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Home / Dartmoor Explorations / Pew Tor Pilgrimage
Pew Tor Pilgrimage
Tim Sandles April 1, 2016	Dartmoor Explorations Leave a comment 2,635 Views
Every year a party of us try to rent a weekend cottage on Dartmoor, preferably in the quieter times of the year but still allowing for some decent weather. Hmm, taking into consideration the vagaries of the Dartmoor climate predicting some decent weather is something akin to picking the winning lotto numbers. So having booked a superb, secluded cottage, held the vital pre-visit logistical meeting we were all set for the 2015 Dartmoor pilgrimage. When I say we I mean the merry band consisted of Angela, Louise, Rhys, Holly and myself, the 'Legendary Dartmoor Crew'.
It was around 4.30am when I was awoken by the daily serenading of two Collared Doves outside the bedroom window, which reminds me I must buy some airgun pellets. Normally this is the cue that there are still a couple of hours left before it's rise and shine time. However this was the morn of the 2015 Dartmoor Pilgrimage which meant busy, busy time. The first job was to check the online weather forecast, well I say forecast but because the initial one was so dire I ended up checking about 50 of them. Big mistake, I was confronted with a selection that ranged from nigh on tropical to just about Arctic tundra conditions. This did not help with the choice of what clothing to pack so it was a case of pack for all eventualities.
The second problem was my car, unfortunately I am the proud owner (well actually I'm not the proud owner my company is and I'm not proud of it) of a Vauxhall Insignia Elite. Since November 2014 I have had big problems, you are happily driving along when random warning messages flash up on the dashboard. These are then immediately followed by the safety controller cutting in which then reduces the speed down to a rapidly decreasing 10mph. This is no fun when you are in the outside lane of a busy motorway doing about 90 mph as has happened on many occasions. So, as you can imagine there was some doubt as to whether or not to risk the 114 mile journey down to Dartmoor.
As the saying goes; "he who dares wins," so it was decided to take the risk and the car so later that day we were Dartmoor bound. Sadly not everyone who dares wins, a few miles down the M4 the dashboard proudly announced that I must 'Service Vehicle Soon' and the car slowly reduced itself to a 50 mph crawl. After pulling onto the hard shoulder, switching the engine off and on a few times it was back up and running. Basically this was the routine for the rest of the journey and I have never been so glad to reach a destination in my life, especially one on Dartmoor.
On the plus side the cottage we had rented was fabulous, wide ranging vistas over West Devon and Cornwall, secluded and well furnished. Normally the routine on these pilgrimages is that on the first night we have a barbeque, some beers all rounded off with cheese and port, all very civilised. However, one slight problem, the wide ranging vistas were hidden behind a thick shroud of mist and the temperature was something akin to Arctic tundra, definitely not barbeque conditions. Time for plan B, a quick drive down to the Peter Tavy Inn for some dinner and a few beers. They had a beer on tap called 'Some of That' so who could resist ordering a pint of 'Some of That'. This beer is brewed by the Branscombe Vale Brewery who also do another called 'Some of This', not sure if they brew one called 'Some of the Other'? Rhys and Louise are cider drinkers and there was a good selection of those for them to sample. I must say that the food was excellent, the staff very friendly and the blazing log fire very warming (despite the fact it was mid June it was needed) – I can thoroughly recommend the place. The night was superbly rounded off back at the cottage with another blazing log fire, (yes there was even a log supply), a few more beers, (yes we did come well equipped) and everyone updating Facebook and emails (yes there was even a brilliant WiFi connection provided). Then having checked the next day's weather (which was a bit more promising) everyone retired for the night. Oh I forgot, the main reason for visiting the Peter Tavy Inn was that I had received some emails from the landlord who said to pop in next time I was in the area. Unfortunately it was not the Peter Tavy Inn and so must have been the Mary Tavy Inn, easy mistake to make. So it was decided to pop in to the Mary Tavy Inn the following day.
As promised by the weathermen we awoke to a greyish sky that held the promise of a few pocket handkerchief sized patches of blue. The goal for the day was to have a wander across to Pew Tor and its surrounds, not a proper Dartmoor Xcursion but a safe one as far as the weather went. There were also a few pieces of landscape furniture I wanted to locate and photograph. It did not take long to drive down to the car park under Cox Tor, kit up and head off along the eastern flank of Barn Hill. The first oddity I wanted to find was a inscription carved into the small launder that carries the Grimstone and Sortridge leat across the Beckamoor Combe. Hard as I make look I could not find the blessed thing, then Louise sauntered along and asked what I was looking for. I explained what it was and immediately received a puzzled look; "you mean that what you are virtually stood on," she replied. Yes, exactly that what I was stood on the wording; "JOHN WILLS 1953 – 1987." roughly carved into the edge of the wooden launder. Maybe this was some kind of memorial to a man whose favourite spot this was?
It was then time to pick up the leat and following it on its gently meandering course around the edge of Barn Hill. The next item on the agenda were the ruins of what was thought to have been a blacksmith's shop located just a bit further along the leat. It was here that the blacksmith would sharpen the stone cutters tools which were used on Steeple tor, Roos Tor and Pew Tor setts. In addition he also shoed the horses which were used to haul the granite wagons. Finally any of the wooden wagon wheels which needed the iron rims sealed onto them would also be done there. Just outside the ruins sits a beautifully fashioned wheelwright's stone laying testimony to its use for sealing the iron rims. It is thought that the Blacksmith's Shop was built by John Greenwood, the lessee of the granite setts sometime in the early 1870s. However, it is just possible that there was an earlier building on the site prior to the above shop. Mike Brown notes how he discovered a report of an escaped prisoner taking refuge in an, "unoccupied house on Barn Hill." In his opinion there never has been another 'house' on Barn Hill so it could well have been an earlier building erected on the same site. p. 9.
As we all thudded along the footpath everyone screeched to a halt at the site of a hairy caterpillar inching its way to safety. What sort was it? A flood of suggestions came in but none were definitive, yes it was hairy, probably a moth of some descript and we'll look it up on Google. That's proven harder than originally thought but maybe it was ****
The really nice thing about following the leat around its curve is the ever changing aspect of Vixen Tor, the infamous lair of Vixiana the Witch but today being more infamous as being the 'Forbidden Tor'. Despite there being several interesting landscape features located within the tor's enclosure it is 'Private Land' with no access. With every step a rock image of the old hag's face slowly transforms into a hideous leer and one can quite see how the legend of the witch grew up around this tor.
A bit further along the leat we came across a snowflake-like mass of Cotton Grass with its fluffy heads waving around in the wind. If you want to be technically correct the plant is not a grass at all as it's a member of the Sedge family. One cannot help thinking that with a name like Cotton Grass the heads could be used to product a textile of some sort. In fact this has been tried but the fibres proved to be too brittle to make them of any use. There are suggestions that the heads have been used to stuff pillows which seems plausible. Another odd fact is that the Cotton Grass plant was adopted as the County Flower of Greater Manchester? For anybody into bushcraft the white Cotton Grass seed heads make excellent tinder when dry and also act as 'coal extender' when using friction lighting.
Soon the old Windy Post cross with its unmistakable drunken tilt came into view and it did not take a genius to see how it got its name. The wind was gusting across the moor so much so hats and coats were hurriedly put on. There can be no doubt that this time-worn relic of a distant age holds a certain mystique of its own with its lichen crusted head testifying to its great age. Some lines of V. L. Phillips' poem always come to mind when standing at the cross; "A little old cross on the windy heather, Roughly hewn out of granite gray, Fretted and worn by the wind and the weather,Carved by the monks of a bygone day." The Windy Post is said to date back to medieval times when it was a waymarker on the old monastic track which connected the abbeys of Buckfast and Tavistock.
Just beside the old cross is where the Grimstone and Sortridge leats donates some of its waters to a branch leat via a Bullseye Stone. It is at this junction when our path briefly follows the branch leat before going across to Feather Tor. Whilst on the tor we came across what a first I took to be a crushed up fluorescent clay pigeon which on closer inspection turned out to be a fungus of some sort. The photograph below is slightly misleading as its actual colour was more of a darker orange. Being no expert on fungi the nearest similarity that I can find is that of the Orange Peel Fungus?
Shortly after encountering the mystery fungus we came across a herd of ponies, I hesitate to call them Dartmoor Ponies as they were far from being what is now termed Dartmoor Heritage Ponies, in other words pure-breds. But regardless of their breeding they were enough to send horse-mad Holly into raptures especially as she was able to get so close to the foals she took a picture of one with its nose on the camera lens. I can't say too much about Feather Tor as its pretty unspectacular and so once we had dragged Holly kicking and screaming away from the ponies we tramped across to nearby Heckwood Tor. Again not a lot here except a well weathered outcrop which had a distinct haggard face-like appearance. No matter whereabouts on Dartmoor you are if you stare at the various rock formations long enough they will take on some form or another albeit a face, animal etc. These 'Rock Idols' were supposedly fashioned by the ancient Druids if some of the early antiquarians are to be believed. But sorry to burst the bubble its all down to the fault of the wind, rain and ice and I'm afraid even if this one looks like the Witch of Vixen Tor has migrated.
Having explored Heckwood it was time to move on to Pew Tor which was the prime objective. Now, Pew Tor is a magical place, it was thought to have been an early Druid temple with seats of judgement and their ritual rock basins. Not only that, some will say that deep under the tor is the fabulous palace of the Piskie King. In addition it was in more recent times the place where seven sheep were supposedly ritually killed for either some cult ceremony or an experiment carried out by aliens. So as you can see one should tread carefully when visiting this place. Well, after much scrambling and scrabbling up and down the various outcrops we found the ritual basins of the Druids. I will leave this to your judgement but we were even lucky enough to find the doorway into the Piskie King's palace. Not only that we were fortunate enough to get a glimpse of a piskie stood by it as can be seen from the photograph below. What we could not find were the various boundary markers for the old quarry limits despite a fairly intensive search. My lesson for the day (well every visit to Dartmoor) – always bring the GPS co-ordinates for what one is looking for.
Also on the tor were a party of children busily poking around the tor in search of letterboxes. Now at onetime I was big into letterboxing but over the past years have concentrated my efforts in writing this website instead. However, the fact that Holly was also enthusiastically poking around under the rocks and finding several letterboxes herself hinted that I may have to start 'boxing' again. The thing with letterboxing, especially with youngsters in tow is that it's a healthy outdoors pursuit, it's free and it gives the kids some interest as opposed to slogging mile after mile. Even though we had decided to have lunch on the tor the lure of food was not enough to distract Holly from her boxing adventures such was her enthusiasm.
After lunch was eaten we decided to head back to the car and pay a visit to Princetown as we needed firelighters for that night's barbeque, also as the Plume of Feathers was there it would be rude not to pay a visit. So we bade farewell to the Druids and the piskies and headed off back down the slopes of the tor towards the old quarry. Keeping on the mysterious theme, we spotted just beside the edge of the quarry a black rabbit. Clearly this was not of wild descent and so was either a pet somebody had released or a hybrid rabbit who had descended from a liaison with a pet and a wild rabbit. Either way despite Holly's frantic efforts she could not catch it to take it home for a pet – thank God.
Having got back to the car we drove on to Princetown where we bought a few supplies for that evening's meal. Then having parked the cars at the Plume of Feathers it was only polite to call in for a pint. Now for at least 30 odd years I had frequented the 'Plume' whenever passing. Back in the days when James Langton was the landlord it was deemed as the best pub on the moor. Since his departure to sunnier climbs it has never quite been the same. Nevertheless it holds fond memories and so I still visit when passing and this occasion was no exception. In we traipsed and ordered our drinks, us men on the Jail Ale and the ladies on cider. My wife Angela fancied trying some raspberry cider but after tasting it decided it was not to her liking, especially as it was as flat as a 'Witches Tit'. So she went to the bar and asked if she could change it for a half of ordinary cider. One of the barmen thought it clever to point out that if she wanted American style beer she should go to America. The other barman then proceeded to be even cleverer and tell her this joke; "What's the difference between American beer and a canoe? Both are fucking close to water." Having been unforgivably rude, actually swearing and laughing the barman then charged for the replacement drink. Now there would have been a time not that long ago when I would have had a 'little chat' with those ignorant pigs. But with the dawning age of social media I find that the 'keyboard is mightier than the sword'. So once I could get a mobile signal I posted on my Legendary Dartmoor Facebook page the following; "At the Plume of Feathers – been going there for years – shame it's turned into a shit hole with pig ignorant bar staff." As you can see from the screenshot below that post has reached 604 people, received 12 likes, and 8 comments all agreeing to one degree or another. Potentially this means that there are 604 people who just may think twice before visiting the Plume of Feathers, all for the sake of some decent courtesy and replacing a half of cider. I know for a fact I shall never step foot over its grubby door again!
On a more lighter note, we decided to pay a visit to the Mary Tavy Inn to see if I could catch up with the correct landlord this time. Oh dear, the landlord was there but it was not even him who had been contacting me. Now I was stumped, I was sure whatever pub it was had 'Tavy' in its name, but it wasn't Peter Tavy or Mary Tavy and I couldn't think of no other 'Tavy' inn? Anyway, there was some decent beer and cider to be had and a vacant dartboard which when combined made for an enjoyable hour or so.
By the time we returned to the cottage the rain had started to come down again which meant no barbeque, well, outdoor barbeque anyway. However there was nothing to stop us having an indoor barbeque which meant cooking all the burgers etc in the oven as opposed to on a charcoal fire. As you can see below, the poor dejected barbeque stands forlornly amidst the fog and rain but we did make the best of a bad job and had a sumptuous feast in front of the log fire. Oh by the way, two things, if you are wondering why there are scallop shells on the thumb backgrounds that's because there were a sign of a pilgrim and we were Dartmoor pilgrims. Secondly, if you are wondering where the cottage is – I'm not saying in case we want to book again and find out it's all booked up.
Oh yes finally, having returned home and looked up my past emails I now know that the elusive landlord can be found at the Royal Standard in Mary Tavy, the one we drove past on four occasions. At least I got the 'Tavy' bit correct? Day 3 of the pilgrimage will appear on a separate webpage.
Brown, M. 1998. Mike Brown's Filed Guides – Vol. 6. Plymouth: Dartmoor Press.
Previous Mistery Tour
Next Postbox Walk
Three Men in a Gorge
Here follows a delightful account of three men who visited Lydford Gorge in 1895 and …


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Home|Who We Are|Enterprise Transformation Archives
Know Your Numbers Program
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Amy Iveson, HII's manager of health and wellness strategy, says the recently launched "Know Your Numbers" campaign is an important component of HII's transformation.
"It's saying that well-being is important," she said. "In my 30 years of health care experience, I have never seen a company invest so much in well-being. That alone is going to transform not just the company and the culture, but it's going to transform the business by employees being able to bring their best selves to work every day."
Download and read the transcript
Ingalls' Workforce Development
HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division is transforming workforce development with its Signing Day and Future Shipbuilder Discovery Day initiatives.
"Signing Day is really important for our students because … they're choosing to go to work instead of go to college," said Victoria Hunt, manager of Ingalls' Shipbuilder Academy. "So we wanted to make sure that our students knew that it was just as amazing for them to receive job offers at the age of 18 than it was to go to college."
https://huntingtoningalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/signing_day_transformation_final.mp4
https://huntingtoningalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/FSDD-Proof-3.mp4
Future Shipbuilder Discovery Day
Talent Development Labs at Ingalls
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Ingalls Shipbuilding's Talent Development Labs—a year-old partnership with Gulf Coast high schools—are another example of how the division is developing the shipbuilders of the future.
"The talent labs are transforming our communities," said Edmond Hughes, Ingalls' vice president, Human Resources and Administration, "by allowing us to show students what are the careers that are available and the options that are out there for them if they want to remain here in the community."
Laser-Scanning at Newport News Shipbuilding
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HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division is using laser-scanning to transform the work done on aircraft carrier catapult troughs during a refueling and complex overhaul.
"It shows the forward-thinking process that we're looking at," said Woody Woods, a Newport News designer, "bringing the technology in and changing the game and not building the ships the way we used to—leveraging the technology to improve that process."
Who is Responsible For Transformation?
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"Everybody has to recognize that where they are in their current position today, there are improvements that could be made along the way," Melanie Anderson, vice president of human resources at HII's Technical Solutions division, said at this year's vice president offsite. "They shouldn't wait for an external force to suggest something needs to change or improve or a customer wants something different."
How Do We Build A Transformation Culture?
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"Everyone is responsible for transformation," Xavier Beale, vice president of trades at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division, said at this year's vice president offsite. "It's not just the leader. … Every person within this organization—within HII—is responsible for transformation."
'Life Changing' Watch Rotations
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HII's Technical Solutions division helped develop new watch rotations that will improve the health and safety of U.S. Navy sailors.
"The results were phenomenal," John Cordle, a director in Technical Solutions' Fleet Support Group, said of their research. "One of the crew members said the words 'life-changing.'"
The project is representative of HII's transformational culture. "If you have a passion, you have a platform, and you have patience," Cordle said, "you can be an agent for change."
RCOH Transformation
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Integrated digital shipbuilding (IDS) is transforming the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) program at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division.
"This is actually one of the first ships that we've had a large presence of integrated digital shipbuilding on the RCOH program," Jason Ipock, a lead general foreman, said of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) overhaul. "One of the biggest things that we're seeing from it is that it's actually taking the way we've always done it before, and it's allowing us to be a little bit more efficient, a little bit more effective, a little bit quicker in our day-to-day operations."
Robotic Automation at Ingalls Shipbuilding
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Kevin Roossinck, a welding engineer at HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division, says computer modeling has facilitated the integration of robots in the Pascagoula shipyard.
"Robots are helping transform the shipyard," he said. "I think this is an exciting time at Ingalls because we're putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the shipyard in improving our facilities, increasing the amount of technology, making everything faster, smarter, more efficient, and I'm just excited to be a part of it."
Laser Scanning at Sea
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After testing laser-scanning technology on stationary ships, HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division was challenged by the U.S. Navy to prove that the tests are also reliable under sea conditions. It succeeded.
"I'm just real excited to be part of laser-scanning," said Woody Woods, a Newport News designer. "After being in the shipyard for 32 years, I never thought I'd be working with technology like this, and I can only imagine where we'll be 30 years from now, using this technology."
Pipe Banding Tool
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Chris Eckstein, a pipefitter at HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division, says a new banding tool is changing the way he does his job. It's also cutting labor hours on the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).
"It's quicker, more efficient, and also I can get in to tighter spots," he says. "All these tools and digital copies of drawings and everything, it's a game-changer for shipbuilding. So it's technology and manual tools all coming together as one."
Drone Technology For Emergency Response
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The use of drone technology is becoming more and more common across HII's three divisions, but Ingalls Shipbuilding is the first to use it for emergency response.
"Anywhere in this 800 acres, that drone can be in a minute and a half," said Kevin Kowalewski, Ingalls' manager, environmental, health and safety engineering. "My management team is open to any kind of idea that will help us do something faster, more efficiently or with higher quality, and this drone is all about that."
F-15 Combat Air-to-Air Training Systems
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HII's Technical Solutions division is transforming the business by expanding HII's customer base. The Mission Driven Innovative Solutions group, for example, supports the U.S. Air Force's F-15 Combat Air-to-Air Training Systems program.
"We train somewhere in the neighborhood of about 70 students a year," said Tim Ebner, Technical Solutions' site manager at Kingsley Field in Oregon. "It's a big mission we've got here to get these students out the door and get them out the door on time."
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HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division is using drone technology for a variety of projects, ranging from material storage to parking assessments.
"The future of the program is bright," says Jim O'Brien, Newport News' director, facilities. "We are developing a facilities master plan so we can track the shipyard's future needs for material as well as buildings, and we'll be using the drones to take pictures as we develop that plan."
Dual-Mode Undersea Vehicle
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HII's Technical Solutions division has developed a dual-mode undersea vehicle that meets the mission requirements of two different naval communities in one platform.
"That changes the way people in those communities think," says Ross Lindman, a director of operations in Technical Solutions' Fleet Support group. "It helps those communities look outside just the requirements of their own community and think about vehicles that can do other things beyond borders of what their requirements are."
Rolling Covers
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HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division has introduced "rolling covers" in its shipyard, offering employees relief from the sun and rain.
"We're transforming how we look at things, how we look at products, how we look at the build process," says Dianna Genton, a manager of manufacturing engineering. "We're really putting our money where our mouth is, and we're making the investment in our future, so we are going to be the shipyard of choice for years to come."
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HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division has begun manufacturing and testing parts made on a 3-D printer.
"To be part of something that's really changing to how we do business has been excellent," says John Ralls, one of the engineers working on the project. "If you asked me 10 years ago, would I be working on taking powderized metal and lasers to make a part in three-dimensional shapes, I don't think I could have envisioned that at all." Hear more from Ralls and Newport News Vice President Charles Southall in this video.
Transforming HII
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Part of HII's 2018 leadership conference was dedicated to disruption—the concept of HII reinventing its business model. "We want to disrupt ourselves before anyone else has the chance," HII President and CEO Mike Petters said at the conference.
HII is responding to those threats with a transformation strategy to capture efficiencies and synergies across the enterprise with specific focus on the material value stream, technology and digital strategy. The transformation effort also empowers employees across the enterprise to change their jobs for the better.
Please take a few minutes to watch a new video message with more of Petters' thoughts on disruption and transformation.

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Kacer, Kačer or Káčer may refer to:
Kačer, village in Serbia

People with the surname
Jan Kačer (born 1936), Czech actor and film producer
Kathy Kacer (born 1954), Canadian writer
Miroslav Káčer (born 1996), Slovak footballer
Rastislav Káčer (born 1965), Slovak diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2022-)

See also

Czech-language surnames
Slovak-language surnames

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The rise of Alan Joyce is a reminder that Australia really is a land of opportunity.
A few days ago Alan Joyce quietly celebrated a decade as the boss of Australia's most iconic company, Qantas. Not a bad achievement for a working-class, mathematics-nerd from the tough streets of Dublin. In a notoriously difficult and competitive market, Joyce has steered Qantas to the position of one of the best performing airlines in the world. But there's been some major turbulence along the journey, including significant threats to Qantas' very existence. As Karl Stefanovic reports, much more than a business story, the rise and rise of Alan Joyce is a reminder that Australia really is a land of opportunity.


This group project is designed to introduce the student to applied research, and anchored on the course requirements to "critically evaluate how the Management of a UAE organization conceived, designed, implemented and managed one or more components of the Strategic Marketing process. This should culminate in the detailed presentation of specific or multiple Organizational Outcome(s) derived from this exercise in Strategic Marketing.
Team Findings will be orally presented during the last two (2) weeks of course, using power points and other useful supplements. Dr. Chris Mbah Group Assessment Company chosen is the date factory located in UAE more info is mentioned in the attached file power point slides from 15 to 20 max including the cover 1written page which gives us quick information about the main idea, so we can explain to the tutors and the students in the same time.


St. Lucie Commercial Roofer | The Roof Authority, Inc.
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Senate HELP Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing for Nominee Acosta to Head Labor Department
By Jeffrey W. Brecher, Philip B. Rosen, Howard M. Bloom and Sarah K. Hook
The Senate Health, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on March 22, 2017, held confirmation hearings on the nomination of R. Alexander Acosta, President Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Labor.
Acosta was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, both of whom have known Acosta for years. Rubio described Acosta as having a "brilliant legal mind" with "deep knowledge of labor issues," and noted Acosta was the first member of his family to attend college. Cruz, who attended law school with Acosta, emphasized that Acosta has been confirmed by the Senate three times and, as the son of Cuban immigrants, has a special appreciation of freedom and opportunity in the United States. Both encouraged the Senate to approve his nomination. (For more on Acosta's background, see our article, Labor Department Nominee's Opinions as National Labor Relations Board Member.)
Some of the first questions from the Committee centered on the Department of Labor's controversial overtime rule, which was blocked by a federal district court judge in Texas and is on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The government's final brief is due May 1, 2017, pushed back from an earlier deadline to allow the new administration to express its view. (For more on the litigation, see our article, Texas Court Grants Nationwide Preliminary Injunction Enjoining Department of Labor from Implementing or Enforcing Regulation Raising Salary Level for White Collar Exemptions.)
While Acosta did not specify what position he would take on the overtime rule, he acknowledged that the salary level for exempt employees has not been updated since 2004. He also said that it is "unfortunate" that rules that include dollar values often are not updated more regularly. However, he said he was concerned that the doubling of the salary threshold "creates a stress on the system."
With respect to the DOL overtime litigation, Senator Patty Murray bluntly asked, "Will you defend this rule in court?" Acosta did not answer the question directly, but stated he will need to "look at this very closely." Interestingly, he noted that one of the issues pending in the litigation is the authority of the Secretary to set a salary threshold. "Litigation needs to be considered very carefully both with respect to what would be the appropriate amount if the rule were changed or revised, but also what is in the authority for the Secretary to do," he said.
In later questioning, Acosta noted that if the current salary level is increased based on a cost of living increase, the salary level would be about $33,000, perhaps signaling DOL will recommend a new rule that lowers the salary level set up by the Obama Administration. It is unclear whether the salary level would be a requirement or simply a factor in determining exempt status, in light of the current litigation questioning the authority of the Secretary to set a salary level threshold. Acosta stated he would consult with Labor Department and Department of Justice employees in considering what steps to take.
Acosta also was asked about the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division's former practice of issuing opinion letters in response to employers' specific questions about certain laws and regulations. Acosta noted he saw "value to opinion letters" that are grounded in a specific set of facts and he saw no reason for not encouraging the issuing of opinion letters, perhaps signaling the Department of Labor may look to re-implement this practice.
Many of the questions focused on Acosta's position on health and safety issues, as well as job training programs. Senator Elizabeth Warren repeatedly asked him whether he would enforce the silica rule. Acosta stated that pursuant to President Trump's Executive Order to reduce the number of regulations, he would work with the Department of Labor to review the implementation and enforcement of these rules and regulations. (For more on the rule, see our article, OSHA's Long-Awaited Silica Rule Faces Uncertain Future.)
Similarly, with respect to cutting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's budget, Acosta stated that "worker safety is important" and while he could not commit to maintaining the current levels of funding for OSHA, he would be concerned about any cuts that would affect OSHA's ability to do its job. Generally, Acosta did not comment on specific regulations, but noted his overall philosophy would be to eliminate any regulation that is not "serving a purpose."
Acosta also answered questions about job training and apprenticeship programs. He praised the use of apprenticeship programs and the importance of involving employers and other industry associations in the process of creating and implementing these programs. He also noted the Department of Labor should take a leadership role in compiling best practices for these programs.
Acosta also was asked generally about his views on the proposed cuts to the Department of Labor's budget. He stated that while he has not had the opportunity to provide input on the budget process, he personally does not believe in implementing either an across-the-board cut to the Department or a per se elimination of programs. Rather, he would look at how successful specific programs are in each state and determine what aspects of programs to cut based on how well they work on a local level. He used the example of Job Corps centers, noting that some centers are very successful in certain states and funding should be maintained for these centers, whereas funding for less successful centers should be reduced and directed to other more successful programs in those areas.
The final questions posed to Acosta involved his views on the definition of joint employer. HELP Committee Chair Senator Lamar Alexander expressed concern about the negative impact the National Labor Relations Board's definition of joint employer will have on the franchisor-franchisee relationship, causing franchisors to decide to do business by themselves, rather than through franchisees. Alexander asked Acosta whether a business that has direct and immediate control over its employees should be considered an employer. Acosta answered that direct and immediate control are traditional criteria. Alexander also asked whether indirect and unexercised control should be factors in determining whether employers are joint employers and Acosta answered that those are untraditional factors.
Alexander submitted into evidence 19 letters of support for Acosta from 85 groups, including some labor unions. Murray submitted into the record 15 letters from 105 organizations expressing concern with Acosta's nomination.
Please contact a Jackson Lewis attorney if you have any questions about this or other workplace developments.
Jeffrey W. Brecher
Jeffrey.Brecher@jacksonlewis.com
Philip B. Rosen
Philip.Rosen@jacksonlewis.com
Howard M. Bloom
Howard.Bloom@jacksonlewis.com
Sarah K. Hook
Sarah.Hook@jacksonlewis.com
U.S. Supreme Court Roundup – 2018-2019
The U.S. Supreme Court term that ended in June 2019 included decisions on many topics important to workplace law, including class actions, arbitration, and administrative exhaustion and Title VII claims. Class Actions, Arbitration The Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that class action arbitration is such a departure from ordinary,... Read More


Students at Largy College in Clones chose mental health as their focus with the project Mend a Mind.
A GROUP OF SECONDARY school students in Monaghan have won the title of Young Social Innovators of the Year 2017.
These students were selected from over 7,000 who participated in the competition this year, with each group tasked with creating projects that will benefit wider society in some way.
Students at Largy College in Clones chose mental health as their focus with the project Mend a Mind – it's a disorder not a decision.
The group aims to eliminate the stigma that surrounds mental illness in the community.
They've already won a few awards for their efforts, creating their own videos to challenge pre-conceived notions around mental health.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, 4th year student Laura Hamill said that her group came up with the project as it was something that was close to all of their hearts.
It's a really hidden illness. We wanted to bring attention to it, but we didn't want to sugarcoat it, either. It was about showing the harsh reality, to shine a light on it.
From their first event that they broadcast on Facebook Live from Clones, the group's popularity on social media spread.
One event saw the group enlist the help of a local dance teacher to bring a flashmob to Grafton Street in Dublin.
With this prize of Young Social Innovators of the Year, Mend a Mind will continue to go from strength to strength, said Hamill.
She added that the group planned to bring workshops into local primary and secondary schools within the next few weeks.
While Largy College students scooped the gold prize, the silver prize went to St Jospeh's College Lucan for their No Limits project on social inclusion.
The bronze prize, meanwhile, went to students at Tullamore College, Co Offaly, for their Think Safety, Farm Safety project.
The winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by sponsors Ulster Bank in Dublin's Convention Centre this afternoon, with Minister Simon Coveney in attendance.
Sister Stanislaus Kennedy and Rachel Collier, co-founders of Young Social Innovators, said the awards showcased "the very best that our young people have to offer".
Email "'We didn't sugarcoat it, it's the harsh reality': Monaghan teens win top award for mental health project".
Feedback on "'We didn't sugarcoat it, it's the harsh reality': Monaghan teens win top award for mental health project".


Former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher is making a good recovery from his suspected heart attack, according to his daughter Kirsty.
The 64-year-old, who won 10 European Tour titles, was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a critical condition just over a week ago.
But television presenter Kirsty wrote on Twitter: "Thank you all so much for your kind messages of support, it's been quite overwhelming.
"Dad now making a good recovery."
She added: "We are all so grateful for the fabulous support we've had. It's kept us going."
Bathgate-born Gallacher led Europe to victory over the United States in the Ryder Cup in 1995, having been losing captain in 1991 and 1993.
He made his debut in the competition as a player in 1969, the same year he became the youngest winner of the PGA Championship at 20 years and 97 days.
It was a record that stood until earlier this year, when Italian Matteo Manassero triumphed at Wentworth aged 20 years and 37 days.


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Army Institute of Management and Technology, AIMT, Greater Noida
Address: Plot No M-1, Pocket P-5, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306
Phone: 0120-3263533 0120-3251265 3256845
Email: admissions@aimt.ac.in
Website: www.aimt.ac.in
About Army Institute of Management and Technology:
Army Institute of Management & Technology (AIMT) was established by the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) in 2004 in the emerging futuristic hi tech city of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Greater Noida. The forerunner of the Institute was Faculty of Management Studies (FOMS), College of materials Management (CMM), Jabalpur which was set up in summers of 1995. In a span of about ten years, FOMS carved a niche for itself and became a reputed business institution. In 2002 the college relocated and re-established itself with a new identity and a new name in the plush and quite environs of Greater Noida.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
AWES has so far established 130 Army Schools and 12 professional colleges. Designed to capture the increasing needs of industry for Management and Computer Application professionals for the benefit of the wards of Army personnel, a sprawling new campus of the Institute was constructed over an area of 15.34 acres.
AIMT, Greater Noida has been established to conduct MBA program in a fully residential campus. The first batch of students joined the institute in Aug 2004. The institute is affiliated to the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. The campus can accommodate nearly 500 students at its peak capacity. The institute has all modern learning tools/facilities and aims to provide top class management and education to the students. The campus also has a residential complex to house all its teaching and non teaching staff. The institute is set to become one of the premiere professional colleges of the country.
Course Name: Master of Business Administration MBA
Course Description: Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programme 2018
Opening Date: 02 Dec 2017
Closing Date: 31 Jan 2018
Category: Management
Education Qualification: Candidate must have scored minimum 50% aggregate marks in:
Any Bachelor's Degree of minimum three years recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU); or Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Technology or any qualification recognized as equivalent thereto; or
Passed the final Exam of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or England, the Institute of Cost and works Accountants of India or England or the Institute of Company Secretaries of India
Candidates who have appeared in Qualifying Examination
Candidates appearing in the qualifying exam (Graduation Final Year) are also eligible to apply. However, their admission will be provisional subject to production of proof of having acquired the minimum prescribed qualification at the time of admission
Students are required to furnish proof of having attained minimum qualification laid down by 15th July 2018, failing which their admission may be cancelled
Affidavit as per appendix 3 of GGSIPU brochure is required to be submitted by all students who do not submit proof of having acquired the minimum prescribed qualification. Compartment / Supplementary cases will be governed by GGSIPU rules
On 01st July 2018, the candidate should be below 35 years of age. I.e. candidates born on or after 02nd July 1983 are eligible
The Candidate should be certified by MH / RMO/Registered Medical Practitioner as physically and mentally fit to pursue the course
A certificate to this effect is required to be submitted by the candidate when the candidate joins the Institute
Written Test and Selection Process: All candidates are required to appear in any one of the following entrance tests:
1. Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) valid for the academic session 2018-20
2. Management Aptitude Test (MAT) conducted by All India Management Association on valid for the academic session 2018-20
3. Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) conducted by All India Council for Technical Education valid for the academic session 2018-20
4. Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) conducted by Xavier School of Management valid for the academic session 2018-20
Those desirous of seeking admission to AIMT, Greater NOIDA are required to obtain the soft copy of both bulletin with application form and the Information Brochure/Prospectus of the Institute; these are required to be submitted before the scheduled cut off dates
Shortlisting of Candidates for GD & PI: The students to the Institute from 30th January 2018 onwards through Email will communicate Results of CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT. Based on the marks of CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT, candidates will be shortlisted for Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) at AIMT, Greater NOIDA
The list of short-listed candidates will be available before 02nd March 2018
Final Merit List
The Final Merit List will be declared by 19th April 2018
The same will also be available at the office of Registrar AIMT and on the Institute website. Final Merit List will be prepared on the basis of the CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT scores, and GD & PI as per under mentioned weightage:
a) CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT Score - 50%
b) GD & PI - 50%
Applicants can obtain the application form from the university website www.aimt.ac.in
Applicants desirous of seeking admission to AIMT, Greater Noida can obtain the information brochure/prospectus for MBA program from the Registrar, AIMT by hand by sending their requisition along with a demand draft for Rs.750/- in favour of Army Institute of Management & Technology payable at Greater Noida. Rs.50/- is to be added, if the information Brochure/prospectus is required by post.
The application can also be downloaded from the AIMT website www.aimt.ac.in
The application form will be submitted on or before 31st January 2018 along with demand draft of Rs.750/-; Rs.200/- will be added as late fee, if the application is submitted between February 01st 2018 to February 28th 2018
Information brochure will also be available at the following locations: AWES, Adjutant General's Branch IHQ of MOD (Army) Building No. 202, Shankar Vihar Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi-10, AWES Cells of all Command Headquarters, AWES Cell, HQ Delhi Area, Delhi Cant.
Online Application Forms Available from 15th Nov 2017 onwards
Last Date for Receipt of Completed AIMT Application Form: 31st Jan 2018
Last Date for Receipt of Completed AIMT Application Form with late fee of Rs.200/-: 28 Feb 2018
Declaration of short-listed candidates for GD & PI at AIMT, Greater NOIDA: 02nd Mar 2018
Group Discussion (GD) & Personal Interview (PI): 30th - 31st March 2018
Commencement of Orientation Program: 23rd July 2018
Commencement of the Course: As intimated by GGSIP University
Please click the following link for other valuable news available on our Blog: - blog.admissionnews.com ~~!!~~ My Admission News Blog ~~!!~~ Admission News BlogSpot ~~!!~~ Scholarship BlogSpot


Wow! If you're keeping up, or have the ability to read and count, you realize that this is week #11. That means it has taken 10 weeks to explain what typically happens over the period of a few days for us for a simple video interview. The last set of articles on production (6 parts total) was all about the video shoot day for our interview.
Now we get into the nitty-gritty of post production (aka the post process).
I don't know if it's something in the video production industry and in the music industry, but, a common turn of phrase during production is "we'll fix it in post." If you hear that from someone, simply tell them they are wrong.
The post process is a necessary part of video production, but, with the technological advances in the last couple of decades, it appears that a new breed of lazy shooters has grown out of the depths of digital and the whole attitude is just to get an okay shot and the post process will make it great. NOT THE CASE! Get a great shot in the camera and let the post guys make it incredible! Sorry, I got a bit sidetracked. Let's divert our attention back to the topic at hand.
Where does the post process start?
I know what you're thinking: it starts when we get back to the studio!
Nope… Now we could argue about the time that it starts, but, I'm writing this blog series, so, I'm going with what works for Hamil Bros Studios.
So, where does it start?!?!?
IT STARTS IN PRE-PRODUCTION. Ha! Betcha didn't see that one coming. Remember all that stuff about preparation and how I said it seemed a bit excessive but that it would all make sense later? Now is later! Yay!
Okay, we're back at the studio.
Each project has upwards of 20 folders and sub-folders. I won't go into all of them, but, they break into 3 basic categories: assets, project files, and deliverables.
Once, that project folder has been created all the media is copied from the location drives to the workstation. Not gonna lie… This feels like it takes forever… And it kinda does. But, it's still faster than the old days where we had to capture tapes in real time.
Next up, we'll start talking about the process that the footage goes through before it's final form. However, We'll get to that after the New Year Holiday. So, enjoy the next couple of weeks off with your family.
You can check out last week's post here, and next week's here, available 01/09/17.


Today (2/22) is the last day to see Pierre Huyghe at LACMA. There is so much to see within the show and it is, at times, overwhelming. You enter the exhibition with your name announced by a live announcer and then proceed through the maze like space to find aquariums with live sea creatures in them; video work, including a film with a monkey walking around wearing the mask of a girl; sculptures including the one pictured above with a head of live bees (Untilled (Liegender Frauenakt)) ; and Human, a live dog who is around the gallery at various times. It's Huyghe's first retrospective in his twenty-five year career and well worth a trip into his unique visual world.


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Guadalest, Alicante, Spain
Guadalest is a small village in Spain on top of a high rock. Originally founded by Arabs in the 9th century the village was conquered by Jaime el Conquistador in the 13th century. Two earthquakes in 1644 and 1748 left big damages. Today the village has around 220 inhabitants, several museums and many souvenir shops for 2 million visitors per year. The original image has 330 megapixels and can be seen by the link below.
More information: http://derpanoramafotograf.com/EN/projects/fskr...
Heiner Straesser
Latitude: 38° 40' 36" N, Longitude: -0° 11' 54" E see »
Panoramas by Heiner Straesser
Type: Any Archaeological spaces Cultural events and... Curiosities Emblematic architecture Everyday moments Historical places Monuments Natural wonders Nature Palaces and castles Private spaces Spiritual spaces Technology and gadgets Unclassifiable Unique places urban setting Country: Any Austria Germany Italy Poland Spain Turkey
Guadalest is a small village in Spain on top of a high rock. Originally founded by Arabs in the 9th century the village was conquered by Jaime el...
Ruined Armenian Church in Germir, Cappadocia, Turkey
Surp Stepanos in Germir, inner Anatolia: From the central square of the village is only the west wall of the Armenian church visible. Inside is an...
Meryem Ana Prison-Church, Nevsehir, Cappadocia, Turkey-11
Nevsehir, Meryem Ana Church: After the Turkish-Greek people exchange in 1923, this church was first used to store goods. In 1950 it had been...
Göynük Village, Turkey
Göynük is a small town in western Turkey. It is one of the rare places where you can still find a lot of Ottoman houses.
Windmill, Cubuk Lake, Turkey
One of the few windmills at the Cubuk Gölü in Central Turkey.
One of the few windmills nxt to the Cubuk Gölü in central Turkey.
Yilanli Kilise (Snake Church), cave monastery, Soganli, Cappadocia, Turkey
Inside the Yılanlı Kilise (=Snake Church) in the Soğanlı valley. The Byzantine frescoes are from the 11th and 13. century.
In the courtyard of the Yılanlı Kilise (=Snake Church) in the Soğanlı valley. Inside the small cone in the background are Byzantine frescoes from...
Barbara Cave Church (tahtali kilise), Soganli Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey
Entrance to the Byzantine Tahtalı (Barbara) Kilise in the Soğanlı valley. The frescoes are from the 11th century.
Tarakli, Western Turkey
Tarakli is a small city in western Turkey surrounded by gardens and forests. In ancient times it belonged to the first Ottoman empire and was known...
Harbour of Malcesine, Lago di Garda, Italy
Small harbour of Malcesine, a village with about 3700 inhabitants at the Lago di Garda. There are many old buildings and the castle dates back to...
Cumalikizik, Turkey
Cumalikizik is a small village near Bursa. Many traditional houses from Ottoman origin survived the times. Recently tourism discovered the village...
Stephanos Chapel, Cemil, Cappadocia, Turkey
Stephanos chapel in the Archangelos monastery near Ürgüp in Cappadocia, with Byzantine frescoes. According to an inscription the chapel can be...
View all the authors » Find out more about Heiner Straesser »


GUITARS AND AMPS EXPO 2014: Between 1992 and 1997, guitar-wielding giants trod the land. The last major-label-backed UK-centric musical movement, Britpop, made megastars of the likes of Oasis and Blur, while Pulp, Suede and Elastica also enjoyed huge chart success. Here we take a look at the iconic riffs, solos and chord progressions in a scene that stripped rock to it's bones and shoved the six-string to the fore.
1993's self-titled Suede marked Britpop's true arrival and Animal Nitrate was the London band's big gun, single-wise. Bernard Butler's hammer-on-heavy runs swirl throughout, coming to an appropriately dizzy peak during the solo.
Indicative of the scene's embracing of 'well British Britishness' and the ensuing Union Jack-clad lad culture, Coxon's straightforward riff imbibes the song with a nonetheless irresistible swagger.
Representing Britpop's spikier side, Elastica's Stutter is the kind of tune that makes people form bands. Two minutes and four chords of fury, succinctly detailing the issues arising (or, err, not) when men drink before bedtime.
Epitomising the era's sense of (ironically, unsustainable) optimism, Live Forever also bore possibly the finest solo in Britpop. Kicking in at 1.44, there are few better examples of Noel Gallagher's iconic wailing, mid-heavy lead sound.
The song that took Oasis from upstart rockstars to bonafide mega-fame. It's since become an 'acoustic 101'-style mainstay, the classroom starting point for an unfathomable number of guitar players.
Sickeningly simple, it takes just three seconds to identify Pulp's second biggest hit from its guitar intro. It took them nearly 20 years, but with 1995's A Different Class, Pulp were ingrained in teenage brains everywhere.
Alright was an ode to the discoveries of early teen years and its guitar solo was perfectly reflective of the lyrical content, combining rock 'n' roll fretboard wrangling and smooth slide guitar into happy-go-lucky perfection.
Though not always considered 'go-to' Britpoppers, Ash's thunderously catchy ode to extraterrestrial love was produced by Oasis/Weller man Owen Morris and dominated both charts and festivals in 1995, thanks in part to Tim Wheeler's tuneful wah-laden solo.
Don't Look Back In Anger saw Noel's Beatles influences brought to the fore. Like Live Forever, its solo builds to an irresistible crescendo - and it's almost impossible to listen to without singing along.
It may have been a tightening up and, err, re-imagining of Led Zep's 1971 tune Four Sticks, but that didn't stop The Riverboat Song (AKA The TFI Friday intro) and it's colossal opener/bridge riff becoming a 90s classic.
In 1997, having decided he was never-ever - EVER - going to reunite with The Stone Roses, pre-Britpop guitar god John Squire formed The Seahorses (acronym: he hates roses) and gave us this exercise in guitar acrobatics.
Although initially penned by Coxon and co to prove how easy it would be to parrot 90s US grunge and indie bands, Song 2 brought Blur stateside success and simultaneously sounded the Britpop death knell. It is, however, still a total stonker of a riff.


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I'm a marketing data analyst turned UX designer and front-end developer based in London.
Please visit my portfolio to see what I've been working on. Or check out my blog to read what I'm thinking.
Feel free to drop me a line if you need help with anything.
I've spent almost my entire career working in marketing; devising strategies, setting up campaigns, collecting data and relentlessly analysing it.
My lifelong passion for computers and trying to speak their language has recently pushed me into uncharted territories. Since then, I've been learning and practicing programming and UX design.
So far I've worked with various programming languages and frameworks; such as Python, Django, Vue.js and React. I also wandered into different UX design and prototyping tools; such as Sketch, Adobe XD and Framer.


Crossroad Farm is a sixty acre vegetable farm in Post Mills, VT, one half mile from Lake Fairlee. For over 35 years our extended family and crew has been practicing sustainable agriculture. We grow a wide variety of vegetables, specializing in greens and tomatoes, as well as strawberries, melons, flowers, and bedding plants. Our produce is sold at our two farm stands as well as being delivered to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the area.
Crossroad Farm is seeking a capable and enthusiastic Farm Stand Manager to join our team. The Farm Stand is located in Norwich, Vermont, and will be opening for its first year under the ownership of Crossroad Farm in June 2017. This position offers an exciting opportunity for the right person to work with a significant amount of autonomy, with the goal of establishing a successful and highly-regarded retail business.
The Farm Stand Manager is expected to provide leadership and management for this retail operation, in accordance with Crossroad Farm's mission and goals. The Farm Stand has been in operation for 30+ years and is a cornerstone of the town of Norwich's retail marketplace. As such, the Farm Stand Manager will be tasked with facilitating a positive transition from the former ownership to Crossroad.
This position requires an individual who is well organized, has strong communication skills, experience in retail sales, and a knowledge of and passion for local food and sustainable agriculture. This individual must be motivated and confident, flexible in their ability to work closely with Crossroad Farm management, and excited to grow a successful business in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Primary job responsibilities extend from May through mid-November, with the possibility of part-time work during the winter months.
Oversee all Farm Stand operations, including but not limited to managing vendor relationships, ordering and inventory, general cash management and daily reconciliation.
Manage Farm Stand staff of 5-8 people, including hiring and training, creating schedules and maintaining an efficient retail team.
Monitor and manage inventory to ensure freshness, excellent presentation, and a guarantee of the highest quality local produce in the area.
Execute attractive merchandising including layout, signage and display.
Implement appropriate and effective pricing and promotions.
Work closely with Crossroad Farm management and crew to provide timely and accurate reports on sales, costs, inventory, and other related income and expenses.
Collect and share feedback from customers and CSA members, working with Crossroad Farm management to provide the best possible customer experience.
Manage all marketing communications, including email marketing to CSA members, Facebook marketing and regular contributions to the Upper Valley listserves.
This is a salaried position – compensation information is available upon request.


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In the News: Helpers and heroes bring us through
In the unforgiving year just past, we might all have lost our path if not for the helpers and the heroes. Across 2020, Wednesday Journal sought out and told the stories of so many people doing good, taking risks, watching out during the COVID-19 pandemic. When, in November, we began to focus on our 36th annual Villager of the Year, we turned to readers for their nominations and we found a whole new group of helpers and heroes that we'd never known.
So as 2021 opens with promise — and the promise of more pain — we present 16 Villagers of the Year. Each person profiled in our pages is fully worthy of recognition. Yet we'd note that each also stands in for a larger group of our neighbors who have been brave and kind, bold and innovative.
And so we have an ICU nurse at Rush Oak Park Hospital and an ER doc at UIC. But we all know of so many first responders who call Oak Park and River Forest home. We have the leaders of two nonprofits who have lived their mission and reinvented their strategies on the fly in the elemental realms of food and shelter. But every nonprofit has been strained and challenged and worked hard to meet those challenges.
Each person we profile will bring to your mind someone that we have missed. We'd urge you to reach out to them, to thank them and, if appropriate, to support them with a donation. And please, share their stories at OakPark.com or in a letter to the editor.
In this impossible year, we are all Villagers of the Year.
-Dan Haley
Michele Zurakowski
Running a food pantry during a pandemic has been daunting and logistically challenging says Michele Zurakowski, executive director of Beyond Hunger, 848 Lake St. in Oak Park. The key to successfully navigating COVID-19, however, has been firmly rooted in Zurakowski's expectation of imperfection.
"We knew we would make mistakes," said Zurakowski. "I led with the notion of trying new things. We knew we wouldn't be perfect, but we would all debrief, make modifications, and try again."
Under Zurakowski's leadership in 2020 Beyond Hunger shifted its in-person shopping experience to a drive-thru/walk-up model designed to mitigate health risks while still getting healthy food into the hands of people who needed it most.
Additionally, Beyond Hunger tripled the size of its home delivery program dedicated to providing food to people who could not otherwise get to the pantry. Creative thinking in the face of increasing need led to a collaboration with Oak Park Township. The expansion of Beyond Hunger's delivery program was hampered by driving needs, but the township allowed the pantry to utilize its vehicles and drivers to deliver food to those in need.
"Our staff and volunteers were willing to do whatever it took to make a difference in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19," said Zurakowski. "I see this honor as a reflection of the incredible effort my team has put forth."
Though Beyond Hunger anticipates an avalanche of need in 2021, Zurakowski remains confident the community will continue to rally around people facing food insecurity.
Melissa Elsmo, Oak Park Eats
Cat Nickles
Current Oak Park and River Forest High School freshman and author of "Quarantine Cookbook," Cat Nickles, turned her comic-inspired recipe quintet into a fundraising force that garnered national attention in 2020.
When the pandemic foiled the young food-lover's plans to open a pop-up restaurant at the Children's School as part of her eighth-grade capstone project, Nickles pivoted and created a cookbook to sell as a fundraiser for Beyond Hunger. She did not set a price for her book and hoped a "pay-what-you-can" model would help her raise $1,000.
Before long Nickles' book had generated more than $5,000 and earned an invitation to appear as a "Helping Hero" on a socially-distant broadcast of Live with Kelly and Ryan.
While on the show, the young writer and illustrator discussed her recipe for 8-second s'mores and detailed her fundraising success. At the end of the segment co-host Ryan Seacrest announced Live with Kelly and Ryan and Safeguard were making a $5,000 donation to Beyond Hunger.
"I thought this would just be a small project," said Nickles. "But I have learned that small action can make a big difference."
To date Nickles' cookbook sales have raised just shy of $19,000 for the Oak Park food pantry and she is committed to making it to $20,000 in 2021. She is expanding her recipe collection to increase donation potential and is considering the creation of a second book. In the meantime, Nickles has taken on an internship with Mama Kat's Sweets to hone her skills and has been offering virtual cooking classes to raise additional funds for Beyond Hunger.
READ THE FULL LIST


Iron can be used to darken (sadden) colors after dyeing.
Thoroughly dissolve 0.5-2% WOF ferrous sulfate in warm tap water. Add to cool water bath, then add material with stirring. Allow to soak ten minutes, then evaluate color change and repeat if desired. Works with myrobalan(to grey or olive), black walnut paste(improved formula), osage orange extract (to olive), madder paste extract(to purple or rust tones).


text:
Q: Discovering folder tree via depth-first or breadth-first I had to find the paths to the "deepest" folders in a folder. For this I implemented two algorithms, and one is way faster than the other.
Does anyone know why ? I suppose this has some link with the hard-disk hardware but I'd like to understand.
Here is the fast one :
    private function getHostAux($path) {
        $matches = array();
        $folder = rtrim($path, DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR);

        $moreFolders = glob($folder.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'*', GLOB_ONLYDIR);
        if (count($moreFolders) == 0) {
           $matches[] = $folder;
        } else {
            foreach ($moreFolders as $fd) {
                $arr = $this->getHostAux($fd);
                $matches = array_merge($matches, $arr);
            }
        }
        return $matches;
    }

And here is the slow-one :
    /**
     * Breadth-first function using glob
     */
private function getHostAux($path) {
    $matches = array();
    $folders = array(rtrim($path, DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR));
    $i = 0;
    while($folder = array_shift($folders)) {
        $moreFolders = glob($folder.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'*', GLOB_ONLYDIR);
        if (count($moreFolders == 0)) {
            $matches[$i] = $folder;
        }
        $folders = array_merge($folders, $moreFolders);
        $i++;
    }
    return $matches;
}

Thanks !

A: You haven't provided additional informations that might be crucial for understanding these "timings" which you observed. (I intentionally wrote the quotes since you haven't specified what "slow" and "fast" mean and how exactly did you measure it.)
Assuming that the supplied informations are true and that the speedup for the first method is greater than a couple of percent and you've tested it on directories of various sizes and depth...
First I would like to comment on the supplied answers:

*

*I wouldn't be so sure about your answer. First I think you mean "kernel handles". But this is not true since glob doesn't open handles. How did you come up with this answer?

*Both versions have the same total iteration count.

And add something from myself:

*

*I would suspect array_shift() may cause the slowdown because it reindexes the whole array each time you call it.

*The order in which you glob may matter depending on the underlying OS and file system.

*You have a bug (probably) in your code. You increment $i after every glob and not after adding an element to the $matches array. That causes that the $matches array is sparse which may cause the merging, shifting or even the adding process to be slower. I don't know exactly if that's the case with PHP but I know several languages in which arrays have these properties which are sometimes hard to keep in mind while coding. I would recommend fixing this, timing the code again and seeing if that makes any difference.

A: I think that your first algorithm with recursion does less iterations than the second one. Try to watch how many iterations each algorithm does using auxilary variables.


Ask Dr. Z - Page 2: Holistic on-line alternative Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) help!
Free glucose is present in the blood plasma at a concentration of approximately 80 mg per 100 ml..
It should be noted here again, that the normal adult, under most circumstances, is fully able to synthesize all of the carbohydrates that are needed from non-carbohydrate sources, i.e. proteins and fats.
Hypoglycemia is dangerous and must be taken seriously!
You can resolve hypoglycemia with diet and supplements!
After a high carbohydrate meal there is an immediate rise in blood sugar levels. Some of the blood sugar is utilized for immediate needs. The excess glucose is stored in the form of fatty acids (triglycerides) in the adipose tissue (fat) and as glycogen in the liver and muscles. The pancreas responds to rising blood sugar levels by producing the hormone insulin in its islands of Langerhans. Insulin is in effect a storage hormone for glucose. Its job is to prevent high levels of blood sugar by removing excess glucose from the blood and storing it as fat. A high carbohydrate diet leads to obesity, a high protein and high fat diet does not!
With little or no insulin we have a condition known as Diabetes (persistent high blood sugar levels). With too much insulin secretion, or if insulin is to effective, too much glucose is removed too fast from the circulating blood, a condition called hypoglycemia results. The primary tissues affected by this condition are the brain and nervous system. The body will at all times attempt to maintain homeostasis, that means state of balance.
The adrenal glands respond to stress and/or low blood sugar by producing adrenaline and releasing it into the bloodstream. Adrenaline produces symptoms of anxiety, trembling and or panic attacks. Adrenaline triggers the liver to release Glycogen (the stored form of sugar). This in turn raises the blood sugar levels. The raised blood sugar levels stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. A high output of insulin by the pancreas induces new low blood sugar episodes (hypoglycemia). This state of hypoglycemia again induces the Adrenals to release adrenaline into the bloodstream. The cycle starts again.
Chronic stress leads to adrenal exhaustion, liver stress, pancreatic over-stimulation and hypoglycemia.
The typical American diet, high in carbohydrates, leads to adrenal exhaustion, liver stress, pancreatic over-stimulation and hypoglycemia.
Most people in the United States of America and the western industrialized world live with chronic stress and a diet similar to the typical American diet. My clinical experience shows that large percentage of my clients suffer from the typical signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia, impaired brain function, adrenal exhaustion and fatigue.
A diet high in carbohydrates requires the production high levels of insulin. High insulin levels cause a high a storage rate of glucose, which leads to obesity. High insulin levels can also induce what we call insulin resistance. The insulin receptors on the cell walls become blocked and non-responsive to insulin. Only little glucose can enter the cells for energy production. Very little energy is produced in the cells, and the patients with this condition typically complain of lack of energy and fatigue.
Chronic stress, hypoglycemia and ischemia(decreased blood flow) are dangerous for the health of the brain. Sophisticated cortex cells have a size of approximately 70 micrometers. Red blood cells are 8 micrometers in size.. Motor neurons of a whale can be up to 60 feet long. In man they can be 3 to 4 feet long. Large cells are expensive to operate. They have a high metabolism, and so need a lot of sugar and oxygen. Hypoglycemia can and will starve a nerve cell to death. So will ischemia (lack of blood supply and consequently lack of oxygen), and acute and chronic stress.
It should be noted here that the normal adult, under most circumstances, is fully able to synthesize all of the glucose and triglycerides needed from non-carbohydrate sources.


text:
Genomic reference
NG_012232.1
cDNA reference
NM_004006.2
Number of exons
Chromosome locus
Genomic size
~2,4 Mb
cDNA size
Number of transcripts
Exon representation of DMD. More information on regions here
The DMD gene has 7 tissue-specific promoters [Muntoni et al., 2003] summarized in table 1. The full-length dystrophin transcription is controlled by 3 promoters localized upstream to the first exon. The muscle (m), brain (c) and Purkinje (p) promoters are named according to their principal site of expression. The brain promoter is expressed primarily in cortical neurons and in the hippocampus. The purkinje promoter induces transcription in Purkinje cells but also in skeletal muscle. The muscle promoter induces transcription predominantly in skeletal and heart muscle but also in some glial cells in the brain.
Furthermore, there are 4 internal promoters, dp260, dp140, dp116 and dp71 (named according to the molecular weight of the produced protein) [Sadoulet & Kunkel, 1996]. Dp260 is a retinal specific transcript localized in the outer plexiform layer of the retina but it is also found in heart and brain. Dp140 is principally found in brain, retina and kidney. Dp116 is a Schwann-cell promoter. Dp71 transcripts have been found in most non-skeletal muscle tissues such as brain, kidney, liver, lung and cardiac muscle.
Alternative splicing occurring at the 3'-end of the gene produces an even greater number of transcripts. This differential splicing may regulate the binding of dystrophin to dystrophin-associated proteins at the membrane [Blake et al., 2002].
Dp427m is the main variant produced in muscle and is involved in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophies. eDystrophin is a database dedicated to this major variant.
dp427m [Koenig et al., 1989] Skeletal muscle Not referenced
dp427c [Chelly et al., 1990] Brain Not referenced
dp427p [Chelly et al., 1990] Purkinje cells Not referenced
dp260 [D'Souza et al., 1995] Retina No but two different Exon 1 referenced
dp140 [Lidov et al., 1995] Brain Exons 71 & 78 -> dp140ab
Kidney Exon 78 -> dp140b
Retina Exon 71 to 74 & 78 -> dp140bc
Exon 71 to 74 -> dp140c
dp116 [Byers et al., 1993] Schwann cells Not referenced
dp71 [Hugnot et al., 1992] Exons 71 -> dp71a
Ubiquitous except Exon 71 & 78 -> dp71ab
skeletal muscle Exon 78 -> dp71b
Stop at Exon 70 -> dp40
Table 1: Summarized information about promoters
Schematic representation of DMD transcript variants. Dp247m is used as reference.
Schematic alignment of 16 dystrophin isoforms. Dp427m is the reference sequence. Scheme drawn from MyDomains - Image Creator.
More details about structural domains here
Structural domains of the Dp427m
Protein Sequence Reference
Sequence size
Physiological localization
Protein family
Spectrin/α-Actinin family
427kDa
Sarcolemma
Schematic representation of dystrophin structural domains.
First line represents a simplified description of domains as found in publications. Boxes represent a more detailed view of dystrophin described below.
The full length dystrophin is a skeletal protein comprising several structural domains. Four major domains are generally described: actin binding domain, rod domain, cysteine-rich domain and the COOH terminus region [Koenig et al., 1989, Blake et al., 2002, Le Rumeur et al., 2010]. In eDystrophin , we use a more detailed description of the protein domains and distinguish structural domains from binding domains. A structural domain has a tertiary/quaternary structure but has not necessarily a defined function. A binding domain has a well defined function and can encompass one or several structural domains. The functional domains are described in the Binding domains page. Structural and binding domains may have different ends according to different works but most of the time this ends change only by few amino acids. Usually, we will use the definition according to the most recent publication.
The Actin Binding Domain (ABD) [Norwood et al., 2000] is composed of two calponin homology domains (CH1 and CH2). These CH domains are two well defined structural domains whose tri-dimensional structure has been resolved by X-ray crystallography.
PDB structure?
CH1 & CH2 Norwood et al., 2000 1DXX
Banuelos et al., 1998
R1 to R24 Winder et al., 1995 No
& Hinges Koenig & Kunkel, 1990
WW & EFH Ishikawa et al., 2004 1EG3
Huang et al., 2000 1EG4
Sudol, 1996
ZZ Ishikawa et al., 2004 No
Hnia et al., 2007
C Term Blake et al., 1995 No
The rod domain is the central domain of the protein which represents about 75% of the dystrophin. This domain is composed of 24 repeats (R1 to R24) homologue to spectrin repeats and 4 hinges (H1 to H4) [Koenig et al., 1989,, Winder et al., 1995] These hinges share the rod domain into three sub-domains. Repeats can be aligned according to a heptad motif and they may fold into three alpha-helices which constitute left-handed antiparallel triple-helical coiled coils. Today, no structure of dystrophin repeats is available, probably because of their high conformational flexibility.
Alignment of spectrin-type triple-helical repeats in dystrophin, colour coded to highlight conserved features from Winder et al., 1995. Gaps in unconserved loops have been minimised and deleted sequences are recorded within <>. *Indicates aberrant repeats with truncated helices. Comment lines below the sequence annotate the 3 a-helices; heptad, the helical heptad periodicity; helices, helix name for identification purposes, it should be noted that helix C is continuous with helix A in the following repeat; Spc no., residue number as for the solved structure of a Drosophila repeat [20]. All G (orange) and P (yellow) residues are coloured. Other colouring is by conserved property in >55% of any column: uncoloured residues lack a sufficiently conserved property. Blue, hydrophobic; light blue, partially hydrophobic; red and pink, positive; purple, negative; green, hydrophilic.
The cysteine-rich domain contains a high number of cysteine residues and overlaps with the end of WW domain, the two EF hands and the zinc finger domain (ZZ). The WW domain is defined by the presence of two tryptophan residues which are spaced by 21 amino acids. This domain is followed by an alpha-helix and two EF-hand-like domains. An EF hand is a helix-loop-helix motif found in many calcium binding proteins. However, no calcium binding has yet been reported in dystrophin EF hands and it seems that dystrophin may have lost this property. All these domains have been crystallized and their tri-dimensional structure resolved by X-ray crystallography [Huang et al., 2000]. These domains are followed by a zinc finger domain. These four domains are involved in the binding of β-dystroglycan to dystrophin (see here).
The COOH Terminus consists of two polypeptides which form a coiled-coil with a conserved repeated heptad pattern of the residues similar to the rod domain repeats.
Binding domains of the Dp427m
Dystrophin is a skeletal-muscle protein that confers resistance to the sarcolemma against the stress of contraction-relaxation cycles by connecting various cytoskeletal elements such as actin and micro-tubules to the intrinsic protein, β dystroglycan.
Schematic representation of structural and binding-domains of dystrophin.
Structural domains are previously described here. Arrows represents dystrophin binding domains described below
K19 - Keratin binding: Dystrophin can bind Keratin 8 and 19 through the two CH domains and associates preferentially with K19 [Stone et al., 2005].
ABD1 & ABD2 - Actin binding property: The two CH domains in tandem constitute the Actin-Binding Site 1 of dystrophin [Banuelos et. al, 1998, Norwood et. al, 2000]. CH1 has a strong affinity to actin whereas CH2 enhances the binding affinity but alone does not bind to F-actin. Interaction with F-actin is localized in the hydophobic groove identified on the surface of CH1 which extends into the CH2.
The second Actin-Binding Domain encompasses the repeats R11 to R17 and interacts with F-actin through an electrostatic interaction [Amann et al, 1999]. It does not display any binding activity on G-actin.
LBD1 & LBD2 - Lipid binding property: Part of the rod domain of dystrophin is a partner of anionic membrane phospholipids [Legardinier et al., 2008 and Vié et al., 2010]. The functional domain is divided into two parts: one lipid binding domain (LBD1) comprises the repeats R1 to R3 whereas a second lipid binding domain (LBD2) comprises repeats R4 to R19. This interaction places dystrophin very near the sarcolemma with a large part of the central rod domain lying along the phospholipid membrane bilayer.
PAR-1b binding domain: PAR-1b is a cell polarity kinase. Recent reports have revealed interactions between repeats 8 and 9 of dystrophin and utrophin with Par-1b kinase. In both cases the kinase appears to phosphorylate the repeats [Yamashita et al., 2009].
Synemin binding: Dystrophin can bind intermediate filaments through a direct binding with synemin, one of the proteins of the intermediate filaments [Bhosle et al., 2006]. A first synemin binding domain is localized on the rod domain, more specifically on repeats R11 to R14, which overlaps with the ABD2. A second binding domain encompasses the WW to ZZ domain.
nNOS binding: Sarcolemma-associated neuronal NOS plays a key role in muscle physiology. nNOS can bind R16-17 of the dystrophin rod domain [Lai et al., 2009].
Plectin binding property Plectin, a large cytolinker protein that can connect actin filaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules, has also been shown to make interactions with dystrophin with the cys-rich domain, therefore providing an indirect link with the intermediate filament protein desmin [Rezniczek et al., 2007].
βDG - β-Dystroglycan binding Dystrophin interacts with β-Dystroglycan through the WW domain, the two EF hands, and the ZZ domain. A structure of β-DG together with the dystrophin WW, EFH1 & EFH2 has been resolved by X-ray crystallization by Huang et al., 2000. Thereafter, Hnia et al., 2007 and Ishikawa et al., 2004 showed that β-DG has only a reduced binding activity with the WW and EF hands of dystrophin and that the addition of the ZZ domains restored a high binding activity of β-DG to dystrophin.
Syntrophin and Dystrobrevin binding These proteins are two dystrophin-related proteins whose C-termini are similar to the C terminus homologous with the C terminus of dystrophin. Both are able to combine with the first helix of the dystrophin coiled-coil C terminus motif [Sadoulet et al., 1997, Newey et al., 2000].
Myospryn binding Myospryn is a muscle-specific protein kinase A (PKA) anchoring protein or AKAP. Myospryn interacts with dystrophin through the WW domain, the two EF hands, and the ZZ domain [Reynolds et al., 2008].
Ankyrin binding Ankyrins are a family of adaptators proteins. Dystrophins binds ankyrin-B and ankyrin-G while βDG biends ankyrin-G. Ankyrin-dependent organization of sarcolemmal dystrophin and βDG is required for sarcolemmal integrity during physical exercise [Ayalon et al., 2008].
Schematic illustration of dystrophin interactions - [Le Rumeur et al., 2010]
Dystrophin (red) is represented in the cellular context with its different partners. Lipid-binding domains closely attach dystrophin to the sarcolemma by interactions with the membrane phospholipids of the sarcolemma. Actin-binding domains interact with the cytoskeleton via the -actin (green) and Cys-rich domains and C-terminus end interacts with à-dystroglycan (βDG), -dystrobrevin-2 (DB2) and syntrophins (Syn). DG, -dystroglycan; SGC, sarcoglycan; SPN, sarcospan complex; MT, microtubules; IF, intermediate filaments; nNOS, neuronal Nitric oxide synthase.
Dystrophin plays a key role in organizing muscle function into contraction-relaxation cycles. A deficiency of dystrophin disrupts the muscle membrane, alters calcium channel activity and finally, leads to apoptosis and necrosis of muscle cells [Batchelor and Winder, 2006, Blake et al., 2002].
Mutations in the DMD gene can lead to two major diseases: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD). In most of cases, DMD results from a frame shift mutation which leads to mRNA decay and a total absence of dystrophin in muscle cells. On the other hand, BMD results from an in-frame mutation which leads to an internally truncated dystrophin that is threfore only partially functional. This rule was established by [Monaco et al., 1988] but there are some exceptions.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disease with an incidence of around 1:3,500 male births. Patients are usually confined to a wheelchair before the age of 12 and have a life span reduced to about 20 years. No dystrophin is observed in the muscle cells of these patients.
Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) is a less severe X-linked disease leading to highly variable phenotypes from patients with only weakness to patients confined to a wheelchair. An internally truncated dystrophin is observed in muscle cells with very usually a decrease in the protein level compared with normal humans. As the dystrophy is less severe as a whole compared with DMD, it appears that these mutated dystrophins remain partially functional and able to somewhat compensate for the function of full length dystrophin.
Intermediate Muscular Dystrophy (IMD) can be observed in some patients. These patients have an intermediate phenotype and are confined to a wheelchair between the ages of 13 to 16.
X-linked cardiomyopathy is an isolated cardiomopathy. These patients have no skeletal-muscle disorders.
Injection of DMD gene is the initial approach for gene therapy strategy to envisage. A truncated gene is encapsuled in a recombinant adeno-associated virus and injected into patients [Gregorevic et al., 2006]. Then, a functional truncated dystrophin is produced by the patient's cells. The size of the delivered gene is limited by the vector size and therefore reduced DMD genes (mini- or micro-gene) have been constructed to be encapsulated in recombinant adeno-associated viruses. These mini- or micro-genes may be able to produce partially functional internally truncated dystrophins such as those observed in BMD.
Exemple of gene therapy with a truncated DMD gene inserted.
Exon skipping therapy is one of the most promising experimental therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy [Beroud et al., 2007], [Arnett et al., 2009]. This skipping restores a true reading frame leading to the synthesis of a dystrophin deleted for part of the central coiled-coil region as observed in BMD patients. This strategy should transform a DMD patient into a BMD patient [Goyenvalle et al., 2004, Aartsma-Rus et al., 2002]. Antisense oligonucleotides (AO) are used to alter gene expression by skipping one or more exons in the final transcript with different associated strategies [Wilton & Fletcher, 2008, Goyenvalle et al., 2010].
However, this strategy has some limitations. AOs can be used to skip all single exons except the first and last exons. The exon skipping strategy is mutation-specific but some exon skipping strategies could be applicable to large groups of patients [Aartsma-Rus et al., 2009]. The mode of administration is not yet well defined to restore dystrophin expression particularly in cardiac muscle.
Cell therapy is an alternative therapy with the aim of restoring a pool of normal muscle cells in the skeletal or heart muscles. First, a transplantation of adult myoblasts is performed but these cells have only a limited survival time. Now, dissemination of skeletal muscle precursors being studied.
Exemple of exon skipping by skipping exon 51 on a deletion from exons 45 to 50


text:
View Player: Cody Uhlig (cwuhlig)
Men of the Square Table
Thu, Jan 18 - 5:00 pm East Rink Buenos Buenos Nachos (Win) 3 - 1	 1 0 1 0
Thu, Jan 25 - 6:30 pm East Rink Anarchy House (Loss) 3 - 7	 0 0 0 0
Mon, Jan 29 - 5:00 pm East Rink Okeechobee Tribe (Loss) 1 - 4	 1 0 1 0
Thu, Feb 1 - 8:00 pm East Rink Delt Sigs (Loss) 1 - 4	 0 0 0 0
Fri, Feb 9 - 11:45 am East Rink His House Strike... (Win) 2 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Feb 11 - 1:15 pm East Rink Queen Dopplepopolous (Loss) 1 - 5	 1 0 1 0
Fri, Feb 16 - 9:30 pm East Rink Hot Chocolate Touchmenots (Win) 1 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sat, Feb 17 - 4:15 pm West Rink Bam! (Loss) 0 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Mon, Feb 19 - 8:00 pm West Rink Basties (Win) 5 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Stop! Hammer Time
Sun, Jan 15 - 2:30 pm East Rink Geofront Janitors (Win) 7 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Thu, Jan 19 - 8:45 pm East Rink The Hornets (Win) 2 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Jan 22 - 9:30 pm West Rink Team Canada (Win) 4 - 2	 0 0 0 0
Tue, Jan 31 - 7:15 pm East Rink Purgatory Hellraisers (Win) 2 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Sat, Feb 4 - 10:00 am West Rink Ooms (Loss) 2 - 3	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Feb 5 - 11:30 am West Rink Dutch Mafia (Win) 4 - 3	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Feb 12 - 6:30 pm East Rink Kiss Army (Win) 2 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Thu, Feb 16 - 7:15 pm West Rink Ice Shanty Assassins (Loss) 3 - 5	 0 0 0 0
Thu, Feb 16 - 11:00 pm West Rink Megatron (Tie) 1 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Feb 19 - 7:45 pm East Rink ill-1337 (Loss) 2 - 6	 0 0 0 0
Tombstone, LTD
Thu, Jan 20 - 8:45 pm West Rink Pi Omega Omega... (Win) 5 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Jan 23 - 9:00 pm West Rink Wink (Win) 2 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Thu, Jan 27 - 9:30 pm West Rink Broomdock Saints (Win) 7 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Jan 30 - 6:00 pm West Rink Pissed-Off Penguins (Win) 15 - 1	 0 0 0 0
Fri, Feb 11 - 2:00 pm West Rink Hornets (Win) 5 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sat, Feb 12 - 10:30 am West Rink Phrozen Phrenzy (Win) 6 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sat, Feb 12 - 12:00 pm West Rink Blizzard from Hell (Win) 12 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Fri, Feb 18 - 7:15 pm West Rink The Law (Loss) 2 - 4	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Feb 20 - 6:30 pm West Rink Nordreich (Win) 3 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sat, Feb 26 - 12:45 pm East Rink Oooms (Tie) 0 - 0	 0 0 0 0
Sun, Feb 27 - 4:30 pm East Rink The Law (Tie) 0 - 0	 0 0 0 0