BMC Racing Team claimed today's 28 kilometer team time trial from Vannes to Plumelec, besting both Team Sky and Movistar by mere seconds.
Orica-GreenEdge was the first team to hit the ramp, with only a six-rider team, after Simon Gerrans, Daryl Impey and Michael Albasini were forced to abandon the race earlier due to crashes. The Australian team's only objective today, was to stay above the time cut as they brought home the slowest time of the day.
With eight teams completed, IAM Cycling finally set a respectable benchmark, clocking in an average speed of 51.08km/h, to assume first place on the leader board.
However, not long afterwards, Astana eclipsed the Swiss team by three seconds, despite GC hopeful, Vincenzo Nibali, falling off his team's pace on several occasions.
Astana would soon lose their spot to Movistar, who put in an impressive turn of the pedals with an average speed of 51.98km/h – thus giving Nairo Quintana a sight boost in the overall classification to eke passed Nibali, and also secure the white jersey for himself.
From there, BMC Racing was the first team to clock in an average speed of more than 52km/h. And, that benchmark would later prove to be even too much for the TT skills of Team Sky to surpass, as the British team missed the mark by a mere second.
After today's stage, Chris Froome continues to lead the overall classification by 12 seconds over Van Garderen, while Alberto Contador is at 1.03 back.
Meanwhile, Quintana and Nibali trail at 1.59 and 2.22 respectively.


Here is the Bradford Pear next door to my in-laws' house in Vinita, OK. They are in bloom everywhere and are just beautiful!
So have you been to the world's largest McDonald's yet? At least it was the world's largest last time I was there! Asia misses you guys!
Rick... the Red/White game is coming up soon.


text:
Q: Div 2 Column Set up using images and block-links inline-block not working - Shopify/liquid Thanks for your patience with me hopefully someone can help me get this thing sorted. The OLD JSFiddle has been manipulated so many times I've just left off where I was last. I've started a new one hopefully in a cleaner, better direction. I'm no professional so again I don't know every rule, especially CSS. Thanks.
Important stuff:
OLD JSFIDDLE: https://jsfiddle.net/Craftworksatb/qot0aj9h/18/
NEW JSFIDDLE: https://jsfiddle.net/Craftworksatb/h4L3dyLw/
I'm working with Shopify's Liquid trying to fix up the index page so that it doesn't look like a mess of product collections flying all over the page. So here's where I decided to come up with a whole new mess:
Basically all I want to do (after hours and hours of toying and fiddling and positioning, displaying, google searching.. etc etc. again, not a pro) All I want to do is have two columns which are set up with 2 different sized images, one of those images (Furniture Gallery) has links associated with it as you'll see in the OLD JSFiddle. The second Column has 3 different sized images in the second column, those are basic links. You'll see this sort of layout in the OLD Jsfiddle. I keep thinking I'm getting somewhere, but.. as you can see I'm a bit stuck. I started the newest JSfiddle to kind of narrow down what I was doing wrong..
Newest code below:
HTML:

*note the classes of padded row and container are already defined in the complete styles sheet the part below is just a snippet. Maybe the other CSS is overriding my new CSS?
CSS:
     #midpage .container .padded-row {
max-width: 900px;
margin: auto;
position: relative;
  }

#furnicard .mcardl {
display: inline;
vertical-align: top;
max-width: 100px;

}

#produside .mcardr {
vertical-align: top;
width: auto;
}

  .mcardl {
    display: inline;
    vertical-align: top;
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
   position: absolute;
   top: 0px;
   left: 0px;
}
.mcardr {
    display: inline;
    vertical-align: top;
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
    position: absolute;
    top: 0px;
    right: 0px;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 900px) {

  .mcardl {
    display: block;
    width: 100%;
    clear: both;
  }
  .mcardr {
    display: block;
    width: 100%;
  }

  #furnicard .mcardl {
   display: inline;
vertical-align: top;
max-width: 100px;

}

#produside .mcardr {
    vertical-align: top;
width: auto;

}
  }

I some how need to incorporate this css back in there.. Should I have had one class of link and then just did the inline styling for it in the HTML?
a.fg-link {
  display: inline;
  height: 640px;
  width: 312px;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 0px;
  top: 0px;
  margin: 0;
}

a.df-link {
  display: inline;
  text-align: center;
  height: 150px;
  width: 150px;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 10px;
  top: 60px;
  margin: 0;
}

a.cef-link {
  display: inline;
  text-align: center;
  height: 150px;
  width: 150px;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 160px;
  margin: 0;
  top: 60px;
}

a.offi-link {
  display: inline;
  text-align: center;
  height: 150px;
  width: 150px;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 10px;
  margin: 0;
  top: 210px;
}

a.bed-link {
  display: inline;
  text-align: center;
  height: 150px;
  width: 150px;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 160px;
  margin: 0;
  top: 210px;
}

a.lae-link {
  display: inline;
  text-align: center;
  height: 160px;
  width: 150px;
  margin: 0;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 10px;
  top: 380px;
}

a.bii-link {
  display: inline;
  text-align: center;
  height: 160px;
  width: 150px;
  margin: 0;
  z-index: auto;
  position: absolute;
  left: 160px;
  top: 380px;
}

To Review:
Looking to get the layout down with 2 columns, first column featuring the 2 images, and second column featuring the three images. Also need to have those corresponding links positioned on top of the Furniture Gallery image (you'll see that in the OLD JSfiddle). This also needs to be responsive to cellphones/ipads/tablets, I don't care if it pushes them back to vertical stacking as long as they fill the media screen (thus the media query)...
So what do you guys think? I know it's a bit of a mess and I've got lots of questions, but I'd prefer just to get the positioning on my page down and I can somehow figure out the rest! I appreciate any slight help or tips/tricks to fix this!

A: I have to say you were right it was a mess but I think I've accomplished what you are trying to do.
A couple of tips for learning:
It helps as a matter of structure to come up with a system. There is no need to define a left and right column .mcardl or .mcardr if you define the class in the first place. I just called it mcard
You must double check that your classes in the html match what you've declared in the css. You had some missing dashes in the css. If you leave those out your styles will not impact the html.
You do not need to define the same properties in every class in every breakpoint, you has vertical-align: top; properties and display-inline on almost every class and id.
Lastly for your container which was a main issue, if you define the columns there is no need to have max-width: 1000px; AND to define width: 900px;
I've cleaned it up. Let me know if you have more questions and see the below fiddle:
https://jsfiddle.net/gward90/h4L3dyLw/13/

A: I gave it a try...and this should get you at least a step in the right direction. A couple of notes:

*

*I'm using Flexbox for the layout to fill the space horizontally

*You should use an image map to have separate links for the image areas, I have already implemented one for you, but the rest would follow suit.

HTML

    <map name="mymap">
      <area alt="" title="" href="https://www.peterboroughcraftworks.ca/collections/dining-furniture" shape="rect" coords="0,60,150,220" style="outline:none;" target="_self" />
    </map>

CSS
#mid-page {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-around;
}

img {
  width: 100%;
  height: auto;
}

a {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
}

Is this close to what you're looking for?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Russian Official Doused With Filthy Fluid In Kyiv By Ukrainian Nationalists
The director of a Russian cultural office in Ukraine's capital has been drenched with a bucketful of green antiseptic liquid mixed with feces, with a Ukrainian nationalist group saying it wanted to send him a message.
Netanyahu: Israel Will 'Defend' Itself Against Iran's Moves In Syria
Israel will counter Iran's actions in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on May 9 after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Columbus Nova: Meet The Russia-Linked Firm That Hired Trump's Lawyer
The New York investment firm that says it hired U.S. President Donald Trump's attorney denies that it was acting as a conduit for Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who was recently hit with U.S. sanctions. Here's a look at the firm, including its links to Russia and Vekselberg.
'Do Not Respond': Did The Soviet Government Abandon Its WWII Prisoners?
Two-thirds of the Red Army soldiers captured by the Germans during World War II died in captivity, in part because of a Soviet government policy aimed at convincing soldiers that being captured meant certain death.
Moscow's Red Square Hosts Victory Day Parade
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a parade on May 9 marking the anniversary of Germany's defeat in World War II. (Reuters)
Kazakh Tycoon Ertaev Reportedly Detained In Moscow
Media reports in Russia and Kazakhstan say that police in Moscow have detained Kazakh tycoon Zhomart Ertaev, who is wanted in his home country and recently said he has been living in Russia.
Putin Hits Out At U.S. In Red Square Parade Speech
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued veiled criticism of the United States in a speech before a Red Square parade marking the anniversary of Germany's defeat in World War II, listing "pretentions to exceptionalism" as a factor that drove Nazi aggression and saying such attitudes remain a threat to global security today.
Trump Warns Iran Not To Restart Nuclear Program
Iran has reacted with anger to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal while European governments scrambled to salvage the landmark agreement.
Russian Soccer Federation Fined Over Racist Chants By Fans
Russia's soccer federation has been fined 25,000 euros ($29,600) over racist chants by Russian fans during a game with France in March, world soccer's governing body, FIFA, says.
Syria Attack Targets Iranian Troops, Kills Nine, War Monitor Says
Syrian state media have accused Israel of launching missiles at a target near Damascus, saying Syrian air defenses intercepted and shot down two of the incoming missiles. A war monitor said nine people were killed in the missile attack.
Russian Hackers Attacked U.S. Voting Systems in 2016, Senate Panel Says
Hackers affiliated with the Russian government conducted an "unprecedented, coordinated" campaign against the U.S. voting system, including successfully penetrating a few voter registration databases in 2016, a Senate committee has concluded.
FBI 'Questioned' Russian Tycoon About Payments To Trump Attorney
A Russian billionaire with ties to the Kremlin has recently been questioned by FBI agents about hundreds of thousands of dollars his company's U.S. affiliate allegedly paid to President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney, media are reporting.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Yellowstone officials work to remove invasive fish species
Written by Associated Press on April 14, 2021
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Park officials in Yellowstone National Park have reported efforts to protect threatened native cutthroat trout have been progressing, but concerns remain after officials discovered another invasive fish species.
Yellowstone fisheries biologist Todd Koel said they first discovered a small cisco fish, native to the Great Lakes, two years ago, the Post Register reported.
It is unclear how the cisco arrived in the park because the park has no natural connections to the lakes, officials said.
The cisco was a 3-year-old female and Koel said tests determined it was born in the lake, meaning it has parents and probably "thousands of siblings."
The discovery came as the park has made significant progress in suppressing invasive lake trout that were found about 25 years ago.
Officials said the presence of the lake trout affected native fish populations, the ecology of the park and animals that rely on native species for food. In 2012, lake trout numbers stopped increasing and the native cutthroat trout started rebounding.
"I've got great optimism that the adult lake trout population has declined dramatically over the last six to seven years, and as a result, the cutthroat are coming back," said Dave Sweet, Trout Unlimited's Yellowstone Lake special project manager. "It's very encouraging."
The lake trout suppression project is expected to undergo an annual review next week, officials said.
Since the discovery of the ciscos, Koel said scientists have been working to find more by netting them and through environmental DNA sampling. Officials have also opened up the stomachs of lake trout, which sometimes eat ciscos.
"This is not a good discovery at all," Koel said. "We're doing netting specifically for cisco now just to try and find more. Not suppression netting like we do for lake trout, but we're doing targeting netting in ways that we could maybe catch another cisco."
Koel said the lake trout population has declined more than 80% because of officials' efforts but now they have to worry about a completely different invasive species.
Suppression efforts are funded by the park budget and two groups, including Trout Unlimited.
Tagged as AP AP News Associated Press Invasive Species Yellowstone
AP: Ozzy Cancels Tour Dates
Are tattoos for you?
Park County Quad Track Meet Canceled


Self-service is a key and increasingly important part of an integrated customer experience, It enables organisations to focus on higher value human to human interactions increasing productivity, efficiency and customer experiences whilst simultaneously creating the agility needed to stay ahead of ever changing customer needs.
Enghouse Interactive has a wide range of speech recognition, touch-tone, mobile and web self-service solutions that are quick to implement, powerful and extremely cost effective. Our solutions include purpose built IVR applications, outbound notifications, an easy-to-use knowledge management suite, mobile IVR navigator, corporate web directories and a development platform that enables organisations to quickly deploy self-service applications.
Self-service IVR automates simple, repetitive calls, providing a quick service to the caller to avoid contact significant cost savings to the contact centre. Agents can concentrate on the more complex and valuable customer interactions, ensuring your callers get the best service possible from your contact centre. And if the customer is satisfied, IVR applications will quickly pay for themselves through reduced operating costs and increased sales.
How a Bank provides a high level of service to empower customer and agents to self serve.
Enghouse Interactive offers a variety of Self Service options to always-on services. By providing significant benefits to customers by enabling them to handle their own simple operations such as pay bills, obtain account information, change address etc without waiting for a live operator. IVR systems also extend business hours, allowing customers to self-serve and process transactions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The integrated application development and management components enables organisations to deploy voice, video messaging, SMS, and email communications on a single, cost-effective platform. Significantly reducing time, cost and complexity of creating and deploying voice self-service and communications solutions.
Our purpose built applications are quick and easy to deploy and maintain, scalable and extendable, and completely self-contained, requiring no expert coding or expensive professional services. The suite includes: identification and verification, card payment, direct debit set-up, balance/information read-out, change address, voice activated directory.
A new form of self service is available named Mobile IVR Navigator; which quickly allows users from any device to participate in a self-service session through a mobile app. By selecting the app it visually navigates customers through the process of your customer service IVR options seamlessly offering a better end-user experience and reduces customer frustration.
Knowledge is power. At Enghouse Interactive, we have a powerful a web self-service platform that makes knowledge management easy for you and creates a seamless experience for your users and allows your customers to resolve their own enquires dramatically reducing costs.


text:
package com.adsizzler.mangolaa.commons.json.jackson.deserializers;

import com.adsizzler.mangolaa.commons.domain.openrtb.enums.MimeType;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParser;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.DeserializationContext;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonDeserializer;

import java.io.IOException;

/**
 * Created by Ankush on 26/07/17.
 */
public class MimeTypeDeserializer extends JsonDeserializer<MimeType> {

    @Override
    public MimeType deserialize(
            final JsonParser parser,
            final DeserializationContext ctxt
    ) throws IOException
    {
        return MimeType.from(parser.getValueAsString());
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I'm a professional speaker and writer. In addition to the keynote speeches that I already do, I want to deliver seminars and workshops. Please visit my web site to see what I do now. www.laughingstockbroker.com.
Okay, David, let's take a look at what's on the menu for self-promotion for seminars, workshops, event speaking and keynote addresses.
Every recipe requires you get the ingredients right. And after going to your website, I want to be frank and admit I have trouble with you calling yourself, "The Laughing Stockbroker." Yes, I know you've invested time, money, a website into promoting this name, but I feel that it divides your efforts.
Who's This Stock Broker and Why Is He Laughing?
I've asked several friends who book events for their company or organization, how they'd feel about booking a workshop on investments put on by a person who calls himself "The Laughing Stockbroker." Every answer was the same. They'd have a hard time listening to serious financial advice from a guy who's called "The Laughing Stockbroker." Even suggesting your workshops on humor in the workplace seemed to bring out the skepticism. Apparently, when it came to their money, they seemed to want a more serious flavor in their workshop and seminar bookings.
Conversely, when I asked, would they have that same problem booking you as a keynote speaker, say at a convention or dinner, they answered the name, "The Laughing Stockbroker," seemed to suggest entertainment, and they thought they'd have no problem considering you for such an event. While I know this was my own informal survey, I believe the people I asked are reasonably mainstream enough to reflect what would happen most elsewhere.
So with this said, consider promoting yourself in slightly different ways for different events. For serious events, you're David Goldman, world-leading successful financial advisor, columnist for ABCNews.com, and "The Laughing Stockbroker." For less serious bookings, go with "The Laughing Stockbroker," David Goldman. This will take a little marketing schmoozing on your part, but it may be worth your while.
Getting them to know you, David, isn't as easy as pie, but it's as good. I know you have long-term investments. Well, this is another one. A slow cooked meal, if you will.
Start by researching different industries. Your goal is to find an industry that can support you with a lot of speaking engagements, seminars and workshop opportunities.
Is growing -- you'll want an industry that you can stay with for a while.
Has many young companies that are filled with hard-working people -- you want plenty of people who need what you offer.
Schedules a lot of conventions, meetings, and product launchings -- this adds up to many opportunities for you.
Has plenty of well-paid people, and as an industry, has money to spend -- pretty self-explanatory!
Next, arrange meetings with regional and local association executives. Pick their brains, buy them lunch, discover their problems, goals, and those of the industry. Gather up some industry names. Create some programs, seminars and workshops that fit their needs. Then, write a personal letter (no boiler plate text here). This is from you, probably to the CEO. Your research here's important. Propose a meeting to discuss some ideas. Don't mail it yet. First, call the CEO and tell him the letter is on the way. If you can't get past the gatekeeper, that's okay. Just leave the message, David Goldman, columnist for ABCNews.com, was sending Mr. CEO a letter. Your goal's to get an appointment.
At the appointment, do a little sales discovery on needs, and make a proposal either then or if you wish, after you've put one together specifically for them. Your goal is to sell yourself for an event for them and get a referral right then and there for another company they'd recommend.
If you make the sale, ask up front if the company would have any objection to your inviting someone to the event, i.e. an association executive who can recommend you to others. If the sale you make is to an association, then you want to make sure your next targets attend your events. Yes, I said it was long term. But you can become known within an industry to the point where you are "their man."
If there's a rule to building on this, it's publicity. Make sure to state up front that you send press releases out, so your client doesn't feel you're airing the company's private business. Next, make sure every time you do something you share it with a press release to all the appropriate magazines, publications, periodicals, and individuals.
By this I mean, if you do a series of seminars for an association or company, send a press release to local business press (take the time to find out who they are), local association press, regional or national association press, the local, regional and national press devoted to seminar, events, and convention industry. Then also send a copy of the release to other associations that you've targeted.
Last, but not least, get recommendations from peers of your target audience. You want your target industries to feel familiar, comfortable, and confident about "The Laughing Stock Broker." And hopefully, you'll be laughing all the way to the bank yourself!


White Widow XTRM Marijuana seeds are the upgraded version of the old and famous White Widow marijuana strain and now available in autoflowering seeds. The fully crystal covert buds gives this plant the looks of a snowy mountain. The effects are so incredibly strong that it should be illegal! White Widow XTRM Autoflowering is ideal for indoor growing as well as outdoor because of the short time the plant needs to become ready to harvest. Buy this powerful strain now in our seedshop!


PLoS One. 2010 Jul 27;5(7):e11719. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011719.
Changes in the viral distribution pattern after the appearance of the novel influenza A H1N1 (pH1N1) virus in influenza-like illness patients in Peru.
Laguna-Torres VA1, Gómez J, Aguilar PV, Ampuero JS, Munayco C, Ocaña V, Pérez J, Gamero ME, Arrasco JC, Paz I, Chávez E, Cruz R, Chavez J, Mendocilla S, Gomez E, Antigoni J, Gonzalez S, Tejada C, Chowell G, Kochel TJ; Peru Influenza working group.
Chauca G, Ríos J, Sovero M, Apolaya M, Quinteros N, Aspajo J, Macedo S, Cadenas M, Ore R, Pozo E, Bazán I, Vilcarromero S, Custodio J, Sarmiento F.
We describe the temporal variation in viral agents detected in influenza like illness (ILI) patients before and after the appearance of the ongoing pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) in Peru between 4-January and 13-July 2009.
At the health centers, one oropharyngeal swab was obtained for viral isolation. From epidemiological week (EW) 1 to 18, at the US Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD) in Lima, the specimens were inoculated into four cell lines for virus isolation. In addition, from EW 19 to 28, the specimens were also analyzed by real time-polymerase-chain-reaction (rRT-PCR).
We enrolled 2,872 patients: 1,422 cases before the appearance of the pH1N1 virus, and 1,450 during the pandemic. Non-pH1N1 influenza A virus was the predominant viral strain circulating in Peru through (EW) 18, representing 57.8% of the confirmed cases; however, this predominance shifted to pH1N1 (51.5%) from EW 19-28. During this study period, most of pH1N1 cases were diagnosed in the capital city (Lima) followed by other cities including Cusco and Trujillo. In contrast, novel influenza cases were essentially absent in the tropical rain forest (jungle) cities during our study period. The city of Iquitos (Jungle) had the highest number of influenza B cases and only one pH1N1 case.
The viral distribution in Peru changed upon the introduction of the pH1N1 virus compared to previous months. Although influenza A viruses continue to be the predominant viral pathogen, the pH1N1 virus predominated over the other influenza A viruses.
The temporal viral distribution by epidemiological week (EW) in Peru, January 4 to July 13, 2009.
Distribution of viral etiology among regions according to epidemiological week.
Peru, January 4 to July 13, 2009.
Distribution of Influenza A pH1N1 among regions according to epidemiological week.
Peru, May 10 January to July 13, 2009.
Viral etiology before and after the appearance of the novel pH1N1 virus in Peru.
January 4 to July 13 2009. A) Before the appearance of the novel pH1N1 virus, a total of 547 positive results were obtained from 505 positive patients; co-infections were found in 42 samples. B) After the appearance of the novel pH1N1 virus, a total of 767 positive results were obtained from 730 positive patients; co-infections were found in 37 samples.
Distribution of viral etiology across age groups before and after the appearance of the novel pH1N1 virus in Peru, January 4 to July 13, 2009.
A) Before the appearance of pH1N1 virus a total of 544 positive results were obtained from 505 positive patients (missing = 3). B) After the appearance of the pH1N1 a total of 763 positive results were obtained from 730 positive patients (missing = 4).


text:
Derek Flack
This is what Toronto looked like in the 1870s
Toronto of the 1870s is a surprisingly well documented decade.
Thanks in large part to the photography firm of Notman & Fraser, much of the city's business district - which was then located to the east of Yonge Street - was captured in a series of 1872 photographs called "The Commercial Houses of Toronto."
Notman & Fraser's Commercial Houses of Toronto.
Consisting of 34 images, this collection is quite the reminder of our town's rather humble roots.
Perhaps equally as important from an archival standpoint is a Bird's Eye Map from the decade (specific date unknown).
A Bird's Eye map of Toronto during the 1870s.
It offers the ability to rather quickly pick out some of the structures that remain in the city to this day, including Knox and University College, St. Michael's Cathedral and the Metropolitan Church, Osgoode Hall, and what is now known as the Distillery District.
The Bank of Upper Canada.
Particularly interesting in the case of the latter is the explanation the map offers as to why the "Stone Distillery Complex" sits on an angle in relation to the other buildings: it originally hugged the shoreline of Lake Ontario.
Toronto from the Island in 1875.
I tend to find little discoveries like this fascinating, and there's even more to be had when looking at this detailed map.
The Crystal Palace.
Case in point: if you've ever wondered just how prominent the Garrison Creek/Ravine was, this'll give you a good indication. It's even possible to spot a bridge over the now buried river (note: the Crawford Street Bridge was not built until 1915).
The Toronto Stock Exchange.
The Bird's Eye Map does, of course, also allow you to take a look at some of the structures that have been lost over the years.
Front St. in 1876.
I think in particular here of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, Trinity College, Old Union Station and the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women (although the list could go on).
The (then) New Grand Opera House.
What was Toronto like in the 1870s?
Toronto looking north from Union Station.
Well, the streets were indeed muddy, horse-drawn streetcars were in short supply but common enough, and electric lamps and telephone poles were yet to be a feature on city streets.
A promotional pamphlet for the Rossin House Hotel.
Toronto's population was primarily Protestant (70 per cent or so), the Nine Hour Movement took place (to cut an hour off each day of the work week), and St. James Cathedral was the tallest building on the skyline.
Here is a selection of additional images from the fascinating collection of Notman & Fraser's Commerical Houses of Toronto.
Toronto Library. Additional photos by Wikimedia Commons and Toronto Archives.
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There's now a small concrete park where Toronto's first baseball stadium used to be
Toronto Wildlife Centre rescues a swan after it was tangled in kite string and fishing line
Brookbanks Park in Toronto comes with plenty of natural beauty and a rich history


text:
The Europa building of the EU Council under construction in Brussels. The district is something of a 'city within a city'. Photograph: Alamy
City brands
Is the EU's new council building a desperate attempt to change its image?
The grey, corporate atmosphere of the EU quarter is almost a separate city within historic Brussels – a fact unlikely to change with a pair of flashy new buildings
Fri 30 Jan 2015 03.00 EST
Raise your hand if you can picture an EU building. If you're like most people, you might imagine some vague boxy shapes, made of glass, perhaps adorned with flags – certainly nothing as memorable as the White House or the Reichstag.
And you'd essentially be right. Most of the EU's buildings look like they were designed as corporate headquarters for suburban office parks, rather than to represent a political project rooted in big ideals.
It's not surprising. Brussels only became the de facto capital of the EU because many institutions ended up there after years of negotiating. The lack of a formal plan for the district has led to ad hoc private development – and left the EU quarter grey, unwelcoming and aesthetically cut off from the rest of the city.
The EU is aware that this nondescriptness just adds to its already problematic image, and is setting out to change things. Next year, two new buildings will open in Brussels, bold attempts (unlike most other EU buildings, they were commissioned through international architecture design competitions) to give the EU an image makeover, and perhaps integrate it better with the city of Brussels.
But can a new building change an organisation's image? Or is this a rather desperate attempt to reinvent itself through urban design?
The Europa building will be the future office of the European Council president (currently Donald Tusk), and the place where member states will come to defend their interests before the Council. Those meetings will take place in a lantern-shaped structure, nicknamed "the Egg", surrounded by a glass atrium. The exterior consists of recycled windows from all over Europe: each window will have a different shape, appearing united from afar but showing their diversity up close. "Just like Europe is united from afar, but very diverse from up close," as architect Philippe Samyn likes to say. His idea was to create a "feminine" and "jazzy" building to contrast with the hard, more masculine architecture of most EU buildings.
Whether the new Council headquarters will even be a successful building, let alone an icon of design, is another matter entirely. Hopes were high at the time of the design competition, but the long construction time (the opening has been repeatedly postponed) and ballooning costs (now more than €300m, leaving David Cameron particularly unamused) have tempered the enthusiasm. Besides, residents of Brussels won't get to see much more than an oddly shaped building.
"It is a strange paradox: the building is full of windows but not transparent at all,", says Marco Schmitt, architect and activist in a neighbourhood committee. "The public won't see anything of what goes on in there. Symbolic for the Council, which decides everything behind closed doors anyway."
Other proposed designs that allowed more public access were scuttled because of concerns around security and terrorism, he says. "The concerns are of course perfectly understandable, but the withdrawal from the public gives a disastrous image of the EU."
An architect's drawing of the planned House of European History in Brussels. Photograph: JSWD Architekten
A more public-facing project is taking shape at the House of European History. This exhibition space aims to tell the story of European integration, and to display objects like the Nobel Peace Prize the EU was awarded in 2012. Funded by the European Parliament and located just behind it (in the Parc Leopold), the House is being designed by the French firm Chaix et Morel and is intended as a belated attempt to create a decent tourist destination in the EU quarter.
But even this building is not free of controversy. The new museum is being built inside and on top of an art deco building that used to house a dental clinic founded by George Eastman. The building is being stripped to the bone and will be extended by three floors. "A shameful case of façadism that no other institution, let alone private developer, could have pulled off," says Schmitt.
To many, it is exceptions of exactly this kind that have made the EU quarter so different from the city that surrounds it – a city within a city.
"Developers can build how and as much as they want, national laws are changed to privatise public spaces and every exception granted is a precedent for new exceptions," says Schmitt. "In big cities like Paris or London, this would have been impossible. The institutions would have had to adapt to the local reality."
In terms of architecture, the EU (or the private developers building for it) can get away with almost anything in Brussels, because the EU is the cornerstone of an international aspiration. The Belgian elite has agreed to sacrifice part of the city to satisfy the institutions' insatiable hunger for office space. In exchange, Brussels gets to be the "capital of Europe".
The European Parliament building perfectly illustrates this ambition: it was built by banks, ostensibly as an international conference centre but in reality a political manoeuvre to "steal" the Parliament from Strasbourg. The result is a complex that barely interacts with its surroundings at all – every entrance feels like a back door. The same is true for many other institution buildings.
The EU Parliament complex seen from Leopold Park.Photograph: Raimund Koch/Ocean/Corbis
Ever since the mid-19th century, the Quartier Leopold has been an enclave of privilege, cut off from the poorer parts of town. "The elite Quartier Leopold was surrounded by poor neighbourhoods where the rich recruited domestic workers, artists and so on," says Benoit Moritz, an architect and urban planner who worked extensively on the EU quarter. "You can compare it with Indian cities today, where you see upscale developments next to slums."
After the first world war the majestic townhouses of the Quartier Leopold gave way to apartment blocks, and later Belgian government offices, as high society moved out to the new suburbs. But the district remains separate. Even in today's Brussels, it's a mere 10-minute walk from the decision centre of the world's largest economy to the neighbourhood of Saint-Josse, the poorest and most densely populated municipality in Belgium.
This social contrast is reinforced by the architectural disparity between two areas – century-old housing stock surrounding a EU district made up of glass boxes.
Changing the urban form of the EU quarter is complicated. But local authorities have tried to diversify the area, and also make it a destination for people who don't work there.
"We've come a long way already," says Moritz. "New housing, and the opening of shops, restaurants and all kinds of facilities – even within buildings that hold institution offices. This was unthinkable 10 years ago. The institutions understood that they have to interact with the city, if they want to be remembered for something else than bureaucracy."
Even if the two new buildings are wildly successful, which is doubtful, the biggest obstacles to making the EU quarter more attractive is the lack of good public spaces. An ambitious scheme to pedestrianise the traffic-clogged Schuman roundabout could have made a difference. The public square could have hosted demonstrations and acted as a stage for TV reporter stand-ups, showing the Berlaymont (Commission headquarters) and Council buildings in the background.
It was recently cancelled, because of technical complications and disagreements between the authorities and the architect.
"It really was a strong project," says Moritz. "A missed opportunity."
The new Europa building would have been front and centre in the new development, and perhaps stood a higher chance of attaining icon status as a result. Instead, the urban atmosphere will remain one of high density and roaring traffic, and the EU district a city apart.
Brussels holidays


E.g.How could they be married not to impinge on one another's freedom?.
E.g.The congregation was offended by her impious remarks.
E.g.Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evremonde family.
E.g.Though her alibi seemed implausible, it in fact turned out to be true.
E.g.The mayor was unwilling to implement the plan until she was sure it had the governor's backing.


Footwear retailer Moda In Pelle has been bought out of administration for the second time in as many years.
Moda In Pelle fell into administration last month, but the business assets, including stock and fixtures and fittings have been bought by a company called Retailer Software.
Moda In Pelle owner and founder Stephen Buck is a director of Retailer Software.
Moda In Pelle said the administration, which was handled by Leeds-based administrator Armstrong Watson, was part of a wider restructuring of the company and added that it was "business as usual" at its stores.
Moda In Pelle has a chequered history. It went into administration in 2006, but Buck immediately bought back a slimmed-down store portfolio.
The administration of Moda In Pelle will not affect womenswear retailer Emma Somerset, which is also owned by Buck.
Moda in Pelle has 31 UK stores in locations including London, Manchester and Leeds.
Women's fashion footwear brand Moda in Pelle has reported an unprecedented level of success at the recent Moda tradeshow.


text:
package org.sistemafinanciero.entity;

// Generated 02-may-2014 11:48:28 by Hibernate Tools 4.0.0

import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.math.BigInteger;
import java.util.Date;

import javax.persistence.Column;
import javax.persistence.Entity;
import javax.persistence.EnumType;
import javax.persistence.Enumerated;
import javax.persistence.FetchType;
import javax.persistence.GeneratedValue;
import javax.persistence.GenerationType;
import javax.persistence.Id;
import javax.persistence.JoinColumn;
import javax.persistence.ManyToOne;
import javax.persistence.NamedQueries;
import javax.persistence.NamedQuery;
import javax.persistence.SequenceGenerator;
import javax.persistence.Table;
import javax.persistence.Temporal;
import javax.persistence.TemporalType;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAccessType;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAccessorType;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlElement;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlRootElement;
import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlTransient;

import org.sistemafinanciero.entity.type.EstadoCheque;

/**
 * Accionista generated by hbm2java
 */
@Entity
@Table(name = "CHEQUE", schema = "C##BDSISTEMAFINANCIERO")
@XmlRootElement(name = "cheque")
@XmlAccessorType(XmlAccessType.NONE)
@NamedQueries({
	@NamedQuery(name = Cheque.findChequeByNumeroChequeUnico, query = "SELECT c FROM Cheque c WHERE c.numeroChequeUnico = :numeroChequeUnico"),
	})
public class Cheque implements java.io.Serializable {

	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

	public final static String findChequeByNumeroChequeUnico = "findChequeByNumeroChequeUnico";

	private BigInteger idCheque;
	private EstadoCheque estado;
	private BigInteger numeroCheque;
	private BigInteger numeroChequeUnico;
	private String tipoDocumento;
	private String numeroDocumento;
	private String persona;
	private BigDecimal monto;

	private Date fechaCambioEstado;
	private Chequera chequera;

	public Cheque() {

	}

	@GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.SEQUENCE, generator="CHEQUE_SEQ")
	@SequenceGenerator(name="CHEQUE_SEQ", initialValue=1, allocationSize=1, sequenceName="CHEQUE_SEQ")
	@XmlElement(name = "id")
	@Id
	@Column(name = "ID_CHEQUE", unique = true, nullable = false, precision = 22, scale = 0)
	public BigInteger getIdCheque() {
		return idCheque;
	}

	public void setIdCheque(BigInteger idCheque) {
		this.idCheque = idCheque;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Enumerated(EnumType.STRING)
	@Column(name = "ESTADO", nullable = false, columnDefinition="nvarchar2")
	public EstadoCheque getEstado() {
		return estado;
	}

	public void setEstado(EstadoCheque estado) {
		this.estado = estado;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Column(name = "NUMERO_CHEQUE", nullable = false)
	public BigInteger getNumeroCheque() {
		return numeroCheque;
	}

	public void setNumeroCheque(BigInteger numeroCheque) {
		this.numeroCheque = numeroCheque;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Column(name = "NUMERO_CHEQUE_UNICO", nullable = false)
	public BigInteger getNumeroChequeUnico() {
		return numeroChequeUnico;
	}

	public void setNumeroChequeUnico(BigInteger numeroChequeUnico) {
		this.numeroChequeUnico = numeroChequeUnico;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Column(name = "TIPO_DOCUMENTO", nullable = false, columnDefinition = "nvarchar2")
	public String getTipoDocumento() {
		return tipoDocumento;
	}

	public void setTipoDocumento(String tipoDocumento) {
		this.tipoDocumento = tipoDocumento;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Column(name = "NUMERO_DOCUMENTO", nullable = false, columnDefinition = "nvarchar2")
	public String getNumeroDocumento() {
		return numeroDocumento;
	}

	public void setNumeroDocumento(String numeroDocumento) {
		this.numeroDocumento = numeroDocumento;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Column(name = "PERSONA", nullable = false, columnDefinition = "nvarchar2")
	public String getPersona() {
		return persona;
	}

	public void setPersona(String persona) {
		this.persona = persona;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Column(name = "MONTO", nullable = false)
	public BigDecimal getMonto() {
		return monto;
	}

	public void setMonto(BigDecimal monto) {
		this.monto = monto;
	}

	@XmlElement
	@Temporal(TemporalType.DATE)
	@Column(name = "FECHA_CAMBIO_ESTADO", nullable = false)
	public Date getFechaCambioEstado() {
		return fechaCambioEstado;
	}

	public void setFechaCambioEstado(Date fechaCambioEstado) {
		this.fechaCambioEstado = fechaCambioEstado;
	}

	@XmlTransient
	@ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
	@JoinColumn(name = "ID_CHEQUERA", nullable = false)
	public Chequera getChequera() {
		return chequera;
	}

	public void setChequera(Chequera chequera) {
		this.chequera = chequera;
	}

}


First, a few quotes from Terry Pratchett. Who is Terry Pratchett, you might ask. Well, he is the well known and beloved author of the Discworld series of novels. Seriously though, I have found more quotable quotes in his books than all the other books I have read combined. His style of writing is unlike any other that I have seen. It is quirky, very witty, humorous and often inspiring.
"Talent just defines what you do", he said. "It doesn't define what you are. Deep down, I mean. When you know what you are, you can do anything." He thought a bit more and added, "That's what makes sourcerers so powerful. The important thing is to know what you really are".
From the book Equal Rites.
"I think I know", she said at last. "Out with it, then." "It's in sort of two parts." "Well?" "It's a witch's hat because you wear it. But you're a witch because you wear the hat. Um." "So-" prompted Granny. "So people see you coming in the hat and the cloak and they know you're a witch and that is why your magic works?" said Esk. "That's right," said Granny. "It's called headology".


text:
Allan Wilke's Forum, Second Stage: A Few Words In Defense of Health Care Insurance Reform
On Presence and Courage: Penn State/Hershey Faculty Family Doc Volunteers in Haiti
Activities of the Fellows and Senior Fellows of the Coastal Research Group: Dr John Geyman Leads Forces of Dissent Against PPACA (Chapter 5: Summary of Concerns)
Activities of the Fellows and Senior Fellows of the Coastal Research Group: Dr John Geyman Leads Forces of Dissent Against PPACA (Chapter 4: Quality of Care)
Activities of the Fellows and Senior Fellows of the Coastal Research Group: Dr John Geyman Leads Forces of Dissent Against PPACA (Chapter 3: Access to Care)
Activities of the Fellows and Senior Fellows of the Coastal Research Group: Dr John Geyman Leads Forces of Dissent Against PPACA (Chapter 2: Affordability)
Activities of the Fellows and Senior Fellows of the Coastal Research Group: Dr John Geyman Leads Forces of Dissent Against PPACA (Chapter 1: Cost Containment)
Josh Freeman on the question of a national policy on the right to health care
Forum on Health Care Reform: Doctor Allan Wilke's Thoughts
Allan Wilke, MD, Ross University School of Medicine
I'm writing this the weekend after the conclusion of the United States Supreme Court's 3-part miniseries, Obamacare – Threat or Menace. It comes 27 months after I was persuaded to write a commentary on health care reform for the coastalresearch.org website, and my omelet-making versus refrigerator-raiding-for-leftovers analogy was foisted upon an unsuspecting public: [See Forum on Health Care Reform: Doctor Allan Wilke's Thoughts].
Now a follow-up commentary has been requested. Folks should be careful what they wish for. Against my better judgment, I foist this.
A lot has happened since December 2008: Ted Kennedy died, a Democratic-controlled legislature passed and President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or PPACA), the Tea Party rose to prominence and put the Republicans back into control of the House of Representatives, the Arab Spring blossomed, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston died, and Adele swept the Grammy's. What does it all mean?
The late Senator Edward Kennedy (left) at the signing of a bill by President Barack Obama (right)
Even the fevered imagination of Aaron Sorkin could not have come up with a West Wing scenario like this one. In May 2008, a full 6 months before Obama's electoral landslide, Kennedy, the larger-than-life champion of universal health care picked the wrong time to develop a brain tumor and left the Senate floor for extended periods of time, returning on a stretcher on occasion to cast key votes. Obama, exploiting social media, went on to victory in November, pledging hope and change, and got the gift of expanded majorities in the House and Senate.
We naively saw passage of health care reform as a slam dunk. A Democratic President (and point guard) and the Democratic congressional majorities were set to make our hoped-for health care change a reality. It was a shock, then, but maybe not all that surprising (these are Democrats, after all), when we witnessed the legislative process begin to unravel. Kennedy's negotiating skills and his sincere friendships with his colleagues across the aisle were sorely missed, and an opportunity for a bill with limited bipartisan support slipped away.
Scott Brown (left), the newly elected junior senator from Massachusetts, shares the front seat of his pickup truck with Worcester radio personality Bob Oakes
Senator Kennedy picked the wrong time to die, too. Massachusetts elected Scott Brown (a Republican!) to replace him. Could the apocalypse be upon us?
The filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate evaporated. In the end Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid raided the 'fridge and cobbled together a collection of health care reform proposals, including the individual mandate, originally advocated by conservative Republicans and Bush I in 1989.
(Note: If I had been in charge, I would have thrown the Republicans a bone and included tort reform. Unfortunately, trial lawyers hold too great a sway over the Democratic establishment for that to happen, and nobody asked me.)
The Trinity snatched victory from the mouth of defeat in a ham-handed manner that involved an arcane legislative rule. This tactic, however, angered the populace. Exploiting social media, the Tea Party took off and was instrumental in returning Congress to Republican control and reducing the Democratic majority in the Senate to gridlock level.
Meanwhile, events in the rest of the world were not put on hold. The most dramatic were the emergence of grassroots democracy movements in the Arab world and the Japanese tsunami. Ordinary citizens, exploiting social media (and, eventually, military-grade hardware) managed to bring down the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. Syria is next. I hope.
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku triggered a giant tidal wave, which managed to take out a nuclear reactor at Fukushima that had been built to withstand an earthquake and maybe a giant tidal wave, but not both. Where is Godzilla (or God) when you really need Him? Ghost ships ride the waves, threatening to run ashore in Alaska. Sarah can wave to them from her back porch.
I can hear Jurassic Park's Dr. Ian Malcolm lecturing about chaos theory. People died. Babies were born. Life finds a way.
In June 2009, Michael Jackson, the king of pop, died of a propofol overdose, ostensibly because he wanted a good night's sleep. He was 50 years old. His personal physician, a cardiologist, was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter. I don't know if Mr. Jackson had a heart problem, but his head was definitely not screwed on right. Neither was his cardiologist's.
In February of this year Whitney Houston, another massively talented artist, died in her bathtub at the tender age of 48. The cause of death was drowning after ingestion of several psychoactive substances. And maybe heart disease.
Three days later on the strength of her second album 21, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, a British blue-eyed soul-singer, won six of six Grammy awards, steamrolling her competition, including Lady Gaga. (Note: I really don't know what color Adele's eyes are, but, if they aren't blue, they should be.)
A portrait of the artist from Adele's website
Adele's former boyfriend has sued her, claiming he inspired the heartache of her album and is entitled to a share of her success. He's probably heartless; he certainly suffers from testiculomegaly. At the same ceremony, Diana Ross (but not the Supremes) accepted a lifetime achievement award. Aside from anorexia, I am not familiar with her health history, but as Herbert observed, "Living well is the best revenge."
The ACA was designed to reform US health care slowly, in bits and pieces. The most polarizing part, the individual mandate, which will require almost every US citizen not already receiving health care benefits to purchase insurance or pay a fine, won't come into play until 2014. The more popular parts (allowing young adults to stay on their parents' policies until age 26, preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or terminating coverage for people who become sick) are already in force. Rumor has it the ACA was born this way to promote Obama's re-election.
Late in March 2012, the United States Supreme Court heard six hours of oral arguments in challenges to the ACA. This represents the longest oral arguments on any case in the last 45 years. (Note: the case in 1967 that was longer concerned natural gas rates in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. If hot air can be equated with natural gas, I think I see a pattern here.)
The first day the justices heard arguments about whether they should even be taking up the case. I heard a collective, "Hell, yes!" Day 2 was devoted to the constitutionality of forcing someone to buy health insurance or broccoli.
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose thoughts on PPACA interest many people, speaks at his alma mater, Stanford University
The last day looked at whether the federal government could legally arm-twist the states to expand Medicaid and whether the US had to eat all the leftovers or could the individual mandate be tossed in the garbage separately. The results of these high-level deliberations won't be revealed until June.
I don't pretend to know how the Supremes will decide the case, but I'll bet you a Romney-sized wager, it will be 5-4. I'm not sanguine. This group is not going to win a lifetime achievement award. The words that Randy Newman sang in his 2008 composition, A Few Words in Defense of Our Country, [cf. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OldToIF5ZGs] keep rattling through my brain. Well, (to quote Mr Newman), Pluto's not a planet anymore either!
The fact that this is playing out in the foreground of Obama's reelection campaign is extraordinary, but not unprecedented given the Court's apparent interest in dabbling in election politics (i.e., Bush v. Gore). Obama's presumed opponent will be Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, who in 2006 enacted similar health care reform legislation there (the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan).
Obama says he patterned the ACA after Romney's law, but Romney is stridently disavowing ever having any relations with that law. Baby, baby, where did our love go?
As the provisions of the law have been phased in, cracks in Massachusetts' primary care infrastructure have emerged: there are not enough family docs to take care of Massachusettsans. Who would have guessed? Even so, the law has polled favorably with patients and physicians alike.
In the meantime, other state governments and health care systems are moving full steam ahead, preparing for reform measures yet to be in force, especially the establishment of insurance exchanges and accountable care organizations. Vermont passed a universal health care law. I take that to mean that Vermonters can get health care anywhere in the universe. If the ACA is struck down, do you think these efforts will be reversed? Me neither.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill once remarked, "The Americans will always do the right thing… after they've exhausted all the alternatives." I think this is how we'll finally get health care reform: some parts will be legislated, some will be entrepreneurial opportunities, some will be the children of necessity, and others will be the children of CYA ("cover your assets").
So, how do I make sense of all of this? What lessons do I take?
1. When you are trying to promote a project or program, it doesn't matter how powerful your position is. Get everyone involved: everyone has a stake, everyone benefits, everyone shares responsibility or blame.
2. You cannot ignore people-power or the power of social media. As much as we're led to believe otherwise, people are not sheep. If you provoke or oppress them, eventually they will rise up. Be on the right side of history. Especially, if they possess military-grade hardware.
3. There are not enough primary care physicians, but, for God's sake, don't allow a cardiologist to become yours.
4. Talent is wonderful, but it doesn't immunize you from life's travails. If you can transform life's travails into art and real money, more power to you.
5. Death, despite all our protestations to the contrary, is not optional. It can come early, it can come late, but it will come. And you can count on it to disrupt things.
6. Planning is wise, but hubris isn't; you can't plan for every contingency, because you don't know them all. T. rex will escape the inescapable confinement. Pride goeth before the fall.
7. You can't hurry love. Or health care reform. There will be disruptions. Deal with it. Health care reform will come to the US, because it has to. After we've exhausted all the alternatives. Unless the Mayans were right.
Joey Schumpeter
A Few Words in Defense of America's System of Checks and Balances
I am pleased to see Dr Wilke's forum return in its second stage. He is obviously passionate in his desire to extend the benefits of health insurance to the widest numbers of Americans as possible and expresses his belief that ACA is the vehicle that will accomplish that goal. Thus, his instincts are to defend the act and excoriate those who would starve it of funds or find its key provisions unconstitutional.
At the same time, however, in his facile and amusing journey through the pop cultural and political environments in which ACA is to be implemented, Dr Wilke has either inadvertently or deliberately identified some of the squirming flies in the ACA ointment.
Although he professes to believe in Churchill's pronouncement that Americans, after exhausting all other possibilities, will eventually choose the right course of action – in itself a bit of a tautology, since the right course of action is being defined by whomever has chosen to employ the Churchillian epigram (Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Congressman Ron Paul might have something quite different in mind from Dr Wilke) – he reveals his fascination with Professor Ian Malcolm's explanation of the "butterfly effect" to the distinguished tourists to Jurassic Park.
If one cannot predict the ultimate consequences of a tiny butterfly flapping its wings in China, what about the "cobbling together" of a massive piece of legislation that affects virtually all of the American population, that almost surely will have unintended consequences for both the nation and each individual American?
In reflecting on the events since Dr Wilke's original 2008 forum piece, I concede that the unexpected political (Arab Spring and Tea Party) and tectonic forces (Fukushima) that engulfed us are worthy of note, but I think there are other forces at work that may decide the fate of the ACA.
Despite the impression of unrelieved gridlock, there is an example during this period of the two parties, led by the coordinated policies of the successive G. W. Bush and Obama administrations, that resulted in massive restructuring of the housing and banking sectors – the Federal Reserve's response to the simultaneous collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, Countrywide, etc.
Here the political leadership of both parties cooperated. The results were breathtaking and transformative. It's my personal belief that it has been all to the good.
But there was collateral damage far beyond the Detroit and Vegas neighborhoods of multiple foreclosures. The idea of massive federal intervention in the economy in the one sector has generated a massive counter-reaction. The reaction is clearly at the heart of the Tea Party's founding and has some resonance in the Occupy movements as well.
Then, as the idea of direct action against an out of control government came to be fashionable through social media and candidates willing to articulate the messages and contributors with big bucks to diffuse them, there emerged the disorderly spectre of a profligate Greece, with the seeming capacity to destroy all of Western Europe.
For the first time in my memory, a sizable portion of the American electorate seems predisposed to taking account of what things cost and of worrying whether there is enough money, even if every tax that can be conceived were passed, to pay for all the commitments made so far.
The French philosophe Montesquieu and the American patriots who incorporated his ideas into our constitution created multiple checks and balances to frustrate the totalitarian approaches to governance. It seems messy, and as Dr Wilke points out, it could well prevent some good ideas (and some bad ideas) from being implemented quickly, but, given the choice of living in Syria, Greece or the United States, I plan to stay where I am.
Allan Wilke
Thank you to Joey Schumpeter for his remarks. It was almost as much fun to read them as it was to write my commentary ("There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." -Red Smith or Paul Gallico, take your pick.) Seriously, Schumpeter make several insightful points and adds to the complexity of this subject.
I want to clarify three points: I am not so much a fan of the ACA as I am a believer that it is better than what we had before. My personal preference actually runs more along the lines of Medicare-for-all. And if I identified any flies in the ointment, it was definitely advertent. Finally, as much as I am fascinated with Ian Malcolm and chaos theory, it's that other Ian, Ian Shoales, who has had a greater influence on my world view.
Can't wait to do this again in three years.


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text:
Vol. II: Uncommon Common Abuse of Seniors & Elderly
Vol. II: Uncommon Common Abuse of Seniors and Elderly
©copyright 2008 Bonita M Quesinberry
As we pick up from Volume I of this issue, I remind that the agreement I had with my deceased friend Betty's son was to stay and care for her property until the oldest heir turned eighteen, at which time he would move in and I find another place. The blessing to me was another 2 years in that peaceful spot in Washington's Tahuya State Forest. January 2007: I had to get on HUD waiting lists for a unit and pray I'd be out no later than June 2007. Why did I wait so late? Well, Betty's son had told me in December 2006 that he thought I would have another 3 years, so I dallied. Alas, it did not work out inasmuch as Derek's son changed his plans.
First lunge out of the gate was a bleak start: I was number 47 on the list for a one-level complex in Poulsbo, a good hour and half farther away from my daughter/caregiver Maria in Portland, Oregon. Being in that position could have meant up to a two-year wait, which was not going to work. A week later, the floater manager in Poulsbo asked if I would be interested in a Shelton unit, an hour closer to Maria: I would be number one there and assured I could move in by mid-March or April at the latest. At that time, she cited six vacancies with more coming up and no one on the waiting list: my requirement for a ground floor unit was no problem.
Alas, on February 01, a permanent manager was installed at Fir Tree Park Apartments (FTP) and who contrarily acted in accordance with Allied Group's direction, the management company for whom their floater in Poulsbo worked and also trained new site managers. She was told to fill up the complex before me and justify doing so by claiming there had been a waiting list of which the floater was not aware.
As a courtesy, certainly not a requirement, I had provided with my paperwork a letter from my doctor indicating the necessity of both a ground floor apartment, due to a propensity for falling, and air conditioning I would provide. It seems Allied did not want anyone moving in with A/C— increase the electric bill (I take measures to prevent this but they did not know it). This began to come to light during a phone call when the manager said she had put in five people ahead of me and continued to put me off due to yet more ahead of me. So, I called Poulsbo again to see if I had misunderstood: no, I had not. The floater got on the phone and the next day Fir Tree Park (FTP) called to say my paperwork was ready and I could move in by 11 May 2007. Praise the Lord, I would meet my June deadline as agreed!
Maria went with me to sign papers and pay the upfront fees. It was then the FTP manager informed us of Allied's discrimination against my extreme sensitivity to heat disability, not wanting me in because of A/C. After signing and paying, we were then informed that Allied had said they would not replace the 30-year old, threadbare carpet if she let me in: a second act of discrimination as well as retaliation. Since I was getting an apartment, I chose to ignore this violation of law but had transcripted the details. Alas, it would not end there, for Allied truly did not want me or my air conditioning.
The unit was incredibly filthy and I spent over 36 hours getting it to a livable condition, then requested of Allied the return of my damage deposit, which was not paid to clean up another person's filth. I had refused to sign the move-in inspection because the manager would not list problems thereon, as she was supposed to do. So, along with my request, I provided a transcript of labor to get the unit sanitary. I received no response whatsoever.
I had lived in the unit only three months when suddenly the manager accused me of failing to disclose the fact I had two caged ferrets. Despite proving I had made full discloser in writing, Allied continued its assault with threats, calls, inspections, demands, and unannounced visits by a variety of people from their home office; ultimately serving me with eviction because I refused to pay a $300 pet deposit ($150 per pet): which HUD did not allow on caged pets. I'd never had to pay a deposit for the ferrets in the entire 20 years I've lived in Washington, even through Bremerton Housing (Vol. I).
Now, I would have to do something. After all, Allied had filled my file with false charges and complaints that might make it easy for a judge to uphold the illegal eviction. I contacted Senior Information and Assistance (Senior I & A) who previously had helped me by purchasing a portable A/C unit. In the interim, I had been keeping meticulous records and transcripts of everything that had transpired from the time I went on FTP's waiting list, including all details, dates, names, and witnesses to conversations: now days it pays to have a background in law.
Around October 2007, I received a call from HUD's Ben Jones, the Washington State HUD Contract manager in charge of FTP's portfolio. I followed his directions and mailed to him a copy of everything I had. After reviewing them, he then instructed me to provide everything to their department for discrimination acts: seems I had two separate cases, the other being acts of retaliation.
According to Mr. Jones, I needed only one witness to the discrimination and he stated that my daughter was sufficient. Mind you, I never contacted HUD, but an investigation was launched, nonetheless. Almost immediately, HUD advised Allied that they could not touch me or my ferrets and could not charge a deposit for the ferrets, acts of retaliation, but Allied was deaf.
Allied's manipulation and torment escalated, despite my attorney's actions (lawyer with Northwest Senior Justice Project, Olympia): more threatening letters, inspections and unannounced visits. One such visit came at 3:00 pm on a Friday by yet another Allied employee I'd not met before, and it lasted until 9:15 that night: didn't even get to eat dinner. Then, Allied came up with a new tactic, actually due to their own screw-up: they claimed to have erred in calculating deposit and rents— another excuse to contact me both by phone and visits— therefore owing me nearly $300 in overcharges. They refused to refund and falsely charged me with refusing to sign recertification papers, another lie added to many lies they feeding HUD, which will come out in our next segment.
The stress was mind-boggling and my health was deteriorating rapidly while my blood pressure was soaring off the charts: not because I was worried or afraid, but simply because Allied never let up and I was becoming quite angry. Yeah, I know, "Get angry but sin not." I obeyed. Still, my doctor and neurosurgeon were going through the roof, finally telling my attorney to instruct Allied not to contact with me in any way or be subject to a charge of reckless endangerment, or worse, negligent homicide if I died: the risk of another brain aneurysm at an all time high. Allied ignored the directive: just a few days later I received yet another threatening letter.
About a month after I had moved in, management placed a woman above me who was not "62 or older," as required by the HUD "elderly only" contract with FTP owners. She is a raging alcoholic and within two months she had moved in her grown sons (21 & 23), in violation of both HUD and DSHS welfare requirements: she reported to neither entity as required. Not to worry: I shall not report it, as Jesus would not approve. But, take a wild guess as to who does get reported to DSHS for fraud. That's our next segment, too.
As a psychotherapist, I was not surprised when Rachel and her sons began tormenting me 24/7; after all, they knew I could be, the operative words being "could be," their greatest threat as the nearest neighbor to be affected by their behaviour: constant, deliberate stomping on the floor, going to management filing false complaints against me, and so forth. Their mentality is to "do unto others before they do unto you." Typical behaviour of addicts, liars and manipulators: unfortunately, Rachel and her sons are all of these.
Needless to say, I wasn't sleeping and management did nothing. Albeit, for many months I did not complain, but neighbors had— loud and clear and even in writing but to no avail: they also called the police several times, once having her carted off to detox for three weeks, as well as filed complaints directly with Allied and FTP's California owners. Alas, Rachel was convinced I was the one who did all the complaining and Allied was happy to let her believe it; despite the fact I had asked management to tell her I was not the one— hoping truth would put a stop to her harassment and torment.
The abuse continued to escalate, most of it witnessed by surrounding tenants. In March 2008, Rachel came to my door one evening, drunk as usual and ranting. So, I shut the door. The next day, Management attempted to serve me with a "stop harassing" notice on Rachel's behalf: she had run to the manager, crying crocodile tears, that next morning and claimed I was constantly coming to her door harassing her. I informed management of what really happened and two of my neighbors confirmed. Management tore up the notice she was about to serve on me but did not remove the one in my file, which she had agreed to remove. Alas, my pristine file is now filled with false charges and complaints.
April 2008 arrived in a painful storm amidst Allied's continued torment: the third afternoon Rachel slammed into my storm door, yanked it open to pound on the door, and began raging when I opened the inner door to find her right in my face as she held open the storm door. Fortunately, my next-door neighbor saw everything and immediately called police. Before they arrived, three times I instructed Rachel to step away from my door and attempted to shut it. Instead, the third time I spoke, Rachel assaulted me by shoving my door into my face: an act that easily could have killed me.
Still, I chose to do as Christ and did not file charges against her; hoping instead, as did my neighbors, that management finally evict Rachel: she is a danger to all and Allied certainly had enough in her file to make it quite easy, in addition to her having broken every rule of both house and HUD— case in point, Rachel brought in a huge dog without permission or deposit, which size is prohibited; a neighbor filed a complaint with Allied, but it was in my car that one of Rachel's sons put a bag of her cat's feces as retaliation. Assumption gets people in trouble: I called the police, car dusted for prints although, again, I did not pursue charges but did tell management of the event.
Allied fired the above site manager, then refused to let a new temp-manager evict Rachel: she was serving their purposes quite well, in view of HUD being on their case. No doubt they hoped I would move due to Rachel, then HUD would drop my case automatically. When one lives in subsidized housing, it is not easy or even quick to move: virtually all such properties have as little as a two-year and up to a 3-year waiting list. Unfortunately, the Section 8 waiting list, which allows a person to live anywhere, even a house, is not taking applications for the next 4 to 5 years.
By the time HUD had called in its State Investigator on the discrimination issue and the California owners had been notified of Allied's many violations, it looked as though my life might settle down soon. Naturally, Satan was not and is not finished; for despite everything having been witnessed, it was going to be the Fed's turn to take as many bites out of me as possible. But, while they were chewing and chomping, FTP owners fired Allied effective 01 August 2008, and a new management company came in with a new site manager: looked as though they might be worth their salt—one of the first people he wanted out was Rachel and her boys. Of course, we all know that looks can be deceiving.
According to HUD, it usually takes up to a year before a case is assigned to an Investigator, most States having more than one; however, the "entity that shall remain nameless," as my attorney stated to Allied, had gone straight to the head of HUD with my case and "the head" told this State's only Investigator to get right on it. This is where our story will take up in the next segment of Federal and State abuse of seniors and elderly, which will include the details of a recent DSHS action noted below. It won't be difficult to figure out who or what caused DSHS to join HUD for dinner at my expense.
Yeah, Rachel and her non-working, non-disabled sons remain and still are tormenting me. Worse is the fact that she is one of those who defrauds our government systems and gets by with it: the result of it being that much more difficult for an honest and deserving person to get help from the various State and Federal programs.
Case in point: when I applied for Social Security (SS) at age 55, to which I had paid into for thirty-seven years (having worked 33 years longer than my doctors advised), I was denied twice and had to go to court. My SS facilitator told me right up front that if he could show me as a depressed addict of drugs or alcohol or both, approval would be almost immediate; but, the honest person who most needs it gets taken through a wringer then has to jump through hoops of fire that usually consumes two years.
By age 57, I was a heap of ash, for he knew what he was talking about, when two years later I was in an SS court: the judge was irate over how I had been treated coupled with the fact their own doctors had stated unequivocally that I could not work both times I'd been denied, then the judge ruled hands down in my favor— thanks be to the Lord!
Alas, the new FTP manager now whines that Allied should have removed Rachel long ago instead of leaving it for him to do. To demonstrate his feelings about that, I was informed two weeks ago that if I complained a third time, I would be evicted along with Rachel: not that he has made any attempt to evict her. This is just one of the fear tactics so many site managers use instead of doing their jobs in accordance with law and HUD and in the best interest of their tenants' safety.
Rachel is a danger to everyone around her: cigarette burns all over her mattress, smoked up our apartments burning things on or in the stove, and killed one of my ferrets by gassing my apartment with extremely toxic fumes: my other ferret became ill but recovered and my blood pressure spiked dangerously for the twenty minutes I was exposed. I had been gone and, apparently, my unit had been gassed for several hours: she was attempting to burn-off plastic that she had melted to a burner coil on her stove by leaving the burner on. My ferrets and I had to vacate the unit for the evening and leave the apartment open in very cold weather.
Rachel also flooded my apartment when her commode overflowed and she walked away doing nothing about moping up until it was too late. Where else could that water go? What does management need to remove this danger that, ultimately, can cost the owners their complex by fire? Anyway, Allied has been gone since August 2008, but they were not finished tormenting me and would do so through DSHS.
As I've said before, this is not all about me. In fact, there were four other cases just here at FTP that went to HUD, one was automatically dropped when the tenant's daughter moved her to another town and subsidized unit. That is the way of HUD: if you move, they simply drop the case and declare it resolved.
That case above, though, was another horror story: an 86-year old dwarf, Petie Balls, who had lived here at FTP for almost 20 years, started and ran a craft club and maintained her supplies in the Community Room under lock and key, as long ago approved by prior management. New management charged her with theft, took everything that actually had been purchased by and belonged to Petie, and served her with eviction. Her daughter didn't know what else to do, except get Petie out of here, because HUD was dragging their feet, not even holding a temporary stop sign in front of Allied.
It took months to achieve the move, so Petie was harassed and had the police called on her both times she attempted to speak with management. Unfortunately, one month after Petie moved to another town, Allied Group took over as the management company of Petie's new location. Her daughter is watching them and their site manager like a hawk ready to swoop in if they harass her. Horror stores abound throughout this demographic.
The other three cases, also threatened with eviction, ended up ignored by HUD, likely because they were not considered as serious and/or did not involve discrimination or at least the appearance of discrimination: we will get into that in our next segment about HUD's actions in all this.
Remember: the senior and elderly population is the largest demographic in this nation! Do we realize that, as such, we have the collective power to even determine votes? We can do something about these undeserved injustices but it will take all of us being loud and clear about what we no longer will tolerate at our Federal and State levels by the very people we put into office and the organizations that are supposed to protect us.
According to HUD, we have the right to say how our subsidized apartments are run, a right we have not utilized in most settings because management will not allow a Tenants' Association; which HUD recommends we have. Management puts enough fear into the majority of tenants so they will not join an Association, even if one is started: such as here at FTP. And, we have the right to organize clubs of whatsoever nature, as long as legal, without interference from management. As seen here at FTP, management disbanded all clubs and took over our newsletter. Now the only thing that gets printed is what management wants us to read, truth or not.
Of course, greed is the driving force of these end days: sort of the wickeds' last hurrah before their demise. In these cases, however, the greed is that of only property management companies, whereas the Federal and State departments want to simply ignore their responsibilities to those whom they subsidize in whatsoever ways: management companies can be fired and it doesn't pay HUD or DSHS to shirk their obligations. Our tax dollars pay them to fulfill their duties in accordance with the law!
No sleep. . . oh, well, I do believe Jesus told us that we are children of the Light and we are to keep watch at night when the wicked sleep: so sleep not. I keep hanging on to that, knowing that it could be any day/any hour now for His return, and I believe I can keep going as long as Father intends. I'm the Energizer bunny? I think new batteries might help. Again, please pass this story on to everyone you believe might be able to help us or to persons experiencing similar injustices.
End of Volume II
Volume III continues next week
19 December 2008 Posted by bonnieq | Abuse, Christian, Death, Elderly, Evil, Government Abuse, Health, Prayer Requests, Self Help, Seniors, Spiritual, Truth, World	| Leave a comment


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Breaux Bridge (; ;  ) is a small city in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population is 8,139 as of the 2010 census, up from 7,281 in 2000. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Originally dubbed "La Capitale Mondiale de l'Écrevisse," Breaux Bridge was officially designated the Crawfish Capital of the World by former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Bob Angelle. Breaux Bridge hosts an annual Crawfish Festival, and is regionally noted for listing nicknames in its telephone directory.

History

On August 25, 1829, Scholastique Picou Breaux founded Breaux Bridge, Louisiana at the age of 33.

Scholastique was born Scholastique Melanie Picou on July 25, 1796. At a young age, she married Agricole Breaux; together, they had five children. In 1817, the couple replaced the Bayou Têche suspension footbridge built by Agricole's father with a vehicular bridge that allowed wagon passage and made way for the area's increasing commerce. At the age of 32, Scholastique became a widow.

A determined Acadian woman, Scholastique drew up Plan de la Ville du Pont des Breaux ("Plan for the City of Breaux Bridge"), which included a detailed map of the area and a diagram of streets. She developed the area by selling land lots to other Acadian settlers. In 1847, a church parish was created; and 12 years later, the area was officially incorporated. After founding the town, Scholastique remarried and birthed an additional two children.

Breaux's Bridge
Agricole's father was the Acadian pioneer Firmin Breaux.  Breaux first arrived in the area during early 1765. By 1774, his branding iron was registered, and by 1786 he was one of the largest property owners in the Bayou Têche country. In 1799, Breaux built a footbridge across the Bayou Têche to help ease the passage across for his family and neighbors. This first bridge was a suspension footbridge, likely made of rope and small planks. It was stabilized by being tied to small pilings located at each end of the bridge as well as to a pair of huge live oak trees on both sides of the bayou. When traveling directions were given, residents would often instruct people to "go to Breaux's bridge . . ."  This was later adopted as the city's name.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which  is land and  is water.

Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 7,513 people, 2,944 households, and 2,171 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 8,139 people living in the city; 50.0% were White, 47.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% from some other race and 1.3% from two or more races. 1.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,281 people, 2,512 households, and 1,821 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,740 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.84% White, 48.66% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population. Of the population over the age of five, 68.3% spoke English at home, 28.3% spoke French, 1.7% spoke Spanish, and 1.6% spoke Louisiana Creole French.

There were 2,512 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,102, and the median income for a family was $31,570. Males had a median income of $30,880 versus $17,819 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,536. About 26.8% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Public schools in St. Martin Parish are operated by the St. Martin Parish School Board. The city of Breaux Bridge is zoned to Breaux Bridge Primary School (Grades PK-2), Breaux Bridge Elementary (Grades 3-5), Breaux Bridge Junior High School (Grades 6-8), and Breaux Bridge High School (Grades 9-12).

Private schools include St. Bernard Elementary (Grades PreK-8) and Louisiana Christian School (Grades PreK-12).

Notable people

J. Burton Angelle, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1964 to 1972, director of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 1972-1980 and 1984-1988
Scott Angelle, former interim Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (2010) and member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission from District 2, son of J. Burton Angelle
 Ryan Broussard, actor known for Alert: Missing Persons Unit
 Lottie Beebe, superintendent of St. Martin Parish public schools; member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, resides in Breaux Bridge
Paula Davis, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 69 in East Baton Rouge Parish; native of Breaux Bridge
Jake Delhomme, former quarterback for the NFL's Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints
Sonny Landreth, blues guitarist
Hunter Hayes, singer-songwriter, record producer
Mike "Pete" Huval, state representative; former member of the St. Martin Parish Council, insurance agent
Jules Jeanmard, Roman Catholic bishop
Ali Landry, Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990, Miss Louisiana USA 1996, Miss USA 1996, and actress and model
Branford Marsalis, jazz musician and former band leader for The Tonight Show
Fred H. Mills, Jr., state senator and president of Farmers-Merchants Bank and Trust Co. in Breaux Bridge
Domanick Williams, former running back for the Houston Texans, 2003 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

References

Further reading

 Castille, Jeanne M. Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. Lafayette, La: Attakapas Historical Association, 1976.
 Comeaux, Goldie. The Original Mulate's, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana Cookbook. [Breaux Bridge, La.]: G. Comeaux, 1994.
 Delcambre, Kenneth P. The Historical Chronolgy  of Breaux Bridge Businesses, 1769-1954. Volume 1. [Breaux Bridge, La: Champvert, 2003.
 Delcambre, Kenneth P. The Breaux Bridge Author's Directory. Breaux Bridge, La: Champvert Publications, 2001.
 Delcambre, Kenneth P. World War II and Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. City of Breaux Bridge, La: K.P. Delcambre, 1999.
 Rees, Grover. A Narrative History of Breaux Bridge, Once Called "La Pointe". St. Martinville, La: Attakapas Historical Association, 1976.
 Sammons, Thomas C., and Brandee Duhon. Breaux Bridge: Urban Design for a Small Town. [Lafayette, La.]: Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette, School of Architecture, 1990.
 Irwin, Sam. "Louisiana Crawfish: A Succulent History of the Cajun Crustacean". [Charleston, S.C.]: The History Press, 2014.
Irwin, Sam. "It Happens in Louisiana: Peculiar Tales, Traditions and Recipes from the Bayou". [Charleston, S.C.]: The History Press, 2015

External links

 City of Breaux Bridge
 The Bridges

Cities in Louisiana
Cities in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
Cities in Lafayette, Louisiana metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1829
Acadiana
1829 establishments in Louisiana

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Спітакський землетрус (, відомий також як Ленінаканський) — катастрофічний землетрус (магнітуда — 7,2, інтенсивність в епіцентрі — 10 балів за 12-бальною шкалою Мєдвєдєва—Шпонхойєра—Карніка MSK — 64, глибина гіпоцентру — приблизно 10—20 кілометрів), що стався 7 грудня 1988 о 12 годині 41 хвилин за місцевим часом (11:41 за московським часом, 7 год. 41 хв. за Грінвічем) на північному заході Вірменської РСР. Унаслідок землетрусу було повністю зруйновано місто Спітак і 58 сіл. Частково зруйновано було міста Ленінакан (Ґюмрі), Степанаван, Кіровакан (Ванадзор) і ще понад 300 населених пунктів. Загинуло щонайменше 25 тисяч осіб, ще близько ста сорока тисяч стали інвалідами. 514 тисяч людей залишилися без даху над головою. Загалом землетрус охопив близько 40% території Вірменії.

Приблизно 40% промислового потенціалу Вірменії в результаті землетрусу було виведено з ладу. Через ризик аварії було зупинено Вірменську АЕС. Економічний збиток від лиха перевищив 13 млрд доларів.

Спітакський землетрус, разом з Чорнобильською трагедією, став найстрашнішою катастрофою останніх років існування СРСР. Допомогу в ліквідації наслідків землетрусу СРСР надали понад сто країн.

Історія
Спітакський землетрус мав свої індивідуальні риси. Він мав мультиплетний характер, тобто процес вивільнення енергії був багатоактовим, зміщення в осередку відбувались із зупинками, кожна наступна фаза охоплювала нову ділянку глибинного розлому в земній корі. Всього було чотири основні фази процесу в осередку, з них три відбулись з інтервалом 5—15 секунд, а четверта — через 4 хвилини 20 секунд. Вочевидь, вже в початковій фазі процесу розлом з осередку вийшов на земну поверхню, утворивши сходинку довжиною 12 кілометрів з найбільшою висотою близько метра та дещо меншим зсувом.

Друга неприємна особливість цього землетрусу полягала в тому, що за кількістю жертв та збитків він перевищив середньосвітові межі для магнітуди такого рівня. Це пов'язано як із близькістю джерела до поверхні Землі, так і з надзвичайно низькою якістю будівництва в ураженій зоні.

Президент СРСР М. С. Горбачов, який перебував у той час із візитом у США, формально попросив Сполучені Штати про гуманітарну допомогу (вперше з часів Другої світової війни), а потім перервав свій візит, щоби відправитися в зруйновані райони Вірменії. Західні країни, зокрема Велика Британія, Франція, ФРН, Італія та Швейцарія, надали СРСР допомогу у вигляді рятувального обладнання, фахівців, продуктів та медикаментів. Було також надано допомогу у відновлювальних роботах.

Причиною великої кількості жертв стала низька сейсмостійкість збудованих в епоху «застою» будівель у зоні землетрусу, прорахунки в організації та керівництві рятувальними роботами, відсутність спеціальної рятувальної техніки та персоналу.

Місцеві будівлі (зокрема, школи та лікарні) погано витримали землетрус. Було підраховано, що якби землетрус трапився на 5 хвилин пізніше, діти встигли б залишити нестійкі будівлі шкіл. Ця коротка затримка могла б врятувати багато життів. Було знищено більшість лікарень у цьому районі.

Вартість пошкодженого майна склала понад 3 млрд фунтів стерлінгів. Було знищено все місто Спітак, пошкоджено міста Ґюмрі та Ванадзор.

Через надзвичайно низькі температури взимку та неготовність до катастрофи такого масштабу, надання допомоги почали неправильно.

Протягом зими з усього світу надходили пожертви для допомогти постраждалим від землетрусу та для відновлення будівель. Спітак було повністю перебудовано, причому багато відновлених районів показують архітектуру різних країн, які надали пожертви або збудували там нові будинки. Пам'ятник вдячності вірменського народу за допомогу з боку США було зведено у Вашингтоні 1990 року.

Регіон, в якому стався землетрус, є частиною більшого сейсмічного району, що тягнеться від Туреччини до Аравійського моря. Тут, на Аравійському півострові, повільно зіштовхується з Євразійської плитою. Землетрус стався через насування однієї плити на іншу прямо під Спітаком.

Попри те, що землетрус був помірної величини (6,9 бала за шкалою Ріхтера), були різні фактори, що сприяли великим масштабам руйнувань, які відбулися. Серед них: час доби, температура замерзання взимку, бідність ґрунту і недоліки будівництва.

Після сейсмічної катастрофи авангардний музикант П'єр Шеффер організував приїзд рятувальної команди з 498 членів для пошуку тих, що вижив.

Див. також
 Рок-допомога Вірменії
 «Pour toi Arménie»
 Сейсмічність Вірменії

Примітки

Посилання
 Землетрясение в Армении 1988—1989 год.  Воспоминания очевидца событий.
 Декабрь 1988 года: трагические дни армянского народа
 Фотогалерея (Спитак, Ленинакан).
 Восстановительные работы в Армении.
 "Записки спасателей" Константин Б.Серафимов, 1988-1996 гг
 "Руинный марш" Евгений Буянов, документальная повесть-воспоминание спасателя

Землетруси у Вірменії
Історія СРСР
Лорі
Ширак
Землетруси 1988
Грудень 1988
Події 7 грудня


On January 17, at 12:48, information was received, that a fire broke out in the warehouse of "Flash" Co. LTD, at Arin Berd 4/2 street, of Yerevan city.
10 fire brigades left for the scene, the operative group of the CMNC, firefighter train of "South-Caucasian Railway" and a vehicle ladder also arrived at the scene.
It was announced the fire complexity "third degree".
It turned out, that the fire had broken out on "Flash" Co. LTD base , at Artsakh Avenue 42.
The fire was isolated at 13:47 and extinguished at 13:51.
One tank with 700tons of petrol was completely burned.