketing budget for maximum ROI. Your B2B agency should be keeping on top of all the most current numbers concerning B2B conversion rates. The "closed-won vs. closed-lost" ratios for different types of marketing can vary quite widely. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the king of this particular hill is employee and customer referrals, with a 68.7 percent conversion rate. But social media comes surprisingly close, enjoying a conversion rate of 68.6 percent, making it literally the "next best thing to being there." Website marketing strategies achieve a 61.4 percent conversion rate, email comes in at 43 percent, and paid search offers a relatively modest 29.7 percent.
What should you expect from your sales funnel's performance, both conversion-wise and time-wise? This is the area addressed by B2B sales benchmarks, another critical set of metrics that your B2B agency must master. There are two distinct phases to "getting to Yes," the lead-to-opportunity phase and the opportunity-to-deal phase. On average, a B2B organization will convert 13 percent of leads into opportunities over a period of 84 days. The opportunity-to-deal phase is much quicker, at an average of 18 days, but only 6 percent of the opportunities culled from the first phase will be converted into deals. Your B2B agency must not only have a firm grasp of these benchmarks but also have some means of comparing your own results against them.
From content marketing usage and demand statistics to B2B conversion and sales rates, you'll find that the right B2B agency has the skill, experience, and knowledge to turn these numbers into meaningful standards and expectations -- while ensuring that your own B2B marketing efforts meet or exceed them. Once you know the score, you can tell at a glance whether your business in winning or losing the game, and exactly where some sensible adjustments can turn your fortunes around. You may even decide that you need a whole new plan instead of just a few minor tweaks. If that's the case, then get the Content Strategy Data Sheet and start creating a structure for long-term marketing succes.


text:
set -o errexit

BUILD_START=$(date +%s)

#default
BUILD_TYPE=MinSizeRel

PARAM=$(echo $1 | tr "[:lower:]" "[:upper:]")
while [[ _$PARAM != _ ]]; do
   case "$PARAM" in
      D ) BUILD_TYPE="Debug" ;;
      G ) BUILD_TYPE="RelWithDebInfo" ;;
      S ) BUILD_TYPE="Release" ;;
      CLEAN ) CLEAN="true"  ;;
      PRJ ) export GEN_PROJ="ON" ;;
      * ) echo "ERROR: Unknow parameter '$PARAM'"; exit 1 ;;
   esac
   shift
   PARAM=$(echo $1 | tr "[:lower:]" "[:upper:]")
done

#use host path
export ABSOLUTE_PATH=$(cd `dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"` && pwd)
if [[ "$CORRECT" == "yes" ]]; then
	PRODUCTS_DIR="$ABSOLUTE_PATH/../build"
else
	PRODUCTS_DIR="$ABSOLUTE_PATH/build"
fi

if [[ "$CLEAN" == "true" ]]; then
    rm -R -f "$PRODUCTS_DIR"
fi

mkdir -p $PRODUCTS_DIR
cd $PRODUCTS_DIR

echo "STAGE: <<<<< Configuring >>>>>"
echo

# If project already configured we will skip configuration
if [[ ! -e "Makefile" ]]; then
    if [[ "$GEN_PROJ" == "ON" ]]; then
        echo "Generating Eclipse CDT4 project files..."
        cmake -G "Eclipse CDT4 - Unix Makefiles" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE  "$ABSOLUTE_PATH/"
    else
        cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE "$ABSOLUTE_PATH/"
    fi
fi

echo "STAGE: <<<<< Building >>>>>"
echo "BUILD_TYPE: $BUILD_TYPE"

CPU_NUM=$(cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep processor | wc -l)
echo "Parallel build: $CPU_NUM CPU(s)"

make --jobs=$CPU_NUM

if (( ${PIPESTATUS[0]} != 0 )); then
   BUILDRESULT=FAIL
   EXITCODE=1
else
   BUILDRESULT=OK
   EXITCODE=0
fi

if [[ "$BUILDRESULT" = "OK" ]]; then
   echo "BUILD SUCCEEDED"
else
   echo "BUILD FAILED"
fi

let BUILD_TIME=$(date +%s)-$BUILD_START

printf "Total build time: %dh %dm %ds\n" $(($BUILD_TIME/3600)) $(($BUILD_TIME%3600/60)) $(($BUILD_TIME%60))

exit $EXITCODE

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We are extremely proud to announce that our Bristol ARC manager, Shaun Willis has won the Peugeot Estimator of the year competition! This competition is an annual event as part of the Audatex accreditation training which is a mandatory element of the PEUGEOT ARC programme.
Not only has Shaun won the title 'Estimator of the Year' but he also won £150 worth of vouchers to spend, we hope you enjoy spending them Shaun! Congratulations from The ARC Group!


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In most companies there is one aspect of annual leave that causes headaches for HR and management, every company has one, and if you don't handle it right it can leave you with short-staffed, dealing with disgruntled staff, or even breaking the law. We're talking about the end of your company's holiday year. So here's the lowdown on year-end, and our advice on making it run smoothly.
So what do we mean by year end?
In most countries there is a legal entitlement to a certain amount of holiday per year, in others employees are entitled to a certain amount of time off as a part of their contracts. Whether it's a legal or contractual entitlement, that allowance is normally expressed as a certain number of days per year, with limited or no rights to carry it over to the next year. The date that holiday must be used by, and a new allowance becomes available, is your year end.
Many employees keep holiday in hand, either planning to take time off later, or to allow for time off to deal with the unexpected. When the end of the holiday year approaches, this can mean that the majority of your staff have time off to take, in just a few short weeks. For many companies, this means that there is a spike in demand for leave just at the time a pre-Christmas rush adds extra customer demand.
Some employees never seem to take time off work. When the end of the holiday year draws near, these staff still have weeks left to take, which you might not be legally able to deny to them. Especially for a member of your core team, this could leave you with a vital role to fill for weeks at a time at the end of your holiday year.
There are some simple things you can put in place to ease the year-end headaches. First you can make sure that employees are kept up to date with how much holiday entitlement they have left, and how long they have left to take it. This means that staff can see exactly what their position is throughout the year. Using LeaveWizard's online annual leave management software allows you to set up automated email reminders for all workers, keeping them informed.
Secondly you can change the culture around holidays in your organisation. This is especially key to counter the problem of reluctant bookers. Time off work has been shown to improve productivity, so the company benefits more from dedicated employees taking time off to relax throughout the year than from heroic staff always being in the office. Try to create a culture where taking leave is not considered shirking, and you will reduce the tendency to under-use holiday throughout the year.
Third, Think about how your rules can ease the problem. Employment laws may set the minimum holiday entitlements, but you are usually allowed to set rules as to when holiday can be taken. Think about rules limiting the amount of holiday that can be taken in the last month of the holiday year, so that the rush is at least spread out, or perhaps even requiring a certain amount of time off to be taken by an earlier point in the year. LeaveWizard has fully customisable rules, so that you can tailor them to meet your company's needs, and will automatically enforce those rules as employees make applications for holiday, so you know the rules are being followed.
Finally, think about whether you can remove the problem by moving away from a single year-end. Some companies, including major multinationals have taken this step. In essence the idea is to individualise the holiday year, rather than having a single cycle for the whole business.
One approach is to use the month in which an employee starts as the basis for their annual leave. This removes the need for pro-rata calculations, and spreads year-ends out. If you recruit in batches though, for example a regular intake of graduates each summer, you will still have a smaller version of the problem when that anniversary rolls around.
A second approach is to use the month in which the employee's birthday falls as an individualised holiday year. This has the advantage of spreading the rush more-or-less evenly across the year. Breaking up your holiday year may seem like an increase in the admin required to manage annual leave, but LeaveWizard's easy-to-use online interface makes it easy to implement customised rules and arrangements. Click here to start your free trial of LeaveWizard, and see how simple the end of the holiday year could be.
⟵How Will You Manage Your Annual Leave this Christmas?


text:
TUBULARSOCK SAYS: RELATIONSHIPS
Posted: December 31, 2014 in Psychology, RELATIONSHIPS
Tags: dating, Psychology, relationships
BROKEN NEWS: SUSPICIOUS
Posted: December 30, 2014 in ART, Bull Shit, Crop Circles, Mental Health, Obama, Psychology, Stuxnet, The Matrix
Tags: barack obama, bull shit, Crop Circles
Breaking News …….. CornWhelm, GB
A Tube-Circle was reported early this morning according to the Greater-lessor CornWhelm Independent Gazette.
A known source that was not authorized to discuss this field phenomena stated on site of this remarkable Tube-Circle, "That is TERRIFYING!!!! TERRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".
The local people were in awe of this new development in the Crop-Circle experience.
"I'ze seen not'en lik this before", James Cornwell who lives in South CornWhelm stated, "Th'm Crop-Circle is ok'd but THIS has gone too fer."
Tee shirts and Kettle-Corn venders were taking advantage of the up-tic in living rubber-neckers that caused traffic-havoc on Dirt Road 7.
This is a breaking story. And Tubularsock News and Notary Services will repair it as it breaks.
Over-looking official reports …… President Obummer said, "The North Koreans hackless community is responsible for this Tube-Circle. Using their one computer they directed a laser beam from space and burned this Tube-Circle into existence."
Many members of Congress have formed a bipartisan committee to meet to discuss forming a committee on Tube-Circles. Even though there has only been one.
Several members of Congress were amazed to find that Great Britain was not part of the United States and that they had no jurisdiction in that area.
Immediately Congress formed a bipartisan committee to meet to discuss forming a committee on "humanitarianly" bombing Great Britain into submission.
If you are holding your breath for more of this breaking news …….. you are going to die!
FERGUSON TOP 40
Posted: December 29, 2014 in Bob McCulloch, Bull Shit, FBI, Ferguson, Michael Brown, MISSOURI, Police Chief Thomas Jackson, POLICE MILITARIZATION, Psychology, Race, RACISM, St. Louis County Grand Jury
Tags: Courts, FBI, Ferguson, Grand Juries, Justice
Now Tubularsock was looking back …….. Tubularsock knows, the Obummer only wants Tubularsock to look forward but Tubularsock is so fucking obstinate!
So looking all the way back to the Ferguson Grand Jury and that fucking St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch and the fact that his daddy was shot down while performing police duties by a black man when Bobby was 12 years old would be enough for any man with integrity to step down from his role as County Prosecutor to avoid even the hint of "conflict of interest" assertions.
But no, Bobby says he is over that and he can rise above the psychological scaring to be fair ………… sure.
Which brings us to Grand Jury witness #40. The FBI interviewed witness #40 and informed McCulloch that her story was-bat-shit-crazy. No not in those words. Only Tubularsock would have used those words if he had been on the FBI team but alas, he was not. But Tubularsock has always wanted to be in the FBI so he could flash his badge as his wallet flapped open like Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
Yes, perhaps a 12 year obsession of Tubularsock. But he was older than that when the TV show aired but hey, shit sticks with you.
Anyway the FBI informed Bob that witness #40 was fucked-up but he allowed her to present her version of the Ferguson drama not once but twice! She was called back because of her "journal" entries.
She states that she saw Brown put down his head and charge Officer Wilson and Wilson shot this unarmed black man in self defense.
The Grand Jury stated that they believed her.
But there was a small detail that wasn't expressed to the Grand Jury that County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch had been told by the FBI ***BEFORE*** she was called to testify ………..
SHE WAS NOT PRESENT IN FERGUSON AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT!
Hell, picky, picky, picky!
Yet witness #40 testimony was accepted as truth and the Grand Jury decreed that there wasn't enough evidence to indite Wilson! CASE CLOSED!
Oh yeah …….. "the rule of law, not of men" is really only good if the "men" have integrity. And integrity seem to be in short supply in our culture at present.
Now the woman who was Witness #40 is nuts ……. you know "insane" but still on the streets.
So when it came out that she wasn't going to be prosecuted for lying to a Grand Jury it didn't surprise Tubularsock. Hey! She's fucking bat-shit nuts!
What didn't surprise Tubularsock as well is that no one is prosecuting St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch for stacking the witnesses. Funny how on TV cop shows tampering with a jury is like the fucking crime of the century. But not so much under "real" law.
Little 12 year old Bobby knew that witness #40 was "lying"! The FBI told him so. But he still let a known lier who he knew had not been in Ferguson at the time of the incident to testify as a witness. He was not deceived HE KNEW!
So Tubularsock figures that the make up of the St. Louis County Grand Jury must have been a group of very fine citizens of different races that are fixated at their 5 year old selves and this has shown how persuasive a fixated 12 year old can be on younger fixations.
The big question for Tubularsock is, why do they call it the Justice Department? Tubularsock is going to have to go to the dictionary and look up JUSTICE. There must be a new definition.
TUBULARSOCK SAYS: EGO TOO!
Posted: December 25, 2014 in ART, Bull Shit, Delusional, Psychology
Tags: art, bull shit, Delusional, Psychology
HOLIDAY METAPHOR
Posted: December 24, 2014 in CHRISTMAS, Santa Claus
Tags: CHRISTMAS, Santa Claus
TUBULARSOCK SAYS: EGO?
Posted: December 23, 2014 in ART, Bull Shit, Psychology
Tags: art, bull shit, Psychology
PLAY IT AGAIN TUBE
Posted: December 20, 2014 in Dick Cheney, Guantanamo, RACISM, torture, Uncategorized
Tags: Dick Cheney, Human Rights American Failure
Tubularsock makes little videos every once in awhile to push a point that needs to be looked at a bit more closely.
And often just because Tubularsock makes a video about a subject doesn't always mean that the issue is solved.
So …….. this video Tubularsock posted on YouTube on March 24, 2012.
As you'll see …….. the issue is still the same and the players are as wretched as they have always been.
AND THE POINT IS STILL THE POINT WHICH IS THE POINT of bringing it to your attention again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lk2Ywo5aVw&list=UUgn3XvlB8AHASPTyI7Is67g
TUBULARSOCK SAYS: DICK GO HOME!
Posted: December 15, 2014 in Dick Cheney, torture
Tags: Dick Cheney, Human Rights American Failure, Rule of Law
TORTURE AMERICAN STYLE
Posted: December 14, 2014 in ethics training, torture, U.S. General's ethics, War Criminals
Tags: barack obama, Diane Feinstein, Dick Cheney, Human Rights American Failure, Rule of Law
You know, Tubularsock thought he'd never see the day when Dick Cheney and George Bush would support ISIS and their "enhanced interrogation" methods. That is impressive!
Cutting off people's heads isn't barbaric it is standard policy for Cheney and Bush.
Ask Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson.
So Tubularsock just can't wait for some U.S. military special op soldiers to get themselves captured by ISIS. And Tubularsock can't wait for the ISIS videos of the different techniques that Dick and George enthusiastically support be shown on YouTube.
No really, Tubularsock is really excited. As you know the CIA destroyed the torture videos they took of the CIA doing it ….. sure it was against the law to destroy those videos …….. but shit, we are all looking forward not back!
What? Did you miss that memo?
No ……. it's all good. Put anything up Dick's and George's ass and they just love it. Might even remind them of the Bohemian Grove.
But what is really great is that the U.S. Government has come out of the closet on the entire torture thing. Now what a freeing experience.
You see at one time in our history and you do realize the American military has ALWAYS tortured (look into our fine attitude in the Philippines) but it was hidden and condemned as not a noble thing to do.
Don't you remember? It was something those Japs did, and later the Gooks did. Hey, they were yellow people what else would you expect? Oh hell, yes even some white people did it both the Ruskyies and the Krauts tortured too but hey they were Communists and Nazis so what do you expect?
But Americans NEVER would do torture …….. really go back and watch the old World War II movies!
America had a better trained citizens army that had standards of conduct above all the rest.
Don't you remember? Oh how could you …….. how silly of Tubularsock to forget ……. we are all looking forward now!
Tubularsock will have to reread that memo.
The odd thing was that the United States, the country that stood above the rest as a beacon of decency had a SCHOOL FOR TORTURE. Talk about confusing the image.
That school was the U.S. Army's School of the Americas. But like any good torture school it was rebranded in 2001 as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. Oh yes, rebranding it. What is surprising is that they didn't call it "Happiness Farms"! Hey, TORTURE as a product. How convenient, Tubularsock can see the ads now.
And yep, they still teach their students how to torture ……. that's their purpose!
But of course they say it differently: ". . . cooperation among the participating nations and promote democratic values, respect for human rights, and knowledge and
understanding of U.S. customs and traditions."
Now here's a hint ……. see the loophole?
" . . . understanding of U.S. customs and traditions"
And because Dick and George has brought torture out of the closet it is now part of America's Customs and Traditions!
See, it's all good now.
Just a side note: Brazil has just released a torture report this week and it detailed a pattern of killings and torture during a period of military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.
And guess who happens to be mentioned as a major contributor to this pattern of killings and torture ……… THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Proving once again that it really is a Custom and Tradition of our country and Dick and George proudly stand behind this killing and torture because IT'S AMERICAN!
An interesting point that's fun is the report by Brazil's National Truth Commission is only 2000 pages long as opposed to the U.S. Senate's report which was 6700 pages long. Which only goes to show you that we just have more Customs and Traditions to deal with in our country.
And the VERY BEST part …….. Brazil released all 2000 pages to the public! But our grand "democracy" released kicking and screaming only 524 redacted pages to the public. With even the likes of John Kerry calling Diane Feinstein before the release to warn her that the release may cause safety concerns to Americans.
The amazing thing to Tubularsock is just how high the stack of bull shit goes.
The only people in the ENTIRE WORLD that don't know the amount and level of torture and murder this country does is the American public. The ones that when the planes hit the world trade towers just couldn't fucking figure out ….. "WHY DO THEY HATE US?"
That same public are the ones that can't figure out why so many black citizens are upset about being murder in the streets in this country like every fucking murder was the first time it happened!
The same racist pattern that Dick and George support and promote in dealing with all those little brown "terrorists" is the same racist pattern that is supported and promoted by the police in dealing with minority citizens within the United States.
The "general public" doesn't see the treatment being dished out every day so when it comes bubbling up to the surface they see it as an isolated incident whether it's in the streets of Ferguson or in the streets of Baghdad.
What they don't understand is that it is a systemic problem of our Customs and Traditions!
When Insane Obama came to office with all that HOPE & CHANGE shit, people really did fall for the bull shit hook line and sinker. And the reason Tubularsock used a fishing reference here is because if you were awake you could tell it was FISHY from the get-go. In truth, if you weren't brain dead even before the get-go!
Lets look at the big step in stopping torture that Mr. Step-an-Fetch-It Obama put in place.
"Interrogation Techniques and Interrogation-Related Treatment. Effective immediately, an individual in the custody or under the effective control of an officer, employee, or other agent of the United States Government, or detained within a facility owned, operated, or controlled by a department or agency of the United States, in any armed conflict, shall not be subjected to any interrogation technique or approach, or any treatment related to interrogation, that is not authorized by and listed in Army Field Manual 2 22.3 (Manual)."
Wow, impressed? Sounds good doesn't ………..
Want to know the loophole? Want to know why Obummer DIDN'T stop torture even NOW ……… and now means now, today. And we don't need to look backward because we are in NOW! Nothing has changed ……..
an individual in the custody or under the effective control of an officer, employee, or other agent of the United States Government . . .
detained within a facility owned, operated, or controlled by a department or agency of the United States
in any armed conflict
Get it yet?
1. Obummer's executive order still permits "rendition"—the transfer of a terror suspect to another country for interrogation.
Boy, that was simple ………….
No orders to stop were given, to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), a clandestine force composed of elite fighters from several branches of the US armed forces. JSOC had run its own secret detention centers in Iraq.
You remember, right? ……. clandestine, that means "secret" so don't tell anyone.
And torture is still conducted at Guantanamo but they call it by different names so all's good.
When the United States ratified the Convention Against Torture, it required that the United States would extradite or prosecute those who commit, or are complicit in, the commission of torture.
You know that was one of those international treaties to make the world a better place and we signed it. Or rather it was that old mentality fucked up Ronald Reagan that signed that treaty. The guy who condoned the murder and torture programs in Latin America that Brazil is still dealing with to this day. Not to mention Chile, Nicaragua, Argentina, Honduras ………………….
The Convention Against Torture that Ron signed for the U.S. states in Article 2 that:
1. Each State Party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction.
2. No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.
An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture. . . .
But hey, don't you worry bout a thing!
Because the notorious March 2003 memo written by John Yoo, who was then deputy assistant attorney general for the office of legal counsel, said Bush's wartime authority had priority over any international ban on torture.
So there you have it ……….. isn't law fun ………. just takes one guy with a law degree to negate the law. And not only laws of the U.S. but laws of the WORLD! How convenient, don't you think?
But the Convention Against Torture also had Article 4 which states that,
1. Each State Party shall ensure that all acts of torture are offences under its criminal law. The same shall apply to an attempt to commit torture and to an act by any person which constitutes complicity or participation in torture.
But of course John Yoo said that that can't apply because a President's WAR POWERS negates ALL laws on torture ……. and he did that with only ONE memo.
Shows you how far we have come in America. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to create the LAWS OF THE LAND it took Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin several drafts before they created the LAWS OF THE LAND ……… John Yoo, one fucking memo!
Next time just a tweet will do …… that's progress!
But yet the Convention Against Torture also had Article 15 which states that,
Each State Party shall ensure that any statement which is established to have been made as a result of torture shall not be invoked as evidence in any proceedings . . .
Oh wow ……. there goes all those Guantanamo kangaroo trials now doesn't it?
Not according to John Yoo's memo.
In fact, on January 8th 2006, John Yoo publicly argued that ". . . there is no law that could prevent the President from ordering the torture of a child of a suspect in custody – including by crushing that child's testicles". Sweet.
The Constitution of the United States is the SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND!
And United States Constitution in Article 6 states rather clearly that:
"This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding."
And Tubularsock agrees with none other than Condoleezza Rice – Bush's National Security Advisor and then Secretary of State when in 2005 she stated,
"Torture, and conspiracy to commit torture, are crimes under U.S. law, wherever they may occur in the world."
Even though to date she hasn't turned herself in to the authorities.
Yes, "there is no one above the law."
And Tubularsock is in 100% agreement with our Fuhrer . Oh my, Tubularsock meant to say our ahh, well Fuhrer!
But there is a loophole ……… can you see it?
Ok, let Tubularsock explain:
You see "there is no one above the law" but you have to understand the system.
There are some citizens that can't get into the building ……. they are barred! Mostly the very poor and the mentally ill.
There are some citizens that have the stairs and can fill out the forms and march them up to the top floor courtroom.
There are some citizens that have the escalator and they fill out the forms and glide up to the top floor courtroom.
There are some citizens that have others fill out the forms and ride the elevator to the top floor courtroom.
And then ……. there are just a limited number of citizens that have others fill out and deliver the forms and ride the express elevator to the top floor courtroom. They don't have the time for the law.
And then there is an extremely limited number that have others fill out and deliver the forms and their representatives arrive by helicopter above the top floor. THEY are above the law ……and so are their friends! They don't have time for government interference.
That is the legal structure in reality in the United States so now being clear about how the system works how many convictions for torture and supporting torture do you think will be executed?
Well save your energy. You don't have to hold up even one finger.
But with all the laws that are and all the laws that aren't. With all the justifications for it and all the arguments against it,
it all boils down to this …………..
IT IS JUST WRONG ……. THERE IS NO CORRECT WRONG ……. IT IS JUST PLAIN WRONG TO TREAT ANYONE THIS WAY! PERIOD.
AND IF YOU CAN'T FEEL THAT, THEN YOU ARE ONE FUCKED UP MOTHERFUCKER, YOU REALLY DO NEED HELP.
YOU CAN BANK ON IT
Posted: December 12, 2014 in BANKS, Car Hacking, Central Bank, debt, economics, Economy
Tags: cash laundering, drug cartels, drug trade, global arms trade, investment
Tubularsock has been boarding up his windows in his top floor corner office in his underground bunker overlooking Washington, D.C. from Oakland, CA as a precaution.
Tubularsock has a bank account.
You may not have been following this story but Tubularsock has been following it for several months now and it's rather weird to say the least.
Since March, 2013 there have been 51 bankers that have died. Some by suicide, some by questionable circumstances still up in the air, and some by "accidents". According to Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (Economic News of Germany).
Now hell, people die everyday but these are all successful bankers and they are dropping like flies.
Now why is that?
For example Geert Tack, a 52 year old "flawless, athletic, slim, successful" banker who worked at ING Group and handled portfolios for wealthy bank customers washed up on the beach in the port city of Ostend, Belgian on Wednesday December 3rd.
He left his villa in Vondelen and headed to work but never arrived. He had left his laptop and his cell phone in his mansion.
The autopsy has not been completed so suicide, perhaps or maybe murder, perhaps. Or maybe a total collapse upon finding himself without his laptop and cell phone. You know, in todays world one can not be "unplugged" for even a minute?
Or lets look at Shawn Miller, the CEO of Citigroup. He advised managers and other customers on sustainability, including environmental and social policies. These include the areas of mining and renewable energy. He worked for Citibank in various monitoring functions in over 100 countries.
Miller was found dead in his New York apartment in March 2013. His cause of death is still unclear. His body was found by the police in the bathtub with his neck completely cut open. No half way job here!
They found no weapons and no apparent "violent external force" but murder is suspected.
Which if you look closely Dr. Watson it would be rather difficult for a person to cut open his own neck and not leave behind a weapon. Cleaver devil, I should say.
Now the house camera did show that he allowed an "unknown" man into his apartment that WAS NOT his current lover.
Now how about the "accidental death" of Robert Evans a 30 year old vice-president of Bank of America Merrill Lynch who fell off his bike and smashed his head on a rock after losing control on a fast descent as he competed an Iron Man triathlon on the French Riviera.
An eyewitness saw Mr Evans swerving repeatedly before he hit the rock.
"Accidental"? Seems like it ………
Robert was Vice President of Electronic Trading Technology at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the London office.
Another "accidental death" was 54 year old J. Patrick Sheehan, a managing director for public finance at Well Fargo in New York.
According to a police statement, he died at the scene, as did the driver of his livery car, after a Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle crossed the median and struck his limo.
"Accidental"? seems like it.
Why does Michael Hastings car "accident" come to Tubularsock's mind? That was just a regular car accident …….. right, right?
Sometimes some people seem to know too much ………
Now like Tubularsock has stated, people die all the time and accidents do happen but when they happen within a curious "trend" well just maybe something else is happening.
March 11, 2013: Mohammed Hamwi, IT specialist financial company Trepp in New York. Was on the street and was shot three times in the head, reports New York Post .
July 29, 2013: Hussein Najadi, founder of the ArabMalaysian Banking Group was shot dead in a car park in Kuala Lumpur by a shooter at close range. A suspect was arrested in September 2013, reported The Star .
April 13, 2014: Tanji Dewberry Vice President of WL Ross investment in New York and Deputy Vice Presi of Credit Suisse. She and her son burned to death at their home in New Jersey, reports The Daily Mail .
April 18, 2014: Benedict Philippines, Director of the Bank AnsSaintNicolas, was shot dead along with his wife and child by unknown assailants in their house, Reuters reports.
July 6, 2014: Julien Knott, Director at JP Morgan. He and his wife were shot dead at their home in New Jersey, reports the International Business Times.
And then there are the suicides which make up about a third of the total number.
Now for the Tubularsock disclaimer. The world is a big place and lists like this could be created based on a variety of professions but Tubularsock does find this curious and is only bringing this to your attention to alert you about this and thereby maybe you'll find a connection. Or not.
It just reminded Tubularsock of the ending of the movie "Wag The Dog", that's all!
Oh well, Tubularsock over thinks sometimes but what if ……….
Oh, and Tubularsock closed his bank account ……… too scary!


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Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer during a six-run fifth inning Youth Deadrin Senat Jersey , J.D. Martinez and Eduardo Nunez also went deep, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 11-4 on Tuesday.
Martinez drove in four and leads the majors with 26 homers and 71 RBIs. Boston has won 17 of its last 19 interleague games.
Washington has lost four straight and 16 of 21 to fall to 42-42, its first time at .500 since it was 17-17.
Red Sox starter Brian Johnson allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Brandon Workman (1-0) pitched a perfect seventh.
Nationals starter Tanner Roark (3-10) allowed a career-high nine runs in seven innings and is 1-8 with a 5.19 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts) since May 5.
NEW YORK (AP) – Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Kyle Higashioka each homered and New York went ahead early and hung on to beat Atlanta.
Aaron Judge had two hits and a walk, and he stole two bases for the first time in his career. Hicks also walked twice as New York drew eight free passes.
The Yankees improved to a major league-best 21-6 against left-handed starters and remain a game behind Boston for the majors' best record.
Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte each hit two-run homers for Atlanta, which ended a four-game winning streak. Braves starter Sean Newcomb allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings in the shortest start of his career.
A.J. Cole (2-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief to earn the win.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clayton Kershaw earned his first win in 2 months, five Dodgers homered including Max Muncy with a pair, and Los Angeles beat Pittsburgh.
Ivan Nova (4-6) became the first pitcher in Pirates history to give up five homers in a game. Pittsburgh has been outscored 25-4 in the first two games of the series.
The Dodgers have 11 homers three days into July and 122 so far this season after slugging a major league-leading and franchise-record 55 in June.
Kershaw (2-4) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings of his third start since coming off the disabled list. The left-handed ace struck out two and didn't walk anyone to earn his first victory since April 15 at Arizona. He had two losses and four straight no-decisions since then.
Kershaw had not gone as late as July 3 with just one win since his rookie year in 2008. That year he didn't earn his second victory until Aug. 7.
SEATTLE (AP) – Wade LeBlanc allowed one run over seven innings and Seattle beat Los Angeles for its eighth straight victory.
The Angels' Shohei Ohtani was activated from the 10-day disabled list and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his return. He had been sidelined since June 8 with a Grade 2 ulnar collateral ligament sprain.
The Mariners announced they signed LeBlanc (4-0) to a contract extension before his start and the soft-tossing left-hander showed them they made a good decision. LeBlanc allowed three hits, struck out four and retired his final 11 batters.
Andrew Heaney (4-6) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, but was tagged with three runs in the first inning to fall behind and was handed the loss.
PHOENIX (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer, Zack Greinke pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Arizona ended a four-game losing streak by beating St. Louis.
Goldschmidt followed a four-hit night Monday with a three-run homer off Jack Flaherty (3-4) in the fifth inning. The NL player of the month for June, Goldschmidt is hitting .413 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs his past 26 games.
Greinke (9-5) gave up two runs in the second inning to end his 13-inning scoreless streak but was otherwise sharp in winning his fourth straight game. Yoshihisa Hirano needed one pitch to get a groundout with the bases loaded in the seventh and extend his team record with a 26th straight scoreless appearance.
Brad Boxberger worked around a walk in the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances.
KANSAS CITY (AP) – Yan Gomes hit a sixth-inning grand slam as Cleveland rallied to beat Kansas City.
The Indians lead the AL with eight grand slams. Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam Monday.
Edwin Encarnacion led off the sixth with a walk and Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch from Danny Duffy (4-8). Yonder Alonso's infield single loaded the bases. Gomes drove a 1-0 Duffy pitch into the left-field bullpen.
Chad Allen got the final four outs for his 17th save in 18 chances. He stranded two runners in the ninth after a single and a walk.
Shane Bieber (4-0) picked up the victory and remains undefeated in his first five big league starts.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Zach Eflin pitched seven strong innings for his sixth straight victory and Andrew Knapp had the winning hit for the second straight game.
Rhys Hoskins had a two-run double for the Phillies, who have won 11 of 16.
Mark Trumbo homered for Baltimore Youth Ito Smith Jersey , which has dropped eight of nine.
The game was delayed at the start 1 hour, 25 minutes due to rain and mostly played under a persistent drizzle.
Eflin (7-2) allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks to become the first Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2011 to record six consecutive wins.
Orioles starter Alex Cobb (2-10) gave up three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 6 2/3 innings.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians have spent much of the first half of the season looking for a dependable No. 5 starter for their rotation to slot in behind Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger.
The Indians think they might now have found their No. 5, and he will be on the mound Friday night at Progressive Field against the Detroit Tigers.
He's 23-year-old right-hander Shane Bieber. A fourth-round pick by the Indians in the 2016 draft out of UC Santa Barbara, Bieber (1-0, 3.97 ERA) will be making his third start for the Indians, which he landed with his strong performance in the minor leagues this year.
In a combined 12 starts at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, Bieber was 10-5 with a 1.29 ERA. In 76 innings, he struck out 72 and only walked six.
Bieber is a premier strike thrower. In 2017, pitching at three minor league levels, he was 10-5 with a 2.86 ERA. In 173 innings, he had 162 strikeouts and only 10 walks.
Bieber's last major league start came June 17, a 4-1 win over Minnesota, in which he pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up one run, 10 hits, with seven strikeouts and one walk.
"He comes as advertised. He threw a lot of strikes Youth James Daniels Jersey , with one walk. He gave up a lot of hits, but because he didn't walk anyone, and executed a lot of good pitches with men on base, he came away allowing just one run," Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Bieber has made two spot starts for the Indians this year, but after his last one, team officials decided to give Bieber a longer look in the rotation.
The Indians come into Friday's game riding a four-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opposition 28-6. That includes a three-game sweep of the White Sox in which they outscored Chicago 24-5.
Bieber's mound opponent Friday night will be right-hander Mike Fiers, who has pitched well against Cleveland during his career.
In two starts against the Indians this year, Fiers is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA, having allowed two runs and eight hits in 13 innings with 13 strikeouts and two walks. In six career starts against Cleveland, Fiers is 3-1 with a 2.04 ERA.
Fiers' last start was a 4-3 Tigers win over the Chicago White Sox on June 15. Fiers worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He did not get the decision.
Although the Tigers are three games below .500 at 36-39, they come into Friday's game in second place in the American League Central, five games behind the division-leading Indians. Detroit had a five-game winning streak snapped by losing both games of a brief two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday with Cincinnati.


text:
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Granite, Fire, and Fog
The Natural and Cultural History of Acadia
Tom Wessels
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Acadia National Park, on Maine's Mount Desert Island, is among the most popular national parks in the United States. From the road, visitors can experience magnificent vistas of summit and sea, but on a more intimate scale, equally compelling views abound along Acadia's hiking trails. Tom Wessels, an ecologist, naturalist, and avid hiker, attributes the park's popularity—and its unusual beauty—to the unique way in which earth, air, fire, and water—in the form of glacially scoured granite, winter winds, fire, and ocean fog—have converged to create a landscape that can be found nowhere else. In this beautifully illustrated book, Wessels invites readers to investigate the remarkable natural history of Mount Desert Island, along with the unique cultural story it gave rise to. This account of nature, terrain, and human interaction with the landscape will delight those who like to hike these bald summits, ride along the carriage roads, or explore the island's rugged shoreline. Wessels concludes with a guided tour of one of his favorite hikes, a ten-mile loop that will acquaint the reader with the diverse ecosystems described throughout his book.
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168 pages | 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Biological Sciences: Natural History
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Acknowledgments • List of Illustrations • Introduction • The Rock of Ages • Life Returns • The Dawn Land • Fire and Fog • Pathmakers • The 1947 Fire • A Look to the Future • Let's Take a Hike • Notes • Appendix A. List of Species • Appendix B. Glossary • Index


text:
Sports News | Mayfield's Mutterings: Cardinals NL Central kings again
Browns get 2 sick players back
[October 23, 2009] BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Some rest, liquids and medication have the Cleveland Browns feeling a little better.
Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley returned to the team Thursday after being among 12 players -- six of them starters -- who were sent home Wednesday with flu-like symptoms. The other 10 players remain isolated from the team.
Browns coach Eric Mangini said two of the unidentified players have been diagnosed with influenza A, which is related to the H1N1 virus. Mangini reported that there have been no new cases of the flu, and that the other ill players have not gotten any worse.
"That's a positive," Mangini said. "As far as a timetable for the rest of the group coming back, I'm not totally sure yet, but we're going to keep being cautious with this to make sure we don't go into the weekend and put the group that hasn't had it in a position where they could get it."
Mangini said the team will continue to take preventive measures to combat the virus spreading further. He scaled back practice Wednesday and canceled meetings so players would get extra rest in advance of Sunday's home game against Green Bay.
The NFL recently implemented roster provisions for teams hit hard by the swine flu. If a team has a minimum of six players with confirmed cases of H1N1, the league will allow the team to use practice squad players in games.
"We're going through the process of talking to the league and documenting different things to see where we are with that," Mangini said. "It's open communication. We want to be sure what we're able to do and not able to do."
Mangini expects most of the affected players to be ready by Sunday. The Browns typically stay in a downtown Cleveland hotel on the night before a game, and Mangini intends to go forward with those plans.
The Browns players still sick are: running back Jerome Harrison, center Alex Mack, cornerback Anthony Madison, safety Brodney Pool, tight end Robert Royal, wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik, defensive end Brian Schaefering, fullback Lawrence Vickers and defensive end Corey Williams.
Mangini said the team's medical staff has stayed in touch with the sick players who are still away from the facility. The Browns have sent home other employees in high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, to protect their health.
"It's really about trying to be safe and limit it as much as possible," Mangini said.
Mangini began taking Tamiflu on Wednesday to combat the virus. He said he has never experienced anything like the flu outbreak in his coaching career.
"This is new ground for me," he said. "I checked the (coaching) manual, nothing. But like anything else, you've got to adjust. It's a good reminder to the practice squad guys, you don't know when you'll get a chance. We do a lot of work with those guys, whether it's post-practice or additional meetings, to keep them up to date and ready to assume a role if a role should open up.
"Situations like this are a good reminder of how close you are. Things can change week to week or day to day."
Wimbley said he was feeling much better and thought he would be 100 percent by Sunday. As he spoke to reporters, linebacker David Bowens joked that everyone should keep their distance from Wimbley.
"Man," Bowens said, "I'd stay away from that."
[Associated Press; By TOM WITHERS]
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