The love the political undertones in this thread.
As a fan, I'd enjoy the new merger.
As a philosopher, I hate it because over centralization of anything in history has always led to disaster.
so you understand how allocations work? you are the one.
Scheduling by division. 2 crossover duals. Didn't say anything about a conference championship or pool matchups or anything of the sort. Crossover duals means wrestling two conference duals against teams in the other division as part of your conference dual schedule. Sorry if my post alluded to something that wasn't intended.
Question now is can an All Star team selection from this new Full MAC beat Penn State in a Dual meet?
Probably not as Penn State would not ever schedule a difficult out of conference dual! Thus the demise of the National Duals a potential boon to college wrestling.
Strange to call it the MAC when the majority of teams are not traditional MAC teams at this point. Either way glad to see the depth of competition improve. They aren't at the Big10 level but at least as a while the conference is getting a little closer to the Big12 in possible NCAA allocations.
I get that but look at it this way. The conference champ is guaranteed a spot. Aside from that, if you don't match the criteria, you have to pull a wild card. Now, you are merging 2 conferences so you have half as many champs between them. How many conference champs among the 2 current conferences would not meet the criteria to get a guaranteed spot? Without digging too deep, I'd venture to say quite a few when its all said and done after the tourney. So that leaves the rest fighting over wild cards. Just my guess but I think you'll have the spots consolidated and overall, lose a few spots in the merge unless there is a power surge from an unlikley source. Just my guess.
We creep another step closer to the 4 region, 8 qualifiers per weight plus some wildcards concept.
Right now that would would simply be a dual between PSU and Mizzou, basically. So the answer would be no.
I do get why you would ask though. It would be criminal for there to be a topic that PSU was left out of.
They're trying to reduce the number of qualifiers but I don't see them going away from dynamic allocations. The current process isn't perfect and they probably could tweak it a bit here and there but I can't see them ever going back to a system that didn't recognize current season results.
The new allocation system incentivizes consolidation which I think is a shame and is not good for wrestling.
I haven't liked the new allocation system. But it is much better than the old system.
You think? I'd disagree...If anything, it incentivizes smaller-sized conferences amongst the lower-budget schools, due to their receiving an automatic bid if there isn't anybody good enough otherwise. The EWL alone will lose three bids that it had this year due to it merging into the MAC.
There are benefits in other places (for example, administrative costs), but the allocation system presumably wasn't among them.
Ultimately there are approximately 80 teams so 4 conferences of 20 teams will lead to 32 qualifiers, 10 different than we have now. Teams have been moving conferences in all sports since the beginning of the NCAA and will continue to do so until the end of time. Or at least the end of the NCAA.
Has a 9th place qualifier or at large bid ever placed in the NCAA tournament? I cannot remember any and if not the whole this conference is tougher argument really is a non-sequitur.
Was he injured or something? I don't remember.
No. The Big 12 had no automatic bids (at all) that year.
Is that when they were 4 teams? Or at least I think 4 teams. If so not exactly comparable nor what would be in the current environment.
Bid stealing is a huge incentive.
There is a arbitrary line drawn in how to allocate bids to athletes. This is why some weights have fewer pre-allocations than other weights.
You can then steal bids from deserving athletes and those athletes will still get in. Large conferences can steal more than one bid at a weight. This allows for more additional bids than the one auto-bid which is available to smaller conferences.


text:
package mqtt

// The PUBCOMP Packet is the response to a PUBREL Packet. It is the fourth and
// final packet of the QoS 2 protocol exchange.
type PubcompMessage struct {
	PubackMessage
}

var _ Message = (*PubcompMessage)(nil)

// NewPubcompMessage creates a new PUBCOMP message.
func NewPubcompMessage() *PubcompMessage {
	msg := &PubcompMessage{}
	msg.SetType(PUBCOMP)

	return msg
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Iowa – Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates (iJAG) held its 18th Annual Career Development Conference on May 4, 2017 at the FFA Enrichment Center on the DMACC campus in Ankeny. There were more than 220 iJAG students from across the state competing at the event. The conference also drew in nearly 40 volunteer judges from 20 different businesses and organizations. Tyson Foods Vice President Human Resources Operations, Deanna Wiedner served as the keynote speaker for the event.
Competitive events included Employment Prep, Public Speaking, Critical Thinking, Math Skills, and Product Banner. The capstone event allowed students to practice skills they have been working on all year long in their relative iJAG classrooms. In addition to student awards, employer partners of the organization were recognized at the luncheon. Employers awarded were John Deere Foundation, Principal Financial Group, and Tyson Foods.
The mission of iJAG is to assist students with multiple barriers in graduating from high school and and/or successfully transitioning from high school to continued education and careers. To accomplish this work iJAG provides an individualized and holistic approach that occurs in and out of the classroom. Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates is nationally accredited and has produced a 95% graduation rate with participating students last year in Iowa. Laurie Phelan, President and CEO of iJAG said "The Career Development Conference is always such an amazing day that we can highlight our students' successes and thank those employers who assist in our work in so many ways. We could not serve our students so effectively without the time, talent and treasure of our many business and community partnerships".


text:
Fuelling Connection Through Empathy
On their quest of changing the world, our alumni are constantly channeling their learning experiences into new initiatives, ventures and business opportunities around the globe.
To see what's new in the world of empathy, we recently synced with Jorik Elferink and Saskia Herrmann, two alumni who just launched a new gaming experience that seeks to fuel deeper connections between people.
Tell us a little bit about the two of you. You met at Hyper Island, right?
Yes, we met at Hyper Island in Amsterdam where we did an accelerated course on experience design. We both had gone through relatively traditional educational Bachelor and Masters programmes before. Hyper Island introduced us more to human centered design and team development. This put us on the path we are on now.
What has been your journeys and biggest learnings since graduating Hyper Island?
Jorik: I started facilitating teams during my time at Hyper Island and found it very rewarding. I learned a lot by leading teams through different processes. It forced me to think way deeper about team development and design thinking. So I kept at it and have been freelance ever since we graduated. Definitely a struggle to start out with so little experience. But believing in what you do is a great motivator. Now we're almost three years further and I work with a lot of inspiring people who want to create a better future for the planet and people. That's what drives me forward.
Saskia: Hyper Island showed me that there's a dash of magic in simply trying things: making myself vulnerable to others, acknowledge one another, make things, fail, make something else and learn from it collaboratively. I have learned to be more fearless in trying out things, approaching people to collaborate, and to be conscious of how to collaboratively design more human processes and team cultures. I also learned to make choices so that the things I do further understanding, add value to people's lives and to social good.
Now you just launched the Empathy Game, what was the idea behind it?
We wanted people to experience what a deep connection feels like. What it feels like to really listen and respond, to see the humanity in each other.
About one year after Hyper Island we reflected on our friendship and pondered about how we had reached such a deep understanding of each other. We realized that the process of continuous reflection and self-awareness, of open feedback, of actively shaping a team culture, and of understanding the needs and feelings of people you create something for, profoundly shaped our friendship.
We took these reflections as a starting point to build something to share with people they could use to self-facilitate. We wanted something people could use to playfully connect on a deeper level whenever and wherever they want to.
Hyper Island showed me that there's a dash of magic in simply trying things: making myself vulnerable to others, acknowledge one another, make things, fail, make something else and learn from it collaboratively.
Why do you think empathy is so important?
If we want more human-centred design for products, services, and company cultures, the leaders of tomorrow have to empathize. It's these leaders who have to be able to have a holistic understanding of the system and its people, rather than taking profit as a starting point of their strategy.
Our generation is increasingly fed up with subjecting themselves to toxic work cultures, seeing the planet getting destroyed for profit, and global conflict.
In what ways should the Empathy Game be used?
The Empathy Game is for everyone, because we are all human. It's a way to improve processes and facilitate a deeper connection between people.
The game is simple. You pick a card and tell your story, from the everyday to the fantastic. Afterwards the listeners engage with your story by throwing the dice and exploring elements of their human experience.
The Empathy Game encourages sharing, listening and engaging with our fellow humans. It's the active act of recognition and vulnerability that brings us closer together, and what could be better than that?
Any final words?
Just a big shout out to fellow Hyper Island alumni, Rinske Spijkerman who did the visual design of The Empathy Game. She's amazing!
We have a special Hyper Island 20% discount with the code HYPEREMPATHY01 if you order through our publisher. Valid until May 24th. https://bispublishers.com/the-empathy-game.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I heard somebody say yesterday that there is no history in Dubai – and it isn't true! So I thought I'd tell you all about what I have learnt, Mummy. Are you ready?
Did you know that people have lived in Dubai since 1833, when the Bani Yas tribe decided to settle here? There were around 800 people living in Dubai then – and most people worked either as fishermen or in the pearling trade. It was a sleepy fishing village at first – but as the years went on, Dubai got busier and busier. By the early 1900's, there were 20,000 people living here! There was no Dubai Marina, or Arabian Ranches, or Dubai Land back then – it was all just desert. So the settlers all lived close to the banks of the Creek on the Deira side.
Can you imagine what it was like living in Dubai back then, Mummy? There wasn't Sheikh Zayed Road to travel up and down, but there were so many boats sailing up and down the Creek. And there were nearly 350 shops so the people could shop for everything they needed! There must've been so much noise living near to the Creek back then – work-men in their shops, children playing outside, families meeting and chatting, and men shouting as they unloaded goods from boats. It would've been hot and dusty too, especially during the summer.
There was no air conditioning back then, but the houses had big chimneys called Wind Towers. This let the hot air rise out of the house, while whooshing colder air down to cool everyone down. The bigger houses were all built around a courtyard in the middle called a majlis. I like the idea of a garden in the middle of the house, don't you Mummy? If I shut my eyes, I can imagine families gathering at the end of the day to snack on dates as they laughed together and chatted about what they had been doing that day.
The houses were originally made of palm fronds (can you imagine that?) – but when a big fire wiped out a lot of the market and homes, they rebuilt them with materials that would last. They chose to build the new houses from sea stone and coral from Dubai Creek – and then set it with a mixture of sand, mud and rock. Remember when we went to Dubai Museum, Mummy? A lot of the buildings in that area are still made from those materials! How amazing is that?
Most people made their money through the pearling trade – and business was good! People in Dubai had enough money to buy food and live very happily. It was an exciting time to live in Dubai – but then something called 'The Great Depression' happened across the world in 1929. Not many people could afford to buy pearls anymore and trade slowed down overnight.
This could've been a big problem for the people of Dubai – but luckily the world still thought Dubai was a good place to trade. This is because it was much cheaper to bring goods into Dubai than it was to bring them into countries nearby. So the boats kept coming – and Dubai kept growing!
But with all those boats going up and down the Creek, it was getting harder to get down it – so in 1960, a decision was made to make it deeper and wider. It doesn't sound very exciting, but this was a big moment in Dubai's history, Mummy! More and more boats came – and with all that extra trade, Dubai started to grow into the city we all live in today!
There have been lots of other moments in Dubai's history, like the opening of the port in Jebel Ali, the discovery of oil, and the first flights to take off from Dubai International Airport. It wasn't long before buildings were getting taller, roads were getting busier, and holidaymakers started arriving to enjoy the sunshine.
But it's the bit about the sleepy fishing village alongside the Creek that I like thinking about, Mummy. Isn't it amazing how far this city has come in just over 100 years?
What Expat Tribe Are You?
You Know You're A Mum in Arabian Ranches When..
UK MATTERS – TOO FAR AWAY TO CARE?


text:
Robi Botos is a Hungarian-Canadian jazz pianist. He has recorded several albums as a leader and was the winner of the TD Grand Jazz Award at the 2012 Montreal International Jazz Festival. In 2016, Botos won the JUNO Award for Best Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) for his recording of Movin' Forward.

Biography
Botos was born in Nyíregyháza to a Roma family, and grew up in Budapest. His first instrument was drums, and at age seven he began playing piano. In 1998 Botos immigrated to Canada and he has been a prominent member of the Toronto jazz scene since.

Botos has played with the performers including Michael Brecker, Pat LaBarbera, and Dave Young among others. In addition to winning the TD Award in 2012 he also won the Montreux Jazz Festival piano competition in 2004. Botos has recorded several albums as a leader of various bands. Additionally, he composed the music to the 2011 documentary A People Uncounted. Botos was also the last protegé of legendary Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson.

In 2015, Botos recorded the album Movin' Forward in Toronto. Botos was accompanied by drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts and bassist Robert Hurst, both alumni of Wynton Marsalis' band. Seamus Blake of New York City played sax and EWI. The album won a Juno Award for best Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) in 2016.

Discography

As leader/co-leader
 One Take, Volume 2 (Alma, 2005)
 Christmas Eve (Music Design, 2009)
 One Take, Volume 4 (Alma, 2010)
 Mercy with Bill McBirnie (Extreme Flute, 2010) – recorded in 2009
 Place to Place (A440 Entertainment, 2011)
 Friday Night Jazz (Allegro, 2013)
 Movin' Forward (A440 Entertainment, 2015)
 Old Soul (A440 Entertainment, 2018)
 Barlow, Botos & Alexander Play Monk with Brian Barlow, Scott Alexander (Rhythm Tracks, 2018)

As sideman
 Kristy Cardinali, My Romance (Alma, 2009)

References

Living people
Hungarian jazz pianists
Canadian jazz pianists
Romani musicians
Hungarian Romani people
Canadian Romani people
Hungarian emigrants to Canada
1978 births
People from Nyíregyháza
Juno Award for Jazz Album of the Year – Solo winners
21st-century Canadian pianists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This week I'm going to have a closer look at MSM. It's one of these supplements where even the label doesn't say much. You either know what it does and you want to buy it, or you remove it from your memory after a split second. Now, should you? Let's have a look.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a naturally occurring source of sulphur, one of the major building blocks of glycosaminoglycans.
Is this helpful? If we know what glycosaminoglycans are and what they do, then it's great. Otherwise it's not very informative. I'd say it could do with some additional information about potential uses.
Let's make it clear: Methylsulfonylmethane is a bio-available source of sulphur, which is one of the essential minerals. It is 34% sulphur by weight. All claimed benefits of MSM are then related to sulphur and ways how MSM affects different chemical pathways in the body. Sulphur builds joints, cartilage, skin, nails and hair, and it could be involved in more than 150 different biochemical pathways.
It occurs naturally in some plants, animals, and in humans. The dietary sources include cruciferous vegetables, onions, garlic, nuts, seeds, milk and eggs, but, but, but – in case I forget – MSM can be lost during conventional food processing e.g. frying, dehydrating, and pasteurizing. Thus claims that the MSM supplementation is important in order to fill that gap in human nutrition.
How MSM affects a human metabolism is still a bit of a mystery and subject to research, so as we get more information this section will need to get updated.
MSM had two fathers. First, Robert Herschler, a biochemist who patented MSM in 1982. He claimed that the product could be useful in inflammation, allergies, and gastrointestinal conditions. Second, Stanley W. Jacob. I think he deserves this title too, as he reported use of MSM in over 18,000 patients treating a variety of ailments. He promoted MSM as a natural source of 'biologicaly active sulphur'.
Sulphur is integral to production of collagen and elastin. Half of your body's sulphur content is found in skin, muscles, bones, and cartilages. Collagen holds the skin together. As we get older collagen production decreases. MSM could then help to improve skin condition, but there are some other and probably more important benefits too – read on!
Get ready for some fancy terminology. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for MSM doesn't exist. It is safe to use, as the LD50 (a dose at which 50% of test subjects are killed) is higher than 17.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.
That means that you have a 50-50 chance of survival if your weight is 80kg and you consumed 1.4kg of MSM (you would need to take 1400 pills, 1 gram each to reach that level).
Potential side effects from overdosing include intestinal discomfort, swelling of the ankles, and mild skin rashes. If you experience any of these side effects start with a lower dose like 500 milligrams and work your way up to a desired dose.
As you can imagine this section will be quite short. Each caplet (a coated oral medicinal tablet) contains 750mg of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Holland & Barrett recommends one to four caplets daily, preferably with meals. I'm not surprised, it has a pretty bad aftertaste.
I'm not sure why we have a 'Do not exceed stated dose' mentioned, as there is no Recommended Dietary Allowance for this product. A clinical research is done with MSM doses in a range of 1.5 to 6 grams per day. Four caplets at 750mg would bring us to 3 grams per day, which just in the middle of that range, so you could try a higher dose if you want to.
Just a note here: when used in fortified foods and beverages, you will usually get grams of MSM. Diet rich in MSM would deliver much lower quantities, most likely in the milligrams per day range.
Let's have a look at ingredients. There aren't many this time. If you want us to write a full article on any of these ingredients please comment and we will get busy with it. Today I'm going to talk more about ingredient categories, as highlighted in red below.
As the name says, these products increase bulk of food without affecting its taste or adding calories. That means that tablets get some volume to them, otherwise they would be tiny. They also make the unpleasant tasting tablets easier to swallow. Microcrystalline cellulose, as in MSM supplement, is a common bulking agent used in vitamin supplements or tablets.
These ingredients are added to powdered or granulated materials in order to prevent formation of lumps, also know as caking. They absorb excess moisture, or coat particles making them water repellent. They are often used to make packaging and manufacturing process easier. Magnesium Stearate is a very common agent used in majority of food supplements.
Provide protection in a form of a waxy, homogenous coating to prevent water loss from a surface. Substances in this category are classified as a wax. They impart a shiny and polished coating to tablets and foods.
At Red Planet Nutrition we focus on three core elements: weight loss/maintenance, inflammation reduction, and fatigue /energy levels. All products receive a score 1-10 (1 – bad, 5 – neutral, 10 – good) to see how well they perform in these categories.
It needs to be '5' as MSM is neutral in this category. It's a pill with no calories and the bulking agent is microcrystalline cellulose, which will not be digested. At the same time MSM is not supposed to have any weight loss benefits.
I will give MSM '7' here as there are some reports that MSM may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. It's supposed to protect muscles from damage by reducing the amount of oxidative stress damage caused by exercise.
As it reduces stress markers' levels post-exercise, MSM may have some positive impact on overall fatigue levels too. I'm going to take it for a month and report back.
It's a '9' for MSM in the RPN scoring system. This is where most reports highlight MSM's usefulness and it makes sense. MSM has a high sulphur content and plays an important role in healthy bones and joints. It is also crucial for glutathione formation.
According to Arthritis Research UK evidence from short-term Randomised Clinical Trials (RCTs) shows that MSM has a moderate effect in improving joint pain and swelling in people with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Research UK gave it a score of 2 out of 5 for arthritis treatment effectiveness.
Vitamins work better when taken together as a multivitamin complex. This seems to be the case here too. Try to take MSM with other supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin. All in a single tablet if possible, so that you get the ratios right.
Try it. If you deal with chronic inflammatory conditions, aches, hurting joints, or toxicity I think it's worth a shot. It helps some people according to various product reviews online!
If I were going to Mars, I'd love to have MSM with me on board, so a '10' here. MSM is involved in production of glutathione, sometimes called a 'master antioxidant'. Glutathione, one of the most important antioxidants produced by the body is used in detoxification processes. It is essential for removing heavy metals and toxins from your body.
In animals MSM was shown to have a protective effect against several toxins like carbon tetrachloride, paraquat, and acetaminophen. This would make MSM very beneficial in terms of body detoxification far away from Planet Earth.
In addition, MSM applied topically could promote delivery of other active ingredients by increasing cell membrane permeability. This is thanks to the fact that MSM is a metabolite of DMSO, a compound used in cryopreservation.
I got to this point and I realised I didn't mention word 'glycosaminoglycans' even once. And that's the only benefit mentioned on the label. Long story short, I think Holland & Barrett are going after the joint health properties of MSM here. Glycosaminoglycans, also known as GAGs, are complex sugars, which attract water, and they are used by the body as a lubricant or as a shock absorber.
They maintain and support collagen and elastin, helping them to retain moisture. Some examples of GAGs include heparin (an anticoagulant), a hyaluronic acid (lubricant in body joints), and chondroitins (found in connective tissue, cartilage, and tendons).
Have you tried MSM before? Do you have any comments or questions? I was writing this blog post with U2 playing in the background. Press Play for a full blog reading experience and leave a comment!
And, I have noticed my spider veins have diminished on my legs!
That's great to hear Jess!


Whether it's a charming 18th century building or a new modern glass tower, we engage with architecture every day. What you may not realize (until you study abroad) is how much influence other countries' architecture has on the buildings you see in the United States. From historic castles to gothic cathedrals, modern museums to skyscrapers, structures from around the globe have a story to tell.
If you love architecture, you'll love discovering new places and experiencing new design in the six best places to study abroad as an architecture buff.
When you study abroad in China, you'll experience ancient Chinese architecture, which has developed over many centuries and can be seen throughout East Asia. If you're looking for more modern architecture, Shanghai is the place to be. Don't miss a visit to The Bund, the waterfront area along the Huangpu River, where you'll find some of the city's most famous architectural feats. Other must-see structures include the Jin Mao Tower, Nanpu Bridge, and Oriental Pearl Tower. These buildings are progressive for China's place in the postmodern architectural community. When you study abroad in Shanghai, the sights and sounds of this bustling city will be part of your classroom abroad.
Imagine living and learning in one of the most celebrated, design-focused countries in the world - England! When you study abroad in England, architecture is at your fingertips. The entire country is a mix of old and new, and plays host to some of the most internationally-recognized architectural firms and iconic buildings: Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey, The Shard…you name it. From historic structures to modern marvels like The Gherkin, England has it all.
Just like other cities in Europe, France has a vast mix of different architectural styles. Yes, historic and modern buildings like Notre-Dame de Reims, L'Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, Sacre Coeur, Foundation Louis Vuitton, and Centre Pompidou are breathtakingly beautiful, but what also really stands out in France are the palaces and the castles!
Check out the Palace of Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel, Château des ducs de Bretagne, and more. With 15 semester and summer programs in Paris, Arles, Nice, and Nantes, you can find the perfect program to study abroad in France. And we can't forget about the Multi-Location – Museums & Beyond: Art & Culture in Paris, Rome & Madrid Program, which is designed for architecture, design, and culture-focused student.
Germany has a way of making you love architecture, even if you weren't an architecture buff to begin with.
Representative of the country's complex history, German architecture crosses multiple styles, including Carolingian, Romanesque, Classical, Renaissance, Baroque, Modern, and Postmodern.
Imagine living in Freiburg, a city known for taking the lead in the development of eco-friendly technologies and architecture, or studying abroad in Berlin where you're surrounded by work from some of today's greatest architects, such as Daniel Libeskind, David Chipperfield, Richard Rogers, and Rem Koolhaas.
Step inside the places you've only seen in textbooks when you study abroad in Germany.
Study abroad in Spain and visit a rich mix of UNESCO World Heritages Sites - the Alhambra in Granada, the historic center of Córdoba, the works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, the Camino de Santiago (to name a few) - and a vast range of architectural styles, including Spanish Colonial, Spanish Baroque, Modernism, and more.
Whether you choose to study abroad in Barcelona or Madrid, or opt for more of a university town like Salamanca or Granada, there are architectural gems to explore everywhere you turn. Take your love for architecture to the next level and study abroad on a program with an architectural focus like our multi-location summer program: Museums & Beyond: Art & Culture in Paris, Rome & Madrid.
The Netherlands offers unique design that is quintessentially Dutch from the countryside of Maastricht to its cities, like Amsterdam, where you can study abroad on a semester or summer program. Amsterdam is a top spot to study abroad in the Netherlands, offering you a place to take in the bike-friendly culture, history, and, of course, great architecture.
Wander the canals that weave throughout the city, take in a museum like the Rijksmuseum, and enjoy the diverse culture and historic neighborhoods. Also, we can't forget about the windmills that decorate the tulip-filled, Dutch countryside. You also have an opportunity to explore places outside of Amsterdam, such as the city of Rotterdam. After WWII, the city was completely reconstructed and is now known for its bold and modern architecture. With so much to explore, you won't want to pass up the unique opportunity to study abroad in the Netherlands.
We care about your interests and want to make sure your study abroad experience is filled with embracing the local culture, giving you the greatest learning opportunities in- and outside of the classroom. Check out other best places to study abroad based on your interests, lifestyle, or hobbies.


It's not something I talk about very much. It's really quite boring. But even more than that, it's really quite depressing. It's negative. It's not the me that most of you have come to know now, that is if you have been reading the things I write before this one. If this is the first of mine that you read, I am sorry. But please do stick it out because there is a point to my telling you this.
When I was 26, I lived in one of, if not the, most beautiful city on Earth, Vancouver BC. I really loved it there. I had an apartment on Beach Ave, over looking the ocean. My living room wall was glass from top to ceiling. Just me, my computer and the most beautiful sight you've ever seen.
I didn't know it back then but I have Asperger's. Back then, I was just… me. Miserable, depressed and lonely. Which is funny to think about because I did have friends and family that lived close by. But I was so very lonely. I would work at my computer, making websites for people. I made my own hours, I made my own money. I had no boss. I had no place to be.
My schedule would shift because every single day I'd go to bed one or two hours later than I had the day before. I say day, not night, because when you continue this process for several years, you go from staying up all day to staying up all night and back again.
I had accomplished my goals. I worked for myself. I could afford a great apartment. I did as I pleased.
It never really occurred to me just what it was I was telling her or how much it must have been hurting her or just how stupid it was of me to be saying it but, without a doubt, the worst it had ever gotten was when I told my mother, while bawling my eyes out, that I was so very sorry because she would never get to be a grandmother.
Me, being her only child, feeling completely defeated and worthless in life, had fully accepted that no one would ever love me and that I most certainly would never get to a point in life where I would ever have a family.
I couldn't be the person that people wanted me to be. I felt a total fraud every time I walked out the door. I told witty stories, quick one liners and would often be the "life of the party" with those that knew me but it was never right. It was never me.
I loved who I was and what I had accomplished but hated myself all the same.
I even sought out help in the form of a psychiatrist but it proved to be pointless. I don't know if it's because of my Asperger's or just watching far too many drama movies and television shows but it was as if I could see each line he said before he said it. I knew the points he would be trying to make, I knew the directions he would try to take. And each and every time I would dismiss and ignore. It never pertained to me. It never pertained to my problem. It was always stuff that made sense for other people but not for me.
And so I resigned myself to a life of solitude. I told my mother that our family line would end with me. Her disappointment.
What a thing to tell a mother.
So here I am now, 36 years old and feeling like my past was only a moment ago and a whole other life time ago at the same time.
Today I have a wife, two little boys, a dog and a cat. I have no money, no free time and a very strict schedule. I live in a crappy apartment with no view to anything in a town that I don't want to be in.
So what happened? Well, to be honest, it's not really the details that matter. What matters is that I was there for them to happen.
My wife, as it turned out, was one of my oldest friends. I had known her for a very long time. One day, at the right moment, in the right place, something happened. And here we are.
Thing is, if I had had my way, at that time, I'd have still been at my computer, in my Beach Ave apartment, being miserable. That moment would have never happened.
A moment in time was all it took. I didn't know when or where, I was most certainly convinced it would never exist, but it did. And now my life is not just different from what it was, it's nearly the opposite.
I have no friends now and my family is hundreds of miles away but I never feel lonely. My wife and kids, they were what I was missing. They have filled that hole in my heart.
I have no money or time anymore but at the same time, my kids always have food, the latest games and toys, clothing on their backs. You can have all the time and money in the world but they have no value at all unless you have a purpose for them.
It sounds corny and I'm not making you a guarantee but if you believe it and if you work for it and you make the effort to simply be there, that moment can happen to anyone.
Many autistics fear their own future. Will it be more of the same? Bullying in school? Bouncing around jobs if there are any jobs? Feelings of anxiety and loneliness?
Parents also have these fears for their children. Especially if their children are non-verbal or particularly challenged, such as having other associated conditions like blindness or epilepsy.
I am not trying to throw positivity down your throat. I'm not Anthony Robbins. But I can tell you how I see things based on my own experiences.
If I had stayed at home, if I had moped for one more minute, if I had simply believed myself worthless at that one key moment instead of… what ever it is that I felt… I would probably still be on my own. If was I still alive at all by now.
I didn't know it then but autism was confining me to that computer chair. It was making each outing a torturous affair. It made me disregard or even dislike the friendships I had even though I loved my friends. It made me hate myself.
At the time, I thought I was just a loser. Just the oddball out that was meant to be alone. A person that was meant to be miserable.
But I did go out. I did keep that friendship going after so many years, even though that was largely due to her, insisting on keeping in contact even when I would "forget" to reach out.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have listened, not even to myself. That's how miserable I was. But that kind of hope can make all the difference.
That kind of hope is what is missing for a lot of young people today. Especially those with autism who feel like there is just no place for them in this world.
My son has two advantages, the way I see it. One is that he knows he has autism so he'll know the reason for feeling how he feels. Perhaps he'll even know the coping mechanisms to not let it get in his way. It won't just be a random feeling of despair and loneliness. Second, he has me. And I'll always be there to tell him that his future self is waiting for him. That he can and will be happy if he endures long enough.
But I'm not a time traveler nor am I a fortune teller. So I can't make any promises on what the future will hold. I can only tell you what I have experienced and what I believe.
What I believe is that there is nothing that can ruin your life unless you let it. Not autism nor anything else. Granted, it can make it one hell of a whopping huge challenge but nothing can stop you from loving life and being happy.
You could argue that I was lucky, to have had that one moment that turned things around for me but that's kind of the point I'm trying to make.
I told you that I felt lonely even amongst my friends. I told you that each outing was torturous. But I still went out. I still had friends. I still left my little ocean side apartment because if I didn't… there never would have been a moment. I would not be here, right now, believing what I believe and sharing it with you.
Even though it was that one moment that I can pin point, looking back, that changed everything… it wasn't in that instant that I suddenly switched from miserable to happy.
It was that moment that things turned around but it took time. A lot of time.
My point is, it wasn't just luck. I wasn't lucky. I was anything but lucky at that point in my life. But I was there.
You need to be there too. When every part of you tells you not to be, when every part of you tells you it won't happen… be there anyway.
If you feel like an outsider, if you feel completely alone, if you have autism too… you know just how hard that really is.
But your future self is counting on you. Your future self is waiting for you.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate descriptive characteristics and co-occurring neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions in young children, children, and adolescents with a current and consistent or past but not current (PBNC) diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how such characteristics and conditions may engender a change in diagnosis of an ASD.
METHODS: Cross-sectional data of 1366 children with a parent-reported current or PBNC ASD diagnosis were obtained from the National Survey of Children's Health 2007 data set across 3 developmental stages: young children (aged 3–5 years), children (aged 6–11 years), and adolescents (aged 12–17 years). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine demographic characteristics and co-occurring conditions that differentiate the groups with a current ASD from groups with a PBNC ASD.
RESULTS: Results indicated the co-occurring conditions that distinguish groups currently diagnosed with an ASD from groups with a PBNC ASD diagnosis. In young children, current moderate/severe learning disability, and current moderate/severe developmental delay; in children, past speech problem, current moderate/severe anxiety, and past hearing problem; and in adolescents, current moderate/severe speech problem, current mild seizure/epilepsy, and past hearing problem.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the presence of co-occurring psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions are associated with a change in ASD diagnosis. Questions remain as to whether changes in diagnosis of an ASD are due to true etiologic differences or shifts in diagnostic determination.
They studied differing age groups of children that were previously diagnosed with autism and found that some of them no longer fit the criteria for a diagnosis.
By the way, PBNC means Past But Not Current… as in, they had the diagnosis but now they do not.
What they do not know is why. Is it because they "grew out of it" or because they're simply able to "fake it" now as they've grown and learned or is it something else?
Now, the big problem with studies like this is the the amount of questions is brings up but obvious lack of answers. These types of scenarios tend to leave a lot open to the imagination and the media will simply eat that right up.
Autism: Can it be outgrown?
These articles are full of assumptions right out of the gate.. dangerous assumptions. It's one thing to give parents false hope when it's possible there is none but it's another to give them license to just do nothing. You see, while this certainly doesn't say that all children will grow out of it, it does raise the question in some people's minds… which may lead them to just leave it up to fate… chance… God. Which ever. They can now stop trying to improve their child's life because if it's meant to be… they'll just grow out of it!
For all we know, it could be that the data they used before was faulty, perhaps many of those children were wrongly diagnosed…. perhaps these doctors are much better (or worse) at recognizing autism symptoms than the doctors that previously diagnosed the children?
We just don't know. And therefore, to throw around statements such as the one in this news piece is very presumptuous and further more, dangerous.
In my opinion, you have to remember that autism is diagnosed by doctors that observe behaviors in a person. This means that these children truly can learn how to do the things that they couldn't before, some of those things being criteria based symptoms that define autism. In other words, maybe a child masters the repetitive behaviors, the speech problems and continue to have other struggles in their lives. This would meant that they would no longer fit the criteria for an autism diagnosis and yet, they still very clearly have autism.
Then there truly are those that are misdiagnosed to begin with. There are possible reasons… for example, out growing may very well be a possible reason. But there are also other very likely possible reasons.


Lock & Store have contracts with a number or retailers and wholesalers on the Mornington Peninsula.
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Plenty of coverage today but still no sign of any Wheatears or very much else on the land for that matter with just two Woodcocks, three Firecrests and six Chiffchaffs of note. A Hen Harrier also flew out to sea in the morning.
The sea was very quiet except for large numbers of feeding gulls which included two Mediterranean Gulls and a steady trickle of Red-throated Divers and Gannets.
A Grey Seal, a Common Seal and seven Porpoises were feeding offshore and two Brown Hares were seen on the land.


text:
// compile-time test for "boost/ref.hpp" header content
// see 'ref_test.cpp' for run-time part

#include <boost/ref.hpp>
#include <boost/core/is_same.hpp>
#include <boost/static_assert.hpp>
#include <boost/detail/workaround.hpp>

namespace {

template< typename T, typename U >
void ref_test(boost::reference_wrapper<U>)
{
    typedef typename boost::reference_wrapper<U>::type type;
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT((boost::core::is_same<U,type>::value));
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT((boost::core::is_same<T,type>::value));
}

template< typename T >
void assignable_test(T x)
{
    x = x;
}

template< bool R, typename T >
void is_reference_wrapper_test(T)
{
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(boost::is_reference_wrapper<T>::value == R);
}

template< typename R, typename Ref >
void cxx_reference_test(Ref)
{
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT((boost::core::is_same<R,Ref>::value));
}

template< typename R, typename Ref >
void unwrap_reference_test(Ref)
{
    typedef typename boost::unwrap_reference<Ref>::type type;
    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT((boost::core::is_same<R,type>::value));
}

} // namespace

int main()
{
    int i = 0;
    int& ri = i;

    int const ci = 0;
    int const& rci = ci;

    // 'ref/cref' functions test
    ref_test<int>(boost::ref(i));
    ref_test<int>(boost::ref(ri));
    ref_test<int const>(boost::ref(ci));
    ref_test<int const>(boost::ref(rci));

    ref_test<int const>(boost::cref(i));
    ref_test<int const>(boost::cref(ri));
    ref_test<int const>(boost::cref(ci));
    ref_test<int const>(boost::cref(rci));

    // test 'assignable' requirement
    assignable_test(boost::ref(i));
    assignable_test(boost::ref(ri));
    assignable_test(boost::cref(i));
    assignable_test(boost::cref(ci));
    assignable_test(boost::cref(rci));

    // 'is_reference_wrapper' test
    is_reference_wrapper_test<true>(boost::ref(i));
    is_reference_wrapper_test<true>(boost::ref(ri));
    is_reference_wrapper_test<true>(boost::cref(i));
    is_reference_wrapper_test<true>(boost::cref(ci));
    is_reference_wrapper_test<true>(boost::cref(rci));

    is_reference_wrapper_test<false>(i);
    is_reference_wrapper_test<false, int&>(ri);
    is_reference_wrapper_test<false>(ci);
    is_reference_wrapper_test<false, int const&>(rci);

    // ordinary references/function template arguments deduction test
    cxx_reference_test<int>(i);
    cxx_reference_test<int>(ri);
    cxx_reference_test<int>(ci);
    cxx_reference_test<int>(rci);

    cxx_reference_test<int&, int&>(i);
    cxx_reference_test<int&, int&>(ri);
    cxx_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(i);
    cxx_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(ri);
    cxx_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(ci);
    cxx_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(rci);

    // 'unwrap_reference' test
    unwrap_reference_test<int>(boost::ref(i));
    unwrap_reference_test<int>(boost::ref(ri));
    unwrap_reference_test<int const>(boost::cref(i));
    unwrap_reference_test<int const>(boost::cref(ci));
    unwrap_reference_test<int const>(boost::cref(rci));

    unwrap_reference_test<int>(i);
    unwrap_reference_test<int>(ri);
    unwrap_reference_test<int>(ci);
    unwrap_reference_test<int>(rci);
    unwrap_reference_test<int&, int&>(i);
    unwrap_reference_test<int&, int&>(ri);
    unwrap_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(i);
    unwrap_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(ri);
    unwrap_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(ci);
    unwrap_reference_test<int const&, int const&>(rci);

    return 0;
}


By chowning it to that user, for example, and giving it exec permision to owner only (u,x,g-x,o-x). Of course, root would still be able to run it.
Better use a chroot environment for this!
You could install it in /home/user/bin, for example, so that root would not accidentally run it. He could still run it intentionally, though.
Perhaps with acl - dunno about that.
Posix ACLs only give additional permissions, root is still allmighty!
There will be no way to prevent root to execute ana command.


The Super Sleek Front Close Wire-Free Bra from Just My Size doesn't look like a front-close bra, but it is! All you see is a pretty strip of lace between the cups. Seamless two-ply cups create a sleek look under clothes, with no worries about show through. Side shaping panels and a powernet back ensure allover smoothness.


At Glaziers London, we offer an extensive range of glazing and glass repair services both in London and Surrey. Our professionals ensure improvement and restoration of your valuable property. We feel great pride in having satisfied clients who believe that we perform our work with full attention. Our experts are dedicated in giving you a wide range of services starting from broken glass repair to designing and replacing windows that will last for a long time.
Our glaziers in London have years of experience in all areas of glass and glazing repair services. We believe in the philosophy of no job is too big or small. Being a reliable and trustworthy glazing company, we will discuss with you how we can help and then decide on a price before we start the work. Our vehicles are stored with different kinds of boards and glasses that are ready to fulfill your requirement.
We understand that damage to your valuable property is quite stressful. Our dedicated and efficient team of glaziers is always there on call whenever there is some kind of emergency. This means 24 hours a day and 365 days a year in London as well as Surrey.
In case of glazing emergency, you can be assured that a member of our glass and glazing company will reach your place within 30 minutes of getting your call. It is our utmost priority to clean broken glass and debris quickly and guarantee the security of your home or business.
We do not charge a callout fee for making glass repair service hassle-free and affordable for the customers. Our experts will only charge you for board or glass materials used and the payment is accepted by either debit or credit card.
Alternatively, we are paid through the insurance company and we work together with some of the leading brokers, intermediaries and insurance companies in the UK. We have also been approved and trusted by the police.
Are you looking for a renowned, high-quality glazing company in London? Get in touch with us today for your free, no-obligation quote.
Thank you so much for a very good, quick and friendly service! A very thorough and professional job. We are happy customers! Thank you again Brad.
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Great lad, thanks for coming so quickly as getting the window boarded up!


I've never had any problem finding a Sit n Go game or multi-table tournament at Intertops Poker. It's always been one of the most active US-friendly online poker rooms. But with their Frequent Player Points Leaderboard Race, $2000 Reload Bonus, $1000 Free Roll -- not to mention a drastic increase in active players over the last month -- Intertops is busier than ever these days!
With less than two weeks left in the May Frequent Players Points Race, competition for a share of the $2500 in prize money is heating up. All Frequent Player Points collected until June 1st count and the top 40 players on the leaderboard at the end of the month will win a share of the prize pool. Right now three or four players are neck and neck as they battle it out for the top prize.
Until May 26th, Intertops Poker's Reload Bonus automatically doubles players' deposits (up to $2000). To claim this bonus, players should enter the bonus code 2kreload when they deposit.
A freeroll poker tournament at the end of the month will give players a chance to win big money while risking nothing. Every player who makes a minimum $20 deposit between now and May 26th using the reload code will receive a ticket to play in the $1000 Freeroll on May 29th. This is a free poker tournament with a guaranteed $1000 prize pool. There are also several freeroll tournaments every day where players can get their bankroll started with no risk at all.
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to tell other readers what you thought of it.


UPDATED 3 bedroom, 2 full bath BRICK RANCH home on Lake Badona! REMODELED BATHROOMS, All NEW flooring. Freshly painted interior and exterior! HUGE Great Room with stone fireplace. LARGE kitchen with breakfast bar & pantry...all appliances remain too! Large lot with mature trees bring you the peaceful setting and country feel yet close to I-70 and shopping.


text:
Фардекан () — село в Ірані, у дегестані Хенеджін, в Центральному бахші, шахрестані Коміджан остану Марказі. За даними перепису 2006 року, його населення становило 473 особи, що проживали у складі 115 сімей.

Клімат
Середня річна температура становить 12,19°C, середня максимальна – 31,66°C, а середня мінімальна – -10,23°C. Середня річна кількість опадів – 265 мм.

Примітки

Населені пункти шагрестану Коміджан


You've probably seen these giant painted eggs dotted about London. There are 200 eggs in total that have been designed by leading artists, designers, architects and jewellers. All you have to do is visit their website , download the 12 zone maps and decipher the clues to find the eggs; the winner will be awarded the incredible Diamond Jubilee Egg , valued at over £100,000! This is certainly one unique and interactive way to see the city and all proceeds go to Action for Children and Elephant Family.
The house of the famous baroque composter, George Handel, is hosting an Easter egg hunt with live performances. Adults will be able to enjoy the beautiful sound of the harpsichord while the children can run around on the Easter trail finding yummy chocolate eggs. Children under 16 are allowed in for free and an adult ticket will cost £6.
This little children's zoo in the heart of Battersea Park has an Easter egg hunt that will thrill any animal-loving child. You will need to purchase a quiz sheet and use the clues to hunt down the elusive eggs around the zoo. Admission to the zoo is £7.95 for adults and £6.95 for children or £26.00 for a family ticket. Quiz sheets are £1.50.
The Golden Lindt Easter Bunny is 60 years and to celebrate kids can explore Potters Fields in London Bridge, while trying to find shiny golden chocolate bunnies. In addition to the Easter egg hunt there will also be a range of activities for children including face painting, craft sessions and an Easter bonnet making class. The best thing about this event is that it's completely free!
Ham House is a 17th century stately home on the banks of the River Themes in Richmond and this Easter there will be an egg hunt in its huge gardens. The kids can lark about looking in all the nooks and crannies to find the Cadburys chocolate egg that lie hidden in the gardens. The event kicks off at 11am over the Easter weekend and is suitable for small and older children alike. The hunt costs £3.00 on top of the Garden admission fee which is £3.30 for adults and £2.20 for children.


text:
Home Football News Aston Villa boss offers verdict on sacked rival Gary Rowett
Aston Villa boss offers verdict on sacked rival Gary Rowett
16th December 2016 at 12:20pm
By Matt Farr
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce admits he was shocked to hear rivals Birmingham had parted ways with manager Gary Rowett.
Rowett was sacked by the club on Wednesday, following a victory over Ipswich, ending a two-year spell in charge at the Championship club.
However, former Birmingham manager Bruce has backed Rowett for a swift return to management, adding that he did "a wonderful job".
He told the Birmingham Mail: "Nothing surprises me in football anymore but this really was a big shock. I have to admit.
"He obviously didn't see eye-to-eye with the new owners, they want to go in a different direction.
"It's totally disappointing for Gary because to the football world, he's spent very little money, had two top ten finishes and got the team into seventh position in the league.
"He took over in difficult times during the financial restraints. But the one thing about it is he enhanced his reputation and he will be back, I'm sure of that.
"He did a wonderful job there so he can leave that behind."
Rowett was replaced by Gianfranco Zola, who previously had managerial spells with West Ham and Watford. However, the Italian has been out of work since he was sacked by Qatari side Al-Arabi in June.
With just five defeats this season, Rowett led Birmingham to 8th in the Championship after 21 games – six points ahead of Bruce's Villa – winning three of his last five games.
In his first season, he drew the plaudits when he guided Birmingham from 21st in the Championship to a 10th-placed finish.
But despite the remarkable achievement, the club still felt a change of personnel was the best way forward for the promotion-seeking Midlands club.
Birmingham are next in action against high-flying Brighton, while Bruce's Villa travel to struggling Queens Park Rangers.
In other Aston Villa news, Bruce remains optimistic over the availability of this injured-star ahead of their clash with QPR on Sunday.
Previous article7-year-old son of Manchester United legend training with rivals – report
Next articleJohn Kennedy issues hands-off to Serie A side: This Celtic star is not for sale – report


text:
Brian Hayes and Michael Maines are among a small number of residential building pioneers who are beginning to consider embodied carbon in their projects.
By Kiley Jacques
"If you are building a house in 2019, all of the embodied energy gets burned this year, which means that all of the carbon associated with that embodied energy is going into the atmosphere this year."—Martin Holladay
Still abuzz after our recent Building Science Summit, I've recommitted to a rallying cry I haven't sounded loud enough. I'm not alone in that department. Though the dialogue around embodied carbon is starting to attract more attention, the green building community is still primarily focused on the operations-related environmental impacts of our houses, so efforts are centered around energy efficiency over the carbon emissions associated with residential construction.
At the summit, designer/builder Michael Maines talked about The Pretty Good House 2.0 (blog post to come); he described Bruce King's book, The New Carbon Architecture, as his building bible. I ordered a copy immediately and have been thoroughly engrossed ever since. I spoke with Maines about the subject, and during our conversation he mentioned Brian Hayes, owner of Bellwether Craftsmen in Huntington, Vermont. Because Hayes is committed to low-carbon building materials and methods, I called him up to hear his thoughts on this budding movement.
Hayes began his career erecting barns and farm buildings before moving into the residential sector. He is an expert timber framer and is Passivehouse- and CPHC-certified. In other words, he is a craftsman with a conscience. "My motivation for low-carbon, high-performance, natural building is socially and environmentally based," he says. "It's just the right thing to do on so many levels. We know better. We know we are doing bad things, and we are doing them because of exploitative economics. I'm not into it."
One of the driving principles behind a low-carbon home is that it should be small. Maines has specified 1000 sq. ft. for one person, 1500 sq. ft. for two, 1750 sq. ft. for three, and 1875 sq. ft. for four. "If it is well designed, people can fit into a lot less square footage than they believe," Hayes notes. "There's a whole client education piece to this. We tell them: 'We can build you a high-performance, natural, healthy building that is going to be durable and sustainable but to get there, we have to reduce square footage.'"
Hayes strongly believes the 30-year standard and the code minimums based on it are sorely insufficient, and essentially produce "disposable housing." He designs and builds homes with a lifespan of 75 to 100 years using roughly 90% natural materials. He cites vapor permeability as critical to a building's performance, saying it has the biggest impact on durability. Hayes advocates for vapor-open assemblies that can breathe in both directions, and says that natural buildings omit the impervious surfaces that result with synthetic materials. He does, however, concede to relying on synthetics for membranes and air-sealing adhesives—because there aren't any natural alternatives. Pro Clima products (Intello to the inside, Solitex on the exterior) are his current go-to. And 475 High Performance Building Supply is a regular source.
Hayes demonstrates the success of his approach by recalling two projects that had him competing with SIP construction, which promises a level of performance Hayes matches. "Our projects met the standard for Efficiency Vermont 2.0. We went up against a SIP assembly with our 2×6 wall, cellulose, and Gutex exterior fiberboard. That's all plant-based material—except for the membranes," he says, adding that plant-based building materials exceed petroleum-based systems in terms of durability and performance. They also create a carbon bank that reduces atmospheric carbon counts.
Operationally speaking, Hayes's shop runs on solar energy; he builds modular components as much as possible, which limits vehicle trips back and forth to the site; and five of his employees live in the same town as the shop—the sixth has a 20-mile commute. "Using our shop is our best option for keeping daily emissions down," Hayes explains, adding that he also uses local sources for timber and siding, thereby cutting shipping emissions. "We are lucky to have just about every material we need right here in Vermont," he says. "We try to use local wood species for everything, and we trace materials that come from outside Vermont—such as FSC-certified fiberboard and cellulose."
Asked what technologies, if any, he finds useful for building low-carbon homes, Hayes names PHPP and WUFI energy-modeling software. "They are great tools but I think they need to be developed to be user-friendly and a little more available to builders." However, he questions whether or not further technological advances would be beneficial. "I don't think we necessarily need more technology," he explains. "We need more education around the technology we have. And we need to make it standard and regulated—if we do that, then prices will come down, and people will be more familiar, less apprehensive. There will be better executions, better products, and healthier people and buildings."
So, what exactly is a low-carbon house?
According to Maines, a low-carbon home should:
1.) Be as small as possible—ideally with multi-family or multi-generational occupants.
2.) Be PV-ready or include photovoltaic panels. PV-ready means designed, built, and sited in such a way that a reasonably sized photovoltaic array can handle all of the home's energy needs on an annual basis. (PV panels pay their carbon debt in 2-4 years.)
3.) Be simple and durable. Simple shapes are easier to air-seal and insulate. They perform better in harsh weather, and require fewer materials and less maintenance than more complicated buildings. If you need to bring in a structural engineer, your design might be too complicated. Invest in the parts that are hard to change later.
4.) Use wood and wood-derived products as construction materials. Just make sure the wood is sustainably harvested—locally, if possible. Otherwise the trees are better left to remove CO2 through photosynthesis. In general, the more materials are processed, the higher their carbon footprint.
5.) Use air-source heat pumps. Mini-splits can be efficient to -15°F or below. They are affordable—especially for the sizes needed in a Pretty Good House 2.0—and they are relatively simple to install. For those who can't stand the look of an appliance on the wall, there are slim-duct, ceiling cassette, and floor-mounted versions. However, the wall-mounted units are the most efficient, so learn to love them. Heat-pump water heaters are a no-brainer for most homes.
6.) Invest in the envelope. Insulation and air-sealing should be good enough that heating and cooling systems can be minimal, with indoor air quality and comfort levels that are very high.
7.) Be affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.
8.) Reflect the "KISS" principle (Keep It Simple and Safe). The house should be easy to operate and understand. Owner-proof systems should omit operator influence and/or error.
9.) Consider time-tested sensible strategies such as: planting deciduous trees to shade the south and west walls (in the cold months, the leaves drop, letting natural light in); cooling with fans and natural convection rather than air conditioners; heating water with a wood stove; and air drying clothes.
10.) Be part of a sustainable community. Having access to community solar, jobs, and services nearby minimizes driving and enables the sharing of infrastructure costs. A one-hit wonder in the middle of the woods often comes with a bigger carbon footprint than a community-based home.
Hayes says the 1800-sq.-ft. house pictured here meets the great majority of all ten requirements.
Additionally, Maines says a low-carbon home should minimize or avoid:
1.) Concrete, which contributes 10% of man-made global warming emissions, partly through fuel to heat and move minerals, but 60% from release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from limestone (CaCO3) to get calcium oxide (CaO) for Portland cement.
2.) Foam, especially HFC (hydrofluorocarbon)-blown closed-cell spray foam and XPS (extruded polystyrene) rigid insulation. When building a new house there should be no need to use foam above grade.
3.) Combustion appliances, especially those that burn fossil fuels.
4.) Unhealthy materials.
In Hayes's house, items 1-4 have been addressed, as the structure is slab on grade with frost walls. "This particular home is largely comprised of natural carbon-sequestering materials—wood, wood fiber, and stone," he says, adding that he is waiting on the results of a pending carbon analysis for this house, as well as another constructed last year.
It gives me hope that a few builders, like Hayes, are having their projects analyzed for embodied carbon. Because it's time to call it: Carbon is the next frontier.
Photos courtesy of Brian Hayes
If you have a project that might be of interest to our readers, please send a short description and images to [email protected].
For more on embodied carbon:
Another Look at Embodied Carbon
Emissions by the Construction Industry
All About Embodied Energy
Suburbanguy | Oct 28, 2019 10:34pm | #1
There is so much I could say...
A house somewhere out in the "boonies" and this is so environmentally sound. Just get in your car/truck and drive everywhere.
Get off the "carbon footprint" marketing bandwagon nonsense.
AshlieDPerron | Nov 06, 2019 03:18am | #2
JakeHouck | Nov 09, 2019 03:01am | #3
SarahCullen | Nov 21, 2019 04:44am | #4
Thanks for this information! It's really good!
GeorgeMendoza | Nov 22, 2019 01:22am | #5
It's amazing! nice one.
DianeScheiber | Dec 13, 2019 12:36am | #6
Thanks for sharing this post!
MichealCoronado | Jan 03, 2020 03:24am | #7
A guide to materials for flooring, countertops, cabinetry, and more that benefit people and are better for the environment.
Best Energy-Smart Home 2018: Neighborhood Net Zero
This builder-friendly spec house fills out a narrow lot in a contemporary community.
How Much Insulation Is Too Much?
Energy Nerd: Net-zero case study, space heating, cold climates.
Net Zero-Ready Community


text:
What happens to the Trump D.C. hotel? Answers to five questions on the president's emoluments battle.
Trump's alleged self-enrichment isn't in the articles of impeachment, but it is advancing in court.
The Trump International Hotel, at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, includes the old post office and clock tower, completed in 1899. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
Jonathan O'Connell and
Jonathan O'Connell
Reporter covering economic development with a focus on commercial real estate and the Trump Organization
Ann E. Marimow
Reporter covering legal affairs
This week, judges in Washington and Richmond heard the latest round of arguments in two potentially landmark cases in which Democrats allege that President Trump's business dealings violate the Constitution.
Both cases, happening in the shadow of the high-voltage impeachment hearings, hinge on conduct that has mainly taken place at one property: the president's glitzy, 263-room D.C. hotel.
The hotel has booked big business from diplomats and foreign leaders, in potential violation of the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause, which bars the president from accepting gifts or payments from foreign or state governments.
The property is also leased from the federal government, which Democrats have repeatedly raised as a problem in court arguments.
Now, however, Trump's company plans to sell its lease of the hotel. What then? With both sides in the cases having just completed their latest arguments, and bidders beginning to consider the value of the hotel, we look at what's next in the emolument battles.
Will the emoluments cases proceed if Trump sells the D.C. hotel?
One of the cases would likely end. A suit brought by the attorneys general of D.C. and Maryland deals only with allegations around the D.C. hotel, with the plaintiffs arguing other hotels in the area are unfairly disadvantaged because they say diplomats, governors and other government leaders book the Trump hotel to curry favor with the president.
If the Trumps sell the property — so long as it isn't to a sovereign wealth fund or maybe a state pension plan — all that goes away. "We're just saying that the courts should stop him from violating the emoluments clauses," Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said after the arguments in Richmond Thursday. Once that happens, whether by sale or court action, he and D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine would likely end their suit.
Trump's D.C. hotel is at the center of anti-corruption, emoluments lawsuit
Alternatively, Trump could give or sell his stake in the hotel to one of his adult children, as one of the judges suggested Thursday. That too would probably end the D.C.-Maryland case. Two other cases, one brought by 200 congressional Democrats and another by business owners in New York, would likely continue, although they could be weakened.
So long as they aren't resolved ahead of time, all the cases would likely be moot if Trump loses the election.
Are the Trumps selling the D.C. hotel because of emoluments or for some other reason?
The specifics behind the Trump family's plans to unload the property — which they spent an estimated $210 million to develop and which Ivanka Trump hoped to one day pass down to her children — are not fully known, but irritation at the lawsuits appears to be a factor. In announcing their plans to try selling the hotel lease, Donald Trump Jr., who is running the company with his brother Eric while their father is in office, cited the lawsuits.
None of the cases have neared a point where a judge might have ordered the president to change his conduct, however, and it's worth considering whether there may be financial reasons as well.
Barr books Trump's hotel for $30,000 holiday party
The Trump brothers announced the planned sale on the first day they are permitted — three years from when the hotel opened — according to their lease terms with the federal government. That timeline, and the hotel's struggling occupancy, suggest financial considerations might have driven the decision as much as the courts or politics.
Why are the courts taking so long?
For the Democrats who are behind the suits, a not-so-secret goal has been to expose private financial information about Trump and his business, and to learn more details about the extent of foreign and state government spending through the president's private entities. The odds of that happening in one of the emoluments cases before the election, given the steps remaining in the cases, are now slim to none (although House committees and New York prosecutors are also seeking Trump's tax information in other cases).
As a legal matter, the emoluments cases are breaking new ground with every ruling, because no court until now has even tried to define an emolument, much less determine what should happen if the president accepts one. The lawsuits raise myriad constitutional questions, and, as Judge James A. Wynn Jr. said Thursday, whatever decision they make will affect every future president.
Given the novel legal work involved, the appeals courts are moving relatively swiftly by court standards. In the congressional case, the appeals court got involved in July after a ruling from U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, and scheduled oral argument for December. In the D.C.-Maryland case, the appeals court reviewed the case sitting with a full panel of 15 judges five months after it was dismissed by an initial three-judge panel.
Why is the Justice Department defending Trump?
Some readers have questioned why taxpayer dollars are being spent to defend the president against allegations that he is using taxpayer dollars to enrich himself. Critics of Attorney General William P. Barr have also wondered whether the Justice Department is defending Trump as part of what they see as Barr's deference to the president.
That's not the reason — this the Justice Department's role. DOJ lawyers have long defended presidents when they are sued in their official capacity. Here, there would not be an alleged emoluments violation if not for Trump's position as president.
In contrast, the Justice Department is not representing Trump in a different set of cases, in which the president has sued to block subpoenas — from Congress and New York prosecutors — for his private tax and financial records. In those cases, which have reached the Supreme Court, Trump is being represented by a team of personal attorneys.
What will happen to Trump if the courts rule against him?
No one knows, because no court has ever made a final emoluments clause judgment. As Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, a critic of the lawsuits, said in court Thursday, "there's no history that authorizes it. There's no precedent that authorizes it."
That does not mean the cases have had no effect. The plaintiffs have had an impact simply by injecting the once-obscure emoluments term into public discourse and making personal enrichment a consideration for House leadership when creating articles of impeachment, even though it wasn't ultimately included.
Trump's Washington hotel has fallen behind competitors, with rooms running nearly half empty, marketing materials show
There is some evidence Trump has reined in his behavior as a result of the cases. After he was forced to reverse course on plans to host the G-7 summit at his Doral golf course, the president blasted critics and their "phony emoluments clause."
Regardless of how the appeals courts rule, the cases seem bound for the Supreme Court, which could provide one side or the other with a high-profile victory. Unless Trump sells his hotel or leaves office first.


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LARA Director Signs New Indigent Defense Standard, Establishes Test for Eligibility for Defense Funding and Provides Guidance for Recouping Costs of Defense
October 28, 2021 - Today, Orlene Hawks, the Director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), signed the Indigency Standard proposed by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC). The Indigency Standard provides a framework for determining whether an individual qualifies for representation and other defense funding. It also provides guidance regarding the recoupment of defense costs from individuals with the ability to repay them.
Under current Michigan law, courts can assess defense costs without first considering the defendant's foreseeable ability to pay. The Indigency Standard, however, instructs local court funding units not to seek reimbursement from indigent defendants.
"The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration is committed to ensuring everyone has full access to justice from our criminal legal system," said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. "Trying to collect defense costs from people who have no ability to pay creates more problems than it solves. The new standard is common sense and recognizes that money must not be a prerequisite for representation or justice. Just like our other reform initiatives, which include Clean Slate and the reforms proposed and enacted from the Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, this new MIDC standard will make Michigan's justice system more equitable for everyone."
In creating the Indigency Standard, the MIDC surveyed hundreds of defense attorneys, conducted focus groups with numerous judges and attorneys, and sought feedback from the State Bar of Michigan and the State Court Administrative Office. Input from these various stakeholders is reflected in the standard.
"The Indigency Standard promotes access to justice by looking at each person's entire financial situation before determining their ability to pay attorney's fees,"' said LARA Director, Orlene Hawks. "By carefully considering each person's ability to pay, this standard compassionately balances the need for recouping costs with fundamental fairness."
Once approved, local indigent defense systems have 180 days to submit a plan for compliance with the new minimum standard. Those plans and corresponding requests for funding are reviewed and must be approved by the MIDC.
After decades of being severely under-resourced, indigent defense in Michigan has seen significant improvements in recent years. Through the implementation of Minimum Standards 1 through 5, indigent defense attorneys statewide receive training annually, have access to experts and investigators as appropriate to provide constitutional representation, and enjoy the same independence from the judiciary afforded to prosecutors and retained counsel. In addition, defendants with insufficient means to hire an attorney now receive appointed counsel when they initially appear in court to face criminal charges.
Over 20 new public defender offices, including regional defender offices and approximately 50 managed assigned counsel systems have been established in Michigan since 2018. The evolution of local public defense systems across the state helps to ensure that those who cannot afford to hire an attorney have the same access to justice as those who can.
With this new standard, defendants are presumed to be indigent if they are receiving personal public assistance or earn an income less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The standard also allows defendants to ask for re-screening at any time during the case due to a change in circumstances. According to Interim MIDC Chair Christine Green, "This flexibility is particularly important during a pandemic, and allows for these real-life circumstances to factor into the screening process."
The mission of the MIDC is to develop and oversee the implementation, enforcement, and modification of minimum standards, rules, and procedures to ensure that indigent criminal defense services providing effective assistance of counsel are delivered to all indigent adults in Michigan. The MIDC is composed of eighteen members appointed by the Governor. The MIDC meets multiple times throughout the year to review and approve local systems' plans for compliance with existing minimum standards and to create and implement standards for indigent defense delivery services. A full-time staff works in Lansing, Michigan. Standards 1 through 4 were approved by LARA on May 22, 2017, and Standard 5 was approved by LARA on October 29, 2020. A complete set of the MIDC's Standards for Indigent Defense Delivery Systems can be found on its website-www.michiganidc.gov.
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To celebrate the second week of Pixar Fest with our Pixar Fest At Home Celebration series, we are featuring the second Pixar movie – A Bug's Life. We made this yummy bug's food drink, a green smoothie recipe for kids. We also have a fun free A Bug's Life party printable that you can use as cupcake toppers or make decorative kid straws.
A Bug's Life was my oldest daughter's very favorite Pixar movie. It was released in 1998, one year after she was born. The cute storyline and colorful picture held her attention from the beginning. We watched it so many times I could quote it along with her.
This sheet of A Bug's Life printable party decor can be used as cupcake toppers, on food picks, or to create your own decorative kid straws. I recommend you print the sheet on white cardstock and use a 2″ hole punch to punch out the circles.
Once you have your A Bug's Life circles cut out, use a small dot of glue to add to your decorative paper straws. I used brown ones to resemble sticks in our bug's juice.
Now your green smoothie is Pixar ready. Isn't Heimlich, the fat green caterpillar, cute hanging out on your smoothie?
This is a fun way to encourage your kids to drink their greens. Feed them this kid-friendly green smoothie! Tell them this smoothie is a bug's food and what their favorite Pixar A Bug's Life characters eat. Plus, the green smoothie recipe for kids really is kid-approved. It tastes great. The banana and apple help hide the taste of the spinach leaves.
Using a blender or juicer, add spinach leaves and almond milk to blend well.
Core and chop your apple. Add half of the green apple to your blender.
Add your banana and ice, blend until smooth.
Serve with a fun Pixar A Bug's Life straw. Enjoy!
Looking for more of Disney Pixar's A Bug's Life fun? Check out these adorable Dot Disney Bounding outfits from They Call Me T and this kid-friendly Ants on a Log recipe from Christy's Cozy Corners. Each week we are covering a new Disney Pixar film to countdown the weeks of Pixar Fest at Disneyland.
Did you miss last week's fun Toy Story craft? Next week we are featuring the third Pixar movie, Toy Story 2!


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Meet Hannah O'Reilly, fencer
Hannah O'Reilly
Manu Palomeque 07977074797
The 13-year-old from Kent College Pembury on being selected for England Fencing and the contrasts between Kent and Australia
Tell us a bit about you
I am Hannah O'Reilly, I'm 13 years old. Three years ago we returned to England after spending six years in Melbourne. I have a younger sister, an extra-large black and white cat nicknamed King Henry VII, a Tibetan terrier mix dog who sings – and we all live on an asparagus farm in Biddenden.
What are you doing now?
I am in Year 9 at Kent College Pembury, my new school which I'm enjoying very much. I have made my GCSE choices for next year and will be taking the three sciences - Physics, Chemistry and Biology, History, Classics, French and Film Studies.
What about the future for you?
I'm not sure where this might lead to when I'm grown up as that seems so far away, but I do dream about being involved in something to do with the film industry. My favourite entertainment is films and superheroes and cartoons are at the top of the list.
I would also like to be involved with nature or marine conservation, which might also be a career path. I play the viola in the school strings orchestra which is fun.
Tell us about your fencing
I started fencing when we came back to England as I'd seen a demonstration at a Holiday Festival in Australia. My first competition was MX Leon Paul Junior in 2012 and I am totally hooked on the sport.
I spend a good deal of my week training and taking part in Junior Leon Paul and Cadet competitions all over the UK. These then culminate in the British Youth Championships held in Sheffield each May. The England Youth Champs are also good medals to earn and this takes place in June.
I am the current cup holder of the Kent County Amateur Fencing U16 Senior Schools Sabre and am very proud of this as I competed against others who are three years older. In December I fenced in the Cadet Winton for the South East Regional Team and, along with fellow Kent College student Isabel Turnbull, we won the sabre event for the second year.
I fence at Kent College as part of the school's Extra Curricular Activities Programme on a Tuesday lunchtime. We have a professional coach who owns a fencing club so there is the option to further your training if you enjoy it.
The sport is a great way to meet new friends and the atmosphere is generally a happy one among fencers, who not only share tips on how to do better and improve to win, but also who has the best and the most original joke arsenal!
This year I am going to the Wratislavia Challenge in Poland as part of the GB under-15 team. There are usually more than 500 competitors in the sabre fencing and those taking part are from all over the world, from the USA to Russia, and the competition is serious but exciting.
My sports role model is the Russian fencer Sofia Velikaia, an Olympian and four-time world champion team fencer. A fantastic sportswoman, she is always working very hard to succeed. My goal is to represent Great Britain in an Olympic Games.
What's best about Kent?
I have a wonderful view of Sissinghurst Castle from my bedroom window and some of my favourite things about living in Kent are the traditional Wealden houses, oasts and the castles and their grounds where I go for long dog walking adventures.
I do enjoy the beaches and fish and chip shops in almost every town on the coast. Kent is very green, full of fruit trees and so completely different to Australia, which is mostly red sand and incredibly hot.
Your favourite book?
My current favourite book series is the Sculduggery Pleasant stories by Derek Landy. The humour and way in which troubles are sorted out is great. n
More from People
The Kentish Rebels
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Kent has always been noted for its rebellions, its involvement in the Peasants' Revolt 635 years ago its most famous manifestation. But what were those other Kent rebellions?
Kent in recovery: How we have overcome adversity throughout history
Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Words: Stephen Roberts. Photos: Manu Palomeque
With light at the end of the Covid tunnel at last, we take heart from how Kent recovered from previous calamities, from the 1930s depression to two world wars and the credit crunch. Article first written in July 2020
10 historical figures you may not know in Kent
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We're all familiar with blue plaques, but could Kent Life come up with 10 notable births in our county – avoiding the most obvious ones? See if you agree
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How the sheep farming heritage of Romney Marsh, an area of great natural beauty but high unemployment, helped inspire the creation of Romney Tweed | Writer: Sarah Sturt - Pictures: Manu Palomeque
86-year-old Tom Baker on why he'll never rule out returning as Doctor Who
Who was your favourite doctor? Tom Baker regularly appears in the top two in Dr Who polls, is still acting and would never rule out a come-back | Words: Bernard Bale
Quiz	QUIZ: Essential knowledge about Kent
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You might think you're a bit of an expert on Kent but when the clock starts counting down, simple facts may start to elude your memory...
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Pets are proving a lifesaver for many, providing companionship and consistency in uncertain times, as these Kent Life readers reveal
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Working closely with the most seriously ill of patients, Joanna Mitchell knows only too well the difference it can make when they are cared for at home.


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In Search of Your Ancestors?
A column on genealogy by George Farris
Deeds & Surveys
Land ownership records can be another valuable source of family history information. These records are kept by the Recorder of Deeds in counties in almost all states. However, until state records laws came into effect, recording these documents was voluntary - and early records are far from complete. The records were normally kept chronologically in large volumes - each covering a designated period of time. Since there are typically hundreds of such volumes for a county, it's important to know that there are normally Grantor and Grantee indexes available listing land sellers and buyers over longer time periods - with references to the specific book and page where a specific deed can be found. While these are nominally alphabetical listings, in some case they aren't actually completely alphabetical - sometimes consisting of groupings of transactions for all names starting with a specific letter listed together somewhat chronologically.
In addition to family data that might not be found elsewhere, these records provide a unique perspective regarding exactly where your ancestors lived at a specific time. This, along with local, state, and national history can help explain many things and give you an understanding of how your ancestors lived, who their neighbors were, what was happening around them and, perhaps, why they moved on. Sometimes knowing exactly where the family lived can also help you to locate local cemeteries where family members may have been buried - perhaps with tombstones that can provide more details about family members. In addition, "deed" records can consist of other types of documents that individuals wanted legally recorded but that didn't fit into a neat category. I've found "Power of Attorney" documents recorded along with deeds that were very helpful in understanding a family - but that didn't really have anything to do with land ownership. For instance, one 1816 record in Kentucky documenting power of attorney granted to a friend or relative for purpose of representing the person's interests in the estate of the individual's father in Virginia.
Deeds in states with regular survey grids make it relatively easy to pinpoint exact locations for property using a plat map. However, states formed before Ohio in 1808 didn't have such systematic geographical references and used property descriptions based on "Metes and Bounds" - so specific locations can be very hard to determine. Surveys for land grants and purchases in Kentucky and Tennessee are examples.
Some Common Problems With Old Land Records
Early deeds and surveys based on "Metes and Bounds" often referenced landmarks that were known at the time of the deed or survey - but that became indeterminate in later years. These included references to specific trees that had been marked with a blaze or with initials, references to the property lines of adjacent land owners - who also had deeds with markings that were indeterminate in later years, references to water courses that may have been known by different names at different times, and, in Kentucky, a common expression in land grants stating that the property extended in a specified direction "for quantity" or "for compliment". The latter meant that the front and sides of a property may have been marked - but that it extended off into the distance far enough to constitute the specified number of acres. This was common in land grants and, thus, it was common that descriptions overlapped or conflicted with other surveys. One Recorder of Deeds in Kentucky stated to me that "if all the grants 'for quantity' in Kentucky had been valid and non-overlapping the state would have to be larger than Alaska."
Needless to say, in later years these conflicting claims resulted in all kinds of problems among landowners. The difficulty in proving land claims in Kentucky was one contributing factor in causing many of the early settlers to move on - among them, notably, Daniel Boone, who moved on to Missouri at least partly because of problems with such conflicting land claims and the resulting difficulty in establishing clear title to land in Kentucky.
Below are a couple of typical land descriptions for early land grants in Kentucky.
Moses Estes enters 200 acres of land in Logan County by virtue of certificate No. 250 beginning at a blazed Dogwood tree being a conditional line between Moses and John Estes running east on Ball's line as far as convenient, including his improvement.
John Estes, Senr. enters 200 acres of land in Logan County by virtue of certificate No. 248 beginning at a blazed Dogwood tree running on an old line said to be Burgis Balls on the naked fork of Gaspers River thence southwardly for compliment being a conditional line between himself and Moses Estes to include his improvement.
The above two grants by the Commonwealth of Kentucky were "grants for the relief of settlers south of the Green River". The area south of the Green River had originally been reserved for military land grants for officers of the Revolutionary War. While some of it had been claimed, little had been occupied by the claimants. Many "squatters" had occupied parts of this land which was not being used or had not been claimed. In particular, some of it was occupied by people such as the above Moses and John Estes who had joined James Robertson's group that had founded the settlement at Fort Nashboro (now Nashville, TN) but who had temporarily abandoned that settlement and moved back north into Kentucky due to the constant attacks during the 1790s by the Indian tribes who were attempting to remove that settlement from their ancestral hunting grounds. The land grants by Kentucky were intended to give these "squatters" legal rights to the land that they occupied. The reference to their "improvements" (meaning a clearing and a log cabin) indicated that these people were already living on that property.
On July 4, 1796, two days before his land grant was obtained, Moses Estes had married Elizabeth Riley in Logan County, Kentucky. They were my gr.gr.gr.grandparents. The second grant was to John Estes, Sr. John and his wife Elizabeth (Chisum) were the parents of Moses Estes.
Mapping Locations from old Surveys
Having found records of land grants such as those above how can you determine where they were actually located? Following is a summary of how I pinpointed the locations of the two 1796 Estes grants. The first step after locating a grant is to try to find a survey for the property - which, if it exists, will be in a separate record book. In this case, Logan County, Kentucky Survey Book "A" includes surveys for the above two Estes land grants - plus other surveys for grants and purchase by other members of the Estes family adjoining these. But, from other records in Logan and Warren Counties, it was clear that the Estes lands were in a part of Logan County that became Warren County in 1797. The two land grants for Moses and John Estes were located on "The Naked Fork of Gaspers River" - and it took some research of old maps to determine that this water course is what is now called "Brush Creek". The surveys included outlines of the boundaries of the surveys and a sketch of how the stream flowed through the properties. By drawing sketches of the surveys and overlaying them on a modern day map of Warren County matched to the same scale it was possible to determine exactly where the land was located along the current Russellville Road about 10 miles southwest of Bowling Green Kentucky. Below are images of the original survey documents, my scaled sketches of the surveys, and a copy of part of the Warren County map showing where the lands were located. Note that, although both of the above land grants were for "200 acres of land", the actual surveys contained 95 acres and 180 acres.
In the surveys, note that the common surveyor's units of measurement were a "pole" or its equivalent - "rod" or "perch" - i.e., 16-1/2 feet, or a chain, which was 4 poles or 66 feet. Sometimes you will find references to "links". There were 100 links in a surveyor's chain - so a link was 0.66 feet (7.92 inches). The people referenced at the bottom of a survey document as C.C. were the "chain carriers". The surveyor's chains were heavy!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> More about land records in the next column >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Previous Columns in this series
1. Beginning your search
2. "Source Data"
3. More About Data Sources
4. Additional Data Sources
5. LDS and Data From Other Countries
6. Census Records
7. Military Records
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