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IssuesLocalPolitics
APC wants run-off postponed
March 21, 2018 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Mohamed N'fa Alie Conteh…buffeted by a campaign of calumny
A lawyer and member of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, has filed an action in the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone against the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Chief Returning Officer of the commission and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
Koroma, suing through his solicitor, Lansana Dumbuya, wants the apex court to grant him an interim injunction to restrain the electoral body from conducting the run-off election slated for March 27, pending the hearing and determination of his suit.
The plaintiff also wants the court to order the Auditor-General and/or any other competent/qualified persons/firm appointed by the court to conduct a forensic audit on the internal systems of NEC and prepare a report and make recommendations within a fortnight.
Koroma, who aspired to contest as a parliamentary candidate for the ruling APC in Port Loko district without success, also wants the court to direct NEC and Chief Electoral Officer, Mohamed N'fah Alie Conteh, to produce evidence of all registrants in each polling station, constituencies, districts and the list of actual voters at the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council elections conducted on March 7.
A legal commentator says the application is the latest bottleneck placed in the way of NEC and the Chief Electoral Commissioner to conduct free, fair and credible election.
It is not clear whether the court will hear the matter today, but with barely six days to a crucial run-off between the presidential candidate of the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the ruling APC, the case has a potential to plunge the country into a constitutional dilemma.
The ruling APC, at a presser last Saturday, made similar demands to NEC pending the crucial run-off. Secretary-General, Osman Yansanah had also written to the NEC boss reiterating those demands.
Meanwhile, the NEC boss has reiterated in a meeting held at State House on Monday that the commission would not allow any individual to interfere with their IT system, although he conceded that he would allow political parties to be represented by their IT professionals to monitor the system.
Previous articleChurch Leaders call on President Koroma to speak against Tribalism
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Tom Asher Gbandawa 21 March 2018	At	14:29
EBK is looking for trouble, if he interferes with the run- off election come March 27, 2018. As I have always said, and most of Sierra Leoneans of the 1970's of the student uprising knows, APC is a communist organisation. They will receive the mandate to rule by democratic means, but WILL NOT RELINQUISH POWER DEMOCRATICALLY. APC is not a democratic institution. The ONLY LANGUAGE APC UNDERSTANDS is the BARREL OF A GUN (May be an American AR15 should be given to all citizens to defend themselves). I am not agitating or insinuating a war, GOD forbid. History should hold APC responsible for the atrocities of the rebel movement on our beloved people and Country. They want to do the same thing again. Removing General Milton, the Army Chief of Staff and Mr. Munu, the Chief of Police was a precurser to EBK's evil plans to change the dynamics of the election in favor of the APC. It will backfire on him and I see him and the APC cohorts in the Pademba Road Prison, in Jesus Mighty Name.
Mr. Alie N'fa Conteh, please stay your course to stay neutral, fair, non- partisan, and do not beckon and allow to be intimidated by any political pressure from the APC tyrants, or other political parties. What ever happens good or bad during and after the run off, tomorrow posterity will hold you responsible and accountable. The Soul of our beloved Nation has been mortgaged to the Chinese imperialist. Our NATION will be Free and become great again.


2013 SQ5 TDI via Euro Delivery?
Who on this board is feeling sorry for the Americans?
Irgend jemand hier der Deutsch spricht?
Can anybody help me find an Audi commercial from last year?
Anyone know of an S2 avant FS in Sweden or northern Germany?
Is somebody knows something for Motodyne, Robert Hackstetter?
Can anyone recommend a good but inexpensive place for a family to stay in Frankfurt (Germany)?
From Canada: Looking for a B5 RS4. Where to start?


text:
from __future__ import division
import numpy as np
import math
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

s = np.array([[1,0],[0,1]])
print s.shape

#x = np.random.multivariate_normal([0,0],s)
points = []
for i in xrange(10000):
	x = np.random.multivariate_normal([0,0],s)
	points.append(x)
points = np.array(points)
print points.shape
xs = points[0]
ys = points[1]
plt.plot(xs,ys,".")
plt.show()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Bob Vila Tried, True, Trustworthy Home Advice
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How Preservationists Are Cooling 7 Historic Landmarks
The summer months can turn charming older homes into hot, sweaty, uncomfortable places. Installing central air would bring relief, but remodeling to accommodate ductwork would ruin much of what makes the home so special in the first place. It's a dilemma faced by preservationists, too. But in these 7 historic buildings, the teams in charge discovered that modern comfort doesn't have to mean sacrificing architectural integrity.
By Steven Fox
The Little White House, Key West, Florida
Though it was built in 1890, some years before his birth, it was Harry S. Truman who made the "Little White House" famous. In 1946, he established the home as his winter retreat. Nowadays, when it's not hosting government officials, the building serves as a museum. The recently installed Unico System protects the structure, its original furnishings, and its document collections from the tropical humidity—all while remaining virtually invisible due to its small-diameter, flexible ductwork that routes above ceilings and behind walls.
trumanlittlewhitehouse.com
Orrin Hoadley House, Branford, Connecticut
Dating back to 1736—decades before the signing of the Declaration of Independence—the Orrin Hoadley House has been standing longer than America has existed. Considering its age, the home has been beautifully preserved. After weighing all the options, the current owners chose the Unico System, primarily for its minimal impact on walls and ceilings, but also for its energy efficiency. Indeed, living in an old house doesn't have to mean living without the comforts of the modern world.
unicosystem.com
President Lincoln's Cottage, Washington, D.C.
Throughout the peak years of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln spent time off and on in what has become known as Lincoln's Cottage. Before opening it to the public, the National Trust for Historic Preservation spent years restoring the home to its appearance when Lincoln resided there. To be as respectful as possible of the historic building—and to avoid costly remodeling—the preservationists installed the Unico System, which operates quietly and stays out of sight.
lincolncottage.org
The Petersen House, Washington, D.C.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation chose the Unico System to keep visitors comfortable in this 19th-century Washington, D.C., row house. You don't recognize the place? This is where Abraham Lincoln died. He was carried here, to the Petersen House, after being shot in Ford's Theater across the street. Today, the building serves as a museum, with the Unico System providing all-season comfort through ducts that snake behind walls and underneath flooring.
The Hempstead House, Sands Point, New York
The stately Hempstead House has overlooked the Long Island Sound since 1912. In its heyday, when the mansion belonged to the Guggenheim family, the rooms were filled with countless European antiques and priceless paintings. Today, when it's not a filming location for TV shows and movies (Boardwalk Empire, Scent of a Woman), the 50,000-square-foot estate hosts special events. Recently, to replace an older, inefficient system, the Unico System was added to quietly and invisibly maintain a comfortable temperature in the portion of the building where wedding parties prepare prior to the ceremony.
Happy Days Lodge, Peninsula, Ohio
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in Ohio, the Happy Days Lodge now hosts weddings and other special events—but it didn't start out that way. The lodge was constructed in the 1930s under the New Deal by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Of course, the original builders had not accounted for temperature control, and even 21st-century HVAC mechanics thought there would be no way to heat and cool the building without undermining its character. Then they found the Unico System.
conservancyforcvnp.org
The Hemingway Home & Museum, Key West, Florida
Key West is famous for many reasons, not least of which is that Ernest Hemingway lived there for a prolific decade-long period of his career. Of course, people also know Key West for its humid tropical weather. So when the Hemingway Home & Museum installed the Unico System, it was for its low-impact design, but also for its special capabilities. Unico reduces humidity 30% more than traditional AC systems, and that helps keep utility bills low.
hemingwayhome.com
For More...
For more on HVAC and historic homes, consider:
Add Central AC to Your Old House—Without Erasing Its Charm
Small Duct, "Invisible" AC Cools Any Home, New or Old
10 National Trust Properties to Visit This Summer
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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THE ESTHER WILLIAMS BLOGATHON: Dangerous When Wet, 1953
Michaela at Love Letters to Old Hollywood is hosting a blogathon tribute to her adored Esther Williams. The Esther Williams Blogathon is running from August 7th to 9th. My contribution is this look at Dangerous When Wet, 1953. You can access the entries HERE.
The 1953 MGM release Dangerous When Wet falls is a "little" movie in the pantheon of Esther Williams' splashy and entertaining moneymakers for the studio during her unprecedented success. Dorothy Kingsley's (Angels in the Outfield, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) screenplay was the 6th of 7 she contributed to Esther's career, including Easy to Wed, the 1946 remake of Libeled Lady. Dangerous When Wet was directed by Esther's most felicitous director, talented Charles Walters.
Donna Corcoran, Barbara Whiting, William Demarest
Esther Williams, Charlotte Greenwood, Jack Carson
The focus on the family in the movie gives it a cozy and comfortable feeling. You want to revisit the clan. The Higgins family of Arkansas is led by physical fitness buff "Pa" played by William Demarest. Happily falling in line with daily calisthenics and swimming is "Ma" played by Charlotte Greenwood and the three girls. "Junior" is Donna Corcoran, who played young Esther as Annette Kellerman in Million Dollar Mermaid the previous year. Barbara Whiting, as is fitting for the sister of Margaret and daughter of composer Richard, is the singing sister Suzie.
Esther is the first-born, Katie Higgins. Katie is the best swimmer in the family. Katie is also obsessed with making their dairy farm the best in the state. However, prize stud bulls cost money they do not possess. Enter Jack Carson as traveling salesman Windy Weebe. He promotes something called Liquapep, a vitamin concoction with a healthy percentage of alcohol. He promotes the idea of having the Higgins family enter a contest to cross the English Channel sponsored by the awful tasting Liquapep. Aha! A way to get money for a prize stud bull has just presented itself, and the Higgins are on their way to England.
Denise Darcel, Jack Carson
Windy, it must be told, has a thing for Katie that doesn't get in the way of product promotion, and isn't returned by the recipient. Romantic entanglements make themselves known overseas in the presence of French swimmer Gigi played by Denise Darcel who casts her flirty eyes upon Windy.
Fernando Lamas
Katie gets mixed up, despite her best intentions, with a French champagne magnate played by Fernando Lamas. (We've gotten used to Hollywood's idea of an accent is an accent. No?) Not only does Andre have a yacht and look like Fernando Lamas, but he also sings like him as well. What's a girl to do?
All of this plays out in a light-hearted manner with music by Arthur Schwartz and Johnny Mercer. I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side is memorable and used copiously throughout. Ain't Nature Grand is a cute number shared by all the characters. I Like Men showcases Barbara Whiting. In My Wildest Dreams is the love ballad given to Fernando Lamas as an amorous octopus. Yes, an octopus.
Dangerous When Wet contains an animated dream sequence from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in place of one of the fantastical water ballets. In her dreams, Katie swims, confronts her concerns with Tom and Jerry, and an octopus with champagne and a long reach. Billy Daniels and Charles Walters contributed the choreography to this gloriously fun movie magic.
Trouble comes with poor weather delaying the competition and Katie learning that Pa has bet the farm so to speak, on their winning only to find out that he has been disqualified in all likelihood due to his age. Katie must go on alone and she must win. Here, with Jack Raine as the British radio announcer calling the race and the weather turning against the swimmers and some excellent cinematography from Harold Rosson (The Asphalt Jungle), the dramatic nature of the challenging race makes for an exciting and emotional sequence. There is one very cute laugh left for the end.
Lovely costumes from Helen Rose and attractive people to wear them, pleasant songs and dances, romance, and laughs. Our Esther, appropriately suited and swimming the studio's idea of the old Arkansas swimming hole, a glamorous swimming pool, the English Channel, and an animated world under the sea. You couldn't ask for more when filling the time slot for a charming Sunday matinee.
Of note:
Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas were married from December 31, 1969 to his passing on October 8, 1982.
Rich August 7, 2020 at 6:05 AM
I've seen the Tom & Jerry bit, of course, but not the rest of the movie. With a title like "Dangerous When Wet," it almost sounds like Williams doing film noir. What would that have been like?
Caftan Woman August 7, 2020 at 6:24 AM
I'm thinking you should let your imagination go with that noir idea and see where it leads. I don't believe you can copyright a title.
ESTHER WILLIAMS was in THE UNGUARDED MOMENT. JOHN SAXON was also in it. Later Esther became the stepmother of LORENZO LAMAS. Much later John was the onscreen dad to Lorenzo on FALCON CREST. Lorenzo played LANCE and John played TONY. Sadly, John died last month at the age of 83. I am a fan of John Saxon. I remember him from THE UNFORGIVEN with BURT LANCASTER. AUDREY HEPBURN, and AUDIE MURPHY. He guest starred on GUNSMOKE several times. He also worked with the adorable SANDRA DEE. John was a very talented actor.
Caftan Woman August 7, 2020 at 1:28 PM
The Unforgiven is one of my favourite John Saxon roles as well. His character should have been given more to do in that sprawling movie. The Reluctant Debutante is a very cute movie.
angelman66 August 8, 2020 at 10:11 AM
Has been a long time since I have seen this, now I must give another look. Pure escapism in glorious Technicolor peopled with good looking and talented performers! It's what I need right now! Thanks, Miss Paddy Lee!
We're lucky. When we know what we need, we know where to find it!
Kristen August 8, 2020 at 10:28 AM
Great post! This is one of her movies I haven't seen, but I'm adding it to my list now!
A thoroughly enjoyable movie with a terrific cast.
Michaela August 8, 2020 at 3:15 PM
This is my favorite Esther movie for all of the reasons you mention. It's adorable, romantic, and surprisingly emotional. I can't help but tear up every time an exhausted Katie looks at Pa's pleading face and pushes herself to complete the race.
Thanks for bringing this wonderful review to my blogathon!
Thank you for hosting, and for the kind words.
I get totally caught up in that race and how Katie pushes herself. And only a couple of scenes earlier I was forgetting all care while Charlotte Greenwood danced.
J-Dub August 9, 2020 at 8:49 AM
Did anybody else notice that in both this movie and "Take Me Out To The Ball Game," she plays a character named "Higgins?"
I didn't. But I haven't seen "Ball Game" in quite a while. A little googling reveals that the name's origin is from Old Norse for "sea rover." I wonder if that influenced Dorothy Kingsley or any of the writers at the MGM.
grandoldmovies August 9, 2020 at 7:53 PM
This is SUCH a cute film, and I love the physical fitness theme in it and how the whole family participates. You have to wonder: Why weren't William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood ever paired before in a movie? They seemed so perfect for each other!
Caftan Woman August 10, 2020 at 4:38 AM
It's true. Greenwood and Demarest made a great pair with the comedy and with the music. MGM didn't know what they had found!
Rebecca Deniston August 25, 2020 at 10:39 PM
This movie is so much fun, and it's a totally natural part for Esther. I like the part where she gets drunk on that Liquipep stuff.
Caftan Woman September 14, 2020 at 12:09 PM
Such a cute movie and Esther handled everything they threw at her with such apparent ease.
MOVIE ROB's GENRE GRANDEUR FOR AUGUST: Medical Dramas
THE 5TH WONDERFUL INGRID BERGMAN BLOGATHON: Indisc...
THE FOURTH VAN JOHNSON BLOGATHON: 23 Paces to Bake...
LEGENDS OF WESTERN CINEMA WEEK: The Big Valley, Th...
LEGENDS OF WESTERN CINEMA WEEK: Wagon Train - The ...
LEGENDS OF WESTERN CINEMA WEEK: The Barbara Stanwy...
LEGENDS OF WESTERN CINEMA WEEK: THE TAG
ALFRED HITCHCOCK BLOGATHON: Alfred Hitchcock Prese...
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CAFTAN WOMAN'S CHOICE: ONE FOR AUGUST ON TCM


Virgo is such a large constellation, both in size and number of objects, that it is hard to figure out where to go or where even to start. This month I will cover some galaxies that appear in pairs or groups. To me, these multiple galaxies are very impressive and interesting, even if the galaxies themselves are so so. Note that the coordinates are given only for one object.
Try not to get lost and have fun rambling through Virgo. (Note that I have dropped the NGC prefix in order to save a little space and make it a little easier to read).
4206 and 4216 (12h15.9 +13 09) 4216 is the dominant galaxy in this duo. It is pretty bright, large, somewhat brighter in the middle, possibly contains a non-stellar nucleus. Using averted vision makes the somewhat faint halo grow, and no matter how you look at it, it is extremely elongated NE/SW. There are some stars or stellarings near the nucleus that come out once in a while, and some mottling is suspected in middle. To the WSW is 4206. It is a fainter twin, with the elongation NE/SW, the same as 4216. The galaxy is pretty faint, large, extremely elongated, and slightly brighter in the middle. You really need to use averted vision to bring it out. This is a very nice pair, I would describe the fainter one as a ghost or reflection of the brighter one.
4273 and 4281, also 4270 and 4268 (12h20.4 +05 24) 4281 is the brightest of this group, which I saw as a little bright, pretty small, elongated 2:1 E/W, and containing a very faint halo which slowly brightens to a brighter middle and a sub-stellar nucleus. There is a possible star close to the nucleus. 4273 is somewhat faint, pretty small, with uncertain elongation. A very faint halo slightly brightens up to the middle, but no nucleus was seen. Averted vision helps bring out the halo. 4270 is pretty faint, pretty small, with uncertain elongation. Occasionally I could see a stellar nucleus in a very slightly brighter middle. 4269 was only suspected as a stellar spot with a very faint and pretty small haze.
4374 (M-84), 4388, and 4406 (M-86), also 4387 and 4402 (12h26.3 +12 57) This group of the primary three galaxies, which includes 2 Messier objects, forms what I refer to as the Virgo Triangle. I have always considered this as one of the most impressive galaxy formation in the constellation, and it is the beginning of the Markarian Chain. Centered nicely in this triangle is the small galaxy 4387. Using a little imagination, one can make out a sort of a face, with M-84 and M-86 forming the eyes, 4387 forming the nose, 4388 forming an expressionless mouth, and 4402 forming an eyebrow (the other eyebrow must have been burnt off or something). Take some time enjoying this unique grouping in the sky.
4435 and 4438 (12h27.7 +13 05) 4435 is pretty bright, somewhat large, and has a slightly brighter middle which suddenly brightens up to a non-stellar nucleus. The halo is somewhat faint, with suspected mottling seen and a possible spiral structure. It is slightly elongated NNE/SSW. To the SSE is 4438 which is pretty bright, pretty large, and elongated N/S. There is no structure seen, although the N side is slightly brighter than S side.
4476, 4478, and 4486 (12h30.9 +12 24). Here is another grouping around an Messier object. M-87, (4486) was seen as pretty bright, pretty big, with a halo that smoothly brightens up to the middle, without a nucleus. It was round with no structure at all. To the SSW is 4478, pretty small, somewhat faint, round, with a much brighter middle and a non-stellar nucleus which is not at all prominent. Finally to the W is 4476, the faintest of the group. It is very faint and slightly brighter in the middle. Other than this, I could see no detail.
4550 and 4551 (12h35.6 +12 14) These two galaxies form a nice pair. I saw 4550 as somewhat faint, pretty small, and very elongated N/S, a very thin galaxy. It was somewhat brighter middle, and contained a stellar nucleus. On the other hand, 4551 was seen as round, somewhat faint, pretty small, somewhat brighter in the middle, but with no nucleus seen.
4564, 4567, and 4568 (12h36.5 +11 27) Here is a trio with two galaxies interacting. 4564 is the lone galaxy, somewhat bright, somewhat small, and elongated 2:1 ENE/WSW. The middle is somewhat brighter and contains a stellar nucleus. 4567 and 4568 are known as the Siamese Twins. They are a pair with 4567 being the portion to the N. They are an elongated spot about 2:1 N/S, somewhat faint, pretty large, with a notch in the middle. There are 2 slightly brighter spots forming the middle of each galaxy, and some mottling is suspected.
4638, 4647, and 4649 (12h43.7 +11 34). Here we have two galaxies surrounding M-60 (4649) M-60 is somewhat bright, somewhat large, and is first gradually then suddenly much brighter in the middle, but with no nucleus. It may be elongated N/S, and the middle may be offset to the E. To the N is 4647. It's halo is about as bright as M-60, but is lacking the bright middle. Finally, 4638 is somewhat faint, somewhat small, with a little brightening toward the middle and a pretty bright non-stellar nucleus. There is a possible second bright spot.
4666 and 4668 (12h45.2 -00 27) 4666 is a nice edge on galaxy, seen as pretty bright, pretty big, extremely elongated NNE/SSW, and a bright elongated middle. I suspected seeing a dust lane through the middle, but it was uncertain. To the SE is a nice grouping of 3 stars along with 4668. It is very faint, pretty small, little brighter towards the middle. I really needed to use averted vision to see much of this one.
4754 and 4762 (12h53.0 +11 14) 4762 is the main galaxy here, it is pretty bright, somewhat large, and elongated 5:1 NE/SW. There is a gradually brighter middle with an occasional stellar nucleus. The galaxy is framed nicely between stars on the E and W, with a faint star to the S. The companion, 4754, is pretty bright, somewhat small, and round. It has a brighter middle with a stellar nucleus. This galaxy forms the third `star' of 3 in a row.
5363 and 5364 (13h56.2 +05 16) These observations were taken on a windy night, which shook the scope enough to obliterate some of the details. 5363 is very bright, pretty small, round, with a much brighter middle, but I was unable to tell if there is a nucleus due to the wind. Some mottling was suspected, and there is a star to the E which does not interfere with the observations but makes it easy to locate. To the SW is 5364, which is somewhat bright, pretty large and a little brighter in the middle. Using averted vision definitely helps halo grow. This is a nice area with both galaxies. There are several other galaxies in this area, they are just on threshold of vision. It shows up as a lumpiness in the background, but without any real detection.
5574 and 5576 (14h21.1 +03 16) 5576 is a little bright, somewhat small, round, much brighter in the middle, and contains a non-stellar nucleus. To the W is a faint star. Using averted vision helps bring out the faint halo. 5574 is pretty faint, pretty small, slightly brighter in the middle, and possibly elongated N/S. These galaxies remind me of a small and faint version of M-51 and its companion.


text:
by Mike Ingram
in Features • 08/15/2016
This year I made a resolution to bike through the winter. Usually by January I've traded in my bike for public transportation and taxis, but I always feel biking's absence from my life. It's not just the exercise. In winter it's too easy to spend your days shuffling tiredly between dark and dark. It's too easy to hibernate, to let your life shrink down until you could live it on the tip of a pencil.
I bought my first bike — as an adult, I mean — at age 30, on something of a whim. I was in the midst of a protracted breakup, and I needed a little fun in my life. At first I only cruised around Philadelphia on weekends, or took slow rides on a path by the river, though soon enough I found myself biking to work. I found myself biking to run errands and to meet friends at bars and restaurants. Within a year I'd gotten rid of my car.
I always tell people I don't believe in resolutions, but each year I find myself making a few anyway. I always tell people I don't care about birthdays, but I recently turned 39, and it feels like a big one.
My 30s, it occurs to me, have been my decade of biking. They've also been my decade of dating. You're probably supposed to date in your 20s, but in my 20s I had girlfriends, women I met through work, or school, or friends of friends. Usually we knew each other a while first, so when we decided to be together we were just together: an all-or-nothing proposition. In between these relationships I tended to feel unmoored, and vaguely nervous I'd never meet anyone else, though on some level I must have recognized that this fear, like so many other fears, was absurd.
I'm not suggesting any particular biking-dating correlation. These are just the facts of my life, the way these facts have arranged themselves. In my 20s I drove a car and had a problem with serial monogamy, and in my 30s I've ridden a bike and gone on dates. Many, many dates. Mostly with women I met on the internet. First dates and second dates and third dates and sometimes, though far less often, fourth and fifth dates. After which, in my experience, you stop counting.
The most important piece of equipment for winter biking is a good pair of gloves. You'd be surprised how many lousy gloves exist in the world. Gloves that fail to break the wind, that leave you wondering if you'll ever feel your fingertips again.
My daily commute is about a half-hour each way, which isn't so bad, though it takes real motivation to get started. I can hear the wind whipping against my apartment's windows. The sky is a patchwork of grays. It's only a ten-minute walk to the subway: I could listen to music, read a book.
Though after a few minutes on my bike the blood starts to flow. Once I hit the traffic of Center City my adrenaline starts to flow, too. For the last couple miles, once I've cleared the convention center and Reading Terminal Market, the road widens and traffic thins and I can build up speed, pumping my legs, pushing myself. By the time I arrive at work I always feel refreshed, energized, though by the next morning I will have forgotten that feeling and once again it will require a concerted effort to remind myself. There's a lesson in that, I'm sure — in both the forgetting and the remembering — though I suppose there's a lesson in everything if what you're looking for are lessons.
The first woman I met online, her old apartment is on my route to work, and I sometimes think of her when I bike past. I have mostly fond memories of the couple months we spent together. I remember that we sometimes shared a late-night cigarette on her fire escape. I remember the perpetually damp swimsuit that hung on the back of her bathroom door, and the New York Times "Modern Love" column pinned to her refrigerator. I remember that she saw an analyst — that was the word she used, the first time I'd heard it outside of Woody Allen movies — and they sometimes spent an entire session decoding her dreams, which sounded to me like a delightful indulgence.
On our second date, we were eating dinner when it started to snow, and it was still snowing maybe 30 minutes later when we kissed in front of City Hall. Later still, both of us back in our respective beds, we exchanged a series of emails, recapping the date, putting off sleep.
It snowed a lot that winter, and I hardly biked at all. I remember feeling anxious a lot. One Saturday we went to a matinee, and I spent the whole movie worrying over my stomach, which was tying itself into increasingly elaborate knots. I felt better once the movie was over and we were back outside, and better still after a couple drinks, though I had to fake my way through our discussion of the film, which had something to do with French schoolchildren. When I described the cinematography as "claustrophobic," she gave me an odd look.
She's married now, and lives in London. The internet makes it far too easy to learn these things. She still takes artsy photos and posts them to her Flickr feed. She looks happy, healthy. "You don't have to apologize," she said, at the end of things. "I could tell, even from the beginning, you weren't totally over your ex."
The key to uncluttering your mind isn't stillness, but motion. This is why people take walks to clear their heads. It's why people run. It's not why I started biking, but it's one of the main reasons I've continued.
Not that you can ever clear your head entirely. There are always stray song lyrics in there. Conversations with ex-girlfriends. In books about meditation you're told to picture your mind as a conveyor belt: a thought appears, you consider it, and then you pull the lever to whisk it away. But my mind is more like a lazy Susan, the same thoughts circling past again and again. It's like one of those dim sum places where the waiter keeps wheeling over the cart of Americanized Chinese food — General Tso's, pork lo mein — when what you really want is whatever that table in the corner is having. Are those soup dumplings?
I tried, just now, to estimate how many first dates I've been on in my 30s, but I don't even know where to start with that math. This isn't bragging, believe me. One of the most important lessons of online dating is that it's best to meet up with someone fairly quickly, rather than waste a bunch of time sending long-winded messages back and forth. There are too many things you can't know until you're sitting across from each other.
My friend Colleen says "first date" is the wrong term, actually, that instead we should call it "date zero." You meet for coffee or a couple beers. You make small talk and try to keep it from feeling too much like a job interview. If you both clear each others' hurdles, you make plans to get together for a real date.
Colleen and I had a pretty good date zero. This was seven or eight months ago. Then we had a really good first date, and a second, and a third and a fourth and a fifth. We went for drinks, and then dinner, and then more drinks. We went bowling. She laughed at my stupid jokes. We saw the movie Brooklyn, and we held hands for the last ten minutes. And then, rather suddenly, I felt the air go out of things. This happens sometimes. A feeling like something's missing, like you've taken it as far as it'll go.
It becomes a familiar checkpoint: a month, or six weeks, the amount of time it takes to start really getting to know a person, to see their habits and quirks and flaws, and for them to start noticing yours. It's the real moment of decision, more so than when you sent an initial message, or responded to theirs, or when you asked them out on a second date, or when you kissed on a street corner or took each other to bed. Soon, you'll need to have a talk about where things are going. You'll need to delete your online profile, or at least temporarily disable it.
I could tell you all the reasons I didn't see that happening with Colleen, and I could tell you the reasons I didn't see it happening with several other women, and these reasons, taken in isolation, would sound reasonable enough. When it's happened in the reverse, when someone has decided I'm not such a great match after all, that she'd rather keep looking, I've tended to think: fair enough.
But taken together, it's hard not to start seeing some patterns. A reasonable person might scan the last decade of my dating history and ask: Well, what exactly are you looking for, anyway?
Reasonable people have asked, including an ex-girlfriend, a few weeks ago. We'd met for coffee in my neighborhood. She'd just come from a rock-climbing gym, and she kept apologizing about sweating. The subtext to her question was that I don't know what I want. Or that I want something which doesn't exist. I know she thinks I have unrealistic expectations for love. To her mind, a relationship is a logical undertaking, especially at our age. You decide what's important to you, weigh the pros and cons, and then you commit to building a life together. She's always been more pragmatic than I am, which I admire, though when we were together it sometimes drove me nuts.
We met online, several years ago. On our first date we drank expensive cocktails and ate tater tots, and at the end of the night she said, "Well, I guess I'll see you around." Later, I had to explain why that hadn't filled me with hope for a second date.
Sorry, this was supposed to be about biking.
My first bike, at age 30, was a vintage three-speed cruiser with pedal brakes. It got stolen two years later, but I'd been looking to upgrade anyway to something faster. I bought an old Schwinn Sprint off craigslist, and it's been my bike ever since. Over the past seven years I've replaced the brakes, the seat, the chain (at least twice), the rear derailleur, the tires, and both wheels. I've ridden it to work, and to run errands, and to meet dates at restaurants and bars. A couple years ago, with an ex, I rode it out to Valley Forge and back — 50 miles. A couple weeks later I strapped it to her car rack for a weekend in the Poconos.
Two bikes in nine years. There's probably a joke in there about commitment.
My 30s have been a lot different than I expected. That I've spent nearly all of them in Philadelphia might be the biggest surprise. I moved here at 29 with a woman I'd met in grad school, a woman I thought I'd marry. When people asked why we chose this city, I'd sometimes tell them it was a compromise, one in which we could both be equally miserable. This was meant to be a joke, but I can see now it was never very funny.
For that first year, Philadelphia struck me as an angry city. A difficult place to live. I was teaching part-time at two colleges, and trying to maintain enough freelance work to pay the bills. My girlfriend was teaching Special Ed. math at one of the city's toughest, and most neglected, high schools. At night, we barely had the energy to talk to each other.
She was from New York, and she never learned to ride a bike. I tried to teach her once. We were visiting my parents in Florida. I ran alongside her, one hand on her back and the other on the frame. But each time I let go she'd start wobbling. "I don't like this," she kept saying. "I don't like this one bit."
If you do enough online dating, you start to develop deal-breakers. You get better at spotting red flags. If someone's favorite author is Ayn Rand. If she describes her musical preferences as "anything but rap." If she's wearing a bikini in her profile picture, or a pink Philadelphia Eagles hat. If she's really into Crossfit. If she talks too much about her ex, or her close personal relationship with Jesus.
Though you also worry sometimes you're being too picky, or picky about the wrong sorts of things. Each profile presents a tiny identity crisis. Is the heavily tattooed environmental lawyer too cool for you? If you dated a kindergarten teacher, would you have to start going to bed early, and would your eventual home be littered with art supplies? When someone says they enjoy camping, or rock climbing, do they mean in theory or in practice?
It can start to feel like shopping for shoes. Suddenly you have 15 browser tabs open. You're squinting at people's pictures and trying to imagine the two of you into various scenes: dive bar, work function, weekend getaway.
A few weeks ago, a woman in a white Mustang swerved into the bike lane and almost hit me. I yelled, and smacked her car with my palm, because it was clear she had no idea I was there. At the next light, she rolled her window down and demanded to know what my problem was.
"You almost swerved into me," I said.
"You almost swerved into me," she said.
This statement was so baffling I didn't know how to respond right away. "You do realize," I said finally, "that you're literally in the bike lane right now?"
"Whatever, faggot," she said, and then she rolled her window back up. I took a picture of her license plate with my phone, in case she hit me later, either accidentally or on purpose.
I've only been hit by a car once, and I was jogging, not biking. A turning SUV didn't see me in the crosswalk. I went up onto its hood and then into the air, like a cartoon character, before landing on my back near the curb. The driver was very apologetic. A woman in scrubs who'd been walking home from work offered me her water bottle. I remember thinking she was cute. "I guess this means I don't have to jog the rest of the way home," I said.
Later, the woman I was dating administered a quiz from the internet to make sure I wasn't concussed. A couple weeks after that, she told me she'd met someone else. She seemed surprised by my surprise.
"I thought you took your profile down," I said.
"I mean you're a nice guy," she said. "But we're pretty different, aren't we?"
"You didn't take your profile down?"
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again she looked disappointed to find I was still there. "In the final analysis," she said, "I think I need to be with someone a little — I don't know — happier?"
My decade of biking. My decade of dating. My decade of Philadelphia. In the early part of my 30s I felt as if the narrative of my life had jumped the tracks. I was single again, and living alone in a city I didn't like all that much. I was having panic attacks, though I didn't yet know that's what they were.
It would be an oversimplification to say that biking saved me. What saved me was talk therapy and anti-depressants, though biking helped, especially when I decided, after a year, that I didn't want to take the anti-depressants anymore. I learned to crave the adrenaline rush of city biking. I began to see my anxiety as a ball of nervous energy that lived in my gut and had to be exhausted again each day.
Online dating helped, too, at least up to a point. It forced me out of my apartment, curbed my instinct for hibernation. And it was nice to be reminded that I could sit across from a relative stranger and make conversation. That I could make someone laugh. That I could occasionally be charming enough to earn a second date. In my 20s I'd often stuck around in so-so relationships because I couldn't envision something better, and online dating is all about helping you envision something better.
Though that can be the danger, too: the illusion of infinite choice. There's always another profile to click on, another first date to try. And on a computer screen, your matches aren't yet real people, but only the ideas of people. Potential energy.
Actually, the real danger of online dating is that this illusion isn't entirely an illusion. You could probably spend the rest of your life going on first and second and third dates. You could spend the rest of your life waiting for something different to happen.
A few weeks ago, my mother was telling me about a specialist she'd seen for what's become a chronic swallowing problem. "He was so young," she said. "He was probably your age."
"Mom, 39 is a totally normal age for a doctor," I said. "Plenty of doctors are 39."
After I said that I felt sort of lousy, like maybe I'd forced my mother to think about something she didn't want to think about. Though she's never been particularly sensitive about aging. A few years ago, she and my dad adopted a dog, after their old dog had died. "Well," she said. "I guess this will probably be my last dog."
When I was in my 20s, my mom thought I should date more often. "Like actual dates," she'd say. "What happened to meeting new people? Keeping your options open?"
She doesn't say that anymore, though she still has plenty of opinions about my love life.
A few years ago, she left me a voicemail to say that when she died, she didn't want me to sell all her jewelry. I called her back, worried something terrible had happened, but it turned out she and my dad had just met with a lawyer to have their wills drawn up, something they'd been meaning to do for years. The lawyer told them since I was an only child, as long as they trusted my judgment they didn't need to itemize.
"I know you're single now," my mother said. "But you might still get married one day. And I always thought your wife might want some of my jewelry." She laughed. "Unless you marry someone awful, in which case I'm giving it all to your cousins."
I always tell people I don't believe in resolutions because I know the failure rate. All those gym memberships going unused by Valentine's Day. The scale pushed back under the bed. The quinoa and lentils pushed to the back of the cupboard. But what's the other option? So much of life, it seems to me — or maybe just my life, because I shouldn't generalize about other people — is a struggle between cynicism and hope, optimism and realism, what I want and what it's fair to expect.
I managed to stick to my winter biking resolution this year, though I did skip one day, after a blizzard dropped 22 inches of snow on Philadelphia. You can't plan for everything.
I made a couple other resolutions this year, too, though for now I'm keeping those to myself.
A couple months ago I was in bed with a woman and we were talking about our histories with pets, which is the kind of thing that passes for pillow talk in your late 30s. I told her I liked dogs, but that if we were being honest I was really more of a cat person.
Sometimes, in the dark, you can actually hear someone making a face.
"Cats and I get along," I said. "We have an understanding."
"So," she said. "Does that mean you're kind of moody and aloof?"
I laughed, because we were still at the stage where these conversations were meant to be funny. "Sometimes?" I said. "I'm working on it."
A week or so later we had one of those five-week talks. We agreed that while we had fun together, we didn't really see a long-term potential. We were drinking wine during this conversation, and at the end of it we hugged. It was almost disturbingly good-natured. We wished each other luck, and promised to keep in touch.
On the bike ride home, I thought about taking a break from online dating. It can start to feel like a part-time job, and it's exhausting in other ways, too: an accumulation of tiny failures. Without it, I could spend more time with my friends. I could work on meeting people in the old-fashioned ways, if I could still remember what those were.
I thought about Philadelphia, a city that's begun, finally, to feel like home. I thought about how different my life is at 39 than any life I ever could've imagined for myself, and I thought about how much I like that life: another surprise. I thought about happiness, how just like unhappiness it can sneak up on you, catch you unawares. You know it's been a gradual process, something you've had to work for, but when it washes over you it feels like a sudden, unexpected gift.
Like spring, which was suddenly right around the corner. I realized that I'd forgotten to put on my gloves, back at the bar, and I realized simultaneously that I no longer needed them. •
Images courtesy of the Henk Sijgers, Karen Christine Hibbard, Serena Washington, abefetterman, Seth Werkheiser, Scott Morris, scsmith4 and Dylan T. Moore via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Mike Ingram is a founding editor of Barrelhouse Magazine and co-host of the weekly Book Fight! podcast. You can follow him on twitter at mikeingram00
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Cheney Is an Oaf on Conservation
May 21, 2001 Issue
His considerable portfolio reflects his identity as a Texas oilman and a friend to oil-rich Saudis.
By Robert Scheer
Why beat around the Bush? Surrogate President Dick Cheney is behaving like an oil-guzzling, intellectually irresponsible, anti-environmental oaf.
How else to define one who summarily dismisses the promising advances made in energy conservation while urging the more rapid depletion of fossil fuel resources and construction of nuclear power plants?
Cheney is a mouthpiece for energy companies like Halliburton, his former employer, which paid him $36 million in his last year of brief service as its CEO in a field he previously knew nothing about. But the company, which prospers when new power plants are built, got its money's worth when President Bush added "energy policy czar" to Cheney's extensive White House portfolio, leaving the president ample time to greet Little League teams.
Ever grateful to the oil bigwigs who made him financially whole while lavishly supporting the GOP ticket, Cheney barely took up his new civic responsibility before launching a war on energy conservation. In his words, the commitment to conservation, endorsed by a long line of presidents of both parties, was valuable primarily as therapy for tree-huggers: "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy."
Nonsense. Conservation works, and according to the latest government studies–pointedly ignored by Cheney–it could be a major factor in staving off any future energy crisis.
As the New York Times reported in its lead story Sunday, "Scientists at the country's national laboratories have projected enormous energy savings if the government takes aggressive steps to encourage energy conservation in homes, factories, offices, appliances, cars and power plants."
The three-year studies by the five national science laboratories undermine Cheney's shrill insistence that the country must pop for a huge new polluting power plant every week for the next two decades, lest our homes and factories go dark. The studies concluded that a government-led conservation program could cut growth in energy consumption almost in half, using proven technology already tested and in place.
Such technology is already saving energy and money at Cheney's official residence at the Naval Observatory and at President Bush's new ranch in Crawford, Texas. Inexplicably, what's good for them isn't good enough for the rest of the country.
To ignore scientific breakthroughs on energy conservation is to lie to the American people about the dimensions of the problem. This is not leadership; this is fear-mongering that withholds from the American public sound scientific information in order to justify eviscerating conservation policy.
Indeed, the administration's 2002 budget kills much of President Clinton's program to improve energy efficiency in building construction, heating and appliances, savings that would have obviated the need for an estimated 170 new power plants.
Cheney chose to attack conservation at the very time when California embarked on a major plan to end its electricity shortage through lowering consumer demand–a shortage that Cheney irresponsibly blames on environmentalists who were insisting on pollution controls.
California's crisis is being created by the price-gouging of mostly out-of-state energy suppliers that are taking advantage of a deregulation plan hatched by former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson in cahoots with the privately owned utilities. The utilities wanted to sell off what they incorrectly figured to be the less-profitable energy production business, including ever-troubled nuclear plants of the sort Cheney now embraces. In return, they agreed to temporary caps on consumer prices.
The problem is that the feds control wholesale prices, which they didn't cap. Last week, when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finally recognized that it needed to exercise its legal authority to cap wholesale prices, Cheney blasted it: "If I had been at FERC, I never would have voted for short-term price caps."
California consumers should remember Cheney's refusal to rein in the price-gougers come the next election.
Finally, whatever happened to the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait saved by former President Bush and then-Defense Secretary Cheney during the Gulf War?
The monarchs sit atop the world's largest oil reserve. Wouldn't you think that since they owe their continued existence to the Bush clan, they might return the favor with lower oil prices? Instead, US consumers are being punished at the gas pumps with some of the highest prices in recent memory.
The dirty secret is that the Texas oilmen in the White House like the price of foreign crude to be very high. That justifies increased US production, even in pristine lands, and boosts energy profits, which doubtless will fatten the coffers of Republican candidates in the next election.
You can't say we weren't warned. Put two Texas oil guys in the White House, and they are going to seize any opportunity to grease the palms of their big oil backers while raping the environment.
Still, it is surprising that they are being so obscenely blatant about it.
Robert ScheerRobert Scheer, a contributing editor to The Nation, is editor of Truthdig.com and author of The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street (Nation Books), The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America (Twelve) and Playing President (Akashic Books). He is author, with Christopher Scheer and Lakshmi Chaudhry, of The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq (Akashic Books and Seven Stories Press.) His weekly column, distributed by Creators Syndicate, appears in the San Francisco Chronicle.


The typical AppFolio Senior Software Engineer salary is $114,152. Senior Software Engineer salaries at AppFolio can range from $99,373 - $149,121. This estimate is based upon 23 AppFolio Senior Software Engineer salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods. When factoring in bonuses and additional compensation, a Senior Software Engineer at AppFolio can expect to make an average total pay of $114,152 . See all Senior Software Engineer salaries to learn how this stacks up in the market.
AppFolio is thrilled to be honored for the third time as a Pacific Coast Business Times Best Place to Work!
Shout-out to all of our AppFolians who contribute to a positive work environment every day. Thanks team, and keep on innovating.
Join our team, check out our open positions at http://glassdoor.com/slink.htm?key=vM5S8.
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And of course, to fuel this growth we're continuing to hire great people. See all our open positions at http://glassdoor.com/slink.htm?key=vM5vy.


And just like that, the first month of the year is over. To me this month felt super busy but went by pretty slow, just like last year. Speaking of last year— I attempted to start Instagram round-ups on the blog and just couldn't do it. I wanted to start out strong but with everything happening with my dad at the time, round ups didn't happen so I'm giving it another go this year! The point of round-ups is so you guys have a place to go month to month and you can find EVERYTHING that I posted about linked. I go over all my blog posts, my outfits, and anything else talked about. So without further ado, here's a roundup for January!
Now for February… my favorite month of the year!


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Magazine / News / Police probe double death tragedy on Dorset cliff
Police probe double death tragedy on Dorset cliff
John McHale, Reporter
Wednesday 30 January 2008 08:49 PM GMT
No subsequent updates have been made
A climber has died after falling from sea cliffs in Dorset.
Ivan Lissin, 22, of Oxford, died in Southampton General Hospital on Monday from severe head injuries sustained in a fall near Anvil Point, Swanage, the previous day.
Dorset Police picture of the Anvil Point site
An inquest was opened and adjourned yesterday. Mr Lissin fell into the sea while free climbing.
Meanwhile, Dorset Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident that happened at the same time in which a woman fell to her death.
The 50-year-old woman from the Boscombe area of Bournemouth was seen falling from cliff about 400m from the site of the ongoing rescue operation involving the Coastguard helicopter.
The incidents happened just before 2pm on Sunday, 27 January, 200m west of the Anvil Point lighthouse.
Inspector Ashley Adams of the force's Purbeck section, said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this time.
"We're looking for witnesses to come forward so that we can piece together her last movements and we're releasing a picture – taken during the rescue – of the cliff top footpath where she fell in the hope that this will prompt witnesses to come forward.
"So far, our understanding of what happened is that the victim walked along the cliff path with an eight year old girl leaving the Durlston Country Park information centre at about lunchtime.
"They walked together along the cliff path and about 200 metres past the Anvil Point lighthouse we believe the woman then left the girl on the path as she walked towards the cliff – the woman then falling onto the rocks below.
"It was a bright sunny day and lots of people were enjoying a walk and I'd urge anyone who saw the woman and the little girl anywhere along the cliff path – either together or separately – to come forward."
The victim was white, 50 years of age, 5 feet 2 inches tall and of slim build. She was wearing a pink pashmina headscarf, blue jeans and white trainers.
The eight-year-old girl is also white and she was wearing a dark parka jacket with a fur-lined hood, pink tracksuit trousers and white trainers with lights in the heels.
Inspector Adams said: "Witnesses are crucial to our enquiry and they will help us to build up a picture of what actually caused the woman to fall to her death from the Dorset coast path on Sunday afternoon."
The victim has yet to be formally identified by the coroner.


1) Provide a safe, clean, well-organised environment which gives children the opportunity to learn and become independent within a well-structured group.
2) Enable parents/guardians to continue with their studies or find and retain employment, confident in the knowledge that their children are being cared for in the way that they would wish.
3) Maintain good quality care providing a wide and varied range of activities.
4) ensure that our equal opportunities policy is put into practice at all times.
Staff – The staff child ratio is 1:8. All staff have relevant training and/or experience in childcare/first aid/food hygiene etc.
Fees – Hourly rate £3 per child. 2-3pm concessionary rate for children who are entitled to school transport £2.
Payment – Payment is required in advance either weekly or monthly for all childcare. The manager will send invoices out at the end of the previous month requesting payment for those who wish to pay monthly. Late payments will be followed up with a further invoice and if further action is required then the account will be referred to the OIPS Bursar.
Cancellations – If you want to withdraw your child from the club, a weeks' notice is required in writing. To book a child off from After school club then a weeks' notice must also be given to a member of staff so that you are not charged for their space.
Snack time – A light snack will be provided for the children, sandwiches, crackers, pancakes, toast, fruit and water/milk.


By Brady Slater on Oct 27, 2017 at 3:29 p.m.
DULUTH, Minn. -- The city of Duluth has closed a Lake Superior beach and portions of the popular beachside walkway until further notice due to damage caused by large waves on Lake Superior.
Brighton Beach was closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, while portions of the Lakewalk were unpassable and covered with debris, including large chunks of asphalt torn loose by Lake Superior waves. The waves were still splashing onto the roadway at Brighton Beach into Friday afternoon.
Inside the Hampton Inn Duluth in Canal Park, Friday morning breakfast guests ate peacefully as waves crashed furiously outside, covering the Lakewalk for as far as the eye could see in floodwater and spraying droplets against the hotel windows.
"I knew Lake Superior could get ugly, but not like this," said Minneapolis resident Brad McConkie, visiting Duluth with his wife, Eileen, for their anniversary.
In Canal Park, large sections of the wooden boardwalk had been dislodged and tossed about by the waves.
There also was standing water on streets and some parking lots in Canal Park, including the city parking lot closest to the ship canal.


Would you like to become a member of the Sligo Food Trail?
There are currently 72 members of the Sligo Food Trail – view list of members.
For more information please contact Sile in Sligo Tourism by email.


You can make a difference in the lives of foster children.
Hope In A Suitcase is a volunteer-run organization. Your donation allows us to provide duffel bags, basic essentials and comfort items for children and teens in and entering foster care.
A donation in honor of a friend, colleague or loved one is also a special and meaningful holiday gesture!
* $125 One Fully-Loaded Suitcase or Duffel Bag, each generally containing a blanket, pajamas, 1-2 comfortable changes of clothing, a sweatshirt or jacket, undergarments, socks, toiletries and age appropriate comfort items (e.g. a small stuffed animal, a journal, a book, a nightlight, a handwritten note of support, etc.).
* $250 Two Fully-Loaded Suitcases or Duffel Bags, including same items listed above.
* $500 Four Fully-Loaded Suitcases or Duffel Bags, including same items listed above.
* $1,000 Eight Fully-Loaded Suitcases or Duffel Bags, including same items listed above.
* $2,500 Provides a "Shopping Day" for 20 Foster Tweens/Teens, who are invited to come and choose for themselves from a selection of brand new, high quality merchandise to fit their personal body types, tastes and needs. Typically, each child walks away with a suitcase or duffel bag filled with new school clothing, athletic wear, undergarments, sleepwear, books, a pair of shoes, art supplies, toiletries and more.
* $15,000 or more: Superhero of Hope.
Charitable contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Hope in a Suitcase is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, tax identification number 47-5071911. For all monetary donations, you will receive a letter from us confirming your donation for tax purposes.
Click here for a copy of our IRS tax exempt notice.
Ask your HR representative or management if your company makes Matching Gifts and contact us at info@hopeinasuitcase.org to let us know.
Celebrate a special person in your life by sending a message and making a gift in their honor. At your option, Hope in a Suitcase will post your message and honoree's name on our Dedication Wall. Or, if you prefer, we will send a Handwritten Note on our Hope Stationary by mail, including any personal message of honor, tribute or condolences that you would like to include. Donate online or by check, and email your dedication to diane@hopeinasuitcase.org.
Participate in corporate philanthropy! We welcome in-kind gifts and donations of excess inventory, such as luggage, personal hygiene products, sleepwear, undergarments, socks, athletic shoes, blankets, comfort items, and casual clothing for babies, children and teens. The benefits of becoming a corporate sponsor include tax deductions, positive public relations, and freeing up storage space. Please contact us at info@hopeinasuitcase.org if your business is interested in becoming a Corporate Sponsor.
Click here for our in-kind donation Wishlist.
We are interested in partnering with individuals, social and community groups, businesses, and public and independent schools in the Los Angeles area. There are many models for highly successful drives and fundraisers. It can be as simple as emailing friends and co-workers about Hope in a Suitcase and collecting high-priority items at your home or office (e.g. New Pajamas, Sweatpants, Athletic Shorts & Shirts, etc.). Below are just a few ideas, but we welcome your creativity!
Be sure to contact info@hopeinasuitcase.org BEFORE organizing your event regarding our current needs & capacity.
Current Info: Hope in a Suitcase is now accepting NEW ITEMS ONLY.
Plan a school bake sale, Valentine-gram sale, or read-a-thon to raise funds to donate online or via check. Running a marathon or hosting a party? Reach out to friends and make your activity even more meaningful by raising funds for children in foster care. Gather friends or co-workers to assemble hygiene kits, personalize journals and prepare colorful pictures and handwritten notes of support ("You Are Beautiful" "You Are Strong" "You Are Loved" You Are Special"). Or mobilize your school, church, temple or Girl / Boy Scout Troop to donate new items, then come together to write letters and to pack it up!
We love the idea of kids helping other kids. It is a simple and meaningful effort for a child to pack a suitcase. collect new pajamas (no nightgowns or "sleepsacks" please) or assemble a personal hygiene kit, knowing that carefully chosen items will help comfort another child. Older kids can take a leadership role.
Click here for Sample Flyer for School Drives.
Click here for Checklists for Suitcases & Hygiene Kit Packing Events.
Cheerful, Deluxe Hygiene Kits are appreciated by Tweens & Teens!
Click here for sample sourcing tips for Quality Items to Hygiene Kits.
Please note we are currently accepting NEW ITEMS ONLY.
Make your birthday matter. Instead of gifts, ask for a multiple of your age in dollars. Organizing a Hope in a Suitcase event, drive or fundraiser also makes a meaningful b'nai mitzvah project.
Hosting a holiday or office party, a BBQ or a family gathering? Encourage guests to bring a new item for a child or teen in foster care or a $25 gift card (e.g. Target or Kmart) in lieu of a bottle of wine or a traditional host/hostess gift.
Tell your friends and family about our work. Ask your school, religious or community group to post information about Hope in a Suitcase for members seeking a rewarding community service project. Use social media to spread the word.


text:
Germany [Allied Occupation] #583 (1948)
Germany [Federal Republic] #1350 (1981)
Germany [West Berlin] #9N201 (1962)
West Berlin was a city that existed in the period between the end of the Berlin Blockade on May 12, 1949, to German reunification on October 3, 1990, as a political enclave surrounded by East Berlin and East Germany. It was 100 miles (161 kilometres) east of the Inner German border and only accessible by land from West Germany by narrow rail and highway corridors. It consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors established in 1945 and shared economic, political, legal, and sporting systems with West Germany, but was not de jure part of it. It had a special and unique legal status because its administration was formally conducted by the Western Allies. East Berlin, de jure occupied and administered by the Soviet Union, was the de facto capital of East Germany. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, physically divided East and West Berlin until it fell in 1989. West Berlin under the jurisdiction of the three western powers started to release its own stamps on September 3, 1948. It continued to emit stamps under the Deutsche Bundespost Berlin label for 42 years, a total of over 800 different stamps, until the reunification in 1990. Many Berlin stamps were similar to the stamps of West Germany. West German and Berlin stamps could be used in either jurisdiction. With about two million inhabitants, West Berlin had the biggest population of any city in Cold War Germany.
Most Westerners called the Western sectors "Berlin", unless further distinction was necessary. The West German Federal government officially called West Berlin "Berlin (West)", although it also used the hyphenated "West-Berlin", whereas the East German government commonly referred to it as "Westberlin". Starting from May 31, 1961, East Berlin was officially called Berlin, Hauptstadt der DDR (Berlin, Capital of the GDR), replacing the formerly used term Democratic Berlin, or simply "Berlin," by East Germany, and "Berlin (Ost)" by the West German Federal government. Other names used by West German media included "Ost-Berlin", "Ostberlin", or "Ostsektor". These different naming conventions for the divided parts of Berlin, when followed by individuals, governments, or media, commonly indicated their political leanings, with the center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung using "Ost-Berlin" and the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung using "Ostberlin".
Deutsche Bundespost Berlin (German Federal Mail of Berlin) was the name used on the stamps of West Berlin. Is sounds similar to the name of the Western German Mail named Deutsche Bundespost and was de facto a dependence of it. De jure it was independent and was called Landespostdirektion Berlin, the governmental agency to provide mail and telecommunication services for West Berlin. This civil service agency was in operation from 1949 until 1990.
The name Berlin has its roots in the language of West Slavic inhabitants of the area of today's Berlin, and may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl- ("swamp"). All German place names ending on –ow, –itz and –in, of which there are many east of the River Elbe, are of Slavic origin (Germania Slavica). There are many boroughs of Slavic origin in the city: Berlin-Karow, Berlin-Malchow, Berlin-Pankow, Berlin-Spandau (earlier: Spandow), Berlin-Gatow, Berlin-Kladow, Berlin-Steglitz, Berlin-Lankwitz, Berlin-Britz, Berlin-Buckow, Berlin-Rudow, Berlin-Alt-Treptow, Berlin-Schmöckwitz, Berlin-Marzahn and Berlin-Köpenick. Since the Ber– at the beginning sounds like the German word Bär (bear), a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city.
The earliest evidence of settlements in the area of today's Berlin are a wooden rod dated from approximately 1192 and leftovers of wooden houseparts dated to 1174 found in a 2012 excavation in Berlin Mitte. The first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late twelfth century. Spandau is first mentioned in 1197 and Köpenick in 1209, although these areas did not join Berlin until 1920. The central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns. Cölln on the Fischerinsel is first mentioned in a 1237 document, and Berlin, across the Spree in what is now called the Nikolaiviertel, is referenced in a document from 1244. The founding date of the city is considered to be 1237. The two towns over time formed close economic and social ties, and profited from the staple right on the two important trade routes Via Imperii and from Bruges to Novgorod. In 1307, they formed an alliance with a common external policy, their internal administrations still being separated.
In 1415 Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440. During the fifteenth century, his successors established Berlin-Cölln as capital of the margraviate, and subsequent members of the Hohenzollern family ruled in Berlin until 1918, first as electors of Brandenburg, then as kings of Prussia, and eventually as German emperors. In 1443, Frederick II Irontooth started the construction of a new royal palace in the twin city Berlin-Cölln. The protests of the town citizens against the building culminated in 1448, in the "Berlin Indignation" ("Berliner Unwille"). This protest was not successful and the citizenry lost many of its political and economic privileges. After the royal palace was finished in 1451, it gradually came into use. From 1470, with the new elector Albrecht III Achilles, Berlin-Cölln became the new royal residence. Officially, the Berlin-Cölln palace became the permanent residence of the Brandenburg electors of the Hohenzollerns from 1486, when John Cicero came to power. Berlin-Cölln, however, had to give up its status as a free Hanseatic city. In 1539, the electors and the city officially became Lutheran.
The Thirty Years' War between 1618 and 1648 devastated Berlin. One third of its houses were damaged or destroyed, and the city lost half of its population. Frederick William, known as the "Great Elector", who had succeeded his father George William as ruler in 1640, initiated a policy of promoting immigration and religious tolerance. With the Edict of Potsdam in 1685, Frederick William offered asylum to the French Huguenots. By 1700, approximately 30 percent of Berlin's residents were French, because of the Huguenot immigration. Many other immigrants came from Bohemia, Poland, and Salzburg.
Map of Berlin (January 1688)
Since 1618, the Margraviate of Brandenburg had been in personal union with the Duchy of Prussia. In 1701, the dual state formed the Kingdom of Prussia, as Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg crowned himself as king Frederick I in Prussia. Berlin became the capital of the new Kingdom. This was a successful attempt to centralize the capital in the very far-flung state, and it was the first time the city began to grow. In 1709, Berlin merged with the four cities of Cölln, Friedrichswerder, Friedrichstadt and Dorotheenstadt under the name Berlin, "Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin".
In 1740, Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great (1740–1786), came to power. Under the rule of Frederick II, Berlin became a center of the Enlightenment, but also, was briefly occupied during the Seven Years' War by the Russian army. Following France's victory in the War of the Fourth Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte marched into Berlin in 1806, but granted self-government to the city. In 1815 the city became part of the new Province of Brandenburg.
The Industrial Revolution transformed Berlin during the nineteenth century; the city's economy and population expanded dramatically, and it became the main railway hub and economic center of Germany. Additional suburbs soon developed and increased the area and population of Berlin. In 1861, neighboring suburbs including Wedding, Moabit and several others were incorporated into Berlin. In 1871. Berlin became capital of the newly founded German Empire. In 1881, it became a city district separate from Brandenburg.
In the early twentieth century, Berlin had become a fertile ground for the German Expressionist movement. In fields such as architecture, painting and cinema new forms of artistic styles were invented. At the end of the First World War in 1918, a republic was proclaimed by Philipp Scheidemann at the Reichstag building. In 1920, the Greater Berlin Act incorporated dozens of suburban cities, villages and estates around Berlin into an expanded city. The act increased the area of Berlin from 25 to 341 square miles (66 to 883 km²). The population almost doubled and Berlin had a population of around four million. During the Weimar era, Berlin underwent political unrest due to economic uncertainties, but also became a renowned center of the Roaring Twenties. The metropolis experienced its heyday as a major world capital and was known for its leadership roles in science, technology, arts, the humanities, city planning, film, higher education, government and industries. Albert Einstein rose to public prominence during his years in Berlin, being awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.
In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. NSDAP rule diminished Berlin's Jewish community from 160,000 (one-third of all Jews in the country) to about 80,000 as a result of emigration between 1933 and 1939. After Kristallnacht in 1938, thousands of the city's Jews were imprisoned in the nearby Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Starting in early 1943, many were shipped to death camps, such as Auschwitz. During World War II, large parts of Berlin were destroyed in the 1943–45 air raids and during the Battle of Berlin. Around 125,000 civilians were killed. After the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, Berlin received large numbers of refugees from the Eastern provinces.
The Potsdam Agreement established the legal framework for the occupation of Germany in the wake of World War II. According to the agreement, Germany would be formally under the administration of the four major wartime Allies — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union — until a German government acceptable to all parties could be established. The territory of Germany, as it existed in 1937, would be reduced by most of Eastern Germany thus creating the former eastern territories of Germany. The remaining territory would be divided into four zones, each administered by one of the allied countries.
Berlin, which was surrounded by the Soviet zone of occupation — newly established in most of Middle Germany — would be similarly divided, with the Western Allies occupying an enclave consisting of the western parts of the city. According to the agreement, the occupation of Berlin would end only as a result of a quadripartite agreement. The Western Allies were guaranteed three air corridors to their sectors of Berlin, and the Soviets also informally allowed road and rail access between West Berlin and the western parts of Germany.
At first, this arrangement was intended to be only a temporary administrative structure, with all parties declaring that Germany and Berlin would soon be reunited. However, as the relations between the western allies and the Soviet Union soured and the Cold War began, the joint administration of Germany and Berlin broke down. Soon, Soviet-occupied Berlin and western-occupied Berlin had separate city administrations. In 1948, the Soviets tried to force the Western Allies out of Berlin by imposing a land blockade on the western sectors — the Berlin Blockade. The West responded by using its air corridors for supplying their part of the city with food and other goods in the Berlin Airlift. In May 1949, the Soviets lifted the blockade, and West Berlin as a separate city with its own jurisdiction was maintained.
Initially, Berlin and the provinces in the Soviet zone issued their own stamps (Scott # 11N2), but by 1946, Deutsche Post stamps were authorized that were valid in the American, British, and Soviet zones. When negotiations about a general German currency reform broke down, the western zones proceeded with the currency reform, and on June 21, 1948 the Deutsche Mark was introduced. In response, the east German currency reform was set for June 24, 1948, the East German Mark became the currency for the Soviet occupation zone and East Berlin, and its stamps were marked with overprints. This established the economic separation of the two German states. In July 1948, the stamps of the previously common issue were overprinted with Soviet Occupation Zone and subsequently the Soviet zone issued different stamps than the western zone, all, however, under the Deutsche Post label.
West Berlin now started to issue its own stamps on September 3, 1948. These were 20 denominations of definitives of the former Allied Occupation of Europe overprinted with a diagonal BERLIN in black ink to pay postage on articles mailed within the Western sectors of Berlin and to the rest of Europe. Between January and March of 1949, 14 denominations of the Allied Occupation general issue stamps of 1948 were again overprinted with a diagonal BERLIN, but in red ink. These red overprint stamps were replaced by the first official definitive postage stamp issues of West Berlin in March, thus not very many of them were printed or used. As a result, the red overprint stamps are much scarcer, especially in used condition, than those with the black overprint that were issued in 1948.
The Deutsche Mark (West) became the sole currency for West Berlin on March 21, 1949 and seven months later the stamps of the western bizone as well as the French occupation zone became valid as well.
Following the lifting of the Berlin Blockade in March 1949, normal contacts between East and West Berlin resumed; however, in many cases this proved only temporary. In 1952, the East German government began sealing its borders, further isolating West Berlin. As a direct result, the electrical grids were separated and phone lines were cut. The Volkspolizei and Soviet military personnel also continued the process of blocking all the roads leading east and west from the city, resulting in several armed standoffs and at least one skirmish with the French Gendarmerie and the Bundesgrenzschutz that June. However, the culmination of the schism did not occur until 1961 with the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Since West Berlin was not a sovereign state, it did not issue passports, so West Berliners were issued with "auxiliary identity cards" by the West Berlin authorities. These differed visually from the regular West German identity cards, with green bindings instead of the grey standard, did not show the "Federal Eagle" or coat of arms, and did not contain any indications as to the issuing state. However, they did have a statement that the holder of the document was a German citizen. From June 11, 1968, East Germany made it mandatory that West Berlin and West German "transit passengers" obtain a transit visa, issued upon entering East Germany, because under its second constitution East Germany considered West Germans and West Berliners as foreigners. Since identity cards had no pages to stamp visas, the Eastern visa departments stamped their visas onto separate leaflets which were loosely stuck into the identity cards, which until the mid-1980s, were little booklets. Although the West German government subsidized visa fees, these were still payable by individual travelers.
The Federal Republic of Germany issued West German passports to West Berliners on request that showed West Berlin as their place of residence. However, West Berliners could not use their passports for crossing East German borders and were denied entrance by any country of the Eastern Bloc, since governments of these countries held the view that West Germany was not authorized to issue legal papers for West Berliners. For entering visa-requiring western countries, such as the United States, West Berliners commonly used West German passports. However, for countries which did not require stamped visas for entry, including Switzerland, Austria, and many members of the then European Economic Community, including the United Kingdom, West Berlin identity cards were also acceptable for entry.
In 1952, the inscription on the stamps of West Berlin was changed to Deutsche Post Berlin, and three years later to Deutsche Bundespost Berlin. Many stamps had the same appearance as the stamps of the Federal Republic of Germany with just the inscription changed, while others were distinctly different.
Another Soviet obstacle, the Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer), was a barrier constructed by East Germany, starting on August 13, 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc officially claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from "fascist elements" conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a Socialist State in East Germany. However, in practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection from the communist Eastern Bloc during the period following World War II. Along with the separate and much longer Inner German border, which demarcated the border between East and West Germany, it came to symbolize a physical marker of the "Iron Curtain" that separated Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
The Berlin Wall was officially referred to as the "Anti-Fascist Protective Wall" (Antifaschistischer Schutzwall) by GDR authorities, implying that the NATO countries and West Germany in particular were considered equal to "fascists" by East German propaganda. The West Berlin city government sometimes referred to it as the "Wall of Shame" — a term coined by mayor Willy Brandt — while condemning the Wall's restriction on freedom of movement.
After the Berlin Wall was constructed, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer suggested to U.S. President John F. Kennedy that the United States propose a swap of West Berlin with Thuringia and parts of Saxony and Mecklenburg; the city's population would have been relocated to West Germany. While the Kennedy administration seriously considered the idea, it did not make the proposal to the Soviet Union.
On June 26, 1963, President Kennedy visited West Berlin and gave a public speech known for its famous phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner".
At the time the Berlin Wall was built, three metro lines starting in northern parts of West Berlin passed through tunnels under the Eastern city center and ended again in southern parts of West Berlin. The lines concerned were today's underground lines U 6 and U 8 and the S-Bahn line S 2 (today partly also used by other lines). On the sealing off of West Berlin from East Berlin by the Berlin Wall, the entrances of the stations on these lines located in East Berlin were shut, however, western trains were allowed to continue to pass through without stopping. Passengers in these trains experienced the empty and barely lit ghost stations where time had stood still since August 13, 1961. West Berlin's public transport operator BVG (West) paid the east an annual charge in Western Deutsche Marks for its underground lines to use the tunnels under East Berlin. U 6 and S 2 also had one subterranean stop at the Eastern Berlin Friedrichstraße railway station, the only station beneath East Berlin where western U Bahn trains were still allowed to stop. Passengers could change there between U 6, S 2 and the elevated S 3 (then starting and ending in Friedrichstraße) or for the transit trains to West Germany, buy duty-free tobacco and liquor for west marks in GDR run Intershop kiosks, or enter East Berlin through an inbuilt checkpoint.
The Four Power Agreement on Berlin (September 1971) and the Transit Agreement (May 1972) helped to significantly ease tensions over the status of West Berlin. While many restrictions remained in place, it also made it easier for West Berliners to travel to East Germany and it simplified the regulations for Germans traveling along the autobahn transit routes.
At the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan provided a challenge to the then Soviet leader:
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Walking through Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin (November 10, 1989)
On November 9, 1989, the Wall was opened, and the two parts of the city were once again physically — though at this point not legally — united. The Two Plus Four Treaty, signed by the two German states and the four wartime allies, paved the way for German reunification and an end to the Western Allies' occupation of West Berlin. On October 3, 1990 — the day Germany was officially reunified — East and West Berlin formally reunited as the city of Berlin, which then joined the enlarged Federal Republic as a city-state along the lines of the existing West German city-states of Bremen and Hamburg. Walter Momper, the mayor of West Berlin, became the first mayor of the reunified city.
According to the Scott Postage Stamp Catalogue, during its 41 years the DBP Berlin issued close to 900 stamps, namely 592 different stamps including many commemoratives, plus 285 semi-postal designs; there are no air mail stamps or official stamps. Topics of commemoratives and semi-postals include common topicals (i.e. nature, sports, arts), science and technical issues and historical stamps. Additional stamps of the DP consisted of official stamps (44 types). All stamps were issued in West Deutsche Mark and were valid in West Germany too. The last stamp was issued on September 27, 1990.
With the 1990 reunification, the DBP Berlin became part of the Deutsche Bundespost which in turn was five years later converted into the Deutsche Post AG. In this process, its stamps became valid for all over Germany until December 31, 1991
Scott #9N201 for West Berlin was issued in 1962, part of a series of `12 stamps picturing images of "Old Berlin" (Scott #9N196-9N207). The 40 pfennig blue gray and ultramarine stamp, perforated 14, features an 1800 engraving of Bellevue Palace (Schloss Bellevue), located in Berlin's Tiergarten district. It is situated on the banks of the Spree river, near the Berlin Victory Column, along the northern edge of the Großer Tiergarten park. Its name — French for "beautiful view" — derives from its scenic prospect over the Spree's course.
My copy of this stamp is on a card mailed on the date — July 1, 1964 — that four stamps (two from West Germany, Scott #881-882, and two from West Berlin, Scott #9N211-9N212) were issued to commemorate the re-election of Heinrich Lübke, the second President of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1959 to 1969. The moderate conservative suffered from his deteriorating health and is known for embarrassing statements or behavior. Lübke resigned three months before the scheduled end of his second term.
Lübke was a very bad public speaker and was frequently subject to ridicule, especially near the end of his term of office when his age and his failing health started to affect his memory. He frequently forgot where he was (Lübke: "When I talk to you today in…eh… in.." Voice from the crowd shouting: "Helmstedt!" Lübke: "…eh…when I talk to you today in … Helmstedt, then it was following my own will…", etc..). This was further ridiculed in the German translation of Danger Mouse, where Penfold is called "Lübke" and is frequently ordered to "shut up" (Lübke, Schnauze!)
Various other slips are well documented, such as the address in Tananarive, Madagascar: "My very dear Mr. President, dear Mrs. Tananarive…" His word-for-word translations of German into English were also the subject of much mockery. Tapes from Lübke's speeches were collected by the German satirical magazine Pardon and distributed on a best-selling record.
Designed by architect Michael Philipp Boumann, Schloss Bellevue was erected in 1786 as a summer residence for Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, Herrenmeister ("Master of the Knights") of the Johanniterorden ("Order of Saint John") and younger brother of King Frederick II of Prussia, on the site of a manor house which Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff had built in 1743. Bellevue was the first Neoclassical building in Germany, characterized by its Corinthian pilasters, with wings on either side ("Ladies' wing" and "[River] Spree wing"). The upper floor holds a ballroom designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans. The Palace is surrounded by a park of about 20 hectares.
In 1843, King Frederick William IV of Prussia acquired Bellevue, which, in 1865, became the residence of his niece Princess Alexandrine after her marriage with William of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. It served the royal and imperial princes of the Hohenzollern dynasty until the German Revolution of 1918–19.
A property of the Free State of Prussia from 1928, the Palace was used as a museum of ethnography during the 1930s before being renovated as a guest house for the Nazi government in 1938. It was there that Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov stayed with his retinue during his visit to Berlin in November 1940. During World War II, the Palace was severely damaged by strategic bombing and in the 1945 Battle of Berlin, before being was substantially refurbished in the 1950s.
Inaugurated by President Theodor Heuss in 1959, it served as the secondary residence of the West German president, a pied à terre in West Berlin to supplement his primary residence at the Hammerschmidt Villa in Bonn. It was refurbished again in 1986-87, and, in 1994, after German reunification, President Richard von Weizsäcker made it his primary residence. A modern annex to the southern wing was built in 1998 to house the offices of the affiliated Bundespräsidialamt ("Office of the Federal President"), a federal agency.
Roman Herzog, president from 1994 to 1999, remains the only officeholder who lived at Bellevue while incumbent. The Palace was reconstructed again in 2004 and 2005 to remedy defects in earlier renovations; during this period, President Horst Köhler used nearby Charlottenburg Palace for representative purposes. Bellevue became the president's primary official seat again in January 2006, but since then has not included living quarters. Instead, the Federal President now lives in a government-owned villa in Dahlem, a suburban district of southwestern Berlin.
Stamp Issuers
Allied Occupation of Germany
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