text:
Ian Craig profile - We are transport professionals
Lothian Buses chief executive has big ambitions in 2011
With a family history in public transport dating back almost 90 years it is understandable when Ian Craig says diesel runs in his blood.
The man in charge of Lothian Buses, the largest publicly owned transport operator in Scotland, has previously taken stints behind the wheel
and collected fares himself.
Though now far removed from that he still lunches in the staff canteen to keep in touch with what the drivers and mechanics are talking about.
The 41-year-old has recently moved offices. The large rectangular room he now occupies has a few boxes left to be unpacked though cabinets are filled with books, family pictures and model buses.
The windows look directly out onto the company's depot on Annandale Street in Edinburgh.
Every few minutes another bus passes by and a steady stream of staff trickle in and out of the building.
After a tough December Craig is looking forward to an interesting 2011.
Analysis of the disruption caused by the snow is almost complete and it paints a healthier picture than may have been anticipated.
He said: "At first the snow was fun as it was a new challenge but by day three and four it was starting to be a bind then by the second week it was testing the endurance and stamina of people across the business.
"Our staff really performed magnificently throughout. The efforts individuals made to get to their work were outstanding and we had no
shortage of willing hands to help address the unique challenges these conditions brought up.
"The impact on revenue was actually neutral as we saw less concessionary travel but had growth in full paying fares.
"From a cost perspective we were running slightly less miles but had higher fuel costs. We will have higher utility bills and you have other costs like salt and grit supplies plus there is a lot more overtime for people.
"So from a strictly commercial perspective the impact is going to be broadly neutral and we don't expect the last four weeks in December to ruin the previous 48 weeks of the year."
This year will see Lothian investing about £17 million in new buses including its first ever hybrid fuel vehicles.
The order for those more environmentally friendly buses also marks the first order the company has placed with Falkirk-based bus builder Alexander Dennis in a decade.
Craig said: "We have ordered 60 double deckers at about £12m from Wrights in Ballymena.
"Over and above that we have secured £1m from the Scottish Government's Green Bus Fund and have confirmed another 15 double decker hybrid buses.
"That is brand new technology for us which is very exciting and that order is £4.5m to £5m. It is the first time in a decade we have bought vehicles from Alexander Dennis in Falkirk and we are delighted to have them back in the fold again.
"These hybrid vehicles we hope will be very high specification and will give our customers something new."
Alongside that investment in fleet Craig is confident planning permission for an £8 million overhaul of the Longstone depot will be granted
Up to £3 million will be spent on that in 2011 and around 30 jobs will be created.
Money will also be available for improving training and conditions for the 2,000 staff the company employs.
Craig said: "I think the investment signals the confidence in the business and shows our shareholders are happy to support us."
The funding for that type of investment has to come from somewhere and while Lothian Buses is profitable it faces the same price concerns as other transport operators. A combination of rising fuel costs and cut backs on payments for free elderly and concessionary travel means fares are likely to rise in April.
It will be the first time since January 2009 tickets have gone up across the network.
Craig said: "We try to benchmark ourselves across the UK and we are right at the bottom of the league table with our £3 day ticket.
Comparable cities in England might be at £4.50 or £5 for a similar product.
"The lower we can keep our fares then the greater chance we have of growing our business through volume but we are not immune from fares increases.
"We are two years since that last increase and there are not many companies which can say they have held the majority of fares for that time.
Nothing can last forever and we are looking to make these increases as minimal as we possibly can.
"We can't escape the impacts of the cost of fuel. Also the government last year reduced by nine per cent the amount of money we receive for travelling concessionary customers. That was about a £2m hit we took so we have to look at revenue decrease and cost increase.
"Our volume growth is not significantly large to offset the imbalance we now have."
Still Craig believes Lothian Buses can definitely increase the number of passengers it carries.
With more than 107 million customers every year any rise is likely to be in the hundreds of thousands or millions.
He said: "There are still opportunities for us to grow the business. In autumn last year we increased service 49 from every 20 to 15 minutes and saw passengers respond to that.
"We are looking to do the same again as there are some corridors which are under pressure as they don't have enough capacity.
"A lot of our ability to grow will depend on the policy direction the council takes in regard to bus policy, car parking and the wider framework for new developments. We also need to look at bus lane priority and enforcement.
"We need to make sure that we can give journey times which are less than queueing in your car. If we get that policy framework right then there is no question we will be well equipped and ready to take advantage."
Another area Craig sees potential in is park and ride schemes with sites at Hermiston and Ingliston almost at capacity with others in Sheriffhall and Straiton growing steadily..
He said: "Lothian Buses and the council need to look at the whole park and ride strategy to capitalise on the growth there has been.
"The council continues to look at new sites and locations but funding is probably going to be the biggest inhibitor.
"We need to look at the product we are giving to customers. You realise people are getting out of their executive model car to get on the bus.
"So we have to consider whether the buses we operate should be to the same standard as Airlink with things like wi-fi and plug points for laptops.
"At the moment there is a difference between the revenue we get and the frequency you need to get people to use park and ride sites but there are solutions going forward."
No discussion about transport in Scotland's capital would be complete without mentioning the ongoing trams fiasco in the city.
While Craig steers clear of commenting on the wider situation he admits the prospect of being involved in running the service when it eventually begins is an exciting one.
He said: "We call ourselves transport professionals. If the City of Edinburgh Council, our shareholder, was to build a funicular railway up the side of the castle then as a transport professional I'd like the opportunity to have the engineering and commercial responsibility for that particular type of service.
"The same applies to trams. The council are committed to an integrated offering and they are in the fairly unique position of Lothian Buses being publicly owned so there is the resource to hand.
"That is not to say we are tram experts. We are experts in moving people with buses but there are a lot of synergies and similarities.
"However there is a world of difference in safety regulations and the bodies which regulate trams.
"But it is safe to say if our shareholders decide it to be appropriate for us to become involved we would have no hesitation to say we would be delighted to lend a hand."
Career cv
Growing up in Campbeltown in Argyll Ian Craig was well schooled in the bus business.
The family firm Craig of Campbeltown, which trades as West Coast Motors, can trace its history back to the 1920s.
Craig attended what was then Napier College to do a higher national diploma in accountancy.
He swapped plans for a degree course to work back in the family business where he stayed for seven years.
A marriage and a move to Glasgow followed along with a job at Scottish Citylink where he filled various positions for three years.
Next up came the offer of working with Arriva as its west of Scotland commercial manager based in Paisley.
There was a two year stint in Yorkshire as commercial director before a move back to Paisley as general manager.
In August 2006 he was approached to become managing director of Lothian Buses.
At the end of 2008 chief executive Neil Renilson retired and Craig was appointed to head the business.
Lothian Buses has a turnover of £110 million and employs around 2,000 people.
Craig lives in Edinburgh with his wife and three children.
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Watch: State Dept. Spokesman Speechless When Asked to Justify Trump's Support for Saudi Monarchy /
Watch: State Dept. Spokesman Speechless When Asked to Justify Trump's Support for Saudi Monarchy
Ben Norton
When a top State Department official was asked to justify President Donald Trump's flamboyant displays of support for the absolute monarchy in Saudi Arabia, hilarity ensued.
During a May 30 press briefing on Trump's trip to the Middle East, a reporter from Agence France Presse pointed out the U.S. government's double standards on Iran.
While Trump was visiting Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticized Iran, which had just held presidential elections, accusing the country of being undemocratic. "He did so standing next to Saudi officials," the AFP reporter noted. "How do you characterize Saudi Arabia's commitment to democracy, and does the administration believe that democracy is a buffer or barrier against extremism?"
Stuart Jones, acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, was literally speechless. He stood in silence for a full 20 seconds before before finally painting Iran as the source of global terror in a few stuttered sentences.
While in Saudi Arabia, President Trump signed a $110 billion arms deal, the largest in U.S. history, despite the war crimes the Saudi military has carried out, with staunch Western backing, in Yemen. The Saudi regime also pledged an additional $200 billion of investment in the American economy.
U.S. government documents have acknowledged the Saudi regime as a key source of the Salafi-jihadist groups responsible for the vast majority of non-state terror attacks, including the genocidal ISIS and al-Qaeda networks.
Saudi Arabia has spent some $100 billion spreading its extremist Wahhabi ideology throughout the world. Iran, on the other hand, has been fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria while implementing reforms and making progress toward a more democratic system. Iran saw enormous turnout for its election, with nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of the eligible voting population participating. President Hassan Rouhani, a popular reformist politician, was reelected by a sizeable margin.
The raw video of the full May 30 U.S. State Department press briefing can be watched below:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Positive reviews will also bring SEO benefits and help you rank higher in search results. Positive reviews will improve the click rates through to your web site and the combination of these two factors will improve the rating of your website.
· Reply to the reviews, be they positive or negative. If the review is positive, say thanks for the review; if negative, offer to solve the issue and take the conversation to a private media.
Finally, your customers may not know how to leave a Google review, so explain how this is done.


text:
Sydney Opera House Lights Up For Wallabies
The Sydney Opera House was lit up in green & gold tonight ahead of the Rugby World Cup Final between Australia & New Zealand in London.
New South Wales (NSW) Government's Minister For Trade, Tourism, Major Events & Sport, Stuart Ayres, said the whole of NSW was behind the Wallabies as they attempt to claim the World Cup for the 1st time since 1999.
"Sydney & NSW are turning up our support for the Wallabies as we light up the iconic Sydney Opera House to cheer the team on. I'll be setting the alarm for Sunday morning & wish the team the very best of luck," Mr Ayres said.
"NSW is the home of Australian rugby & it's fitting that one of our most iconic buildings is dressed up to celebrate the Wallabies."
"NSW is Australia's sporting capital, playing host to events including the Cricket World Cup, Asian Cup football, Netball World Cup, Bledisloe Cup & in 2013, the tour by the British and Irish Lions."
"From 6-7 February next year, Sydney will also host the Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium, with fast-paced sevens rugby on display in the summer sunshine" he said.
Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase, said that NSW will continue to support major rugby events in 2016.
"In addition to the Sydney Sevens, Sydney will also be hosting the Bledisloe Cup for another year at ANZ Stadium. It will be a fantastic occasion, a World Cup Final replay & like all Aussies, I can't wait to see the Wallabies emerge victorious as we all support them this weekend at Twickenham" Ms Chipchase said.
The Rugby World Cup Final between Australia & New Zealand will kick-off at 3am on the morning of Sunday 1 November. The Sydney Opera House will be lit from 8pm-12am on Friday & Saturday night.
Tickets to the Sydney Sevens are still available & more information can be found at www.sydneysevens.com.au.
Media Release: Destination NSW
Posted on October 31, 2015 October 30, 2015 Author Sydney SpectacularsCategories 2015, Rugby World Cup
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Part-Time General Editor Wanted for ESPN - Women (Connecticut)
At ESPN, sports are our passion. Our calling, our motivation. But you don't have to be a sports expert to be successful here; you just have to know what it takes to be a winner. Here, we're a culture of driven people who believe in working hard, in testing ourselves, in thinking outside the arena of a job description. Maybe you share these qualities. Maybe you're the type of person we're looking for to join us. If so, consider a place on our team. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned vet, odds are there's a job at ESPN that will put your skills and talents to work. With a job here, you'll quickly realize it's our commitment to excellence that's made us the worldwide leader in sports. And you'll see it as a career that'll allow you to grow. In a place where you'll contribute. And in a culture that's competitive, but always supportive.
PART TIME GENERAL EDITOR ESPNW
Reporting to the Editor-in-Chief, the General Editor will develop and direct editorial content for espnW's coverage of women's sports and female athletes. This includes: identifying key female athletes for coverage based on the women's sports calendar; building and developing ongoing relationships with those athletes; developing storylines, content packages, video series and other editorial conceits with those athletes that are engaging and relevant to our female audience; coordinating with the espnW editorial team and divisions throughout ESPN on content plans and creative development as needed; writing featured stories and coming up with new ideas and creative formats, including fresh editorial series, franchises and witty, innovative approaches to women's sports events coverage. Position will be based in Bristol, CT.
ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities. Headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut, ESPN is 80% owned by ABC, Inc. (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company), and 20% by the Hearst Corporation.
ESPN was founded by Bill Rasmussen and launched on September 7, 1979. Now with over 6,500 employees, each year ESPN televises more than 5,100 live and/or original hours of sports programming. The company's mission is to serve sports fans. Anytime. Anywhere.
- Develop, assign, coordinate and oversee featured content around female athletes for espnW. - Identify key events for coverage based on the women's sports calendar. - Generate, produce and execute new ideas and creative formats around female athletes and women's sports across espnW. - Act as a liaison with other ESPN properties and staffers to ensure and enhance project synergy across multi-media platforms. - Help execute and oversee content sharing and syndication opportunities in the larger women's marketplace. - Ability to deal with management, associates, and business partners in courteous, tactful and patient manner.
- Minimum of 5 years of journalism experience, including 2 in online media. - Experience leading a team of writers.
- Experience in online media content packaging and development. - Ability to edit and produce content using a robust content management system. - Applicants must have the ability to work under pressure in a rapidly changing online environment and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. - Great editorial skills and creative judgment. - Passionate about launching innovative products to drive revenue, profitability and growth. - Clear understanding of and experience with female audience. - Detail oriented, a strong sense of personal ownership and experience working in a high growth or high performance environment. - Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills. - Mindful of P&L implications for all creative decisions. - Strong leadership skills. - Strong team-building skills. - Demonstrates care and respect for employees.
- Bachelor's Degree in communication arts, journalism, new media or a related field or equivalent work experience.
Imagine a career with an organization that brings smiles to millions every day. Imagine working with people whose passion for what they do is simply indescribable. We are The Walt Disney Company, live with a rich legacy of innovation, entertainment, and lifelong memories. With our vast array of both businesses and professionals, you'll have the opportunity to join a team that's beloved around the world, and to find out how it feels to love what you do. We invite you to discover for yourself why a career with Disney is the opportunity you've been looking for. ESPN, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Our goal is to create an inclusive workplace for all.
For submissions: apply via ESPN's career site here
Website: http://espn.go.com/espnw/
Labels: usa literature, women writers, writing teaching jobs


text:
Il singolare del torneo di tennis Redwood Bank Pacific Coast Championships 1972, facente parte della categoria World Championship Tennis, ha avuto come vincitore John Newcombe che ha battuto in finale Cliff Drysdale 6-1, 6-1, 7-5.

Tabellone

Finale

Parte alta

Parte bassa

Collegamenti esterni

Redwood Bank Pacific Coast Championships 1972

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Handle Pure Virtual Function Call in C# I am using C# to run a directshow graph and a third party filter by MainConcept errors with a Pure Virtual Function Call.
Is it possible to handle c++ runtime pure virtual function calls in C# gracefully?
There are no other exceptions provided as a popup displays over the app pointing to the directshow filter. Nothing logged in event viewer either.

A: The problem source is in the third party component you have as a binary. It stumbles on certain internal problem, displays the box then terminates the process. You can of course send relevant information to component vendor (MainConcept) so that they possibly fix that on their side.
There is little you can do here except one thing. Apparently the problem is related to certain specific external behavior or data you stream through this component. Examples of this include: specific order of termination calls, ill-formed input, calls from multiple threads. If you happen to see the pattern of what might be causing the problem exactly, then you can possibly prevent the scenario from taking place.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Description: These synchronous step-down power modules are complete system-in-package power management solutions with fully integrated power converters including MOSFETs, inductors and internal input and output capacitors.
Description: The MXL power module is a complete dual 4A or single 8A output switch mode DC to DC power supply with an input voltage of 4.5V to 20V. It offers higher efficiency and improved thermal performance than the competition while matching pinout and functionality.
Description: The XR7911x is a 10A or 15A synchronous step-down Power Module for point of load supplies. A wide 5V to 22V input voltage range allows for single supply operation from industry standard 5V, 12V, and 19.6V rails.
Description: The XR79120 is a 20A synchronous step-down Power Module for point of load supplies. A wide 4.5V to 22V input voltage range allows for single supply operation from industry standard 5V, 12V, and 19.6V rails.


Come see this Delightful 2 Story Home! This home has been professionally cleaned. New Exterior Paint, New Hail Resistant Roof, Brand New Convection Range, New Garage Door. and There are 6 new Windows.. Other Features are Gas Log Fireplace. Fenced Backyard, and Trex Deck in backyard.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Fake evidence was presented in the Lockerbie trial (Police officer said that he planted the Lockerbie bomb ...) and apparently in the trial of Kasab in Mumbai.
It looks like Megrahi and Kasab were framed.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai attack planner, David Headley, will probably soon walk free.
And Headley is suspected of working for the CIA.
And the CIA is suspected of being behind the Lockerbie bombing.
We were told that 8 gunmen were arrested and then we were told that only Ajmal Amir was arrested.
There were reports that Kasab speaks fluent English and reports that he is a rather illiterate and poorly educated criminal.
Mumbai suspect Ajmal Kasab claims he was framed by Israelis.
Ajmal Kasab alleges that the TV footage recorded by a Pakistani channel GeoTV (which was shown in the special court) "was made at the behest of RAW and Israeli officials."
On 25 December 2010, The Washington Post reports that Mumbai suspect Ajmal Kasab "told the judge he came to Mumbai as a tourist and was arrested 20 days before the siege began.
Ajmal Kasab claims that the the Indian secret service, RAW, took him into custody on 6 November 2008, and later handed him over to the Mumbai police.
Kasab says he arrived from Pakistan by the Samjhauta Express and travelled to Mumbai as a tourist 20 days before the November 26, 2008, assault.
He said he was detained while strolling on Juhu beach and falsely implicated in the 26/11 case as he had facial similarities with one of the Mumbai attackers.
The 22-year-old today told the court: "I would like to consult the Pakistani authorities," including passport officials.
The judge rejected Kasab's plea for trial by an international court.
Reportedly, India's spy service RAW, copying Israel's Mossad, kidnaps people in order to create patsies.
According to Ajmal Kasab, "The police have killed the main accused who resembles me and they told me that his name was Abu Ali."
The Guardian has reported on the framing of innocent people in India.
In 2008, in The Guardian, we read:"It was after the 2001 parliament attack that the first serious questions began to be raised.
In 1985, The Portland Oregonian published a series linking the Osho Rajneesh cult to the CIA.
The Oregonian investigation revealed the cult had ties to CIA-trained mercenaries in El Salvador and the Far East.
According to the Oregonian investigation, Rajneesh's secret police force worked with CIA operatives.
According to Kasab, the Mumbai police Crime Branch, who had the help of the FBI, fabricated the evidence against him.
This faked evidence included the FBI's alleged retrieval of data from a global positioning system.


My, but my blogging muscles feel a bit creaky. I've been submerged in school holidays for what feels like the last year (really a matter of weeks) – just long enough for my blogging habit to become a faint memory. I've written before about how I used to find blogging much easier when I did it every day, which sound counter-intuitive but is really just all about the habit.
When you blog every day, you simply find a way to fit it in, you look for story ideas everywhere and you appreciate the value of the small things – and how they can be tweaked and manoeuvred into big blog posts.
So it is with writing of any kind.
I confess I've been out of the swing of writing for the past few months. Having written four full manuscripts between November 2015 and December 2016, as well as editing two, I got to January 2017 feeling very, very… tired.
For the past four months, I've been editing (yes, again, sooo much editing in my life), promoting Beyond The Edge Of The Map (The Mapmaker Chronicles #4), working on some new workshops for schools and faffing about with a new idea.
Mostly, though, I've been giving my writing mojo a much-needed rest.
This is not to say I haven't been thinking about things. I find it impossible not to be thinking about things. But I haven't been doing a lot of acting on those things.
Part of me feels a bit sad about this. I'm someone who likes to have a new manuscript on the go. But most of me just appreciates that, right now, I need to take a deep breath and simply give my writing mojo some time to recover. I pushed myself really, really hard last year (in hindsight, three manuscripts might have been enough to take on in that time period). When I get back to it, I want to be ready.
So what am I doing (besides all that thinking)?
I'm reading. So much reading. I'm reading middle-grade fiction, chapter books, literary fiction, crime novels, mystery books, blog posts, writing books, biographies, historical fiction… Pretty much anything I can get my hands on.
I'm editing (again with the editing). I have deadlines and I do my best to meet them. So I work very hard at my editing – from structural, to copy, to proofreading. I learn something about my own writing every time I edit (mostly how much my characters love to frown… seriously, the worries of the world rest upon the shoulders of this lot). Sometimes I'm even pleasantly surprised.
I'm listening to music. I have always been in awe of songwriters and I particularly like those who manage to combine complex lyrics and the kind of simple, hummable tune that creates magic. I am blessed to have a budding songwriter in my house and I cannot tell you how much joy and inspiration it gives me to watch him put a song together.
I'm walking. If you listen to the podcast, you'll know how much I bang on about walking and writing. Or weeding and writing. Or washing up and writing. But mostly walking. Exercise (or active meditation as I like to think of it) is one of the few things that really helps me to tame my busy mind and I use it to help me clarify my thoughts.
I'm talking. I know we've spoken before about how talking about writing is not writing, and it isn't. But when it comes to greasing the engine, so to speak, I find there are few things better than talking to my writer friends about what they're working on and what I'm thinking about working on.
I'm taking notes. I know I said I'm not acting on my thoughts, but that doesn't mean I'm not recording them.
May is a busy month for me (keep an eye on my news page for updates), with lots of author school visits and other speaking engagements booked, not to mention that editing, so I've decided to give myself a starting date of 1 June. I'll be dusting off a project I've already started and doing some serious rewriting of the 20,000+ words I have, before I begin the task of finishing it.
In the meantime, I'll be over here, slowly getting back into the swing.


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Liberal Students Viciously Beat A Conservative Boy
We have seen the cruel nature of liberals as they riot to prevent freedom of speech, kill unborn children, and inflict violence on those who won't be swayed by their propaganda.
History has shown there is no one safe from their efforts, and now another child has endured physical harm from an angry mob.
Human life is given no inherent worth by the left, and the cost of perpetuating that crushing ideology has reared its ugly head.
Fox News reports:
"Five young students in Florida were charged Friday after a video posted online allegedly depicted the group pummeling a 14-year-old classmate on a school bus – an attack the boy's family claims occurred after their son previously wore a MAGA hat to school and voiced support for President Trump."
A video was captured of the ferocious beating by another student on the school bus, and posted to Twitter by the angry mother with the approval of her attorney, according to Fox News.
The brutal incident was hard to watch but made a lot of traction on Twitter, where users retweeted it over 17,000 times.
What had the boy done to invite such a violent outburst from his fellow students?
Apparently, he had previously worn a MAGA hat to school he had bought himself from a flea market, according to his mom in a tweet.
The expression of Trump support should not be dangerous!
What change do liberals think will be brought on by suppressing freedom of speech to those they disagree with?
Creating a totalitarian society is not the answer to peace, never has and never will.
All five students shown throwing unforgiving fists over the helpless boy were charged with misdemeanor battery from the November 21st incident, the sheriff's office told WCTV.
In the Twitter post under the handle @AmericanDiaries, the recovering boy's mom expresses her concern that there won't be justice for her son:
"Keep in mind this is only the first 21 seconds of the video. Please RT to have these two girls and 3 boys held accountable."
In the video, the boy was not seen wearing the MAGA hat, but that is because the scared boy was already bullied relentlessly for it so he took it off, according to his mother's tweet on November 22.
The boy's attorney, Foye B. Walker was appalled by the behavior of the perpetrators on the school bus, tweeting:
"I represent this victim who was assaulted & injured because he exercised his right to #FreedomOfSpeech by wearing a #maga hat to school. This assault occurred ON THE SCHOOL BUS In Hamilton County, FL!"
The injured boy did go to the hospital for treatment of head contusions he suffered during the attack, his mom told radio station WFTL of West Palm Beach.
Sadly, the psychological damage will far surpass his physical ones. The violent liberal teenagers on the bus took away his pride and strength to express what he believes in.
These teenagers did not get the idea to silence those in opposition on their own, the behavior was fostered by media and those in a position of leadership.
Peace starts in the home. We must instill value for all life in our children, and teach them to handle differences with respect.
Please let us know in the comments section what you think about the attack on the young boy on the bus, and how the incident should be handled.
Tags: bullying × conservative × liberal attacks × liberal bias × liberals


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Among the items on an increasingly crowded agenda for EU leaders at their June summit is the fraught saga of how the EU treats asylum seekers, specifically the "Dublin regulation" (named after the Dublin Convention signed in 1990).
This determines responsibility for looking after the migrants once they arrive on our shores – it requires asylum seekers to make their application in the first EU country they arrive in. That country is then responsible for accepting or rejecting their claim, and the seeker may not restart the process in another state.
Most EU states accept that this puts a grossly unfair burden on countries such as Italy and Greece which have seen an influx of millions in recent years. The challenge in reforming "Dublin" is, however, how to regulate that desire for solidarity fairly, and whether it can be used to send mandatory quotas of migrants to each EU state when then the next crisis breaks.
At their December summit leaders asked the Bulgarian presidency to work to come up with a version they could all agree by consensus in June and the latter's compromise does seem to be garnering critical support. But a consensus is impossible. Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, all already in breach of European Court rulings after 2015 ordering them to take EU-mandated relocations, are adamantly opposed to any mandatory quotas.
On the other side of the argument are the "frontline" receiving states, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Spain, determined that solidarity of their fellow Europeans should start earlier.
In a joint position paper they argue, for example, that the Dublin "responsibility" of the member state should not extend beyond two years, instead of the 10 suggested by the Bulgarians. After the two years they say refugees should be allowed to apply for asylum in other member states.
And they are anxious to trigger earlier the new mechanisms which require fellow member states to come to their support, whether with money or technical assistance. Or, crucially, when a migration flow is deemed "extremely severe", with mandatory relocations to other member states by means of country-specific quota.
This is a complex system which requires agreement on how to define a "normal" state of non-crisis migration, how to delineate the stages of severity which are to trigger different responses, and how the quotas are to be allocated.
Currently this is by a calculation involving GDP and population size but some of the more reluctant member states want to include a weighting for "capacity to absorb migrants", a most subjective and unquantifiable measure.
Ireland, in principle, supports the idea of solidarity and mandatory relocations, but has reservations about some of the provisions suggested by the Bulgarian compromise. Because of a treaty opt-out from the Schengen passport-free travel system, Ireland has freedom to choose whether to opt in to Dublin, and, unlike the UK, has done so in the past, accepting its quota of resettlements.
Dublin, the capital not the regulation, would prefer, it is understood, to see the resettlement issue dealt with separately from the attribution of responsibility, and is concerned that the new method of calculating our share of resettlements in difficult times could, in exceptional circumstances, treble our allocation. But Ireland will certainly sign up to whatever is agreed, if it is agreed.
It is looking increasingly certain that unanimity will be impossible to achieve at the summit meeting in June. The temptation then for the European Commission, which supports the Bulgarian compromise, and states such as Germany and Sweden who see the regulations as dysfunctional and are determined to see them reformed, will be to put the package on the agenda for a ministerial meeting in the autumn.
There they could be voted through by "qualified majority", against the wishes of the Hungarian bloc.
That prospect, however, fills many states with dread – it would provide devastating ammunition for anti-EU forces within those countries, evidence that the EU runs roughshod over national sensitivities.
The struggle for a consensus is now a political imperative, even if it means diluting the regulation – and so the Bulgarians are reported to be working on yet another compromise that would allow states refusing to accept their quota allocations to make a per capita payment for each refugee turned away.
Not a fine – God forbid! – but an alternative way of expressing solidarity with fellow member states in trouble. Hungary is said to be unpersuaded.


What do The Avengers, Firefly, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer have in common? They're all amazing pieces of cinema or television. And they were all directed by Joss Whedon. The director has a tendency to jump all over the place, going from genre to genre, project to project. So it wasn't really a shock to many when Whedon announced he was tackling Shakespeare next.
Given most of the nation's high expectations of Whedon, Much Ado About Nothing is no let down. Not only does the movie succeed by normal cinematic standards, but Whedon also manages to preserve and beautifully present the original text of the play. He adapted the script for the screen, maintaining almost all of the original text to keep the interpretation as pure as possible. Without the flash and glitz present in so many modern movies, and even other Shakespeare adaptions (check out Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet if you don't know what I'm talking about), the focus is on the text and the acting.
While Whedon does have a tendency to reuse the same actors over and over, they're a spectacularly talented group of people. Amy Acker and Alexis Denishof, both alums of previous Whedon productions, bring new clarity and depth to the roles of Beatrice and Benedick. Their chemistry is always visible, and it's apparent even to those not familiar with the story of their relationship from the beginning. Other actors also shine in their roles: Fran Kranz makes the ordinarily disliked Claudio lovable; and Nathan Fillion, currently known for his work on the television show Castle, is consistently hysterical delivering Dogberry's quips and rambles.
The actors aren't the only exceptional quality of the film. With how beautifully the production aspects of the film are pulled off, one would not suspect the movie to have been filmed in 12 days at the director's home in Santa Monica, California. Rather than forcing the film into a modern era, the location creates a sort of timeless quality. This is only aided by Whedon's choice to shoot the film entirely in black and white. Combined with the close-up camera shots, and intimate angles, the entire movie gives off an incredibly personal feel.
Overall, Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing is a stunning balance of simplicity and beauty, humor and depth. Both longtime fans of Shakespeare's works and people who didn't even know that Much Ado was originally a play have come out of the film satisfied. It's difficult to do Shakespeare well in cinema, but when done correctly, especially with a director such as Whedon, the play shines.


There are 25 memory care facilities in ROCHESTER HILLS, Michigan. The facilities provide care to senior citizens living in ROCHESTER HILLS throughout all stages of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. These facilities include the best ROCHESTER HILLS, MI dementia care homes as well as Alzheimer's care facilities near ROCHESTER HILLS, with cost that varies in each facility.
Waltonwood At Main provides memory care in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It can provide accommodations to a maximum of 114 seniors at a time. With a location at 1401 Rochester Rd, in the 48307 zip code in Oakland county, Waltonwood At Main helps those seniors who need help with daily living activities. Waltonwood At Main is licensed by Michigan to provide memory care assisted living services, with license number AH630285481. Some of the amenities provided by Waltonwood At Main include monitoring of medications, secure indoor and outdoor wandering areas and access to geriatric physician.
Rochester Harmony Home Care specializes in providing dementia and Alzheimer's care in Oakland county, Michigan. At its full capacity, it can provide one bedroom suites and studios to no more than 2 older adults. Rochester Harmony Home Care accepts pets and can provide aid with moving around and getting in and out of bed to any seniors living in Rochester Hills, MI and surrounding areas. Rochester Harmony Home Care is located at 3154 Devondale Rd, 48309 zip code and may accept Medicaid and Medicare.
When trying to find Alzheimer's care facilities in Rochester Hills, Michigan, you will find Tbi Residential Rehab as an excellent luxurious memory care option that is situated at 63 Waltonshire Ct in the 48309 zip code area. It has a maximum capacity of 6 memory care units and provides amenities like routine well-being monitoring and family counseling and support program. Its license number is AS630370140. Tbi Residential Rehab provides memory care not only to Rochester Hills residents, but also to all Oakland county residents as well.
If you need assistance with daily living tasks, Christian Hills can help you or your loved one to find memory care assisted living in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Christian Hills has a total capacity of 4 seniors with dementia and offers services such as color-coded rooms to assist with memory and dementia-specific programs and activities. Christian Hills is licensed with Michigan and its license # is AS630294018.
Rochester Hills Manor is a new memory care center that has capacity of 6 dementia sufferers and provides amenities such as custom memory care programs and activities and excellent caregiver-to-resident ratio. It is situated at 185 South Blvd E, and it is properly equipped to provide Alzheimer's disease and dementia care to Rochester Hills, MI dementia sufferers. Rochester Hills Manor is licensed with Michigan and its license number is AF630315970.
Located at 231 S Adams, inside 48309 zip code area in Oakland county, Oakland Home provides Alzheimer's care to Rochester Hills, MI dementia sufferers and provides amenities such as dining assistance during meals and 24/7 toileting assistance. Oakland Home can accommodate no more than 4 seniors at a time. Oakland Home has official license # of AS630075843.
Located at 3280 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, Michigan, 48309, Waltonwood At University Ii can help any Oakland county senior citizen with activities of daily living and offers services that include help with grooming and getting dressed and a homey design that facilitates friendships. Waltonwood At University Ii can provide Alzheimer's disease and dementia care to a maximum of 80 residents at once. Its license number is AH630336571.
Senior citizens looking for dementia care in Rochester Hills, Michigan will find Mercy Bellbrook/frances Warde, located at 873 W Avon Road inside 48307 zip code as a wonderful option for all of their memory care needs. Mercy Bellbrook/frances Warde can give assistance to up to 17 older adults with dementia and allows seniors to bring their pets. Michigan records show that Mercy Bellbrook/frances Warde has a license number of AL630299636.
With a location at 873 W Avon Rd in Oakland county, Sanctuary At Bellbrook has a great reputation in providing Alzheimer's disease and dementia care services for seniors with dementia in Rochester Hills, MI in addition to those who live in nearby areas. Sanctuary At Bellbrook includes services that include emergency system with constant monitoring and dementia-trained nurses on staff. Sanctuary At Bellbrook is capable of providing care to a maximum of 54 Rochester Hills seniors with dementia and provides several levels of care. Sanctuary At Bellbrook has an official license to provide Alzheimer's disease and dementia care for Oakland, MI seniors, with license # AH630236844.
Oakmont Rochester Assisted, located at 3466 South Blvd W includes Alzheimer's disease and dementia care services in Rochester Hills, Michigan and includes amenities that include certified dementia care staff and monitoring of routine check-ups for proper weight maintenance. Oakmont Rochester Assisted is able to look after up to 84 seniors from 48309 zip code in Oakland county and surrounding areas. Oakmont Rochester Assisted has a license to provide Alzheimer's disease and dementia care in Rochester Hills, Michigan, with license # AH630338700.
Pine Tree Place provides Alzheimer's care in Clarkston, Michigan. It can house a maximum of 20 adults at a time. With a location at 5480 Parview, in the 48346 zip code in Oakland county, Pine Tree Place provides assistance to those senior citizens who need help with daily living tasks. Pine Tree Place is licensed by Michigan to provide memory care assisted living services, with license number AL630079545. Some of the amenities offered by Pine Tree Place are management of medication, alarmed and monitored exits and personalized meal plans.
Aleardi's 13 Mile excels at providing memory care services in Oakland county, Michigan. At its full capacity, it can provide one bedroom suites and studios to no more than 6 older adults. Aleardi's 13 Mile welcomes pets and can provide help with moving around and getting in and out of bed to any dementia sufferers living in Farmington Hills, MI and surrounding areas. Aleardi's 13 Mile is located at 34206 W 13 Mile, 48331 zip code and may accept Medicaid and Medicare.
When looking for memory care centers in Lake Orion, Michigan, you will find Orion Manor as an excellent luxury memory care option that is situated at 1814 S Lapeer Road in the 48360 zip code area. It has a total capacity of 12 dementia care units and offers services like routine well-being monitoring and care focused on residents' abilities. Its license number is AM630378604. Orion Manor provides dementia and Alzheimer's care not only to Lake Orion residents, but also to all Oakland county residents as well.
If you need help with daily living tasks, The Encompass Home can help you or your loved one to find memory care assisted living in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The Encompass Home has a maximum capacity of 5 older adults with dementia and provides services like on-site occupational and physical therapy services and Alzheimer's-oriented activities. The Encompass Home is licensed with Michigan and its license # is AS630370669.
Dignitas, Inc/orchard Lake House 2 is a new memory care center that has capacity of 6 older adults with dementia and includes services such as puzzles and other memory care activities and high ratio of caregivers to residents. It is located at 24485 Orchard Lake Road, and it is well equipped to provide Alzheimer's care to Farmington Hills, MI older adults with dementia. Dignitas, Inc/orchard Lake House 2 is licensed with Michigan and its license number is AS630315897.
Located at 5700 Water Tower Pl, inside 48346 zip code area in Oakland county, Autumn Ridge Of Clarkston Hfa provides memory care to Clarkston, MI seniors and offers services such as dining assistance during meals and help with toileting 24/7. Autumn Ridge Of Clarkston Hfa can accommodate up to 72 older adults with dementia at a time. Autumn Ridge Of Clarkston Hfa has official license # of AH630365890.
Situated at 3655 S Commerce, Commerce, Michigan, 48390, Joliat Home can provide assistance to any Oakland county senior citizen with ADLs and includes services such as aided morning and evening dressing and promoted socialization. Joliat Home can provide dementia and Alzheimer's care to a maximum of 6 seniors at once. Its license number is AS630092664.
Senior citizens looking for Alzheimer's disease and dementia care in Commerce, Michigan will find The Legacy At Westlake, situated at 10735a Bogie Lake Road inside 48382 zip code as a excellent option for all of their memory care needs. The Legacy At Westlake can care for up to 32 seniors with dementia and allows seniors to stay with pets. Michigan records indicate that The Legacy At Westlake has a license # of AH630313360.
With a location at 1255 E Davisburg Road in Oakland county, Lake Braemar Home excels at providing dementia care services for older adults with dementia in Holly, MI and those who live in nearby areas. Lake Braemar Home includes amenities that include emergency system with constant monitoring and dementia-trained nurses on staff. Lake Braemar Home is capable of providing care to a maximum of 6 Holly older adults with dementia and provides several levels of care. Lake Braemar Home has an official license to provide dementia care for Oakland, MI seniors, with license # AS630012278.
Orchard Manor I, located at 25967 Power Road includes dementia and Alzheimer's care services in Farmington Hills, Michigan and includes amenities like certified dementia care staff and monitoring of routine check-ups for proper weight maintenance. Orchard Manor I is able to assist up to 6 dementia sufferers from 48336 zip code in Oakland county and surrounding areas. Orchard Manor I is licensed to provide dementia and Alzheimer's care in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with license # AS630367886.
Mecca House enables seniors to receive dementia and Alzheimer's care in Waterford, Michigan. It can provide accommodations to a maximum of 6 older adults at a time. With a location at 2278 Richardson Court, in the 48327 zip code in Oakland county, Mecca House helps those senior citizens who need help with activities of daily living. Mecca House is licensed by Michigan to provide memory care assisted living services, with license number AS630012321. Some of the services provided by Mecca House are management of medication, secure campus to prevent wandering and visiting geriatric nurse practitioner.
Katzman specializes in providing memory care in Oakland county, Michigan. At its full capacity, it can provide one bedroom suites and studios to a maximum of 6 older adults. Katzman accepts pets and can provide help with bathing, dressing and transferring to any seniors living in West Bloomfield, MI and surrounding areas. Katzman is located at 5425 Pond Bluff Drive, 48323 zip code and may accept Medicaid and Medicare.
When trying to find Alzheimer's care facilities in Farmington Hills, Michigan, you will find Briarcrest as an excellent luxurious memory care option that is located at 32451 Briarcrest Knoll in the 48334 zip code area. It has a maximum capacity of 6 dementia care units and offers amenities like routine vital sign and health monitoring and care focused on residents' abilities. Its license number is AS630290126. Briarcrest provides Alzheimer's care not only to Farmington Hills residents, but also to all Oakland county residents as well.
If you need help with daily living, Bay Pointe can help you or your loved one to find memory care assisted living in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Bay Pointe has a maximum capacity of 6 dementia sufferers and offers services like color-coded rooms to assist with memory and daily activities created for memory care patients. Bay Pointe is licensed by Michigan and its license number is AS630379155.
Courtyard Manor Of Wixom Iii is a new memory care center with capacity of 20 dementia sufferers and includes services such as programs to promote brain health and high caregiver to resident ratio. It is situated at 48578 Pontiac Trail, and it is fully equipped to provide dementia and Alzheimer's care to Wixom, MI dementia sufferers. Courtyard Manor Of Wixom Iii is licensed with Michigan and its license number is AL630007340.
25 Memory Care Facilities in ROCHESTER HILLS, MI. List of 25 best dementia and Alzheimer's care homes in ROCHESTER HILLS for 2019.


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Fantasy For Good raises over $10,000 for the CCA
Posted on March 23, 2019 March 23, 2019 by Richard
Fantasy For Good – the paperback cover
Yes it's true! The Colorectal Cancer Alliance has confirmed to our publisher, Nightscape Press, that Fantasy For Good – A Charitable Anthology has raised at least $10,290.82 for their outstanding organisation!
I say at least because it's been a time-consuming challenge tracking down all the payments that go directly from Amazon to the CCA (Nightscape Press gets none of the proceeds from sales of this book, they all go straight to the charity). This is primarily because of the way Amazon in different countries has identified itself in multiple payments over time. It was tough to track everything down but eventually the CCA confirmed they had received funds of over $10K since publication.
This is a fantastic sum, one that really warms the heart. When Jordan Ellinger and I embarked on this project back in 2012, we obviously hoped the result would be a decent chunk of change for a worthwhile cause. It is immensely gratifying to finally be able to announce a very decent sum, albeit one that comes seven years after we began, and five years after publication. Still, it was never a race, and we're delighted that FFG continues to sell steadily as more fantasy fans discover its existence. Every penny of the proceeds still goes directly to the CCA, so if you've not bought a copy what are you waiting for?
Nightscape Press Webstore
I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to the following fine folks:
Jordan Ellinger, my partner in crime for two years on a surprisingly demanding task. The two of us could share tales of long nights ploughing through the endless slush pile, agonizing discussions over what to include and what had to be left out, or encounters with certain prickly famous authors who did NOT end up in the anthology.
Nightscape Press, Bob and Jen, for supporting us every step of the way, for doing the formatting, layout and all manner of publishy things for free, including sending out comp copies to the authors on their own dime.
Paul Pederson for letting us use the breathtaking cover! Please visit his site to see more astonishing fantasy artwork.
Trent Zelazny for the very moving introduction, for helping us make contact with some giants in the industry, and for allowing us to reprint one of his father's wonderful stories
Our contributors, you are all wonderful people. You gave your time and your words, without which we'd have nothing but an interesting pamphlet. It was a genuine pleasure to read and publish all your stories, especially those from writers who had rarely or never been in print before.
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance, for doing terrific, important work and for enthusiastically supporting us from the very start.
Our readers, especially those who left a review, we appreciate you all and we hope you all found something to enjoy.
Everyone who submitted a story to our open call, thanks for making our job so tough by sending us so many good stories, and also several oddly similar tales of intelligent birds living in cliffs. I would love to see the themed anthology those were rejected from.
My final thanks goes to my wife, Jennifer, for all her love and support, and no thanks at all to the gods of unpleasant coincidences. Jennifer was diagnosed with, of all things, colon cancer well after we had selected the CCA as the beneficiary for FFG's sales. That was not the kind of personal connection to this project I'd been looking for. The good news is that the problem was detected early, my wife made a full recovery, and she remains cancer free.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to be making a similar post in five year's time when we smash the $100,000 mark. Well one can hope.


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Author: Neal Moore
Neal Moore is the author of Down the Mississippi and, most recently, Homelands: A Memoir. A nomad, adventurer and storyteller, Neal's reporting has taken him from night-market meetings with Chinese cyber-dissidents to mountaintop encounters with approaching super typhoons. His work from North America, Africa and the Far East has appeared in Der Spiegel, The New Yorker and on CNN International.
Now we paddle for the people, for all creation
On December 16, 2021 January 2, 2022 By Neal MooreIn Freedom, Status Update, Wanderlust11 Comments
By John Ruskey
"The Belly of North America, Sea to Shining Sea", 30 x 38, watercolor, John Ruskey
Now we Paddle for the People, for all Creation ~ by John Ruskey
I am the river
but I am lonely
where are the people?
where is creation?
A young man set off in a red canoe to find out,
to paddle for the people — and all creation
in this great nation, from sea to shining sea
stroke to the east, stroke to the west
leaving the waters of the big whales
following inland watery trails
he started up the big river Woody Guthrie sang about
"Oh, it's always we've rambled, this river you & I
All along your green valleys I will work until I die"
I see wind surfers and ocean-going freighters
but where are the salmon?  And those who followed the fish?
The First Nation peoples traded up and down the coast and the big rivers of the west
in their dugout canoes carved from western red cedar
and the Mississippian people carved theirs from cinnamon cypress
and did the same up and down the meandering muddy waters
of the great heart of this continent,
connecting big bony mountain ranges on either side,
and the salty sweet Gulf of Mexico in her belly
The people of the North Woods stripped giant birches of their skin
and crafted the sleekest, fastest, and finest vessels ever
European sailors entering the St. Lawrence Seaway
were amazed at how nimble the birch bark canoes scooted over the water
and now in a red canoe named Shannon, derived from that same tradition
a young man starts chopping his paddle left and right
back & forth, north & south, east & west
stroke to the one you love the best, stroking
with unrefined, but dedicated determination
and rhythm, and swirls, up and down the same rivers
and now we paddle for the people, now we paddle for creation
Continue reading "Now we paddle for the people, for all creation" →
Oregon-to-NYC via canoe, with a hike to Cooperstown
On November 12, 2021 November 12, 2021 By Neal MooreIn In the News6 Comments
By TARA BARNWELL • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
Instagram @riverjournalist
Talk about huge goals and going after them … meet Neal Moore.
He's an explorer. He's an adventurer. He's an athlete. He's a journalist and a teacher. He wants to get the story right.
Dubbed "a modern-day Huck Finn" by CNN, Moore is on an adventure of a lifetime.
"I started canoeing from Astoria, Oregon on the Pacific Coast, across our country, down south to Louisiana," Moore said. "My final destination is Lady Liberty in New York City."
"My big idea is not only to explore how the rivers and waterways connect but how we, as Americans, connect," he said. "I'm looking for the ingredients of the American experience."
That's a lot of water miles; 7,500 to be exact. Twenty-two rivers and 22 states, all in 22 months. Quite a goal.
"I've always been interested in historical communities, those that are rich in history. Plus, I'm a big baseball fan. Cooperstown fit nicely into my schedule," he said. "I actually hiked here from Little Falls; I left my canoe there and will return for it to continue my journey. I could have gotten a ride here, but I felt like walking here honors this community. I had the chance to step into the rhyme and reason of the village."
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Moore spent his summers in Hawaii and England.
"My only brother died when I was young, and my parents didn't want me to grow up without other children around," Moore said. "We had relatives in Hawaii and England, and I would spend my summers there. I think that's where my taste for travel and adventure started".
"I'm an explorer at heart, but my profession is journalism and I teach English in Taiwan," he said. "I saved money for a year and a half for this trip. I also deal in old relics, photos and books that sell at auction. That helps pay the bills."
Although Moore was an Eagle Scout, he only completed half of his canoe badge at 12 years old and didn't get back into a canoe until he was 38.
Neal's 7,500-mile interactive canoe route across America: https://bit.ly/3fhvOyI
"I really wasn't thinking about canoeing at all, but my friend had a dream to canoe up the Amazon River," he said. "We made a plan to do it together. He ended up backing out but I decided to canoe solo down the Mississippi. That got me back into a canoe."
His current cross-country canoe journey is a tough trip.
"It's physically demanding — and mentally demanding as well," he said.
He's had some interesting encounters with wild animals. The most memorable was an encounter in the middle of Montana with a grizzly bear.
[And then there was the giant gator down in Louisiana. "I didn't see the alligator at first,"] he recalled. "When I did, I froze, then I started clapping my hands. He [kept on coming, so I shined my bright diving light, and he] ended up walking away. He had no interest in me."
A bull shark in Biloxi, Mississippi, did a "bump and bite" on his canoe.
"The shark hit my canoe hard three times, thankfully he wasn't interested in me either!" he said.
Moore appears accustomed to taking care of things on his own terms.
"My folks cut me off financially after college," he said. "The good part about that was that every success was mine, but then every failure was mine as well. It gave me confidence in life, I have very few fears. This trip has taught me a lot."
Moore's end game is paddling down the Hudson and ending up at the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday, December 14. "The final hurrah and paddle around Lady Liberty will be great. A number of paddlers I've met along the way and various NYC-based canoe and kayak clubs will greet me and paddle with me. Then we'll celebrate in Midtown Manhattan."
"The Beacon Hand of the Statue of Liberty is extended to all of us. I will earn and have an understanding of what liberty means, not only for this country but for the world at large," Moore said. "This journey isn't about me, its about a perfect blend between nature, wilderness and community."
Neal Moore Details 7,500-mile Canoe Ride That Landed Him Momentarily at Chautauqua
On September 22, 2021 September 22, 2021 By Neal MooreIn In the News1 Comment
THE CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION
With Mark Wenzler
You never know who will show up on Chautauqua's shores, any time of year! Today we're excited to profile Athenaeum Hotel guest Neal Moore, who is taking brief respite at Chautauqua as he prepares for the tail end of a 7,500-mile canoe trip from coastal Oregon to New York City. Neal's Chautauqua stop is part of his trip *from* New Orleans — yes, upstream — via the Mississippi, Ohio, Allegheny, Chadakoin and Chautauqua Lake. Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative Director Mark Wenzler, himself a veteran of long-distance solo trips under one's own power (see his bike trip from Washington, D.C., to Chautauqua in June) spoke to Neal this afternoon about the purpose and findings of his unique two-year voyage.
Read more about Neal's trip here: https://22rivers.com/
See a map of his nation-spanning route here: https://bit.ly/3fhvOyI
You also might notice some similarities between Neal's story and our upcoming #CHQ2022 week on "The Wild: Reconnecting with Our Natural World." Join us next summer! Details are here: http://2022.chq.org/
Expat documenting the American experience passes through region
By Sebastian Foltz
The Butler Eagle
Neal Moore, 49, sets out from the launch under the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh. Moore's travels will take him from Oregon to New York while he travels up and down some of the nation's biggest waterways. He passed through Pittsburgh on his way to East Brady on Aug. 31.
SEB FOLTZ/BUTLER EAGLE
Some of us dream about packing up and hitting the road.
Maybe it's a fantasy about buying a camper and driving the blue highways.
Maybe it's quitting a job and moving West, dropping everything.
Few of us get to do it. Neal Moore, 49, did.
In some ways, the Los Angeles-born expatriate has been doing it his entire adult life — mostly living abroad in South Africa and Taiwan since age 19. All that time abroad contributed in part to a desire to reconnect with his home country and explore it from coast to coast.
"I've always been a fan of the road books," Moore said, describing some of his inspiration during a phone interview from somewhere between Pittsburgh and East Brady.
You could say he's doing it backward, going from West to East. You could say he's doing it in an unconventional way. But he might argue he's doing it in the most traditional way possible, by canoe.
"I like the idea of the canoe being the first mode of transport," he said. "The rivers are the country's first thoroughfare. I thought, what if I did it the wrong way and approached the Statue of Liberty?"
When he's finished, Moore, will have paddled roughly 7,500 miles from Astoria, Ore., up the Columbia River, down to New Orleans on the Mississippi and up to New York City, including the Ohio and Allegheny rivers and the Erie Canal.
From start to finish, he will have navigated 22 rivers through 22 states. He's already covered about 6,600 miles.
He hopes to complete his journey in December.
Neal Moore, 49, carries his canoe to the boat launch by PNC Park in Pittsburgh Aug. 31. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 08/31/21
He started on the Columbia River in February 2020, just prior to the onset of the pandemic in the United States.
"I left Oregon the day it shut down," he recalls of crossing into Idaho, describing his shelter-in-place as "sheltering-in-canoe."
The Eagle first caught up with Moore on Aug. 31, as he set out from the boat launch under the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh. A car pulled up to PNC Park with his canoe in tow. Trish Howison, his Pittsburgh host or "river angel," helped him unload and launch. Then she joined him in her kayak for a portion as he headed up the Allegheny toward the fringes of Butler County.
That's how it's worked for Moore. He's camped, he's stayed with friends and people he's met along the way. Sometimes it's just people who have followed his story and offered to help. Sometimes it includes a cold beer.
Neal Moore, 49, loads his canoe at the boat launch under the Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh Aug. 31. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 08/31/21
Book in works
Finishing at the Statue of Liberty ties into his larger narrative. Moore plans to write a book about his experiences, not just his own, but also those of whom he meets along the way.
He undertook a similar adventure in 2009: canoeing the Mississippi during the financial crisis. A boater that he crossed paths with on that trip sparked the idea to tie in multiple rivers on a larger tour.
Moore said he thinks doing the cross-country trip by water also is a good way to interact with more people along the way.
Watching American news coverage from abroad during the Trump administration inspired him to take on this more-ambitious expedition.
"As a journalist, I was looking at it from the outside," he said. "I could see the bitterness and that it was getting worse."
His first attempt at the cross-country paddle was cut short in 2018. Flooding in much of the Northwest — along with a life-threatening capsizing in frigid water in Montana — slowed his travels, so much so that he would not have made his target had he continued.
Rather than pick up where he left off, Moore decided to start over, this time in an election year and, as he would quickly discover, a growing pandemic.
Neal Moore, 49, gets ready to launch his canoe at the boat launch under the Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh Aug. 31. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 08/31/21
'What unites us'
"I wanted to drop my preconceived notions about people and party, and listen," Moore said. "We all know what divides us. I wanted to look at what unites us."
For the most part, he said he has found that the country is greater than the headlines.
"You find good, honest people who are trying to make things better," he said of the majority of his interactions. "I found incredible people."
And the pandemic has only added to his story telling.
"In hard times is when we look out for our neighbors. Friends and community become family."
But he's also seen a slice of the nation's ugliness. Since his 2009 trip down the Mississippi and even his first cross-country attempt in 2018, he said he's seen the drug culture in homeless camps and other areas increase significantly.
"River Angel" Trish Howison of McCandles helps Neal Moore carry his boat to the launch at PNC Park Aug. 31. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle. 08/31/21
A different person
Camped near a church in Idaho, he heard two addicts threatening to kill each other and the local minister. One demanded Moore exit his tent. The next morning he saw one of the men in a diner and he was a different person, even offering use of his home.
He also has been shouted at.
"I've been yelled at. It's rare," he said. "People get so worked up over their political identity that they see opposing views as un-American."
But he said the majority of his experiences have been extremely positive.
"By and large, people are good-natured," Moore said. "The reality is people have a love of family, community and they absolutely have a love of country. My hope is that those can supersede our division with politics."
After delays from Tropical Storm Ida, Moore reached East Brady on Monday evening, Sept. 6. He plans to continue up the Allegheny toward Franklin and Oil City this week.
His travels can be followed through his website, 22rivers.com and on Instagram @riverjournalist.


We worked with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners on the design of the canopy roof for the new Santa Maria del Pianto underground station in Naples.
The 2,300m2 canopy roof for the station will consist of a honeycomb structure made of vertical steel plates. The arrangement of the honeycomb elements has been optimised using a cutting-edge evolutionary algorithm to maximise daylight penetration in the station shaft and provide some degree of shading on the lift platform at ground level whilst being structurally efficient.
In design, having numerous conflicting objectives is the rule rather than the exception. Evolutionary optimisation is well suited to tackle design tensions between different drivers. This was one of the first real-life applications of those techniques on a project of this scale.
Buildability and costs have also been carefully considered. Each steel plate element will be machine-cut from digital information.


More people died in motorcycle accidents in Florida in 2014 than in any other state. In the state, there were 449 motorcycle accident fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation for motorcyclists.
Is a motorcyclist required to purchase coverage on their motorcycle under Florida Law? Click here for additional information on motorcycle coverage.
If you have been injured or if someone you love suffered a wrongful death in a motorcycle accident, please contact our motorcycle accident lawyer today for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. We are an experienced personal injury law firm that focuses on recovering compensation in motorcycle accident cases.
The NHTSA reports a significant increase in fatal motorcycle accidents among older riders and among those with more powerful engines.
Because of their lack of protective features, motorcycle accidents can result in severe injuries including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, and internal injuries.
Drivers often claim they don't see motorcyclists, even when the biker rides with a headlight on for increased visibility. Many accidents occur when another vehicle turns in front of a motorcycle, sideswipes the biker, or cuts him or her off in traffic.
Motorcycle accident attorney Charles Philips understands the impact severe injuries have on our clients – no matter how they were injured. Clients appreciate that they can turn the case over to us without worry so they can focus on recovering physically from their injuries. We will represent your interests and obtain the compensation you deserve.
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Back in 2002 I released Tactical Soccer via the Internet. I've always liked soccer games - a couple of decades ago I worked on Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager and Gazza's Super Soccer - so I thought it would be nice to update Tactical Soccer for the current generation.
Tactical Soccer is a turn-based simulation of the soccer match. You control all 11 players at the same time. So instead of shouting at your left back to get forward you control him and can build up an attack exactly how you want. You are the coach and have real control of the team.
Gameplay is simple. When it's your turn you select a player and decide where they should move to or perhaps prepare them to head the ball. If they have the ball you can pass, shoot or dribble with the ball. When you've instructed your players press end turn and watch them carry out your orders. The other team then plays. Play continues like this until the match ends!
The match is played out on a full 3D pitch so that you can move the camera to see exactly where your pass will go. Your player's movement is not restricted to a grid or square.
Where the game gets interesting is your players have different abilities; speed, dribbling, tackling, passing, shooting, stamina etc. so you have to use the strengths of your players to defeat the opposition. You have to be positionally aware and block the opposition's runs with your players.
- Turn-based Strategy Soccer simulation focusing on the match.
- Besides a single exhibition match you can take part in a knockout cup or a league tournament.
- Coaches can shape the abilities of their players.
- Features Men's and Women's sides.
- Different team strips and looks.
- Includes fouls, offside, penalties and different formations.
- In Exhibition games you are up against either computer Coach or another human Coach playing on the same machine.
- League competitions (you can play as many seasons as you like) feature player development, contracts and transfers.


Fuel Oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue.
Broadly speaking, Oil is any liquid petroleum product, which is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash point of approximately 40 oC (104 o F). Oil is made of long hydrocarbon chains, particularly alkanes, cycloalkanes and aromatics.
Fuel Oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, Oil is any liquid petroleum product, which is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash point of approximately 40 oC (104 o F). Oil is made of long hydrocarbon chains, particularly alkanes, cycloalkanes and aromatics. The term Fuel Oil is also used in a stricter sense to refer only to the heaviest commercial fuel that can be obtained from crude oil, heavier than gasoline and naphtha.
It was a distillate oil for burners requiring low-viscosity fue. Oil is a commercial heating oil for burner installations not equipped with preheaters.It may be obtained from the heavy gas oil cut.
Residual fuels represent the heavy yields from the refining processes. Straight-run fuel oils are produced solely from atmospheric distillation and are generally used as an intermediate feedstock for further processing within the refining system to increase the yields of lighter products.
Cracked fuel oils are used as fuel for power generation, marine bunkers and large industrial heating plants. Generally categorised between high and low-sulphur grades, with the latter containing less than 1.0 % sulphur by weight.