Fire bans and advisories restrict burning for the safety of residents and the community. Depending on weather and environmental conditions, the County may issue a Fire Advisory or a stricter Fire Ban. See below for descriptions of each.
When no fire ban or fire advisory is in place, fire permits can be applied for, and burning with the appropriate permitting can resume. Please remember to always use caution when dealing with fire.
Permit burning in the County is banned due to dry/windy conditions. All outstanding burning and fireworks permits are suspended until further notice.
You can find out when a fire ban or advisory has been declared through the Alberta Fire Bans website, the County's Fire Ban Information Line at 403.520.6310, the Safe & Sound program, and this website.
Any person who ignites, fuels, supervises, maintains or permits an outdoor fire within the municipal boundaries of Rocky View County during a fire ban can be fined $1,000. Should the fire get out of control and emergency fire response is required, the person responsible for the fire can be charged the full firefighting costs.
For other Fire Services questions or reports call 403.230.1401.
Whether you need a sale-of-fireworks permit, a daycare inspection, a special event or occupancy permit, you can book a Fire Services inspection right from this website.


Hysterically laughing babies can cure even the darkest of days.
It's impossible to feel sad when faced with a giggling bundle of joy, especially when you're the one making him laugh.
So, here are six adorable videos of laughing babies to brighten your day. Laughter is infectious, so prepare yourself for the inevitability that your day is about to get better.
Don't forget to share it on Facebook, so you can cheer up all your friends too. Laughing babies do it every time!
[Warning: May cause extreme broodiness and exploding ovaries].
Does exactly what it says on the tin. Get ready to watch this adorable little girl giggling away at the funny noises her daddy is making. Contains adorable belly laughs from a beautiful baby.
This wouldn't be a list of laughing baby videos if it didn't contain this viral sensation. If you haven't seen it, prepare yourself for maximum cuteness as a set of quadruplet babies giggle hysterically in their mummy's arms. If you have seen it before, you know exactly why you need to press play. This video is probably one of the cutest videos YouTube has to offer.
This video proves that you don't need comedic timing or a clever wit to entertain your little one. You just need a piece of paper, and the ability to rip. Baby Micah laughs hysterically while his daddy rips up paper, this video is very cute.
This beautiful baby gets the belly laughs from a funny noise, and simply can't stop laughing. Watch him giggle on the bed as he tries to regain his composure, very cute.
There is nothing quite like the love of a baby and the family pet. The dog in this video has even managed to master the art of entertainment, providing a stand up comedy gig for his biggest fan. Grab yourself some popcorn, a dog and a baby, and sit back to learn from the master.
This video has it all – anticipation, fear and laughter. Poor Emerson is absolutely petrified of the noise of his mother blowing her nose, but the fear leaves him giggling uncontrollably after every blow. Warning, you will watch this video on repeat for hours, so make sure you have a free afternoon before clicking play.
….we still that Little person….


text:
Welcome to Europe King Kenny
Date:16th February 2011 at 9:13am
Written by: Tony
It is hard to believe that Kenny Dalglsih will be leading Liverpool into a European game for the first time as manager on Thursday night when we take on Sparta Prague. During Dalglish's first spell as manager of Liverpool, the club were not able to play in any European competitions due to a ban on English clubs competing in continental competitions in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster.
The six year absence of Liverpool from European action coincided with Dalglish's reign as manager and that is when Liverpool had arguably their best ever side which one 3 league titles and 2 FA Cups. If Liverpool were playing in Europe at that time, I would comfortably say we could have added atleast one or two more European trophies to our cabinet.
Well King Kenny has the chance now to manage Liverpool in a European game, all be it in the Europa League. I have no doubt that Dalglish will be relishing this opportunity and he will be going all out to get off to a winning start. In the past, we have fielded slightly weakened teams in the Europa League but as we do not have a league game this weekend, I am sure we will be fielding a full strength team on Thursday night.
To make it an even more special night, young Raheem Sterling has been called up to the squad travelling for this Europa League game. After his 5 goal blitz in the FA Youth Cup, Sterling could become the youngest ever player for Liverpool if he gets onto the field on Thursday.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


illustrates how these two means of transportation can literally intersect in our daily lives. Thankfully, no one appeared to be seriously hurt. The operators of buses, called "common carriers", are held to a higher standard on the roadways than your average driver.
The Leon Law Firm http://www.theleonlawfirm.com has handled many serious injury cases that resulted from the negligence of bus drivers and their employers, http://www.theleonlawfirm.com/Personal-Injury/Bus-Accidents.aspx.
We know what regulations apply and what the bus companies must do to comply.
Call us for a free consultation if you or a loved one have been hurt as a result of a bus accident.


EventfullyCroatia is a platform for sharing of ideas, experiences and expertise on memorable events in Croatia. We believe that a picture is worth more than a thousand words and invite members of the event planning industry, as well as event participants to share photos of exceptional events organized or experienced in Croatia.
Aleksandra graduated as Bachelor of Science (BS) in Economics at University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb, Croatia with specialisation in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
She is Destination Specialist with more than two decades in creating extraordinary meetings and special events all over Croatia and Adriatic Region. Aleksandra 's professional experience is unbeatable and she can provide best services for both business and private events. She has an invaluable knowledge of the destination and has developed a strong ability to manage high-profile incentive programs from small to very large sizes in Croatia and Adriatic Region.
Being multilingual she is also a licensed tourist guide for special interest groups and highly demanding meeting professionals.
Apart from beeing the Editor in Chief of Evenfully Croatia portal, Aleksandra is a Freelancer for both corporate and association clients organising meetings and events in Croatia and Adriatic Region.
Anita graduated as Master of Economics in Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka, in Croatia, with specialisation in International Tourism and Hospitality Management.
She worked as a secretary and as a receptionist in one a big Croatian hotel chain. Since she's a cheerful and openminded person who likes to work with people, and speaks fluently two foreign languages, she was a promotor for one of the most popular clubs on Adriatic and also for one posh club in Zagreb.
Her love and passion for travel and events brings her to its present positions where she works as a Sales & Marketing Assistant at EventfullyCroatia.


No reviews for Fashionable Jacket No. 13: Mr Mouse dreams of cheese yet.
the price for Fashionable Jacket No. 13: Mr Mouse dreams of cheese drops.
Fashionable Jacket No. 13: Mr Mouse dreams of cheese is available.
there are new images or links available for Fashionable Jacket No. 13: Mr Mouse dreams of cheese.


Get out there and make some money!
Unchain your office extension from your desk and watch productivity rise. Our mobile communicator app frees you to do business anywhere at any time you choose.
Long gone are the days where doing business is just from the office. Successful companies now are empowering their workforce with mobile versions of their ordering systems, customer databases, appointments, and all types of useful data once reserved for the office computer.
They telephone needs to be part of that equation as well and we are here to help you see just how easy that is.
Reach out to us at 205 314 8800 for an evaluation of how IS-Talk can unchain your phone from your office and boost revenue and service levels.


text:
Home > Gender and Land Rights Database > Country profiles > Countries List > Civil society organizations
Civil society and indigenous people's organizations advocating for equality of land rights
Local decision-making organizations and women's representation in them
Legal Information and capacity development on land rights
The Nigerian chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) was founded in 1964. FIDA is an NGO and a women's rights advocacy group originally formed in 1944 by a group of seven women lawyers from Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States of America.
The objectives of FIDA-Nigeria are to: promote the welfare of women and children; highlight the harmful effects of particular laws and practices with a view towards eradicating them. FIDA provides free legal services to women and children; operates a massive legal education outreach program to communities, organizations and schools; produces publications to promote legal literacy; and organizes seminars, workshops and conferences. http://www.fidanigeria.org/aboutus.html
BAOBAB For Women's Human Rights is a not for profit, non-governmental women's human rights organization, which focuses on women's legal rights issues under the three systems of law − customary, statutory and religious laws in Nigeria. BAOBAB's stated mission is "to promote women's human rights principally via improving knowledge, exercise and development of rights under religious laws, customary laws and statutory laws." (http://www.baobabwomen.org/index.htm)
Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1999. Activities of the organization include legal aid and counselling services for women, mobilization and sensitization, skills training and advocacy for legal reforms. The organization is working on codifying Muslim Family Laws in order to give married women enhanced access to justice, protection of their equal rights in marriage, divorce and ownership of property. The codification will probably facilitate uniform decisions within the judiciary and will enhance the judiciary's ability to interpret and enforce legislation in a gender-equitable way because the proposed code accommodates both international equality norms and progressive interpretations of Sharia used in other Muslim countries (4). http://www.wrapaifl.org/
Women for Women International is and NGO which addresses the needs of women in conflict and post-conflict environments. In Nigeria Women for Women International supports women who are victims of states laws that allow husbands to use physical force against their wives; women who have endured genital cutting; women are often forced to marry very young; women who are being trafficked; thousands of widows who, due to unfair laws cannot inherit their husband's property, and are forced with their children in extreme poverty. women can access future employment opportunities. (http://www.womenforwomen.org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-nigeria.php)
In the southeastern zone of the country, there has been a noticeable improvement in women's involvement in decision-making at different levels of governance. Women for the first time are being appointed to "traditional rulers councils", such as the Igwe's cabinet in the eastern part and some traditional councils in the northern parts of the country (5).
The federal government has taken measures to ensure equality and equity in the rural areas and enhance the development and sustenance of rural resources:
- Women Development Centres have been established in all local government areas for training in skills acquisition, mass literacy and adult education programmes;
- Economic empowerment programmes, including numeracy and literacy skills acquisition, have been established.
- The Female Functional Literacy for Health and Poverty Alleviation Project (FFLH) was established for literacy and health education of rural women and to provide income-generation activities in 14 communities in 10 states of the federation.
- The introduction of Universal Basic Education (UBE) targets rural communities as the beneficiaries. The construction and renovation of primary and secondary schools in these areas are part of the infrastructural developments for the rural communities.
- The federal and state Ministries of Agriculture have also provided extension services to the rural communities to improve their agricultural yields and increase their technical proficiency.
- Through sensitization programmes, rural dwellers are encouraged to form self-help groups and cooperative societies to enable them to access credit facilities and loans that have promoted an increase in economic opportunities and a measure of self-sustenance (11).
- The National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) provides training on skills acquisition for men and women (11).
- The Lagos state government has a committee on women's affairs in the State House of Assembly, and the Ekiti and Rivers States have established the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and the Directorate for Citizens Rights respectively, under the states' Ministries of Justice. The OPD offers free legal services to those living in poverty and underprivileged women whose rights are threatened or have been infringed (5).
- BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights organizes the following training activities: i. paralegal training; ii. interdisciplinary teaching; iii. popular education and training; iv. capacity building for other women's groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) through training, skills building etc.; v. participating in academic discussions and serving as a research centre for women's rights in law; and vi. furthering the appreciation and observance of women's rights through activities such as sponsoring training and education programmes. (http://www.baobabwomen.org/index.htm)
- Women for Women International is an NGO which holds the Renewing Women's Life Skills Programme that provides women with rights awareness, leadership education and vocational and technical skills training. Women build upon existing skills and learn new ones. To help women transform their new skills into financial independence and sustainability, the organization offers job skills training to strengthen women's existing skills and to introduce new skills in traditional and non-traditional fields.
Over 3 000 women from 21 communities have benefited from the training programmes. Men and male community leaders also are trained and informed about women's rights so that they can become advocates for women within their communities (http://www.womenforwomen.org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-nigeria.php).
In Enugu and Jos from 2002–2005, Women for Women International implemented economic, leadership and skills training or empowerment programmes and activities for over 7 000 rural women. The women were trained on rebuilding society, basic business and marketing skills, women and family law, creating jobs, dealing with domestic violence and preventing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS (5).


text:
A's Commentary and Analysis
Matt Olson trade rumors: Which teams are interested in the A's star?
If it happens, where is he likely to land?
By ConnorAshford Feb 22, 2022, 3:28pm PST
Share All sharing options for: Matt Olson trade rumors: Which teams are interested in the A's star?
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
"This is the cycle for the A's. We have to listen and be open to whatever comes out of this."
Those November comments from Athletics general manager David Forst remain the strongest indication that, when the lockout ends, the team will kick off another rebuild with trades of their best players. And as arguably the most coveted trade piece on the entire market this offseason, star first baseman Matt Olson could bring back to the A's one of the strongest return packages in a while.
Teams that are going to be looking for an impact player like Olson have a few characteristics: they're eyeing contention in 2022, they don't already have a stud first baseman, and they have payroll space and the prospects to make a deal happen. We won't delve into possible returns for Olson, but let's discuss prospects in the comments below.
The ones to watch
A few teams have already been connected in real-life rumors.
In mid-November, before the lockout began, it surfaced that the Yankees had internally discussed Olson as a target.
New York would clearly love an upgrade over incumbent Luke Voit after essentially giving up on him in the middle of a division race last year. Olson has hit the ball well when in Yankee Stadium's friendly dimensions, and would feast if he were to play there for 80+ games. Not only that, he would also help balance out the righty-heavy lineup that the Yankees currently have while giving their infield defense a massive all-around upgrade. New York has the stud prospects, payroll space, and a clear desire to upgrade the position, putting the Yankees among the most likely landing spots.
Atlanta has reportedly already reached out to Oakland to gauge the price tag for Olson.
As rumors begin to percolate that 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman and the Braves may actually go their separate ways this offseason, Atlanta seems more likely by the day to be one of the teams most inclined to make a strike for Olson. They would need an MVP-caliber player to replace Freeman to help stay ahead of teams like the Phillies and Mets, who are positioning themselves to make a run next year. On top of that, as an Atlanta native, a trade to the defending Champs would be a homecoming for Olson, and they'd likely have an advantage trying to secure him to a long-term deal.
Before the lockout, Padres GM A.J. Preller reportedly reached out and expressed initial interest in a dialogue about Olson.
Not the best on-paper fit, but San Diego has been trying for years to get out of the massive Eric Hosmer deal, so they're clearly not enamored with their incumbent first baseman. With as many studs as the Padres have in their lineup, they were still only a middle-of-the-pack offense in 2021 while getting league-average production out of the first base spot. Reuniting Olson with new Friars manager Bob Melvin would certainly take the Padres' offense to the next level, but are they willing to push past the luxury tax to bring in his projected $12MM salary next year?
In late-November, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that the Rangers "have already begun investigating what it would take to get Olson."
Texas wouldn't have made sense at the beginning of the offseason, but their major signings of star middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, as well as other noteworthy additions, indicate that the Rangers see themselves as up-and-comers in 2022. The incumbent first baseman, Nathaniel Lowe, had a solid showing in his first full season in the big leagues in 2021, but when you have a chance to get someone like Olson then putting Lowe at the DH spot would be a no-brainer — if he's not a part of Oakland's return for Olson. Texas also now has multiple middle infield prospects blocked long-term by the aforementioned Seager and Semien deals, and Oakland and Texas have come together on some big trades over the past few seasons. Don't be surprised if Texas is adamant about reuniting Semien with his longtime first baseman.
Other possible fits
There aren't specific rumors connecting these next few teams, but perhaps they could make sense.
The Brewers have had a new starting first baseman every year since the Prince Fielder era ended a decade ago. After winning the NL Central in 2021 and finishing with the third-best record in the National League, first base has to be a top priority for a Brewers club looking for its first World Series title. Only two NL squads, the Pirates and Diamondbacks, two of the worst clubs in baseball, had worse production from their first basemen than the Brewers, and they might not be patient enough to keep trotting youngster Keston Hiura out there to develop.
Should the rumors about the universal DH come to fruition, Los Angeles is primed to be one of the NL teams most likely to make a significant move, and could decide to make a strike for Olson. Current Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy isn't as gifted with the glove as Olson is, and after coming off a major elbow injury at the end of last year Muncy might be more suited to the DH role when he returns.
Another team with some of the worst production from their first basemen in 2021, the Guardians are somewhat of an imperfect fit because they, like the A's, usually have one of the lower payrolls in the league (29th out of 30 in 2021). That said, the fact that Cleveland went 80-82 last summer with one of the league's worst offenses in years is a testament to the quality of their pitching top to bottom. Adding a star hitter to their lineup could help a lot, leading MLB Trade Rumors to take a look at them as a possible mystery team, with their young first baseman Bobby Bradley a candidate to come the other way in a deal.
Which of these suitors seems most likely to you? What prospect packages would you want back in return? Let's begin with a poll!
Which team do you predict will trade for Matt Olson?
None, Olson won't get traded
602 votes total Vote Now


text:
Home Monthly Archives
Final PoemsPoetry
#finalpoem from John Patsynski
written by CCM-Entropy
#finalpoems / [?]
put this down
look around you
this is the past
we had a good run
it's your turn
get on with it
it's easy
you're doing it now
#finalpoem from John Patsynski was last modified: August 3rd, 2015 by CCM-Entropy
#finalpoem from Chris Stroffolino
If The Earthquake Doesn't Kill us
Changing the system doesn't have to be
Such a big deal when you live on a fault.
An earthquake can happen any minute
And if you survive with no property
The common wealth supports all equally
But even if skyscrapers crash, the banks
And their golf course hospitals, can drive tanks
Even before they repave the alleys
Or let you plant seeds on their property
So, no point hoping for that kind of quake.
It will be used to make some more wealthy
Unless enough of us unite to take
Back the schools & fountains they privatized
Once blacks got the rights that would equalize.
#finalpoem from Chris Stroffolino was last modified: August 3rd, 2015 by CCM-Entropy
Movies That Matter: Kevin Maloney
written by Troy Weaver
Film is something we do. We just do. Whether we watch the big budget block-busters or involve ourselves with Bergman's Persona or Tarkovsky's Stalker, we engage nonetheless, as a unit, in a way that is far and wide removed from all other art forms. Film is about a shared experience, however singular your intake. Not everybody reads, nor does everybody enjoy looking at paintings on walls in museums, and I have even, believe it or not, actually met a few folks who don't even care for music, but: Golly, did you all catch that new spidey flick? Everybody goes to the movies—kids, teenagers, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great grandparents. Everybody searches endlessly through their Netflix accounts on the weekends—EVERYBODY. Everybody (at least those of us born before 1990) feels that little pang of nostalgia whenever they come across an old VHS tape in their attic while spring cleaning. I'm tired of reading articles about writers talking about writing and other writers and whatever else it is writers write and talk about. So here it is, folks: writers writing about exactly those things—whatever that means.
First up is Kevin Maloney.
Kevin Maloney is the author of Cult of Loretta (Lazy Fascist Press, 2015). His stories have appeared in Hobart, PANK, and Monkeybicycle. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his girlfriend and daughter.
Burden of Dreams
During a 2006 interview with the BBC, a sniper shot German director Werner Herzog in the stomach with an air rifle. Despite the bloodstain on his shirt, he insisted on continuing, saying, "It's not a significant bullet." Sometimes I worry that our generation of writers is soft. We write what we know, and in the process, we neglect the epic. I love Werner Herzog for doing the opposite: creating symphonic, grandiose art. Art so big it endangers people. Art that verges on madness. This mania is captured in Les Blank's Burden of Dreams, a documentary about the making of Fitzcarraldo. In one scene, Herzog delivers a speech about the jungle that includes the glorious line: "The trees here are in misery, and the birds are in misery. I don't think they sing; they just screech in pain."
Gummo
The truth is I hate most movies. I'm almost always disappointed by their lack of gumption. In literature, there are so many blazing oddities: Flannery O'Connor, Franz Kafka, William Burroughs, Harry Crews. But movies require budgets and actors. Making a movie is like running a small business, and the result is that most feature films feel like 90-minute infomercials concocted by advertising executives. Every once in a while a movie comes along that not only defies this rule, but takes a shit on it. Gummo is one of those movies. It is genuinely fucked up. Harmony Korine depicts an America we know exists, but which we rarely see on screen because it is beyond redemption, and most of us require redemption with our darkness. Gummo is just the darkness.
Vernon, Florida
I only get stoned about once every two years. The most recent time was in a canoe. The time before that was right before watching Errol Morris' Vernon, Florida. I haven't seen the movie since, so I have no idea how it holds up to sober viewing. But stoned, it was a psychedelic experience. I kept saying, "Wait, so this is real? These are actual people?" Errol Morris goes down the rabbit hole of humanity and finds a turkey hunter named Snake and a preacher lecturing at bizarre length about the word "therefore." At one point, three old-timers sit outside a general store arguing about the best way to commit suicide with a shotgun. Every one of these people is worthy of a Flannery O'Connor story, but in Morris's deadpan documentary, it's just another day in Vernon.
There's a reason every college student in America has this movie poster hanging on their dorm room wall. Watching it is a rite of passage, a journey from light into darkness. It's like reading Crime and Punishment and The Idiot in 113 minutes. But Travis Bickle is more complex than any Dostoyevsky character. He's the place where the saint becomes the sinner, where good touches evil. There are so many great scenes in this movie, but my favorite is the climactic shootout. Apparently the scene was too gruesome for the ratings board; in order to get an "R" rating, Scorsese de-saturated the film, giving the ubiquitous blood an orange, almost rust color. The result is haunting and dreamlike, one of the few instances when a change made to appeal to censors actually improved a film.
My Own Private Idaho
I was pretty good at football in the 6th grade, but by middle school I was a gangly giraffe lining up across from young men who'd very much gone through puberty. One day at practice, the coaches wanted us to run into each other as fast as possible for the satanic purpose of discovering which of us would get up afterwards and beg for more. I wasn't having any of it. I took off my helmet and walked into the forest and looked up into the canopy of trees and marveled at the beautiful shapes the branches made as they laced together a hundred feet above me. A few days later, I watched My Own Private Idaho for the first time. Everything about it fascinated me: gay street kids, hustlers, narcolepsy, Portland, Oregon circa 1991. Maybe I just had a big crush on River Phoenix… I don't know. Whatever it was, I quit sports, declared myself an artist, and never looked back.
Movies That Matter: Kevin Maloney was last modified: August 2nd, 2015 by Troy Weaver


MyDD and Charlie Cook discuss his call on the Democrats chances in 2010…..
The past few weeks and months I have been writing quite a bit about my view, contrary to those held by many inside the Beltway and Charlie Cook specifically, that the Democrats' control of the United States House of Representatives is all but lost at present. Don't get me wrong, I am not so obtuse to believe that the political environment favors the Democrats. But I just don't buy the notion that the Republicans are on the verge of retaking the House in the upcoming midterm elections.
Charlie has been kind enough to respond with four comments on my post. I have included the full text of each comment below the fold, for those interested. Here are a few grafs culled from these comments that seem to be representative.
Jonathan, I think what this poll suggests is that Democrats in tough districts who have opposed the Democratic Congressional leadership and the President on just about every important matter, have a decent chance of surviving.
My job, having started the Cook Political Report in 1984, is to call them as I see them. We saw a big wave coming in 1994 but underestimated it then. In 2006 we saw one and nailed it. We saw signs of problems and began writing and talking about it last summer and see little sign that we are wrong. If more Democrats had the cover that Bright had, maybe we would be.
Yes, we have been writing "Dems in trouble" for about eight months now, but it isn't much different from when we were writing that Republicans were in trouble during the 2006 and 2008 cycles. And Republicans were in fact in trouble. Our job is to watch races individually and look for trends. If the partisans for the side on the short end of the trends don't like it, they typically attack the messenger. you can be sure that Republicans weren't happy with what we were writing in the months leading up to the 2006 election, but we were right.
All of the points that Charlie makes are fair…….
What I would like to note, however, is that while I don't dispute the particular points that Charlie is making, I still don't buy his overall thesis. This isn't the first time that the two of us haven't seen eye-to-eye. The last time he came on the site to comment on one of my posts, back in December 2007, it was to defendthe projection made by his publication that the Democrats would pick up between two and eight seats in the House in the 2008 election — a projection I believed to be too dour towards the Democrats, about whom I wrote, "I'd be surprised if [they] didn't net a pick up of at least 10-15 seats in the House next fall." As it turned out, the Democrats netted a 21-seat pickup in the House that fall. In May 2006, hecommented similarly, downplaying my reading of his House race analysis as a major shift towards the Democrats (while, in fairness, also saying "one could reasonably say that the House is close to 50-50, perhaps a bit better for Democrats"). Earlier that year he stopped by MyDD to comment on a post I wrote questioning whether the Democrats would necessarily be worse off in the event that GOP Congressman Bob Ney retired instead of running for reelection. Cook wrote, "If you are a Democrat, you need to really hope that Bob Ney does NOT retire." In the end, Ney did retire, but the Democratic nominee, Zack Space, won by a 24-point margin nonetheless.


text:
Fearless Females
Be the champion of your own story.
moxxicoffee
KRISTAL AMBROSE aka Kristal Ocean
SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT
By: Krysta Kearney
Kristal Ambrose, also known as Kristal Ocean, is an environmental scientist, conservationist and activist who began her career in fighting plastic pollution at a young age. She created the Bahamas Plastic Movement, a nonprofit that tackles the global plastic pollution crisis through research, education, citizen science and policy change. In 2012 she sailed across the Pacific Ocean to study the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where she ended up finding more than she was seeking, a whole new purpose in life, a cause to stand for, and a mission worth fighting. This journey was an eye awakening experience that quickly shifted her focus to researching how to help stop the use of plastics, to promote plastic-free seas. Once she returned home to Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas there was no looking back, she had a vision and began a plastic pollution revolution.
Her first venture in 2013 was a citizen science initiative called the Plastic Beach Project, where volunteers would study plastic pollution concentrations on local beaches. This eventually led to The Bahamas Plastic Movement (BPM), a nonprofit which is still an incredible program to this day.
"Bahamas Plastic Movement is an environmental nonprofit organization geared towards raising awareness and finding solutions to plastic pollution through research, education, citizen science and policy change. We have set high standards for creating innovative ways to transform society's use of single use plastic into sustainable choices benefiting not only us but also the environment we so depend on. - BPM Website
BPM not only finds and executes solutions to plastic pollution but also educates youth in The Bahamas. Through engaging programs, BPM offers tuition-free camps providing educational programs, lectures and seminars. The youth are our future leaders, the ones who will make the next impact on the world. The arduous fight against plastic pollution will only continue, it's important to educate the young.
"It doesn't matter how young you are, where you are from, or what color you are. This is your world. This is your future. You deserve a seat at the table in making decisions that impact you."
Ambrose grew up in Nassau, The Bahamas surrounded by a loving family and a vast ocean. Daily, she would accompany her father on his morning swims which contributed to her connection with the ocean growing stronger through the years. She was always fascinated by water, allured by the ocean, and intrigued by what was happening beneath the sea.
Having always known she wanted to pursue some type of career in ocean science, just after high school she began working at a local dive shop and quickly went from being a novice to a divemaster. Soon after, she transitioned into her role as an aquarist at the Atlantis Aquarium where she had her first encounter with the detrimental impacts of plastic pollution. She recalls a life-changing moment where she spent two days pulling plastic out of a sea turtle. From then on she vowed she would, 'Never drop a piece of plastic on the ground again.'
In 2012 she attended a conference where Marcus Eriksen (founder of the 5 Gyres organization) gave a talk about plastic pollution and the effect it was having on our oceans. He spoke of organizing a trip to go study the Western Garbage Patch and she knew she had to go.
"Before I knew it I was living on a boat with 14 strangers studying garbage in the ocean."
At that moment she realized how inconsiderate of the environment humans are and also how she herself was a contributor to the ocean's pollution. She had more plastic in her apartment than anyone she knew. Most of the debris in the garbage patch was items that she grew up using, that everyone uses daily such as plastic bags, styrofoam and straws. She knew she had to do more, how could she not? When she returned home nothing stopped her. She was young, didn't have personal funding and had no connections to turn to but she had to do something.
"This is my planet, this is my ocean, I deserve to fight and my voice matters."
That's when she started BPM. As she continued her studies and learned more about plastics and how they affect our environment, she decided to take her actions even further. In 2014 she was awarded the Environmental Youth Leader award by The Bahamas government for her efforts.
In 2016 she earned a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary science from Gannon University in Erie, PA with a focus on environmental science, biology and education. After graduating from Gannon in 2017 she was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship program at Dalhousie University. In the same year, she moderated an event at the United Nations Environment Assembly meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on international governance for marine litter and also received the Unsung Hero Award for her work from Professional Services Bahamas and has been featured in a large list of other periodicals across the globe.
Then in 2018, with the help of a lawyer, she drafted a bill of what the Bahamas would look like without plastic pollution and what the future could potentially hold if the government took action on this major issue. With the help from her students (aka #plasticwarriors), she landed a meeting with The Bahamas Environmental Minister and convinced the government why it is so important to act on single-use plastics. The reaction was unbelievable as well as a success, The Bahamas agreed to ban single-use plastics! In April of 2018, the Environmental Minister announced the ban of single-use plastics in the Bahamas and it became effective in July of 2020. Yes, that means what you think it means! No more plastic bags, styrofoam, straws, cutlery...you name the single-use plastic, it is no longer legal on the islands and the efforts all began with Kristal Ambrose.
"We have a multi-faceted issue here. We are dealing with waste that we generate as a nation that comes from locals and also from the tourism industry. And we are also faced with all of this marine debris that's lacing our shores. The question is, what do we do with it?
Kristal Ambrose managed to get an entire country to stop using single-use plastics, a tremendous defeat. It's monumental for any one person to create a movement and being a young black woman from the Bahamas, she has set an incredible example for women and people of color. The Bahamas is a place of racial inequality and elitism. It was only recently, in 1973, that they gained independence from Britain, meaning that they had been governed by a white minority; it's highly visible in many aspects of the country. Coming from a background without affluent privilege or expandable resources and living in an economic environment that is run by racial inequality, she is proof for the youth of the Bahamas (and everywhere) that they too can save the world, fight through the thick barriers of injustice and raise awareness for any cause.
"My face, being a young black and Bahamian woman at the forefront of an environmental issue, working at the grassroots level, is so important because it sends the message that you can do this too."
In 2020, Ambrose was the recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for Islands and Island Nations. It is given every year to activists in each of the world's six inhabited continents. This is an incredibly prestigious award, it's the world's foremost environmental prize there is. Its purpose is to honor those who are fighting issues in saving our planet through sustainable and environmental activism.
"Being honored at this level is extremely humbling. It's a reminder to keep going and validation that the work that I'm doing is important, but not by any means a sign to slow down and get comfortable. I'm extremely grateful for the recognition at all levels."
Currently, she is studying at the World Maritime University in Sweden, where she is working on obtaining her PhD with a focus on plastic pollution. Her research will help to overcome challenges associated with marine debris in The Caribbean. For now, her main focus is her doctoral work. She knows that upon completing her degree, she will continue to be a grassroots warrior in tackling the world's pollution as well as a model for the youth of our future.
Ambrose is consistently inspiring not just those around her but people everywhere, even you, by reading this article! We here at Moxxi are feeling the energy too after having gotten to know this #fearlessfemale and learning of her relentless ambition and promotion of positive change. She says, 'You can inspire more people to change with hope than despair.' Meaning it is important to take the good with the bad, look at the whole picture and instead of only being discouraged and depressed about our current global issues, take a stand, give your energy, emanate prosperity and realize that there is something that can be done. The more we uplift one another, the greater frequency of positivity we will see.
She is known as one of the heroes of our planet, and her ocean advocacy is sparking innovation throughout the world. To find out more about her nonprofit and continue to follow her journey please take the time to read more on the website and follow the links below. She is instrumental in the change our world needs to see.
Find out more about what Ambrose is doing here as well as the Bahamas Plastic Movement!!
Facebook: Bahamas Plastic Movement IG: @bahamasplasticmovement / @kristaloceanspeaks Twitter: @bahaplasmvmnt
Website: www.bahamasplasticmovement.org
If You would like to help the Moxxi Women's Foundation Celebrate Ambitious Women who are the champions of their own story, or are interested in becoming a non profit member, please click the link below. Donate Today!!


text:
Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution, is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet Of Things and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 creates what has been called a "smart factory" and will be the important "mantra" for injection molders at K 2016. For producers of plastic parts it promises to be a real game-changer, allowing every processing detail to be attached to a component for immediate recall from anywhere in the world at any time. Some of the injection molding technologies being featured at K 2016 include:
Milacron will mark its European show debut at K 2016 with its co-injection PET Technology. The M-PET 300, is a servo-hydraulic co-injection PET system, which combines key components across Milacron's product portfolio - machines, clamps, injection unit, post mold cooling, co-injection hot runner, mold and robots - into a single solution. The M-PET system will be utilizing a state of the art co-injection hot runner system and co-injection nozzles featuring Kortec technologies. The New Mold-Masters M-AX servo axis controller is Milacron's most technologically advanced controller to date. The M-AX controller has the same powerhouse TempMaster Adaptive Process System (APS) used to control temperature in our entire temperature control line up but also contains an unmatched ability to control motion functions as well. Milacron's SmartMold module allows different pieces of equipment to talk to each other, improving process quality and efficiency all while providing improved information and metrics. It collects data and reports the data via the cloud or LAN, and also allows for the scheduling of regular and preventive maintenance.
Netstal will demonstrate the Elios 7500, a new high performance injection molding machine with a clamping force of 7500 kN. An extremely high-performance, robust and highly precise machine that is optimally tailored to meet the rigorous demands of the competitive thin-wall packaging market. The Elios 7500 will be in continuous operation at K: With a cycle time of 4 seconds, more than 43,000 round lids with a part weight of 2.8 grams are produced per hour in a 24+24 stack mold. The Elios is currently the fastest (measured according to Euromap) dry cycle in its size class, due to its newly developed and especially energy-efficient electrical clamping unit. The centrally aligned 5-point dual toggle lever ensures optimum introduction of force into the center of the mold installation space, and therefore uniform distribution of the clamping force. The robust design effectively prevents any deformation of the mold plates. The very large pillar distance and the extremely ample opening stroke facilitates the installation of stack molds or simple molds with large cavities. Husky Injection Molding Systems will launch of its next-generation system for high-output beverage closure molding, HyCAP4, that includes several new capabilities and features that combine industry-leading performance and productivity with energy efficiency. The system is also equipped with intelligent features that make it easier to use, with simplified controls for faster process set-up and improved repeatability. To optimize productivity and efficiency while producing high-quality, lightweight closures, Husky made adjustments such as electrification of the clamp motion, servo-variable pumping technology and a regenerative clamp stroke. Combined, these enhancements deliver up to 40% improvement in energy consumption over the previous generation, without sacrificing performance, explained Husky. Additionally, by integrating more intelligence into the system, operators of all skill levels are able to maximize productivity and part consistency. Enhancements include a new part eject assist feature to ensure a consistent freefall of closures at the fastest cycles, and sensor-driven mold alignment to reduce mold wear. Husky's patented intelligent Mold ID technology helps to further simplify start-up and improve ease of use while providing information on mold maintenance, process set-up and operation for each start-up. Jomar has announced the launch of its next-generation injection blow molding (IBM) machine series that incorporates a unique custom-designed servo-driven hydraulic system. The Jomar IntelliDrive Series delivers major improvements in energy consumption, output and performance while also maintaining the machine's footprint. It features precise servo-driven hydraulics that reduces energy consumption by 40-50% and boasts a dry cycle time of 1.8 seconds, which is significantly faster than standard hydraulic machines. Along with the lower energy and utility costs, the IntelliDrive series offers a reinforced main platen, which reduces the possibility of deflection. The machine also features a closed-loop system for the machine's clamping system, which delivers exact control over the clamp's speed and position. The IntelliDrive series has a higher degree of control over the machine's internal functions, resulting in more efficient use of energy.
Sumitomo SHI Demag will showcase networking solutions for all aspects of injection moulding machines under the banner Electrified 4.0. Of particular interest to the customer is that Sumitomo (SHI) Demag not only equips new machines with Industry 4.0 solutions, but offers retrofitted solutions for plant that is already in operation. This ensures production efficiency throughout the life of the machine.
Wittman will introduce Unilog B8 controller for all its injection machines. It has a larger, 21.5-in. color multi-touch screen, capable of displaying two pages at once, and it runs under the new Windows 10 IoT ("internet of things") operating system. Wittmann will also run an 1100-ton MacroPower press in the first public demonstration of its Condition Monitoring System (CMS), part of its "Smart Services". Key machine status data will be measured by sensors, processed by the machine's controller, and passed on to a corporate or plant MES system for maintenance planning.
Arburg will present a mini smart factory linking an Allrounder injection machine with its Freeformer 3D printer and a seven-axis robot. A total of 27 machines will be on display at K with a focus on: Entry-level electric series: ALLROUNDER GOLDEN ELECTRIC, lightweight construction, silicone and high-speed machines, Automation ranging from pickers to turnkey systems, Innovative cube-mould technology for two component closures, Injection moulding of a wristwatch from two different liquid silicones (LSR), High-speed medical technology application
Haitian will have three recent developments at the show.
The "p" (for packaging) version of the Venus II all-electric series (150 to 450 m.t.) is aimed at high-speed, high-cavitation applications with cycle times above 4 sec, such as caps and closures for cosmetics. It comes with a square platen, modified machine bed to handle heavy molds, and a 25:1 L/D injection unit with speeds up to 350 mm/sec and a special ballscrew to avoid overheating during fast cycles. A 300-m.t. model will mold an IML cup in 4.4 sec. The new Jupiter II plus series, an enhancement of the Jupiter II. These two-platen models now have significantly faster clamp movements, new linear guides that eliminate lubricant and friction on the tiebars, optimized platen structure that reduces deformation, and a new Keba controller with 15-in. screen offering double-page view .
Driven by robust demand from Asia-Pacific, global antimicrobial plastics market to grow well until 2020
IBC blow moulding line with frame machine


text:
Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Announces 2022 Dividend Income Tax Treatment
by GlobeNewswire
NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (the "Company" or "ARI") (NYSE:ARI) today announced the estimated federal income tax treatment of the Company's 2022 distributions on its common stock (CUSIP #03762U105) and its 7.25% Series B-1 Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock.
The federal income tax classification of the 2022 distributions on the Company's common stock as it is expected to be reported on Form 1099-DIV is set forth in the following table:
Date Payable
Date Total
Per Share Ordinary Income
Per Share (2) Return of
Capital Per
Share Capital Gain Per
12/31/2021 01/14/2022 $0.35 $0.2445 – –
12/30/2022(1) 01/13/2023 $0.35 $0.1185 – –
(1) Pursuant to Section 857(b)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "IRC"), cash distributions made on January 13, 2023 to stockholders of record as of December 31, 2022, are treated, to the extent of the Company's 2022 tax earnings and profits, as received by stockholders on December 31, 2022. Since the Company's aggregate cash distributions did not exceed its 2022 tax earnings and profits, a portion of the January 2023 cash distribution declared in the fourth quarter of 2022 will be treated as a 2022 distribution for federal income tax purposes and is included on the 2022 Form 1099-DIV.
(2) May be eligible for a 20% deduction under IRC Section 199A. Stockholders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors as to their specific tax treatment of the Company's distributions.
The federal income tax classification of the 2022 distributions on the Company's 7.25% Series B-1 Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred stock as it is expected to be reported on Form 1099-DIV is set forth in the following table:
Per Share Return of
03/31/2022 4/15/2022 $0.453125 $0.453125 – –
09/30/2022 10/14/2022 $0.453125 $0.453125 – –
Stockholders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors as to their specific tax treatment of the Company's distributions.
About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc.
Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: ARI) is a real estate investment trust that primarily originates, acquires, invests in and manages performing commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. The Company is externally managed and advised by ACREFI Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc., a high-growth, global alternative asset manager with approximately $523 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2022.
Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.apollocref.com. Please note that our URL address has changed.
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of the Company's business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. When used in this release, the words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, plan, continue, intend, should, may or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: macro- and micro-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions taken by governmental authorities to contain the COVID-19 pandemic or treat its impact; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources; market trends in the Company's industry, interest rates, real estate values, the debt securities markets or the general economy; the timing and amounts of expected future fundings of unfunded commitments; the return on equity; the yield on investments; the ability to borrow to finance assets; the Company's ability to deploy the proceeds of its capital raises or acquire its target assets; and risks associated with investing in real estate assets, including changes in business conditions and the general economy. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements, and other risks, uncertainties and factors are based on the Company's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
CONTACT: Hilary Ginsberg
GlobeNewswire,is one of the world's largest newswire distribution networks, specializing in the delivery of corporate press releases financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media, investment community, individual investors and the general public.
Latest posts by GlobeNewswire (see all)
Sovos Brands Intermediate, Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg in Rao's Slow Simmered Soup, Labeled as Chicken & Gnocchi but Containing Vegetable Minestrone - January 27, 2023
Goal Acquisitions Corp. Issues Letter to Shareholders Regarding Proposed Combination with Digital Virgo - January 27, 2023
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (FMCB) Reports Record Year-End 2022 Financial Results - January 27, 2023
MamaMancini's to Present at the Diamond Equity Research Emerging Growth Invitational on Wednesday, January 25th
Treasuries See Further Downside Ahead Of Next Week's Fed Meeting
EIS: Israeli Equities Offer Strong Returns And Further Upside On Valuation


text:
Market Street Closure Could Extend To 10th Street
by Bay City News | November 19, 2009 5:21 pm	| in News | 0
A pilot traffic project to divert eastbound vehicles off of San Francisco's Market Street has reduced traffic on some parts of the street by more than 50 percent, according to a report released by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
The program, which began in late September, has also helped Muni vehicles save nearly a minute on eastbound trips on the street, according to the report, which was discussed in the agency's Board of Directors meeting Tuesday.
The program is part of a long-term plan to improve the aesthetics and efficiency of the city's main boulevard. It does not affect westbound traffic, but vehicles going east toward the Ferry Building are encouraged to turn right at 10th Street, and forced to do so at Eighth Street.
Vehicles that turn onto Market Street at Seventh Street are again forced to turn right on Sixth Street.
SFMTA officials gathered traffic data at various intersections along Market Street and other thoroughfares such as Mission and Folsom streets, and Director of Administration Debra Johnson presented the information during Tuesday's meeting.
According to the report, the average hourly traffic volume on eastbound Market Street east of Eighth Street declined by about 130 vehicles per hour, or 54 percent. The decline was much less, about 5 percent, for traffic approaching Montgomery Street on Market Street.
The report also concluded that eastbound Muni vehicles on Market Street saved about 50 seconds on trips in the AM peak commute and midday hours.
Traffic on other streets, such as Mission Street, increased by as much as 15 percent.
Agency officials noted in the report that the program, which began Sept. 29, requires a large commitment of police officers to enforce it.
Three officers are required at the intersection of Market and Eighth streets, and one or two officers are required at the intersection of Market and Sixth streets to make sure vehicles turn right.
However, after the officers leave their posts at 7 p.m., many vehicles violate the right-turn only restriction and continue down Market Street.
The report recommended changing the forced right turn from Eighth Street to 10th Street because right turns made from the center lane of Market Street onto Eighth Street cross through the bike lane.
The 10th Street turn would also be better because there are fewer pedestrians and no Muni boarding island, according to the staff's recommendation.
Muni spokesman Judson True said the agency is "working with our city partners and community stakeholders on the next steps for the pilot."
The program "is part of a much larger effort to remake Market Street into a world class place," he said.


Thank you so much for your promptness on this. I appreciate you.
I love the basket, it's so unique. Thank you. I know the recipient will love it too.
I look forward to working more with you in the future.
Good morning, Thank you so much. The delivery turned out beautiful. It made his day! I appreciate your work and the personal touch you bring.
Wanted to thank you for the kind words and beautiful job you did for my mom's birthday! I appreciate your enthusiasm and kindness!
Oh my goodness! I love it! Thank you! Orange is my favorite color, so excellent choice!
Thank you for such careful attention to this. I really appreciate it.
Thanks so much. She loved it.
Thank you so very much! He picked it up from the desk on his way back into work. Perfect timing. THANK YOU!!
I needed 7 baskets for a board meeting for today. I was so pleased with the quality of the gifts and the fast turn around. Thank you for making our board members feel special. I will be using you again and next time give you more time.
Thank you for taking care of this. My friends LOVED the basket and immediately texted me with a picture. I also called the hotel reception desk and the person who answered the phone was raving about how great the basket looked!
Yesterday I ordered a Valentine's Day gift basket from Hearts Desire Gift Baskets of Tulsa for delivery today, and I am so glad I did. I called Hearts Desire for the first time, taking a chance on trying a new service I happened to find on line. Gayle answered the phone and was very creative, friendly and patient with me as I ordered a custom-made gift basket. It was delivered as scheduled and was a big hit! Thank you!
The group at Dxxxxx was very excited to be welcomed by this beautiful basket this morning. I was very pleased with how easy and fast this process was handled.
Just wanted to let you know that they loved their baskets. Thank you so much for adding the additional two so quickly.


text:
package org.apache.felix.cm.integration;

import junit.framework.TestCase;

import org.apache.felix.cm.integration.helper.ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator;
import org.apache.felix.cm.integration.helper.ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2;
import org.apache.felix.cm.integration.helper.MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.ops4j.pax.exam.junit.JUnit4TestRunner;
import org.osgi.framework.Bundle;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleException;
import org.osgi.service.cm.Configuration;

/**
 * The MultiServicePIDTest tests the case of multiple services
 * bound with the same PID
 */
@RunWith(JUnit4TestRunner.class)
public class MultiServiceFactoryPIDTest extends ConfigurationTestBase
{
    static
    {
        // uncomment to enable debugging of this test class
        // paxRunnerVmOption = DEBUG_VM_OPTION;
    }

    @Test
    public void test_two_services_same_pid_in_same_bundle_configure_before_registration() throws BundleException
    {
        final String factoryPid = "test.pid";

        final Configuration config = createFactoryConfiguration( factoryPid );
        final String pid = config.getPid();
        TestCase.assertEquals( factoryPid, config.getFactoryPid() );
        TestCase.assertNull( config.getBundleLocation() );

        bundle = installBundle( factoryPid, MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.class );
        bundle.start();

        // give cm time for distribution
        delay();

        final MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator tester = MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.INSTANCE;
        TestCase.assertNotNull( "Activator not started !!", tester );

        // assert activater has configuration (two calls, one per pid)
        TestCase.assertNotNull( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester.configs.get( pid ) );
        TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect two update calls", 2, tester.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

        TestCase.assertEquals( bundle.getLocation(), config.getBundleLocation() );

        bundle.uninstall();
        bundle = null;

        delay();

        TestCase.assertNull( config.getBundleLocation() );

        // remove the configuration for good
        deleteConfig( pid );
    }

    @Test
    public void test_two_services_same_pid_in_same_bundle_configure_after_registration() throws BundleException
    {
        final String factoryPid = "test.pid";

        bundle = installBundle( factoryPid, MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.class );
        bundle.start();

        // give cm time for distribution
        delay();

        final MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator tester = MultiManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.INSTANCE;
        TestCase.assertNotNull( "Activator not started !!", tester );

        // no configuration yet
        TestCase.assertTrue( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester.configs.isEmpty() );
        TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect two update calls", 0, tester.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

        final Configuration config = createFactoryConfiguration( factoryPid );
        final String pid = config.getPid();

        delay();

        TestCase.assertEquals( factoryPid, config.getFactoryPid() );
        TestCase.assertEquals( bundle.getLocation(), config.getBundleLocation() );

        // assert activater has configuration (two calls, one per pid)
        TestCase.assertNotNull( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester.configs.get( pid ) );
        TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect another two single update call", 2, tester.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

        bundle.uninstall();
        bundle = null;

        delay();

        TestCase.assertNull( config.getBundleLocation() );

        // remove the configuration for good
        deleteConfig( pid );
    }

    @Test
    public void test_two_services_same_pid_in_two_bundle_configure_before_registration() throws BundleException
    {
        Bundle bundle2 = null;
        try
        {
            final String factoryPid = "test.pid";
            final Configuration config = createFactoryConfiguration( factoryPid );
            final String pid = config.getPid();

            TestCase.assertEquals( factoryPid, config.getFactoryPid() );
            TestCase.assertNull( config.getBundleLocation() );

            bundle = installBundle( factoryPid, ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.class );
            bundle.start();

            bundle2 = installBundle( factoryPid, ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2.class );
            bundle2.start();

            // give cm time for distribution
            delay();

            final ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator tester = ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.INSTANCE;
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Activator not started !!", tester );

            final ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2 tester2 = ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2.INSTANCE;
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Activator 2 not started !!", tester2 );

            // expect first activator to have received properties

            // assert first bundle has configuration (two calls, one per srv)
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester.configs.get( pid ) );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect a single update call", 1, tester.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            // assert second bundle has no configuration
            TestCase.assertTrue( tester2.configs.isEmpty() );
            TestCase.assertEquals( 0, tester2.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            // expect configuration bound to first bundle
            TestCase.assertEquals( bundle.getLocation(), config.getBundleLocation() );

            bundle.uninstall();
            bundle = null;

            delay();

            // expect configuration reassigned
            TestCase.assertEquals( bundle2.getLocation(), config.getBundleLocation() );
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Expect Properties after Configuration Redispatch", tester2.configs.get( pid ) );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect update call after Configuration Redispatch", 1, tester2.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            // remove the configuration for good
            deleteConfig( pid );
        }
        finally
        {
            if ( bundle2 != null )
            {
                bundle2.uninstall();
            }
        }
    }

    @Test
    public void test_two_services_same_pid_in_two_bundle_configure_after_registration() throws BundleException
    {
        Bundle bundle2 = null;
        try
        {
            final String factoryPid = "test.pid";

            bundle = installBundle( factoryPid, ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.class );
            bundle.start();

            bundle2 = installBundle( factoryPid, ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2.class );
            bundle2.start();

            final ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator tester = ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator.INSTANCE;
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Activator not started !!", tester );

            final ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2 tester2 = ManagedServiceFactoryTestActivator2.INSTANCE;
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Activator not started !!", tester2 );

            delay();

            // expect no configuration but a call in each service
            TestCase.assertTrue( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester.configs.isEmpty() );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect a single update call", 0, tester.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );
            TestCase.assertTrue( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester2.configs.isEmpty() );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect a single update call", 0, tester2.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            final Configuration config = createFactoryConfiguration( factoryPid );
            final String pid = config.getPid();

            delay();

            TestCase.assertEquals( factoryPid, config.getFactoryPid() );

            TestCase.assertEquals(
                "Configuration must be bound to second bundle because the service has higher ranking",
                bundle.getLocation(), config.getBundleLocation() );

            // configuration assigned to the first bundle
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester.configs.get( pid ) );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect a single update call", 1, tester.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            TestCase.assertTrue( "Expect Properties after Service Registration", tester2.configs.isEmpty() );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect a single update call", 0, tester2.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            bundle.uninstall();
            bundle = null;

            delay();

            // expect configuration reassigned
            TestCase.assertEquals( bundle2.getLocation(), config.getBundleLocation() );
            TestCase.assertNotNull( "Expect Properties after Configuration Redispatch", tester2.configs.get( pid ) );
            TestCase.assertEquals( "Expect a single update call after Configuration Redispatch", 1, tester2.numManagedServiceFactoryUpdatedCalls );

            // remove the configuration for good
            deleteConfig( pid );
        }
        finally
        {
            if ( bundle2 != null )
            {
                bundle2.uninstall();
            }
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


FLORENCE, Ala. – The "ledge master" just keeps on rolling. After holding down a 4-pound advantage over the first two days of competition, Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., said he was getting a little nervous about the precarious nature of his lead and wanted to put a little more distance between himself and the rest of the field. And today he did just that. Using a day-three catch of 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Rose propelled himself to a 7-pound lead over hjs next closest competitor by stringing together a combined three-day weight of 61 pounds.
With only one day remaining in the Pickwick Lake competition, it's officially Rose's tournament to lose.
Rose said that he continued to target bass adhering to ledges in about 17 to 25 feet of water using a Strike King football jig in a green-pumpkin color.
However Rose also said that contrary to popular belief, this tournament has not been easy for him in the slightest – and today was no exception.
When the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) decides to run current, the fish become much more active on the Tennessee River chain of lakes as it induces feeding. And that's exactly what Rose took advantage of. However, Rose knows all too well that the TVA could just as easily decide not to run any current tomorrow – a fact which could ultimately throw the tournament wide open.


London-based Cutler and Gross looks to the English Garden Party for its latest collection of summer frames. As you would expect, the collection is filled with premium materials such as Italian acetates and even hand-stitched leather.
The collection features a variety of pieces for every taste, from chunky acetate frames to sleek black shades to a pair of angular aviators. Our two favorite styles from the line are the round 1119s with its classic design and keyhole nosebridge and the 1084, a uniquely shaped aviator with boxy lines, handmade layer of matte acetate, and temples wrapped in hand-stitched Italian leather.


text:
Richard Vasey (born 1985) is an English rugby union player, currently playing at Fly-half for Caldy in National League 2 North. A talented player who has experience of playing at a higher level with clubs such as Leeds Carnegie and Moseley, Vasey is a reliable points kicker who has become one of the most prolific in National League 2 North history with over 1,400 points for Caldy. He has also been capped by England Students.

Career

Leeds Carnegie

Vasey was born in Leeds but grew up in nearby Wakefield where he attended Silcoates School. On finishing school he enrolled at Leeds Metropolitan University to study business and finance alongside playing rugby union for local side, Morley. While at Morley Vasey came to the attention of Leeds Carnegie (then known as Leeds Tykes), for who he signed in 2005.  His first season at the club, who were fighting for Premiership survival, saw first team opportunities limited, with only the one appearance (from the substitutes bench) in a Powergen Cup match.

Relegation at the end of the 2005–06 season meant that Leeds started the next season in National Division 1.  The relegation meant that several key players would leave the club and this gave Vasey opportunities.  He became a useful squad player, playing 17 league games and contributing 46 points, as Leeds edged out Yorkshire rivals, Rotherham Titans, to win the league title and make an instant return to the Premiership. While playing at Leeds, Vasey was still enrolled at university and this made him eligible for the England Students team, gaining a cap in a loss against Italy under-25's in February 2006.

Back in the Premiership, Vasey once more found opportunities hard to come as Leeds new signing, Alberto Di Bernardo, was preferred at first choice.  He joined Rotherham Titans on loan towards the end of the 2007–08 season but only managed one league appearance due to injury as well as commitments for the England Students side, which included a game against France.

Moseley

In September 2008, Vasey moved south to sign for Moseley, after initially appearing to sign terms with Rotherham Titans. He had an excellent start to the season at his new club, playing and scoring regularly in National Division 1.  However, by the winter he suffered a loss of form and was displaced by team-mate Tristan Roberts, meaning that he did not appear in Moseley's EDF Energy Trophy triumph at the end of the season, when they defeated his former club, Leeds Carnegie, 23–18, in the final at Twickenham. Despite losing his first-team place, Vasey played his part in Moseley's successful season, making 27 appearances and scoring 132 points across all competitions.

Caldy

For the 2009–10 season Vasey left Moseley to join Merseyside based Caldy - playing two divisions below in National League 2 North - where he would combine his rugby with studying at the University of Liverpool. He had an excellent debut season, playing every game and finishing as the divisions second top scorer with 352 points as Caldy narrowly missed out on a promotion spot in what was one of the most competitive league finishes in the divisions history.  The year would end with Vasey being called by Yorkshire to play in the 2011 County Championships.  Yorkshire went agonizingly close to making the final, losing out to fierce rivals Lancashire on points difference, despite beating them 30–28 in the final match, with Vasey kicking 13 points.

The following season he was prominent in a Caldy side that this time finished 5th in the table, with 323 points making him once more the division's second top scorer.  The year would end with silverware as he was part of the Caldy side that would share the Cheshire Cup with Sale Jets despite the final being cancelled. He would also be called up to the 2012 County Championships, this time playing for Cheshire. The 2011–12 season started well until Vasey broke his leg in a league game against Westoe in November. This injury kept him out for most of the season, although he did return in April 2012 to kick the final conversion in Caldy's Cheshire Cup 28–0 victory against Northwich at Lymm as they retained the trophy. Despite Vasey missing most of the season, Caldy made the promotion playoff game by finishing second.  They travelled down to National League 2 South runners up Richmond but lost a very tight game 20–13 to the London side.

The 2012–13 season would be Vasey's first full season back from injury and he was once again second top scorer in the division with 289 points in a Caldy side that disappointed in the league, finishing 10th.  Despite dropping down the league, he would experience more silverware as his side retained the Cheshire Cup by beating Birkenhead Park in the final at Moreton, Merseyside. The following season, Caldy improved to finish 8th in the league with Vasey scoring 209 points, and once again they made the Cheshire Cup final, although this time they lost 26–21 to Sale at Lymm. His performances for a mid-table Caldy side were good enough to get Vasey a repeat call-up by Cheshire for the 2014 County Championships, playing all 3 games and scoring 29 points for his county as they missed out on a place in the final after losing the final game to Lancashire, 19–25.  The 2014–15 season saw Vasey lose his regular spot to Gavin Roberts who was preferred as the main kicker, as Caldy improved to finish 6th.  Of recent times Vasey has become more of a squad player as Caldy have become serious contenders for promotion from the division.

Season-by-season playing stats

Honours and records

Leeds Carnegie
National Division 1 champions: 2006–07

Caldy
Cheshire Cup winners (3): 2011, 2012, 2013

Yorkshire
Called up to County Championship: 2010

Cheshire
Called up to County Championship: 2011, 2014

International/Representative
Capped by England Students: 2006, 2007, 2008

References

External links
Caldy RUFC
Moseley Rugby Club
Rotherham Titans

Morley RFC
Cheshire RFU
Yorkshire RFU

1985 births
Living people
English rugby union players
Rugby union fly-halves
People educated at Silcoates School
Alumni of Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Tykes players
Rotherham Titans players
Moseley Rugby Football Club players
Rugby union players from Leeds

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The key cutting we use in Arklow are experts in lock repairs and replacements for both domestic and commercial clients. Our focus on customer service and value for money makes us the number one choice for major companies and home owners alike!
Do they offer key cutting in Arklow?
Determine the costs for any key cutting Arklow services before any works being completed. Along these lines, you are not got out by substantial bills you have nothing to do with.
Check whether a locksmith offers free gauges as a feature of their key cutting Arklow services. Once more, this keeps any false impressions over installment before work is started.
Whether you are locked out of your car, house, or need a brand-new set of locks set up, you'll wish to make certain to work with a reliable locksmith. BBB recommends discovering a reputable locksmith prior to one is required.
Locksmithing normally requires some type of apprenticeship, though formal education can vary anywhere from a certificate to a diploma from an engineering college. Locksmiths can have a physical storefront or be mobile. Many locksmiths work on not simply locks themselves, but other existing door hardware, including door hinges, frame repair work, or making keys. Associated Locksmiths of America (aloa.org) is a global organization of locksmiths and other physical security specialists. There is an application procedure, background check, and application and charges costs which need to be present in order to sign up with.
Ask For Recommendations. Contact pals, member of the family, and neighbors for recommendations of trusted locksmiths in your area. Be sure to verify the physical address of any locksmith you find and make certain the address is in fact regional. See bbb.org/indy for a listing of certified locksmiths, to read BBB Business Reviews and Customer Reviews from previous clients. Make certain the business does not have any unanswered/unresolved complaints.
Call business. Beware if the business addresses the phone with a generic expression like "locksmith services". Ask exactly what their legal organisation name is and if they are not able to give it to you, look somewhere else for a locksmith. Search for a company that answers the phone with their specific company name.
Ask for an Estimate. Prior to having actually the locksmith pertained to your home or car, make certain to get an estimate that includes the expense of all labor and the replacement parts for the lock. Reputable locksmiths will have the ability to offer you an estimate over the phone.
Ask about extra charges including: if you will be charged additional for services in the middle of the night or weekends or if there is a charge by the millage they need to take a trip. If once the locksmith arrives they are charging a greater rate than on the phone, don't enable them to start working. Take care to never ever sign a blank document to authorize work.
Examine Credentials. Make sure that the locksmith you employ is guaranteed so you will be covered in case the repair work leads to damages. Upon arrival, ask the locksmith to supply recognition and/or an organisation card. It's also important to check if business name and logo on their company cards match the name and logo design on the billing and vehicle. A respectable locksmith will likewise ask for to see your identification to make sure it's actually your house they are doing deal with.
Save Their Information. After the locksmith has actually finished the job, get a detailed invoice that includes: parts, labor, mileage, and other costs and save this document for future referral. If you think you have found a respectable locksmith, you ought to keep the business' name and details kept in your wallet or mobile phone in case their services are required in the future.
Utilizing a regional, legitimate locksmith organisation details such as an address and/or a comparable sounding name when the business is really situated in another city or state.
Whether it's for a planned house improvement, or an emergency lock-out situation, using a reliable locksmith is very important. Do your homework before working with a locksmith for non-emergency circumstances and have a locksmith's contact information that you have already investigated convenient for those emergency situations.
Dyno Lock key cutting Arklow is your emergency locksmith security company. We are an emergency 24 hour locksmith give us a Call Its Free: 1800 800 800.


Located along the shore of Lake Michigan, just minutes from our hotel's property, the Milwaukee Art Museum boasts over 20,000 works of art and hosts more than 300,000 visitors each year. The diverse collection contains works from Fragonard to Rothko.
Looking for hotels near Miller Park in Milwaukee? Our facilities are less than 12 miles from this awesome park, which is home to the Milwaukee Brewers. Plan to attend a game or take a tour that includes everything from the dugout to the broadcast booth.
One of the top zoos in the nation, Milwaukee County Zoo offers an up-close view of more than 1,800 animals, from polar bears and pandas to a giant octopus! Our hotel's Milwaukee, WI accommodations are only a short drive from this popular attraction.
Brews from Lake Front Brewery, Miller Brewery, Sprecher Brewering , homemade cheese curds and Usinger's famous bratwurst and beerwurst. These are just a few of the tasty local indulgences suggested by our hotel's staff. In Milwaukee, WI, we love our hometown products!
Our hotel's location near Miller Park in Milwaukee provides a central location ideal for exploring the area. Start with a Brewers game, stop for a tour at the Harley Museum or take a brewery tour of the Pabst Mansion. There are so many places to explore!


text:
using System;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

namespace EZOper.NetSiteUtilities.AopApi
{
    /// <summary>
    /// AlipaySocialBaseChatGmemberConfirmModel Data Structure.
    /// </summary>
    [Serializable]
    public class AlipaySocialBaseChatGmemberConfirmModel : AopObject
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// 业务类型,申请接入时和我们申请,用于统计和限流
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElement("biz_type")]
        public string BizType { get; set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// 用户所在的群id
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElement("group_id")]
        public string GroupId { get; set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// 要判断的用户id
        /// </summary>
        [XmlElement("user_id")]
        public string UserId { get; set; }
    }
}


text:
Major bison restoration campaign launches
By Jenny Ivy July 18, 2017
Major bison restoration campaign launches from @deliciousliving
In order to boost the bison population, you should be eating more of it. That's according to the National Bison Association, which unveiled its "Bison Hump Day" campaign at its conference in Big Sky, Montana. Association leaders hope consumers eating meat on Wednesdays, or hump days, will become a concept that is just as popular as Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday.
"Bison Hump Day sounds funny but tastes delicious. Chefs and consumers can begin to buy a greater variety of bison cuts, from steaks to roasts, and each Wednesday, know they are restoring and growing the bison herd across North America," said Dave Cater, executive director of the National Bison Association.
"The first heritage animal is bison and, like so many others, we truly must eat them to save them," said Adam Danforth, James Beard Award-winning author of two books focused on butchering livestock. "As North America's primal protein, bison's clean, nutritious meat will support the health of citizens while responsible husbandry of the animals will regenerate landscapes and preserve farmland."
Teaching consumers how to prepare, cook and enjoy bison will be critical in achieving this new goal for bison restoration in North America.
Bison 1 million
"Bison Hump Day" is part of an overall goal to increase the bison population in North America to 1 million in the next 10 years. Including both wild and domestic herds, there are about 500,000 bison. Named the U.S. national mammal, millions of bison once roamed and migrated throughout North America. But that number drastically dropped to around 1,000 at the turn of the 20th century. Herds today are spread across tribal reservations, national parks and domestic livestock producers.
Meet your new sustainable meat: buffalo
Lean bison recipes
Carter hopes the hump day campaign will be far reaching, not only to increase people's awareness of bison health benefits (bison meat contains almost 50 percent less fat than beef), but to restore an important cultural and religious part in the lives of Native Americans.
Restoring bison herds also has a positive ecological impact, according to Carter. "We think that more bison on the land is a good thing, not only for people that love to eat bison and people who love to raise bison, but for the land itself. This is the animal that helped shape the ecosystem of North America. We think that bringing more bison back helps restore acres of native grasslands and range lands," Carter said.
Growing interest in the bison marketplace
The National Bison Association is reaching out to retailers and restaurants to help promote the new "Bison Hump Day" slogan. Carter points out that demand for bison is actually very high right now, so an effort to increase their population will help meet that demand.
"The challenge that we've got is we're struggling to keep up with demand right now. We want to make sure that when people start looking for bison, they can find it. Bison Hump Day is part of an overall campaign for us to make sure that we can grow because of the customer marketplace, and also we're reaching out to producers to expand their herd and to get more producers involved in the business," Carter said.
Carter sees bison customers as a pivotal player in reaching the goal of one million bison. "As ranchers, without that customer, we can't be economically sustainable," he said. "As we work with retailers and [the] food service [industry], and ultimately the end consumers, they're going to help lead the charge to bring back more bison. As we bring back more bison, we're going to bring more economic prosperity to some of the rural communities that are suffering right now because of the agricultural economy. We're going to bring more healing back to the tribal cultures, and ultimately, we'll play a critical part in regenerative agriculture."
Jenny Ivy
How to live your values every single day
How to save the bees with your garden
Plastic Warrior: Reduce plastic pollution in the oceans...
9 GMOs that may soon be approved
Watchword: Edible Education
Watchword: Climate Change
8 toxic sunscreen ingredients to avoid
100 years of iconic dinners
How single-origin products can help global communities
6 things you can do to improve soil...


text:
Patrick Dobson
author, writer, scholar
Essays/Blog
Patrick Dobson Books
Sign up for Patrick's essays.
Your E-mail is sacred and I treat it as such. You only receive a notification when I publish a new essay.
Backyard graveyard
Published January 7, 2019 by Patrick Dobson
The sun was already below the horizon. The heat of the day was lifting and the breeze from the south passed over the parking lots and strip malls out by the highway. Jeff, Brian, and I had already been to the liquor store and were looking for a place to settle in for the night's drinking. We could have gone to Brian's but we were all a little stir crazy having been stuck inside at jobs all day.
The cops had been patrolling the park a lot lately, and we didn't want to get caught underage drinking. Brian, especially, would be in trouble with him being the only one of us over 21. Plus, he's the one who bought the beer and whiskey and it was his car.
I remembered we used to haunt a graveyard buried in the woods just off one of the main drags. The land belonged to someone who long ago had left the parcel to grow. There were no houses on the street, only a daycare on the corner. The street trailed off into undeveloped territory, a sort of nature oasis in the great sprawl of suburban Kansas City.
"It's out there by itself," I said. "I've been there a couple of times. No one's ever bothered us. It ought to be a good place to lay in a while."
"A graveyard?" Jeff said. "I don't know. I'd rather go down to the park and hike in and build a fire."
"Come on," Brian said. "Let's give it a shot."
Brian told us to leave the beer in the cooler until we stopped. For some reason, he had his hackles up, had a bad feeling about the night. We had cruised this part of Southtown thousands of times. We drank and drove as a matter of course. But tonight was different. Jeff and I knew something was up. Better to leave the beer alone for now. We'd be where we wanted to be soon enough.
We pulled onto the side street that left off in the wooded area. We drove down to the end of the street and turned around, pulling up to where I remember the gravestone were. We waited a few minutes smoking and joshing around, waiting to see if anyone noticed us or if any cops would turn down the street. Jeff and Brian cooked off a couple of joints.
After they were good and high, we climbed out of the car. Jeff grabbed the cooler out of the back seat and Brian unlatched the trunk. I reached in and pulled out the bottles. Follow me, I said, and dove into the tall grass just beyond the road's surface. Poor Brian was just under five feet tall, beefy, broad at the shoulder. He got lost in the growth and Jeff and I played hell finding him in a version of Marco-Polo.
We made it through the brush at the edges of the wood and into the empty forest floor. Jeff was curious about these grave markers and hurried us along.
We wandered around the woods, picking our way through the light undercover—mayapple and saplings reaching for whatever light came down through the canopy. The woods could not be that old, I thought. It was once someone's farm. It had to be. The trees had been growing like this maybe since the 1920s. I didn't know and only thought of it a minute.
Night was falling and the forest had become quite dark when we came across the first grave marker. Jeff flicked his lighter but the stone was so aged there were nothing more than undecipherable grooves on the face of it. Before we moved on to the next, we communed over the whiskey, each of us getting a good drink. I took two, split open a beer that went down so cold and quick I took another from the cooler.
We went different directions, each of us shouting out when we found another marker. Sometimes trees had grown over the stones. Our voices didn't carry. The woods acted like a soundproof chamber, shielding us from the city sounds beyond and confining us in our own world.
After about a six pack and a couple more pulls off the bottle, I had gotten soppy sweaty from the heat and humidity. Sitting down on a stone, I felt the cool work up from the forest. It felt fine. I let the boys walk the woods some more and contented myself with a smoke and another beer.
"You can't read any of these markers," Jeff said, sitting on the stone next to me. "I've only been able to read a few dates. 1895, 1903. One said 1889, that's the earliest I could find."
"This must have been a family graveyard," Brian said, taking a pull on the whiskey and sparking up another joint. "It's not very big."
"It was big enough for what we needed it for," said a long, deep voice from behind me. I turned and couldn't see anything in the dark. "This has been in my family for five generations."
A shadow moved out from the trees and approached Brian, who was standing in front of Jeff and me. I could make out that they shook hands. "Brian. Brian Pollack."
"Howdy," the voice said. He moved close enough for me to see he had a hand extended. I shook it. Right away, I noticed the guy was missing some fingers. "I'm Patrick," I said. "We didn't mean to trespass on your land. We're not up to anything."
Jeff introduced himself and shook hands. "Yeah," he said, "we're just having a couple of beers. Doing a little exploring."
"Well, you've come to the right place," the voice said. "No one comes around here. The graveyard and all. We used to farm this land, but the city grew out around it. I don't remember it much, he said, but we used to have a big house on the corner of the land where the daycare is now.
"My mom grew up here, as did her mom. They go all the way back to the 1840s. We buried everyone here. The latest stone here dates to 1945. My uncle."
"It's a beautiful place," Brian said. And, indeed it was. The hardwoods supported a closed canopy. The forest floor spread out clear but for a layer of undergrowth and grapevines snaking into the trees above. The night was quiet and the tree frogs were singing. He opened a beer and handed it to the man. "What happened?"
"Land got expensive," the man said. "It came to the point where selling land made more money than farming. Sons and daughters moved away. How long are you going to stay?"
"We're just here to take a look around," Brian said. "We're on our way out now."
"That'll be good, too," the voice said. "Go ahead and finish your beers. Have fun."
Just like that, the man was gone. We stood there looking at each other. We guzzled our beer and ran the hell out of there. We bustled into the car and drove out to the main street. When we were set up at Brian's I was already drunk. Jeff was getting there, and between the alcohol and weed, Brian's eyes were getting narrow.
We sat watching television in Brian's living room until the hour approached midnight. He drove Jeff home. He wobbled up to his front door and we continued to my house. Sitting in the driveway, Brian turned to me.
"Man, was that freaky or what?" he said.
"It was all right. The guy was nice."
"Yeah, but I told you something was up. I could feel it. Then, this guy comes out of nowhere and just disappears. I didn't hear a car pull up or drive away. What do you make of that?"
I shrugged my shoulders. Brian then held out his hand for me to shake. I took it and realized he had a couple of fingers tucked into his palm.
"That was the freakiest. The dude only had three fingers. I bet he was a ghost."
I laughed and pulled enough out of the bottle so I'd pass out when I got inside. But in those few minutes before I went all the way under, I wondered about that guy in the woods.
Brian, Jeff, and I only had about a year together before Jeff got his girlfriend pregnant. Brian took a job out of town. I moved into the city and disappeared from them and everyone else I ever grew up with. We never did go back to that graveyard.
Thirty-five years later, I pass by it sometimes and am tempted to drive down that sidestreet but I don't. It's good enough for me to know that piece of woods hasn't been felled yet.
Previous Post Twelve years a family
Next Post The summer I grew up
Elaine McMilian
We all want to hear what you think.	Cancel reply