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Hearing from a Mother
The last blog I wrote was about the blessings of sobriety. And I wrote that blog because I was truly grateful for my daughter's sobriety and the fact that she had the previous day given birth to her fourth child – a baby girl. And she would have never had the children she had – and I the grandchildren that I have – if she hadn't gotten clean and sober many years ago.
And while I never expect a response from any of these blogs that I write, because I write them for myself primarily, I received two responses. One was from my daughter who had been the subject of the blog. The other was from a lady who lives in a Midwestern city, a woman I've been communicating with for many years – a communication that started when she ran across my blog on the Internet.
Many years ago, maybe nine, she started writing to me about her son who is a homeless alcoholic who has lived on the streets for many years. He mostly stays around the Midwestern city she lives in. But for a period of time he went to Washington DC, attempting to get an interview with the president about the government's denial of his disability claims 20 years ago.
When she first started writing to me she was doing a lot of things for him. Such as helping him with his laundry. Taking him food and cigarettes. And giving him a little money for whatever he needed, which he probably spent on booze.
When she asked for my opinion, I immediately suggested that she take a hard stance with him. I told her that by helping him continue drinking by taking him food and cigarettes and giving him money she was just prolonging his alcoholism. Now I knew this would sound kind of harsh to a loving mother, but I didn't get sober until my family completely exiled me from their lives because they had given up hope that I would ever quit using drugs or alcohol. And by doing that, they saved my life.
At first I thought they were very cruel and unfair. But eventually I realized that they no longer supported my lifestyle. And eventually I sunk so low that I sought help on my own. Now this woman that I'm talking about is a very loving mother, but she did take some steps that allowed her to quit enabling him.
She does help him out once in a while but not like she was before we started communicating. One of the steps she took was to start going to 12 step meetings that deal with relatives and friends of addicts and alcoholics. She gained strength from reaching out to others who had similar problems and learned that she could distance herself from him most of the time.
She today gives him minimal help – only occasionally giving into the urge to help him. One of the things that she did do to insulate herself from him was to move into a senior community, where she is not allowed to have anyone living with her permanently. That way he's not going to be living on her couch while continuing to drink and bring unneeded drama and pain into her life.
Her story, and the measures she has taken to not enable him, as a lesson for anyone in her situation who is dealing with a loved one who is addicted. I wish her the strength to continue.
Posted by John Schwary at 5:38 PM 0 comments
Blessings of Sobriety
Today I was thinking about the blessings of sobriety.
This came up for me now because I'm invited to visit one of my daughters who gave birth to a another daughter last week. She now has two boys and two girls.
While one of the boys has left home and is on his own, she's busy these days raising – along with her partner – the three children that still remain at home. On top of that she has a full-time, high level position in a state licensed treatment program. So between working, commuting a half-hour a day each way back and forth to work she has her hands full.
None of this would be possible for her if she hadn't decided to get sober a number of years ago. At the depths of her addiction she probably never believed that she would have a large, beautiful home in the suburbs and all of the amenities to go with it. She enjoys all of this because of a decision she made many years ago to change her life.
And her story of success is an example of what happens to all of us once we get rid of the alcohol and drugs and start living up to our full potential.
In almost 30 years of working in the recovery field I've seen her story duplicated over and over again. Clients come in our treatment program and have nothing. They spend time in groups, and in private counseling, and if they're willing, they become different beings. Many of them redefine their goals, become responsible, and live on to become successful at whatever they choose.
In the above paragraph I used the term "become responsible." And assuming responsibility is probably the primary thing we all need to change our lives. Many of the clients who show up at our doorstep are pointing their fingers at everyone else who was responsible for the situation that they're in today. And while other people may have influenced our lives in a negative way, the ultimate responsibility for the changes that we make in our lives come from within. Not from changing externals. Because external things are usually out of our control. But in treatment and recovery we learn how to take charge of our own lives and become responsible for everything that befalls because we learn to reframe our thinking,
This is what happened to me and also happened to my daughter. And because of that we live good lives today.
Treating addicts Poorly
"The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members" Mahatma Ghandi
The American Medical Association classified alcoholism as a disease in 1956. In 1987 the AMA classified addiction as a disease.
In spite of those classifications, alcoholics and addicts have always been the target of those who scorn the idea that addiction or alcoholism are diseases. The idea that someone has an illness to which he or she contributes somehow doesn't fit into certain people's ideas of how the world works – or should work. As a result of the public's attitude our operation has always been at odds with somebody over some legal issue that involves their view of us as second-class citizens.
Back in the 90s, TLC had programs in a certain municipality that I won't mention here because we now have a good relationship with that city. But the city government and city fathers decided they didn't like programs like ours and the others that were situated in the downtown area. In 1998 the city council was pressured into changing laws involving the licensing of recovery homes and halfway houses. They did this, in spite of the fact that their own city attorney advised them that their decision would violate Fair Housing laws and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
In the face of this legal challenge that would've put us out of business we hired one of the best fair housing attorneys in the country, who was situated in Washington DC, and filed a federal injunction against the city to prevent them from taking further action until our case worked its way through the courts – which took until 2003. Some five years later we reached a settlement with the city where they changed two laws and paid a large portion of our legal fees.
But in spite of that settlement, our organization has always been the target of some type of legal action. In fact, I can't remember a year out of the last 25 where we haven't had some kind of a lawsuit that we were spending money on.
Several of them were quite frivolous, one of the most noteworthy being a client who wanted two million dollars because she claimed she suffered two bedbug bites while residing at one of our facilities. And of course we won that one because of its nature – but it still cost us legal fees to defend ourselves. In fact she knew enough about the law to file the case on her own because of the 10 years she'd spent in prison filing endless lawsuits over trivial issues – never prevailing in one case.
Probably one of the things that irritates me most is when we have a run in with code enforcement in whatever city we're in. City zoning and planning ordinances are difficult enough for trained architects to understand, let alone us uneducated addicts.
We spend a lot of time and money keeping our properties in a livable condition. But every so often an unhappy addict will be mad because we discharged him from the program because he refused to seek employment or pay service fees.
In retaliation he'll go to the city and complain about the living conditions. And of course, code enforcement is obligated to reply and we usually reach some accommodation with them that satisfies everyone. And at the moment we have a matter where a client was discharged for not following the rules and went to the city and told them that he was forced to bathe outside the house and get his drinking water from a garden hose, which was a flat out lie. Of course the city was forced to respond and we're spending a lot of money bringing the house into compliance with the international residential codes.
Rather than looking at the matter as it really was – an angry addict seeking retaliation for a perceived wrong – code enforcement is wasting time and money to make us change residential housing that has been grandfathered in at that location for over 22 years.
I have a long list of cases where we've had to defend ourselves against frivolous matters. What no one seems to take into consideration is that we provide a wonderful service to the community. We feed over 2500 meals a day. We teach addicts construction skills so they can go out on their own and work independently and in many cases even start their own companies. We bring homeless addicts and alcoholics into our program without any upfront money, something no one else does.
Yet every once in a while someone from the city will show up and express a lot of concern about how addicts and alcoholics are treated by our organization. Yet, for some reason, none of them ever provide any kind of funds, food, supplies or anything else that will help people become responsible for themselves and keep them off of the streets.
What they don't realize is that we're addicts helping addicts save their own lives, yet many people across the spectrum – from the government to the legal profession – can't find the compassion to appreciate what we do for the community and society at large by helping addicts and alcoholics rebuild their lives.
Posted by John Schwary at 11:51 PM 0 comments
More about Gratitude
I was talking to a youngster the other day, a fellow maybe 22 years old, and he was telling me how unhappy he was about the new restrictions placed on our lives because of the pandemic.
Because he's so young he has sort of a sense of entitlement. He kind of has the attitude that the rules surrounding this pandemic that limit contacts between citizens don't apply to him. Usually I'll see him walking around without a mask and I have to remind him that the mask is to protect his life and the lives of others. But because he's so young he feels that he's invulnerable to pandemics, he kinda has the idea that he'll live forever – as do many people his age.
And when he expresses himself that way, I usually suggest that he is selfish and self-centered. Because while he may be strong and young and invulnerable that doesn't mean that he can't carry the virus to someone who's in my generation.
Because he's so young his whole world is centered on himself. But I suggested he look at the world in a different way. I tell him that he should have a sense of gratitude for his life right now, even though he perceives it as being extremely difficult because of this pandemic. And when I mention gratitude, he looks at me like I'm sort of off balance or just too old to understand him. But then I go on.
I point out that there are people in the world who would give their left arm to have the kind of life he enjoys. I point out that he is fortunate enough to live in the United States, even with all the turmoil created by the pandemic, the riots, and the fires that are ripping across the Western states. I suggest to him that he look at the fact that he has employment. An automobile. A home to live in. Abundant good health. Fresh food to eat. And I point out more, but you get the idea.
I suggested he read about people in other parts of the world that don't even have running water. Or enough to eat. Or maybe they're in the middle of a civil war. Perhaps they never had the opportunity to go to school because their country is so poor that they can't afford to educate the population.
Even though he's not an alcoholic or drug addict I tell him about the philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous and the other 12 step programs. And one word that is constantly floating around the rooms is gratitude, with maybe acceptance being a close second. And I'm not sure that he understands how those words apply to him because he's neither an addict nor an alcoholic.
But gratitude is a universal term. That it can apply to anyone who wants to have a good and happy life. Because when we're grateful, were not going to get in trouble, nor will we become depressed. Instead will use our gratitude to change our outlook on life. And that will carry us when times are tough.
It's getting pretty boring lately to see all of the publicity about BLM. And of course anyone who is not living in a gopher hole knows that those initials stand for Black Lives Matter. But I'm a person who is not politically correct. And I believe that whether we like it or not, all lives matter: black, white, brown, red – all of them.
One of the things that kind of pisses me off is that most of the people that we see at the riots and protests are not black. They are 90% white and mostly young liberals who are looking for a cause, a reason to rebel. And mostly uninformed about the so-called violence of the police against minorities in this country.
Statistics actually show that it you get stopped by the police and you are white you're much more likely to be killed by the cops than a black person would be. These facts are borne out by a study done by a black professor at Harvard University who was going to prove that black people are more likely to be killed by the police than people of any other race. He reportedly was surprised when the data showed something different. Just the opposite: white people are much more likely to be gunned down by police than black people or other minorities.
On the flip side, the study also showed that black people and minorities suffer more at the hands of police than do white people. For example, the police are much more likely to handcuff a minority person than they would a white person. The police also frisk black people and other minorities much more often than they do white people. And they also were more likely to slam them up against a wall and rough them up in other ways.
I believe that when one undertakes a cause they should understand some of the foundations of the cause they are supporting. Probably many would be shocked to find out that during slavery several hundred black people owned plantations and slaves. One black slave owner, William Ellison, is described in Wikipedia at some length in an article which describes his ownership of some 63 slaves. This is the kind of research that people don't like to look at. If one really wants to dig into the slavery issue they'll learn a lot about how exaggerated it is. For example, most people don't know that the majority of slaves were first brought to Brazil, then were taken to the Caribbean and still later to Florida. Only a small number of slaves, less than 10%, brought from Africa were brought directly to the United States and sold to slave traders in this country.
Now these previous paragraphs are not to diminish the horror of slavery or to exculpate those who engaged in it. The only purpose for bringing up these facts in the above paragraphs is so that those who are so sure that we're a racist society might study a little bit of history of the subject they're talking about. They might also ask themselves if we're such a racist society why did 78 million white people vote for Barack Obama in 2014? That doesn't sound like institutional racism to me, it just sounds like they voted for who they felt was the most qualified candidate.
In closing, my opinion is that those that think we're a racist society have a political agenda where they think they might get something for nothing. Communism and socialism has never worked anywhere in the world and I don't believe that it'll work here. But BLM and Antifa are masters at manipulating our political system and the liberals among us to achieve their ends. And if they succeed at that everyone will suffer – including the minorities they claim to represent and protect.
One of my earliest childhood memories is the end of World War II. At the time I was living in Newport Beach, California and when the announcement came over the radio everyone in our neighborhood went pouring into the streets dancing and singing with joy.
At around five years old I didn't understand the gravity of war. But I remember odd things that did stem from our country being at war. Because we lived near the coast the population was required to put blackout curtains over their windows. And if they went out at night for any reason they had to leave the lights off on their cars or else cover them with burlap bags just in case a Japanese submarine was off the coast. That's how close the war came to us back in the 1940s. And it was only much later that I understood why people were so happy when the war ended in 1945.
Since that time I've been through many strange years. There have been other wars, like Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other military actions. I lived through the social unrest of the sixties and seventies.
But as I was talking to a friend the other day who is a few years younger than I am, we both agreed that this is one of the strangest years in our memories. Neither of us had ever experienced anything the magnitude of this pandemic that is sweeping across the country. Neither of us has seen the political situation so volatile. Nor have we seen lengthy riots such as the ones in Seattle and Portland that have been going on for months. We haven't seen the world in such a state of unrest as we have since the first of this year. Neither of us have seen the country this divided politically.
Both my friend and I have been through battles with alcohol and drugs, battles that lasted for years. We both ended up going to prison in different states. We both had a lot of money at different times, but mostly we were just down and out drug addicts that were doing our best to take care of our habits.
But as we reminisced, we both agreed that we have never lived in such an uncertain time. A time when we're dealing with things that aren't in our control. And the reality is that there's nothing we can do about our current situation except move into acceptance - a word that is one of the strongest that we hear in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. Not only is it the strongest, but is also one of the most useful from a standpoint of practicality. As long as we can accept what's going on around us as part of the normal changes that we encounter in life, we won't be tempted to go off the rails and revert to our former lives when we were in the middle of our addictions.
Instead we can stand strong and accept whatever the universe presents us. And if we can do that we'll get past the challenges we've been presented during this strangest of times.
A lesson from 911
Nineteen years ago the twin towers were demolished by terrorists carrying out jihad so they could find paradise and honor Allah.
While none of us know if they reached their goals, we do know their acts of terror changed this country forever. They triggered a war in the Mideast as we searched for Bin Laden and his murderous Al Qaeda followers.
When terrorism struck our mainland we realized the vulnerability of our security systems. and everything tightened up at the airports, seaports, and other potential targets. Even though it's more of a hassle to travel today, most of us agree that the increased security is comforting.
But for me there is another take away from that awful event. And that is that we need to live our lives to the fullest each day. Because probably none of the victims in the twin towers, the Pentagon, or the passengers on the planes knew it would be their last day. Some had dates for that evening, some had children at day care, others had family or friends awaiting their arrival at airports. They were going on with their lives when the unspeakable happened.
We need to treat each moment as precious because we only have this slice of time we exist in. And for those of us in recovery this is especially meaningful because we wasted countless hours in a self-induced stupor wasting time - the one thing we can't replace.
I'm still amazed - and pleased - that during all of these months of the pandemic, and with 600 to 700 clients, we've had less than a dozen contract the virus. All of them were quarantined on our properties - mostly in the same apartments - for the period the doctors prescribed. And none ended up in the hospital.
I attribute this low infection number to the fact that we followed government guidelines as to distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and sanitizing surfaces.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, most of us addicts don't live the healthiest life-styles when we're in the midst of our addictions. Many of us smoke, have poor eating habits, sometimes are homeless, have no medical care other than periodic trips to the emergency room. In other words we engage in high-risk life-styles that compromise our immune systems.
Through my eyes, the positive side of this is that if an addict has the discipline to follow the rigid Covid-19 protocol, just maybe they can apply the same principles when they graduate our program and return to society.
On Friday, September 5, 1958, I was sentenced to six months to 10 years in California State Prison for possession of heroin. And I was reminded of this because today is September 5, 2020. And that was so long ago it seems like almost a bad dream today. And on September 8, 1958, I was delivered in leg irons to a prison reception center at Chino, California.
At the reception center I spent about six weeks undergoing psychological and physical tests to see where I would fit best in California's extensive prison system. I was subjected to the Minnesota multi-phasic personality inventory and also a few other tests that I don't recall the names of. Finally, it was determined that I was a "young, trainable adult." And that meant that I would be sent to a vocational institution for education and training before I returned to society. But because they didn't have any open beds at that 2400 hundred bed institution I would be housed at San Quentin prison near San Francisco. I would remain at that prison until there was an opening at the vocational facility, which was located near Tracy, California. So at 19 years old, an age when I knew everything, I found myself unceremoniously dumped in front of the huge gates at the front of San Quentin
All of this comes up today because for some reason I was asking myself what happened on September 5 and September 8 eight a number of years ago? And it took me a while to dredge up the fact that that's when I got sentenced and delivered to prison for the first time. But at the time, those are two dates I thought I would never forget because it was sort of traumatic to go to prison for the first time – and for such a minor offense as possession of a small amount of heroin.
Looking back at my life some 60+ years later I would have never dreamed that I have the life that I enjoy today. While it took me some 30 more years to get off of drugs and alcohol and out of the criminal justice system it somehow seems like it was all worth it. Of course a person can get a lot of education and build a business without having to be incarcerated or addicted to anything. But I was a person who always had a hardhead and like to do things my way. It was only until drugs and alcohol beat me down and put me on the streets that I finally surrendered.
I knew that if I didn't get sober and start living like other so-called normal people that I would end up either dead, in an institution, or back in prison. I chose the path of sobriety and recovery. And have never looked back. I had no expectations about what my life was gonna look like after I got clean and sober but things have turned out much better than I imagined.
Biting the Hand
TLC doesn't often have clients or volunteers stealing from us. Although there have been a few noteworthy exceptions.
I remember one time when I called the manager of our Las Vegas facility. It was on a Saturday morning and he hadn't reported any collections from the night before. So I called to ask him about it.
"Well," he said, "the reason I didn't call any collections in is because I have the collection bag sitting beside me in the bar where I'm having a beer. Plus I used some of the money to buy some crack and I'm about ready to go back and buy some more."
"Wait right there" I told him. "We're on our way." And after I hung up the phone I called my chief operating officer and told him we needed to make a quick flight to Las Vegas.. It was two more days before we found him. He didn't have any money left. But he did have our company pickup, which we took possession of.
Another time, a client stole one of our company vans and drove to California to visit Universal Studios. I think he also stole some of our money to to cover his expenses on the trip.
And the reason I bring this up is because we discovered, during an audit this week, that one of our volunteers had been stealing from us for about three years. Now not a lot of money was taken. But that isn't the point.
The point is that we run a recovery program. And one of the precepts of a recovery program is people learn to be honest and not steal or do other things that would cause them to want to relapse. When we first confronted this person about stealing from our business it was vigorously denied. The person claimed that it must've been a "memory lapse," or that they "forgot" to make an entry or pay for the personal items that were on the receipt.
In each of these cases we dealt with the clients with a great deal of compassion. In a couple of the cases we discharged them. Then let them back into the program later. In fact, today one of them has a position of great responsibility and handles a lot of money at times. He's turned out to be one of our most reliable volunteers. And we do this because we know that it takes addicts a while to get honest and to work a good program. And it might save their lives


I'm having a really, really bad week so far, so I just didn't feel like doing a Style Idol post last night (or this morning) ... I'm going to push it back until tomorrow, and then I'll do an outfit post on Thursday. Hopefully my mood will have improved by then. There's a chance I'll push it back one more day if I'm still down in the dumps tomorrow but I'll try not to.
I'm not going to whine about what's bothering me here (that's what my family is for lol) but I did want to just drop in and say "hi" and apologize for the delay in case anyone out there looks forward to my style idol posts(?) and missed it today. I promise I'll be back to my relatively chipper self in a few days.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Blue-Footed Booby Facts
Blue-Footed Booby Profile
With their brightly colored feet, blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) are one of the most easily recognizable birds on the planet.
They are marine birds that reside on islands of the Pacific Ocean. As migratory birds, they will move along the coasts of California, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru throughout the year.
Blue-Footed Booby Facts Overview
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical islands, marine coasts
Location: Central and South America
Size: 32 to 34 inches
Weight: 3 to 4 pounds
Color: Brown, white, blue
Diet: Fish, squid
Predators: Hawks
Top Speed: 90 kph (50 mph) diving speed
The striking blue color of their feet is due to pigments consumed through their diet. These pigments are called carotenoids and can be found in a variety of fish.
Groups of boobies are called flocks. Together, they will sleep at night on land and fly out to sea to feed. Typically, these birds feed on small fish, such as anchovies and sardines.
They are currently classified by the IUCN as a species of least concern due to their broad range and stable populations. However, blue-footed boobies are still affected by the growing effects of climate change and overfishing.
Interesting Blue-Footed Booby Facts
1. Their name is attributed to their defenseless and docile nature
It is believed that the name "boobies" was inspired by the Spanish term "bobo", which means stupid.
Blue-footed boobies are known to be quite passive and helpless when confronted by potential threats. 1
2. They can dive into the water from incredible heights
Blue-footed boobies plunge into ocean waters to snatch up prey. They will target large schools of fish and have been seen diving from heights of up to 80 feet in the air. 2
3. Females will choose their mates based on the color of their feet
To female boobies, the bluer a male's feet, the stronger and more fertile he is. Males will also examine the color of potential mates and use it to determine how suitable a partner they will be.
During the courtship phase, males will put on intricate displays of strutting forwards and backward to impress nearby onlookers.
4. Blue-footed boobies belong to a family of five other boobies
In addition to the blue-footed booby, there are also red-footed boobies, brown boobies, masked boobies, Nazca boobies, and Peruvian boobies.
Lots of boobies!
5. They are not born with blue feet
At birth, blue-footed booby chicks have extremely pale feet that are almost white in color. Over the next few weeks, they will gradually darken and acquire the characteristic blue shade.
6. They grow up fast
After hatching, parents will take care of their chicks for approximately two months. Subsequently, chicks are capable of hunting and living on their own.
7. Both parents take turns incubating eggs
Within a single breeding season, boobies will stay with one partner and work together to raise their nest. Females tend to lay two to three eggs each season. 3
8. There are huge advantages to hatching first
Of the two or three chicks that hatch, it is not uncommon for only one chick to make it to adulthood.
Often, the first chick that hatches is taken care of the most and receives the most attention from its parents.
9. Blue-footed boobies display sexual dimorphism
Female blue-footed boobies are, on average, 20 to 30 percent larger than males. 4
10. Chicks are not always raised in a traditional type of nest
Unlike other birds, boobies do not build conventional nests made of sticks and grass.
Rather, their nests are shallow hollows of earth. Parents do not leave their nests to defecate, and so, nests have white rings of excrement surrounding them.
11. There is evidence that suggests parents soil their eggs on purpose to veil them from predators
Freshly laid eggs are pale blue in color. They soon become white and easier to spot by predators close by. Studies have reported that to conceal them, parents will cover their eggs with dirt and excrement.
12. Despite living in groups, they are still quite territorial
Males in particular are quite protective over their nests.
They will parade around their small areas and wave their large feet around, indicating to other males that their patch of ground has been occupied.
13. The orientation of their eyes gives them binocular vision
The yellow eyes of blue-footed boobies face forwards, giving them binocular vision.
Their sharp eyesight helps them spot groups of fish in the dark waters below.
14. Their large feet are also used when raising young
Parents have been observed covering their chicks with their webbed feet to shield them from the cold.
15. They allow the vampire ground finch to suck their blood
The tiny vampire ground finch have been seen pecking at the skin of the blue-footed booby and 'milking' them for their blood.
They seem to do it during times of drought, and for some reason, the boobies don't seem to mind too much!
It's possible that this behaviour originated from a form of commensalism in which the ancestor of the vampire finch would pick off parasites from the boobie, and gradually evolved into cutting out the middle-man entirely. The finches then capitalised on an alternative food source!
16. Alphonse Milne-Edwards was the first person to describe them
It has been approximately 140 years since blue-footed boobies were first believed to be described by Alphonse Milne-Edwards.
He was a French ornithologist who had a passion for studying bird fossils and the deep sea.
17. They are in the children's book 'You're Called What?' by Kes Gray
The infamous and hilarious children's book is about silly, weird and fun amimal names, and the silly-named Blue-Footed Booby is one of the stars of the book, alongside the Monkeyface Prickleback and the Tasselled Wobbegong.
Blue-Footed Booby Fact-File Summary
Order: Suliformes
Family: Sulidae
Genus: Sula
Sula Nebouxii
"Booby". Brittanica.
"Blue-Footed Booby". National Geographic Kids.
"Blue-Footed Booby". Oceana.
"On Galapagos, Revealing the Blue-Footed Booby's True Colors". The New York Times.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package xyz.enhorse.fuds.dao;

import com.mongodb.ErrorCategory;
import com.mongodb.MongoWriteException;
import com.mongodb.client.MongoDatabase;
import com.mongodb.client.MongoCollection;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import sun.misc.BASE64Encoder;

import org.bson.Document;

import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
import java.security.MessageDigest;
import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
import java.util.Random;

import static com.mongodb.client.model.Filters.eq;

public class UsersDAO {
    private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(UsersDAO.class);

    private final MongoCollection<Document> users;
    private final ThreadLocal<Random> random = new ThreadLocal<>();

    public UsersDAO(final MongoDatabase database) {
        users = database.getCollection("users");
    }

    public boolean add(String username, String password) {
        boolean result = false;
        String passwordHash = encryptPassword(password, String.valueOf(getRandom().nextInt()));
        Document user = (new Document()).append("_id", username).append("password", passwordHash);
        try {
            users.insertOne(user);
            result = true;
        } catch (MongoWriteException e) {
            if (e.getError().getCategory().equals(ErrorCategory.DUPLICATE_KEY)) {
                LOGGER.info("Username already in use: " + username);
            } else {
                LOGGER.error(e.getMessage());
            }
        }
        return result;
    }

    public Document validate(String username, String password) {
        Document user;
        user = users.find(eq("_id", username)).first();
        if (user != null) {
            String hashedAndSalted = user.get("password").toString();
            String salt = hashedAndSalted.split(",")[1];
            if (!hashedAndSalted.equals(encryptPassword(password, salt))) {
                LOGGER.info("Submitted password is not a match");
                user = null;
            }
        }
        return user;
    }

    private static String encryptPassword(String password, String salt) {
        try {
            String saltedAndHashed = password + "," + salt;
            MessageDigest digest = MessageDigest.getInstance("MD5");
            digest.update(saltedAndHashed.getBytes());
            BASE64Encoder encoder = new BASE64Encoder();
            byte hashedBytes[] = (new String(digest.digest(), "UTF-8")).getBytes();
            return encoder.encode(hashedBytes) + "," + salt;
        } catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("MD5 is not available", e);
        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
            throw new RuntimeException("UTF-8 is not available", e);
        }
    }

    private Random getRandom() {
        Random result = random.get();
        if (result == null) {
            result = new Random();
            random.set(result);
        }
        return result;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Motorsport | April 18, 2017
Force India's Mallya arrested in London
Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya was been arrested by Scotland Yard on Tuesday morning on an extradition warrant.
Authorities in India want the business tycoon, claiming he owes an estimated £900million following the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines.
#vijaymallya #arrested #scotlandyard
A post shared by Just Troll Things ? (@just.troll.things) on Apr 18, 2017 at 3:47am PDT
Despite multiple injunctions, Mallya has failed to appear before the Indian courts.
Last April his diplomatic passport was revoked when a warrant for his arrest was issued.
As such, earlier this year, India sent a formal request for Mallya to be extradited to India.
He was arrested on Tuesday.
The Metropolitan Police said: "Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Extradition Unit have this morning, Tuesday 18 April arrested a man on an extraction warrant.
"Vijay Mallya, 61, was arrested on behalf of the Indian authorities in relation to accusations of fraud."
The statement added that he was taken into custody after attending a central London police station and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
It's a hot and breezy day in Bahrain as we begin the first day of testing! Alfonso Celis Jr. is in the car – his first venture out in the Pink Panthers – and we will bring you full coverage of the day here on Instagram! #pinkpanthers #forceindia #f1 #formula1 #bahraintest
A post shared by Sahara Force India F1 (@forceindiaf1) on Apr 17, 2017 at 11:11pm PDT
Enjoy the full experience of the 2017 FIA Formula One season on FOX Sports Play, where you can catch LIVE races from angles unseen before, exclusive interviews, behind the scenes, in-depth analysis and so much more. Don't miss it!
Home Motorsport Force India's Mallya arrested in London


text:
I Am Alive to go digital-only? Nope, just a "joke"
Warren Buchanan
To quote the great Krusty the Clown: "It's a joke. When you make that face, it's a joke." Ubisoft has gone on record to state that recent reports from JeuxVideo regarding I Am Alive's digital-only status were, in fact, a "joke", and that there is "nothing official to announce at this time".
The ruse was reported on Warpzone, a program on the French site where a source says they received the information from Jade Raymond, the Managing Director of Ubisoft Montreal. Of course, that was a bold-faced lie. "Obviously, anyone who has watched Warpzone immediately understood it was an unimportant joke," JeuxVideo explained rather condescendingly today. The action game, where your character must try and escape disaster by scrambling to survive, is a wonderful metaphor for this news piece.
About the author: Warren Buchanan


AetherMachines Inc. is an 'Ideas to Implementations' R&D company that provides 4 axis CNC milling for the electronics, drone, robotics, and mechatronics industries. We specialize in small to very small parts (12" or less in largest dimension) in aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, mild steel, some stainless steels, engineering plastics, G10, and carbon fiber sheets and extrusions. We can also provide single and double (1-2oz. Cu on FR4) sided bare prototype printed circuits (PCBs).


Paul, I'm striving to try and get to the next release, next weekend.
I believe that there may be 3 (or so) forum posts that I'd like to include before then as well. Anything not covered in this round, then they'll be added in a future release, of course. After this next one, I'd like to keep a quarterly release cycle, if possible.


text:
Brexit was 'made in England' and English identifiers played a key role in making it.To test these national identity effects further, we have developed a model of referendum vote intention that includes identity variables alongside others, including those highlighted elsewhere in post-referendum analysis, in particular variables that allow us to explore whether or not it was 'left-behind
One of the most debated political events during 2016 was the referendum regarding the United Kingdom's future in the European Union. Despite the many
Riskerna med Ladda ner dokument. Åtgärder som underlättar för brittiska medborgare i Sverige vid ett avtalslöst Brexit(pdf, 105.8 kB). Datum. 04 februari 2019. Departement. Ekonomiska konsekvenser av BREXIT – kort översikt.
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We also explain our objectives for the project and the limitations of the exercise. European Commission | Choose your language | Choisir une langue 2019-09-02 · Preparing for a no-deal Brexit Iain McIver, Iain Thom, Ross Burnside, Graeme Cook, Angus Evans, Anne Jepson, Alexa Morrison, Alan Rehfisch This briefing outlines some of the potential immediate impacts of a no-deal Brexit along with contingency planning for disruptions that may occur in the immediate days and weeks after EU exit. 4 | Brexit and Devolution Our ability to trade, travel, attract investment, determine policies, legislate, support our countryside, invest in our regions – all of these will be influenced by how we leave the EU. The UK which will leave the EU is not the same country which joined in 1973. At that time, the UK was 2019-01-24 · Brexit Dr Eve Hepburn This briefing provides an analysis of 'where we are now' on UK immigration policy in the countdown to Brexit, and its implications for Scotland. It gives an overview of the major decisions and reports relating to immigration made since the June 2016 referendum on leaving the EU, and examines proposals to create a Informera anställda om hur ledningen bedömer att Brexit kan påverka verksamheten, och inled om nödvändigt en dialog med fackliga företrädare.
This report looks at what the new prime minister will need to do in his first 100 days to prepare for no deal, 18 Octob- er 2019, where Brexit was on the agenda, efforts to bridge the gap between the new UK proposals and the EU position intensified. Following certain concessions from the UK government, the European Council was able to endorse a revised withdrawal deal on 17 October 2019, which contains a revised Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, BREXIT 3 shifted her feelings on the matter and began advocating for departing the organization (Nugent, 2018).
• weigh up what impact Brexit might have on their constituency • ultimately decide how to cast their vote. Recommendations 1. Make assumptions transparent. Assumptions made about the impact of Brexit on trade barriers, migration, investment and, in particular, productivity can have large effects on the estimates of the economic
A 'no deal' Brexit would have a significant impact on the science community. EU citizens who move to the UK after Brexit who do not hold Euro TLR will need mally known as Brexit, marked the end of the period of broad economic policy ://www.consilium.europa.eu/pressreleasespdf/2016/10/47244648662_en.pdf. *https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/taxation/files/notice-to-stakeholders- brexit-preferential-origin-final_en.pdf.
the relevant Brexit scenario (EEA, Customs Union, FTA or WTO). In order to assess the shorter-term impacts of Brexit, we also assess two short-term scenarios relative to a 2020 non-Brexit baseline. In addition, we have analysed Irish trade data, reviewed existing reports on Brexit, and conducted interviews with a broad range of stakeholders.
This paper, managed by the Policy Department on Economic and Scientific Policies for the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, assesses the likely impact of Brexit on EU27, together with some scenarios for … 2020-04-03 Brexit Industry Insights Logistics With the UK's default to leave the EU without a deal, there are a number of steps businesses in the logistics sector can take to prepare. The sector is likely to see a significant Brexit impact given its role in moving goods cross-border, and over the past few months businesses of Brexit. This Ibec report, with the support of Accenture, is central to this work. It sets out the potential implications of Brexit for companies, and proposes pragmatic steps that your business can take to assess the risks and prepare a response. I hope you find it to be an invaluable resource in trying to understand how Brexit may Preparing for Brexit Cambridge Econometrics 7 economy is still growing, but at a slower rate than if the UK remained in the Single Market and Customs Union).
Failure to Parliament and Brexit Introduction Anand Menon Never has there been such profound interest in Parliament as during the long, fraught process of the UK's exit from the EU. During the week of 7 January 2019, BBC Parliament achieved an average daily reach of 293,000, briefly surpassing even the numbers for MTV. What the process has meant for Parliament and what, if any, lessons this may hold Brexit can be traced back over many decades, and that such an historical analysis is vital if we are to understand how and why Brexit happened.
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STUDY . Abstract. This paper, managed by the Policy Department on Economic and Scientific Policies for the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, assesses the likely impact of Brexit on EU27, together with some scenarios for … 2020-04-03 Brexit Industry Insights Logistics With the UK's default to leave the EU without a deal, there are a number of steps businesses in the logistics sector can take to prepare.
(See chart on next page.) Some UK citi-zens, known as Brexit supporters, want the UK to leave the EU. Others, known as Remain supporters, want the UK to continue to be part of the EU. Voters in the United Kingdom had a chance to Brexit can be traced back over many decades, and that such an historical analysis is vital if we are to understand how and why Brexit happened. The decision to leave the EU is the most visible tip of an iceberg of long-term social, political Introduction: 'Brexit Means Brexit!' Or Does It? 3 Brexit is a momentous event in the history of the EU – but the process can only be fully appreciated through an interdisciplinary lens, which combines legal, political, economic and sociological analysis. By providing thought leadership on this topic, the DCU Brexit Institute is a resource for government, The economic costs and benefits of Brexit were hotly contested during the campaign. This debate generated at least as much heat as light.
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Brexit give rise to new risks to shareholder value, or change the scale and likelihood of existing risks? At the time of writing, fewer than half the FTSE100 make reference to the EU referendum in their most recent annual reports. Does this mean that companies did not 'pick -up' on Brexit risk, or
Brexit riskerar att HMA Procedures and Governance | pdf For the Permanent Secretariat Support due to Brexit please find the information prepared by the European Medicines Stay in Scotland after Brexit. • Following decisions by the UK Government the UK has now left the EU. • EU citizens* who are resident in the UK by 31 December Åtgärder för att mildra konsekvenserna på det sociala området vid ett avtalslöst brexit (pdf, 3 MB). Åtgärder för att mildra konsekvenserna på det sociala området EU efter Brexit. Den Europeiska unionen grundades på ruinerna från världen av i går.
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Information om patienters rätt till vård efter brexit (PDF) · Försäkringskassan om påverkan av brexit. Från den 1 februari 2020 utfärdar Storbritannien och
However, we believe there are many reasons why a drastic change to the UK aviation market would neither be in Europe nor global stakeholders' best interests.


Recently in Denmark, a woman attending my lecture shared that, as a result of her study and prayers in Christian Science, she no longer needs glasses. I invited her to write her story for this blog. Here find the experience of Eva Hansen, in her own words.
I give you my healing. I want to get it out – but very important is to praise God.
About ten years ago I had an operation by an ophthalmologist for cararact. After about four months I was supposed to get new glasses. They were very expensive. And could be used for normal sight and for reading, and could be worn all day. A few year later I dropped them and took them to my optician, who fixed them. So they looked fine.
I was then reading lots of Christian Science literature, and loved this religion. Every day I read a Danish translation of Irving C. Tomlinson´s remarks on "Perfection". The author wrote that when one understands perfection, the day will come when he can put his glasses aside. They will be unnecessary.
A few years later I no longer used glasses, nor do I today.
I am very grateful not to have to use glasses any more. When I used glasses and I was sewing I could not thread a yarn in a needle. But I can now. Those nice glasses got thrown out with unneeded trash.
I am also very grateful for guidance in finding my new apartment, and for a very harmonious move.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Eva. I am certain it will resonate with, and bless, many.
Michelle for encouraging your lecturer listener to share her fine healing and for sharing it with your readers.
It reminds me that I should think of wearing glasses as a temporary aid to seeing whilst working to improve my spiritual vision of God and the healing Christ.
Somebody else wrote me the same thing this morning, Betty. She looked up other testimonies and articles on dropping the need for glasses on www.http://jsh.christianscience.com/. Eva's deep desire to share couldn't go unanswered. She will be thrilled to know it is helpful to you.
What a wonderful healing! I am so grateful that you share it with us, dear Eva! I have been trying to find the "remarks on 'perfection' " of Irving C. Tomlinson, but I cannot find these. Would you be so kind and tell me where they can be found? Thank you very much.
I googled it and didn't find it. it may be from an old lecture translated into Danish. Perhaps another reader will know. You might do a jsonline search and see what comes up under his name.
I don't suppose their is anything particularly magic about those remarks. They are likely based on references in Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health to perfection, as Mr. Tomlinson was speaking/writing from that perspective.


Home Updates Mobility Lab: don't drivel; test!
Mobility Lab 2019 has started! After two successful editions in 2017 and 2018, Mobility Lab 2019 offers startups a new opportunity to test their innovative mobility solutions in practice.
Start-ups often don't have the opportunity to test their ideas and elaborate them in practice. At the same time, numerous government institutions and companies (our launching customers) are looking for innovative solutions for their mobility challenges. Mobility Lab brings these two parties together. Not only to talk, but also to effectively work out solutions.
Startups can now register on the website!


text:
Notes: Collinsworth's Super regret
INDIANAPOLIS — It was 30 years ago this Super Bowl and now that Cris Collinsworth is in the NBC booth instead of everyone's 22-year-old rookie of the year playing for the Bengals against the 49ers, he realizes the enormity of the loss in Super Bowl XVI.
He just has to look at the curious case of his quarterback that day in Detroit. The Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors sat down for their annual meeting here Saturday morning and with an announcement set for 5:30 p.m., it will begin another year of Ken Anderson's supporters making his case.
"That's the thing I feel the worst about," said Collinsworth, whose fumble was one of four Cincinnati turnovers. "The way we played in that game, he already would have been in the Hall of Fame if we didn't screw it up."
Collinsworth has been one of Anderson's most ardent supporters and has been a key figure in Cincinnatian David Kubicki's effort to get Anderson elected via the senior selection process. Their first shot on the senior ballot fell short this past August, but his new-look candidacy gained a lot of momentum among voters and the football world.
"When does he run out of chances? Collinsworth asked.
That's the beauty of the senior process. There is no 25-year limit like there is for the non-senior players. But only two seniors are nominated annually by a sub-committee of the 44 selectors that decided the fate Saturday of the 17 finalists.
"The upside is he could, in theory, come back 10 times, although that doesn't happen," said The Boston Herald's Ron Borges, a member of the nine-man committee that picks the two senior finalists.
"The downside is he'll have to wait awhile. We're about done with the guys from the '50s. Although there's no rule about it, we try to do it with some chronology in the theory everyone has had 25 years worth of opportunities in the regular process. If they start jumping the line, then it gets insane."
Lions guard Dick Stanfel and Steelers cornerback Jack Butler, this year's two senior candidates, didn't take a snap after 1959. Anderson, the only man to win back-to-back NFL passing titles in two different decades, rose to prominence during the mid '70s and early '80s.
"I'd be stunned if Anderson doesn't get in the room (for debate) from the seniors standpoint, but I'd be surprised if it's in the next couple of years because there are so many people," Borges said.
Borges, in his fifth decade covering the NFL, has taken note of Kubicki's campaign.
"A lot of people deserve credit for coming up with information that made people say, 'Hey, let's take a look at this guy,' '' Borges said. "I'm the patron saint of lost cause and losing players. He's one of those guys that didn't win the championship. Especially as a quarterback or coach, while it's not held against you, it's a big demerit."
MORE HALL: One of the longshots Saturday is a guy that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis broke into the NFL when he was the Steelers linebackers coach in the early 1990s. Kevin Greene had his best days when he left Pittsburgh, but Lewis thought enough of him to jump-start his coaching career when he invited Greene to the 2005 Bengals training camp.
The idea was that Greene, now the Packers linebackers coach, would work with first-round pick David Pollack as he began his transition from college end to NFL linebacker. But Pollack's three-week holdout scuttled the plan.
"What Kevin did as a rusher not many people have done it because he did it from the left side," Lewis said. "All those sacks and he averaged 10 sacks a year and a lot of them from the left side. That's a big accomplishment. A fine football player and everything about it. Deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."
The Cincinnati selector, The Enquirer's Joe Reedy, feared that the meeting would go past the 5:30 p.m. announcement. Borges, a voter for 10 years, has seen the selection process slowed but helped with more intense research.
"One guy went back and looked at every sack of Charles Haley's career," Borges said of one of Saturday's finalists. "The thinking was he got a lot of his sacks in the fourth quarter when his team had the lead. It turns out only a quarter of them came in the fourth quarter. But the guy had to a lot of research to come up with that. They weren't doing that in the '70s." The Bengals are hoping to get some end-of-year recognition Saturday for play in 2012 when the NFL airs its first Honors show at 9 p.m. on Cincinnati's Channel 5.


A man who was out walking his Maltese poodle in Durban was attacked by a pit bull that had apparently escaped from its yard.
Paramedic Ceron Meadows attends to Lambo, a Maltese poodle who was attacked, along with its owner, by a pit bull in Durban.
The incident took place at around 6pm on Thursday on Marine Drive on the Bluff, south of the city.
According to Rescue Care spokesman Garrith Jamieson, the man, in his 20s, sustained moderate injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
"Rescue Care paramedics arrived on the scene to find the man had sustained dog bites to his upper body. He was stabilised on the scene… before being transported to a nearby hospital," said Jamieson.
He added that paramedics were asked to assist with the Maltese poodle, named Lambo, who was also attacked.
Advanced Life Support paramedic Ceron Meadows and medic Rowan Scandroglio treated and dressed the dog's wounds.
SAPS were on the scene and will be investigating further.


text:
Massachusetts Among States To Get Fewer Doses Of Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Next Week
Filed Under:Coronavirus, Coronavirus Vaccine
BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts is among a number of states who say they've been told to expect fewer doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine next week.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Health told WBZ-TV the CDC informed them that the shipment of Pfizer's vaccine has been reduced to about 42,900 doses. That's down from the state's original order of nearly 60,000 doses.
"At this time, it's not clear to us why the shipment amounts have been adjusted," Gov. Charlie Baker said at a news conference Friday.
"We're certainly frustrated that we won't be receiving the amount that we expected in the first wave and are working to get clarity on what this means, why it happens and how that bump will be dealt with along the way."
Baker said people who have already received the vaccine will still get their second doses on schedule in about three weeks.
At the same news conference, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said Massachusetts was expecting 180,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine by the end of December, but now that number will be 145,000, about 20-percent less than expected.
Sudders says the shortage in expected doses could potentially cause a delay in getting vaccinations to first responders who are next in line for vaccinations after the elderly at long term care facilities.
No official explanation has been given but the White House downplayed the risk of delays while Pfizer said its production levels have not changed.
"Pfizer is not having any production issues with our COVID-19 vaccine, and no shipments containing the vaccine are on hold or delayed. This week, we successfully shipped all 2.9 million doses that we were asked to ship by the U.S. Government to the locations specified by them. We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses," the company said in a statement.
Gov Charlie Baker says the state has been informed about 20k fewer doses than expected in first vaccine shipment from Pfizer. Gov says they're "working to get clarity" on why & how it may affect the schedule. Says it could lead to slight, but not significant delay. #wbz pic.twitter.com/hQdC1hjMR2
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) December 18, 2020
Baker said he has a call with federal authorities next week and hopes to have more answers then.


text:
Home / News and What's On / PCYC Gladstone employee retires after 28 years
PCYC Gladstone employee retires after 28 years
The team at PCYC Gladstone recently said a sad farewell to long-serving team member Jose (Jo), who began working for the club in 1991.
For 28 years, Jo has been a familiar face known by all our members and has been an integral part of the PCYC Gladstone team.
Commencing as a cleaner/handyman and going onto take on different roles including bus driver, Jo's job roles with PCYC Gladstone evolved over the years. Throughout his career, many staff and Police Officers have come and gone at the club, and Jo still spoke of the good old Police Youth Club days.
Jo and his partner Eve were very involved in the early years with establishing the boxing club set up by Gary Cowburn and assisted with many fundraising events.
After 28 years, Jo has enjoyed the way PCYC Gladstone has changed, developed and grown and has been there to support the staff, programs and community throughout it all.
Jo was celebrated and presented with a certificate and gifts as a thank you for his many years of service and will be sorely missed by all at the PCYC Gladstone team who wish him well in his retirement.


text:
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
Parks › Massachusetts › Saugus Iron Works › Nature & Wildlife
Numerous species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles utilize the Saugus River and surrounding wetlands and riparian woodlands within Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site as an important refuge to thrive and reproduce. Some animals are seen for brief periods, while others make the historic site their home throughout the year.
During the spring, the red-winged blackbirds and mallards prepare their nests within the tall wetland grasses, while the barn swallows return to the Iron Works to begin raising a new generation. In early summer, the snapping turtles lay their eggs, while the muskrats playfully swim in the cool waters of the Saugus River. Great blue herons and black-crowned night herons perch atop the maples and hickories along the winding river in search of the elusive alewife as the Atlantic Ocean tide slowly moves upstream, inundating the wetlands.
As the summer slowly disappears for the year, spotted sandpipers can be seen hopping about the river mudflats while the barn swallows teach their young how to fly swiftly before their long journey south to warmer climates.
Each animal, as well as many others whose stories have yet to be told, is an important part of the complex ecosystem within Saugus Iron Works.
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site is the home of over 37 species of birds. The more common native bird species found here include the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), American robin (Turdus migratorius), gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia), common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), song sparrow (Melospiza melodia), northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), and red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). These bird species may be found in all three major habitat types within the historic site. These habitat types are broadly classified into landscaped areas, wetlands, and riparian woodlands.
Saugus Iron Works is also home to three species of non-native birds, including the rock dove or domestic pigeon (Columba livia), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and house sparrow (Passer domesticus). These bird species are native of the European continent.
Some of the native perching birds that spark the interest of park visitors include the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula), and American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis).
Many species of birds can be seen occasionally within the Saugus River, including the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), great blue heron (Ardea herodias), and belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon).
Saugus Iron Works also has two species of native woodpeckers: the downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) and northern flicker (Colaptes auratus).
Two species of amphibians have been seen at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, the green frog (Rana clamitans melanota) and the northern two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata bislineata). Although it is believed that the green frog does not actually breed within the historic site, this frog can be seen occasionally within the Saugus River wetland and the sluiceways of the Iron Works during the spring.
Unlike the green frog, the northern two-lined salamander has been observed breeding within Saugus Iron Works. These reclusive amphibians frequently seek shelter under logs, stones, and other objects near seeps, springs, and the Saugus River. It is within these sheltered areas that the female salamander lays her eggs.
Presently, three species of reptiles have been identified within Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, the eastern garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), the northern brown snake (Storeyia dekayi dekayi), and the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). These reptiles are pretty elusive and are able to camouflage themselves within the wetland areas bordering the Saugus River.
The eastern garter snake and the northern brown snake can be seen from early spring through summer and fall where they inhabit marshes, woodlands, hillsides, streams, and drainage ditches.
While the garter snake and brown snake can be seen over a long period of time through many seasons, the common snapping turtle makes its appearance for a very short time during the summer. During this period, female snapping turtles slowly emerge from the protective waters of the Saugus River, locate suitable nesting areas in gravel and sand, and lay between twenty and forty eggs before returning to the river. Many of the eggs are eaten by raccoons before the turtles have the chance to develop; however, the small turtles that do manage to survive quickly find their way back to the Saugus River, where they will mature and reach weights of up to 35 pounds. These turtles, in turn, will repeat the circle of life, ensuring the survival of the species for future generations.
At least nine species of native mammals have been observed within Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. The most common mammal found here is the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) where it can be seen daily throughout the year within the riparian woodlands and the landscaped areas surrounding the historic buildings. Two other mammals that are closely related to the eastern gray squirrel can also be seen within Saugus Iron Works, the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) and the woodchuck (Marmota monax).
Several species of mammals depend upon the Saugus River as an important habitat and food source. The muskrat (Ondatra zibethica), raccoon (Procyon lotor), and river otter (Lutra canadensis) can be occasionally seen within the river and surrounding marshes.
Other mammals that have been observed within Saugus Iron Works include deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), mink (Mustela vison), and bats (Chiroptera).
The Saugus River and its tributaries are home to many species of fish. Some are true freshwater species, such as redfin pickerel, white sucker, yellow perch, and bluegill. Other species may be found throughout the year in brackish water estuaries (mixture of freshwater and saltwater) , such as sticklebacks and mummichogs.
Several fish species spend a part of their lives in the ocean. The alewife, blueback herring, and rainbow smelt are anadromous fish. They swim up rivers and streams from saltwater to freshwater from late winter through spring to spawn. In the fall, young fish swim back to the ocean where they mature. The American eel is known as a catadromous fish. They spawn in oceans and their young migrate towards freshwater to feed and mature.
Alewives and other anadromous fish species were an important food source for Native Americans and early European settlers. Early fishermen built weirs or small dams in the river using nearby stones. These weirs helped fishermen capture alewives by the thousands. Fishing quickly grew as a profitable industry from the 17th century through the middle part of the 19th century. Fisherman caught and sold bass, shad, alewives, perch, smelt, and eels. There were so many fish in the river during this time that large quantities were collected in scoop nets. During the early part of the 19th century, fish were routinely caught on the "Cinder Banks" at the head of the tidewater of the Saugus River. The "Cinder Banks" area is now known as the slag pile, a primary feature of the historic landscape at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.
Within the last twenty years, two major fish inventories were conducted within Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. The first major inventory was completed by Hudsonia, an environmental research institute, in 1989. Hudsonia found four species of fish, including American eel (Anguilla rostrata), four-spine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). The second major fish inventory was conducted in 2004 by the University of Rhode Island. This study listed eleven species of fish. In addition to the four species previously surveyed by Hudsonia, the University of Rhode Island discovered alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans), redfin pickerel (Esox americana), three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), large mouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), white perch (Morone americana), and nine-spine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). The data provided by these surveys enables the National Park Service staff at Saugus Iron Works to better understand, manage, and protect the various fish species found within the Saugus River watershed.
Additional fish inventory and monitoring projects will continue in the near future. Beginning in the spring of 2005, the National Park Service will partner with the Saugus River Watershed Council, the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to conduct a rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) and American eel spawning survey within the river. This project will provide new smelt and eel population and habitat information to state and federal fisheries biologists.


Kochi, June 30: For cardamom farmers in Kerala reeling under fall in prices, high cost of labour and increased prices of fertilizers and pesticides, Spices Board has provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs.7.21 crore to more than 23,000 farmers from the Cardamom Development Fund Trust.
The crop loss, due to deficient rainfall and high temperature, is likely to be up to 20-25% and plant loss about 5-10% in Idukki district during the season 2016-17.
"The decision to provide financial assistance to 23,232 farmers was taken after making field observations and feedbacks obtained from individual farmers, farmers' associations and Spices Board officials. The erratic weather had severely affected the yield and plant loss of cardamom", said Dr A Jayathilak, Chairman, Spices Board.
The withering of leaves and leaf sheaths was observed in a large number of cardamom plants. In some extreme cases, even tillers and panicles had completely dried up in severely affected plantations, he pointed out.
The long dry spell from December 2015 to the first fortnight of May this year had adversely affected the cardamom plantations in Idukki district as this period is critical for the development of tillers and panicle initiation.
The impact of long dry spell may affect the production and productivity in the ensuing season and the fluctuating weather is not considered a favourable sign for the cardamom farmers.