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Are PDF versions of files always compressed?
by TripTripTrip - 8/30/12 2:21 PM
I've just noticed that when I convert a document to a PDF, the pages become slightly compressed.
I took a Word document and converted it to a PDF using 1) Word's 'save as' function and 2) Paperport's Image printer. I then printed out all three versions. The version printed from Word was 'full' size while the two PDFs were somewhat (and identically) compressed.
Is there anywhere I can adjust this so the text in my PDFs is the same size as it is in the original document?
Thanks for your help, | <urn:uuid:5bbdf96d-0653-4795-8ca6-bf5d2eaa5832> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.cnet.com/7723-6138_102-571603/are-pdf-versions-of-files-always-compressed/?messageId=5353983 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935272 | 142 | 1.625 | 2 |
Posted at: 01/29/2013 6:38 PM
By: Katie Eldred
Minnesota Charter Schools Ranked Best in America
(ABC 6 NEWS) -- A national organization has named Minnesota as the top dog when it comes to charter schools. Which in a way makes sense, the first charter school in the nation was established in St. Paul in 1992.
Like many of their peers each one of these four Rochester Off Campus, or ROC Charter School students has their own reason for choosing the school.
"I was unhappy very depressed and very uncomfortable," said Bonnie Barnett.
"I needed to be held accountable for all the wrong things I was doing," said Haley Bartsch.
"I just needed more help and I didn't feel comfortable asking," said Libby Heilskob.
Each of them says they are grateful to have the option of a charter school.
"The teachers actually know how you’re doing before they move on, they make sure you’re getting what you should," said Conner O'Reilly.
"It's just fantastic," said Barnett.
According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, their love of their school should be no surprise.
The Alliance ranks Minnesota number one in the country when it comes to charter school laws.
"There's nobody that must attend ROC charter high school, it's a choice," said Jay Martini.
ROC administrator, Jay Martini, says Minnesota sets the precedent for how charter schools should be.
"In the terms of being able to be creative and innovative, and meet the needs of your student population," said Martini.
He says because Minnesota charter schools belong to their own separate district, they can better meet the needs of the students. Whether that be language, arts, or even STEM schools.
A trait that he says makes their student body unlike any other.
"There are very few other schools in the state that can say everybody in this house chose to come here."
These ROC charter students say they have definitely benefited from Minnesota's top ranking charter school law.
"I actually do really good in school now, I like school and my classes," said O'Reilly.
"I pretty much failed all my classes, but now I have a 3.7 GPA," said Bartsch.
The Rochester Off Campus Charter High School has been open for almost 20 years now. | <urn:uuid:f570fbdf-2076-4baa-9e8b-bb29fffd9f52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/s2913393.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979785 | 496 | 1.546875 | 2 |
From our Over to the Dark Side desk
New York Observer reporter Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke chronicles the increasing migration of journalists to the stealth marketing industry:
Journalists Take Refuge in the World of Branded Content
Until December, Melissa Lafsky Wall was the editor of Newsweek’s iPad edition, a job she landed on the strength of bylines inThe New York Times, Salon, Wired and The Christian Science Monitor, as well as editing stints at the Huffington Post and the Freakonomics blog.
But as Newsweek was laying off staffers leading up to the death of its print edition, Ms. Lafsky Wall decided to go in an altogether new direction: since January, she has been the director of content at HowAboutWe, a startup dating site with a blog about courting, relationships and romance.
The articles Ms. Lafsky Wall produces are indistinguishable from those on brainier women’s blogs. Recent titles include “Millennial Women Rejoice: It’s Our Hookup Culture, Too,” “The Adventures of Dating in Davos” and “Beware the Rom Com Curse, Says Science.” They’re well-reported and well-written, helped by the fact that HowAboutWe pays at the high end of web writing rates.
But hindered by the fact they’re not actually journalism.
Then again, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
The fact that brand-sponsored blogs are modeled after traditional online media has been the key to their ability to attract writing talent. Urban Outfitters, for example, has a women’s lifestyle blog featuring life tips, smart-girl celebrity crushes, food, photography and animated GIFs, not unlike The Hairpin or The Gloss. The only difference is that a lot of the “must have” items can conveniently be found on the Urban Outfitters website . . .
Then there’s Degree men’s deodorant, which wanted to align itself with active lifestyle coverage. Instead of buying ads on websites and in magazines already in that space, the brand decided to create its own. The Adrenalist, a web magazine “powered by Degree Men,” features stories about extreme sports, gear, gadgets and outdoor adventure, many of which are pushed out on Facebook to the brand’s nearly 790,000 followers. The only giveaway that the site is paid for by Degree is a link on the upper right-hand corner with an image of a deodorant stick and a link to the product line.
“In-house, some people asked if they were going to compete with Gillette’s blog,” Mr. Hazard said. “The executives said, ‘No, we want to compete with National Geographic.’”
The sad fact of the matter:
John Carroll, who also writes at Campaign Outsider and It's Good to Live in a Two-Daily Town, is a media analyst and mass communication professor at Boston University.
John Carroll has 192 post(s) on Sneak Adtack | <urn:uuid:e911c341-30a0-420d-84fb-6e78e253942a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sneakadtack.com/2013/02/09/saddest-headline-ever-journalists-take-refuge-in-the-world-of-branded-content/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940373 | 648 | 1.578125 | 2 |
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William Hague defends 'bedroom tax' move
A GRANDFATHER has challenged William Hague to press his Cabinet colleagues to axe the so-called 'bedroom tax'.
Peter Lovell, who works in finance recovery, and his farm worker son, Billy, told the Richmondshire MP that cutting benefits for people with a spare room would hit society’s most vulnerable people.
During a meeting with the Foreign Secretary in Northallerton, the Lovells said they had spoken to many people who faced paying £728 extra a year due to having spare bedrooms in council or housing association homes.
It has been estimated the move will see 660,000 working age people, about a third of social sector claimants, having their benefits cut, when it comes into effect next month.
Peter Lovell said he had been told by families living below the poverty threshold how the “immoral” tax would force them to go to unauthorised loan sharks and payday loan firms.
Mr Lovell, of Northallerton, said: “The Government should immediately abolish the bedroom tax. It is an unfair and unjustified, discriminating and degrading tax levied on the poor, sick, disabled and vulnerable.”
Mr Hague said while he understood the concerns about the changes to welfare rules, he thought it was unacceptable for the Government to subsidise people to live in accommodation too big for their needs.
He said with 250,000 social housing tenants living in overcrowded accommodation and more than two million people on waiting lists, action was needed.
Mr Hague said: “By ensuring that housing support is based on the need of a household, the Government is bringing the social housing sector in line with the private rented sector and making the most efficient use of our available houses.”
He said it was crucial that pensioners, foster carers and service personnel who live their parents would be exempt, as well as those in supported exempt accommodation.
He said provisions had also been made to accommodate carers who may need to stay overnight in a property from time to time and where a child’s disability means that they cannot share a bedroom, families will be allowed to keep their spare room. | <urn:uuid:513a4873-b31b-4910-beae-d07426a7990b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/10296719.William_Hague_defends__bedroom_tax__move/?ref=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976034 | 468 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Last month, I wrote an article called: For Christmas, My Eleven Year Old Son Wants a Laptop!
In this article, I revealed that my son wanted a laptop for Christmas. I honestly thought I was going to get a response in the comment section where I would hear that he’s too young and that it would be a waste of money to buy him one this early… boy was I wrong!
Exposure to Technology
I remember hearing talk about the digerati and how they would have a much larger role on society. But 10 years ago, the technology was a joke and expensive too. I remember when the palm pilot and blackberry’s first came out. With the Palm Pilot and their “pda – personal digital assistant” technology, I decided to pass! To me a good old paper notebook and pencil/pen was much more efficient and tons more cheaper.
Now times have changed! Back then just the well-off crowd could afford the technology, but now it’s cheap enough and easy enough to use that almost anyone can access one form of the technology or another. Even the very cheap “notebooks” are worth the money, if you don’t have gaming demands.
Rise of the Digerati
Just 10 short year ago, the technology as either too expensive or too underpowered to do anything really cool with it. My how times have changed! There are so many options and at such reasonable prices that I have a hard time resisting making Technology purchases myself. I’m even going to buy a Republic Wireless hybrid phone once they come out! The tablets that are out with the Android operating system all seem to be a great value. Obviously the Apple iPad is a hit and incredible device too.
I consider myself a part of the Digerati crowd, but I’m not really in as tightly since I don’t have any of the really cool tech tools of the trade like most of the members of the Digerati have. In some ways, since my son has an iPod Touch already, he’s more of a Digerati than I am. Not to mention that he has his own blog called EntertainmentTimez.com.
Having a laptop will enable my son to blog more often and much quicker than he can on his iPod Touch. I was shocked when I actually saw him writing his article on his iPod Touch… I almost laughed…
I didn’t want to spend a lot on a laptop for my son, but I didn’t want to buy him a netbook either (especially since he plays online games). So I bought a laptop deal from Best Buy that seems like a good buy! It was a $375 laptop from Samsung with 4 CPU cores, 4 Mbs of RAM, 500 GB hard drive.
This laptop is just another addition to help him become more technologically savvy.
Thanks everybody that commented in my original post about my son wanting a laptop.
I hope he enjoys it! | <urn:uuid:e3a090e3-f210-472b-8313-a5278220b439> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moneyreasons.com/2011/12/will-buying-a-laptop-for-christmas-make-my-son-a-digerati/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975799 | 620 | 1.554688 | 2 |
For more information about this book or to purchase, please click here.
About the Author: David Clark was born and brought up in a missionary family working in France. A Bible believing Christian since the age of 15, he is active in his local Evangelical and Reformed church in England, where he lives after spending a number of years in the USA. He has worked with computer technology for over 30 years, has a degree in Computer Science and Electronics, and carried out Postgraduate research into the uses of Artificial Intelligence in the design of silicon chips. He owns and runs a consultancy company that carries out technology related work for the UK and US governments. He has published a number of technical papers at various conferences, ranging from the use of Artificial Intelligence, to Risk Analysis. He has also served on the boards of Evangelical Times and Evangelical Press, as well as working in publishing in the Russian and Chinese languages.
For this review, I am going to let my husband, the IT guy, give his take on the book.
As an IT professional, I know how dangerous and how useful the Internet can be. As a father of a three-year-old, I tend to focus on the dangers and wonder how to protect her while still allowing her to use one of the most powerful tools in the history of mankind. David Clark gives some excellent advice on how to find a good balance between caution and usefulness.Many books that I have read about Internet safety tend to have two main problems. The first is to focus almost (if not exclusively) on the dangers of the Internet. And, to be fair, the Internet can be a very dangerous place. But, this book also explains how powerful and useful the Internet is. It was very refreshing to read a book about using technology that wasn’t all doom and gloom.
The second problem that most books about the Internet tend to have is that they offers solutions of extremes. A common example is with online pornography. Other books will extol the dangers and evils of online pornography and suggest that the solution to an addiction is to stop using the Internet. Today, that just isn’t a practical solution. And, if you doubt it, I challenge you to try to go an entire day without accessing the Internet. I imagine some of you might be able to do it for a day, but can you do it for a week? No web pages, no email, no Facebook, no Google, no Smartphones – no Internet just isn’t a practical solution in this day and age. David Clark is aware enough to know that. He explains the dangers found online and calmly suggests reasonable solutions of how to avoid them.As a father and an IT professional who works on computers all day, I highly recommend this book. It is a great read for people of all levels of computer knowledge and an eye opener for all.
I will give You, Your Family, and the Internet … 4 BookWorms.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Cross Focused Reviews. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." | <urn:uuid:0c6837f7-229e-498f-8ce8-0860debe3de6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shoopettesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/12/you-your-family-and-internet-blog-tour.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959709 | 680 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Mice - by Rose Fyleman
I think mice
are rather nice.
Their tails are long,
their faces small,
They haven't any
chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
their teeth are white,
They run about
the house at night.
They nibble things
they shouldn't touch
And no one seems
to like them much.
But I think mice
You might remember that I made this little mouse house and its two tiny occupants for my sister's birthday last month..well thinking ahead i took pictures as i sewed and now I can give you all a seriously cute little mouse tutorial; here goes.
You will need the pattern, mouse coloured felt - brown, grey, white, cream - scrap pink felt for ears and tail, embroidery floss to match your felt (i worked with two strands) large black seed beads, some wool stuffing and a few small coins or metal washers (or a small stone or something) to weight the mouse (I am hesitant to use grains because real mice might nibble on them...)
Download my free pattern from scrib, click here. I find it easier to glue the pattern to an old cardboard box and then cut out the pieces before tracing onto the felt.
Once you have cut out your felt start sewing the two main body pieces together from point B (shown) to A; I used blanket stitch.
When you reach point A (the nose) you need to add in your tummy panel. Stitch first down one side A to C, finish off the thread and hide your knot. Then, with a new thread, begin stitching down the other side from point A to C.
BUT don't stitch too quickly! you need to put in your tail at point B - so a few stitches short of the back centre seam - needle still threaded and attached to the body of your mouse - pick up your tail and run a couple of tiny straight stitches across one of the short ends
your mouse should now look a bit like this:
Stuff it with wool, til it is reasonably firm. Before you close it up at the base poke in your weights. I used 1967 one and two cent Australian coins. One and two cent coins were discontinued in 1991 and withdrawn from circulation but I still have a few around - who knows my sister's mice might be worth quite a bit one day!
Nearly done - just ears, eyes and wiskers to go!
If you still have plenty of length left on your thread just poke your needle up through the body of the mouse and come out where you would like an ear to go. (if you need to start a new thread thats is ok. just bury you end in the body and come out where the ear will go and secure your thread with a couple of small back stitches)
Push your needle through to the other side and repeat with the second ear.
Poke your needle back in again this time coming out where you want to place the first eye - secure the bead and go through again, out the other side to stitch on the second eye.
ok poke your needle back in again and come out right on the tip of its nose. You are going to sew a few large loops for whiskers - make sure you secure your loops in the centre each time so they won't pull loose.
tie a knot with the needle, to end off, right on the tip of its nose and (this is the last time we poke the poor creature I promise) poke your needle back inside coming out its tummy (or somewhere) cut your thread close to the body as you can and the end should disappear neatly inside (never to be pulled and unravelled)
Last of all cut the far end of your loops to double your whiskers.
Now all you have to do is find them a little house.... | <urn:uuid:a846ed4e-1242-4ce6-a83f-ecd72be5c7f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://motherrhythm.blogspot.com/2010/07/seriously-cute-mouse-tutorial.html?showComment=1332930011992 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952712 | 795 | 1.6875 | 2 |
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Despite this, if you do wish to disable or remove cookies, please see the “Help” section of your browser or mobile device. Each browser or device handles the management of cookies differently, so you will need to refer to your appropriate “Help” documentation. However, as mentioned, please be aware that cookies are essential for certain features of an RX site to work properly.
The following shows the full list of platform cookies, used throughout all RX websites.
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§ 200.3Privacy Act records maintained by the Board.
(a) The Board shall maintain only such information about an individual as is relevant and necessary to accomplish a purpose of the agency required by statute or by Executive Order of the President. In addition, the Board shall maintain all records that are used in making determinations about any individual with such accuracy, relevance, timeliness, and completeness as is reasonably necessary to ensure fairness to that individual in the making of any determination about him or her. However, the Board shall not be required to update retired records.
(b) The Board shall not maintain any record about any individual with respect to or describing how such individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, unless expressly authorized by statute or by the subject individual, or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.
Title 4 published on 2013-01-01
no entries appear in the Federal Register after this date.
This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part. | <urn:uuid:adbf5d6e-5eb1-442f-8d84-236009de5d0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/4/200.3?quicktabs_7=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935429 | 233 | 1.59375 | 2 |
by guest blogger Wilma Kahn
When I was small, the lake was an omnipresent feature in my life. Large, too large to see it all, it curved into the horizon, so we could view but one small portion of the enormous sloshing drop. Held in the embrace of fragile fingers of land lay tons of water, gallons of waves.
I early developed the notion that I was part of the lake or it a part of me. I have retained this feeling; and in fact, it has generalized to any large body of water—lake or sea. And I doubt that I am the only person who looks at Lake Michigan’s miraculous blue or the great grey Atlantic and says, “Mine.”
But back to my special lake, the dour, the grey-green, the shallow, the cloud-shrouded Erie. Lake Erie’s rocks are granite, quartz, and shale; its shells, snail and clam. Its sand is taupe, soft, nonabrasive; its bottom sand or clay; its seaweed velvety green, swaying in the rhythm of the waves.
How did I spend hours and hours outside as a child, fair with reddish hair, without being burned by the sun? Was it the Lake Erie clouds? Or that most of the time I romped in the waves, a freshwater dolphin, a creature of sea? I jumped through the swells in arc after arc, or swam underwater, eyes open, blowing a fine stream of bubbles through my nose and tickling the legs of my friends. We stood on our hands, wheeled through the blue, grabbed gobs of sand, threw them, or let them melt from our hands. We crawled back onto land only after our fingertips had shriveled and our lips turned blue. But on land we shivered and felt heavy as rocks, no longer warmed and buoyed by the lake.
The shore changed each year, sometimes shallow, sometimes deep, sometimes rock, sometimes sand, sometimes clay. In years of clay, we children became potters, digging up the dark residue of prehistoric plants, rubbing it on our arms and legs, attracting snapping horseflies. We fashioned cups and bowls and ashtrays for our parents, those huge indolent creatures who sat and smoked while we made art and slapped flies.
Sometimes we built cities of sand along the shore, with houses, roads, bridges, and moats. Any house could have a pool—dig a few inches and the lake would well up, cool and pure. Stones, reeds, driftwood, sea glass, all lay close at hand for each architect’s use. I know the feel of hand smoothing sand, from crude heap to finished city. And at night, the tide would reclaim it all, suck it—sand, stick, and stone—into the watery matrix, roll it around, and spread it along the shore.
Do you consider the place where you grew up a source–or the source–of your creativity?
Wilma Kahn is a writer and writing teacher living in Southwest Michigan. She’s a water baby at heart. | <urn:uuid:2a6c8dce-0af0-457e-8355-ae03848e4b66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://writersite.org/2012/11/17/lake-erie/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962728 | 653 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Network equipment tester says players need to maintain IPv4, IPv6-compatible infrastructure for at least the next decade.
Internet service providers (ISPs) and enterprises upgrading their networks to IPv6 are likely to incur costs running into hundreds of millions of dollars, warns network testing specialist Ixia.
Industry players are under pressure to ensure their infrastructure is compatible with the new Internet protocol, which is due to launch in June to meet demand for new IP addresses.
IPv6's predecessor IPv4 ran out of new addresses at the end of January 2011. Once ISPs have distributed their remaining IPv4 addresses they won't be able to connect new devices to their networks. It isn't just ISPs that are gearing up for the changeover either. Major Web players including Google, Facebook, and Yahoo, have all pledged to upgrade to IPv6 by the June 2012 deadline.
"They have a ticking clock," Tara Van Unen, director of market development at Ixia, told Total Telecom this week.
She claimed that ISPs and enterprises will need to maintain what are known as dual-stack networks, which can support both IPv4 and IPv6, for at least the next decade.
However, "it's pretty difficult to transition to a dual-stack IPv6/IPv4 [network]," she warned. "In a lot of these cases you can't just do this as a software upgrade, it's a hardware upgrade.
"If you're going to dual-stack every piece of equipment... [costs will] easily move into hundreds of millions [of dollars]," she said.
In the meantime ISPs can use solutions such as translation - converting data from one protocol to another – or tunnelling techniques, which effectively disguise IPv6 data packets as IPv4 and vice versa.
"[IP]v4 and [IP]v6 don't interoperate... They need a way to tunnel that traffic." Unen said. "It's kind of a quick and dirty way of giving IPv6 access."
"Dual-stack implementation is the end goal," she said. "But it's expensive for the operator because they have to upgrade every piece of equipment."
Unen predicted that while upgrading their equipment to be compatible with the new protocols, players are likely to look at improving their infrastructure at the same time.
Although, "not all enterprises are going to migrate to IPv6 at the same time," she said. "It's impossible."
By Lewis Dowling, Total Telecom
Wednesday 01 February 2012
For all enquiries you can contact us on the following number:
Alternatively you can email us at: | <urn:uuid:51e0492b-80e7-4ebd-b39e-343b92411e88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netutils.com/article_IPv6.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971394 | 535 | 1.570313 | 2 |
10 of the Best (and Oddest) Deep-Fried Foods
There are some foods that we, as human beings, collectively enjoy when deep fried in vats of cooking oil, like crispy chicken and French fries. A lot of these deep-fry choices make pretty good sense, while others are a bit more dubious, and push the bounds of what can actually be called “food.” Here’s a list of some of the most delicious deep-fried items around, and a few that might make you think twice before taking your first bite.
Deep-fried turkey got its start in the South, but its appeal has most definitely spread across the nation. If you want a succulent turkey without a dry piece of meat on it, then you need to get hold of a large deep fryer and a lot of oil and dip your bird inside of it. You’ll be the most popular person at the summer BBQ parties, as well as on high demand come Thanksgiving. And once you go deep fried with your turkey, you’ll never want to go back.
Apparently the Scottish will deep fry just about anything. They shun fruits and vegetables, but love meat, fat, lard and oil (and dying young, apparently). And what could be worse for your heart than a deep-fried Mars Bar? The only possible answer to that question is two deep-fried Mars Bars. Many fish and chip shops, where fried and oily food is a way of life, will also serve you battered-coated, deep-fried Mars Bars. If you can’t make it to Scotland any time soon, we’re sure you can manage to create one of these artery-clogging treats at home on your own.
Again, we’re stretching the imagination here a bit as to what constitutes “food.” No matter what you believe a Twinkie happens to be, you can make it even better by deep-frying the little yellow torpedo. Simply freeze the cake, dip it in batter, and then plop it into the fryer. You can find these delicious, and extremely unhealthy treats in a few restaurants scattered about the country, as well as food stalls at many local county fairs.
Yep, you can deep-fry tarantulas. Just imagine what a great source of crunchy protein these spiders can provide. The delicacy, known as “a-ping” in Cambodia, is on offer from street vendors throughout this Southeast Asian country. Not only are these wok-fried arachnids a great source of nutrition, but they will also make you more beautiful, or so the locals say. The same can’t be said for deep-fried Mars Bars or Twinkies.
Hold on a second. How can you fry Coca-Cola, which is a liquid? You can’t deep fry water. Well, the trick is to deep-fry Coca-Cola flavored batter. After that you smother the batter in Coca-Cola fountain syrup, and then top off this creation with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a red cherry. A Texan by the name of Abel Gonzales, Jr. invented and debuted this crazy, yet very tasty concoction at the Texas State Fair in 2006.
And here all you thought silkworms were good for was spinning silk. As if we didn’t work the poor little creatures to death already, now we get to chow down on them after their main job is done. Fried silkworms are a delicacy in many parts of Asia, but especially in China and Korea. When you see them laid out in the market, you might mistake them for some kind of bean or exotic chili. Look again, and you find heaps of deep-fried insects. When eating these tiny critters, just pop them into your mouth, like you do with popcorn.
Deep-fried Oreos are another very popular food that you’ll likely stumble across at fairs and outdoor festivals. If you have a sweet tooth, these batter-dipped cookies will be sure to satisfy. They’re best eaten warm, right out of the fryer, with some powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
Folks will do just about anything with canned span, and deep frying is no exception. You can cook up some Spam fritters, or partake of deep-fried Spam on a stick, or make some fried Spam balls or Spam musubi (Spam with rice and nori seaweed, Japanese style). Why not go crazy in the kitchen and come up with your own variation of this extremely versatile product? Spam is definitely no stranger to experimentation.
Deep-fried ice cream is really, really good. You can get it at fairs, carnivals and quite a few Asia and Mexican restaurants. The breaded ice cream, which is quickly deep fried, gives you a treat that is sweet, as well as hot and cold at the same time. It can be quite a sensation for your taste buds, as many people out there can attest to. Deep-fried ice cream can also become a serious addiction, so watch out!
Why not deep fry your bacon instead of just frying it? You already know this isn’t a heart-friendly food, so you might as well enjoy it. The process is pretty straightforward. Dip strips of bacon in batter, and then deep fry them. Easy. Of course, you might want to consult your doctor before you make this an everyday thing. | <urn:uuid:42f7be70-d74a-4dd7-b92f-ecd72f714f67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://987jackfm.com/best-oddest-deep-fried-foods/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958676 | 1,139 | 1.617188 | 2 |
I was lucky enough to be there, notebook in hand. It was incongruous—Anderson applauding the formalities of the convention before himself receiving a standing ovation as he stood up to speak about his 2,454 days as a hostage. Bearded militants had grabbed him early the morning of March 16, 1985, in Beirut, a Saturday. They’d circled his tennis court where he’d been playing with an Associated Press colleague (Anderson was the AP’s bureau chief in Beirut at the time), followed him when he was dropping off his colleague, then grabbed him, leaving the colleague behind.
A Decade of Hostages
More than a dozen Americans were taken hostage, along with scores of others, mostly westerners, between 1982 and 1991, by Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad militants, or by more obscure organizations bargaining for prisoners or attention or sheer turf in Lebanon’s vast web of barbaric snarls. Anderson would end up being the longest-held of them all—the longest-held American hostage in the Middle East’s history. And there he was before newspaper publishers celebrating his achievements the only way they knew how (by handing him plaque after plaque) and listening to his stories of solitude, terror, resilience and a complete absence of vengefulness toward his captors.
“I’m a bit older, a good bit older, as you can tell,” Anderson said. He was 37 when he was taken hostage, 44 when he was released. His hair was not as thick as it was before his captivity, nor was he overweight, as he had been on that tennis court that March morning in Beirut (and would be again some years later), though he spoke in halting sentences and wore his familiar thick glasses.
A Better America?
“I’ve found it to be very encouraging to be back because I think this country now is a better place than it was seven years ago,” Anderson said of the United States.
It was, of course, 1992, Anderson, who had quit the Associated Press, was writing the memoir of his captivity that would become Den of Lions, and was mulling a political run of his own, had endorsed Bill Clinton for president and saw promise in the years ahead, even in American policy toward the Middle East. The first George Bush was on his way out, the second Bush, while no longer a drunk, was not yet governor of Texas, or in anyone’s calculations of neo-Bushism, and the first attack on the World Trade Center was about a year away. The country’s future did look promising (and the 1990s proved it). But not so its electoral politics, according to Anderson.
“I find it discouraging to see our leaders conducting a campaign that consists mostly of ‘The other guy is worse than I am’ instead of ‘This is what I want to do for you, this is where I’m going to take this country,’ and its discouraging."
"I’m Not an Animal"
He spent long periods of captivity blindfolded and chained by the wrists and ankles to a bed, suffering the cruel whims of his captors, who’d bounce on him, poke him in the ribs or the ears with the barrel of their guns, threaten him, beat him. Anderson finally told the guards, “You can’t do this to me. I’m not an animal.” Oddly, they relented and asked him what he wanted. He asked for a Bible, and was handed a “brand new, revised, standard American Bible,” which he read every day, and would end up reading from cover to cover several times. His chains were loosened, literally and metaphorically. The captors’ strange conversion recalls a similar one involving Terry Waite, the British Anglican who went to Lebanon seeking hostages’ release and ended up a captive with Anderson and others. Waite was ravenous for books but was given only cheap dime novels until he got angry and drew, on a piece of paper, the image of a penguin—for Penguin paperbacks. He handed the image to his captors, who grasped the meaning rapidly enough: they eventually carted in a heavy TV box of Penguin books that included Herodotus, The Brothers Karamazov, a mess of crime novels.
Evolution of Captivity
Things changed over the years in Anderson’s various cells (he was moved several times). There was utter solutide at first, followed by sharing a cell with other hostages. Captors then allowed radios in. In the final year they delivered copies of Time, Newsweek, Businessweek, The Economist, “and God knows why, Fortune magazine.”
Anderson never believed that his captors would kill him. He lived his ordeal; hour by hour, what he called a mentality of “doing time.”
”Return to the Lion’s Den”
In 1996, Anderson returned to Lebanon, with a CNN crew in tow. “Somehow, this trip is part of our healing,” he said. “People call me a victim of Lebanon, say I lost seven years of my life. I didn't lose them—I lived them.”
As CNN relates it, Anderson “sat face-to-face with the organization blamed for his kidnapping -- Hezbollah, the ‘Party of God.’
Anderson asked Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's secretary-general, what he thought of hostage-taking. The former hostage was confronted with polite indifference.
"I'm not saying whether their methods were good or not, right or wrong," Nasrullah said. "These actions were short-term, with short-term objectives, and I hope that they will not happen again."
"Can you say, Sayeed, flatly, that this was wrong or a mistake?" Anderson asked.
"I can't make such an absolute judgment," Nasrullah replied.
Anderson won a multimillion dollar judgment, paid out of frozen Iranian funds, in compensation for his captivity. He used the money to start charitable organizations such as the Vietnam Children's Fund, which has built some 40 schools in Vietnam, attended by 20,000 students, and the Father Lawrence Jenco Foundation, named for a priest who was a hostage with Anderson (Jenco died in 1996). Anderson is semi-retired and lives in Athens, Ohio, where he’s part owner of a blues bar. He still lectures, teaches and writes poetry. | <urn:uuid:6aa1982a-5807-4f36-8669-311ff3ead225> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://middleeast.about.com/od/lebanon/a/me081206f.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986086 | 1,367 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Three Musketeers: Fast men in their Mini
Barron Hopkirk was born in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, on 4 April 1933. After finishing
school, he studied agriculture at Trinity
College in Dublin for three years, then
taking up his studies in engineering.
In 1955 he left university and started
his career as a rally driver first with
Triumph and then with Rootes. During these
early years in motorsport Paddy developed
business interests in Belfast with various
car companies such as the Paddy Hopkirk
School of Motoring and Paddy Hopkirk (Garages)
Although Paddy never adopted Rauno Aaltonen’s
style of applying the brakes with his
left foot (a style of driving, indeed,
destined to make inroads in rally racing),
he nevertheless became one of the fastest
drivers in the sport, finishing third
in the 1962 Monte Carlo Rally at the wheel
of a Sunbeam Rapier. Despite this very
good result, he felt that the Rootes Team
failed to acknowledge his full potential,
so he decided to switch over to the BMC
Team, driving an Austin Healey 3000. When
joining BMC, Paddy entered the scene at
virtually the same time as the Mini Cooper.
And after having thoroughly tested this
small and nimble front-wheel-drive athlete,
he not only felt perfectly at home with
this drive concept, but also set his focus
from now on rally cars built to this principle.
Driving the Mini Cooper, Paddy Hopkirk
gained international recognition through
numerous outstanding victories and top
places in the most challenging events.
Apart from victory in the 1964 Monte Carlo
Rally, his greatest achievements include
the winning title in the 1965 and 1967
Circuit of Ireland, the 1966 and 1967
Alpine Rally, and the 1967 Rally Acropolis.
Finally, over and above this wide range
of racing activities, Paddy Hopkirk also
entered road races such as the Targa Florio
In 1970, two years after BMC’s Chief
Executive Lord Stokes had closed down
the Works Motorsport Department, Paddy
Hopkirk withdrew from professional rally
racing to concentrate on his business
interests. However, he has not let go
of the sport completely to this very day,
entering the RAC Golden 50, the anniversary
event for the 50th RAC Rally, in 1982
and indeed winning this historical event
together with co-driver Brian Culcheth
in the very same Mini Cooper which had
brought Timo Mäkinen victory in the
1965 Monte Carlo Rally. In 1990, in turn,
Paddy entered the Pirelli Classic Marathon,
bringing home the title together with
co-driver Alec Poole. With Monte Carlo
never losing its outstanding appeal, Paddy
Hopkirk decided to try his luck once again
in 1994, entering the Rally in a new Mini
Cooper together with co-driver Ron Crellin.
Boasting starter number 37 and the L33EJB
number plates front and rear, Paddy battled
it out against far more modern cars and
came home in an impressive 60th place
thirty years after his legendary victory.
at Monte Carlo 1994
and EBL 56C at
Millbrook filming for the BBC
Aaltonen was born in Turku, Finland, on
7 January 1938 – and from the very
beginning he was fascinated by everything
motorsport had to offer: At the tender
young age of 12 he started racing fast
boats on water, winning the Finnish Speed
Boat Championship no less than 7 times
and even bringing home the Scandinavian
Championship at the young age of 20. Another
of Rauno’s passions was motorcycles
where he became a member of the National
Speedway Team and won the Scandinavian
Grand Prix in road racing on a 125-cc
Ducati. At that time he majored at university
in economic science and then dedicated
his attention to rally racing. In summer
he battled for points at the wheel of
a Mercedes, in winter he drove a Saab
and won the Finnish Rally Championship
Rauno Aaltonen joined the BMC Team in
1962, entering the Monte Carlo Rally at
the wheel of a Mini Cooper. Holding second
place just three kilometres from the finish
line, he misjudged a bend and rolled over
the car in a bad accident. With his car
catching fire immediately, Rauno barely
managed to get out and escape the flames
in time. A year later he finished third
overall in the Monte Carlo Rally in his
Mini Cooper and won his particular class,
then finishing 7th in 1964.
After scoring a number of wins and leading
places in international rallies, Rauno
Aaltonen won the European Rally Championship
He then continued his story of success
throughout 1966, moving on to another
highlight in January 1967 when, in his
inimitable style and with the help of
the right tires, he became the overall
winner in the Monte Carlo Rally.
Well-known as the “Flying Finn”,
Rauno spent the following years as a works
driver with Lancia, Saab, and Nissan.
In 1976 he was appointed Chief Instructor
of BMW Driver Training also on account
of his analytical and teaching talents
giving him the nickname “Rally Professor”.
In 1981 the government of Finland honoured
Rauno’s commitment to motorsport
and road safety by making Aaltonen a member
of the Order of the Finnish Lion, and
in Germany he was awarded the Cristophorus
Prize. To this very day, Rauno Aaltonen
remains active in both motorsport and
traffic safety as a very popular driver
and sought-after advisor.
a Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Aaltonen (left) and Lars
Ytterbring on the 1991 RAC Rally
Mäkinen was born in Helsinki, Finland,
on 18 March 1938, starting his professional
life by delivering newspapers for his
father’s transport company. But
soon he started racing in ice track events,
subsequently entering circuit races. In
the late ’50s he then hit the headlines
for the first time through his success
at the wheel of a Jaguar D-Type.
Timo entered his first rally in 1960,
sponsored by the BMC importer in Helsinki.
And from now on he knew exactly where
his future was in motorsport: it was in
rally racing. So soon he started to make
a name for himself at the wheel of an
Austin Healey 3000 and the Mini Cooper,
showing particular preference for the
small front-wheel-drive athlete: Mäkinen
was one of the first drivers to prove
the Mini’s potential and develop
the right technique for scoring successful
results in the sporting Cooper. This soon
brought him to the attention of BMC’s
Team Manager Stuart Turner, who hired
Mäkinen for the 1962 RAC Rally, in
which Timo finished 7th overall.
Assisting Mäkinen as the co-driver
in an Austin Healey 3000, Christobel Carlisle
described the Finn’s style of driving
in the following words back in 1963: “After
three hours of driving over one snowbound
pass after the other all I wanted to do
was take the next plane home. Quite honestly,
I was scared out of my mind. He kept on
and on at 130 km/h, power-sliding round
every bend. But nothing ever went wrong.
So I gave in to destiny. And at the end
of the Rally I believed in Timo so strongly
that I was able to push him even harder
in order to meet the time limit.”
This, perhaps, explains Timo’s outstanding
performance in 1965 when he won the snowbound
Monte Carlo Rally far ahead of the competition.
Racing the Austin Healey 3000 and the
Mini Cooper, Mäkinen scored one outstanding
result after the other back in the ’60s.
His victories at the wheel of the Mini
Cooper include the 1964 Tulip Rally, the
1965, 1966 and 1967 Thousand Lake Rallies,
and the 1966 Three Cities Rally. In 1968
he switched over to power boat racing
and immediately won the Finnish Offshore
Championship, subsequently winning the
Round Britain Race in 1969.
Timo Mäkinen continued rally racing
for Ford and Peugeot well into the ’90s.
And like Paddy Hopkirk, he also entered
the 1994 Monte Carlo Rally at the wheel
of a new Mini, even though he was unable
for technical reasons to reach the finish
Mäkinen in 1991
at the wheel of an
Austin-Healey 3000 in the '60's
Back in a
The 1965 RAC
Rally winners Rauno Aaltonen and
Tony Ambrose share the champagne
Rally Rauno Aaltonen/Henry Liddon
big star in a small car: Rauno Aaltonen
all about Mini and MINI
you remember your first Monte Carlo Rally
in the Mini?
Of course – that was back in 1962.
And it was my first Monte Carlo Rally
ever. Before entering, I had called BMC’s
Motorsport Director Stuart Turner who
I knew from various summer rallies, asking
him about a car for Monte Carlo. He told
me that he had already registered two
cars with Geoff Mabbs and Pat Moss at
the wheel. And since the registration
period had already expired,
I officially became Mabbs’ co-driver.
But in actual fact I was the one who took
were your first impressions?
Well, that was the first time a Mini Cooper
was ever raced in a major rally.
And the car was really great! I hadn’t
expected it to be so reliable the very
first time. Just imagine – just
a few specials trials before the finish
line we were second overall!
what happened then?
I had an accident. It was dry and I wasn’t
going too fast, but somehow I touched
the cliff on the left-hand side on a narrow
stretch of road, and that was it. The
car flew off the road, rolling over four
times and exploding in flames. Maybe the
right-hand-drive steering was the reason
for my mistake, I really don’t know.
Anyway, my co-driver was able to get out
of the car first, nothing happened to
did you like best about the Mini Cooper?
When I saw the car the first time, I was
convinced that it had to be extremely
agile with its wheels right out at the
corners. And I was right! The Team had
really prepared both the car and the engine
excellently, making all the modifications
allowed and possible at the time.
My 1962 Mini Cooper featured a modified
camshaft different from the circuit racing
models, with engine output of approximately
85 bhp. The gear ratios were probably
also different from the standard model.
Obviously, with relatively little power
like this, we had to make up for our disadvantage
elsewhere, driving downhill faster than
the competition. But that was dead easy
with our light and nimble Mini.
you still had to be an excellent driver...
Being the “inventor” of the
left-foot-braking technique, I had big
advantages in the Mini Cooper. In fact,
I developed this technique back in 1958
when switching over for the first time
from rear-wheel drive to the front-wheel-drive
Saab. To begin with I kept on ramming
big holes in the snow, since I simply
slid on in a straight line. Being really
nice guys, my colleagues told me there
was a lever in the middle you could also
use for braking! But I felt that using
the handbrake was not logical, since it’s
always better to keep both hands on the
steering wheel. So I developed the left-foot
braking technique on the Saab –
with the additional benefit of exerting
a greater load on the front wheels when
applying the brakes. And for some reason
the other drivers were not that good in
using this technique, not even when I
drove the Mini later.
would you have wanted most on the Mini
Cooper back then?
Bigger wheels! We constantly had tyre
problems. Although the shortest special
trial on the Monte Carlo Rally was only
12 kilometers, all the tyre tread was
gone at the end. So 13-inch-tires would
have been much better, and even 12 inches
would have been enough. But somewhat it
never worked out.
the small wheels also a disadvantage in
No, because we had by far the best tires
back then. We used Finnish winter tires
and the Finnish tyre industry was years
ahead in developing tires with a good
grip. Since there are no high mountains
in Finland, we don’t use snow-chains.
Instead, manufacturers have developed
high-grip tires making us far superior
to the competition. Later we also had
spikes, but they often overheated on dry
roads and started flying off the tires.
you still in touch with your colleagues
from the old days?
Yes, we meet now and then. Maybe once
a year. Paddy Hopkirk is older than me
and he’s not that active any more.
Timo Mäkinen lives in Helsinki, but
he doesn’t know foreign languages
that well, so he prefers to stay in Finland.
you have any amusing experiences with
Sure. Once, after being disqualified in
1966, I came back in December to practice
for the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally. But it’s
really impossible to drive on Sunday,
since there are simply too many ski tourists
on the roads. So I decided to go skiing
instead. And since there was no parking
space available, I parked the Mini Cooper
right in the middle of the market square.
It was the only car in the entire area.
Within a matter of seconds a French policemen
came running up to me, asking what I was
doing there with my car. He demanded to
see my driver’s licence –
but when he read my name, he said: “Oh,
Mr. Aaltonen, you can do anything you
like!” Then he even apologised for
the organisers of the Rally, saying that
they shouldn’t have disqualified
us! Now, looking back in hindsight, it’s
fair to say that this disqualification
gave the Mini huge popularity and really
made us famous. Maybe more so than even
the best racing win.
you know how many rallies you raced in
No, I really have no idea. But in the
’60s I drove Mini Cooper most of
the time. And that was when I scored more
overall wins than any other rally driver
in the world – nearly all of them
in a Mini Cooper.
did you drive the “classic”
Mini the last time?
For the works team in 1968. But in the
mid-80s I raced a private Mini Cooper
in a circuit event.
how did it go?
I won. Because the race track was really
very tight with lots of corners.
do you like the new MINI?
It’s great! The designers have really
succeeded in capturing the spirit of the
Mini. The car is really unique, much more
outstanding and convincing than all those
so-called retro models. And the driving
feeling is also the same: Both generations
of the Mini or MINI stand out from all
other cars in exactly the same way. They
are extremely agile and follow the steering
immediately. Let me give you a comparision:
Back then the Mini was a Princess, really
beautiful and full of style. Today the
Princess has grown up and the new MINI
has become a Queen.
Timo and Paddy were reunited recently
in Monte Carlo and got to drive around
the roads they know so well...
was reported on by the Telegraph:
Mini or new MINI?
Brian Laban decides, on
the Col de Turini
Aaltonen, Timo Mäkinen and
Hopkirk reunited recently in Monte
road sign says "16 Lacets".
That's 16 hairpins in succession, some
of them almost too steep to walk up or
down, joined by short, narrow sections
of never-quite-straight, never-quite-smooth
asphalt, almost all with sheer rock faces
on one side and vertical drops into oblivion
on the other. Not to mention black ice,
packed snow or the odd rock-fall around
each blind approach.
Four decades have passed since the original
Mini Cooper S first won the Monte Carlo
Rally with a series of giant-killing performances
on these very roads, and most things change
a lot in 40 years. But whether you spell
Mini with lower case letters as in 1964,
or MINI all in capitals, as they do now
it belongs to BMW, the Col de Turini (of
which the 16 consecutive hairpins are
a tiny part) is as thought-provoking as
back the clock, to the beginning of 1964,
when the Monte was one of the blue-chip
headline grabbers of the motorsport calendar.
Right up there, in its heyday, with any
grand prix, or Indianapolis, or Le Mans
- and arguably more glamorous than any
of them, thanks to the magical setting
in fairytale Monte Carlo. Back then, in
deep mid-winter, several hundred crews
in the wildest variety of cars - some
professionally prepared, others with not
much more than a few maps and a warm flask
of coffee - set off from points all around
Europe to converge on a common starting
point for the truly competitive bit, in
Reims, followed by a couple of days and
nights of special stages in the icy mountains
above the principality, and a final day
hammering around the Monaco grand prix
circuit to decide who'd won. It was a
Boy's Own Paper adventure, but it was
tough at the top.
1964 Paddy Hopkirk and co-driver Henry
Liddon hardly took the easy option by
choosing Minsk, way behind the Iron Curtain,
as a starting point. But the BMC management
clearly thought driving a stripped-out,
rally-prepared Mini from Russia to the
Côte d'Azur in January would be
good publicity - which then as now was
the main object of the exercise.
so they faced temperatures so low in Minsk
(-26 degrees) that most cars had to be
tow-started; they faced roads that normally
accommodated more tractors and tanks than
rally cars; they faced unreadable road
signs, almost non-existent daylight, minimal
map detail and maximum en-route bureaucracy
at border crossings. And they had to watch
their steps, because someone else always
was, too: Hopkirk's first drama came before
he was even out of Russia when he took
a wrong slot down an unmarked road - but
threw the car into a 180-degree turn when
he realised that the fur hat in the snow
in front of them had a gun.
was a gendarme rather than a soldier who
stopped them the second time, deep into
France when they were driving, none too
slowly, down an urban one-way street,
the wrong way. Road penalties in those
days meant rally time penalties, and a
big enough offence - which this probably
was - could mean disqualification. When
the gendarme asked for the crew's official
rally log book to record the digression,
Hopkirk explained that they were going
so quickly in the wrong direction because
he had just been informed that his mother
had died and he was rushing home for the
funeral, no longer in the rally. So that
was OK, and so, of course, was Mrs Hopkirk,
had les vieux Guillaumes bothered to check.
arrived at Reims without penalties, to
a jolly reception with excellent champagne
and dodgy food - which caused some other
crews to make additional service halts
the next day, on the run-in through the
mountains to Monte. That 1,400km "common
route'' included five timed "special
stages'', totalling 132km and taking in
23km of the Col de Turini as the final
stage, before the set-piece finale.
contest, amazingly, was between the new
front-drive, 1,071cc Cooper S entries
and the big, 4·7-litre, rear-drive
Ford Falcons - works teams head to head
in a classic David and Goliath face-off.
Goliath won the weigh-in and all the opening
rounds, as the fearless Bo Ljungfeldt
set fastest times with his Falcon on every
stage. And it's worth noting just how
scary Ljungfeldt was, even to a team-mate
like F1 world champion Graham Hill, who
was never notably nervy.
he told of following Bo and watching him
pass other cars by throwing the Falcon
up the face of the rocks bordering the
road, then dropping back down. "I
saw him do it time after time,'' said
Hill, "and I still don't believe
pulled out the sucker-punch, though -
or Paddy and Henry did. They'd run the
flying Falcon (and Eric Carlsson's spectacular
Saab) close on every stage, and around
the streets of Monte Carlo, with a little
help from a handicapping system that levelled
the playing field slightly, they did just
enough to win.
says it was French journalist Bernard
Cahier who told him they'd done it, and
he wasn't sure whether to believe him
- but it was real enough when Princess
Grace handed over the biggest of the half
dozen trophies they'd won. And Mini won
the team prize, with Timo Mäkinen
and Rauno Aaltonen backing up.
it all, Hopkirk, Liddon and 33 EJB, the
winning car, were whisked back to London
to appear on the stage of Sunday Night
at the London Palladium. Mini winning
its first Monte was a big story.
decades on it was BMW, not BMC, which
brought Hopkirk, Aaltonen and Mäkinen,
plus the 1964 winning car, back to Monaco,
and brought the new MINI Cooper S along
to show where four decades of progress
have taken us.
has taken the three driving legends to
being a bit greyer maybe, but no less
enthusiastic about sharing a few beers
by the harbourside and talking techniques
(Aaltonen "invented'' left-foot braking,
Hopkirk never got on with it and Mäkinen,
now in his mid-sixties, still takes the
mickey out of both of them).
EJB looks tiny, and remarkably standard
- just a few more lights, grippy seats
and a dashboard full of arcane switches
and early 1960s rallying things. The thought
of driving it from Minsk to Monaco isn't
comfortable, but they reckon the car was
fantastic to drive.
takes us back to the Turini. We drove
the classic Mini Cooper up and the new
MINI Cooper S down, and it was magical,
both ways. Nostalgic and still chuckable
going up - ludicrously fast, usually sideways
and tyre-shreddingly, brake smokingly
grin-cracking on the way down.
has done an honourable trick in celebrating
the Mini heritage without hijacking it,
and there wasn't an original driver there
who didn't think the MINI has captured
at least the spirit of the Mini. Me, too. | <urn:uuid:45faf302-a78c-453d-a790-986cb14bd5c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theitalianjob.com/worksminis_drivinglegends.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943778 | 5,302 | 1.734375 | 2 |
British Nightclubs Shut as Economy Forces Revelers to Stay Home
British nightclubs are closing as rising unemployment and the allure of cheap supermarket booze mean more revelers stay home.
Luminar Group Holdings Plc, the U.K.’s largest club owner, has shut at least 11 venues since February and its shares have plunged 74 percent this year. Brook Leisure Holdings Ltd., a company running clubs in northern England, was forced to close two clubs and a bar during the past four months.
“This year has been particularly tough,” said Cameron Leslie, co-founder and managing director of London clubs Matter, which has been closed since June, and Fabric, in a telephone interview. “Undergraduates are not finding jobs, creating a huge strain on our core target market.”
Dwindling disposable income during the recession has left nightclubs, which typically charge an entry fee, relying on cut- price tickets and drinks promotions to keep hold of partygoers. The number of U.K. clubs has fallen 21 percent since 2006, a decline of 622 venues, according to CGA Strategy, a supplier of trade data to the industry. There were 2,372 nightclubs open in June, the Manchester-based company said.
“It has been happening for the last five or six years, but it has been accelerated by the recession,” said Jonny Forsyth, a drinks industry analyst at Mintel International in London. “Suddenly, young people have no choice but to stay in.”
In 2008, Britain plunged into its longest economic decline since World War II as banks were beset by a shortage of money and a boom in the housing market came to an abrupt halt. Gross domestic product shrank for six consecutive quarters, emerging from recession in the final three months of 2009.
About 20 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds is unable to find work, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Unemployment in that age group rose to 724,000 in the second quarter from 719,000 a year earlier.
Average weekly household income after essential costs such as food and utility bills will be 171 pounds ($266) in September, down 4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
“When the economy is tight, punters always look for value,” said Peter Marks, chief executive officer of Brook Leisure. “Nightclubs traditionally get their income from door revenues and charging more for drinks.”
Brook Leisure, which runs 15 nightclubs and bars mainly in the north of England, is seeking to acquire bars, rather than nightclubs, in more stable areas such as southern England, Marks said. Towns in the north are “dying,” and government spending cuts and youth unemployment will hasten the decline, he said.
Luminar said in July it had 76 clubs, down from 87 on Feb. 25. It reported a record net loss of 123 million pounds for the year ended that day. The company said the World Cup soccer tournament cut admissions revenue by 26 percent in the 19-week period ended July 8. Sales fell 20 percent.
“No one likes going to empty nightclubs and cutting admission prices to attract customers indicates you’re in trouble,” said Simon French, a London-based analyst at Panmure Gordon and Co Plc. “If a club is empty for one week, no one will come back the next.”
Fabric was removed from administration in June after being bought by a group led by investor Gary Kilbey. Matter, Fabric’s 2,600 capacity sister venue located next to the 02 Arena in Greenwich, London, has been closed since June. It opened in September 2008. Admissions at Fabric have declined by as much as 10 percent this year, said Leslie, who co-founded the 1,700 capacity club in 1999.
79p a Pint
Inexpensive alcohol sold at supermarkets has led more young people to drink at home and spend less on going out, Forsyth said. A pint of lager costs 79 pence at Tesco Plc, based on a four-pack of own-brand beer on its website. Revelers pay as much as 6 pounds in a city center nightclub.
Little more than half the alcohol drunk in the U.K. is now consumed in pubs, down from 88 percent in 1979. In 2009 pubs closed at a rate of 40 a week, according to the British Beer and Pub Association in London.
Nightclubs are also facing more competition after a change to the licensing laws in 2003 allowed more pubs to stay open longer, Marks said.
The combination of negative factors has created a “perfect storm,” he said. “There are still too many clubs.”
Bloomberg moderates all comments. Comments that are abusive or off-topic will not be posted to the site. Excessively long comments may be moderated as well. Bloomberg cannot facilitate requests to remove comments or explain individual moderation decisions. | <urn:uuid:fdb0849c-d5c0-446f-99a8-7ea9d68f1d59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-24/british-nightclubs-shut-as-economy-forces-revelers-to-stay-home-with-booze.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975958 | 1,051 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Exhibition: Patrick Procktor – Art & Life @ Huddersfield Art Gallery
September 20, 2012 § 1 Comment
Until 10th November 2012
Familiar with the name Patrick Procktor? We must confess that even at the BARS blog the name didn’t immediately ring a bell… and it’s precisely this kind of response that this current exhibition of Procktor’s work at the Huddersfield Art Gallery as part of ROTOR, a two-year series of exhibitions, public events and talks, seeks to challenge and change. During the 1960s Procktor was part of a suitably swinging circle that included such art luminaries as David Hockney and Ossie Clark, and the paintings on show here encompass eminently recognisable figures including Jimi Hendrix and filmmaker Derek Jarman. As the picture illustrating this post amply indicates, Procktor was a brilliantly deft watercolourist who excelled at portrait painting, and in his recent review of the show Independent critic Charles Darwent touches on the correspondences between Hockney and Procktor’s practices. In contrast to Hockney, however, the latter part of Procktor’s like was sadly marked by decline and tragedy – but this exhibition, together with the book by its curator Ian Massey entitled Patrick Proctor, Art and Life, should go some way to incorporating this intriguing figure back into the narrative of 1960s art in Britain. | <urn:uuid:4bdf4942-018e-48de-994d-dd6b1f268458> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://britishartresearch.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/exhibition-patrick-procktor-art-life-huddersfield-art-gallery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951566 | 303 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Seattle’s historic Magnolia neighborhood sprawls across a peninsula just south of the Ballard Locks, offering sweeping views of the Cascade Mountains and the busy shipping canal connecting Lake Union to Puget Sound. Architect David Vandervort has lived atop a hill in this community for 22 years, and he’s watched with some trepidation as massive homes have gone up on lots where much smaller houses once stood, shifting the neighborhood’s character and scale. So when the generic post-war house next door went on the market, Vandervort saw an opportunity. He could showcase his firm’s commitment to solid, sustainable design and help preserve his neighborhood’s character and integrity.
"I wanted to do something in my neighborhood that was different from some of the spec houses going up here, which are less than high quality," Vandervort says. "I wanted to create a site-sensitive, modern house. And at the same time, I could make sure that the house wouldn’t overwhelm my own yard or block our sunlight and views."
The house, which the same family had occupied since it was built in 1952, was solidly constructed but hardly a match for its fabulous site, a south-facing corner lot overlooking the canal and the Ballard Bridge. "I wanted to build a house that appreciated the land and reached out to the views and the light—without overwhelming the community," Vandervort says. A fan of the Northwest’s distinctive mid-century modern architecture, he set out to design a home that would honor "the historical architecture of the place."
Pushing the limits
Working with Paulsen Construction, Vandervort took the home down to its concrete foundation and main floor joists, letting a few of the original walls stand and recycling much of the wood back into the new construction. He added a wing with a living room and family room, a master bedroom suite, and a stair tower that pulls in light and ventilates the home. The tower also plays with the idea of lighthouses and tugboats, an ode to the active canal below. In the living room and the master bedroom, high clerestory windows bring the low, flat Seattle light deep into the house while protecting the residents’ privacy. Terraces, decks and patios provide ample outdoor space for relaxing or entertaining.
"I wanted to play out the whole sophisticated modernist statement in its extremes," says Vandervort, who also pushed the limits on sustainable materials—which is especially risky when building a speculative house (even in progressive Seattle). "Without going over the top, we tried to use certified green materials whenever they were available."
Vandervort included an array of green features rarely found in spec homes, largely because they can drive up construction costs and the builder isn’t likely to reap the long-term benefits. To save energy, two "eco-roofs" are planted with climate-appropriate landscaping. Radiant floor heat and a super-efficient condensing boiler help lower utility bills, and a $7,000 photovoltaic system generates 15 to 20 percent of the home’s electricity needs. "I wanted to include the solar system as a demonstration of what can be done, even here in our overcast, cloudy Northwest," Vandervort says. "The solar panels are a testimony to the possibilities of generating one’s own power and show how one can even net meter excess electricity back to the grid."
A family who gets it
Keeping it green bumped up construction costs by about 20 percent, Vandervort says, and his biggest disappointment was that Seattle’s normally environmentally conscious community didn’t seem to fully appreciate his efforts. Selling the house took some time.
Vandervort ran into trouble with real estate perceptions because of the home’s size: 2,700 square feet in a market and price range where 3,500 square feet is the norm. "It struggled to find its niche," he says. "It took awhile for people to really get it."
Charmaine and Richard Angino and their 6-year-old son, Michael, were the buyers who got it. Transplants from Florida, the Anginos had lived in one of Los Angeles’ experimental "Case Study" houses and were already fans of modernist homes. They bought the house largely because they fell in love with its design. "We love all the glass," says Richard, who develops affordable housing projects for a large developer. "We love the light and all the details. Nobody builds a spec house like this—with this kind of quality."
They also appreciate the not-so-big aspect of the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home. "When we told several real estate agents our price range, they kept showing us all these huge, 4,000-square-foot houses," Richard says. "This is the perfect size for us."
Charmaine is quick to add that the home’s sustainable features also were attractive. "All the nontoxic paints and finishes really appealed to us," she says.
For his part, Vandervort enjoys watching his new neighbors make their mark on his creation. "I always knew someone would come along and want to change things and make it theirs," he says. "It’s like having a child—you take it so far and then you turn it over."
The Good Stuff
• SolarFlex Millennia thin-film photovoltaic roof modules
• "Eco-roofs:" native plants and soil mix over drainage system and modified bituthane roofing
• Lifebreath heat recovery ventilator with HEPA filter
• Buderus hot-water tank with Tekmar controls for mixing water and maintaining constant temperatures
• Icynene sprayed polyurethane-foam insulation
• Salvaged and reused lumber from original residence
• EcoMax recycled-rubber flooring on upper deck
• Certified, sustainably harvested framing lumber and cedar for soffits and exterior trim.
• FSC-certified, sustainably harvested ipê hardwood on deck and stairs
• FSC-certified white tigerwood floors
• Rainscreen technique siding: waterproof membrane with batt and clear cedar board siding for increased energy efficiency and durability
• Fly-ash concrete foundation
• Native and drought-tolerant landscaping
• Milgard low-E, argon-filled commercial windows
• High, operable windows in stair tower provide stack ventilation for summer cooling
• Low-VOC paint and water-based lacquers
• Natural fiber wool carpets
• Henrybuilt cabinetry with Europly formaldehyde-free boxes and FSC-certified cores
• Naturally finished concrete kitchen countertops
• Energy-efficient appliances by Viking, Fisher & Paykel and Jenn-Air
• Dual-flush, water-saving toilets
A Conversation with the Homeowners
What do you love most about this house?
Richard Angino: The light and the long views. It’s very visual.
Charmaine Angino: I love all the light, especially here in the Pacific Northwest where it tends to be rainy. Even when it’s dark and gloomy outside, it still seems very light inside.
What’s your favorite room?
RA: I like all the outdoor rooms, decks and the tower office. The sun rotates through them, from the deck off the living room in the morning to the patio off the kitchen at the end of the day.
CA: I like the master bedroom because I feel like I’m in a treehouse. I spend most of my time in the kitchen/dining room/office space, so the master bedroom seems like a retreat with great views of Seattle.
What would you do differently?
RA: If I had the space, I’d have a two-car garage instead of the one-and-a-half. But that’s just today’s world.
CA: I’d have a little larger master bedroom closet. | <urn:uuid:254ccc53-b1bc-42ff-857d-49be36e9a9c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.motherearthliving.com/green-homes/standing-tall.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959975 | 1,687 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Tue 27 Nov 2007
I’ve noticed more being written about gratitude lately, and the health and happiness benefits of being grateful. One recent article talked about how it’s not enough just to mindlessly list stuff you like - you need to feel the positive emotions or the emotional connection to the things you feel gratitude towards to really get a benefit. Here’s a visualization:
Get into Savasana after your yoga practice and take a few deep Ujjayi breaths while you relax, letting your body sink deep into the mat.
1. Place - Think of a place you feel grateful for. It could be a place you’ve visited, a place you go to to relax, it could be your favourite place in your home. Someplace that allows you to be who you really are. See yourself in that place and experience it with all our sense. See your surroundings. Take in the colors and the feeling of the place. Feel the texture of whatever you’re resting on. Feel the quality and temperature of the air on your skin. Notice if there’s a smell to your special place and take that in. Notice any sounds. Take a couple more breaths while you enjoy being in your place.
2. Thing – Think of something you own and enjoy, that you feel grateful for. Try to think of something that you feel emotionally connected to. See this object in your mind’s eye. Imagine yourself holding it, or if it’s a large object, sitting or relaxing with it. Notice it’s color. Notice its texture and how it feels. Notice if there’s a smell or a sound. Come up with a word that describes the emotional connection you have to this object. Take a couple more breaths while you enjoy it.
3. Person. Now choose a person you feel grateful for. It obviously can be your partner or a family member, but doesn’t have to be. It could be the person who serves you coffee in the a.m., someone you feel a connection with. See that person and hold them in your heart center, in the middle of your chest. Try to feel the connection or the feelings that they bring up for you.
Bring a feeling of warmth to your chest, making the feeling stronger and bathing them in your gratitude. Then taking a few more breaths, breathe that feeling of warmth throughout the rest of your body: fill your torso, let it flow down your legs to your toes, let it flow down your arms to your fingers, feel it flow up into your neck and fill your head. Enjoy the feeling of warmth throughout your body and let it relax any last bits of stress or tension you might be holding onto.
Then take your next breath a little deeper. Bring slight movement back to your fingers, and then to your toes. Rock your head slightly on the back of your mat. Roll over onto your right side for a moment with your eyes closed, keeping as much of that relaxed feeling as you can. And then make your way up to sitting.
Fri 23 Nov 2007
Posted by Corilee under Health & FoodNo Comments
So more on Sarah, the cute little naturopath. I went to her for food intolerance testing because I know I have issues but wanted something more concrete. So this isn’t allergy, like grab-the-needle-I’m-going-into-anaphylactic-shock. My understanding is that it’s foods that your body just doesn’t tolerate well. You might see side affects, you might not (now), it’s just foods that are tougher for your body to assimilate.
So I thought for me it was wheat, especially bread. I discovered that bread throws me for a loop. I’m OK with Ezekial, but regular bread makes me feel like it’s naptime within a few minutes of eating it. So I avoided wheat too, eating kamut pasta and the like. I’m also not a big beer drinker for the same reason – naptime city and no fun at parties.
So when Sarah did the test she said that not many people come back with wheat intolerances. I was like, yeah right, we’ll see. So the test consisted of taking a couple drops of blood from my ear and sending it off for results.
The results? My list of foods is potato and sugar. Interestingly, of the group of people I know who have gone for food intolerance testing sugar shows up on *everyone’s* list. But the potato part floored me.
It turns out that potato is in everything – enriched flour used for bread and pasta? The added niacin and riboflavi are derivatives of potato. Yeast? Contains an ingredient that comes from potato. The anti-caking agent in salt? From potato. One of the ingredients of baking powder? You got it, from potato.
So I confirmed that bread does bug me just not for the reasons I thought. I bought some special yeast from Sarah, tracked down some non-enriched wheat flour and have been happily eating normal bread again (there is a god!).
I’ve found that whole wheat products are not generally enriched. When I’m craving white pasta I look for the real italian brands which often are not enriched. Real sea salt just contains salt.
Corona and Bud don’t have yeast in them. Of course if I drink Bud someone will take away my Canadian citizenship , but I’ve discovered that Corona satiates my thirst just fine with no sleepies.
Breakfast cereals are tough because 90% of them are enriched, but often organic multi-grain cereals aren’t. And the simple ones like puffed wheat or rice are also non-enriched.
So I’m not totally avoiding everything with potato but I’m on the right track. Sarah suggests that as long as you’re aware of it and try to at least avoid your list 80% of the time you’re doing great. I’m happy to have a solid medical reason to avoid potato chips and french fries. Not that I ate them alot, but now I’m avoiding them like the plague. And I know my body is happier for it.
Thu 22 Nov 2007
I’m not rushing to any conclusions, but here’s the story. I’ve mentioned my chronic hip issues before, it’s Piriformis Syndrome by the way. I’ve had various treatments but have only managed to figure out how to avoid the flare-ups, never get rid of them entirely.
So I went to Sarah the cute little Naturopath near work. While we talked for an hour about my health history (yes an hour) the hip thing was mentioned. I was actually there for food intolerance testing – which I should really blog about. But when she heard about the hip thing she said, “I do Bowen therapy and I’ve had good results with musculoskeletal issues, why don’t you come in and try it.”
At this point I’d be open to therapies involving bones and chicken blood if there’s a chance of it fixing my hip. I had no idea what Bowen is (and still don’t really, something to do with the Automatic Nervous System) but I had money left on my medical for more naturopath visits so what the heck.
She thought I’d come for 1 or 2 sessions, but I came for 3. It’s pretty gentle stuff, like to the point where I wondered if she was really doing something. She did extra a week ago and the next day I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. I wasn’t sore, just absolutely no energy, totally blah. The next day fine.
Last night I went to an Ashtanga class and as I tipped down into Triangle my fingertips banged into the floor. Usually my fingers screech to a halt somewhere along my calf, thanks to my hips. I had to check and make sure I was doing the pose right. Yup I was, but my hips were looser.
Sarah banned me from running for a week, so this a.m., I was finally able to get outside. My Hips. Felt. Amazing. It was like someone had scooped sludge out them. They felt clear and loose and free. I was as nimble as a forest creature (there’s your Deadwood reference fellow watchers – what a great moment in Cable that was).
I know that some people have issues with “alternative” therapies. When I told my chiroprator I was going for Bowen he had nothing but jokes. He’s all like desperate to prove he’s really a doctor, but he does a good adjustment so I ignore him and keep going. But all I will say to him is, I don’t need to understand it, all I know is that she has hugely improved my hips. And you doctor, didn’t. I can only trust my experience.
Thu 15 Nov 2007
Posted by Corilee under Yoga Poses1 Comment
I was at the Atlantic Yoga Conference on the weekend (fabulous, would highly recommend it) and Frank Jude Boccio talked about how we help create our own suffering by seeing the permanent as impermanent and the impermanent as permanent. Um, yeah. And then I experienced it for myself.
On Saturday it seemed every session was all about holding Downward Facing Dog as long as possible. So on Sunday my shoulders were *sore*. I went to a session with Beryl Berch Bender and holding ‘Dog’ in the first few Sun Salutations was brutal.
So my thought process goes “oh no, this really sucks! I can’t do a whole Primary series with shoulders this sore! What am i doing to do!?” And then I get into whether I should push myself or allow myself to come out of the pose. And all the ego stuff that goes with that. (Aside: although I always encourage folks in my classes to go at their own pace, I’m still working on that advice for myself).
But as the class progressed and I stopped worrying about it, it got easier. I slid through the Vinyasas like nobody’s business. It felt *good*.
This makes no sense – muscle strength should be a linear thing right? I hold Down Dog forever, I get sore. When I’m sore I can’t do Down Dog easily until my muscles recuperate.
But it didn’t work that way. What I perceived as Permanent was actually Impermanent. My sore shoulders didn’t have the impact I thought they would. I was busy planning all the outcomes and it just didn’t happen that way.
Which means I really shouldn’t have bothered with all the thinking about it. It means I should have just trusted and breathed. It means I should have stripped it down to either doing the pose or not doing the pose. Because that’s really what it’s all about.
Tue 13 Nov 2007
Posted by Corilee under It's Just Life1 Comment
The problem with work is that we bring our emotions to it. Being people with emotions, I guess it’s hard not to. But sometimes I get a glimpse of what’s possible.
While my own financial stuff is always wrought with emotion – what I spend, what I buy, whether one day I’ll be living under a bridge in a cardboard box – sometimes I work with a financial person who sees it objectively. They see it simply – money come in, money goes out. The revenue pay the bills and the bills need to be paid. It’s just numbers on a spreadsheet. No emotion required.
And a good project manager does this for me too. I’m all freaked about the pile of work on my plate and how will I clone myself this week to get it all done and why me lord and all that. They look at it as – there’s this pile of work, you’re the ‘resource’ who will do this particular pile, so what date do you think each task will be done? And they’re just dates. If someone isn’t happy with the dates they can find new resources to help, switcharoo the priorities or suck it up.
So why get all whiney and freaky? If your pile is too big, say so. If you need help, ask for it. If there’s information you need, get it. If you haven’t had a vacation in 8 months, take one.
And if you need a mini-break check your Facebook page to remind yourself of the people who love you whether or not you’re a successful wage slave.
Sun 11 Nov 2007
Posted by Corilee under It's Just Life1 Comment
Stella‘s comment from the last post reminds me of the great question we ask ourselves at work. What is it with my manager? You’d think she has her own boss, and set of issues and objectives that are totally different from mine, because she sure doesn’t seem to be focused on how I feel and what’s going on with me!
What’s up with that? Well, for starters, let’s all remind ourselves that since sh*t runs down hill on the job, she’s up to her ankles and we likely don’t even know about it. And may never know about it.
The thing about managers is they don’t go looking for trouble, they have enough of their own, so if you have some you need to share and *then* it’s added to their plate.
I worked with a business analyst kinda person and our boss was a total when-I-say-jump-you-say-how-high kinda guy. And he would pile the projects on this woman. Please find out x asap. Put together some proof of y by my friday meeting. And she’d say, “what does he think I can do here? I’m only one person and he’s sent me 12 urgent projects in the last 4 days. I don’t even know where to start!”
So she got really good at dropping him an email that said “Here are the 12 urgents projects you’ve sent me in the last 4 days, please prioritize them so I know I’m working on the most important thing for you.”
Well being a total control freak – he was *thrilled* to do this for her. And then no issue, she could just focus on the first thing on her list and not the whole list and what this meant about how thoughtless her boss was.
Hey, I know there are lots of lousy managers out there, and that’s a whole other issue. But this guy just wanted to get the information to make a decent decision so we could be successful and all keep our jobs. That was his job. And he was good at it.
Here’s how bad I am with this. I had this project dumped on my plate and then the dumpee was cheesed because it wasn’t done on the date he thought it should have been completed, but he hadn’t actually shared the date with me and it didn’t matter because I was too busy on other stuff anyway.
So I mentioned it to my manager, mostly as a butt-covering, she should hear about this from me first move. Well she actually had really good advice about how to get it done. She suggested how to piece it up and what to delegate to the intern. And the sad thing? I love my manager dearly but I was surprised. Because I believe I need to carry my burdens all on my own. Because I believe help isn’t in the offing. Hopefully I’ll learn – just mention it.
Thu 8 Nov 2007
Posted by Corilee under It's Just Life1 Comment
We always seem to forget how much power we have. My friend was telling me that she could start to feel the edges of a dark depression creep up on her so she took action.
Things on the job front were driving her nuts and she was feeling powerless to have much impact. But since it was deal with it or get depressed she had the come-to-jesus meeting with her managers and let them know how she was feeling and what she’d like to see changed. Depression gone.
Now we can’t lay down the law 24/7. But we have so much power in how we communicate. Like in relationships. Letting someone know what’s going on with us. Letting someone know what we want. Letting someone know what we need.
I think the key is to not rope the other person in (if you weren’t so x I wouldn’t feel so y). And not to be reliant on them fixing things for you. Ideally what you need doesn’t mean *they* and only *they* can provide it (first do this, then this and then i’ll be happy). You gotta own it and let go of the outcomes.
How often do we believe, without even being aware of it that – oh it doesn’t matter anyways. Life will go on as it is regardless of what little ol’ me says or does. But you just don’t know.
Ever told someone an opinion and then a day later heard them espouse the same opinion with all your brilliant reasoning to someone else? Who cares where they got it. You’ve got an ally.
There’s always an opportunity to shift things. Reposition things. Cast things in a little different light. You just never know the power you have. | <urn:uuid:61091a39-1597-4e27-80f8-3c151423814f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.corileefox.com/2007/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965532 | 3,788 | 1.773438 | 2 |
OK, I know it's supposed to be fit, fun, family Colorado Friday, but I couldn't wait! The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo had a baby gorilla and it's just about the cutest thing ever:
It’s a boy…Or a girl?
-Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomes baby gorilla-
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is happy to announce the addition of a baby western lowland gorilla to its troop. The baby, whose gender has yet to be determined, was born to mom Asha (19 years old) and dad Rafiki (28 years old) early Tuesday morning. Both mom and baby are doing well, says Animal Care Manager Dina Bredahl. The baby is Asha’s second offspring, and will be a little brother or sister for Tumani, who is five years old. This will be an excellent opportunity for Tumani to learn mothering skills from Asha, who is a great mom, says Bredahl. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo policy dictates that primate babies would not be removed from their mothers unless a serious medical condition demanded it, so no neo-natal veterinary exam will be conducted at this time.
The baby, who brings the Zoo’s gorilla troop to a total of seven, will be named in 30 days, following Zoo tradition. Because the baby was born in the gorilla exhibit, both mom and baby are currently on view for the public to see.
Asha’s pregnancy was a happy surprise for Zoo staff, who were concerned that, because of an appendix-related surgery that forced surgeons to remove one of her ovaries, she wouldn’t be able to get pregnant again. Currently, Asha and Rafiki have a breeding recommendation through the Gorilla Species Survival Plan, which helps to ensure strong genetic integrity within species. Western lowland gorillas are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Plans for the weekend yet? Go! See! The! Cuteness! | <urn:uuid:65933e52-d98c-411a-aab5-929c92d43150> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fitviews.blogspot.com/2012/08/fitfunfamco-get-thee-to-zoo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960927 | 412 | 1.671875 | 2 |
In the past two years, however, local city councils have enacted restrictions on where the shops can locate, forcing many to close.
"Some medical marijuana clinics have been taken over by illegal for-profit businesses that sell recreational marijuana to healthy young adults and attract crime," Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said in September.
Federal prosecutors have aggressively worked to rein in the proliferation of pot distribution locations, contending the operations draw criminals because of the large amounts of cash involved.
Three forfeiture lawsuits were filed and warning letters were sent to 71 "illegal marijuana stores" in Los Angeles and Huntington Park, California, in September by federal authorities.
Last month, a federal grand jury indicted 14 people "associated with a chain of nine marijuana stores" in Orange and Los Angeles counties on federal drug trafficking charges. The indictment included tax evasion and weapons charges.
NORML's main argument is that marijuana is "far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco," which are the only recreational drugs more popular than pot in the United States.
"Marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose," while hundreds of thousands die from tobacco and alcohol use each year, NORML's website says.
Legalization could save U.S. taxpayers the $10 billion spent each year on enforcing marijuana prohibition, and eliminate the criminal cases against more than 750,000 people arrested per year for possession, which NORML says is "far more than the total number of arrestees for all violent crimes combined, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault."
"The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will," Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper said in a written statement released by his office.
"This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don't break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly," he said, referring to two snack food products. | <urn:uuid:52b2b9e5-60c4-4644-ba29-2f5368ba10ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wpbf.com/news/politics/Voters-legalize-marijuana-in-two-states/-/8788770/17309118/-/item/1/-/ttc3e9/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967386 | 393 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Mohsin Hamid on Betrayal
Betrayal is when someone you love forces you to accept the proposition that life is not the way you most wish it to be, indeed that life never was this way, and that there is nothing – nothing – in your power that can be done to change this. Betrayal is therefore pain. And also education.
The more loved the source, the more sharp the deviation, the more lasting the desire that it be not so, the more potent the betrayal. To be born is to be betrayed by she who birthed you. That said, betrayal isn't necessarily bad. Often, it's essential. Sometimes it's a blessing. | <urn:uuid:bc29034a-26fa-4448-b6e3-a123f908adff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://misswhistle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/on-betrayal-via-granta.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965792 | 140 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Prosecco sparkles as shoppers tighten belts
Sparkling Italian wine replacing champagne amid age of austerity
Looking to celebrate this festive season? You'll be in good company if you pop open a bottle of Prosecco.
As Europe's age of austerity grinds on, squeezing household budgets, the sparkling Italian wine is fast replacing champagne as the party fizz of choice.
"Prosecco is well-established as a popular alternative to champagne in Europe, but now it looks as if it will also become a household name over here," said Alain Guilpain, wine manager at Tesco, the U.K.'s biggest retailer.
Guilpain said Tesco's sales of Prosecco almost doubled in 2012, bucking a sparkling-wine downturn seen across the retail industry. Tesco's best-selling Prosecco is priced at just under £10 ($16) a bottle. A bottle of champagne typically costs about twice that.
Champagne sales in the U.K. have fallen this year by about 9% percent, to 17 million bottles. Sparkling wine sales, including Prosecco, have risen by 6% to 61 million bottles.
Switching to sparkling wine is just one way consumers are looking to save this holiday period. Shoppers across Europe have been hunting for bargains and putting off buying until the last minute.
Even in Germany, which has so far avoided the recession gripping much of the region, the late rush right before Christmas Eve was particularly pronounced, the national retail association said. Still, it is expecting holiday sales to have risen by 1.5% to 80.4 billion euros ($106.3 billion).
In the U.K., retailers also saw evidence that shoppers were thinking carefully about how to spend their money.
"Customers have been particularly savvy in their shopping patterns, with strong promotions of confectionery and bakery items more than month before Christmas motivating them to get ahead of the game," said Mark Price, managing director at grocery chain Waitrose, which reported a 4% increase in holiday sales.
The British Retail Consortium said the Christmas rush came later this year, as hard-pressed customers held out for bargains. Overall spending was likely to be up only modestly over 2011.
"Generally, customers bought only similar amounts to last year," said BRC Director General Helen Dickinson. "Sales were hard-fought and often driven by discounts, so cutting into margins."
Sales in southern Europe, the region hardest hit by the debt crisis, were particularly weak. Italy had its worst Christmas in 10 years, according to the Codacons consumer organization.
Clothing, footwear, furniture and household items fell by as much as 20% in the run-up to Christmas. Codacons said only 40% of households could afford to shop during the January clearance sales. Those shoppers had an average of 224 euros to spend, down 50% from four years ago.
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:1604a68e-5a88-474e-a9d6-06c214116989> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/Prosecco-sparkles-as-shoppers-tighten-belts/-/1719116/17934518/-/format/rsss_2.0/view/print/-/159r64pz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973748 | 629 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Restoration efforts beginning to focus on work that will restore service to fewer customers at a time
Utility expects to make significant progress restoring service to small groups of customers or individual customers
BALTIMORE, Sept. 1, 2011 – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) today announced that it is in the final days of the massive restoration effort, which began last Saturday evening, before the full impact of Hurricane Irene could be determined. Within 72 hours of the storm’s passing, the utility had restored service to more than 600,000 customers, which represents more than 80 percent of all customers affected by the storm. Steady and significant progress continues to be made in restoring service to the remaining customers, resulting in smaller groups of customers or individual customers getting their power back. This approach is in line with industry standards, which focus first on public safety and critical infrastructure issues, followed by work that will restore the largest number of customers at once.
“While BGE has made significant progress since last weekend, we certainly recognize that those who continue to be without power are anxious to get their lives back to normal,” said A. Christopher Burton, senior vice president of gas and electric operations and planning. “BGE continues to work very aggressively to restore service to the remaining customers and will not rest until all of its customers are back in service. This restoration effort has been a huge undertaking and we know it has not been easy, especially for customers who’ve experienced extended or multiple outages. BGE is committed to getting the remaining customers back in service as safely and as quickly as possible.”
Approximately 750,000 customers have experienced electric service interruptions as a result of Hurricane Irene, which tracks very closely the impact of Hurricane Isabel on BGE’s electric system in 2003 when approximately 790,000 customers were without power. BGE is currently on a pace to restore service to all affected customers in fewer days than it took to restore service during the Hurricane Isabel.
“BGE fully intends to continue keeping its customers informed of the progress being made during this extraordinary restoration effort and has updated its website to reflect some of the general areas where crews are or will be working today,” said Jeannette M. Mills, senior vice president and chief customer officer for BGE. “Additionally, BGE is contacting some customers via automated telephone message alerting them if crews are scheduled to restore their service within the next 24 hour period. Customers can also stay informed on restoration progress via www.bge.com, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.”
More than 5,000 people including out-of-state linemen and support staff, BGE employees and contractors are actively engaged in the restoration effort and the utility remains confident that it will restore electric service to the vast majority of customers whose service is still out by Friday with some scattered outages possibly extending into Saturday. The utility has received support from eighteen states including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
Restoration crews are working in “pods,” meaning work that requires multiple crews with different skill sets are traveling together, which allows each crew to begin its work as soon as the crew before them has completed their part of the job. This is a very efficient approach to the restoration effort.
BGE’s balanced approach to service restoration ensures crews are working simultaneously in every jurisdiction where BGE has customers, addressing public safety and critical infrastructure issues across BGE’s Central Maryland service area. As part of BGE’s standard process during major events such as Hurricane Irene, the company is in regular communication with state and local public and elected officials and emergency operations centers, helping to ensure a coordinated effort between the jurisdictions and the utility. BGE appreciates the assistance and cooperation of these officials and organizations.
As a reminder, BGE customers who may be elderly, handicapped or dependent on electricity for medical equipment who are still without power may want to consider relocating to an alternate location until power is restored. These customers are always encouraged to have alternate arrangements in place should they experience a power outage. Customers using a generator should follow manufacturer instructions and be sure to locate generators in well-ventilated areas. Customers are reminded to report power outages by calling 1-877-778-2222. For more information about BGE storm preparation and how customers can protect their families and property, go to www.bge.com.
BGE, www.bge.com, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 640,000 natural gas customers in Central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,000 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Constellation Energy, www.constellation.com, a FORTUNE 500 company also headquartered in Baltimore, with subsidiaries that generate, sell and provide other energy-related services to customers throughout North America. | <urn:uuid:a2e89992-d254-47e5-b683-233480bcd9ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://afro.com/sections/local/bge-announcements/story.htm?id=2699 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964534 | 1,073 | 1.570313 | 2 |
January 1, 2013
You can now follow us on Twitter:
We have added a special resource RESOURCES FOR DEALING WITH ISLAMOPHOBES which provides a great deal of information in a summarized format. Clicking on any of the many links provided in this collection will take you to an article that provides a response or analysis of the particular claim or issue. Many of these articles have extensive collections of articles and reference materials. The easiest way to use this would be to use a “Ctrl F” search to find a response to any particular issue, claim, or common anti-Muslim meme. For example: Muslim Brotherhood Document, or unindicted co-conspirator, or taqiyya, etc.
On TAM, we have published a number of articles on the ongoing controversy over a series of ads being published in public spaces across the country by the hate groups AFDI/SIOA. These articles include many sources and references regarding discussion of different aspects of this controversy: See TAM article collection on the ongoing AFDI “savage/civilized/jihad/Islamorealism” ad wars
(Washington, DC – 10/18/12)
TAM published a series of articles on the terrible tragedy in Libya when our Embassy was attacked and U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other American Embassy staffers were murdered by terrorists, and the many violent protests across the world over the film “Innocence of Muslims”, as well as a series of provocative anti-Muslim efforts that occurred in the same brief time period. See TAM article collection on violence after anti-Muslim film
HISTORIC EVENTS AND PEOPLE THAT SHAPED THE AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITY
GOOD NEWS STORIES ABOUT MUSLIMS 2012
— This is a complete list of my online articles with links.BOOK REVIEWS ON TAM
- Simply click on the logo on the homepage to go to a lengthy collection of Muslim denunciations of terrorism, extremism, and violence. Also includes collections of responses to claims about Islam and Muslims, resources about Islamophobia, and general resources on many topics. If you would like to place this icon on your website, please contact us and we will send you the artwork file. We have had a quantity of these made up in “Euro-style” 4 X 6” oval bumper stickers. We would like to have these seen on cars everywhere, and so are making them available at the best price possible. Contact us to purchase these at $1 each.
ISLAMOPHOBIA - RESPONSES TO ISLAMOPHOBIA AND EXTREMISM
Click on the Muslims Denounce Terrorism icon on the main page for article collections on this and other topics.
“Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” — Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children….This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. — Dwight D. Eisenhower farewell speech to the American people.
THE GOLDEN RULE
— Brahmanism: This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.: Mahabharata 5:1517
— Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.: Udana Varga 5:18
— Christianity: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.: Matthew 7:12
— Confucianism: Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.: Analects 15:23
— Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what which he desires for himself. Sunnah
— Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.: Talmud, Shabbat 31:a
— Taoism: Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.: T’ai Shag Kan Ying P’ien
— Zoroastrianism: That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good: for itself. : Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5
FINANCIAL COST OF WARS IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN
Posted by Sheila Musaji at November 22, 2012. | <urn:uuid:ddf76e0a-c28f-4598-9e67-fa60659e9e91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theamericanmuslim.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933206 | 1,070 | 1.835938 | 2 |
SCIO - Multiple fire departments responded to a five-alarm blaze that engulfed the roof of the Scio Pottery facility on Tuesday. Scio Fire Chief Roger Bethel said firefighters battled the flames for several hours. No one was hurt and the building was saved.
"It was partial in the building. It was a part of the building they don't use anymore," he said, adding that the cause was also known.
"It was an accidental fire," he said. "They were burning debris behind the building. It actually is what caused the fire."
Photo provided by MIKE?NOAH
Fire damaged a section of the Scio Pottery facility on Tuesday. No one was hurt and the damage left the remaining sections of the building operational.
Bethel said the initial call came in at 11 a.m.
"It was actually a really small fire when they got there," he said. "By the time they grabbed hose out the truck and turned around, the building was fully engulfed."
He noted the tar roof was a factor that accelerated the fire's spread.
Fire departments from Cadiz, Jewett, Bowerston, Uhrichsville, Hopedale, Tappan and Perrysville responded with aid. Bethel said the majority of the fire was extinguished around 2 p.m. with three more hours mopping up hot spots.
The operation was complicated slightly since the firefighters could not enter the structure.
"The structure was unsafe to enter. We did an outside attack on it," he said, adding that the ladder trucks made it easier to combat the blaze from above.
Bethel said the operational part did not effect any operational part of the building.
He added that the fire started with people burning pallets behind the structure. He said that on prior occasions he had recommended they not burn debris so close to the building.
The Scio Pottery dates back to the 1930s and was a major employer in town. It currently makes cement. A total of 20 employees were sent home on Monday. Work was expected to resume today after power is restored.
DeFrank can be reached at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:ab80bd60-c05b-4e14-ac8b-fef5fe5858c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/539837/Fire-strikes-Scio-Pottery.html?nav=5010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988421 | 448 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Preamble: John, by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, to the archbishop, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justiciaries, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants, and to all his bailiffs and liege subjects, greetings. Know that, having regard to God and for the salvation of our soul, and those of all our ancestors and heirs, and unto the honor of God and the advancement of his holy Church and for the rectifying of our realm, we have granted as underwritten by advice of our venerable fathers, Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and cardinal of the holy Roman Church, Henry, archbishop of Dublin, William of London, Peter of Winchester, Jocelyn of Bath and Glastonbury, Hugh of Lincoln, Walter of Worcester, William of Coventry, Benedict of Rochester, bishops; of Master Pandulf, subdeacon and member of the household of our lord the Pope, of brother Aymeric (master of the Knights of the Temple in England), and of the illustrious men William Marshal, earl of Pembroke, William, earl of Salisbury, William, earl of Warenne, William, earl of Arundel, Alan of Galloway (constable of Scotland), Waren Fitz Gerold, Peter Fitz Herbert, Hubert De Burgh (seneschal of Poitou), Hugh de Neville, Matthew Fitz Herbert, Thomas Basset, Alan Basset, Philip d'Aubigny, Robert of Roppesley, John Marshal, John Fitz Hugh, and others, our liegemen.
1. In the first place we have granted to God, and by this our present charter confirmed for us and our heirs forever that the English Church shall be free, and shall have her rights entire, and her liberties inviolate; and we will that it be thus observed; which is apparent from this that the freedom of elections, which is reckoned most important and very essential to the English Church, we, of our pure and unconstrained will, did grant, and did by our charter confirm and did obtain the ratification of the same from our lord, Pope Innocent III, before the quarrel arose between us and our barons: and this we will observe, and our will is that it be observed in good faith by our heirs forever. We have also granted to all freemen of our kingdom, for us and our heirs forever, all the underwritten liberties, to be had and held by them and their heirs, of us and our heirs forever.
2. If any of our earls or barons, or others holding of us in chief by military service shall have died, and at the time of his death his heir shall be full of age and owe "relief", he shall have his inheritance by the old relief, to wit, the heir or heirs of an earl, for the whole barony of an earl by £100; the heir or heirs of a baron, £100 for a whole barony; the heir or heirs of a knight, 100s, at most, and whoever owes less let him give less, according to the ancient custom of fees.
3. If, however, the heir of any one of the aforesaid has been under age and in wardship, let him have his inheritance without relief and without fine when he comes of age.
4. The guardian of the land of an heir who is thus under age, shall take from the land of the heir nothing but reasonable produce, reasonable customs, and reasonable services, and that without destruction or waste of men or goods; and if we have committed the wardship of the lands of any such minor to the sheriff, or to any other who is responsible to us for its issues, and he has made destruction or waster of what he holds in wardship, we will take of him amends, and the land shall be committed to two lawful and discreet men of that fee, who shall be responsible for the issues to us or to him to whom we shall assign them; and if we have given or sold the wardship of any such land to anyone and he has therein made destruction or waste, he shall lose that wardship, and it shall be transferred to two lawful and discreet men of that fief, who shall be responsible to us in like manner as aforesaid.
5. The guardian, moreover, so long as he has the wardship of the land, shall keep up the houses, parks, fishponds, stanks, mills, and other things pertaining to the land, out of the issues of the same land; and he shall restore to the heir, when he has come to full age, all his land, stocked with ploughs and wainage, according as the season of husbandry shall require, and the issues of the land can reasonable bear.
6. Heirs shall be married without disparagement, yet so that before the marriage takes place the nearest in blood to that heir shall have notice.
7. A widow, after the death of her husband, shall forthwith and without difficulty have her marriage portion and inheritance; nor shall she give anything for her dower, or for her marriage portion, or for the inheritance which her husband and she held on the day of the death of that husband; and she may remain in the house of her husband for forty days after his death, within which time her dower shall be assigned to her.
8. No widow shall be compelled to marry, so long as she prefers to live without a husband; provided always that she gives security not to marry without our consent, if she holds of us, or without the consent of the lord of whom she holds, if she holds of another.
9. Neither we nor our bailiffs will seize any land or rent for any debt, as long as the chattels of the debtor are sufficient to repay the debt; nor shall the sureties of the debtor be distrained so long as the principal debtor is able to satisfy the debt; and if the principal debtor shall fail to pay the debt, having nothing wherewith to pay it, then the sureties shall answer for the debt; and let them have the lands and rents of the debtor, if they desire them, until they are indemnified for the debt which they have paid for him, unless the principal debtor can show proof that he is discharged thereof as against the said sureties.
10. If one who has borrowed from the Jews any sum, great or small, die before that loan be repaid, the debt shall not bear interest while the heir is under age, of whomsoever he may hold; and if the debt fall into our hands, we will not take anything except the principal sum contained in the bond.
11. And if anyone die indebted to the Jews, his wife shall have her dower and pay nothing of that debt; and if any children of the deceased are left under age, necessaries shall be provided for them in keeping with the holding of the deceased; and out of the residue the debt shall be paid, reserving, however, service due to feudal lords; in like manner let it be done touching debts due to others than Jews.
12. No scutage not aid shall be imposed on our kingdom, unless by common counsel of our kingdom, except for ransoming our person, for making our eldest son a knight, and for once marrying our eldest daughter; and for these there shall not be levied more than a reasonable aid. In like manner it shall be done concerning aids from the city of London.
13. And the city of London shall have all it ancient liberties and free customs, as well by land as by water; furthermore, we decree and grant that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall have all their liberties and free customs.
14. And for obtaining the common counsel of the kingdom anent the assessing of an aid (except in the three cases aforesaid) or of a scutage, we will cause to be summoned the archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, and greater barons, severally by our letters; and we will moveover cause to be summoned generally, through our sheriffs and bailiffs, and others who hold of us in chief, for a fixed date, namely, after the expiry of at least forty days, and at a fixed place; and in all letters of such summons we will specify the reason of the summons. And when the summons has thus been made, the business shall proceed on the day appointed, according to the counsel of such as are present, although not all who were summoned have come.
15. We will not for the future grant to anyone license to take an aid from his own free tenants, except to ransom his person, to make his eldest son a knight, and once to marry his eldest daughter; and on each of these occasions there shall be levied only a reasonable aid.
16. No one shall be distrained for performance of greater service for a knight's fee, or for any other free tenement, than is due therefrom.
17. Common pleas shall not follow our court, but shall be held in some fixed place.
18. Inquests of novel disseisin, of mort d'ancestor, and of darrein presentment shall not be held elsewhere than in their own county courts, and that in manner following; We, or, if we should be out of the realm, our chief justiciar, will send two justiciaries through every county four times a year, who shall alone with four knights of the county chosen by the county, hold the said assizes in the county court, on the day and in the place of meeting of that court.
19. And if any of the said assizes cannot be taken on the day of the county court, let there remain of the knights and freeholders, who were present at the county court on that day, as many as may be required for the efficient making of judgments, according as the business be more or less.
20. A freeman shall not be amerced for a slight offense, except in accordance with the degree of the offense; and for a grave offense he shall be amerced in accordance with the gravity of the offense, yet saving always his "contentment"; and a merchant in the same way, saving his "merchandise"; and a villein shall be amerced in the same way, saving his "wainage" if they have fallen into our mercy: and none of the aforesaid amercements shall be imposed except by the oath of honest men of the neighborhood.
21. Earls and barons shall not be amerced except through their peers, and only in accordance with the degree of the offense.
22. A clerk shall not be amerced in respect of his lay holding except after the manner of the others aforesaid; further, he shall not be amerced in accordance with the extent of his ecclesiastical benefice.
23. No village or individual shall be compelled to make bridges at river banks, except those who from of old were legally bound to do so.
24. No sheriff, constable, coroners, or others of our bailiffs, shall hold pleas of our Crown.
25. All counties, hundred, wapentakes, and trithings (except our demesne manors) shall remain at the old rents, and without any additional payment.
26. If anyone holding of us a lay fief shall die, and our sheriff or bailiff shall exhibit our letters patent of summons for a debt which the deceased owed us, it shall be lawful for our sheriff or bailiff to attach and enroll the chattels of the deceased, found upon the lay fief, to the value of that debt, at the sight of law worthy men, provided always that nothing whatever be thence removed until the debt which is evident shall be fully paid to us; and the residue shall be left to the executors to fulfill the will of the deceased; and if there be nothing due from him to us, all the chattels shall go to the deceased, saving to his wife and children their reasonable shares.
27. If any freeman shall die intestate, his chattels shall be distributed by the hands of his nearest kinsfolk and friends, under supervision of the Church, saving to every one the debts which the deceased owed to him.
28. No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take corn or other provisions from anyone without immediately tendering money therefor, unless he can have postponement thereof by permission of the seller.
29. No constable shall compel any knight to give money in lieu of castle-guard, when he is willing to perform it in his own person, or (if he himself cannot do it from any reasonable cause) then by another responsible man. Further, if we have led or sent him upon military service, he shall be relieved from guard in proportion to the time during which he has been on service because of us.
30. No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or other person, shall take the horses or carts of any freeman for transport duty, against the will of the said freeman.
31. Neither we nor our bailiffs shall take, for our castles or for any other work of ours, wood which is not ours, against the will of the owner of that wood.
32. We will not retain beyond one year and one day, the lands those who have been convicted of felony, and the lands shall thereafter be handed over to the lords of the fiefs.
33. All kydells for the future shall be removed altogether from Thames and Medway, and throughout all England, except upon the seashore.
34. The writ which is called praecipe shall not for the future be issued to anyone, regarding any tenement whereby a freeman may lose his court.
35. Let there be one measure of wine throughout our whole realm; and one measure of ale; and one measure of corn, to wit, "the London quarter"; and one width of cloth (whether dyed, or russet, or "halberget"), to wit, two ells within the selvedges; of weights also let it be as of measures.
36. Nothing in future shall be given or taken for a writ of inquisition of life or limbs, but freely it shall be granted, and never denied.
37. If anyone holds of us by fee-farm, either by socage or by burage, or of any other land by knight's service, we will not (by reason of that fee-farm, socage, or burgage), have the wardship of the heir, or of such land of his as if of the fief of that other; nor shall we have wardship of that fee-farm, socage, or burgage, unless such fee-farm owes knight's service. We will not by reason of any small serjeancy which anyone may hold of us by the service of rendering to us knives, arrows, or the like, have wardship of his heir or of the land which he holds of another lord by knight's service.
38. No bailiff for the future shall, upon his own unsupported complaint, put anyone to his "law", without credible witnesses brought for this purposes.
39. No freemen shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised or exiled or in any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him nor send upon him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.
40. To no one will we sell, to no one will we refuse or delay, right or justice.
41. All merchants shall have safe and secure exit from England, and entry to England, with the right to tarry there and to move about as well by land as by water, for buying and selling by the ancient and right customs, quit from all evil tolls, except (in time of war) such merchants as are of the land at war with us. And if such are found in our land at the beginning of the war, they shall be detained, without injury to their bodies or goods, until information be received by us, or by our chief justiciar, how the merchants of our land found in the land at war with us are treated; and if our men are safe there, the others shall be safe in our land.
42. It shall be lawful in future for anyone (excepting always those imprisoned or outlawed in accordance with the law of the kingdom, and natives of any country at war with us, and merchants, who shall be treated as if above provided) to leave our kingdom and to return, safe and secure by land and water, except for a short period in time of war, on grounds of public policy- reserving always the allegiance due to us.
43. If anyone holding of some escheat (such as the honor of Wallingford, Nottingham, Boulogne, Lancaster, or of other escheats which are in our hands and are baronies) shall die, his heir shall give no other relief, and perform no other service to us than he would have done to the baron if that barony had been in the baron's hand; and we shall hold it in the same manner in which the baron held it.
44. Men who dwell without the forest need not henceforth come before our justiciaries of the forest upon a general summons, unless they are in plea, or sureties of one or more, who are attached for the forest.
45. We will appoint as justices, constables, sheriffs, or bailiffs only such as know the law of the realm and mean to observe it well.
46. All barons who have founded abbeys, concerning which they hold charters from the kings of England, or of which they have long continued possession, shall have the wardship of them, when vacant, as they ought to have.
47. All forests that have been made such in our time shall forthwith be disafforsted; and a similar course shall be followed with regard to river banks that have been placed "in defense" by us in our time.
48. All evil customs connected with forests and warrens, foresters and warreners, sheriffs and their officers, river banks and their wardens, shall immediately by inquired into in each county by twelve sworn knights of the same county chosen by the honest men of the same county, and shall, within forty days of the said inquest, be utterly abolished, so as never to be restored, provided always that we previously have intimation thereof, or our justiciar, if we should not be in England.
49. We will immediately restore all hostages and charters delivered to us by Englishmen, as sureties of the peace of faithful service.
50. We will entirely remove from their bailiwicks, the relations of Gerard of Athee (so that in future they shall have no bailiwick in England); namely, Engelard of Cigogne, Peter, Guy, and Andrew of Chanceaux, Guy of Cigogne, Geoffrey of Martigny with his brothers, Philip Mark with his brothers and his nephew Geoffrey, and the whole brood of the same.
51. As soon as peace is restored, we will banish from the kingdom all foreign born knights, crossbowmen, serjeants, and mercenary soldiers who have come with horses and arms to the kingdom's hurt.
52. If anyone has been dispossessed or removed by us, without the legal judgment of his peers, from his lands, castles, franchises, or from his right, we will immediately restore them to him; and if a dispute arise over this, then let it be decided by the five and twenty barons of whom mention is made below in the clause for securing the peace. Moreover, for all those possessions, from which anyone has, without the lawful judgment of his peers, been disseised or removed, by our father, King Henry, or by our brother, King Richard, and which we retain in our hand (or which as possessed by others, to whom we are bound to warrant them) we shall have respite until the usual term of crusaders; excepting those things about which a plea has been raised, or an inquest made by our order, before our taking of the cross; but as soon as we return from the expedition, we will immediately grant full justice therein.
53. We shall have, moreover, the same respite and in the same manner in rendering justice concerning the disafforestation or retention of those forests which Henry our father and Richard our broter afforested, and concerning the wardship of lands which are of the fief of another (namely, such wardships as we have hitherto had by reason of a fief which anyone held of us by knight's service), and concerning abbeys founded on other fiefs than our own, in which the lord of the fee claims to have right; and when we have returned, or if we desist from our expedition, we will immediately grant full justice to all who complain of such things.
54. No one shall be arrested or imprisoned upon the appeal of a woman, for the death of any other than her husband.
55. All fines made with us unjustly and against the law of the land, and all amercements, imposed unjustly and against the law of the land, shall be entirely remitted, or else it shall be done concerning them according to the decision of the five and twenty barons whom mention is made below in the clause for securing the pease, or according to the judgment of the majority of the same, along with the aforesaid Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, if he can be present, and such others as he may wish to bring with him for this purpose, and if he cannot be present the business shall nevertheless proceed without him, provided always that if any one or more of the aforesaid five and twenty barons are in a similar suit, they shall be removed as far as concerns this particular judgment, others being substituted in their places after having been selected by the rest of the same five and twenty for this purpose only, and after having been sworn.
56. If we have disseised or removed Welshmen from lands or liberties, or other things, without the legal judgment of their peers in England or in Wales, they shall be immediately restored to them; and if a dispute arise over this, then let it be decided in the marches by the judgment of their peers; for the tenements in England according to the law of England, for tenements in Wales according to the law of Wales, and for tenements in the marches according to the law of the marches. Welshmen shall do the same to us and ours.
57. Further, for all those possessions from which any Welshman has, without the lawful judgment of his peers, been disseised or removed by King Henry our father, or King Richard our brother, and which we retain in our hand (or which are possessed by others, and which we ought to warrant), we will have respite until the usual term of crusaders; excepting those things about which a plea has been raised or an inquest made by our order before we took the cross; but as soon as we return (or if perchance we desist from our expedition), we will immediately grant full justice in accordance with the laws of the Welsh and in relation to the foresaid regions.
58. We will immediately give up the son of Llywelyn and all the hostages of Wales, and the charters delivered to us as security for the peace.
59. We will do towards Alexander, king of Scots, concerning the return of his sisters and his hostages, and concerning his franchises, and his right, in the same manner as we shall do towards our owher barons of England, unless it ought to be otherwise according to the charters which we hold from William his father, formerly king of Scots; and this shall be according to the judgment of his peers in our court.
60. Moreover, all these aforesaid customs and liberties, the observances of which we have granted in our kingdom as far as pertains to us towards our men, shall be observed b all of our kingdom, as well clergy as laymen, as far as pertains to them towards their men.
61. Since, moveover, for God and the amendment of our kingdom and for the better allaying of the quarrel that has arisen between us and our barons, we have granted all these concessions, desirous that they should enjoy them in complete and firm endurance forever, we give and grant to them the underwritten security, namely, that the barons choose five and twenty barons of the kingdom, whomsoever they will, who shall be bound with all their might, to observe and hold, and cause to be observed, the peace and liberties we have granted and confirmed to them by this our present Charter, so that if we, or our justiciar, or our bailiffs or any one of our officers, shall in anything be at fault towards anyone, or shall have broken any one of the articles of this peace or of this security, and the offense be notified to four barons of the foresaid five and twenty, the said four barons shall repair to us (or our justiciar, if we are out of the realm) and, laying the transgression before us, petition to have that transgression redressed without delay. And if we shall not have corrected the transgression (or, in the event of our being out of the realm, if our justiciar shall not have corrected it) within forty days, reckoning from the time it has been intimated to us (or to our justiciar, if we should be out of the realm), the four barons aforesaid shall refer that matter to the rest of the five and twenty barons, and those five and twenty barons shall, together with the community of the whole realm, distrain and distress us in all possible ways, namely, by seizing our castles, lands, possessions, and in any other way they can, until redress has been obtained as they deem fit, saving harmless our own person, and the persons of our queen and children; and when redress has been obtained, they shall resume their old relations towards us. And let whoever in the country desires it, swear to obey the orders of the said five and twenty barons for the execution of all the aforesaid matters, and along with them, to molest us to the utmost of his power; and we publicly and freely grant leave to everyone who wishes to swear, and we shall never forbid anyone to swear. All those, moveover, in the land who of themselves and of their own accord are unwilling to swear to the twenty five to help them in constraining and molesting us, we shall by our command compel the same to swear to the effect foresaid. And if any one of the five and twenty barons shall have died or departed from the land, or be incapacitated in any other manner which would prevent the foresaid provisions being carried out, those of the said twenty five barons who are left shall choose another in his place according to their own judgment, and he shall be sworn in the same way as the others. Further, in all matters, the execution of which is entrusted,to these twenty five barons, if perchance these twenty five are present and disagree about anything, or if some of them, after being summoned, are unwilling or unable to be present, that which the majority of those present ordain or command shall be held as fixed and established, exactly as if the whole twenty five had concurred in this; and the said twenty five shall swear that they will faithfully observe all that is aforesaid, and cause it to be observed with all their might. And we shall procure nothing from anyone, directly or indirectly, whereby any part of these concessions and liberties might be revoked or diminished; and if any such things has been procured, let it be void and null, and we shall never use it personally or by another.
62. And all the will, hatreds, and bitterness that have arisen between us and our men, clergy and lay, from the date of the quarrel, we have completely remitted and pardoned to everyone. Moreover, all trespasses occasioned by the said quarrel, from Easter in the sixteenth year of our reign till the restoration of peace, we have fully remitted to all, both clergy and laymen, and completely forgiven, as far as pertains to us. And on this head, we have caused to be made for them letters testimonial patent of the lord Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, of the lord Henry, archbishop of Dublin, of the bishops aforesaid, and of Master Pandulf as touching this security and the concessions aforesaid.
63. Wherefore we will and firmly order that the English Church be free, and that the men in our kingdom have and hold all the aforesaid liberties, rights, and concessions, well and peaceably, freely and quietly, fully and wholly, for themselves and their heirs, of us and our heirs, in all respects and in all places forever, as is aforesaid. An oath, moreover, has been taken, as well on our part as on the art of the barons, that all these conditions aforesaid shall be kept in good faith and without evil intent.
Given under our hand - the above named and many others being witnesses - in the meadow which is called Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, on the fifteenth day of June, in the seventeenth year of our reign. | <urn:uuid:e93c2e62-78d5-44c0-83e3-a1fc7f035ff2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thisnation.com/library/magnacarta.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968787 | 6,187 | 1.554688 | 2 |
A party-line vote Thursday in the Legislature's Insurance and Financial Services Committee defeated a bill to set up Maine's health insurance exchange. Per the federal Affordable Care Act, the exchange must be established by 2014.
Republicans voted against LD 1498, citing an ongoing challenge to the Affordable Care Act's constitutionality, according to the Bangor Daily News. Maine is one of 26 states arguing the act's requirement that all Americans buy health insurance by 2014 is unconstitutional, and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on that challenge in June. The health insurance exchange allows businesses and consumers to shop for health plans. The committee also voted in favor of a bill that would allow only licensed insurance brokers to enroll people in health plans through a state exchange, in the event the act is upheld, according to the paper.
Maine in November was awarded $6 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help set up a health insurance exchange. The money will stay in a federal account until Maine requests it. | <urn:uuid:33ed5cde-f41a-401b-a49f-132b5bed056e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mainebiz.biz/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120319/NEWS0101/120319960/1091/EVENTS | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970204 | 209 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Remarks to be delivered to the Wichita City Council on August 12, 2008.
There’s several reasons why this council should not approve this request for TIF financing.
Material in today’s agenda packet doesn’t specify an amount, but past materials indicated that the project was $2.5 million short of the total needed for the project.
Now some on this council feel that TIF financing isn’t an outright subsidy or gift to the developers of a project. But let me ask you this: if the project is $2.5 million short without TIF financing, and then with City of Wichita TIF financing the project is fully funded, what does that tell you about the value of the TIF district to the developers of this project?
Under TIF financing, the City of Wichita doesn’t directly give developers the money. Instead, the city issues bonds, and then uses the proceeds from the bonds to do things that directly benefit the developers.
Now if the developers borrowed that money from a bank, they’d have to pay back the loan. Each year the developers would have to make the loan payments, and also, just like everyone else, they’d have to pay their property taxes. (Those taxes have increased as now the development is worth more due to the improvements made by the developer. That’s the “increment” in TIF.)
But with a TIF district, the bank is the City of Wichita, which issued bonds to pay for things the developers needed to make the project work. So the developers have to pay back the city. But instead of making payments on a loan from a bank and their property taxes, all the TIF developers have to do is pay their property taxes. By merely paying the same taxes that everyone else has to pay based on the value of their property, their loan is repaid.
That’s why a TIF district allows developers to effectively avoid paying some or all of the increased property taxes on their development. When a development is undertaken without the benefit of a TIF district, developers have to repay loans and pay higher taxes. With a TIF district, all the developers have to pay is higher taxes.
I’m tempted to ask this rhetorical question: Why don’t we strip away all the confusion and obfuscation surrounding TIF districts and just give the developers $2.5 million? This way, we fund the development, the shopping center is remodeled, and we wouldn’t have to come back year after year, evaluating the TIF district to see if it is meeting its goals, perhaps pouring in more funds if it isn’t. Instead, we could just give Reverend Harding’s group $2.5 million, wish them good luck, and be done with it.
But I don’t want to seriously pose that question, because I’m afraid of what this council’s response might be.
Besides this, there’s another reason to oppose this TIF district, or at least insist this be handled in a special way. Reverend Harding is a member of a board that has to give its tacit approval to the formation of this TIF district. That board doesn’t have to take any positive action; all it has to do is nothing. I spoke to this council about the thorny ethical issues surrounding this on July 8th. At that time Reverend Harding said that he informed the city and his colleagues on the Wichita school board of what he was doing. But it’s not to them that he has an ethical obligation. Instead, it is to the citizens of Wichita and the residents of USD 259 that he has the ethical obligation to make sure that this matter is handled with appropriate transparency. To my knowledge, he has not done that.
Finally, I have asked Reverend Harding several questions, but he has not answered me, even though I am his constituent: How much tax revenue will the Wichita public school district forgo if this TIF district is granted? And given Reverend Harding’s votes to increase property taxes and his urging for taxpayers to pass an expanded bond issue, shouldn’t he set an example and pay his full share of taxes like everyone else? | <urn:uuid:54edbd4e-92f9-4ca8-a208-8115bf11f777> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wichitaliberty.org/wichita-government/reverend-kevass-hardings-wichita-tif-district-bad-deal-in-several-ways/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967636 | 877 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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The course is located on campus on the edge of the northern boundary at Valley Falls Road. The administrative office is in the campus recreation building in the center of the University Commons. | <urn:uuid:56acffec-ac78-42e4-844d-08340685bfc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wswinney@uscupstate.edu/studentaffairs/campusrec/ropes/default.aspx?id=9006 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961766 | 361 | 1.578125 | 2 |
WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
ADOBE POST OFFICE
LOCATIONOn the west side of 200 East just north of Center Street
HISTORYThis building was the first home of Weston and Fern McArthur Hafen when they moved to Ivins on April 26, 1934. It is made of adobes.
Lula S. Tobler resigned as post master of Ivins and Fern McArthur Hafen was appointed acting post master on January 1, 1939. She was commissioned post master on June 2, 1939. This building became the second post office in Ivins.
A restoration was begun in 2006.
REFERENCESWashington County Historical Society "Certificate of Commendation" awarded to the Ivins Historical Society for the preservation of the Adobe Post Office, April 2006. | <urn:uuid:d4e5e65d-1ba9-4f5c-ac0e-263cf44a160a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wchsutah.org/buildings/ivins-post-office.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949599 | 172 | 1.617188 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two Republican U.S. Senate candidates in close races disowned Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments on Tuesday, signaling concern about the impact of his words on Republican fortunes beyond the presidential race.
Democrats, sensing a new opportunity to influence congressional contests, were busy trying to link Republicans generally with Romney’s remarks. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee showered dozens of districts with news releases tying specific Republican candidates to Romney’s “shocking comment.”
Linda McMahon, Republican Senate candidate in Connecticut, was worried enough to issue a statement criticizing Romney.
“I disagree with Governor Romney’s insinuation that 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims who must depend on the government for their care. I know that the vast majority of those who rely on government are not in that situation because they want to be,” her statement said.
McMahon, who lost a 2010 Senate bid in Connecticut, is in a close race against former U.S. Representative Chris Murphy.
Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, running a tight race against Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren to retain his seat in a traditionally Democratic state, sounded a similar theme.
In statement to The Hill, a publication specializing in Congress, he said of Romney’s views: “That’s not the way I view the world. As someone who grew up in tough circumstances, I know that being on public assistance is not a spot that anyone wants to be in. Too many people today who want to work are being forced into public assistance for lack of jobs.”
In the video, the first part of which was published on Monday by the liberal Mother Jones magazine, Romney told donors that 47 percent of Americans would back Obama no matter what and “my job is not to worry about those people.
In theory, at least, Romney’s comments had the potential to offend millions of voters directly.
About 46 percent of U.S. households paid no federal income tax in 2011, according to the bipartisan Tax Policy Center, although almost two-thirds of those paid an employment tax to support the Social Security and Medicare programs.
It is axiomatic that a strong presidential nominee can boost the chances for other party candidates, particularly those in close U.S. Senate races.
But the presidential candidate can also hurt those farther down the ticket.
While a single comment might not alter particular races, a lagging campaign could.
Republican Representative Steven LaTourette of Ohio, who is retiring from Congress, defended Romney’s remarks, but said they “don’t help in swing districts like mine.”
“People were ready to throw Obama over, like dumping a boyfriend, and were ready to be courted by a new boyfriend,” he said. “But now they’re having second thoughts,” LaTourette said.
Republican Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma called Romney’s remarks “an unfortunate choice of words,” but predicted the comments would be “a one- or two-day story.”
“The election is going to turn on the economy,” Cole said.
University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, whose “Crystal Ball” blog closely tracks congressional races, said Romney’s performance would be particularly influential in Senate races in Virginia, Connecticut, Montana, North Dakota and Florida.
“Scott Brown can’t survive much more undertow in Massachusetts,” he said.
George Allen, the Republican Senate contender in Virginia, “depends on a Romney win,” Sabato added.
“As I go through the states, I’d say Romney’s performance will help to determine most of the close Senate contests,” he said in an email interview.
“It’s going to be very difficult for Republicans to take over the Senate if Romney doesn’t capture the White House. That’s a different evaluation than a year ago when the GOP looked to be a good bet to grab the Senate.” | <urn:uuid:9cfa1798-37a0-44ab-8ee0-aa2061612f28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailycamera.com/politics-national/?third_party=will-romneys-troubles-hurt-congressional-candidates | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955005 | 858 | 1.570313 | 2 |
|Main Page||General Information||Bismarck||Tirpitz||Hilfskreuzer|
|Other Craft Involved||Miscellaneous||How You Can Help||Ship Models||Forum|
|Guest book||Links||Scharnhorst Class||Admiral Hipper Class||Deutschland Class|
|Hilfskreuzer (Auxiliary Cruiser) Orion|
|British Admiralty Letter||A|
|Builder||Blohm & Voss, Hamburg.|
|Previous Owner||Hamburg-Amerika line (Hapag Line)|
|Previous Name||Kurmark - Sister ship of the Neumark converted into the HK Widder|
|Conversion||Blohm & Voss, Hamburg|
|General Cruise Details|
|Commander||Kapitän zur See Kurt Weyher winner of the Knights Cross|
|Sail date||30 March 1940|
|End date||23 August 1941|
|Fate||Returned to Germany|
|Ships Sunk / Captured||11 sunk (Including 2 sunk by mines - 2 sunk with the HK Komet) - 1 captured|
|Tonnage||73.478 (Includes 50% of the Rangitane and the Triona)|
|Days at Sea||511|
|Tons per Day||143.79|
|Main Armament||6 x 150 mm|
|Secondary Armament||1 x 75 mm, 2 x 37 mm Flak, 4 x 20 mm Flak|
|Torpedo Tubes||6 - 2 x Triple-mounted 53,3 cm (24 torpedoes)|
|Aircraft||1 x Arado Ar-196 A-1 (Later supplied with 1 x Nakajima E8-N1)|
|Engine Type||Blohm & Voss steam turbines - formerly used on the 22.000-ton Hapag liner New York|
|Endurance||35.000 nautical miles at 10 knots|
|Hilfskreuzer (Auxiliary Cruiser / Raider) Orion|
Launched on March 27 1930 by Blohm & Voss Werft in Hamburg for the Hamburg-Amerika (HAPAG) line, the 7,021-ton freighter Kurmark, had five sister ships, the Bitterfeld, Uckermark, Nordmark, Strassfurt and the Neumark, which was converted into the Hilfskreuzer Widder.
148 metres long, 18.6 at the beam, powered by Blohm & Voss geared-turbine engines, producing 6,200 horsepower, driving a single shaft for a rarely-achieved top speed of 14.5 knots, she had a range of 35,000 miles at 10 knots.
Her engines, which had served as half of the power-plant of the 22,000-ton trans-Atlantic HAPAG liner New York for over ten years, before serving the freighter Kurmark for ten more, were unreliable, and were a constant source of problems for the Orion’s engineers.
Classified as Schiff 36, she was converted into the Auxiliary Cruiser HSK 1 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg between the Spring and December of 1939.
Armed with six 150mm L/45 C/16 guns, one Creusot-Schneider 75mm-L/35 cannon, one twin 37mm C/30 L/83 Flak-mounting and four single 20mm C/30 L/65 Flak guns, Fitted with six 53.3cm torpedo tubes, in triple mountings, with 24 torpedoes, she was fitted with six 53.3cm torpedo tubes, in triple mountings.
She also carried one Arado Ar-196 A-1 seaplane and 228 mines.
Commissioned into the Kriegsmarine by the thirty-eight-year-old Korvettenkapitän Kurt Weyher on December 9, she was officially classified as Handelshcützkreuzer 1 (HSK I) a ‘Trade Protection Cruiser’, or simply Schiff 36.
The former Chief Navigation Officer of the cruiser Nurnberg and captain of the sail training-ship Horst Wessel, named her the Orion.
"As long as there was a war going on anyway, it was the most independent, and thus the finest command of all for a Naval Officer" (Kurt Weyher).
With a crew of 16 officers, 4 prize officers and 356 petty officers and men, her sea trials and training exercises were conducted in the Baltic, over three and a half months during the severe winter of 1939-40, after which, on March 11 1940, she made her way, through the Kaiser-Wilhelm canal to Kiel together with the Atlantis (Schiff 16) under Kapitän zur See Bernhard Rogge, and the Widder (Schiff 21) under Korvettenkapitän der Reserve Hellmuth von Ruckteschell.
Leaving her anchorage in Kiel Bay on the evening of March 30, and heading for the Holtenau Lock, HSK 1 entered the Kaiser-Wilhelm canal at midnight, and arrived at Brunsbüttel, on the lower Elbe, nine hours later.
Moving down the Elbe towards Cuxhaven, she dropped anchor off the island of Wangeroog, in the lower reaches of the Jade, at midday on March 31.
That evening, work parties commenced converting the grey, two-funnelled, naval Auxiliary, Schiff 36, into the multi-coloured, single-funnelled 6,669-ton freighter Beemsterdijk, of the Nederlandsche-Amerikaansche Stoomvart Maatschappij, dismantling the false funnel and the dummy gun on the forecastle.
Arriving at Süderpiep, a small bay on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein on the following morning April 1, the day on which Kurt Weyher, was promoted to the rank of Fregattenkapitän, the work continued.
Over the next three days and nights, her hull was painted black, with a bright yellow strip along the top matching the masts, her upperworks white, and the single funnel sporting green and white bands, she slowly took on the livery of the Rotterdam shipping line.
Receiving the ‘Clear to Sail’ order on April 6,, Weyher took the Orion northwards, escorted by two torpedo boats, the 924-ton Möwe-class Seeadler and the 933-ton Wolf-class Luchs, and eight S-Boats.
With the S-Boats dropping off that afternoon, and the torpedo boats following later, the raider headed north to meet the U-64, (Kptlt. Georg-Wilhelm Schultz) which had been assigned to escort her, but as it had failed to appear by the morning of April 7, it was clear that it was not to be counted on.
* The U-64 was sunk in Herjangsfjord, near Narvik, a week later, on April 13.
On April 8, the Orion narrowly avoided becoming embroiled in a clash between a group of German destroyers and a British squadron, and later that day, four British destroyers were sighted escorting the minelayer HMS Teviot Bank.
Two of them closed with the raider to inspect her more closely, but with crewmen in civilian clothing visible on deck, the cook coming out to stare at them, and a seaman emptying a load of kitchen waste overboard, her disguise held out.
Commander Weyher’s maxim, painted on a crossbeam in the wheelhouse read, ‘We sail with eagle eyes, a hand on the rudder … and luck!”
Between northern Norway and Iceland, Weyher received a signal from the SKL stating that the U-37 (Krvkpt. Werner Hartmann) would provide his escort, but as she too was withdrawn, he set course for Jan Mayen Island, from where he planned to hug the pack ice off Greenland, and sail through the Denmark Strait.
Arriving off the coast of Greenland, on April 9, where Dutch ships were rarely to be found, and being informed that the real Beemsterdijk was reported to be in West Indian waters, Weyher decided to alter the Orion’s identity.
Working parties immediately set to the task of changing the Beemsterdijk into the anonymous 2,763-ton Russian Sovtorgflot repair ship, Soviet, out of Odessa, on her way from Murmansk to Vladivostock.
On April 11, as she cleared the Denmark Strait and approached the open sea, the Orion ran into the teeth of a full scale Force 10 Atlantic storm, which did not ease off until after nightfall on April 13, when, passing south-east of the southern tip of Greenland, she broke through into the Atlantic.
By April 14, the Orion was beyond the area in which a Russian naval auxiliary might reasonably be found, and so once again, the crew set about the task of giving their ship another new face.
Raising the funnel and lowering the masts, the profile of the ship’s superstructure was altered with timber and canvas, as painters changed her colour scheme, adding realistic touches of ‘rust’, and inscribed the name of the 6,426-ton Greek freighter, Rokos, of the Ionian Steamship Company, on her stern.
On April 16, well on her way to her designated operational area of the eastern Indian Ocean, Weyher was instructed by the SKL to remain in the North Atlantic to give the Allies the impression that a ‘Pocket Battleship’ was at large there, and to proceed to his operational area only after drawing attention to himself.
Reaching the intersection of the busiest trans-Atlantic shipping routes by April 18, in ever-improving weather, Weyher turned south westwards.
On April 22, a large enemy vessel was seen approaching on an opposite course, but, due to her obviously superior speed, was allowed to proceed unmolested.
At first light on April 24, off Newfoundland’s Grand Banks, still disguised as the Rokos, the Orion’s lookouts spotted a ship, travelling without lights, on a parallel south-westerly course.
Passing astern to the starboard side of the vessel, so as to remain hidden against the darker horizon and not arouse suspicion, she was soon clearly visible, but without any sign of life or movement to be seen on board.
Satisfied by the two guns visible on her stern, that the ship was a British armed freighter, and turning to cross her bows, he ordered his ‘Greek’ identifying marks to be covered and ran up the German battle flag.
Firing a 75mm warning shot across the stranger’s bows, he signalled to her to stop and to maintain radio silence.
The British captain chose to disobey both orders, refusing to stop and sending an RRR, ‘warship attack’ signal, leaving Weyher with little choice but to open fire.
Despite the first four-gun salvo putting her two guns out of action, and setting her stern on fire, the freighter continued to try to escape, as her radio operator transmitted a steady stream of distress signals.
Continuing to shell the vessel for six minutes, firing over seventy 150mm rounds, knocking out her radio room and setting her bridge and engine room ablaze, until boats were seen being lowered.
As her crew prepared to abandon ship, Weyher ordered his gunners to cease fire.
With the Orion’s cutters and motor-boats assisting in the rescue work, the ship’s master, Captain Cornelius Arundel, and twenty-three of his men, one of whom later died, were rescued, but sixteen others had lost their lives during the attack.
Identified as the 5,207-ton freighter, Haxby, of the Ropner Shipping Company, en route, in ballast, from Glasgow to Corpus Christi, Texas, to pick up scrap metal for British steel mills, she had been carrying a crew of forty.
Fiercely burning in several places, and producing a gigantic pall of smoke that could probably be seen twenty miles away, the Haxby would not sink.
The shells that had penetrated her hull had buried themselves in the sand she was carrying as ballast, and had exploded with minimal effect, with the sand then serving to plug the holes.
Anxious that an Allied warship would spot the smoke and investigate it, Weyher decided to use a torpedo to finish off the burning freighter, with the resulting explosion cutting her clean in two, and sending her to the bottom.
* This was the first success of the war for the Auxiliary cruiser fleet.
Unsure as to whether the Haxby’s calls, which strangely, and conveniently, in view of the SKL’s instructions to Weyher, had identified her attacker as ‘a warship’, had been picked up, he ordered his radiomen to send further distress calls in garbled merchant code, describing an attack by a ‘pocket battleship’.
Believing his task for the SKL to have been accomplished, Weyher immediately took the Orion southwestwards at top speed.
Later that evening, he stopped his engines, assembled the entire crew on the quarter-deck in their best uniforms, and conducted a service for the dead British seaman as he was consigned with honours to the deep.
On April 25, Weyher decided to change the ship’s identity for the fifth time, and overnight, she was disguised as the 6,588-ton Brazilian Lloyd Brasiliero ship, Mandu, from Rio de Janeiro, with brilliant white superstructure and yellow masts.
Continuing southward at top speed, the Orion ran into her first tropical storm on April 30, and finally crossed the Equator on May 1.
Ambassadors of His Majesty, King Neptune, arrived on board to review the assembled crew, and agreed to Weyher’s request to return at a more suitable time, when the ship was in a safer position, to baptize those seamen who had yet to be initiated into the Southern Hemisphere with the traditional ceremonies.
By May 6, with his ship running low in fuel, Weyher risked sending a brief situation report to the SKL, but had to re-transmit the message twice more over the next two days before receiving a reply.
A day later a fourth signal had to be sent before the raider was informed that the tanker Winnetou would be at a certain rendezvous point from May 12 to 20.
With his engineers spending all of May 11 giving the boilers an overhaul, Weyher reached the rendezvous point on May 12, and finding it deserted, sent his flying officer, Leutnant Klaus Von Winterfeldt, aloft in his seaplane to locate the tanker.
The twenty-seven year-old Winnetou, a British Navy ship during the First World War, which had been on her way back to Germany, under the command of Captain Fritz Steinkrauss, at the outbreak of war, had been ordered to put in to the Canary Islands to await further orders from the SKL.
Having received his instructions, Steinkrauss took his rusty and dilapidated old ship, which had not had an overhaul for four years, out of Las Palmas on April 9, encrusted with barnacles and other marine growth, but, being only capable of a top speed of 7 knots, was unable to make the rendezvous on the given date.
Steinkrauss, a veteran of the Imperial Navy, who had seen service on a heavy cruiser at Jutland, and subsequently christened Captain ‘All Right’ by the Orion’s crew, due to his habit of offering this response in English to just about any order or request put his way, reached the designated meeting place on May 13, and replenished the Orion with 1,900 tons of oil over the next two and a half days.
With over two hundred men required to pass a line between the two ships in high winds and increasingly rising seas, after which the Orion towed the tanker to a calmer location to facilitate the transfer of fuel, ‘Captain All Right’ and Winnetou were released on April 16, to wait at a point west of the Maria Theresa Reefs in the South Pacific, where they had arranged to meet again in two months time.
Consuming an average of forty tons of oil per day, for engines that had to be kept going all the time, as opposed to the seven to nine tons a motor-ship would use, brought it home to Weyher just how unsuitable his ship was, compared to such a diesel-powered vessel, which could stop, start and speed up at will.
The steam turbines that had driven the liner New York, and then the Kurmark, for over twenty years, were not up to the rigours of endless, no-time-in-port steaming, and as such, were totally unsuitable for a raider.
Rounding Cape Horn on May 21, keeping well to the south to avoid any chance meetings with enemy warships, the Orion’s crew spent several days dealing with the first of the countless engine problems that were to plague the ship for the rest of her cruise, before heading along the fortieth parallel towards the Pacific.
New orders from the SKL had specified that Weyher should operate off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, meet a supply ship in the Caroline Islands, and then proceed to the Indian Ocean, and back into the Atlantic.
On June 3, the working parties set to work to change the ship’s identity yet again, taking just under two hours to convert the Brazilian Mandu into a nameless Dutch freighter of the Nederlandsche-Afrikaansche Stoomvart Maatschappij NV.
Having weathered a severe storm for three days, and suffered a fresh engine breakdown on June 8, causing a further delay, the Orion arrived at her destination, Hauraki Gulf, off the city of Auckland, New Zealand, on June 12.
Between 7.30 pm on the evening of June 13, and 2.30 am on the morning of June 14, the Orion laid 228 moored mines, in three fields, in the shipping lanes in the eastern and northern approaches to the Gulf.
Weyher had had to abandon his original plan to lay the mines inside the Gulf, as doing so in the unfavourably clear visibility would have risked discovery.
As the last of the mines was ceremonially piped overboard, in the early hours of June 14, the raider left the area at her top speed, on a north-easterly course.
After the war, it was revealed that the 7,215-ton heavy cruiser, HMNZS Achilles, which had a top speed of 32 knots, and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector, had both arrived at Auckland between 9.00 pm and midnight, while the mines were being laid offshore.
Spotting a ship, close to the Kermadec Islands on June 15, Weyher decided to let her go, as he was reluctant to attract too much attention while still within range of land-based aircraft, and was confident that the vessel was a neutral anyway.
On the following day, June 16, the Orion effectively lost her Arado seaplane, as first it was damaged while being hoisted outboard prior to take-off, and then, on it’s return, it capsized in heavy seas, putting it out of action.
Later that day, as Weyher was sending a signal to Captain ‘All Right’ on the Winnetou, to make arrangements for their re-fuelling rendezvous, his chief engineer, Erwin Kolsch, was in the act of informing him that the ship would have to reduce speed to 5 knots for a few hours to enable him to deal with fresh engine trouble, when a ship’s light was sighted to port.
As the vessel was seen to be progressing at a very slow speed, towards Panama, and with the engine repairs only scheduled to last until midnight, he calculated that with his top speed then restored, she could be caught by daybreak.
At midnight, as the news came up from the engine-room that full speed could once again be resumed, the ship’s lights were still visible on the distant horizon, and by first light, she was caught and passed.
While making interception calculations in the charthouse, Weyher was informed by his Radio Officer that the 13,415-ton Canadian-Australasian Royal Mail liner RMS Niagara, known as ‘The Titanic of the Pacific’, had run into the Orion’s mines off Hauraki Gulf, and gone down.
Bound for Vancouver from Auckland, with one hundred and thirty-six passengers, and a crew of two hundred, she had been carrying a shipment of small-arms ammunition, being sent to England to make good the shortage created by the evacuation at Dunkirk, a massive quantity of mail, and nearly eight tons of gold bullion, valued at 2.5 million pounds, locked in her strong-room.
The bullion, in the form of 590 gold bars, and belonging to the Bank of England, was being sent to the United States as payment for much needed war materials.
* Five hundred and fifty-five bars were salvaged in 1941, with a further thirty being recovered in
1953, leaving five, unfound.
Almost a year after the mines were laid, on May 14 1941, the 927-ton New Zealand minesweeper, HMNZS Puriri, a converted coaster, was sunk with the loss of five lives, while engaged in sweeping one of the mines that had become entangled in the nets of a fishing boat.
One of the measures put in place by the authorities in New Zealand following the sinking of the Niagara was the blacking out all four major ports at night, leading to a collision between the British motor vessel Armadale and the brand-new Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob, on July 13, leaving both ships severely damaged.
* The Ole Jacob was captured by the raider Atlantis on November 10 1940, and subsequently served
the Orion for several months.
* Some accounts claim that the freighters Port Bowen and Baltannic were also sunk by the Orion’s
mines off Hauraki Gulf, but the following records would seem to disprove these claims.
PORT BOWEN was built in 1919 by Workman, Clark & Co. at Belfast with a tonnage of 8267grt, a length of 480ft 8in, a beam of 62ft 5in and a service speed of 14 knots.
Although build to a similar specification as the Port Darwin she was the first of the wider beamed steam turbined vessels but her engines always gave trouble with blade creeping and shedding.
On 19th July 1939, during a voyage from Picton to Wanganui, she ran aground at Castleshore Beach in New Zealand. Her cargo of over 2,000 tons of coal was jettisoned but had little effect as the current bumped her along the beach and carried her further inshore. She was finally declared a total constructive loss and after the remaining cargo and fittings were removed was broken up where she lay.
Knowing that extra caution would now be required in approaching the as yet unidentified ship, Weyher had the Orion slow down so as to allow the stranger, a heavily-laden freighter of some tonnage, to pass astern.
With the ship within 3,000 metres, and abreast of the raider, the battle flag was run up, signals sent, ordering her not to use her radio and to stop, and a warning shot put across her bows, but received no reaction.
When a second warning shot also failed to produce a reaction, Weyher ordered his gunners to fire one full salvo, but placed short.
Moments after a seaman was seen frantically racing aft to run up the Norwegian flag, the vessel identified herself as the 8,755-ton Norwegian motor freighter, Tropic Sea, and surrendered without a fight or using her wireless.
The boarding party, under Leutnant Raschke, reported that the Chr.Østberg line ship was bound ‘from Sydney to the United States’, with a cargo of over 8,000 tons of Australian wheat, and a crew of forty-eight, but that the captain, who appeared to be concealing something, claimed he was travelling as a neutral.
Inviting the captain, his First Officer and one or two others to join him on the Orion, Weyher instructed Raschke to turn the Tropic Sea inside out, whereupon they discovered that she was under charter to the British Ministry of Food, and that the cargo’s final destination was Britain.
Deciding to take her as a prize, Weyher re-named her Kurmark, and under the command of Second Prize Officer Eichrorst, had her sent to an isolated area to prepare her for the long and dangerous voyage back to a German-held port.
Re-joining her on June 22, the two ships rendezvoused with the Winnetou a few days later on June 25, at which point Weyher informed Captain Steinkrauss of his intention to send the prize to a German-held port in France.
Asking him if he would consider taking command of her, as a naval reserve officer, with the provisional rank of Leutnant zur See, his reply, perhaps predictably, was “All Right!”
Having been plundered of anything that might be of value to the raider, and provisioned with food, diesel oil and engine spares, by June 30, pre-prepared for possible emergency scuttling, the freighter was ready to sail.
With a prize-crew of seventeen from the Winnetou and eleven from Orion, she embarked the Orion’s fifty-five prisoners, and set off for Cape Horn and France.
Re-fuelling once more from the Winnetou, now under the command of her former First Officer, Daneil, on July 1, the raider took on 1,500 tons of oil.
This also served to stabilise the ship, which had been too bouyant since she sowed her mines, and had a tendency to toss and roll in the heavy swell.
The Orion spent several fruitless weeks plying the shipping routes in the stifling heat, before meeting the by now very bedraggled Winnetou again on July 28. Taking on 800 tons of fuel, Weyher left 400 tons in reserve on the rusting tanker, which would serve as a scout for him on his way to the Coral Sea.
On July 30, and the following day, he launched his Arado, but found nothing.
Concerned that he had as yet received no confirmation of the dispatch of his prize Tropic Sea / Kurmark from the SKL, Weyher decided to notify them of her current estimated position by devious means, on the international waveband, to the German naval attaché in Tokyo, through a Japanese radio station.
He also informed them that the Winnetou would be sent to the Japanese port of Kobe at the end of the month, when her fuel reserves were exhausted.
Keeping one final rendezvous with the tanker on August 7, off the Santa Cruz Islands, at which he took on her remaining 400 tons, after which he dispatched the rusty worn-out old ship with rapidly failing engines, to Japan, the crew of the Orion once more settled down to the monotony of daily life.
The unrelenting boredom gave way to frustration as the crew began to believe that no matter where or how much they searched, they were never going to find an enemy ship or see any action.
Heading for Brisbane, the level of radio traffic convinced Weyher that aircraft of the Australian Air Force were covering an area up to one hundred miles offshore, and that most shipping was remaining within that cover.
But, on the morning of August 10, smoke was sighted.
Changing course and overtaking the source of the smoke, while remaining just out of sight, he decided to attack after dark, to prevent her calling up air support.
Approaching at speed in the late afternoon, the watching eyes on the Orion could see what a distinctive-looking vessel they were dealing with.
A look at the shipping register confirmed that she was the fast, nine-year-old, 4,413-ton British Phosphates Commissioners ship, Triona, which on spotting the Orion, immediately turned away, into the shelter of a rain squall.
Given the Orion’s lack of speed, and the considerable distance between the two vessels, Weyher realised that it would take too long to catch up with the Triona, and that as he couldn’t do so before nightfall, he let her go, and set course for the French colony of New Caledonia.
On August 12, he was informed by the SKL that the Allies had received a full description of the Orion’s sister-ship, the Widder, and were now aware that ships of the HAPAG ‘Mark und Pfennig’ class were at sea as auxiliary cruisers.
On July 13, a number of survivors of two of the Widder’s victims, the Davisian and the King John, set adrift in lifeboats in the Atlantic, by her captain, Hellmuth Von Ruckteschell, who was averse to filling his ship up with prisoners, had reached the island of Anguilla on July 18.
There they had given a full description of the raider, the first such description of a German auxiliary cruiser the Allies had so far received.
On receipt of this disturbing news, Weyher decided to have any of the distinctive features of the class that might still remain on the Orion, removed.
Shortening the fore and main topmasts and lengthening the funnel went some way to achieving the desired affect, and seemed to please the commander, who made a trip around the ship in a motor-boat to judge the results for himself.
Cruising off Nouméa, the principal harbour of New Caledonia, on August 13, Weyher decided to use his seaplane, but when fuel problems forced it to ditch in the sea, he had to spend a large part of August 14 searching for it.
When, after four hours, it was finally located, Von Winterfeldt reported that he had spotted four ships tied up in the harbour.
On August 16, a ship was sighted heading for the island, making a lot of smoke, which, when challenged, identified herself as the Societé le Nickel, collier, Notou, but refused to stop when ordered to do so.
A warning shot fired across her bows, soon brought her to a halt.
The boarding party reported that the 2,489-ton collier was carrying 3,600 tons of coal from Newcastle, New South Wales, received in exchange for Nouméan nickel.
Taking her crew on board, she was blown up with demolition charges, which initially simply created a gigantic fire, but failed to sink her.
Several rounds from one of the 150mm guns sent her down stern first.
Leaving the seemingly deserted Coral Sea behind, the Orion headed south for the Tasman Sea, the dangerous waters between Australia and New Zealand, where on August 20, Weyher received orders from the SKL to re-fuel once more in the Pacific, and then return home via the Indian Ocean.
Later on the same day, a ship was spotted emerging from a rain squall between the Cook Strait and Sydney, which was clearly identified as an enemy vessel by the gun mounted on the stern.
Weyher approached her head-on, to a range of 5,500 metres, and ordered her to stop and not to use her radio.
Far from complying, the vessel’s captain, J.B.Laird, immediately ordered his radio operator to send distress signals and had his 6-inch gun manned.
Putting a man up the foremast to direct it’s fire, and observe the fall of shot, he then turned his stern to the raider, increased his speed and took off.
As the Orion’s gunners opened fire, and the enemy gunners quickly, but ineffectively, responded, the raider’s radio operators failed to jam the steady stream of SOS messages being transmitted from the enemy ship.
Salvo after salvo was fired at her, devastating the bridge and the forward part of the ship, and in the first fifteen minutes, killing over half the crew, wounding many more, and starting fires which rapidly took hold.
Although the burning freighter soon began to slow down, it was only when her fore-mast was brought crashing to the deck, taking her antenna and the gunnery directing seaman with it, that the stream of radio transmissions finally ceased.
Deprived of their spotter, her gunners, who had managed to maintain a steady rate of fire throughout the action, despite the mayhem all around them, ceased firing altogether.
But the SOS calls had achieved their objective, and from the Orion’s point of view, the damage was done, as Allied naval forces, the light cruisers HMAS Perth in Melbourne, and HMNZS Achilles at Wellington, had been alerted, and were preparing to put to sea.
As Weyher ordered his gun crews to cease fire, and the enemy captain ordered his surviving crew to abandon ship, the two ships lay close together.
It soon became clear to the watching Germans that the freighter’s lifeboats had been reduced to matchwood, as the one boat they saw being lowered sank in the rough seas, and so, as the ship was now no more than a blazing wreck, Weyher instructed his men to prepare to move in to help the survivors to safety.
Approaching to within 2,500 metres of the slowly sinking ship, the enemy gunners suddenly opened fire again, prompting a swift and lethal response from Weyher, who ordered a full broadside to be fired into her, plus a fusillade from the double-barrelled 37mm anti-aircraft guns, silencing it for good.
Sinking slowly, but burning fiercely, with the flames mounting high into the night sky like a huge torch, which could be seen for miles, two torpedoes were fired into the stricken ship, the second of which caused a massive explosion, destroying a lifeboat and killing many of her crew who had jumped overboard, and sent her down by the stern, leaving the survivors in the mountainous seas.
Unable to lower boats to rescue them because of the seas, the Germans dropped rubber dinghies on long leads overboard, and managed, over a period of five and a half hours, during which time they could have been making good their escape from the two Allied cruisers approaching at top speed, to pick up twenty-one men, seven of whom were wounded.
When some of the crew were heard to nervously complain about the delay in leaving the scene, they were sharply reminded by their captain of their responsibilities to other seamen, pointing out to them that while the war required the sinkings and the unfortunate loss of life, once the combat was over “… one fought man’s common enemy, the sea, to save as may souls as possible”.
The ship’s master, Captain J.B.Laird, was not among the survivors, but the brave seaman who had fallen with the foremast and had amazingly survived, died of his injuries the following morning, and was buried at sea with full military honours.
Identified as the 9,691-ton New Zealand Shipping Company refrigerated freighter, Turakina, she was en route to Wellington, with a crew of fifty-seven, and carrying a cargo of 4,000 tons of lead, 1,500 tons of grain, 7,000 tons of wool, plus fruit and piece goods.
Aware that he had stirred up a hornet’s nest, Weyher, took the Orion, by now nicknamed ‘The Black Raider’ by the Australian and New Zealand press, at top speed to the south-west, around Tasmania, under cover of low cloud and rain.
On August 22, she was overflown and investigated by an Allied bomber, but fortunately for her, the Dutch disguise held good, and she continued on her way.
Entering the Roaring Forties, 200 miles south-west of Tasmania, on August 24, the Orion headed into the teeth of a ferocious storm with waves as high as forty feet, and 300 metres long, which lasted for five days.
She was bashed and tossed about so badly, that she sustained a considerable amount of damage and at times had to heave to and simply ride it out.
But, once again, as the days of fruitless searching and inactivity looked like stretching into weeks, the growing atmosphere of frustration was not helped by an accident on board, on September 2, in which two crewmen were severely injured while converting five steel beer kegs into dummy mines to be dropped off the southwest tip of Australia, with one of them dying of his injuries the next day.
The morning of September 4, brought another aircraft alert, as a Lockheed Hudson bomber circled and examined the raider, off the southwest of Australia, and, having been waved at by the ‘civilians’ on board, including Weyher himself from the bridge, made off, seemingly satisfied that she was a harmless freighter.
But, just after midday, the raider’s radio operators reported at least six aircraft heading straight towards the ship.
Fortunately, low cloud and dense, slow-moving rain squalls provided convenient cover, in which she managed to slip away to the southwest, as the aircraft searched in vain overhead, and by next morning, she was safely out of range of a further group of aircraft sent out from Perth to look for her.
Maintaining the precaution of having his lookouts dress in civilian clothes, and no one else allowed on deck, Weyher continued in a south-westerly direction to look for possible prey in the Australia to Cape Town shipping lanes, off Fremantle.
With Schiff 33, the raider Pinguin, under the command of Ernst-Felix Krüder, assigned to cover the eastern Indian Ocean, and already on her way there, Weyher was instructed to proceed towards the Marshall Islands, to rendezvous with the 9,179-ton former Norddeutsche Lloyd tanker Weser, which was due to arrive at the Ailinglapalap Atoll from Mexico, with fuel and provisions, in early October, and from there to patrol in Pacific waters.
Instructing his crew to change the ship’s identity from Dutch to British on September 5, as she had been so recently scrutinised by Allied aircraft, the work was carried out in atrocious weather, with winds up to Gale Force 10.
On September 7, the crew of the Orion received the news that on September 3, when almost in sight of her destination, their prize, Tropic Sea / Kurmark, had been stopped off Bilbao, by the British submarine HMS Truant, the same boat that had crippled the light cruiser Karlsruhe off Norway on April 9, and been scuttled by the prize crew, which had then managed to escape in a boat, landing safely at La Coruna in Spain.
Two days later, on September 9, Weyher was informed that the 8,068-ton former Norddeutsche Lloyd motor-ship Regensburg was on her way from Kobe in Japan, and would be at the October rendezvous with the Weser.
But on September 29, it was reported that the Weser had been captured by the Canadian auxiliary cruiser HMCS Prince Robert, as she left the Mexican port of Manzanilla on September 25, and the SKL called for extra vigilance, as it was feared that the rendezvous point may have been compromised.
A further signal notified Weyher of a rendezvous with the raider Komet, under Kapitän zur See Robert Eyssen, at Lamotrek Atoll in the Caroline Islands.
Feeling it was time to shed his British disguise, and change the Orion’s identity again, Weyher chose to disguise the ship as the 7,005-ton Japanese freighter Maebashi Maru, belonging to the Nanyo Kaiun Kabusiki Kaisha of Tokyo.
With no one on board qualified to write the ship’s name in Japanese characters on the hull, it was finally decided to transcribe a line from the instructions on the export packaging of a roll of film, that had been procured in Tokyo and supplied to the Orion by the tanker Ole Jacob.
With her new name ‘Not Suitable For Use in The Tropics’, emblazoned on her hull, the Orion continued on her way to the Marshall Islands, arriving there on October 10, to find the supply ship Regensburg, also disguised as a Japanese vessel, the 4,163-ton Sawayama Kisen Kabusiki Kaisha freighter Tokyo Maru, under the command of Kapitän Harder, waiting in the lagoon at Ailinglapalap.
By now, Weyher’s Chief Engineer, Erwin Kolsch, was expressing concern about the condition of the Orion’s boilers, which would normally require an overhaul every 900 hours, but had been working non-stop for more than 3,000 hours under severe strain without being cleaned, since they left Germany in April.
Taking on 3,000 tons of oil, and being replenished by the Regensburg, Weyher received a directive from the SKL, to meet with the 7,363-ton supply-ship Kulmerland, the former Hamburg-Amerika line freighter, at Lamotrek.
Two days later, on October 12, with the supply-ship, the faster of the two, leading the way, the Orion departed for her designated meeting with the Komet.
When, just before dawn on October 14, two months since she took her last victim, as the Orion approached the Caroline Islands, one of her lookouts spotted a navigation light, Weyher changed course and increased speed to close with the stranger for a closer look.
Remaining hidden in the darkness, the Orion crept up on the vessel, and from a range of 2,000 metres, signalled to her by morse lamp to stop.
When no response was forthcoming, a warning shot was fired across her bows, but it too had little effect, and the ship continued on her way.
When a second warning shot was fired, bursting close to her side, a signal was flashed back from the ship, identifying herself as the Norwegian motor-ship Ringwood, the former Beljeanne, on her way to Ocean Island from Shanghai.
Ordering her to stop, Weyher signalled that he was sending a boat.
Clearly under the impression that the Orion was a British warship, and therefore transmitting no SOS messages, offering any resistance, or trying to get away, her captain was stunned when he realised that the boarding party being helped aboard his ship was German.
Travelling in ballast, under orders from the Norwegian government-in-exile in London, and the British Ministry of Food, to pick up a cargo of bulk phosphate for Bermuda or Halifax, and then on to Britain, the 7,203-ton Olav Ringdal freighter, was taken without a fight.
Her captain, who protested against the inspection and capture of his ship, and his thirty-four-man crew, which included an anti-social 70-year-old carpenter and his large, and equally unfriendly Mexican tomcat, were taken on board the Orion.
Fed on frozen meat and condensed milk, the giant cat visibly began to suffer in the prisoner’s quarters, while the prisoners began to suffer from the smell of the cat, prompting it’s cantankerous owner to request that it be given the freedom of the ship in order to hunt for rats.
As the thirty or so rats that had sailed with the raider in April had, over the course of the six month voyage, multiplied considerably in the ship’s food stores, became very nervous, the cat thrived, to the satisfaction of all!
Although the Ringwood was an ideal vessel to be sent home as a prize, she had insufficient fuel on board to get her half way around the world, and so, after removing some of her equipment, which had only recently been purchased in Shanghai for $10,000, she was scuttled with demolition charges.
Early on the following morning, a large vessel was spotted, but as the raider’s speed had been reduced due to a fouled-up boiler, she had to be let go.
When, just after midday on October 17, a ship which was sighted and approached at full speed, was seen, at the last moment, to be an official Japanese Inspection vessel, tarpaulins had to be hastily dropped over the ‘Japanese’ markings, and the Dutch flag run up.
With both his own ship, and the Regensburg, disguised as Japanese ships, and Japan still maintaining a neutral, albeit pro-German, stance in the war, Weyher was anxious to avoid any encounters with Japanese vessels, that might precipitate international embarrassment and tension.
But, on October 18, as the two ships finally met up with the Komet and the tanker Kulmerland, at the Lamotrek Atoll, precisely such an embarrassing encounter took place, and as coincidence would have it, on an extraordinarily embarrassing scale.
Spotting a ship heading towards the atoll, early the following morning, both the Orion and the Regensburg, which was the faster of the two German ships, increased speed and pursued her, in an attempt to intercept and identify her before she reached the safety of the lagoon.
Failing to do so, the fleeing vessel likewise increased speed and entered the lagoon before they could catch her.
In doing so, she turned broadside-on to the German ships, and Weyher noticed with horror, that she had the Japanese flag painted on her side.
This was the 4,495-ton Japanese passenger liner Palao Maru, whose captain must have been astonished to find two ‘Japanese’ vessels at anchor in the harbour, and two others seemingly hell-bent on chasing him into it.
To make matters worse, the Kulmerland, by ghastly coincidence, was using the same Japanese name the Regensburg was using, the Tokyo Maru!
The Komet, riding at anchor alongside her ‘Tokyo Maru’, was disguised as the 2,904-ton Tokyo Kisen K.K. ship Manyo Maru, and the Orion, entering the lagoon with her Tokyo Maru, was displaying ‘Not Suitable For The Tropics’ in Japanese.
While the captain of the Palao Maru discussed the situation by radio with the port authorities, no doubt querying the presence and identity of these mysterious vessels, before departing, the German captains could only wait and hope that the camera-toting tourists crowding the liner’s rails didn’t see anything that might subsequently compromise them.
Soon after the liner left the port, an official Japanese Government Inspection Ship arrived to investigate all these ‘Japanese’ ships anchored in the lagoon.
A uniformed officer, boarding the Komet, asking questions about their identity, was told by Captain Eyssen that they were simply four German merchant ships attempting to get back to Europe via the hostile waters of the Pacific.
Making reference to the newly-signed Tripartite Pact and that they had only adopted Japanese identification as protection against Allied warships, and explaining that they had chosen the lagoon as a suitable place to safely exchange fuel and supplies, he took the officer on an inspection tour of the largest of the German ships, the unarmed Kulmerland, and produced genuine Japanese documents that had been issued to both that ship and the Regensburg, when they had cleared the Japanese ports at which they had purchased supplies.
Seemingly satisfied, and totally unaware that he had been on a warship, the official then attempted to board the dilapidated-looking Orion, which seemed to interest him most, but was prevented from doing so by a combination of language difficulties and the mysterious absence of a gangway.
Finally giving up, he returned to his ship, and soon afterwards, sailed away.
Under the command of Eyssen, who was the senior officer present, the four German vessels left Lamotrek on October 20, with the Regensburg, her entire cargo distributed, returning to Japan to re-stock with supplies, and the other three, steaming abreast, the Kulmerland in the middle, heading southeastwards.
While sailing abreast, and spread wide apart to maximise the sea area covered, up to a range of 100 miles, Weyher decided to once again radically alter his ship’s profile and have her re-painted, mainly because of the photographs taken at Lamotrek by the Japanese passengers on the Palao Maru.
When finished, the Orion bore little resemblance to the ship seen at the lagoon.
As the ‘Far East Squadron’ cruised the Panama to New Zealand sea routes without success, the Orion experienced constant engine problems, including one that led to a shortage of fresh water, and also suffered a minor epidemic of influenza on board.
The seemingly interminable boredom was briefly broken on the evening of November 3, when a ship was sighted, and challenged to identify herself.
The response to the morse signal was so slow in coming, that a warning shot had already been fired across the vessel’s bow before she replied ‘City of Elwood’.
Identified as the 6,197-ton neutral American, Pioneer Line motor-ship, she was dazzlingly illuminated by the Orion’s searchlight as the guns were hastily covered, and allowed to continue on her way.
While riding out a severe storm to the east of Auckland, with waves over forty feet high which rolled the ship up to 35°, a bout of food-poisoning swept through the Orion, affecting over a hundred members of the crew.
Ascribed to a serving of potato salad, and the generally debilitated condition of the men, caused by the absence of fresh food from their diet, most were back on their feet within a day or two.
At a meeting on November 24, Eyssen suggested that they head north to attack the Australian trust island of Nauru, and destroy the facilities there. A former German possession, lost to the British during World War One, Nauru was rich in phosphate, exporting almost 800,000 tons of it annually.
As he was the senior commander, Weyher and Pschunder more or less had to agree to what had become a pet project for the Komet’s captain.
On the following day, November 25, he found his first victim.
Spotting a small vessel off Chatham Island, the Komet rapidly closed in on her, ordering her not to use her wireless and to stop.
Her captain, reluctant to risk the lives of the women and children on board his ship, complied immediately, and the boarding party identified her as the 546-ton New Zealand Holm Line coaster, Holmwood, with a crew of seventeen and twelve passengers, including four women and five children, taking a cargo of 1,370 sheep, a horse, and wool from the island to Lyttelton, New Zealand.
Transferring her crew and passengers onto the Komet, as many of the sheep as could be accommodated, were taken, with some difficulty, onto all three German ships, with the Orion taking one hundred and ninety-two of them.
As the sheep settled into their new, and very temporary quarters on the raider’s afterdeck gangway, the ship’s carpenters assembled four sturdy chopping blocks for the eight designated slaughterers, who set to work immediately to clear the gangway in one afternoon.
While the decks ran with blood, Eyssen and Weyher discussed the possibility of using the coaster as an auxiliary minelayer, but finally rejected the idea, as her maximum speed was only 9 knots, and so, it was decided to sink her.
Opening her sea cocks, the boarding party then left the little coaster to the mercies of the Komet’s gunners, who put in some much-needed target practice.
For thirty minutes they shot the little steamer to pieces, turning her blazing wreck into a funeral pyre for the thousand or so unfortunate sheep that had remained on board and went down with her.
On Eyssen’s orders, the horse had been put down before the shooting began.
While the crew initially welcomed the fresh meat, not surprisingly, in no time at all, they came to loathe the daily diet of mutton.
Receiving fresh instructions from the SKL, the Orion was ordered to carry out her long overdue engine overhaul, and then return home, via the South Atlantic.
Her raiding days were clearly numbered in the new operational scheme of things, as she was now the only cruiser remaining with old oil-fired boilers, that would always be dependent on a plentiful supply of fuel being available.
The brand-new former Norwegian tanker, Ole Jacob, taken as a prize in the Indian Ocean by the raider Atlantis the previous November, and now in Kobe, was assigned to supply her, with the Annaliese Essberger taking over in the Atlantic.
In the early hours of the morning on November 27, in poor visibility, a large ship, running without lights, was sighted by the Orion’s lookouts, and reported by lamp signals to the Komet, which circled around her in order to catch her between the two raiders, while the unarmed Kulmerland withdrew, out of the line of fire.
Although not certain whether he was looking at a large cargo ship or a warship, when his radio operators reported to him that the vessel was transmitting distress calls, stating that she was being approached by a suspicious ship, Weyher had a signal morsed to her, ordering her to immediately cease all radio transmissions, and to stop.
Now clearly visible as a large passenger liner with two funnels, the vessel was transfixed in the mist between the Orion and the Komet, clearly silhouetted by the glare of the Orion’s powerful searchlights, which reflected off the misty rain, giving the Komet’s gunners an easy task when ordered to open fire, straddling her with their first salvo.
The Orion’s gunners, unable to clearly see the target because of their own reflected light, were wide of the mark.
Continuing to transmit, and this time reporting that she was being attacked by two German warships, the burning liner vainly attempted to turn away.
Firmly boxed in by the raiders, and with her radio mast shot away, she finally surrendered, precipitating a frantic scramble, as boarding parties from all three German ships raced each other to be the first to claim her, the largest ship ever taken by a raider, as a prize, with Komet’s party eventually winning.
Identified as the 16,712-ton New Zealand Shipping Company passenger liner, Rangitane, en route to Liverpool from Auckland, via the Panama Canal, with a crew of 192 and 111 passengers, 36 of whom were women, a cargo of 124,881 cases of butter, 33,255 cases of frozen pork and mutton, 23,646 cases of cheese, as well as equally large quantities of cocoa beans and other foodstuffs.
She was also carrying forty-five bars of silver.
This was a very valuable cargo, as the Rangitane was a very valuable ship.
With an armoured bridge and wheelhouse, and unusually heavily armed,* she had a 5-inch and a 3-inch, mounted on her stern, several American-made light flak weapons mounted on the wings of her bridge, a depth-charge launcher, and devices to protect her against both contact and magnetic mines.
In many ways, she was better equipped than both of her attackers.
Despite all of this, and her undoubtedly superior speed, he had made no serious effort to defend his ship in any way, or to escape the raider’s trap.
Had she not been boxed in by the raiders, and caught in a cross-fire, she could easily have outrun both of them.
* There is some dispute as to how heavily the Rangitane was armed, as he captain, Lionel Upton was heard on numerous occasions to refer to ‘the gun’.
She had been badly damaged, with her steering and lighting systems out of action, and had sustained severe damage to the midships section, where five people, three passengers and two members of the crew, had lost their lives.
Some prisoners were transferred to the Kulmerland, which now had thirty-nine women and five children on board, while military passengers and ship’s companies were transferred from the supply ship and the Orion, to the Komet.
As the Rangitane’s distress signals had been picked up and re-transmitted to Australian and New Zealand naval units, it quickly became clear from intercepted radio traffic, that both warships and aircraft were rushing to the scene, so, unfortunately for the German prize crews, there was just enough time to transfer the passengers and crew before the burning and slowly sinking liner, and her tempting cargo, had to be sent to the bottom.
With her sea cocks opened, she listed slightly, but, showing no signs of going down, a torpedo was fired from the Komet, which opened a large hole in her side, causing her to capsize and sink, after which the three German ships left the scene at top speed towards the northeast and the island of Nauru.
Two flying boats, the Aotearoa and the Awarura, searched the area later in the day, and on the afternoon of the following day, November 28, the light cruiser HMNZS Achilles arrived at the scene, finding nothing but debris.
While Weyher had agreed with the plan to attack shipping around Nauru, and to put men ashore there to destroy the harbour installations, the radio station, and the phosphate plant, when Eyssen suggested that they leave their accumulated prisoners there, the idea did not at all appeal to the skipper of the Orion.
Fearing that on being rescued, the experienced seamen and military personnel among them would give accurate descriptions of the German ships to the Allies, Weyher suggested that all of the women and children should be transferred to the non-combatant Kulmerland, and that only the coloured prisoners should be left on the island, a suggestion that Eyssen agreed to, and subsequently implemented, as all the women and childen were transferred to the tanker on November 28.
On December 5, Eyssen summoned Weyher to a meeting to finalise the details of the proposed operation against Nauru, outlining his plan to put a 185-man party ashore on December 8, eighty-six of them from the Komet and ninety-nine from the Orion, under Komet’s Executive Officer, Joseph Huschenbeth.
Early on December 6, while work parties were busily reverting the Orion to her original camouflage, her lookouts sighted smoke.
Immediately passing the information to the Kulmerland and the Komet, so that Eyssen could also participate, the Orion approached the stranger which was seen to be a rather distinctive-looking and familiar vessel.
Certain that she was the 4,413-ton British Phosphate Commissioners freighter Triona, that had escaped from him four months previously, and that she was bound for Nauru, where her imminent arrival would compromise the planned operation against the installations the following day, Weyher assured Eyssen, who had reported that he believed her to be a neutral American ship, and Pschunder of the Kulmerland, as to her true identity.
Closing to within ten miles, still unseen by the enemy ship, Weyher used the cover of rain showers, and a smoke screen that hung in the misty air, to creep closer while remaining concealed to the south of his prey, from where he hoped to drive her towards the other two ships which lay to the north of her.
When the Komet and the Kulmerland suddenly emerged from a low rain cloud, having missed the Triona in the thick mist, Eyssen immediately turned and took off to the north of her, as Weyher headed the Orion straight into the cloud that concealed the enemy, emerging from it minutes later to find the freighter caught between himself and the Komet, from which position, there would be no escape.
Nine hours after first being spotted, a warning shot was fired across the bows of the Triona by the Komet, leading the enemy radio operator to instantly transmit a QQQ signal, which was just as quickly ‘jammed’ by the Komet’s radio officer, loudly broadcasting a Japanese radio call on the same frequency.
During one final desperate attempt to escape into a nearby surface-level rain cloud, which was halted by a well-aimed salvo from the Orion, the freighter hove to and was seen to lower her boats.
Once again, the Komet’s prize crew were the first to board the surrendered ship, confirming her identity and reporting that she was carrying a cargo of foodstuffs and piece goods from Melbourne and Newcastle to Nauru and Ocean Island, and a sixty-four-man crew, three of whom had been killed.
With Komet, the faster, and more reliable ship, departing to conduct some reconnaissance around Nauru, Weyher replenished his storerooms from the freighter’s cargo of food supplies, after which she was torpedoed and sunk.
Among the sixty-one survivors picked up, were six women and a child.
On the evening on the next day, December 7, as the Orion and the Kulmerland lay to the west of Nauru, preparing to commence the attack, the Komet, which had met and sunk the 5,181-ton Norwegian motor ship Vinni the night before, after leaving the scene of the sinking of the Triona, was preparing to the east.
Meeting as planned early on the morning of December 8, Eyssen reported that while having found no ships under the loading platforms, he had seen three British freighters waiting to load off the north-east coast of the island, and had evolved a plan in which the Orion would round the island to the south, while the Komet rounded it to the north, to approach and attack them without warning from opposite directions in the early morning half light.
As she moved in to within four miles of the coastline and headed south in pitch darkness and driving rain, Orion’s lookouts spotted a large, brightly-lit ship.
Stealthily closing to within 1,300 metres of her, Weyher challenged her by signal lamp to identify herself and ordered her to stop.
Receiving no response, a warning shot followed, causing the ship’s captain to switch off his running lights, turn away and attempt to escape.
Once the Orion’s searchlight had picked out the gun mounted on the stern, establishing that the stranger was an enemy ship, Weyher’s gunners opened fire, registering hits with each round, killing one man, shooting away the freighter’s radio aerials and crippling her steering gear.
Four salvos later, with his ship ablaze, her captain decided to stop, dumped his papers overboard, and began to lower his two lifeboats.
Taking no time to pick up the survivors, as he’d spotted the lights of another ship to the east, which had been switched off when the shooting started, suggesting that she too was an enemy vessel, Weyher signalled to the Kulmerland to do so, while he went in search of his second victim.
Eyssen, who had observed the action, but had not wished to become embroiled in it for fear of accidentally tangling with the Orion, had rounded the island again, and returned to pick up one of the boats, leaving the other to the Kulmerland, identified the vessel as the 6,378-ton British Phosphate Commissioners, Triadic.
Leaving his first victim’s boats to the Kulmerland and the Komet, Weyher, now demanding every ounce of speed from his engines, pursued the second vessel until she was within range, and opened fire.
With four salvos quickly bringing her to a stop, her captain ordered his boats to be lowered, and abandoned ship without using his radio.
The prize crew identified her as the 6,032-ton British Phosphate Commissioners freighter, Triaster, as Weyher had her captain and his sixty-three man crew taken on board the Orion.
Reporting nothing of interest or value on board, the prize crew was ordered to scuttle her with demolition charges.
As they calmly made their way off the ship, having set their charges in one of the holds, the Triaster suddenly erupted.
Taking on a severe list, the men, some of whom had been searching the ship for items of interest, rushed topside and scrambled frantically to get off, with one of the officers taking a nose dive into the sea, much to the amusement of the crew, and just made it before a second charge went off, taking her down by the bow.
Returning to the listing, burnt-out Triadic, which, despite having sustained fifteen direct hits, had still not sunk, a demolition charge also failed to sink her, and so, once again, Weyher had to employ one of his precious torpedoes.
When even this failed, a demolition crew had to be sent back to carry out the extremely perilous task of placing the charges outboard, against the ship’s bow, and getting away from the red-hot wreck as quickly as possible, before the charges blew a large hole in her hull and sent her to the bottom.
Meanwhile, having sorted out the Triadic’s boats, and taken some verbal abuse from her First Officer for his trouble, Eyssen ran the 3,900-ton British freighter Komata down, signalling to her to heave to.
Unable to decipher the Komet’s signal when morsed to stop and to refrain from using his wireless, her captain called for full speed, radioed for help and tried desperately to escape.
Opening fire and registering several direct hits which silenced the radio and killed two of the officers on the bridge, by the fourth salvo the vessel came to a halt.
Identified by the boarding party as the brand new 3,900-ton Union Steamship Company of New Zealand freighter Komata, her crew of thirty-three were taken on board the Komet and she was scuttled.
This action concluded a very successful forty-eight hours during which five ships had been sunk, totalling 26,000 tons, and over 160 prisoners taken, bringing the total number aboard the three German ships to over 675, of whom fifty-two were women, and eight were children.
The only disappointment was that the proposed landing on the island had not been possible due to the high seas.
Agreeing to meet with Eyssen again on December 13, for another shot at putting a demolition squad on Nauru, Weyher continued his search for fresh targets off Ponape, while the Komet and the Kulmerland left for Ailinglapalap Atoll to re-fuel.
Arriving at the rendezvous off the island on the designated day, the Orion ran into gale force winds and high seas, as once again it seemed as if the weather would prevent the operation going ahead.
With no sign of the Komet or the Kulmerland until December 16, Weyher had to wait for three days in appalling weather for them to arrive.
Tired of operating with a ship that was constantly in need of repairs, Eyssen decided to break up the ‘squadron’, but decided, that before doing so, it had to perform one final task.
As both he and Weyher had received instructions from the SKL in Berlin not to send any prisoners to Japan, but to return them to Europe whenever possible, he proposed that as that was not possible from such a remote location, that they release every one of their 675 captives, 153 from his ship, 265 from the Orion, and 257 from the Kulmerland, on Emirau Island in the Bismarck Archipelago.
Once again, Weyher objected, suggesting that only the women, the children, the disabled and the ‘coloured’ prisoners be put ashore, and that the rest should be put on the Ermland, which was about to set sail, from Japan, for Europe.
By noon on December 21, 343 European and 171 ‘coloured’ prisoners, along with tents and provisions to tie them over until they were picked up, had been landed into the care of the two English families living on Emirau.
* Eyssen was later criticised by the SKL for this decision as the information gleaned from those picked up at Emirau provided Allied Intelligence with vital information about the operational activities of the raiders, their secret re-fuelling points and their use of Japanese facilities and disguises.
The prisoners were subsequently picked up on December 29, by the 6,942-ton British auxiliary Nellore of the Eastern & Australian Steamship Company and landed at Townsville, North Queensland.
One hundred and fifty prisoners remained on the Orion for ‘security reasons’.
When both raiders had replenished their stores and re-fuelled from the Kulmerland, the Komet departed back in the direction of Nauru, the supply-ship set off for Japan to re-load, and the Orion set course for Lamotrek Atoll, for her much-needed and long overdue refit, arriving on Christmas Day, to find the brand new former Norwegian tanker, Ole Jacob, already moored inside the anchorage.
Deciding to remain outside the lagoon, Weyher sent a motor boat to convey his intentions to the tanker’s captain, with instructions to await the arrival of the supply-ships Regensburg and Ermland, only to receive the astonishing news that the captain of the tanker was Captain ‘All Right’, Fritz Steinkrauss.
Having been briefly taken aboard the British submarine, HMS Truant, after the scuttling of the Tropic Sea in the Bay of Biscay on September 3, Steinkrauss had subsequently been released back into one of the lifeboats.
As the British frantically tried to prevent the Tropic Sea from foundering, the Germans quietly slipped away, setting sail for the French coast.
Running into a Biscay storm within the first day, which tore away the mast and the sail, they were left rowing in open boats for several days and nights.
But they managed to get ashore at La Coruña in northern Spain, crossed into occupied France and made their way back back to Germany.
Steinkrauss jumped at the offer of taking over the captaincy of the Ole Jacob, then moored at Kobe in Japan, and crossed Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostock, in order to do so.
While the Orion’s crew were naturally stunned and impressed by the news, Weyher was delighted to see him for other reasons, as the tanker contained 2,000 tons of fuel oil, 1,200 tons of petroleum and 30 tons of drinking water.
Sailing away from Lamotrek to seek a suitable location to carry out his engine repairs in safety, Weyher employed his dilapidated Arado seaplane to explore the surrounding islands and atolls, but with no success.
On top of that, a report came through that, on December 27, the Australian Prime Minister had broadcast the news of an attack on the island of Nauru by a German warship, which could only result in heightened Allied counter measures.
Weyher, and the SKL were understandably furious that Eyssen, as the senior commander, had insisted on releasing so many prisoners in a place where they would be so quickly found, and able to give details, not only of the German ships themselves, but also about where they rendezvoused with their supply-ships.
* Eyssen, who disagreed with Weyher and the SKL on the prisoner release matter, expressing the view that their operational area was already compromised, had returned to Nauru in the early hours of that very morning.
Signalling to shore his intention of bombarding the installation, and warning the residents to evacuate the area, he fired a warning shot to disperse a crowd that had gathered on the beach, after which he opened up with every gun at his disposal, continuing to fire for one hour and eighteen minutes.
Firing 126 rounds of 155mm, 360 rounds of 37mm and 719 rounds of 20mm, he destroyed the cantilevered loading cranes, the fuel tanks, the storage facilities, the boats and the mooring buoys, causing a massive amount of damage and sending 13,000 tons of oil up in smoke.
A further mass inoculation of the crew of the Orion took place on December 28, the sixth in eight months, and the ship got a face lift, as the First Lieutenant set the crew to work de-rusting and re-painting.
Returning to Lamotrek on New Years Eve, to find that the Regensburg had arrived, with a large consignment of Japanese beer, among other supplies, the Orion dropped anchor alongside the bulging supply-ship, and the Ole Jacob, to see in the New Year.
The festivities were dampened somewhat for Weyher, who was acutely aware that the SKL had determined to recall the Orion from active raiding duty.
Her constant need for oil, meant that they had to assign supply-ships to see her home via the Indian Ocean, and the South Atlantic, two areas recently well worked over by other raiders, and therefore unlikely to yield much success.
While the crew spent eleven hours transferring 3,300 cases of supplies to the raider on January 1 1941, the Ole Jacob pumped 1,200 tons of diesel oil into the Regensburg, which continued dispensing provisions for the next two days.
By midday on January 3, the provisioning was complete, leaving the men available to assist with the engine overhaul and the cleaning of the boilers and fuel tanks, a nightmarish job carried out under the most appalling conditions in intense heat, noxious fumes and indescribable filth.
After 286 days at sea, and having travelled over 65,000 miles, the Orion was in desperate need of a thorough refit.
Parts of the engines that had been under continual steam pressure, could be stripped down and overhauled, and the boilers and fuel tanks could be cleaned.
Informed by the SKL on the same day, that they believed both Ailinglapalap and Lamotrek had been compromised due to information given to the enemy by the prisoners picked up at Emirau, the work on the engines had to be halted, the machinery re-assembled, and the ship prepared to depart at first light.
It was decided that once the prisoners were transferred off the ship, the work could be continued at the volcanic islands at Maug, a Japanese possession in the northern Mariana Islands.
The Regensburg departed on the morning of January 4, returning to Japan to reload with supplies, being replaced on January 5, by the 6,528-ton Ermland, a former HAPAG freighter, under Kapitän Kragge.
Once the filthy, vermin-infested holds of the newly-arrived supply ship had been hosed down and prepared to receive them, the Orion’s prisoners were quickly transferred, and she was dispatched to a holding area, to await further orders.
On January 6, the Ole Jacob sailed for Maug, followed shortly afterwards by the Orion, which once again, as soon as she was safely out of sight of the Ermland, with her large number of inquisitive prisoners, had her profile radically altered.
Early on the morning of January 9, the Ermland, having received her sailing instructions, ordering her to set course for France via Cape Horn, departed.
On January 10, the Orion, drawing alongside the Ole Jacob, dropped anchor with some difficulty, in the sweltering, insect-infested crater of the extinct volcano that formed the Maug Islands, ready to complete her overhaul and refit in earnest.
Finding a small group of Japanese and Philipinos setting up a weather station on the supposedly uninhabited islands, they received permission from them to set up a lookout post to watch for enemy warships.
Although completely invisible to all passing ships, their arrival was reported by the meteorologists, and they were visited on the following day by an official Japanese Government inspection vessel, the Marana Maru, from Saipan.
Expertly intercepted by one of Captain All Right’s boats, it’s officials were invited aboard the luxuriously appointed Ole Jacob.
Lavishly entertained with large quantities of ice-cold beer, and facilitated by a Philipino interpreter who spoke a little German and a lot of Spanish, the officials seemed quite content, until one of them delicately enquired as to why the Japanese Rising Sun emblem was painted on the tanker’s funnel.
Promising to have it removed immediately, indeed even before they left the ship, Captain Steinkrauss, pouring more beer, profusely thanked the Japanese for granting him permission to anchor on one of their possessions on his way home. Shortly after the awkward question had been so successfully deflected, the seemingly satisfied officials returned to their ship.
The Orion, on which the work of stripping, cleaning and repairing engines and boilers continued in the punishing heat, escaped inspection.
Flooding several of her tanks, causing the ship to heel over, enabling large numbers of men to scrape and clean the waterline and renew the red lead paint, others, in diving suits, inspected the underside of the hull.
The Marana Maru departed on January 18, shortly after which the Regensburg returned, with one hundred tons of drinking water, fresh fruit and vegetables.
The overhaul was largely complete by the end of the month, and on February 1, the 6,408-ton supply-ship Münsterland, under Kapitän Übel, arrived.
Bringing two hundred tons of drinking water, cigarettes, fresh fruit, eggs, meat and assorted other foodstuffs plus 55,000 bottles of Japanese beer, she was also carrying a Nakajima E8-N1, single-float seaplane, purchased in Tokyo by the German Naval Attaché, Admiral Paul Wenneker.
She also brought Weyher a replacement Medical Officer, in Doctor Müller-Osten, sent to take over from the highly-respected but seriously ill, Senior Medical Officer Doctor Raffler, who had been suffering from an incurable tumour, and who sadly departed on the supply-ship.
Back in Germany, he later lost his life while undergoing surgery.
Early on February 5, the Orion weighed anchor, only to find that having been moored alongside the Ole Jacob for a month, their anchor cables had become entwined with one another.
But by midday, she was ready to put to sea to test her reconditioned engines, under the watchful eyes in the new seaplane.
By late afternoon, Weyher received a report from his Chief, Kolsch, stating that with the completion of the refit, they would now be capable of remaining at sea for six months longer than originally envisaged, and that, despite having only three boilers operational, the ship would be capable of a top speed of 13 knots.
Departing the anchorage with the Ole Jacob for her new area of operations on February 6, resembling a French passenger freighter, Weyher had the Orion’s gunners conduct practice exercises, while Leutnant Klaus Von Winterfeldt practiced take-offs and landings in the Nakajima, which lived up to it’s reputation of being well suited to the prevailing Pacific conditions.
Bidding farewell to the Regensburg and the Münsterland, both of which were returning to Japan, Weyher was informed by the SKL that his presence at Maug had been reported by a neutral ship, and that the Allies were significantly increasing their naval and air strength in the region.
Also informed that his new operational area would be the eastern part of the Indian Ocean, and instructed to rendezvous with the supply-ship Alstertor there in April, when his fuel would be running low, Weyher set course to the south east.
Given that getting there would entail a voyage of 10,000 miles, over six weeks, he decided to cruise the shipping lanes en route, in the hope of finding targets.
By mid-February, as the Orion was approaching the Solomon Islands, Weyher chose to steer the ship into the shallow, narrow passage between Bougainville and Choiseul and the neighbouring islands, in the hope that the air patrols from nearby Rabaul and Port Moresby, would not expect to find him there.
Emerging into the Coral Sea at first light on February 16, the two ships continued south eastwards, roughly 25 miles apart, so as to cover a broad 75-mile front.
With the lookouts and anti-aircraft gun crews on constant alert, both ships were closely inspected later that day by a British Sunderland flying boat, which reported their presence to both land-based stations and naval vessels at sea, leading Weyher to decide to get out of the enclosed Coral Sea immediately.
Instructing Captain Steinkrauss on the Ole Jacob to steer the same course as the Orion, but further to the south, and to rendezvous with him in three days time off New Caledonia, or, failing that, later on at the Kermadec Islands, Weyher headed south south-east through the islands.
Early on the following morning a flying boat was spotted, and Weyher stopped the Orion and escaped detection, but, on hearing from the Ole Jacob that the aircraft had also overflown her, he decided to abandon the first rendezvous and head eastwards at full speed towards the second one.
Passing the southernmost of the Solomon Islands, he headed south in a sweep around the northern islands of the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) reaching the waters around the Santa Cruz Islands on the following afternoon, after which he turned due south, past the Fiji Islands, and into the teeth of a hurricane.
On February 20, in steadily deteriorating weather, the Orion was hammered by winds that rose to Force 12, and even higher in squalls, and was battered and buffetted by colossal seas, sustaining some severe damage.
Five days later, with her continual high speed making serious inroads into her fuel supply, she rendezvoused with the Ole Jacob to re-fuel before embarking on the voyage around New Zealand and Australia to the Indian Ocean.
Taking on 4,000 tons of fuel, she cruised the New Zealand to Panama and Cape Horn shipping lanes to the south of Auckland, without success.
Apart from almost losing her seaplane, which was smashed against the side of the ship while being prepared for take off, and running into more horrendous weather in the Roaring Forties, the weeks once again dragged by without incident, until March 15, when she reached her designated operational area.
Making more frequent use of the seaplane as he moved northwards towards the equator, Weyher’s luck was out again, as it sustained more damage while taking off to see if it could spot the 80,774-ton Cunard liner Queen Mary, then being employed as a troopship, which had been reported to be on her way to Fremantle from Colombo, and which might well have been on the same route as the raider.
When the plane was next operational, Weyher’s worst fears about this zone of operations were borne out three days later.
Finding nothing but a Vichy French ship, the Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, which was approached at top speed by the Orion to a range of 5,000 metres, before being recognised, and allowed to pass.
The Indian Ocean had been well worked over by the raiders Atlantis and Pinguin, as well as by the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer, leading the enemy to re-route his shipping within air cover closer to the coastlines.
At the designated rendezvous point on April 10, the Orion and the Ole Jacob met the 3,063-ton supply-ship, Alstertor, the former Sloman Line fruit-carrier, which brought a new Arado Ar-196 seaplane and 58 sacks of mail, the first the crew had received since leaving Germany, 369 days ago.
She also brought sufficient fresh supplies of ammunition, torpedoes and bombs to keep the raider fully operational for a further five months, after which she would be available to supply even more.
Both the Orion and the Alstertor re-fuelled from the Ole Jacob, while the crew transferred fresh supplies of eggs, potatoes, cheese and 14,000 bottles of top quality export beer in rowing boats from the Alstertor through choppy seas.
The three ships then departed to another rendezvous point to meet up with the tanker Ketty Brøvig, yet another prize of the raider Atlantis.
On arriving at the meeting place, to find no trace of the tanker, and having written her off as either sunk or captured, the ships headed for Mauritius, before being notified by the SKL that the shipping lanes were now further south.
Cruising off Madagascar, Weyher once again employed the Nakajima, painted with British markings, as it made two long flights each day, but found nothing.
By the end of April, as she patrolled off the coast of Africa, the Orion clocked up 102,500 miles at sea, the equivalent of four times the circumference of the Earth.
With the Alstertor departing for France on April 25, the Orion and the Ole Jacob cruised around the southern tip of Madagascar, but without success, as it soon became clear from intercepted radio traffic that the British were using neutral ships to a greater extent than ever before.
When a ship was spotted by the seaplane on May 3, the Orion gave chase, using her ‘French’ disguise, but, when finally closing to within 3,000 metres of the vessel after dark, she found her running with all her lights on in a repeat of the City of Elwood incident of November 3.
Identified as the 5,447-ton American States Steamship Company freighter Illinois, with a cargo of jute from Calcutta to Cape Town, she was allowed to continue on her way, but, within the hour, was heard to send a cryptic signal, clearly in some sort of code, that stated, ‘Calling everybody. Nothing new here’.
Once again in need of an engine overhaul, which in this case necessitated the raider being towed by the Ole Jacob until May 17, the two seaplanes conducted alternate lookout patrols overhead.
Topping off her fuel tanks on May 7, taking on 3,855 tons of oil that would last her until end of July, when she would already be in the Atlantic, on May 8, the Orion’s radio room intercepted a QQQ signal from the ‘Norwegian’ Tamerlane, the disguise at that time being employed by the raider Pinguin.
Later that day, the Pinguin was sunk by the heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall, with 203 prisoners and 342 of her crew, including her captain, Ernst-Felix Krüder, losing their lives.
Dispatching the Ole Jacob to wait at a mid-ocean holding area from May 25, Weyher took the Orion to the north-west, where, disguised as a French vessel, he cruised off the Seychelles, keeping a lookout for the long-overdue Ketty Brøvig and the supply-ship Coburg.
* Both of these ships had been ambushed and sunk at a supposedly secret location near the Saya de Malha Bank, by the cruisers HMAS Canberra and HMS Leander on March 4, their captains unaware that the German supply-ship transmission codes had been broken.
With her speed down to 10 knots for most of the day on May 17, as once again, Chief Kolsch and his engineers worked on the engines, Weyher received the all clear in the evening.
Next morning, while still visible from the raider as it headed for its designated reconnaissance sector, the Arado was seen to suddenly take evasive action, climbing sharply as if to seek cloud cover, a manoeuvre that was misinterpreted on the Orion as meaning that Von Winterfeldt has spotted a possible target.
Ordering full speed ahead, determined that the enemy ship would not escape this time, Weyher was shocked to see the aircraft re-appear from an unexpected quarter and fire two red warning flares, before touching down.
Quickly retrieved and hoisted aboard, the pilot reported to a horrified Weyher that he had spotted a British heavy cruiser, either the Cornwall, or HMS Glasgow, just over forty-five miles away, approaching on a collision course!
Turning the ship hard to starboard, and summoning every ounce of power the engines could give him, Weyher thanked God it was Sunday, a day that was sacred to British seamen, who were all probably in the middle of a service, and a stifling hot one at that, and prayed that none of them had spotted the Arado, or launched an aircraft of their own.
Everything now depended on the Orion maintaining maximum revs, without making smoke, while speeding away from the approaching menace.
Calculating that the cruiser, which was travelling at a speed of 18 knots, would appear astern at 10 o’clock, the lookouts at the mastheads kept their binoculars fixed on the horizon, while they wondered if these were to be their final hours.
Right on schedule, ninety minutes later, the unmistakable smoke pattern of an oil-fired, three-funnelled ship was reported about twenty-five miles astern, soon followed by a tall, shiny mast.
Noticing that the cruiser was on an easterly, and not north-easterly, course, Weyher turned the Orion sharply away to the south, hoping that the enemy did not decide that this would be a good time to conduct a reconnaissance flight.
His hopes were fulfilled, as the distance between the two ships was gradually seen to increase, until the cruiser’s smoke finally disappeared.
In no doubt as to the lengths to which the British were going to protect their northern shipping routes in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, Weyher turned south, and later south-west, but as usual, found nothing.
On May 26, the Orion lost her Nakajima, as it capsized in rough seas off the coast of Madagascar while attempting to take off, and although her crew got out safely and were picked up, it sank before it could be adequately secured.
At the the end of the month, Weyher received instructions from the SKL to proceed to the south-east corner of the Atlantic, where he hoped that at last he might have some success off the busy South African ports.
His optimism was tempered by the ship’s mechanical problems, particularly the propellor-shaft bushing at the stern, which, as with her sister-ship the Widder, had suffered so much wear and tear, that at high speeds it knocked so badly as to be in danger of damaging other bearings or breaking the shaft itself.
Meanwhile, ‘Captain All Right’ on the Ole Jacob, who had been at the designated rendezvous since May 25, anxiously awaiting word from the Orion, was delighted when, in the early hours of June 3, he received the pre-arranged signal, flashed through the gloom by the raider’s searchlight.
Re-fuelling without delay, with the tanker retaining just enough to get her safely back to France, the two ships departed southwards, in deteriorating weather, towards the Cape of Good Hope.
Removing the French camouflage, and having the superstructure painted brown and the masts yellow, Weyher had the ship’s disguise altered once again.
On June 8, prior to being released, Captain Steinkrauss came aboard to collect dispatches, charts and codes, as well as a sack of mail, containing letters from the crew to their loved ones at home.
Bidding Weyher and the Orion farewell, he set course for home.
With the ship once again drifting, while her engineers battled with her failing machinery, and having received no further word from the SKL as to the whereabouts of the Alstertor, Weyher feared that she may have been lost.
* Intercepted and attacked by seaplanes on June 22, south-west of Cape Finisterre, the Alstertor put up such a fight, shooting one of them down, that she was reported as being an auxiliary cruiser.
The next day she was cornered by the Ocean Boarding Vessel, HMS Marsdale and the destroyers HMS Faulknor, HMS Fury and HMS Fearless, and scuttled by her crew.
Battling through mountainous seas, well to the south of the Cape, the Orion headed slowly south-west, where, in a particularly savage storm, she got into grave difficulties, as one minute her propellor, pitched clear of the water, and freed from its resistance, raced and knocked so violently that it shook the entire ship from stem to stern, and the next it was buried deep in the turbulent seas.
With her rudder out of the water as much as in, she was being driven off course.
Concerned as they were about the labouring engines and the serious damage being done to their camouflage, the crew were scarcely aware of how perilous their situation had become, or that the propellor-shaft bearings had now worn completely away, until one night, they were brought face to face with the reality of their predicament when their ship began to take water.
The Orion was now fighting for her life.
On June 22, the day Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, she came to a standstill, as the giant bolts that secured the tail shaft bearings broke away under the impact of the constant knocking.
By June 24, she was far enough west of the Cape to begin heading northwards, but Weyher realised that to maintain her course she had to be put in better trim.
The only way to achieve that was to pump water into her holds as ballast.
This was very risky, for while such an enormous quantity of water in her holds would certainly hold the rudder and propellor firmly down, it could also shift with the pitch and roll of the ship, and greatly increase her tendency to capsize.
In the early hours of June 25, 1,500 tons of the South Atlantic ocean poured into Number 1 and Number 4 holds, and into the compartments on either side of the propellor-shaft tunnel.
But a short time later, the bolts holding the upper caps of the propellor-shaft bearings sheared off, leaving approximately thirty feet of the stern end of the shaft unsecured and moving laterally.
This shuddering movement, when transmitted to the forward end of the shaft threatened to break further bearings, or worse still break the shaft itself, which would leave the ship adrift and completely helpless.
To prevent this, timbers, reinforced with angle irons, were fitted over the end bearing to reduce the vibration in the shaft, steadying both it and the propellor.
Just about surviving this series of life-threatening events, the Orion made her way northwards, with Weyher becoming increasingly concerned about fuel.
Her designated tanker, the Anneliese Essberger was only just leaving Japan, and as both of the alternative vessels, the 9,789-ton Egerland and the 10,746-ton Lothringen had been taken by Allied warships and aircraft in the wake of the Bismarck episode, it was beginning to look as if the codes being used by the SKL, the auxiliary cruisers and their supply ships, had been compromised.
In view of these developments the SKL, using a new key, arranged a meeting with the raider Atlantis, three hundred miles north of Tristan da Cunha for July 1.
Forbidden to operate off South-West Africa or Freetown, as both areas had been designated for U-Boat operations, Weyher was free to select his course and hunt for prey as he saw fit, but in view of the increased enemy activity in the Atlantic, and the state of his ship, the SKL suggested that should he find himself unable to reach the Gironde, he should put in at either Dakar or the Canary Islands.
Determined not to end his cruise in such a anti-climactic way, Weyher still had a major fuel supply problem, and resolved to get at least 900 tons of it from the Atlantis, which had 2,900 tons of surplus fuel on board.
On June 27, the commander of the Atlantis, Kapitän zur See Bernhard Rogge, had been instructed by the SKL, to provide Weyher with 700 tons of fuel, sufficient to get the Orion home, but Rogge had other ideas as he headed for the rendezvous.
Approaching one another cautiously in the early morning, and exchanging all the pre-arranged recognition signals, the two ships, that had last been together seventeen months earlier, conducting gunnery drills, drew alongside one another.
It was clear to Weyher, that Rogge appreciated his frustration and anger, and he quickly pointed out to him that if he didn’t get the fuel he would have to switch off his engines and drift about in enemy-infested waters for six weeks or more, until the Anneliese Essberger arrived … if she arrived at all.
Asking Rogge for 1,200 tons of oil, he described how he had seen no action in eight months of searching for targets, while suffering interminable problems with his thirsty, unreliable old engines, adding that he wanted to keep the Orion at sea until September, so as to at least try to make up for his lack of success.
Rogge refused, pointing out that as the Orion’s inefficient engines would consume in one week the amount of oil that would keep his ship operational for two months, it would simply be a waste of the fuel.
Explaining that as he had already been instructed by the SKL to take the Atlantis out of the Atlantic and into the Pacific, he was going to have to remain at sea until the autumn, while the Orion was on her way home, he told Weyher that all he could afford to give him was 580 tons.
Weyher was understandably disappointed, but realised that there was nothing he could do to change Rogge’s mind.
By nightfall on July 2, the fuel had been transferred and working parties were once again changing the Orion’s disguise.
With a black hull, yellow upperworks and a yellow funnel with black and white stripes, the emblem of Japan was once again added, as she became the Tokyo Kaiun K.K. freighter Yuyo Maru.
As the two commanders spent time together exchanging experiences and studying charts, Weyher was painfully reminded of what might have been had he been assigned to a modern diesel-powered vessel like the Atlantis.
Parting company amicably enough on July 6, the Orion headed west towards the coast of South America, while the Atlantis once more headed south, towards the Cape of Good Hope, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
Continuing on a westerly course for three days, with the Arado being sent aloft three times a day, the Orion met just one ship, the 4,238-ton neutral Brazilian freighter Joazeiro, of the Companhia de Navegacao Lloyd Brasiliero, en route for Buenos Aires on July 9, which was not challenged.
Gradually altering course northwards, and radically changing her appearance yet again over the next two days, with a false passenger deck being constructed, the Orion headed for the Freetown - La Plata shipping route in heavy seas on July 11.
With her engineers again wrestling with their failing machinery, and more water being taken on board as ballast, the Arado was severely damaged when it hit a wave at speed during take off on July 19, and while its crew and the remains of the aircraft were picked up, it was doubtful whether it would ever fly again.
Heading north into the sweltering heat, the worn-out crew of the Orion, already showing the stresses and strains of the past few months, especially the near miss they had had with the British cruiser in the Indian Ocean, after which few of them could really relax, had once again to adjust to an extreme weather change, but on July 29, while heading north-west, a ship was spotted.
On a south-westerly course, she was a medium-sized freighter, sailing in ballast.
Calling for full speed, and remaining just out of sight below the horizon, Weyher stalked her all day, until just after nightfall.
Seeing that she was travelling without lights, he was satisfied that she was not a neutral ship, and began to close in.
It was eight months since his last success, and as his engines would certainly not get him away from any warships attracted to the scene, Weyher was anxious that this vessel did not use her radio.
Remaining ‘invisible’ against the darkening eastern skyline, he closed to within 5,500 metres of her, and attacked without warning.
Firing three torpedoes from a ‘point blank’ range of under 5,000 metres, he was appalled when not only did none of them detonate, but the radio room reported that the ship was transmitting an SSS distress signal.
Identifying herself as the Chaucer, to Weyher’s immense relief not only did the signal state that she was being attacked by a U-Boat, but it gave her position as being 235 miles further north of where she actually was.
When the Orion opened fire, with the first salvos falling short, and the enemy changed his signals to RRR, saying that he was being gunned, Weyher ordered that the freighter be illuminated with starshells.
Approaching her head on, trying to pick her out with the forward searchlight, the Orion suddenly came under fire from her 4-inch gun and her 40mm Bofors, which caused some damage, prompting a murderous response from the raider’s 37mm and 20mm anti-aircraft guns, which soon silenced both of them.
Throughout all of this, to Weyher’s horror, the RRR messages were being steadily transmitted, and were being acknowledged by more than one ship.
To put a stop to it, he ordered three further torpedoes to be fired at her.
Again there were no explosions, but when the main armament opened up again, the crew of the enemy ship, which was now on fire, were seen lowering boats.
As the flames grew higher into the night sky, providing a beacon for any warship within twenty five miles, four more torpedoes were fired into the ship without one of them detonating, leaving a disgusted Weyher to order her sunk by gunfire.
It took fifty-eight salvos before the sturdy 5,792-ton British freighter, en route from Middlesborough to Buenos Aires, finally broke in two and went down, just after midnight on July 30.
Her entire forty-eight-man crew, thirteen of them slightly wounded, were picked up and taken on board the Orion.
It had taken ten torpedoes, not one of which exploded, and over 400 rounds of 150mm ammunition to sink her.
The only damage done to the Orion had been caused by the concussion of her own guns firing as rivets popped, pipes burst, electrical circuits faltered, the lighting system failed and the propellor shaft knocked even more than usual.
Moving quickly away from the scene, and resuming his northerly course, Weyher was relieved to hear that the Chaucer had been reported sunk by a submarine.
On August 9, he was informed by the SKL that two U-Boats had been instructed to meet him off the Azores on August 16 and 17, to escort him into the Bay of Biscay, where destroyers would take over.
As they in turn were to hand him over to a flotilla of minesweepers that would guide him through the Gironde minefield into Bordeaux, Weyher wondered if it would turn out to be as chaotic as the escort he’d had on his way out to sea, sixteen months previously, in April 1940.
On August 13, with fuel running low, he decided to steer clear of the shipping lanes and make for the Azores, where, by a stroke of good fortune, the Spanish fleet was conducting exercises between the islands and the Spanish coast.
When he discovered that among the ships taking part was the 3,000-ton naval collier, Contramaestre Casado, Weyher recognised an opportunity not to be missed, and immediately ordered one final change of disguise.
For what was the Orion’s twentieth change of identity, she was painted all over in battleship grey, adding the red and yellow markings of Spain.
Arriving at the rendezvous, west of the Azores, on August 16, the pre-arranged recognition signal was given and accepted by U-75 (Kptlt. Hellmuth Ringelmann) followed the next day by U-205 (Kptlt. Franz-Georg Reschke) and the three ships headed eastwards in close formation.
Crossing Biscay, with the dilapidated engines driving the Orion ever closer to home, large amounts of water sloshed in her holds, and a member of her crew, up to his knees in water, kept the bearing cover plate wedged firmly in position.
Early on August 22, as she manoeuvred through the Biscay fishing boats, an unidentified aircraft appeared, causing Weyher to alter course towards the Spanish coast to add a little extra weight to his disguise, and as the day dawned, there was a series of alarms on board as she encountered submarines, small vessels of all descriptions and aircraft, all of which turned out to be friendly.
But, later that afternoon, as four destroyers with tripod masts were sighted rapidly approaching, Weyher ordered his crew to action stations.
No German destroyer that he had ever seen, had a tripod mast.
With the gun crews anxiously standing by their weapons awaiting orders, a signal flashed from the leading vessel, identifying them as ships of Number V Flotilla of the new 1936A or Narvik class destroyers, the first of which, the Z-23, had only been commissioned on September 15, while the Orion was battling with mountainous seas off the coast of South Australia.
By now capable of little more than a crawling speed, which caused the speedy dazzle-painted destroyers to zig zag, the Spanish markings and camouflage were disposed of, and the Orion ran up her battle flags for the final lap of her long journey, her crew remaining on constant alert by their weapons.
In the evening, anti-submarine vessels appeared, under air cover provided by Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft, to be replaced just after midnight by minesweepers detailed to guide the raider through the Gironde minefield.
Moving slowly by the light of the shadowy minesweeper’s searchlights, with the four destroyers deployed astern, the sun rose on August 23 1941.
At 7.28, the men crowding on the decks of the raider, heard the lookout cry, “Land in sight!”, as the French coast appeared on the horizon, and three hours later, at 10.44, she dropped anchor off the resort of Royan, to await the tide.
By 14.30, as she was being led further up the Gironde by a pilot ship and two minesweepers, the almost-forgotten sights and smells of land brought tears to the eyes of many of the sea-weary men lining the rails, who turned out on the after deck three and a half hours later, in their best white uniforms, to exchange salutations with German and Italian ships lying down-river from the city.
But the best was yet to come.
As she rounded a bend in the river, just ahead of her lay the Regensburg, and beyond her the Ermland, and then, the unmistakable shape of the Ole Jacob, and the irrepressible ‘Captain All Right’, who, on seeing the Orion, sounded his ship’s siren, sending out a deep and prolonged note, which was echoed in turn by the Regensburg, then by the Ermland, and finally, by every ship in the harbour.
The Orion came to a stop, ending a voyage of 127,337 miles, the equivalent of over five times around the world, over 511 unbroken days at sea, during which she had accounted for 73,478 tons of Allied shipping.
As a ship with such unreliable engines was not going to be sent out on the high seas again, most of her armament and special equipment was removed for further use on the ships then being prepared for the second wave of raiders.
Decommissioned and taken out of service in August 1941, she was re-fitted as a repair ship in 1942, under her old classification of Schiff 36.
Returning to service as the Gunnery Training Ship, Hektor, in January 1943, under Korvettenkapitän Meyer, she was armed with five 150mm guns, four 37mm Flak, four 20mm Flak, and two heavy machine guns.
In October 1944, under Korvettenkapitän Kiesewetter, and later, in January 1945, under Kapitän zur See der Reserve Asmus, she was installed as a Fleet Training Ship, before coming under the overall command of Vizeadmiral Bernhard Rogge, the former captain of the raider Atlantis, in March, being once again classified as a Hilfskreuzer, and re-gaining her fighting name of Orion.
She saw out her remaining days engaged in the desperate evacuation of military personnel and civilians fleeing from the Russians in East Prussia.
Completing sixteen round trips, with 1,500 refugees per trip, from Gotenhafen, Pillau, Memel, and Danzig, to safety in Swinemünde and Copenhagen, altogether, she evacuated almost 20,000 people to the west, and, apart from one Russian air attack during which a lieutenant was killed, she did it without major incident.
But, on May 4 1945, the Orion embarked on her final voyage.
Stopping to pick up the crew of the old battleship Schlesien which had hit a mine five miles off Swinemünde, she was attacked by Russian fighter bombers, and although her gunners managed to shoot one of them down, she sustained two direct hits, which left her severely damaged and on fire.
Although Kapitän zur See Asmus managed to beach the fiercely burning ship on a sandbank, within hours she had to be abandoned, and was totally burnt out.
Between the bombing and the fire, over one hundred and fifty men, cadets and members of the regular crew, including the valiant Asmus, lost their lives.
The wreck was raised and scrapped by a Polish company in 1952.
|Command Kurt Weyher (1901-1991)
“I led my ship with common sense and luck … my men with my heart”
Born on August 30 1901, in Graudenz, Kurt Weyher entered the Naval Service as a War Volunteer and Attended Basic-Training at the Naval-School Mürwik in 1918.
Served on the Heavy Cruiser Freya, the Cruiser Regensburg, the Sailing-Tender Niobe, the Minesweeper M-90, as Watch-Officer on the Torpedo-Boat G-10, Watch-Officer on the Survey-Ship Meteor, Watch-Officer on the Sailing Training Ship Niobe, Roll-Officer on the Cruiser Königsberg, Commander of the Torpedo-Boat G-11, Officer on the Sailing Yachts Asta and Jutta and with the Construction-Indoctrination Gorch Fock at the Blohm & Voss shipyard, Hamburg.
He was First Officer on the Sail Training Ship Gorch Fock, Navigations Officer on the Cruiser Nürnberg and Commander of the Sail Training Ship Horst Wessel, before being detached to the Kriegsmarine Service Office in Hamburg, in September 1939.
Appointed Commander of the Auxiliary Cruiser Schiff 36, on December 9 1939, at the age of thirty-nine, he christened her Orion.
A short, wiry, athletic man, with a snappy manner and a good sense of humour, Kurt Weyher was an energetic and popular commander.
For his exploits with Orion, an unbroken cruise of 510 days, during which she had steamed 127,337 miles, he was complimented by the Führer, awarded the Knight's Cross, and promoted to the rank of Konteradmiral (Rear-Admiral).
On his being awarded the Knight's Cross, he simply said, "We did our duty”
He was placed at the Disposal of the Commanding Admiral of the Naval Station of the Baltic Sea in August 1941, appointed First Admiral Staff Officer on the Staff of the Admiral ‘Aegean’ in November 1941, First Admiral Staff Officer with the Staff of Naval Group South, in April 1942, and Chief of German Naval Command ‘Constanta’, and Chief of the 10th Security Division and Escort Chief Black Sea in January 1944.
Commandant of Sea Fortifications Crete in June 1944, and Commandant of Sea Fortifications Ostfriesland, from November 1944 to July 1945.
In captivity from July 22 1945, he was released on June 6 1947.
With his salary blocked, because he had attained flag rank, he was forced to do menial jobs and work as a ship’s chandler to support his family.
In 1961 he embarked on a career as a political writer and lecturer, and subsequently devoted his time to a society for the study of military science.
He died in Wilhelmshaven on December 17 1991.
“I had the distinction of surrendering in one war as the Kaiser’s youngest cadet, and in another as Hitler’s youngest Admiral!”
Konteradmiral Kurt Weyher
|The Black Raider Kurt Weyher & Hans Jürgen Ehrlich|
|German Raiders of World War II August Karl Muggenthaler|
|Deutsche Hilfskreuzer des Zweiten Weltkriegs Zvonimir Freivogel|
|The Secret Raiders David Woodward|
|Hitler’s Secret Pirate Fleet James P. Duffy|
|German Raiders Paul Schmalenbach|
|Das Grosse Abenteuer - Deutsche Hilfskreuzer - Jochen Brennecke|
|All Brave Sailors J Revell Carr (2004)|
|Notes on the Ships Captured or Sunk by Hilfskreuzer Orion - 7 April 1940 30 August 1941|
On April 16, while on her way to her designated operational area of the eastern Indian Ocean, Weyher was asked by the SKL to remain in the North Atlantic in order to give the Allies the impression that a ‘Pocket Battleship’ was at large there, and to proceed to his original operational area only after successfully drawing attention to himself.
On April 24, began what was to become the first success of the war for the German merchant raiders, when Orion’s lookouts spotted this 5.207-ton armed British freighter, in ballast from Glasgow to Corpus Christi , Texas , to pick up scrap metal for British steel mills, on a converging course. Passing astern of the freighter so as not to alarm her, the raider then turned and followed, and having fired a warning shot from a 75 mm gun, Weyher signalled to her to stop and to maintain radio silence. When the British failed to comply with these orders, refusing to stop and sending an RRR signal, Orion opened fire, putting the freighter’s stern guns out of action almost immediately. The raider continued shelling the freighter for six minutes, until boats were seen being lowered as her crew prepared to abandon ship. Her captain and twenty-three men were rescued, but seventeen men lost their lives.
Although burning in several places, and sending a gigantic pall of black smoke that could be seen for twenty or thirty miles, high into the air, the Haxby refused to sink.
The shells that had pierced the her hull had become imbedded in the ballast sand and exploded with little effect, the sand then serving to plug the holes in her side.
Fearing that an enemy warship would spot the smoke and decide to investigate, Weyher reluctantly decided to use one of his valuable torpedoes to finish off the dying ship, the explosion cutting her clean in half, and sending her to the bottom.
Unsure as to whether Haxby’s calls, which strangely, had identified her attacker as ‘a warship’, had been picked up, Weyher ordered his radiomen to send distress calls in garbled merchant code, describing an attack by a ‘Pocket Battleship’, and then, believing his task for SKL to be done, sailed south to rendezvous with the former World War One, Royal Navy tanker Winnetou. This ancient, barnacle-encrusted vessel, under Captain Fritz Steinkrauss, replenished Orion on May 14, with over two hundred men required to pass the line between the two ships in high winds and increasingly rising seas, after which she was dispatched to the South Pacific to await further instructions.
Consuming an average of forty tons of oil per day, for engines that had to be kept going all the time, as opposed to the seven to nine tons a motor-ship would use, brought it home to Weyher how unsuitable his ship was, compared to a diesel-powered vessel, which could stop, start and speed up at will.
The geared steam turbines that had first driven the 22.000-ton trans-Atlantic liner New York , and then the Kurmark for a further ten years, were not up to the rigours of endless, no-time-in-port steaming, and so, were ill suited for a raider.
Having rounded Cape Horn on May 21, Orion's crew spent several days affecting the first of the hundreds of engine repairs that were to plague the ship throughout her cruise, before heading across the Pacific. New orders from the SKL had specified that Weyher operate off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand , meet a supply ship in the Caroline Islands, and then proceed to the Indian Ocean, and on to the Atlantic.
On the night of June 13/14, Orion laid 228 moored mines in three fields in the eastern and northern approaches to the Hauraki Gulf, off Auckland, which, five nights later, on June 18/19, sank the 13.415-ton Canadian-Australasian Royal Mail passenger liner RMS Niagara, bound from Auckland to Vancouver, with one hundred and thirty-six passengers, a crew of two hundred and carrying nearly eight tons of gold ingots, valued at £2,5 million, in her strong-room, most of which was salvaged in 1941, and a shipment of small-arms ammunition, being sent to England to make good the shortage since the evacuation at Dunkirk. On May 14 1941, the 927-ton converted coaster / minesweeper, HMNZS Puriri, sank with the loss of five lives while engaged in sweeping one of the mines that had become entangled in the nets of a fishing boat.
Having rendezvoused with the Winnetou, on June 17, the raider’s Arado 196 seaplane capsized in heavy seas and was further damaged while being hoisted inboard.Note:
The claims by several sources that the freighters Port Bowen and Baltannic were also victims of the Orion’s mines, seem, on examination of the records now available, to be unsubstantiated. (Thanks to Neill Atkinson, Wellington, New Zealand)
This 5,781-ton Norwegian freighter, with a crew of forty-eight, and a cargo of 8.100 tons of Australian wheat, bound ‘from Sydney to the United States’, surrendered without a fight on June 19.
When it transpired that she was in fact under charter to the British Ministry of Food, and that the cargo’s final destination was Britain, she was taken as a prize.
Re-named Kurmark, she was sent to Bordeaux under the command of Winnetou’s former captain, and now provisional Naval Reserve Leutnant zur See, Fritz Steinkrauss, and a prize crew, with fifty-five prisoners.
In early September, almost within sight of her destination, she was spotted and stopped off Bilbao, by the British submarine HMS Truant - the same boat that had crippled the light cruiser Karlsruhe off Norway on April 9 - and was scuttled by her crew. Leutnant Steinkrauss, having managed to get ashore in Spain with his crew, later crossed Russia by the Trans-Siberian Railway to Japan, to join the Ole Jakob, as captain.
Having met with Winnetou a few days later, Orion spent fruitless days plying the shipping routes, before one final rendezvous with the tanker on August 7, after which the rusty worn-out old ship was sent to Japan.
Having seen the British Phosphates Commissioner’s fast 4.413-ton ship Triona escape before an attack could be launched off Brisbane on August 10, a large part of August 14 was spent searching for the Arado, which had been forced to ditch in the sea with fuel pump problems.
When, after five hours, it was finally located, the crew reported that there were three ships tied up at Noumea.
This small 2.489-ton New Caledonian collier, with 3.600 tons of coal from Newcastle, New South Wales, that was to be traded in Australia for nickel, fell into Weyher’s hands at dusk off Noumea on August 16.
Signalling to her to stop and maintain radio silence, one warning shot fired across her bows, brought her to a halt. Her crew were taken on board, and she was blown up with demolition charges.
On August 20, having received fresh orders from the SKL to re-fuel once more in the Pacific, and then to return home via the Indian Ocean, this 9,691-ton New Zealand Shipping Company’s refrigerated freighter, en route for Wellington, with a crew of fifty-seven, carrying 4.000 tons of lead, 1.500 tons of grain, 7.000 tons of wool, fruit and piece goods, appeared out of a rain squall between the Cook Strait and Sydney, and was ordered to stop.
This she refused to do, sending a warning signal, giving her name and position, and turning her stern to the raider.
The Orion opened fire, and the freighter returned fire, but within a few minutes she had been hit four times, including the bridge, and a fire had started amidships.
Throughout all this, her stern gun had continued to return fire, albeit with little success, and it was only after several more direct hits, that its rate of fire slackened, and with the ship visibly slowing down, finally ceased altogether.
For several minutes the two ships lay close together, with the Orion’s crew preparing to lend assistance as they watched their victim burning. As she slowly settled in the water, the Turakina’s gunners suddenly opened fire again, prompting a swift and lethal response from Weyher, who had her finished off with gunfire and two torpedoes.
She sank slowly on an even keel, burning fiercely, the flames reflecting in the water and mounting high into the night sky like a huge torch, which could be seen for miles, as her survivors struggled in the heavy seas.
Unable to use boats to rescue them, the Germans lowered rubber dinghies and managed, over six hours, during which they could have been making good their escape, to pick up twenty-one men, seven of whom were wounded.
Having been replenished by, the supply ship Regensburg at Ailinglap in the Marshall Islands on October 10, Orion, now nicknamed ‘The Black Raider’ by the New Zealand press, left two days later, with the supply ship, for her SKL designated meeting with HK Komet at Lamotrek in the Caroline Islands.
On October 14, Orion crept up on this 7.203-ton Norwegian freighter in the pre-dawn hours, and having morsed her to stop, sent two warning shots across her bows, stopping, and capturing her, without a fight.
Travelling in ballast from Shanghai to Ocean Island, under orders from the Norwegian government in exile in London, to pick up a cargo of phosphate for Bermuda or Halifax, and offering no resistance, thinking the approaching ship was a British warship, her captain was stunned when he realised that the boarding party being helped aboard his ship was German. Her 35-man crew were taken on board, and she was sunk by demolition charges.
On October 18, the Orion, and the supply ship Regensburg , both disguised as Japanese vessels, finally met up with the raider Komet and the tanker Kulmerland at Lamotrek lagoon.
Having had to deal with a Japanese liner full of camera-toting passengers, and a Japanese government ship asking questions about all these ‘Japanese’ ships, two of which, the Regensburg and the Kulmerland, were using the same name, Tokyo Maru, the four ships left the lagoon on October 20, with the Regensburg immediately returning to Japan to re-stock with supplies.
Sailing with the tanker Kulmerland, the two raiders cruised the Panama - New Zealand sea routes with no success, until finally, on November 24, they deciding to attack the phosphate and copra producing island of Nauru.
On November 25, Komet found her first victim, this tiny 546-ton New Zealand coaster with twenty-nine passengers and crew, taking a cargo of 1.370 sheep and wool from Chatham Island to Lyttelton.
Eyssen and Weyher discussed the possibility of using the coaster as an auxiliary minelayer, but rejected the idea, as her maximum speed was a mere 9 knots.
Her 17-man crew, twelve passengers, and as many of the sheep as could be accommodated, were taken on board the three German ships, and the little coaster was scuttled with demolition charges.
At 3 a.m. on November 27, a large ship, running without lights, was sighted by the Orion’s lookouts. On being informed, the Komet circled around in order to catch the vessel between the two raiders.
She was the 16.710-ton passenger liner Rangitane, on her way from
Unusually heavily armed, and with an armoured bridge, she had a 126 mm and a 76,2 mm mounted on her stern, as well as several light anti-aircraft guns mounted on the wings of the bridge, and a depth charge launcher. Despite all of this, and her undoubtedly superior speed, her captain made no serious effort to escape the raider’s trap, or to defend his ship in any way. Ordered to stop, and to cease all radio transmissions, the liner was transfixed in the mist between the two raiders, clearly silhouetted by Orion’s powerful searchlights, giving Komet’s gunners an easy task when ordered to open fire. Orion’s gunners immediately followed suit, but were hampered by their own searchlight beams reflecting back off the heavy mist. Having refused to cease transmitting, and now reporting that she was being attacked by two German warships, the burning liner vainly attempted to turn away, but, firmly boxed in by the raiders, and with her radio mast shot away, she surrendered, precipitating a frantic scramble, as boarding parties from all three German ships literally raced each other to be the first to claim the ship, the largest vessel ever taken by a raider, as a prize.
Rangitane’s distress signals had been picked up by Australian and New Zealand naval units, and it quickly became clear that both warships and aircraft were rushing to the scene, so, unfortunately for the German crews, there was only time to transfer the passengers and crew before the slowly sinking liner and her valuable and tempting cargo was sent to the bottom by a torpedo from Komet.
Three people had lost their lives in the action. Some of the prisoners were transferred to Kulmerland, which now had 39 women and 5 children on board, while military ex-passengers and ships companies were transferred from the supply ship and Orion, to the relative comforts of Komet.
Leaving the scene as quickly as possible, the raiders headed north to attack the shipping around the island of Nauru, a former German possession that had been lost to the British during World War One, and that was rich in phosphate, exporting between 700.000 and 800.000 tons of it annually.
On December 6, having decided to land a raiding party with 310 prisoners on the island, the squadron ran across this 4,410-ton freighter carrying a cargo of foodstuffs and piece goods from Melbourne and Newcastle to Nauru and Ocean Island, that had escaped the Orion four months previously, and finally cornered her after a chase that lasted over nine hours, during which three of her 64-man crew were killed. Among the 68 survivors picked up were six women and a child.
Komet having departed, the freighter was torpedoed and sunk by Orion.
|The next day, December 7, as Komet led the squadron in towards the island, where two ships were found lying offshore waiting to load under the giant cantilevered loading platforms, a third vessel appeared, and was immediately shelled and stopped, without being able to send a distress signal. She was the 5,180-ton Norwegian motor vessel Vinni, in ballast for
Having conferred for two hours early on December 8, Weyher and Eyssen took their ships in opposite directions around the island, the Komet to the north, the Orion to the south, where this 6.378-ton British freighter, also in ballast, was approached at first light, and ordered to stop.
Her captain immediately ordered all his running lights switched off, turned away, and tried to escape. It was only after the Orion’s gunners had opened fire, killing one man, shooting away the freighter’s radio aerials and crippling her steering gear, that he stopped, dumped his papers and lowered his lifeboats.
Taking no time to pick up survivors, as he’d spotted another ship to eastward, Weyher ordered Kulmerland to do so. Eyssen, having observed the action, and not wishing to become embroiled in it, rounded the island once more and returned to pick up one of the Triadic’s boats, leaving the other to Kulmerland, after which the freighter was scuttled.
Having sorted out the Triadic’s boats, and taken some verbal abuse from her First Officer, Eyssen ran this 3.900-ton British freighter down, signalling to her to heave to.
Unable to decipher the Komet’s signal, her captain ordered full speed, and tried desperately to escape.
Full speed was not enough to shake off the raider, whose guns silenced his radio, blew his First Officer to pieces along with the port wing of the bridge, and mortally wounded his Second Officer.
Her crew having been taken on board the raider, the Komata was scuttled.
Having left the Triadic’s boats to the Kulmerland and the Komet, Weyher, stopped this 6.032-ton British freighter in ballast, and preventing her from raising the alarm, took her captain and his 63-man crew on board, and sank her with scuttling charges.
This concluded a very successful forty-eight hours, during which five ships had been sunk, totalling 26.000 tons, and over one hundred and sixty prisoners taken, bringing the total number aboard the three German ships to over six hundred and seventy-five, of whom fifty-two were women, and eight were children.
Some of these, and a number of ‘coloured’ crewmen having been set ashore on Emirau Island, from where they were rescued by the British soon afterwards, Orion retired to Lamotrek, where she arrived on New Years Eve.
After 268 days at sea, the raider was in urgent need of a thorough refit, and so, while waiting for the tanker Ermland to arrive with fuel from Japan, it was decided that this would be best carried out 800 miles to the north at Maug, as both Ailinglap and Lamotrek were now deemed to be compromised as secret bases due to the prisoners early rescue.
As the Ermland also had a large number of prisoners on board, she had to remain apart from Orion as the raider changed her disguise. The rendezvous with the supply ship, and the Ole Jacob, finally took place as Orion took on the much-needed oil, and a Japanese Nakajima E8N-1 seaplane.
The Ermland then departed for Europe, reaching Bordeaux on April 13, having collected the Admiral Scheer’s prisoners from the Nordmark on the way.
Continuing on her way with the Ole Jacob, the Orion was severely damaged on February 20, as the two ships ran into a hurricane south of the Solomon Islands.
On July 1, she met fellow raider Atlantis and re-fuelled for the last time from the tanker Anneliese Essberger.
The Orion’s final victim was this 5.792-ton British freighter, in ballast and en route to Buenos Aires on July 29, nearly eight months since her last success.
At first, the freighter ignored the Orion’s warnings, but then began to send sending distress signals saying she was being attacked, opening fire with her 40mm Bofors gun as the raider approached, doing some minor damage. Her 48-man crew finally abandoned their sinking ship, and were taken on board.
It took several torpedoes and over 400 rounds of 150mm ammunition to sink her.
|Aftermath - Fate of the Hilfskreuzer Orion|
Having rendezvoused with two escort U-Boats west of the Azores on August 16, Orion crossed the Bay of Biscay disguised as the Spanish Contramestre Casado.
With the submarines now joined by aircraft, destroyers and minesweepers, she entered the Gironde with her battle flag flying, arriving in Bordeaux on August 23, and receiving a raucous welcome from her old comrades Ermland, Regensburg and Ole Jacob, and ending a voyage of 127.337 miles in 510 days.
As there was no question of a ship with such unreliable engines being sent out on the high seas again, most of her armament and special equipment was removed for further use on the ships then being prepared for the second wave of raiders.
Decommissioned and taken out of service in August she was laid up as a repair ship until January 1944. when she was re-named Hektor, and re-entered service as a gunnery training ship under Korvetten Kapitän Meyer.
In October of that year she was installed as a fleet training vessel under Korvetten Kapitän Kiesewetter, and later under Kapitän zur See Asmus, under whose command in January 1945, she was re-named Orion, and once again designated as a Hilfskreuzer, seeing out her remaining days engaged in the desperate evacuation of wounded military personnel and terrified civilians fleeing from the Russians in Eastern Baltic.
On May 4 1945, bound for Copenhagen she was sunk by a Russian bomber off Swinemünde. Only one hundred and fifty of the almost four thousand people on board survived.
The hulk was scrapped in 1952.
|Orion - War Records from 07-04-1940 to 30-08-1941|
|7||Rangitane (With Komet)||Passenger Liner||United Kingdom||27-11-1940||*8.356||Sunk|
|8||Triona (With Komet)||Freighter||United Kingdom||06-12-1940||*2.207||Sunk|
|Ships Sunk by Mines|
|2||Niagara||Passenger Liner||United Kingdom||18-06-1940||13.415||Sunk|
|11||HMNZS Puriri||Auxiliary Minesweeper||New Zealand||14-05-1941||927||Sunk|
|1||Sunk by gunfire and a torpedo. 40 prisoners. Meeting with Winnetou. Mining of the port of Auckland, New Zealand.|
|2||Valuable cargo. Sent to Bordeaux with Haxby’s crew. Torpedoed and sunk off Bilbao by HMS Truant.|
|3||Sunk by explosive charges.|
|4||Sunk by gunfire and torpedoes. 38 killed. 19 survivors taken on board. Orion is nicknamed ‘The Black Raider’ by the Australian press. Meeting with supply ship Regensburg at Ailinglap Atoll in the Marshall Islands.|
|5||Sunk by explosive charges. Meeting with Regensburg, Kulmerland and HK Komet at Lamotrek Atoll in the Caroline Islands. Regensburg dispatched to Japan with the prisoners.|
|6||Sunk by gunfire after several torpedoes failed to do so. Orion arrives safely at Bordeaux disguised as the Spanish Contramaestre Casado.|
|7||Mined off Auckland.|
|8||Mined off Auckland.|
|09||Operating with HK Komet. Sunk by gunfire from Komet. 29 prisoners and over 200 sheep taken on board, leading to a drastic change of diet on Orion, Komet and Kulmerland!|
|10||Sunk by gunfire. 310 prisoners, including 36 women. Only one dead. Some days later 310 prisoners are landed at Nauru in the Solomon Islands.|
|11||Sunk by gunfire and torpedoes.|
|12||Sunk by explosive charges.|
|Alfonso Arenas, Spain||Got the idea and founded the Hilfskreuzer section.|
|Jonathan Ryan, Ireland||Creator of the Hilfskreuzer section, as it is today, based on his knowledge and private archive.|
|Hilfskreuzer (Auxiliary Cruiser / Raider)|
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|Back to the Hilfskreuzer Menu| | <urn:uuid:567f0f9c-d215-4d8e-ab4f-1b0728e6bd0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bismarck-class.dk/hilfskreuzer/orion.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978776 | 29,804 | 1.804688 | 2 |
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Use of different equipment
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Exercise by far is one of the best ways of getting an instant pain relief and keeping yourself fit and fine always. The chiropractor Vancouver organize different types of cardiovascular, stretching and strengthening exercise sessions for individuals to reduce back pain, reinstate range of motion and enhance strength and stamina.
Educating the patients
This is another important service offered by them. A chiropractor may educate the patients regarding various important factors that can improve his or her health conditions. They play an increasingly important role of suggesting a variety of lifestyle improvement programs including self-care and coping strategies, diet and nutritional programs, etc.
These are some of the major services offered by chiropractic physicians in the direction to treat different back pain related disorders of the individuals. They do not use drugs or surgery in their practice.
If you are also one of those suffering from any of the musculoskeletal disorders, you need to get in touch with experienced chiropractors who can treat all your troubles. Most of them today maintain their own dedicated websites to help individuals find them easily. You can go through different websites, compare their services and go with the one that you find reliable and experienced.
Located in Vancouver region of British Columbia, Vancouver Spine Care Centre is a spine care clinic that adopts high quality Vancouver chiropractor techniques and procedures for spine treatment. | <urn:uuid:5e100dc2-f47c-4be5-9a13-120cfce99186> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chiropractorvancouver.net/2011/10/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934349 | 474 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Eric Toder of the Urban Institute says “the 10 most costly provisions benefiting business investment account for about 92 percent” of revenue losses over the next five years. First on his list is the deferral of foreign-source income of American multinational firms. This is what allows a company like General Electric to pay an extremely low rate. And it just so happens that G.E.’s chief executive is now the chairman of Mr Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. As Mr. Toder states, “the corporate leaders now advising the president are likely pushing him to move in the opposite direction, following our major trading partners, who exempt foreign-source income.”
Go down the rest of Mr. Toder’s list and you’ll find more cause for pessimism. The expenditure accounting for the second-largest loss of revenue — the accelerated depreciation of machinery and equipment — has just been increased. The credit for research and development is unlikely to be cut, as are credits for low-income housing. The one area Mr Obama has specifically targeted — tax breaks for fossil fuels — is relatively small (and unpopular).
None of this is an argument against corporate tax reform. But it is an argument against thinking major reform is very likely. | <urn:uuid:a885b72e-edd1-48bc-850b-21bf67cf64ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/the-biggest-corporate-tax-breaks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961624 | 261 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Noted financial writer Joe Nocera has a compelling piece in The New York Times recommending that colleges pay athletes. It is a lengthy piece worth reading.
My older brother played college basketball, and I saw firsthand the challenges of balancing tournaments at Madison Square Garden with schoolwork. He never slept.
My family has been stuck in small airports where female sports teams were also awaiting delayed flights. One was the University of Virginia golf team, and the other was the University of Florida soccer team.
In both cases, we were impressed to see these athletes sitting on the floor reading, working on term papers and doing math. I pointed out to my kids that college athletes aren’t off the hook for their schoolwork just because they have to fly to a game. We ended up chatting with a Florida soccer player who told us that she also held a part-time job in addition to soccer and a prelaw major. I doubt she got much sleep, either.
Given the demands on college athletes, I think Nocera’s ideas to pay them merit consideration.
Among his points:
The hypocrisy that permeates big-money college sports takes your breath away. College football and men’s basketball have become such huge commercial enterprises that together they generate more than $6 billion in annual revenue, more than the National Basketball Association. A top college coach can make as much or more than a professional coach; Ohio State just agreed to pay Urban Meyer $24 million over six years. Powerful conferences like the S.E.C. and the Pac 12 have signed lucrative TV deals, while the Big 10 and the University of Texas have created their own sports networks. Companies like Coors and Chick-fil-A eagerly toss millions in marketing dollars at college sports. Last year, Turner Broadcasting and CBS signed a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal for the television rights to the N.C.A.A.’s men’s basketball national championship tournament (a k a “March Madness”). And what does the labor force that makes it possible for coaches to earn millions, and causes marketers to spend billions, get? Nothing. The workers are supposed to be content with a scholarship that does not even cover the full cost of attending college. Any student athlete who accepts an unapproved, free hamburger from a coach, or even a fan, is in violation of N.C.A.A. rules.
Players aren’t stupid. They look around and see jerseys with their names on them being sold in the bookstores. They see 100,000 people in the stands on a Saturday afternoon. During the season, they can end up putting in 50-hour weeks at their sports, and they learn early on not to take any course that might require real effort or interfere with the primary reason they are on campus: to play football or basketball. The N.C.A.A. can piously define them as students first, but the players know better. They know they are making money for the athletic department. The N.C.A.A.’s often-stated contention that it is protecting the players from “excessive commercialism” is ludicrous; the only thing it’s protecting is everyone else’s revenue stream. (The N.C.A.A. itself takes in nearly $800 million a year, mostly from its March Madness TV contracts.) “Athletes in football and basketball feel unfairly treated,” Leigh Steinberg, a prominent sports agent, says. “The dominant attitude among players is that there is no moral or ethical reason not to take money, because the system is ripping them off.”
After several months researching the issue, Nocera says he came up with a five-element plan to pay college athletes. The elements are:
A modified free-market approach to recruiting college players.
A salary cap for every team, along with a minimum annual salary for every scholarship athlete. The salary caps I have in mind are pretty low, all things considered: $3 million for the salaries for the football team, and $650,000 for basketball, with a minimum salary of $25,000 per athlete.
Every player who stays in school for four years would also get an additional two-year scholarship, which he could use either to complete his bachelor’s or get a master’s degree.
Each player would have lifetime health insurance.
An organization would be created to represent both current and former college athletes. It may well turn out to be that this body takes on the form of a players’ union, since a salary cap is illegal under antitrust law unless it is part of a collective-bargaining agreement. (That’s why most professional sports leagues embrace players’ unions.)
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog | <urn:uuid:3cdb756d-0cba-406d-98f7-1765ceb5ac7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/01/03/should-we-pay-college-athletes-if-so-how-much/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975116 | 1,006 | 1.640625 | 2 |
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From the Wires
Fire Fighters Call on Government to Recognize M-388
By: PR Newswire
Nov. 23, 2012 02:43 PM
Ralph Goodale motion addresses fire fighter, public safety issues
OTTAWA, Nov. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is calling on the Canadian Government to act on three important fire fighter and public safety issues after a majority of MPs expressed support for them Wednesday in the House of Commons.
MPs adopted private member's motion M-388 in the House of Commons Nov. 21 by a vote of 150 to 134. The motion, introduced by Liberal MP Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Sask.), calls on the federal government to establish a national Public Safety Officer Compensation (PSOC) benefit, to protect the public by giving fire fighters priority access to vaccines during an influenza pandemic and to amend the National Building Code of Canada to address fire fighter safety.
While private member's motions are non-binding, the fact that a majority of MPs representing a majority of Canadians voted in favour of M-388 sends the federal government the clear message that it should act on the IAFF's Canadian legislative issues, says Scott Marks, the IAFF's Assistant to the General President for Canadian Operations. The IAFF represents 22,000 professional fire fighters across Canada.
"We ask the Government of Canada to recognize the adoption of M-388 and the important fire fighter and public safety issues it addresses," Marks said, adding the IAFF is grateful to Goodale for acting decisively to advance fire fighter and public safety issues. "We would welcome the opportunity to work with the government to see the will of parliament recognized and these important issues advanced."
The IAFF's call for a national PSOC benefit is in response to the fact that that there is currently no minimum level of compensation for the family of fire fighters who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. While some fire fighters have been able to negotiate a benefit at the local level, it typically does not adequately address the longer-term financial security of the surviving family. The IAFF recommends a PSOC benefit of $300,000 that would apply to all fire fighters across Canada.
The pandemic issue is in response to the fact that fire fighters are in fact emergency medical responders who come in direct contact with the public during an influenza pandemic, and the fact that if too many fire fighters are absent from duty during a moderate or severe pandemic, there may not be enough personnel available to properly protect the public.
The IAFF also asserts that the National Building Code of Canada should be amended to make fire fighter safety an objective. Because it is not currently an objective, fire fighter safety cannot be used as the basis of a building code change request. The code currently views fire fighters the same as other building occupants, despite the fact that the public expects fire fighters to enter a burning structure long after others may have exited in order to conduct interior search and rescue and to aggressively save the home and its contents.
More information about the IAFF position on the issues outlined in M-388 is available at http://www.iaff.org/canada/FactSheets/index.htm.
Goodale noted the cross-party support M-388 received. "It's good to see a little genuine democracy on the floor of the House - for such a worthy cause," Goodale said. "I'm grateful to all my colleagues in all Parties who joined together to endorse these important measures in support of the courageous people who put their lives on the line daily to keep Canadians safe."
The IAFF is also grateful to Conservative MP Patrick Brown (Barrie, ON), who worked exceptionally hard on behalf of fire fighters to help secure enough votes to see M-388 adopted, and to NDP MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster, BC), who also brought important attention to the motion.
Text of M-388:
M-388 — June 4, 2012 — Mr. Goodale (Wascana) — That the House hereby affirm its support for the following measures to support Canada's firefighters which, in the opinion of the House, the government should act upon promptly: (a) the creation of a national Public Safety Officer Compensation Benefit in the amount of $300,000, indexed annually, to help address the financial security of the families of firefighters and other public safety officers who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty; (b) the recognition of firefighters, in their vital role as "first responders", as an integral part of Canada's "critical infrastructure", and as "health care workers" under the Canada Influenza Pandemic Plan, entitled to priority access to vaccines and other drugs in cases of pandemics and other public health emergencies; (c) the specification of firefighter safety as an objective of the National Building Code of Canada; (d) a review of the National Building Code of Canada, in conjunction with the International Association of Firefighters, to identify the most urgent safety issues impacting firefighters and the best means to address them.
SOURCE International Association of Firefighters
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Ratko Mladic's genocide trial was halted Friday for a second day running because the former Bosnian Serb military commander was undergoing medical tests and under observation after being rushed to a hospital a day earlier.
Mladic's seat in in the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal courtroom was empty as the trial briefly resumed.
Tribunal spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic said Friday afternoon that Mladic was discharged from a hospital and sent back to his cell.
"Ratko Mladic has returned to the detention unit after medical examinations confirmed there were no abnormalities in his health status and that no treatment is required," Jelacic said in a statement. "The previous determination that Mladic is fit to stand trial therefore remains unchanged."
Mladic's lawyer said he initially feared the 70-year-old former general had a stroke when he complained of feeling ill in court Thursday, but that tests had ruled that out.
"Now we think either it's a high level of sugar in his blood or high blood pressure, since he had both higher than normal yesterday," Branko Lukic told reporters outside the courtroom. "We are hopeful that we will continue on Monday."
However, Lukic warned that Mladic's frail health could be imperiled by his trial and hinted he would apply to further reduce the time he spends in court each week.
The complex trial, covering atrocities spanning the entire 1992-1995 Bosnian war that left 100,000 people dead, already is expected to last years and has so far had sittings scheduled for only one morning or afternoon session per day.
"There is some kind of recommendation from the medical staff as well that he should have more rest during the day and we think we should have less working days during the week as well," Lukic said. "It is too much for him. It's not only sitting and listening, it's stressful too. Obviously, it did affect him."
Lukic's concerns raise the spectre of the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, which had to be aborted without a verdict when he died in his cell of a heart attack in 2006.
Milosevic's trial dragged on for four years in part because of his ill health repeatedly holding up proceedings.
The leader of a group that represents family members of some of the 8,000 Muslim men killed in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre said she hoped Mladic would survive.
"We wish him a good recovery. We pray to God that he gets well because if he dies, justice will die with him and the victims will be betrayed again," said Munira Subasic, the head of the Mothers of Srebrenica group. "We need him to be convicted. We need it for our own history. We do not want the Milosevic situation to be repeated."
Mladic also has had poor health during his 16 years as a fugitive from international justice and since his arrest last year and transfer to a cell in The Hague.
Since arriving in the Netherlands, Mladic has undergone surgery for a hernia and been treated for other ailments including a kidney stone and pneumonia.
But as witness testimony at his long-awaited trial got under way this week he looked healthier than at any time since his arrest.
Fearing a similar scenario to Milosevic's aborted trial, prosecutors last year unsuccessfully applied to judges to split Mladic's trial into two separate cases, fearing his health was too fragile for such a lengthy case.
Prosecutors proposed trying Mladic first for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, for which he is accused of genocide, before starting a separate trial on charges of masterminding other Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 dead.
Mladic denies any wrongdoing during his time as leader of the Bosnian Serb military, arguing that his forces were defending Serb interests.
The trial is scheduled to resume Monday and continue for the remainder of the week before pausing for the tribunal's three-week summer recess.
Associated Press writer Aida Cerkez in Sarajevo, Bosnia, contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:4e1a9b0b-0610-4e39-93f2-17ed1d527dd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/GB/20120712/CP01/307129974/-1/princegeorge/ratko-mladic-hospitalized-as-precaution-after-feeling-unwell-at-his&template=cpArt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986706 | 865 | 1.59375 | 2 |
BG Automotive group is planning to start making deliveries of their neighborhood electric vehicle (NEVs) this spring. The fully electric vehicle comes standard with air conditioning, dual airbags, power steering/brakes, even an AM/FM/CD player with Ipod jack. The price starts at $16k.
Neighborhood electric vehicles are rated for a top speed of 45 mph, so they can’t be taken on the freeways in most states. But there is a high speed version in the works for 2010.
In 2008 Tesla motors delivered 150 of its critically acclaimed Roadsters. Even in the harsh economic conditions they plan on ramping up production in 2009. They plan to increase the rate of production from 15 to 30 cars per week later in the year.
In other Tesla news:
Adding to their Karma model, Fisker has announced plans for a second luxury plug in electric car. The Fisker Karma S or Sunset will be a convertible electric vehicle. Both this model and the production model of the Karma will be displayed at the Detroit car show on January 12th.
From the press release:
“The Fisker Karma S will be powered by the Karma’s Q-DRIVE® powertrain, developed in cooperation with Quantum Technologies exclusively for Fisker Automotive. Q-DRIVE® offers a 50 mile range on a single charge to its Lithium-Ion battery pack, and up to 408hp from two electric motors.”
The upcoming Ford Fusion Hybrid has surprised the hybrid world by securing a 41mpg city rating. That fuel economy would put in only behind the Prius as the most fuel efficient car. The 41mpg rating is even higher than the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic hybrids.
The Fusion Hybrid is set to be released in late 2009 with a price tag of $27,000. The performance is a respectable 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. Its reported to be able to achieve 47 mph on battery power alone, before switching over to engine power.
It seems Ford is serious about moving into the green car space, and has a possible winner on their hands with the Fusion Hybrid.
The first widely released plug in electric car went on sale today in China. The BYD F3DM was officially presented in a ceremony in Shenzhen. The car retails for 149,800 yuan which is equivalent to $22,000 US dollars. BYD is the company that Warren Buffett invested heavily in this year. In addition to producing the cars, BYD also China’s biggest producer of battery and battery technology. The car is expected to be available in the US and Europe in 2010.
The range of the F3DM is 62 miles on full electric and also has a small gas powered range extender than kicks in after that. The battery can be fully charged in 7 hours, as well as a 50% quick charge in only 10 minutes from specialty charging station.
The CEO of Tesla motors, Elon Musk, released more details about the much anticipated Tesla S sedan. The sticker price will be $57,499, which is about half the price of the $109,000 Roadster model. The government tax credit for electric vehicles brings the price down to $49,999. “If you take into account the $10,000 to $15,000 you might spend on gas with a conventional car, the Model S drops to $34,000 to $39,000,” says Musk.
Tesla hopes to have a running prototype by the end of February 2009, and the production model should be ready in 2011.
The state of Hawaii is looking to take the green lead with its plan to add a large network of electric vehicle charging stations. The ambitious plan would add from 70,000 to 120,000 charging stations on the islands before 2012. The stations will be smart charging points and swappable battery centers. In a partnership with Better Place, the state hopes to decrease its dependence on expensive imported oil.
Hawaii is an ideal location for a conversion to electric vehicles. Its small location means most drives make short trips. The abundant natural resources like wind, wave, geo-thermal, and solar can easily power their electric grid with renewable energy.
While the flashy startup Tesla gets most of the press for its all electric car, another California startup is close to releasing a plug in electric car. The company is Miles Electric, and the car is the Highway Speed sedan. The car is a “normal looking” 4 door sedan. It will have room for 5 passengers with ample trunk space. Luxury options like sunroof, electronic stability control, bluetooth, and GPS navigation will all be available. The company plans to offer an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty.
Miles Electric claims the range of the car will be 100 miles on a single charge, and can be re-charged with a standard 220 volt appliance outlet. Power is provided by a 320 V Lithium Ion battery pack. The car should cruise at 80 mph and have a 0 to 60 time of 8.5 seconds. The price will be from $40,000-$45,000, which is right in the expected price of the Volt, and undercuts the Tesla S sedan by $20k.
The car can be charged from a 50% depletion to full in about 4-6 hours. But Miles is developing a fast charge system that would allow a full charge in 15-20 minutes. Current estimates for the cost of a full charge is $1.75.
When can you buy one? An official launch date is not yet announced, but Miles Electric plans to make the cars available for test drive in 4th quarter of 2009. The on sale date should be early 2010. The company hopes to sell 9,000 cars the first year and up to 30,000 in the following years.
Hyundai revealed a bold new strategy to try to become the most fuel efficient car line on the planet. Utilizing their new “blue drive” technology, they hope to achieve a 35 mpg fleet average for their cars by 2015. This technology breaks with the current lithium ion battery trend and uses a lithium polymer battery. They claim these batteries produce 10% better power, while weighing 30% less and taking up half the space.
Hyundai is looking to offer this platform in many of its current models as hybrids, as well as new cars to feature full electric modes. These “blue editions” version will be even cheaper than current prices: $11,070 and $13,970 for the Accent and Elantra models. The large Korean car maker is a little late to the hybrid and electric party, but hopes this aggressive new initiative will push them to the forefront.
This video describes the Blue Drive technology from the recent L.A. auto show.
Conventional wisdom is that working trucks and 18 wheelers are too big and heavy for electric batteries. While it might be true that current batteries alone could not power a large truck, they can improve the efficiency. The utility company Southern California Edison has developed a working prototype plug in hybrid truck over 5 years ago. The truck weighs 26,000 lbs with the hybrid system adding 1,000 lbs. They are looking to add another to their fleet.
Another company, Eaton, produces smaller hybrid drive-trains for smaller trucks and buses. They are currently developing plug in hybrid systems for larger trucks. According to Kevin Beaty of Eaton, “The point is, can batteries help improve the performance and fuel economy of an 18-wheeler? Absolutely they can”.
With still high prices for diesel fuel, anything that can improve efficiency of our truck fleet should be on the table. Work on heavy vehicle plug in hybrid technology is still in its early phases, but the development should have benefits for all vehicles down the line.
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This article continues my series on the Court Cards. For some background information on this series, see "Court Cards, Part I: The Kings of Tarot."
For this series, we are looking at the Court Cards as representing other people involved in the situation that the querent is asking about. Pages are known for being supportive and bringing freshness and enthusiasm to a situation but who seek to be directed by a firmer or more experienced person.
When a Page appears in a reading, it means that someone who needs help or guidance or who can provide support will play a role in the development of the situation.
Pages are not necessarily chronologically young. Instead, they are young in terms of the situation. They are feeling the first flush of excitement and possibly nervousness that often comes with new experiences. They are just getting the hang of something, just beginning to see how they fit in, or just deciding whether something is right for them or not. Although they generally exhibit visible energy, they can appear skeptical or resistant, particularly if they are still trying to get their feet under them and do not wish to appear foolish.
Pages are not known for their powerful or far-reaching influence. Unlike the Knights, they are hardly going to do anything that would upset the querent’s apple cart in any way. And unlike the Queens, they aren’t filled with wise advice based on highly honed skills or experience. Indeed, they are likely to instead be asking the querent for advice, help, or support. In exchange, they offer their gratitude and loyalty. They can be useful in the current situation in some way, perhaps as yet unknown, or in the future. Although their role may be minimal, it could prove the nail for which the kingdom was lost.
All the Pages share the contrary characteristics of curiosity and skepticism, courage and fear. They are novices and are motivated by the opportunity to be part of something larger than themselves. What they need or desire, the querent is usually in a position to provide. The return is well worth it in terms of loyalty, fresh insights, and enthusiasm. Each Page does have different specific needs as well as gifts to share.
The Page of Wands is someone who has just discovered (or rediscovered) his sense of self, has experienced (or re-experienced) something that inspires him, or has just learned about (or relearned) what fuels his passion. At this point, he knows what it is and has some idea of the power it generates within, but has not yet grasped all the ramifications. He is still getting used to the idea, playing out scenarios in his mind, and imagining possibilities. This experience bestows a sense of power and self-determination. He may find this either freeing or frightening but more likely both. He will appreciate someone who helps him learn to channel and control his will and in exchange can devote some of that spark and energy to the querent’s situation.
The Page of Cups represents someone who is seeing as if for the first time a matter of the heart, such as a relationship, emotion, or creative impetus. He may have any number of reactions. He may be enchanted, beguiled, curious, hesitant, repulsed, confused. But this card is not necessarily concerned with his immediate reaction. What it does reveal is that he does not know what to do with the experience. He has acknowledged its existence but is not sure what he is prepared to do with it or how it relates to him and his life. Instead of taking action he prefers to examine and study it, seeking its secrets and searching for understanding before making any decisions. Wise experience and encouraging words will hearten the Page as he explores these powerful emotions. In return, he will never forget his benefactor and will repay the kindness with sincere friendship and creativity.
The Page of Swords is someone who is encountering a new idea, solution, way of thinking, or method of communication. At the moment, although he acknowledges it, he neither discounts it nor fully accepts it. He needs to spend some time with it. First, he needs to determine whether or not he thinks it is theoretically true. Second, he wants to know how it can be applied to his life in practical terms. And finally, he will decide how useful it will be. He is looking for safe venues in which to try out this new discovery. He would be grateful for someone to discuss this with, someone who will bounce around ideas and share experience…but he doesn’t want to be told what to do, just given data. He’ll weigh it all in the balance and make his own decision. In exchange, he’ll do the same for the querent. He may not bring experience to the party, but he can hold up any plan against his natural logic and provide an analysis.
The Page of Pentacles is someone who has received something new, such as a material item, a resource, or money (or a way to earn money). For him, this item is worth far more than it appears. In it, he sees possibilities. He is imagining how he can make the best use of it. It is likely that he will parley it into more than anyone else would imagine. Whether or not this actually happens is uncertain, but he is certainly going to try. He has ideas and plans, but wouldn’t turn his nose up to any advice, although he is likely well-prepared. Instead, he’d more likely appreciate encouragement and the idea that someone else believes in him and his ideas. He’s not interested in small or negative thinking. In the course of conversation, he will probably offer insightful ideas about manifesting results that the querent never imagined.
The rest of Barbara Moore's series on the Court Cards of the Tarot can be found here:
"Court Cards, Part I: The Kings of Tarot"
"Court Cards, Part II: The Queens of Tarot"
"Court Cards, Part III: The Knights of Tarot"
Please note that the use of Llewellyn Journal articles
is subject to certain Terms and Conditions | <urn:uuid:5f0637f3-5050-41ea-b224-e7b1c4032e05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/print.php?id=2105 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977804 | 1,263 | 1.71875 | 2 |
After the earthquake in Haiti earlier this year, Michael Cagno, executive director of The Noyes Museum of Art of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, knew he wanted to do something for citizens of the ravaged country.
Noticing a strong Haitian community in Atlantic County, Cagno realized local galleries were not celebrating Haitian art. So the Vineland resident suggested that representatives of the Noyes reach out to the country’s residents culturally.
Cagno, along with Linwood’s Dorrie Papademetriou, a director at the Noyes; Hammonton’s Celeste Safeer, a Stockton student; and Florcy Morrisset, who owns a Haitian art gallery in Philadelphia, brought Project HEART (Haiti Emergency Art Relief Team) to Haiti.
The quartet worked at children’s camps for seven days, giving students the opportunity to explore new art materials and to express themselves through a variety of mediums. In January, in commemoration of the earthquake’s one-year anniversary, the Noyes will sponsor various exhibits: artwork made by the children will be on display at the Noyes’ Artport at the Atlantic City International Airport; professional artwork purchased in Haiti will be featured at the Noyes in Oceanville; and photography from the trip will be on display in Hammonton.
“When you look at U.S. tragedies such as Katrina and 9/11, art was there for people to help cope … to make sure life goes on,” Cagno said.
Woman happy to be ‘bra lady’
Marla Wink is not just happy to be known on Long Beach Island as the “bra lady,” she makes a living from it.
The 52-year-old, who lives in the Holgate section of Long Beach Township, owns Indian Summer, a women’s boutique in Beach Haven’s Bay Village shopping center.
Wink, who has owned the business for 23 years, said she always did pretty well, but taking advantage of an Oprah Winfrey episode about five years ago — in which Winfrey informed women they were probably wearing the wrong size bras — transformed Wink into the bra lady.
Advertising that she not only fitted women for bras, but that she also had bras for well-endowed women — including the one Oprah touted — in stock, Wink’s business changed overnight, and she has now measured more chests than she ever thought she would.
Her store features thousands of bras, and Wink said she has at least 20 bras per size — from 28A to 48JJ — to offer her finicky customers.
“Oprah was right,” said Wink, whose store also offers fitted bathing suits and other women’s apparel. “I would say that 85 percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra, and they are way off when it comes to their size, too. They call me the ‘bra lady,’ and I am fine with it. It’s actually pretty funny.”
Staff Writer Donna Weaver contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:5367a504-774e-4f2e-bae4-2a94cff73f2e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/blogs/scott_cronick/everyone-has-a-story-noyes-art-museum-to-host-work/article_9e136c8a-b2e1-11df-ac98-001cc4c03286.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967833 | 655 | 1.578125 | 2 |
|Consider a Twitter strategy|
First, ask yourself what are your goals: To learn? To share? To meet people? To sell?
All, but that last one, are easily done on Twitter. Perhaps the best strategy is to work towards a combination of learning, sharing and meeting. But how do you do that? I'm glad you asked.
9 Steps Toward a Twitter Strategy
1. Pick who you follow carefully: The quality of what you read and what you can learn from Twitter is directly related to the quality of the Twitter accounts you follow. Resist the temptation to follow just anyone back. Sit on your hands when a totally irrelevant, but seemingly influential, account starts following you. You control your incoming stream – make that stream useful.
2. Organize who you follow: Start lists around topics you care about. Use tools such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite to keep track of multiple areas of interest.
3. Block irrelevant and spammy accounts: The temptation is to leave well-enough-alone and ignore the irrelevant accounts that follow you, but you will be judged by the accounts that follow you. Allowing even a few irrelevant accounts means others considering following you may change their minds.
4. Retweet (RT) people you hope to build relationships with: Pay special attention to just a few people who share good stuff and retweet them a few times. Add your “5 cents worth” too if you have the character count to do this.
5. Find a few new people to follow: Look into the Twitter streams of people you respect and see who they are retweeting and talking to. It is more likely you’ll find relevant people this way. If you have the time use Twitter’s Advanced Search function and find people near where you live who might be tweeting about things you care about.
6. Share just a few things you’ve found on the web: If you share good content others will pass it along and you will get noticed. How do you increase your chances of this? Use relevant hashtags.
7. 'Favorite' content from others: Each time you favorite someone else’s tweet they get a notification. What better way to get your name in front of someone?
8. Learn the Twitter lingo: The network has its own useful Twitter Glossary, but more importantly pay attention to how others are using Twitter.
9. Be patient: This is the hardest part for most people. However, the advantage of growing an account packed with genuine people who share real content and exist as an online community is invaluable. This kind of community will be there for you when you need them.
If this last point upsets or annoys you perhaps Twitter is not the platform for you. And … this is just a beginning or "Steps Toward a Twitter Strategy."
So what do you think? What else can someone getting serious about Twitter do to build a following and get more from the network?
11 Reasons I Won’t Follow You on Twitter
6 Reasons to Finally Join Twitter
Twetiquette: 10 basics for Twitter politeness
Twidiots and Twools and Other Twitter Types | <urn:uuid:a2d64619-6cca-4adb-9cb6-7055573fbf52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forfreeblog.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941125 | 653 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Remarks at the Rarotonga Dialogue on Gender Equality
Secretary of State
(In progress) Ambassador Frank (inaudible) and 30 years of service and commitment on behalf of the United States here and elsewhere throughout the world. And I wanted to thank all of you for gathering here – some of you I have met before, others this is my first time. But to all of you, it’s a great pleasure to be here in the beautiful Cook Islands with leaders from government, civil society, and multilateral organizations, all committed to improving the status of women in the Pacific.
I particularly want to thank the Government of Australia and (inaudible), and New Zealand – thank you Amanda for your support – and the other Pacific Island countries, as well as the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, the Secretariat of the Pacific community, UN agencies, and the World Bank, for all of your leadership in promoting gender equality. I also want to recognize Australian Ambassador-at-Large Williams, New Zealand AID program director who I just mentioned Amanda Ellis, Deputy Secretary General Troy and Minister Toni from Papua New Guinea.
But most of all, I want to thank all of the Pacific women who are here and all whom you represent because we could not put millions of women into this small space, but you are here on their behalf. And I’m delighted that you could be with us because it is my firm belief that women in the Pacific Islands constitute a great reservoir of untapped talent and ability.
Now every country can do better on this front, including my own – there is no doubt about that – but progress for gender equality in the Pacific has not kept pace with the rest of the world. And we have to recognize that. But we also are here to do something about it. Look at the numbers: Research from the World Bank and local organizations shows that the Pacific has the world’s lowest rate of women participating in legislative bodies or holding executive roles in the world – less than 2 percent. There are only seven countries in the world that have no women in their parliament, but four of them are located here in the Pacific. Up to 60 percent of women in the Pacific report being the victim of gender-based violence or sexual abuse. Maternal health statistics are also poor, and women face greater barriers to starting businesses and participating in the economy.
Now these facts illustrate a problem that doesn’t just hurt women and girls; it hurts everybody. It holds back entire societies. Because when women are unequal participants, economic growth is undermined. Development is stymied. Communities and countries are robbed of the contributions that women could make.
But the good news is that there are also impassioned leaders in this region, including those around this table, pushing for change. And role models like Adi Tafuna’i, who co-founded an organization called Women in Business Development Inc, Samoa and that was to help their women in Samoa how to unleash their economic power. So supporting and promoting gender equality is a core part of the United States commitment to the Pacific.
On my visit to the region in 2010, we helped launch the Pacific Women’s Empowerment Initiative with Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the World Bank. That has spawned a series of meetings addressing women’s political participation, economic opportunity, health care, and gender-based violence. I’m happy to announce that the United States will contribute $200,000 this year in voluntary funding to the UN Women’s Trust Fund to end violence against women. We’re also committed to developing a new network of women leaders in the Pacific that we are calling the Rarotonga Partnership for the Advancement of Pacific Island Women. Together with the East-West Center based in Hawaii and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, we will work with academic institutions and private partners across the Pacific to help build the capacity of women leaders and strengthen the leadership training. I want to thank Charles Morrison and everyone at the East-West Center for helping to make this possible.
Our pledge to promote gender equality across the Pacific, extends far beyond this meeting, so today what I’m hoping we can do is to share ideas and identify areas that need more attention because this is something that we feel very strongly about as all of you do.
So with that, let me thank you for joining us today, and I look forward to hearing the ideas and the opportunities that you can share with all of us. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
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Airport security is getting somewhat less creepy. By June 2013, TSA agents will no longer have access to images of passengers' naked bodies.
On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pledged to remove invasive Rapiscan body scanners from airports. According to the TSA Blog, because the Rapiscan scanners lack required software that protects passengers' privacy, the 174 backscatter units will be phased out—at Rapiscan's expense—by June 1.
The scanners, which capture pictures of passengers' bodies without clothing, lack privacy software that obscures graphic images of people. The software is called Automated Target Recognition (ATR), and it transforms clear snapshots of near-naked passengers into unrecognizable cartoon-like outlines, similar to stick figures.
Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told CNN, "It is big news. It removes the concern that people are being viewed naked by the TSA screener."
As a part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress requires that all airport full-body scanners employ ATR by June 1. Rapiscan, for whatever reason, couldn't meet that deadline. And so the TSA canceled the company's contract.
But the agency certainly isn't phasing out full-body scanners for good. The TSA promises to replace most of the Rapiscan machines with millimeter wave units that are equipped with ATR. But, at the very least, you can rest assured that TSA agents will no longer get to peek at your birthday suit.
You Might Also Like: | <urn:uuid:10e3e618-e1b3-4309-a4d6-2de192258140> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/tsa-ditches-invasive-body-scanners.html?id=13759476 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942074 | 324 | 1.734375 | 2 |
January 18, 2013
President Barack Obama’s Jobs Council hit a notable milestone on Thursday: one year without an official meeting. The 26-member panel is also set to expire at the end of the month, unless Obama extends its tenure.
The group, formally known as the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, last convened on Jan. 17, 2012 for a White House session where it presented formal recommendations to Obama. It was the panel’s fourth official meeting since it was created in early 2011.
A spokesman for Jobs Council chairman Jeffrey Immelt, who’s the CEO of General Electric, referred questions about the panel’s future to the White House.
A White House spokeswoman had no comment Thursday.
POLITICO caused a stir last July by reporting that the panel had not convened officially for six months. The story noted some simmering tension between the slew of business executives on the board and a pair of labor leaders who are also members of the group. The report also said that some CEOs were reluctant to appear with Obama at the height of the presidential campaign and that Obama’s public attacks on GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney for outsourcing complicated the idea of an election-season sit-down between the president and the business leaders.
This article was posted: Friday, January 18, 2013 at 10:42 am | <urn:uuid:c8d7507f-c38e-4251-9b96-c865a809dfc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prisonplanet.com/obama-jobs-council-hits-1-year-without-official-meeting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969459 | 277 | 1.507813 | 2 |
INVESTING IDEAS: How you could bag a stylish return by investing in small firms - but are AIM shares too risky?
By Dan Hyde
Investors with a spirit of adventure eager to take a punt on small British start-up companies are set to be given the green light to save through an Isa this year.
A rule change will allow savers to receive a tax break when they buy shares in any of the 1,100 smaller firms listed on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim).
These include famous fashion label Mulberry, high street off-licence chain Majestic Wine, online clothes shop Asos – plus scores of less familiar names such as Songbird Estates, which owns offices in Canary Wharf, London.
Until now, direct investment has been off-limits for stocks-and-shares Isa savers. But these may now be allowed from as early as April, after the Government announced a consultation.
Small shares can look tempting because of the large potential gains. However, you need an iron stomach for risk because prices can wobble violently – and can plummet even faster than they rise.
Jason Witcombe, director of independent financial adviser Evolve, says: ‘Most people should steer clear of individual shares in smaller companies.’
Jason Hollands, managing director of adviser Bestinvest, says: ‘The appeal of this rule change will be for experienced investors who like to research and take punts on individual shares.’
Another major worry is that small company shares tend to be less liquid. To turn them into cash you need to sell them – and that means finding a willing buyer.
For major stocks such as those in the FTSE 100 this is easy as there are millions of investors ready to stump up the cash. But far fewer people invest in small companies – and this could mean waiting for days while the share price ebbs away. The flip side is that some of the world’s most powerful companies started out as just a glimmer in an entrepreneur’s eye.
If you can sniff out the next McDonald’s or Apple, you could be sitting on a potential goldmine.
Alastair Thaw, head of investment at Barclays Stockbrokers, says: ‘The risks with small stocks are much higher – but so are the returns when you get it right.’
Mulberry is one of the most recognisable Aim-listed firms. With celebrities such as actress Sienna Miller and model Kate Moss sporting its handbags, its share price shot from 60p in May 2009 to 2472p in May last year.
Yet its shares crashed by a quarter in just one day on October 23 when it revealed drooping profits. Today they are worth 1250p.
Asos is another well-known Aim company that has boomed in the internet shopping revolution.
In October it reported profits had soared 40 per cent in a year to £44.4m. Its shares, which stood at just 100p in 2006, are now above 2600p.
But for every success there are just as many failures.
Shares in Aim-listed Madagascar Oil were suspended in 2010 when the African island’s government tried to take away its licence to explore.
A far safer way to tap into the rapid growth of small businesses is through a fund that invests in hundreds of different companies. Over the past 12 months, the average UK small company fund has risen 23 per cent, turning £10,000 into £12,300, according to data analyst Morningstar.
Had you invested £10,000 in the best-performing funds over the past three years – Cazenove UK Smaller Companies and Fidelity UK Smaller Companies – you would now be sitting on more than £18,100.
Mr Hollands says: ‘The hope is that funds investing in smaller companies get in very early, at a good price, just as the company is about to grow. It’s all about boosting your capital – not income.’
Tim Cockerill, head of investment at wealth manager Rowan Dartington, likes the Cazenove fund.
A chunk of savers’ money is invested in John Menzies, the former newsagent-owner that now provides the ramps and stairs to planes at airports.
Perform, which runs television subscription services for football clubs such as Chelsea, accounts for £3.25 of every £100 invested by the fund.
Darius McDermott, managing director of fund broker Chelsea Financial Services, likes Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth fund. It has turned £10,000 into £17,800 over three years through investments in 228 companies. | <urn:uuid:1b63918a-d5ff-4383-9a0f-ff9f48cf69b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-2264678/INVESTMENT-EXTRA-How-bag-stylish-return-investing-small-firmss.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962334 | 969 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The Ferris State University Experiential Team Building Program will generally be categorized under two basic headings; academic programming and outside contracts. Academic programming consists of the academic courses housed in the Recreation Leadership and Management program that utilize the challenge course for instructor training purposes. Students pay tuition dollars to take these courses and in return are trained in the hard and soft skills of challenge course facilitation. Outside contracts are all those programs offered to groups requesting challenge course experiences to be provided by the Ferris State University Experiential Team Building faculty and staff. All the programs of this nature will be structured to meet the specific needs and time frame of the client and will be billed appropriately to the level of sophistication of the specific program.
The Ferris State University Experiential Team Building Program is an educational enterprise intended to facilitate participant growth and continuing development in the social, emotional, psychological, cognitive, and psychomotor domains. Accomplishing such growth begins with an underlying atmosphere of supportiveness, acceptance, and trust. Participants make their own decisions and commitments. Group supportiveness is encouraged to develop a willingness to try and the realization that success if personal. The process of going one step farther is much more important than the end goal of a given task. Stress is intrinsic to risk, and risk is an inseparable part of adventure activities. Participants are guided to learn ways of providing support without creating unwarranted pressure on their co-participants. All participants voluntarily and freely make their own choices, based on what they can comfortably and willingly risk. No one is ever required, forced, or coerced into any activities. | <urn:uuid:b50600c8-f81e-4cc2-902b-a71ebe7ec0cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/studentlife/u-rec/programs/ropes/philosophies.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934524 | 321 | 1.578125 | 2 |
What is inbound marketing and why do I need it?
Inbound Marketing is the opposite of outbound marketing, which consists of “pushing” your company’s messaging to others – cold-calling, TV ads, trade shows, fliers. It seems that every day, these methods hold less and less power.
Inbound is the process of “pulling” people in to engage based on their needs and wants. Examples of this include Blogs, podcasts, video, eBooks, enewsletters, whitepapers, SEO, social media marketing, and other forms of content marketing. Until your content is found, it is useless.
Here are five step to help your great content get found.
Here are 5 tools you should begin using immediately to help boost your Inbound Marketing:
- Use a keyword tool. You have to create content that people want to read or view. The Google Keyword Tool is an important component for any business as consumers enter keywords into search engines to find information and make purchases every day. This is important because you want searchers to find your company and website when looking for information related to your business. The tool allows you to enter keywords you want to rank for and provides closely related keyword combinations as well as suggests keywords used within the website you’ve entered.
Similarly, if you host your own WordPress blog, install Yoast WordPress SEO because the plugin will check for SEO by asking for a focus keyword, a SEO title and a meta description of the blog. This WordPress SEO plugin guides you through some of the settings needed, for instance by reminding you to enable pretty permalinks. But it also goes beyond that, by automatically optimizing and inserting the meta tags and link elements that Google and other search engines like so much.
- Set up Google Alerts. Know and listen to what is being said in your field of expertise or what is said about your company. If your reader know that you are listening, they are more likely to engage and participate. Go to this URL to set up an alert http://www.google.com/alerts
- Reach out to news feeds. Recently I submitted our blog post to the news aggregator Alltop. We got picked up and added to their news feed. Moral of the story, keep promoting yourself.
- Use Google+. Google will make it very hard to do great SEO without using Google+. Plus grew five times in 2012 and will probably have slower growth in 2012 but the stategy is set.
- Content that gets shared, wins. Make it easy to share. Include social sharing buttons at both the top and bottom of your blog post or alternately, use a scrolling option that moves down the page as readers scroll.
- Shared content provides an important entry points into your site, driving traffic from social sources.
- Shared content improves SEO ranking
Inbound Marketing will become the business tag of choice in 2013 because it is inclusive combining all the disciplines of blogging, e-newsletters, video and Social Media marketing as the old term “SEO” becomes too limiting for many professionals.
(Original displayed at http://24x7social.com/2013/01/06/5-steps-to-get-your-inbound-marketing-found/) | <urn:uuid:421b37a1-476c-420d-99d9-6c1b60fceb58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://24x7social.com/2013/01/06/5-steps-to-get-your-inbound-marketing-found/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930844 | 676 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict
(This is an excerpt from the book, The Land of Many names by Steve Maltz.)
How many times have you been approached by someone and asked the question, "so what do you think about what's happening in the Middle East"? How frustrated have you been with your inability to string together a few coherent words, let alone a solid, robust argument to support your views? You are not alone, hours of study and a Ph.D. are the minimum requirements here for a full understanding of the intricacies and subtleties of a situation that doesn't even have a history that people can agree on.
There is nothing more confusing than the Israel/Palestinian conflict. Millions of words have been written and spoken about it, but how much of it has truly sunk in, how much of it has made sense, how much of it has been untainted by personal opinion or editorial slant? Jews and Zionists will tell you one thing and Arabs and Arabists will tell you the opposite! Surely they can't both be right, surely there can only be one truth, one set of proven historical events that can unravel the whole mess. Unfortunately it isn't that straightforward. The situation is so complex, puzzling and emotionally charged that it is well-nigh impossible to get an objective viewpoint - it is difficult to find historical sources with no 'axes to grind', commentators who could be accepted as truly impartial. Nevertheless please indulge me over the next few minutes, while I try to unravel the mystery, sweep away the web of confusion, set my course for the heart of the matter and try to make sense of it all.
There are two main issues to look at. Firstly, who really owns the land, particularly the area known as the 'West Bank' and, secondly, what is the origin of the Palestinian refugee situation?
Let's first go back to the 19th Century and look at the 'lie of the land'. Palestine, as it was called then (a name given by the Romans in the 1st Century in an effort to remove any Jewish associations with the land) was a poor country, ruled by absentee Turkish landlords, as part of the crumbling and corrupt Ottoman empire. By all accounts the land was largely barren and uninhabited, its population was either nomadic or largely involved with agriculture, despite the poor environment. Sir John William Dawson, writing in 1888, said, "no national union and no national spirit has prevailed there. The motley impoverished tribes which have occupied it have held it as mere tenants at will, temporary landowners, evidently waiting for those entitled to the permanent possession of the soil" (Modern Science in Bible Lands - New York 1890 - pp. 449-450). In 1835, Alphonse de Lamartine wrote, "Outside the gates of Jerusalem we saw indeed no living object, heard no living sound, we found the same void, the same silence …" (Recollections of the East, Vol I (London 1845) pp 268).
Thanks to the Turks, the land had been totally neglected. Hundreds of years of abuse had turned the country into a treeless waste, with malaria-ridden swamps, a sprinkling of towns and an unliveable desert in the south. This was the position in 1880, and this is incontestable fact.
But now we start to get discrepancies. How many people DID live in the land at that time, and WHO were they? Jewish sources put the figure at between 100,000 and 250,000. Arab sources put the figure at about 480,000 (456,000 Arab, 24,000 Jewish). And who were these Arabs? Arab sources would simply say that these were indigenous people, Arabs who have lived in this land for generations. Jewish and independent sources say otherwise. They would point to immigrations from Egypt (to escape heavy taxes), Algeria, Turkey and elsewhere. There are suggestions that up to 25% of the Moslem population of Palestine in the 19th century were immigrants.
A final word here from the author of 'Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn". According to the American author Mark Twain's independent eye-witness account in 1867, "The Innocent's Abroad", the land was barely populated, just a collection of small villages in a dry, barren land. This complete book is available on the Internet, so you can check it for yourself. Here's his summary.
"Of all the lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must be the prince … It is a hopeless, dreary, heart-broken land … Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies … Nazareth is forlorn; about that ford of Jordan where the hosts of Israel entered the Promised Land with songs of rejoicing, one finds only a squalid camp of fantastic Bedouins of the desert; Jericho the accursed, lies a moldering ruin, to-day, even as Joshua's miracle left it more than three thousand years ago … Renowned Jerusalem itself, the stateliest name in history, has lost all its ancient grandeur, and is become a pauper village … Capernaum is a shapeless ruin; Magdala is the home of beggared Arabs; Bethsaida and Chorazin have vanished from the earth … Palestine is desolate and unlovely. And why should it be otherwise? Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land?" …" (The Innocents Abroad (New York 1966) - summary of Palestine visit)
Palestine was simply an outpost of the corrupt and decaying Turkish Ottoman Empire, a part of Greater Syria. It was not a country or a state in the manner of, say, an England or Germany at that time. It was simply a collection of villages that happen to exist within the geographical region known as Palestine. Although many Arabs did own their own homes, the majority were the poor "fellahin", who worked as hired hands for the landowners. There was no nationalism in the land, no feeling of belonging to a "people", loyalty was to the local clan or village. Arabs did not see themselves as "Palestinians" and often referred to their homeland as Southern Syria.
Jews had lived in the land right from biblical times, though, in the 19th century, they were very much the minority. The first major wave of Jewish immigration started in the 1880s and, by the end of the 19th century, Jewish population had tripled to over 80,000 (Arab sources).
This included the foundation of the Jewish settlement of Rishon-le-Zion, where 40 Jewish families settled - followed later by more than 400 Arab families from Egypt and elsewhere. This was a community that worked and was at peace. The Arabs saw the benefits of what the Jews were doing to the land and joined them. Between 1882 and 1914 pioneering Jews started, slowly, to transform the land. They worked on the swamps and the undrained rivers. Life was tough, if you didn't die of malaria, you could be killed by Bedouins. Soon Jewish villages were springing up all over, and the towns of Jerusalem, Tiberias, Safed and Haifa started to grow. In 1909 they founded the first modern Jewish city, Tel Aviv. Life was still tough, although disease wasn't so much the problem. Attacks by Arab neighbours increased, even though, through the efforts of these Jewish pioneers, life for all in the land was improving - including the Arab neighbours.
Newspapers and other media sources today give the impression that Israel "occupy" land once owned by people living in a "Palestinian state". But evidence is to the contrary. For a start, the Arabs in no way saw themselves as "Palestinians". When the First congress of Muslim-Christian Associations met in Jerusalem in February 1919, the agreement was that "we consider Palestine as part of Arab Syria". The only people who considered themselves "Palestinians" in the first half of the 20th century were the Jewish inhabitants! Even the Jewish national newspaper was called "The Palestine Post" (now called "The Jerusalem Post").
The other point concerns ownership of the land. Did Jewish immigrants seize it or was the land acquired legally? Land settled in by these first immigrants in the 1880s was bought from the absentee Turkish landlords, who were eager for the extra cash. The land initially settled in was the uncultivated swampy cheap and empty land. Later on they bought cultivated land, some of it at exorbitant prices. In his memoirs, King Abdullah of Jordan wrote "… the Arabs are as prodigal in selling their land as they are in useless wailing and weeping". Up until 1948, with the formation of the State of Israel, no land was seized or acquired in any way other than through legal means.
In the 20th century, Arabs as well as Jews were immigrating into Palestine, mainly from Egypt, TransJordan, Syria and Lebanon. Between 1922 and 1931, when the country was administered by the British, illegal Arab immigrants (i.e. extra to the agreed quotas) comprised almost 12% of the Arab population. The Hope Simpson Report acknowledged in 1930 that there was "uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants from Egypt, TransJordan and Syria". The rate of immigration increased during the early 1930s, which was a period of prosperity in Palestine. The Syrian Governor of Hauran admitted in 1934 that 30,000-36,000 people from his district entered Palestine that year and settled there. In 1939, Winston Churchill said "Far from being persecuted, the Arabs have crowded into the country and multiplied until their population has increased more than even all world Jewry could lift up (increase) the Jewish population". This is an important (though much contested) point, because it dispels the myth that the Palestinian people have lived there for generations. When we talk about Palestinian refugees, displaced as a result of the formation of the State of Israel, consider how many of them would have been as recent to the land as the Jews themselves!
So now we reach that magic date, 1948, the formation of the State of Israel. And the major point of contention - the Palestinian refugees.
This is where objectivity flies out of the window and we get the sharpest divide in people's perceptions of actual historic events. In a nutshell, what happened was that the day after Israel became a country, it was invaded by Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Within 2 weeks, against all odds, Israel was victorious, resulting in an expansion of territory and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Arabs who had been living in Palestine.
As a result of these events not one but two refugee situations were created.
Just under 750,000 Arabs (U.N. estimate) lost their homes. These became the 'Palestinian' refugees. They lost their homes through two main reasons. Some were driven out by the Jewish (Israeli) army, others fled after being told to do so by Arab army commanders, expecting an eventual victory (i.e. when the Jews would be driven out of the land), at which time people could return to their homes. Apart from extremists on either side, people generally accept these as the main reasons, though the proportions (i.e. what percentage were driven out or told to leave) would vary wildly, depending on your viewpoint. The Palestinian website, http://www.palestinehistory.com/palst.htm concedes that "about half probably left out of fear and panic …", which is a grudging concession to the Jewish view. The quote continues "… while the rest were forced out to make room for Jewish immigrants from Europe and from the Arab world". This leads us to examine the second refugee situation, the lesser known and the largest one.
Up until 1948, Jews had lived in most of the Arab Muslim countries of the Middle East. In most cases they had been there over 1000 years before Islam even existed. From 1947 hundreds of Jews in Arab lands were killed in government-organized rioting, leaving thousands injured and millions of dollars in Jewish property destroyed. In 1948 Jews were forcibly ejected from Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, who confiscated property from the fleeing Jews worth tens of billions in today's dollars. Of the 820,000 Jewish refugees created by this situation, 590,000 were absorbed by Israel.
Now we get to the real point of this article. All the facts presented so far are from an endlessly contested history. People have argued about these facts until the cows come home and have got nowhere in the process. So I'm now going to ask you to move on from the murkiness of endless debate and into the light of certainties.
And the certainty is as clear cut as they come. You can witness it with your very eyes. It is a fact that cannot be contested. Palestinian refugees still exist, in camps, on the West Bank, in Gaza and elsewhere. Have you ever wondered why?
The 820,000 Jewish refugees who were forcibly ejected from Arab countries where they had often lived for thousands of years were all welcomed and integrated into Israel or the Jewish world elsewhere, where they became full citizens. There are no Jewish refugee camps.
The 750,000 Arab refugees who were displaced in 1948, were placed into squalid refugee camps by fellow Arabs who had just gone to war (and lost) on their behalf but were unwilling to pay for the consequences. Incredibly, over 50 years later, over a million of these poor people are still in these camps, despite billions of dollars of relief paid by rich Arab states, the United Nations, the EU and others. Where on earth has this money gone and why on earth are they still in camps and not integrated into Arab society?
Palestinian Arabs are no doubt a peaceful, welcoming and gifted people, but they have been the greatest victims of the whole sorry affair, pawns in a wider struggle orchestrated by their powerful Arab brethren. For reasons known only to their political and religious masters they have lived for two or three generations within the bounds of these camps. Isn't a refugee camp meant to be a temporary home, as it has been for millions of refugees in other situations, until the people could be relocated to homes of their own? Not so here. Palestinians were never allowed to be "ordinary" refugees. They have been kept in a form of forced captivity for a sinister purpose. A purpose that has succeeded in transforming a peace-loving gentle people into terrorist pariahs and has provided an atmosphere where it is considered holy and noble to send your young men and women out as living weapons of destruction to blow up other young men and women. What must this do to their national psyche, when suicide is seen as a positive ideal? Let's be honest here and consider who is really responsible for this tragedy. It is not Israel. Can't they see who their real enemy is?
"But they lost their homeland", you may say. This is true, though, as I have suggested, many would have been recent immigrants to the land, rather than having lived there for generations, as suggested by the propaganda. And, of course, they were surrounded by oil-rich neighbours who shared their race, culture and religion. A homeland in Jordan, for example, would have been perfectly possible and logical. But let's look at it in a wider context. Let's look at other recent refugee situations. Quoting from Encyclopaedia Brittanica,
"The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the postrevolutionary civil war (1917-21) caused the exodus of 1,500,000 opponents of communism. Between 1915 and 1923 over 1,000,000 Armenians left Turkish Asia Minor, and several hundred thousand Spanish Loyalists fled to France in the wake of the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. When the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, more than 2,000,000 Chinese fled to Taiwan and to the British crown colony of Hong Kong. Between 1945 and 1961, the year that the communist regime erected the Berlin Wall (opened 1989), over 3,700,000 refugees from East Germany found asylum in West Germany … The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 resulted in the exchange of 18,000,000 Hindus from Pakistan and Muslims from India--the greatest population transfer in history. Some 8,000,000-10,000,000 persons were also temporarily made refugees by the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 … During the 1980s and early '90s, the principal source of the world's refugees was Afghanistan, where the Afghan War (1978-92) caused more than 6,000,000 refugees to flee to the neighbouring countries of Pakistan and Iran. Iran also provided asylum for 1,400,000 Iraqi refugees who had been uprooted as a result of the Persian Gulf War (1990-91). The breakup of Yugoslavia, for example, displaced some 2,000,000 people by mid-1992."
Then, of course, the Jews themselves, over the last 3000 years, have been 'relocated' more times than you could count.
And what of the "West Bank" or the occupied West Bank, as it is more often known? It is true that Israel "occupy" the land, since gaining it as a result of the victory in the Six Day War in 1967, but who did they occupy it from? Well, believe it or not, the West Bank itself was illegally seized by Jordan after 1948. After doing so, they made it an area forbidden to Jews - can you imagine the fuss there would be if Israel adopted this same attitude with Arab settlers! So who did Jordan take the West Bank from? Before 1948 the West Bank was part of the area administered by the British as part of the British Mandate. It didn't belong to them, they were just caretakers. Before that, the West Bank - called Judea and Samaria by the Jews - was just the eastern part of Palestine, occupied by whoever happened to live there, Jew or Arab. It was not land owned by any state, as Palestine was just a neglected province of the crumbling Ottoman Empire. So, in reality, the West Bank has not legally ever belonged to any State in modern history. So when Jewish settlers make their home there, they are doing so on land that has been legally bought, not seized from anyone else, whether a State or individuals.
The crisis in the Middle East is over a strip of land the size of Wales, a hoped-for safe haven for a people with historical links to the land going back over 4000 years, a people who have not, in truth, been welcome anywhere else in the world. The fact that this land is surrounded by over a dozen nations gripped by a religion characterized by military conquest and subjugation is one of those tragedies of history that make you realize that there's more than meets the eye in the affairs of man. Israel is surrounded by nations that hate it intensely because its very existence is an affront to their religion. And try as they might, with whatever tactics they have at their disposal - even if this includes the callous exploitation of a whole people, the Palestinians - they will do their best to "right" the situation. They have failed to date, but they won't give up. That is the nature of Islam. You only need to look at its historical record. But they neglect one thing. The God of the Jews is far greater than theirs and will ultimately prevail.
You can buy this article as a booklet to give to friends and family. Go to ..
(This is an excerpt from the book, The Land of Many names by Steve Maltz.)ShareThis | <urn:uuid:c3611f45-0443-4f46-b06d-7959a4cfe69b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hebrewroots.com/node/128 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97676 | 4,056 | 1.695313 | 2 |
They’ve been telling you a bunch of lies.
- Gain a pound of muscle to burn 100 calories at rest
- We gain weight because we eat too much and exercise too little
- You can exercise yourself to an ideal body
- Marathon runners are healthy
- Vegan diets are healthy
- If you eat fat, you’ll get fat
- You should buy organic
- Soy is a good source of protein
There are a bunch more. In future posts I’ll try to tackle as many of them as I can. My passion for getting out the correct information on these topics comes from one of my core values – honesty.
Why I Run So Fast
It also stems from my goal to outrun what may be part of my genetic heritage. My father had a near fatal stroke when he was 51. He lived the next seventeen years with his speech and mobility severely impaired. My mother took care of him and served the children of the East Harlem community despite suffering from Parkinson’s. They lived with grace and dignity that I hope I have inherited. Their lives have also helped me to embark on an experiment looking at the connection between genes and fate.
As far as nutrition, I have dipped into all the ponds. Some of this has been the result of listening to the “experts” and some has been dictated by finances. While I was going through law school, for three years my one meal a day consisted of some form of pasta. If I had a little more money that week I’d even have sauce on it. There were also times that I feasted on beans and rice. I explored the world of vegetarianism and took in a ridiculous amount of soy to make sure I got the necessary protein for my early 80′s amateur bodybuilding career. I have to admit to never being a fruitarian(and for those who are considering it, look into what fructose does to your liver). I wonder what damage I caused to my body and mind! But now I’m older and wiser. I care more about the quality of my life than I do its longevity and so I experiment with my eyes open wider.
$20 – Really?
This time around I’m going to share with you the best $20 investment you can make to improve your health, longevity, and looks. Eye damage, kidney damage, pain, low energy, excess body fat, heart disease – these conditions often result from our body’s inability to properly handle glucose. Glucose is handled by insulin. The amount of insulin in your system is mainly determined by the type and quality of the carbohydrates you eat.
When you produce too much insulin, your body becomes insulin resistant. This in turn leads to metabolic derangement, with some of the symptoms mentioned earlier. One of the disconcerting things about this aspect of body chemistry is that you can be lean and still have the cascade of health problems caused by insulin resistance. If you eat too many carbohydrates and trans fats, you will get fat and you will get sick.
I am in the process of becoming a nutrition and health geek. I am aware of this and I’m keeping an eye on it. This is the reason that I had resisted buying a portable glucose meter. It seemed excessive and bordering on orthorexic. But I try to center my life around awareness and responsibility and these things won the day. I went out and bought my $20 glucose meter.
You need to know your fasting glucose level (i.e. when you wake up and before breakfast) and the level 1 to 2 hours after eating, to provide a baseline. What’s a good range? The American Diabetic Association has set “normal” levels that are too high. Like much of nutrition research and medical advice, it has to do with compromise, expedience, and outdated information. If your average levels are around 100 mg/dL before eating and don’t spike above 140 mg/dL within an hour of eating you are probably ok.
BTW, there is fairly recent research showing that there is a link between an African genetic heritage and poor carbohydrate metabolism. Environmental toxins also play a role in insulin resistance and carb metabolism.
This site will give you more in-depth and very readable information on how you can avoid Type 2 diabetes and the bad health effects that exist in the same universe. While you’re at it, pick up a blood pressure monitor, learn meditation and proper breathing, and walk briskly for 30 minutes, 5x/week as you continue on a journey to personal responsibility, better living, and a better body. Also, to paraphrase Michael Pollan – Pay more to eat better and less of it.
Let me know what you think about this post and if you want me to get geekier andmore in-depth with the research. | <urn:uuid:ac59f213-1657-4b08-9eb2-bdb74e80a7fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brownstonefitness.com/tag/carbohydrates/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968314 | 1,001 | 1.585938 | 2 |
GreenCentre Canada grows
GreenCentre Canada has begun construction and renovation of its new 9,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, located in Queen's University's Innovation Park.
"This is the culmination of a lot of planning and work on the part of many people at GreenCentre Canada and PARTEQ Innovations of Queen's University, with a vision for a new model of commercialization that ensures Canadians benefit from Green Chemistry breakthroughs," says Dr. Rui Resendes, GreenCentre's Executive Director. "We are very excited about the prospect of starting to work on some of these transformative green technologies designed to strengthen Canada's chemical and materials industry, while protecting the environment."
GreenCentre brings together academic researchers, international industry partners and commercialization experts in a common goal of developing clean, less energy-intensive alternatives to traditional chemical products and manufacturing processes. The first of its kind in North America, the not-for-profit Centre offers an all-in-one commercialization "ecosystem" that includes everything from assessment, scale-up and testing to intellectual property protection, business management and financial resources.
The new facility is scheduled to open in late spring. Founded nine months ago and currently operating from the Biosciences Building on Queen's campus, GreenCentre has already made significant progress in engaging both the academic community and industry. The Centre has received more than 70 technology disclosures from researchers at universities across Canada.
GreenCentre becomes the 21st tenant of Innovation Park at Queen's University, a community of innovators where academic, industrial and government researchers work together to develop technological discoveries and move them to market. Funding for the construction at Innovation Park comes out of the contributions of the federal government ($9.1 million) and the Ontario government ($13.6 million) awarded to PARTEQ for the Centre. | <urn:uuid:ae7d97fd-ee3a-4064-a3cc-261753997927> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.queensu.ca/news/print/17756 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938926 | 384 | 1.632813 | 2 |
SARANAC LAKE — If two heads are better than one, maybe two boards could be, too.
The Lake Placid and Saranac Lake school boards met jointly recently to discuss what services might be shared in their districts.
The meeting was called ostensibly to review prospects for sharing a superintendent.
The schools’ central buildings are roughly 10 miles apart. Both are losing top district administrators at the end of the current school year.
But, before hiring someone to juggle different calendars or combine purchasing, the boards decided to explore that themselves, first.
Board presidents Deb Lennon, from Saranac Lake, and Mary Dietrich, from Lake Placid, orchestrated the meeting together.
No one from either board challenged the possibilities or potential, looking instead for points of cooperation that might enrich students’ education and save taxpayers money.
DOWN THE ROAD
After about 15 minutes, the boards realized they weren’t going to focus on sharing an administrator.
“The more we can share before hiring a superintendent is a better idea,” Lake Placid Board Member Martha Stahl opined.
“Not that we’re never going to consider it,” Deitrich replied.
“Never say never.”
“Where are we, together?” Lennon asked aloud. “What goals do we have that would enable us to work together? And does that mean, somewhere down the road, one school district?”
The questions steered conversation and at the same time set a boundary.
Saranac Lake is a district encompassing part or all of seven towns already, and Lake Placid encompasses two towns.
The idea is not a merger.
Dietrich raised the example of how North Elba and the Village of Lake Placid established a Memorandum of Understanding several years ago, allowing them to slowly combine and share what did fit without eradicating either municipal entity.
“It may be a model for what we’re trying to do,” she said.
Saranac Lake Board member Esther Arlan said they should examine how the schools’ schedules align.
“We need to find goals that can be accomplished in the short term,” she said, and then build from there.
“I really like the idea, too, of the sharing of goals,” Lake Placid Board member Patty Gallagher said, observing that “every school district is going to have to look for ways to change things.”
“Can we offer more to students?” Lake Placid member John Hopkinson asked, wondering aloud if shared career paths and joint educational training for existing staff might benefit everyone with “a larger sandbox to play in.”
“Shared teaching instruction would also encourage collaboration,” Gallagher said.
Saranac Lake Board member Terry Turbridy thought they might look at the personnel situation to see if any retirements are coming in either district and how those needs align.
Turbridy recommended they set a deadline for some kind of working plan.
“We really need to have a firm idea by the end of December,” he said, ahead of school-budget planning.
Committees were organized and intend to meet before another joint gathering in October.
They divided prospects into two groups to start: non-academic services and educational programming.
Then they broke down the non-academic aspect into specific areas: business/co-operative purchasing, food services and property management.
Saranac Lake Superintendent Gerald Goldman reminded board members not to forget some students from both schools already share BOCES vocational programs.
There has long been a problem for most of them, he said, because the Saranac Lake and Lake Placid schedules are different.
“It is already a disadvantage to our students that we don’t share schedules,” he said.
Goldman said the boards will have to find points for integration, and they should expect resistance.
“If they (opportunities to share services) were going to come naturally, they would be here already.”
Goldman recommended they develop a two- or three-year plan to allow time to reorganize on both ends.
The next joint meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 16 in Lake Placid.
Email Kim Smith Dedam: | <urn:uuid:abd7ccd5-7fa3-478d-8fe8-d166fa0b7c56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x1709876208/Schools-look-to-share-services | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951819 | 914 | 1.601563 | 2 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 30, 2008
MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND POLICE COMMISSIONER KELLY PRESIDE OVER GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR 1,129 NEW POLICE OFFICERS
Class is Among Most Diverse in Academy's History
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner
Raymond W. Kelly today presided over a graduation ceremony for 1,129 new police
officers at Madison Square Garden. The graduates recently completed over six
months of intensive training at the Police Academy in various field assignments.
The new officers will be assigned to Operation Impact, the program that pairs
rookie officers with experienced supervisors and deploys them to targeted
"Today's class reflects once again the remarkable caliber and diversity of New York City's newest police officers," said Commissioner Kelly. "At a time of great economic challenge for the City and the nation, we are very fortunate to have such talented young people who are willing to answer the call to public service. And with nearly a quarter of recruits born in foreign countries, 55 nations in total, the NYPD is better prepared than ever to meet the needs of the City's dynamic and ever-changing international population."
This class is among the most diverse to have ever graduated from the academy. Approximately 28 percent of the graduates are Hispanic, 12 percent are black, 8 percent are Asian and 49 percent are white. Approximately 16 percent of the graduates are female. Today's class is made up of 275 graduates who have received four-year college degrees; 205 have completed associates degrees. Members of the class hail from a wide range of professions including 158 graduates who have served in the military.
Mayor Bloomberg presented the Mayor's Award to Police Officer Carlyle R. Mason for earning the highest overall average in today's class. In addition, Police Officer Michael A. Relf received the Police Commissioner's Award for earning the second highest overall average. Police Officer Ryan D. Baer received the First Deputy Commissioner's Award for earning the highest academic average. Police Officers Leila P. Thompson and Jose M. Ramos received the Chief of Department's Award for earning the highest physical fitness runoff average. Police Officer Gregg Sanfilippo received the Deputy Commissioner of Training Award for earning the highest firearms proficiency average. Police Officers Joel A. Bolivar and Edreweene Raymond received the Commanding Officer's Award for exceptional police duty. Police Officer Henry H. Ko received the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Award as outstanding company sergeant. Police Officer Erik R. Tarnoc received the New York City Police Foundation Award for exceptional community service.
Stu Loeser / Jason Post (212) 788-2958
Paul Browne (Police)
Watch the video in low or high bandwidth | <urn:uuid:10e01abf-ee6a-4445-bf03-c469df916045> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2008b/pr511-08.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95171 | 561 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The Minnesota parents who refused chemotherapy for their 13-year-old son because of religious beliefs have now agreed to allow the treatment.
Colleen and Anthony Hauser said Tuesday that they understand their son, Daniel, needs chemotherapy. A judge has also given permission for the boy to remain in his parents' custody.
The decision came one day after Colleen Hauser voluntarily returned home with her son, after almost a week on the run to avoid his court-ordered chemotherapy.
Police now believe it may have been Daniel, and not his mother, who wanted to flee.
His mother said he was so sick after his first chemo treatment that he planned to run away, and that they left the state to get alternative medical treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The local sheriff said warrants for the mother's arrest have been dropped.
"We're doing that to give them a sense of safety and just to, you know, be by themselves, reunite themselves," Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffman said.
Hodgkin's lymphoma has a 95 percent cure rate in children, if treated with chemotherapy. | <urn:uuid:b6fda8ec-bb3a-4bdd-93bb-87f7f9a1d36d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/May/Mom-Returns-with-Cancer-Stricken-Son-/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982865 | 227 | 1.53125 | 2 |
League of NH Craftsmen Fair a creative gathering at Mount Sunapee
AN OPPORTUNITY TO explore the arts and crafts made by dozens of talented members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and a chance to see some of their work being made, were the highlights of their 79th annual fair at Mount Sunapee this weekend.
Though violent storms ripped through parts of New Hampshire on Saturday, the clouds only threatened the artists and artisans gathered under huge white tents on the grounds of the ski resort. And on Sunday morning, with the mercury climbing into the 90s, hundreds of people lined up and waited for the gates to open so that they too could get a chance to see what some of the Granite State's most talented people had to share.
As soon as the horns sounded welcoming people inside the fairgrounds, Donna Zils Banfield, who abandoned practicing law in favor of turning wood, began carving a new creation under her tent.
Banfield got her start turning wood, creating bowls and decorative vessels, after her husband surprised her one Christmas with a lathe and turning tools.
“I had seen wood turners at this fair before and he thought I'd like it,” she said. Within four months, she had outgrown her first lathe and was completely addicted to the art. In 2005, the Derry resident left her day job as a lawyer and turned to art full time, supplementing her income by teaching.
“I can tell you I don't hate getting up on Monday morning to go to work,” she said.
A few tents down, Philip Jacobs of Earth and Fire glass was busy setting up in advance of his glassblowing demonstrations. Before him, laid out on piles of hay were his signature pumpkins, made of hand-blown glass with thick swirling stems.
“I made them one year for the Fryeburg Fair (in Maine) as a way to celebrate the agricultural aspect of the fair,” he said. “People really love them.”
Jacobs said he became a glass blower 16 years ago.
“I love fire and art, so I found a way to combine them,” he said.
Throughout the fair, artists and craftsmen of all sorts shared secrets and stories about their work, including Dan Dustin of Hopkinton, who stole his idea of natural spoons from the cavemen, and Nathan Macomber who has a line of blown-glass spiders inspired by the critters that lived behind his grandparents' barn in Conway — the place he now calls his home.
Sarah Warren of Jefferson displayed her wool tapestries created with the ways of the Navajo people in mind, and Jim Lambert toyed with contemporary folk art, inspired and enhanced by combining iconic images with modern culture.
And surrounded by sticks, twigs, and rocks, Mark Ragonese deconstructed the artistic process everyone must go through as they learn to create the arts and crafts that come to define them. From simple cairns to complicated towering sculptures, Ragonese challenges people to look beyond the form to explore the creative process, to appreciate the work that goes into the things on display at the fair, and to dare them to become creators as well.
The 79th annual Craftsmen's Fair will continue through Sunday, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.nhcrafts.org.
Dodgeball returns to Windham schools | <urn:uuid:94e66cee-6aa5-44d0-b672-aa1385cdc857> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newhampshire.com/article/20120806/NEWHAMPSHIRE01/708069948/0/news09 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973838 | 727 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Original Link: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3590
Radeon 5970 Overclocking: The VRM Temperature Bottleneckby Ryan Smith on November 25, 2009 12:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Ryan's Ramblings
In our Radeon HD 5970 review, we ran in to some issues when trying to overclock the card to 5870 speeds of 850MHz/1200MHz. At the time this is something we attributed to the VRMs, meanwhile AMD suggested that it was cooling related, and that we should manually increase the fan speed.
As it turns out, we were both right, we just didn’t have the tools at the time to properly identify and isolate the issue. Late last week we got our hands on a beta version of Everest Ultimate, which added preliminary support for the 5970. With that, we could read and log the voltages and temperatures of the various components of the 5970, and properly isolate the issue.
From that, we’ve discovered a few interesting things about the 5970. Let’s start things off with the cooler removed from the 5970.
We’ve gone ahead and circled the VRMs in red. There are 9 altogether; 6 on the right side, and 3 near the left side of the card. We aren’t able to track down what each specific VRM is connected to, but we believe that each GPU is attached to 3, each GPU’s RAM is attached to 1, and finally the PLX PCIe bridge is attached to 1. Regardless, pay attention to the location of these VRMs for later discussion.
As we previously noted in our 5970 review, when overclocked the card was throttling down in two cases. One was when running OCCT/FurMark, members of AMD’s “power virus” list by virtue of the fact that they put a card under a greater load than AMD believes to be realistically possible. Our 5800 series cards never throttled under these applications, so to see the 5970 throttle here was a bit surprising but not wholly unexpected.
The second case was using Distributed.net’s pre-release GPU client for use with AMD’s GPUs. Since this is a real program, this was absolutely unexpected, and is what instigated our look in to the matter.
In both cases, the key was the overall load on the GPU cores, and consequently the amount of power required to drive the GPUs. When a bank of VRMs reached roughly 120C (this being averaged among all the VRMs in that bank), overcurrent protection kicked in and throttling began. In the case of FurMark this was very quick and even at 100% fan speed the cooler could still not keep the VRMs cool enough to allow full-time 850MHz operation. The Dnet client on the other hand was much slower to ramp up, and we ultimately found that 70% fan speed was enough to keep our hottest bank of VRMs below the threshold, stabilizing at 116C.
Notably, during this whole period the GPU cores themselves stayed at or under 94C, which is still a few degrees below their own throttle point. AMD’s fan quickly ramped up, and in our testing it only needed to go to 59%. So if the cores did get hotter there was still plenty of room to go with the fan.
This brings us to our first point of concern for the 5970, which is the fan speed. Clearly it’s adequate for the GPU cores themselves, but we cannot find any proof that the fan speed is adjusted based on the temperature of the RAM or the VRMs. If the fan speed were to ramp up in the case of near-critical temperatures in the VRMs, then the Dnet client likely would have ran without an issue the first time, as this would have pushed the fan to 70%.
We asked AMD about whether the fan speed is affected by VRM temperatures at all, but we didn’t receive a response. This isn’t particularly surprising since post-launch periods are a good time to take a vacation and there’s a holiday this week for their American employees, but it means we couldn’t get a confirmation of our assumption. So for the time being, we’re working on the assumption that only GPU core temperatures drive fan speed.
It also bears mentioning that the 5970 gets quite a bit louder when the fan goes up to 70%. We went ahead and captured the noise data for it at 70% and 100%, which is in the chart below. At the 70% fan speeds needed to run the Dnet client at 5870 speeds, you’re looking at 70dB, which is quite a bit louder than the fan noise at stock speeds. It is in fact uncomfortably loud by this point.
Our second point of concern goes beyond just the fan, and is the overall cooling of the VRMs. When we looked at our Everest logs after running the Dnet client, we noticed something interesting with respect to which VRMs were overheating. The VRM bank attached to GPU 1 was some 25C hotter under load, but it wasn’t GPU 1 that was the hottest. GPU 2 was consistently a couple of C warmer. We don’t believe this to be in error, so to understand why this is, we refer back to our disassembled 5970.
As the fan is on the right, the right side of the heatsink the vapor chamber dumps its heat in to is going to be cooler than the left side by the virtue of the fact that the left side is effectively using the already hot-air of the right side to cool. The heatsink and vapor chamber mitigate this some, but the right side of the card – and consequently the right GPU– should be cooler than the left side. This leads us to believe that GPU 1 is the right GPU, and GPU 2 is the left GPU.
This is important since if we look at the VRMs, the VRMs feeding GPU 2 sit under the vapor chamber, while the VRMs feeding GPU 1 (along with the RAM and PCIe bridge) are not. We haven’t been able to fully dissect the cooler, but the VRMs on the right side sit right underneath the fan, and we don’t believe there to be a significant heatsink in the metal bar that sits above them. So while the VRMs feeding GPU 2 are being cooled by the vapor chamber, the VRMs feeding GPU 1 are only being cooled by the heat dissipation properties of a metal bar.
From this, we can conclude that the VRM banks are receiving wildly different amounts of cooling. The VRMs on the right side are not cooled nearly as well as those on the left and as a result the card is being held back by the VRMs on that right side. To that extent, we believe that if all the VRMs received the same level of cooling as the VRMs on the left side, then the card would have no problem maintaining 5870 speeds while running the Dnet client, and likely even FurMark. It’s also worth noting that all the 5800 series cards share the design of placing the VRMs under a metal bar under the fan, but the 5970 seems to suffer more for it compared to the 5800 series.
Finally, there’s the matter of whether this is even going to matter for most users. After catching the VRMs hitting 120C under the Dnet client, we went looking at other applications and games to see where else the card was throttling. The result of that inquiry was that we couldn’t find anything else that could match the Dnet client in total load. The Dnet client is a bit of a special case here, since crunching encryption keys makes exceedingly good use of the 5-wide SIMD design in the 2000-5000 series cards. When we took a look at something similar to the Dnet client, in this case the Folding@Home GPU client, we couldn’t break 100C. The significance of that result remains to be seen though, since the Folding@Home GPU client hasn’t been optimized for the 5800/5900 series yet like the Dnet client has. Our ultimate concern is that this card is going to repeatedly fall flat on its face at 5870 speeds with more GPGPU applications as OpenCL and DirectCompute take off, and the number of such applications bloom.
|Radeon HD 5970 Temperatures|
|GPU 1 Temp||GPU 1 VRM Temp||GPU 2 Temp||GPU 2 VRM Temp|
|Dnet Client OC||93C||120C||94C||94C|
|Cryis Warhead OC||87C||96C||89C||74C|
Meanwhile in games it was a similar story. Crysis and the STALKER benchmark are two of the most demanding games we’ve tested on the 5970, and in both cases the VRMs again peaked at near 100C. As games aren’t going to hammer the SIMDs like GPGPU applications do, the power load from games should be lower than for GPGPU applications.
As far as our opinion on the 5970 is concerned though, this doesn’t change anything. While we’ll buy AMD’s “power virus” rationale for FurMark and OCCT, the Dnet client is not a power virus. It’s a real application, one that AMD even used in their 5800 presentation back in September. Thus as far as we’re concerned, our 5970 is only good for 775MHz, the lowest clock speed where the VRMs stayed under 120C. Granted, AMD will never officially promise that the 5970 can reach 5870 speeds, but based on how the 5970 was promoted and presented the fact of the matter is that the card can’t meet its advertised capabilities – this card is clearly meant for 5870 clockspeeds.
With that in mind, we’ll end on two thoughts. The first of which is that in spite of our experience, for pure gaming scenarios we don’t have any data to bring in to doubt the idea that the card can run at 5870 speeds without throttling. So long as you only intend to play games, those speeds should be fine.
Our second thought is that cards from vendors with custom overclocking utilities will be better able to maintain 5870 speeds at all times. These are cherry-picked chips, so there’s no reason why they absolutely need 1.1625v core voltage to run at 850MHz; we suspect that they could do with less. Since voltage is our main enemy here, even a small drop in voltage should have a noticeable impact on VRM temperatures. But you’re going to need a utility with a full suite of voltage options to take advantage of that. | <urn:uuid:149bc531-3ca7-41a1-893f-5f0d656907f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.anandtech.com/print/3590/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95646 | 2,273 | 1.6875 | 2 |
SOUTH BEND – As the last bit of Randy Matthys’ 2012 harvest dumped from the semi into the silo, it sounded a lot like the “ka-ching” of money in the bank.
“We’ve always been sending anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of our crop over to the ethanol plant here,” Matthys said of the New Energy Corp. ethanol plant about 5 miles down the road from his Crumstown farm.
When it opened on West Calvert Street in 1984, Matthys said he was one of the first to contract with the plant.
Since then, he’s made good money.
But days after confirming it, the company laid off 40 workers and temporarily shut down production for the winter months. The ethanol plant also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing date was listed as November 8.
It is also up for sale. According to court documents, the United States Energy Department isn’t giving New Energy Corp. any more government money, and the ethanol plant is already in way over its head, owing some $50 to $100 million to its creditors.
“You knew something was happening. Even up until that point they were not taking as many trucks in a day,” Matthys said of the last few months. “Where they were taking 100 trucks a day, they were maybe taking 50 to 100 trucks a week. You could tell they were slowing down.”
Notre Dame economics professor Tom Gresik told WSBT ethanol production is nearly at a standstill nationwide. It’s a much different situation than 2006 when panic about rising oil prices caused a huge push toward the search for alternative energy sources.
“Corn farmers obviously love ethanol. It increases corn prices, but it's not the economic savior we were hoping for,” Gresik said. “There's all sorts of problems with ethanol production. Not only is it more expensive to produce, mileage is lower from ethanol, it creates more smog, it's more volatile and it evaporates more in the summer.”
According to some reports, New Energy is one of at least 10 ethanol plants in the country temporarily shut down after last summer's drought. It’s just one factor that raised corn prices to the highest they’ve ever been.
For Matthys, the local shut down is making his decision about where to send his yield the toughest it's been in a long time.
“Do we ship corn to another ethanol processor 80 miles south or do we do it right here, on closer rail terminals?” he asked. “And you know, it just depends how close they are and price and what it costs to get it down there.” | <urn:uuid:f92fd162-4054-4964-b11e-82d558a37c00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-south-bend-ethanol-plant-files-for-bankruptcy-20121113,0,7711375.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971963 | 573 | 1.75 | 2 |
Zygomatic Dental Implants
Who isn't going to wish of which excellent giggle with all those men and women whiter teeth boasting and unchanged? However, as we increase older, so does every of our pearly white's. Therefore, unfortunately we are unable to end in getting a related teeth's overall health. On the way, all of us satisfy up with any gum problem or some type of harm and may even shed one or two of our tooth. Even so, on account of technological know-how and the progress inside of the dental care business, that has solved each and every of the problems for this reduction of the tooth. In the function at any time of their time, you would like to swap your own unlucky tooth/teeth, do not be reluctant to go to Dental exercise, along with uncover out about tooth implant.You will get plenty of details hereA dental embed is absolutely an artificial principal that is included into your bubble gum to support a tailored the teeth produced for you in the location of drop tooth/teeth. While, a oral course of action requires burrowing openings in your jawbone, as soon as you are executed, you will not really feel practically any distinction in between your very own initial in addition unnatural tooth. This is a stupendous dentistry discovery and enables individuals who've experienced some poor luck concerning their certain oral overall health you can consume, talk, laugh in addition talk with complete assurance in addition to aplomb. They are thus wholesome for you to in no way sometimes have the alter. Will no longer is it necessary to grow to be cognizant within a poster time or a cultural event for that clear slot device recreation inside the strip of this tooth.Ought to you have superb teeth's health like a secure tooth record so considerably, then this dental professional treatment method would be suited to anyone. Generate an appointment and find the finest dentistry advice attainable with regards to the tooth augmentations. Your Dentist professionist can notify you on your future oral method. You will also recognize that dental professional implants are a protected and straightforward for you to elect as a result you really don't require to hassle about the affect on a neighboring enamel. On account of your next pearly whites aren't integrated in the procedure to guidebook implants, there're remaining full and are in no way ever diminished. Moreover, dental care enhancements support in producing a types chin seem to be end. In contrast with veneers alongside with fill function, concerns linked with cuboid bone reduction or bubble gum recession is fully wiped out in dental implants, supplying you with a great aesthetically satisfying finish end result. Additionally prior, nevertheless undoubtedly not nominal, the true fee of accomplishment of dentist enhancements is rather a whole lot greater than false tooth and also connects.Tooth advancements accompany lots of advantages increased getting in, improved upon speaking about, improved upon self-esteem, improved oral health, better ease and comfort, prolonged lasting and also headache-free of charge. Entirely discarding the problem of detaching the dentures, the true permanency close to dental professional augmentations can make sure that you basically effortless jaw bone your choose a single that may preceding for a prolonged time. Amongst an specific, your individual Dentist in addition to Periodontist, you'll be ready to decide the most successful vacation spot for your therapy, depending upon the teeth's health as nicely as volume of enamel dropping. For that reason, dependant upon all these problems, ones Periodontist will occur track of the most useful therapy for people. As soon as the surgical therapy is complete, you will stop up undertaking the job straight utilizing both your Dental exercise as properly as Periodontist utilizing just following treatment ideas drawn up in your scenario. Zygomatic ImplantsBecause of to the fact, there're more or less such as your original tooth you have to treatment for these men and women exactly the exact same strategy by basically every day flossing plus flossing. Not a total great deal problem is required within attending to these folks, so prolonged as you generally are aware in your very good oral cleaning regime along with occasional Dental practitioner outings. | <urn:uuid:d87e56d6-ecf1-4d3b-a068-b5e80649d8c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://funfunfunfest.com/users/YoCigTfY/blogs/4261733 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954507 | 851 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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The state of nature and the genesis of commonwealths in Hobbes's political philosophy
A careful reading of Hobbes' philosophical writings reveals that this author forwards no fewer than three distinct conceptions of the pre-political situation which he labels "the natural condition of humankind," or "the state of nature." By examining the relevant passages from The Elements of Law, De Cive and Leviathan, Hobbes' three principal works of political philosophy, I demonstrate that Hobbes' state of nature should not be interpreted as a single invariant concept but rather as a series of three distinct heuristic or expository models. Further, I claim that distinctions between Hobbes' various conceptions of the state of nature reflect differing background assumptions concerning such factors as the prevailing degree of group stability and the level of abstractness with which representative human beings are characterized.^ After establishing this framework, I examine why Hobbes chose to include three distinct conceptions of the state of nature within his writings, and explore the relationship which appears to obtain among these three conceptions. I next examine the manner by which each of Hobbes' three types of commonwealth, namely commonwealth by institution, commonwealth by preservation and commonwealth by acquisition, can be understood to arise from each of Hobbes' three conceptions of the state of nature. In this section, I focus my analysis upon the transitions which occur when the unencumbered and isolated individuals who inhabit the state of nature (in its various forms) enter into the social contract by "transferring" their respective rights of nature to the sovereign of their incipient commonwealth. Moreover, I examine Hobbes' explanation of why each subject incurs an obligation to obey his sovereign's decrees and I address the apparent difficulty of maintaining the subjects' allegiance to their sovereign in light of Hobbes' portrayal of human beings as passionate and predominantly self-serving creatures. I conclude by arguing that given Hobbes' characterization of humans as passionate and predominantly self-serving creatures, one can probably not expect commonwealths to arise in the manner that Hobbes describes, and one can certainly not expect such commonwealths, if established, to endure for any substantial period of time. ^
Philosophy|Political Science, General
Thomas John Fryc,
"The state of nature and the genesis of commonwealths in Hobbes's political philosophy"
(January 1, 1997).
Electronic Doctoral Dissertations for UMass Amherst. | <urn:uuid:cffddebc-29ee-4353-9082-da9d5226d693> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9809332/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932075 | 587 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Al Gore: Mainstream Media Still Don't Get It
If you read this posting earlier, there's a bit of an update based in part on the excellent analysis by John Fleck:
The mainstream media still reject the scientific consensus on global warming, Al Gore told a media ethics conference earlier this week, The Tennessean reports.
Speaking of the conclusions of the IPCC, Gore said the media "have failed to report that it is the consensus and instead have chosen … balance as bias." Citing a study showing that 53 percent of newspaper articles on global warming offer false balance on the issue, he said, "I don't think that any of the editors or reporters responsible for one of these stories saying, 'It may be real, it may not be real,' is unethical. But I think they made the wrong choice, and I think the consequences are severe." The consequence, he argues, has been political gridlock on the issue.
I suspect Gore is referring to the study by Maxwell and Jules Boykoff examining "prestige press" converage of global warming between 1988 and 2002. ("Balance as Bias: global warming and the U.S. prestige press," Global Environmental Change, 14 (2004) 125–136.) Included in the survey were the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. The researchers found that "the prestige press’s adherence to balance actually leads to biased coverage of both anthropogenic contributions to global warming and resultant action."
After the release of the Boykoff study, John Fleck posted an an excellent critique, noting that the researchers conflated the scientific consensus on science with the policy response. (Also see his comment below.) "While they may be correct that there are cases where stories about the science are marred by a bias created by false balance, their conflation of scientific understanding of the issue and policy responses renders their argument fundamentally flawed."
According to the Boykoff paper, "the scientific community has reached general consensus that immediate and mandatory actions are necessary to combat global warming." It may well be that most climate scientists agree with this statement. But that certainly doesn't mean most other people do. This is just pointing out the obvious — scientific consensus by no means equals political consensus. And as we all know, we're not even close to a political consensus yet. So journalists providing balanced coverage of the policy side of the issue are only doing their jobs. Gore is just flat wrong. They are not guilty of false balance.
I suspect Gore was reacting to the hyper-bloviation on global warming that's prevalent on cable news (much of it directed at him this week), and to the low quality of news coverage in broadcast media. In this case, false balance on global warming is probably the least of our problems. | <urn:uuid:cb42508b-08c1-49b1-bf84-39cf091dedbb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cejnewsviews.blogspot.com/2007/03/al-gore-mainstream-media-still-dont-get.html?showComment=1172907360000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954205 | 581 | 1.695313 | 2 |
The Bottom Line: The quality of the spaces we inhabit impacts the quality of our lives. Our experience with the built environment contributes to our sense of well being and influences everything from our ability to learn to our ability to heal.
It’s expensive to build and there are environmental consequences also. So we should spend the time and invest the energy getting it right.
At Blitz we build teams around projects. We will assemble a group of qualified design professionals to meet the needs of each unique project, drawing on our strong relationships in the Bay Area.
It’s a collaborative model that may include engineers, artists, designers, and even other architects. This allows us to moderate our overhead while still delivering the highest quality product at an accessible price.
Churning out what you’ve always done won’t just yield the same results, it will leave you and your project behind in an ever-changing world. We find it irresponsible to not try things simply because you haven’t done them before. Furthermore, though we appreciate the compliment, you don’t want what we did last year because we’re already doing something better, more efficient and more effective.
We fully believe in allowing the unexpected, even unwanted, events to change you. You have to be willing to grow, and growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. The pre-requisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them. This goes for our projects as well. We delight in the process of discovery.
Research is perhaps the most important component of every project. This research spans the gamut, from understanding our clients’ businesses to finding a material’s full potential.
Success means balancing budget, schedule, and quality, and in the 21st Century, environment. Project sustainability starts with keeping projects lean, both in terms of square feet and materials. Preferably materials are selected for their ability to perform multiple tasks (as structure, as finish, and as something else). Sourcing materials that are non-poisonous, produced sustainably and delivered with minimal transportation impacts is also important. Preferably materials are selected from manufacturers who take ownership of them for the life of the material (cradle to cradle). We include these practices as a base line in our projects.
Skype HQ pictured, view project here.
Rollover plan to see the finished space | <urn:uuid:7870b312-1633-4c2d-b16d-c9c4b7babd3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.designblitzsf.com/approach/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954566 | 498 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Officials inspect an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 which made an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport in Takamatsu, western Japan, earlier this month. / AP
Boeing announced record revenues for 2012 on Wednesday, but said it isn't sure yet what caused the problem that grounded its 787 Dreamliners or when it will be fixed.
But, the company said, problems with the lithium-ion batteries on the plane haven't changed their plans to step up production of the sophisticated jetliner.
CEO Jim McNerney said the company is working with investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board, their Japanese counterparts and the Federal Aviation Administration to find the problem that caused battery fires on two planes earlier this month. McNerney said Boeing experts and investigators are working around the clock.
"We will get to the bottom of this and in so doing, we will restore confidence in the 787 and Boeing," McNerny said during a conference call.
Greg Smith, chief financial officer, said the investigation hasn't yet affected the company's finances significantly.
In 2012, production of the Dreamliner increased rate from two to five per month. Despite a halt in delivering the plane, production is on track to reach seven per month in mid-2013 and 10 by end of the year, officials said.
McNerney declined to answer a question about what a six-month delay in finding the problem would mean for the company. He also declined to speculate on the chances that the problem would require a relatively modest software change or a more complicated replacement of the battery or electrical system.
But the company hasn't lost faith in lithium-ion batteries, which are flammable but provide power for the innovative plane that is 20% more fuel-efficient than similar planes.
"Nothing we've learned has told us yet that we have made the wrong choice on the battery technology," McNerney said. "We feel good about the battery technology and its fit for the airplane."
The earnings call coincided with Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) announcing that it had replaced lithium-ion batteries on its 787 Dreamliners 10 times because of a low charge before the jets were grounded worldwide on Jan. 16 due to battery problems, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
ANA spokeswoman Megumi Tezuka said Wednesday the airline was not required to report the battery swapping cases to Japan's Transport Ministry because they did not raise safety concerns and did not interfere with flights.
She said the batteries were replaced because they failed to charge properly or showed other problems.
McNerney couldn't say how many Dreamliner batteries have been replaced, but that it is routine for maintenance.
"There has been no incident that we are aware of where our battery has been replaced due to any kind of safety concerns," said McNerney, who calls the rate of Dreamliner replacements "slightly higher" than expected.
A spokeswoman, Kate Bergman, said Boeing replaces about 2,000 batteries a year in its planes.
Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for the NTSB, says investigators only recently heard there had been "numerous issues with the use of these batteries," but "that will absolutely be part of the investigation."
All 50 Dreamliners worldwide were grounded after an ANA flight on Jan. 16 made an emergency landing in Japan when its main battery overheated. Earlier, on Jan. 7, a battery in a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire while parked at Boston's Logan International Airport.
In Boeing's fourth quarter earnings report, the company said it earned $1.28 per share vs. Wall Street estimates of $1.19 a share on revenues of $22.4 billion. Excluding pension-related costs, Boeing's profits were up 9% in the fourth quarter vs. the same period a year ago. Revenues hit a record $81.7 billion for the year.
"Strong fourth-quarter operating performance capped a year of significant growth and solid execution, driving higher earnings and cash flow for our company," McNerney says.
The company delivered more than 600 commercial airliners last year, including the first three Dreamliners built in Charleston. The company expects to deliver 60 per year once the safety investigation is completed.
Shares of Chicago-based Boeing Co. rose 88 cents to $74.53 in morning trading. They've dropped about 4 percent since the battery fire on the plane in Boston.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Read the original story: Boeing: Stepped-up Dreamliner production will continue | <urn:uuid:ba5d4db4-8942-4cc0-b21c-2ad86519c157> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indystar.com/usatoday/article/1876605?odyssey=mod_sectionstories | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961612 | 930 | 1.5625 | 2 |
"He will be awesome," Xinhua quoted Christine Assange as telling the Australian Associated Press.
Assange, born in Australia's Queensland state, announced his Senate ambition in December 2012. He is still residing in Ecuador's embassy in London.
He sought refuge at the embassy in June 2012 in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces rape allegations.
Assange, who founded the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, fears that if he goes to Sweden to be questioned over rape allegations, authorities will allow him to be extradited to the US.
WikiLeaks has published thousands of US diplomatic cables on its website.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced Wednesday that the federal election will be held Sep 14.
Canberra: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will run for a Senate seat in the 2013 Australian federal election, Assange's mother said Wednesday.
First Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 17:19 | <urn:uuid:9294a763-c116-4f9f-9aa9-40f0860be205> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/assange-to-run-for-australian-senate_825959.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963412 | 185 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Version tested: PSP
World Snooker Challenge gives you two options: admit you're rubbish at snooker, or fail miserably in your attempts to prove otherwise.
Use the "aiming aid", and a line of arrows shows you the direction the ball will go when it's struck. With this on your side, all that's required is a bit of fine-tuning and a bit of thought about where to position the cue ball afterward. You can rotate the PSP in your hands to check the line, or cheat even more by using some manner of square edge to rule the trajectory, and intuition should give you a good idea of the length to go with the line. Snooker's similar to maths in some senses, particularly the bits about solving angular riddles - and particularly in the sense that people with weak maths skills often find it surprising and entertaining when they do something very clever. WCS's aiming aid is a bit like doing times-tables with a calculator. It's a shortcut to being good. And you know what? It'd be more satisfying to get there yourself.
If you could. I failed miserably when I stopped relying on the aiming aid. Really miserably. The reason isn't so much that I'm rubbish at snooker (I'm actually not awful), but more the size of the screen. Even with the aid, there will be plenty of occasions when your ball's harshly spat out of the jaws of a pocket even though your line seems perfect. The difference between success and failure is an adjustment so slight that a steel rule can't see a problem with either option. It's still satisfying to sink long shots and build up long breaks - and very hard to do so in many cases - but often it's the game failing you and not the other way around.
That said, all the tools are there for you to play well if you're meticulous enough - making sure your positioning is perfect to avoid having to play from tricky angles or lengths - so there's a counter-argument too. Basically it's this: don't get yourself into awkward positions and you won't fall foul of the technical limitations. So, just to be clear, I'm not saying WSC is bad because really difficult stuff is really difficult - even if it is more its fault than mine. I'm merely pointing it out.
That certainly isn't a nine on the bottom of the review though, so let's continue.
The rewards for persistence are a bit on the weak side. The first one or two unlockable videos - showing off amazing shots played under the toughest tournament conditions by professional snooker players - are awe-inspiring. But having the player unlock new locations, for instance, is a dull idea. A random snooker hall pops up and it's: "You have unlocked Brighton!" That's not just tiresome; it implies that someone's untied my boss. Meanwhile, the trick-shot mode can't compete with TV or real life, and, actually, it can't really compete with itself either. The tricks are nice ideas, but the game happily shows them to you before you've had a go. From thereon the only challenge is judging the precise pixel to aim at, and then doing it again and again until it works. Of course it was fun when John Virgo got Joe Public to do it on Big Break; Joe Public wasn't doing it with John Virgo's hands.
Moreover, can I be bothered to do the washing up? Is my deadline today or tomorrow? Have I paid my council tax this month? More importantly, how long can I balance a cushion over my head on the base of my left foot, and can I pass it from foot to foot without dropping it? Is it Thursday or Friday? Why don't my socks match? Why does it matter if socks match anyway? What was that girl's name - the one I met in Bath? Gah.
If there's something I love about World Snooker Challenge, it's that it's given me the gift of time. Time! Time to think of jokes and people I haven't seen for a while; time to remember chores and think of a suitable time to complete them; time to time the time so I can put numbers in my review. Between making me wait for the game screen to load, making me wait for my opponent to finish his break (waiting, each time, for the computer to generate a suitable outcome), waiting for my opponent's replays to finish, waiting for the referee to replace the cue ball, waiting for my own shots to play out, waiting for the menus to load, and waiting for the game to notice I've finished, I've got more time than I know what to do with, and for me that's very rare. Clearly, for me, WSC is A Good Thing.
Ah, but, you're not after the gift of time; you're after a way to fill time. Playing WCS involves lots of sitting around waiting for things to happen, and, while that's wonderful for me, it doesn't really get you anywhere, and it's your needs I'm being paid to consider.
World Snooker Challenge 2005 is about waiting and watching more than it is about playing snooker or thinking about how to play snooker. I spent more time thinking outside the game than I did actually playing it, and when I was playing I was torn between being very bad and occasionally fluking something, and pretending to be very good and then falling foul of some imperceptible flaw. You can't say too many nasty things about the game's understanding of physics and ball behaviour, nor the skill of the professional players, which is keenly judged, but since I can't say I had too much fun playing it I can hardly speak favourably of the experience on the whole. Your time seems split between feeling hacked off and waiting around for ages - and that time won't feel like much of a gift if it cost £34.99 to begin with.
6 / 10 | <urn:uuid:4c4636cd-9e43-4771-8b78-3f17cc38f78f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_worldsnookerchallenge_psp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972938 | 1,237 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Welcome to the Department of English Home Page
The Department of English has two primary goals: to teach you to write clearly and effectively and to help you develop an understanding of language and literature and the ways in which they inform our lives. To reach these goals, the Department offers a broad variety of classes and programs for students at all levels, from introductory composition courses designed for first-year students to specialized upper-level courses in literature, language, creative writing, professional writing, and journalism.
Programs of Study
The Department offers three degrees in English and two minors: a minor in Creative Writing and a minor in Journalism. At ESU, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in English, and a Master of Arts in English. In addition, you can select Journalism as a second teaching field in the BSE (with any major) or as a minor.
Undergraduate students majoring in English or other fields may also elect to focus on creative writing and choose from several courses in fiction, poetry, and even screenwriting. Graduate students may focus on literature, creative writing, or a special concentration in rhetoric and composition designed for students seeking a career in secondary or community college teaching.
Extracurricular Activities & Support
Supporting students outside of class is important to ESU's Department of English. The Writing Center is available to assist students with all parts of writing papers and several societies provide extracurricular activities. ESU's chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, promotes student interaction and philanthropy. Students are encouraged to share their creative writing with peers in Quivira, and The Best of ESU celebrates excellence in writing campus-wide. The Flint Hills Review is an annual publication with a national circulation focusing each issue on a particular interest in region, including regions of place, regions of ethnicity, regions of gender, and regions of memory. | <urn:uuid:cf8c92ca-a1e5-4a17-91c9-264e3006d23c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.emporia.edu/emlj/english/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958114 | 391 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Using an IVR System to Attend to Emergency Needs
October 07, 2011
By Juliana Kenny
, TMCnet Managing Editor
The dilemma surrounding how to best take advantage of the latest in voice technologies is coming to a head in certain parts of the world, not the least prominent of which is Australia.
A recent commentary from an Australian writer, Jason McClintock, for ABC mulled over how far the nation has come in terms of how to effectively communicate emergency needs, and pointed out the fact that “people need real-time, trusted information from the relevant government agencies, and communities need to be able to provide current, local information that can be leveraged by those agencies and emergency services.” That is where an IVR system comes in.
The process involved in focusing information details regarding the whereabouts of the emergency situation, what is needed, and how many emergency response workers need to attend is quite complicated, but the technology exists to create a streamlined system, and it begins with an interactive voice response system.
McClintock wrote, “In some cases the use of SMS alerts makes sense; social networking sites were used to a great effect during the Queensland floods; traditional telephone calls alerting danger can provide detailed information thanks to the interactive nature of a phone call. For example, a simple interactive voice response could be used to ask questions such as: Do you intend to stay and defend? Do you plan to evacuate? Is it possible to evacuate?”
Interact, Inc., offers location-based services featured in its IVR solutions that can help create a better emergency alert system. With the ability to create a customized IVR application for nearly every vertical, Interact supports organizations that need to streamline their communications channels to customers. In the case of emergency aid, location-based features are exactly what the doctor ordered.
Juliana Kenny graduated from the University of Connecticut with a double degree in English and French. After managing a small company for two years, she joined TMC (News - Alert) as a Web Editor for TMCnet. Juliana currently focuses on the call center and CRM industries, but she also writes about cloud telephony and network gear including softswitches.
Edited by Tammy Wolf | <urn:uuid:a1a1ab49-70b1-4a64-bfa4-f776dbbc88cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/ivr-system/articles/226918-using-an-ivr-system-attend-emergency-needs.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95199 | 457 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a Taser manufacturer had no duty to warn of the risk that repeated shocks administered by its products could lead to death caused by metabolic acidosis, given the state of the art at the time the product was manufactured. (Rosa v. Taser International, Inc., -- F.3d --, 2012 WL 2775006 (Cal.), July 10, 2012).
In Rosa, the plaintiffs’ decedent died after being administered a number of electric shocks by police officers applying their Tasers in an attempt to control him. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was ventricular arrhythmia caused by methamphetamine intoxication, with “Taser application and arrest by police” listed as contributing conditions. The death was later linked to metabolic acidosis, a condition of increased lactic acid, which increases the risk of cardiac arrest.
The decedent’s parents sued the manufacturer of the Taser under theories of both strict products liability and negligence, arguing that the manufacturer had a duty to warn the police officers of the specific dangers of the product. In opposing the manufacturer’s motion for summary judgment, the plaintiffs argued that the manufacturer had a broad duty to warn of risks even if those risks were unsubstantiated in the medical and scientific literature or based on isolated case reports. In upholding the trial court’s granting of the motion, the Ninth Circuit rejected the plaintiffs’ overly broad characterization of the manufacturer’s duty to warn. The court noted that, under California law, a manufacturer had a duty to warn of a particular risk if the risk was known or “knowable in light of generally recognized and prevailing best scientific and medical knowledge available at the time of manufacture and distributing.” The court also stated that a manufacturer was required to keep up with scientific discoveries and would be presumed to know of any advances in knowledge concerning hazards posed by its products.
Here, however, the court found that there was no issue of triable fact that the risk of metabolic acidosis was known or knowable when the product was manufactured or supplied, stating that a manufacturer does not have a duty to warn based on “speculative, conjectural or tentative” reports of possible risks. The court rejected the plaintiffs’ reliance on a 2001 article published in the prestigious English medical journal The Lancet. The court pointed out that the authors of the study, while finding previous attempts to explain “in-custody death syndrome” to be unsatisfactory, “hypothesized” that such deaths could be caused by electronic control devices affecting the body’s acid-base balance. The court held that mere hypothesis, rather than firm conclusions based on adequate evidence, could not give rise to a duty to warn under California law.
The court also rejected a second study by the Department of Defense on the grounds that the study did nothing more than speculate as to a causal connection between use of Tasers and death caused by metabolic acidosis, rather than establishing a causal link. Noting that this study was published after the decedent’s death, the court noted that, under California law, a manufacturer may be liable in negligence under some circumstances for a failure to warn of a risk that became known only after the injury. However, this study (like the first) merely stated an untested hypothesis and thus could not support a finding that a reasonable manufacturer would have issued a supplemental warning.
The court’s opinion in Rosa was closely tied to the specific facts regarding the state of knowledge concerning the risks of metabolic acidosis posed by electronic control devices such as Tasers. However, the case suggests more generally that the court will reject a broad reading of a manufacturer’s duty to warn and will look closely into what was actually knowable at the time the product was manufactured or, alternatively, at the time of injury. The opinion is therefore favorable for products manufacturers raising a defense based on the state of the art concerning specific risks allegedly posed by their products. | <urn:uuid:f6688eef-7597-46e5-8788-57e5b81f122d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c3d26590-3b97-4318-a33c-d155b698e7df | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975615 | 824 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Trending is defined as higher highs and higher lows, or lower highs and lower lows. Eventually the trending becomes so expected by market participants that its corrections are shorter and shallower. And occasionally the trending becomes so expected that it runs out of sponsorship, and each new extreme is also shorter and shallower. The resulting pattern forms a WEDGE.
Volume declines as the WEDGE’s develops. Volume should be slowest when the WEDGE’s last extreme forms, as the trend runs out of sponsorship. Without too much delay, a sharp reversal on very heavy volume makes the first attempt to reverse the trend.
WEDGES are most likely to produce a sustainable reversal when they exceed a prior extreme during their formation. Ending at a prior extreme, or beginning after a prior extreme is broken, may still produce a reversal attempt, but usually not one that is sustainable. | <urn:uuid:178bdce0-49ba-4ebf-8567-b088c1086a8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.avidtrader.com/pattern-types/wedge/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956968 | 181 | 1.757813 | 2 |
ENN Weekly: September 11th - 15th
Top Ten Articles of the Week
In the news September 11th - 15th: Urgent climate warnings, Whitman under fire, Beijing's water woes, Iceland whale meat exports, and much more.
1. World Has Ten-Year Window To Act on Climate, Expert Says
A leading U.S. climate researcher said Wednesday the world has a 10-year window of opportunity to take decisive action on global warming and avert a weather catastrophe. NASA scientist James Hansen, widely considered the doyen of American climate researchers, said governments must adopt an alternative scenario to keep carbon dioxide emission growth in check.
2. Democrats Ask for Investigation of Former EPA Director on 9/11 Health Issue
Democrats from New York and New Jersey asked on Wednesday for an investigation that could lead to criminal charges against former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christie Whitman for breathing problems suffered by thousands after the Sept. 11 attacks.
3. Environmental Group Sues Federal Government To Halt Sales of Toy Jewelry Containing Lead
Environmentalists sued the federal government Thursday to stop the sale of toy jewelry made with lead, citing dangers it can pose to brain development in children. The San Francisco-based Sierra Club wants the Environmental Protection Agency to find ways to stop the sale or production of toy necklaces, bracelets and rings containing lead.
4. Live Bird Flu Virus Vaccine Protects Animals, Study Shows
Three experimental vaccines using live but weakened versions of the H5N1 bird flu virus appeared to protect animals from infection, and might offer a way to stockpile vaccines ahead of a pandemic, U.S. researchers said Monday.
5. Drought-Prone Beijing Must Cap Population Growth
China's drought-prone capital must curb its rapid population growth or risk running out of water, local media reported on Thursday. Chinese environmental officials have dubbed Beijing, host of the 2008 Olympics, the driest major city on the planet. Annual population growth would have to be kept to 200,000 to guarantee adequate drinking water, the Beijing News reported.
6. Don't Hurt Rays after Irwin Death, Officials Say
Australian authorities have urged fans of Steve Irwin not to attack stingrays after several rays were found dead since the TV naturalist was killed in a rare fatal attack by one of the normally placid animals. Irwin, whose "Crocodile Hunter" documentaries were watched by more than 200 million people, was killed September 4th when the serrated barb from a stingray's tail pierced his heart.
7. Jordan River -- Some Are Baptised in It, Others Pollute It
Wading into the Jordan River, the pastor blessed his flock, tapping the believers on the head before sending them into the hallowed waters to be baptized. The faithful wet their faces and arms, shouting 'amen' and 'hallelujah' after each baptism, unaware that just downstream, raw sewage was flowing into the water.
8. Cousteau Plans Resort in Hawaii That Would Offer Marine Conservation Programs
French marine explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau and his Ocean Futures Society are helping to plan a 434-acre (174-hectare) resort-residential complex on Hawaii's Big Island. "Our new relationship with Sea Mountain provides the ideal opportunity to prove that environmental and economic sustainability are absolutely connected," he said.
9. Earth Storms Lead to Space Storms, Scientists Say
Thunderstorms on Earth can lead to storms in the outer reaches of the atmosphere that disrupt radio transmissions and other electronic communications, U.S. researchers said Tuesday. The discovery could lead to more reliable global-positioning satellite (GPS) navigation and short-wave radio transmissions by improving forecasts of high-altitude disturbances that can disrupt them.
10. Iceland Resumes Whale Exports after 15-Year Gap
Iceland is resuming whale meat exports after a gap of more than 15 years with sales to the Faroe Islands despite objections from environmentalists that the shipments undermine a global trade ban. Iceland resumed whaling in 2003 despite a global moratorium on hunts imposed two decades ago by the International Whaling Commission. It has not exported meat since some sales to Japan around 1990.
Photo: The Mahanadi River was flowing over its banks on September 1, 2006, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image. By September 3, floods along the Mahanadi had displaced more than two million people, reported the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. Credit: NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. | <urn:uuid:d100f007-bd05-4e86-838f-4e03689db171> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/5068 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932872 | 938 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Dissolving Street Objects by Cayetano Ferrer
Traditionally one would thinkt that the sole purpose of graffiti is to be seen – and yet a Los Angeles-based artist Cayetano Ferrer makes it look transparent and almost invisible. A video, photography and sculptural/installation artist covers the urban debris with high quality pictures that match the surroundings, and thus the object visually dissolves in the background.
These street art installations were presented as Cayetano’s projects “City of Chicago” and “Western Imports”. The pictures are printed directly on stickers, which are later placed on street signs, cardboard boxes or any other ordinary objects. By camouflaging the small bits of the city Cayetano creates this optical illusion of transparency that makes the passers by look twice. Be careful not to stumble over one of his pieces by accident! | <urn:uuid:a7febf83-285a-4bc4-9505-2d93fa4cf247> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boredpanda.org/dissolving-street-objects-cayetano-ferrer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934906 | 180 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Libyan gun-control policy left guards unarmed at Benghazi consulate
“Our long term security plan in Libya was to recruit and deploy an armed, locally hired Libyan bodyguard unit,” State Department Regional Security Officer Eric Nordstrom told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in written testimony.
“However, because of Libyan political sensitivities, armed private security companies were not allowed to operate in Libya,” Nordstrom said in his testimony submitted on Oct. 10. “Therefore, our existing, uniformed static local guard force, both in Tripoli and Benghazi were unarmed, similar to our static local guard forces at many posts around the world. Their job was to observe, report, and alert armed host nation security, and armed DS agents on-site.” | <urn:uuid:a876e807-db56-457c-88ca-65c03a3b1b51> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2013/01/10/libyan-gun-control-policy-left-guards-unarmed-at-benghazi-consulate/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965695 | 158 | 1.523438 | 2 |
By ROBIN SIDEL And ANDREW R. JOHNSON
Not long ago, mainstream financial institutions shunned people without checking accounts. Now those former undesirables are among the industry's most coveted customers.
The latest example of the shift came Monday when American Express Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. rolled out a prepaid card aimed at tens of millions of middle-class and lower-income Americans eager to avoid fees charged by banks.
The Bluebird card, stamped with AmEx's familiar blue and white logo, will be sold online and at the retail giant's 3,925 U.S. stores, marking an expansion of Wal-Mart's longtime efforts to muscle into financial services. For AmEx, Bluebird is yet another turn away from the company's roots pitching high-end charge cards and credit cards to affluent consumers.
Prepaid cards are different from debit cards because they usually aren't linked to a checking account. Instead, users of prepaid cards load money onto the cards and then use their plastic to buy things, just like conventional credit cards or debit cards.
The top 50 issuers of prepaid cards rang up $79.9 billion worth of purchases last year, up 25% from $64.1 billion in 2010, according to the Nilson Report, a Carpinteria, Calif.-based newsletter. Although far more purchases are made on credit and debit cards, prepaid cards are growing more than twice as fast.
The prepaid-card market has been dominated by companies that began as non-banks, including Green Dot Corp. and NetSpend Holdings Inc. The cards originally were sold mostly in pharmacies, convenience stores and supermarkets. But mainstream lenders are barreling into the business, with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and other banks now offering them in thousands of branches across the U.S.
AmEx already offers other prepaid cards, including through tie-ups with Barnes & Noble Inc. and Office Depot . But the card issuer is eager to accelerate those efforts. "We are working aggressively to expand our capabilities to serve new customer segments outside of our traditional base," said Dan Schulman, group president for AmEx's enterprise growth unit.
Wal-Mart's financial products range from check-cashing services to money transfers. The average income of a Wal-Mart customer is $51,000, with nearly 40% of customers making less than $35,000 a year, according to consulting firm Big Insight.
"Bluebird is really designed as a checking and debit alternative to appeal to the millions, and I would even suggest tens of millions of customers who just aren't getting the value that they're expecting from their traditional checking accounts," Daniel Eckert, vice president of financial services for Wal-Mart, said on a conference call Monday.
Banks are raising fees on basic accounts, citing new regulations and the slow economy for the increases. A survey issued last month from data provider Bankrate Inc. found that U.S. bank customers must keep an average minimum balance of $723 in noninterest bearing checking accounts to avoid a monthly fee, up 23% over last year. The average monthly fee on noninterest checking accounts rose 25% to a record $5.48.
Bluebird seems "to be competitively priced and is likely to intensify the competitive environment in the prepaid industry," Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst at Keefe, Buyette & Woods Inc., wrote in a note to clients.
Banks are attracted to prepaid cards partly because such cards aren't subject to the same restrictions under the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law that shrank the revenue banks collect from merchants on debit cards. The cards also don't carry any credit risk for the banks because the cards use customer money.
Still, the cards are attracting scrutiny from consumer-watchdog groups that claim many of the cards are loaded with confusing fees. The year-old Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is examining disclosure practices of prepaid cards.
The Bluebird card will be available starting next week, the two companies said. Consumers can open a Bluebird account free either online or through a smartphone mobile application or for $5 by buying a setup kit in Wal-Mart stores.
The Bluebird card doesn't have a monthly maintenance fee, annual fee or activation fee. Other prepaid cards carry fees of $5 or more a month, in addition to activation fees and charges for talking to a customer-service representative, checking balances at automated teller machines and other activities.
Wal-Mart has pushed aggressively into financial services despite failed attempts to obtain a U.S. bank charter that would allow the company to lend money and offer deposits backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The Bentonville, Ark., retailer has 1,100 dedicated money centers, where customers can use computer terminals to cash checks and pay bills.
The retailer already sells a MoneyCard prepaid card through a partnership with Green Dot. Green Dot shares tumbled 20% to $10.25 in 4 p.m. trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Wal-Mart gained 0.16%, to $75.25, and AmeEx added 0.44% to $58.82
"The Bluebird product is designed to attract a different customer segment…and we will continue working together to grow our MoneyCard business which we believe will continue to thrive alongside this new offering," said Steve Streit, Green Dot's chief executive, in a statement.—Shelly Banjo contributed to this article. | <urn:uuid:6e42c917-70f2-496a-aa2f-5fd7b33ac4be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444897304578044313831625492.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954038 | 1,125 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Let me be the first of many to welcome you to the University of South Alabama! As your child begins his or her college career at South Alabama, he or she will find that there are several organizations to become involved in on campus. Although each and every one of these organizations will contribute to your child's development as a student, none of them is quite as exciting and rewarding as becoming a member of a Sorority or Fraternity. Greek membership provides your child with the opportunity to develop valuable leadership skills, pursue academic excellence, serve the USA and Mobile communities, and make lasting
friendships that will be treasured forever.
Scholarship is the most important aspect of college life, so naturally it is first in Greek Life. I am extremely proud of our Greek Community, as our Greek students’ GPA’s are consistently higher than the average of USA students. At South Alabama, our Greek organizations are here to help. Every chapter has academic help available in the way of study halls, study buddies, help with professors and courses, study guides, and more. I also make sure that each year programs are presented to enable your child to deal with time management, handling stress, setting priorities, and study skills!
Membership in a Greek organization will give your child the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities while teaching cooperation and acceptance of responsibility. Offices and chairmanships of committees within the chapter will allow a chance for development of leadership abilities. Involvement does not stop within the chapter, on average, Greeks are involved in at least four other campus and community organizations.
Every chapter at South Alabama supports its own national philanthropic event, which is raising funds for a charity of their choice and dedicating time, as well as working with the service projects of all other Greek organizations. Over the past year alone, our Greek members have donated over 17,000 hours of community service as well as over $50,000.00 donated to various charitable organizations. Greeks are also supportive of events that occur on campus at USA, supporting our athletic events, fundraisers on campus and many other student organizations.
I encourage you to be an active mentor to your child as he or she participates in Recruitment/Rush/Intake and to remain open minded. Greek Life is certainly a source of pride at South Alabama and every chapter has something unique to offer in addition to the same founding principles as one another.
Thank you again for choosing South Alabama and good luck! The Office of Greek Life looks forward to working with you in the future and is here to assist you in any way possible!
Coordinator of Greek Life
Office of Greek Life
Student Center Room 129
Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002
(251) 460-7003 office
(251) 414-8256 fax
Open the original version of this page. | <urn:uuid:0f09bb15-c3e9-431d-9d8a-d548e11a935b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://assistive.usablenet.com/tt/http:/www.southalabama.edu/greeklife/parents.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963836 | 579 | 1.609375 | 2 |
How do you say enough in praise of King Cole? More than any other person during the past half-century, he made Spokane the place it is today. Our beautiful Riverfront Park, vibrant downtown, exciting sporting events and excellent restaurants — all of these attractions and more grew either directly or indirectly from King Cole’s influence.
When he came to town in 1963, this was a rather dingy city beset by urban blight. But when Cole died a few days ago, Spokane had become the sort of city that could attract one of the premier sporting events in America, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, twice in four years.
By any measure, Spokane in the 21st century has a lot of mojo for a city its size. But would the city be where it is today if a young urban planner from San Leandro, Calif., had not accepted a job offer from a group of local citizens in 1963? These boosters’ hearts were in the right place: They wanted to rescue Spokane’s falls from decades of exploitation.
At one time, the “conquest” of the falls made sense. To the city’s 19th-century founders, the rapids were there to run sawmills and grist mills and, later on, to generate electricity. The falls area also provided a dandy spot for railroad terminals, parking lots and an industrial laundry. Cole became the catalyst in Spokane for those with a new vision for the city and its falls.
A few years ago, while working on a book about Spokane and Expo ’74, I had the privilege of interviewing Cole many times, reliving with him the story of Spokane’s transformation.
On the role of an urban planner, he told me:
“Everybody wants to do something, and everybody gets excited and discouraged and upset, but in the last analysis, at the end of the day, you find out that nothing gets done unless there’s one person who lives and breathes and eats the problem day and night. So you have to hire your worrier.”
Cole was hired to be the “worrier” for Spokane.
And worry he did, month after month and year after year. He gave talks to scores of civic groups, traveled to Olympia, and Washington, D.C., and eventually around the world on behalf of Spokane’s renaissance. Those who remembered Cole during the fair-building praised his persistence. “He wouldn’t let it die,” I was told.
He led Spokane in building Expo ’74, which made possible the urban renewal sought by him and others. His effectiveness drew on his own passionate commitment to beautifying Spokane. One of his favorite memories was his first view of the downtown without the wall of tracks that had separated the city from its falls. Cole remembered: “The day that I actually drove down, and they weren’t there, I felt like, if nothing happens, if the fair didn’t happen, if I died, whatever happened, what I really wanted to do the most of all was to get rid of those damn tracks!” My interviews with Cole came about 20 years after Expo ’74. Retired by then, he was philosophical about his work in Spokane. “When I was young,” he said, “I used to love to take bows. I’d work my buns off to get some project going and, in some cases, put in a huge percentage of the energy and creativity, and then no credit — boy it hurt! But when you get older, you find out that what’s important for the future is that the job gets done.”
The urban renewal job in Spokane did get done remarkably well, first with the world’s fair, then the transformation of the fair site into one of the loveliest downtown parks in any American city, and subsequently in the ongoing development of Spokane.
In 1994, on the 20th anniversary of the fair, three mayors of Spokane spoke at an event in his honor. Former mayor David Rodgers said King Cole had been the “stemwinder,” the one essential person in Spokane’s rebirth. Rodgers’s mayoral predecessor, Neal Fosseen struck a personal note: “I don’t know of a finer, more honest, more caring person than King Cole,” he said. And then-current Mayor Jack Geraghty noted that Cole was the greatest visionary and statesman the city had ever known. Geraghty declared there are few charmed moments in the history of a community when the people share a common vision: the era of the world’s fair was one such time for Spokane, and King Cole provided the vision.
During one of our meetings, Cole told me he thought of his life as being like a rock thrown into water. “The water all sloshes back, runs back and forth and bubbles, and makes a bunch of waves, and they get smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller.” As he continued, Cole was whispering. “Pretty soon,” he said, “it’s perfectly calm, like nothing ever happened. That’s what life is like.”
The sentiment is profound. And yet, of course, in King Cole’s case, something —something very big — did happen.
So the next time you see children playing in Riverfront Park, or feel the spray of the falls from one of the footbridges, or ride the carousel, or watch the sun setting over the frame of the U.S. Pavilion — experience, in short, the beauty of Spokane’s downtown heart, think of our own King Cole.
Bill Youngs is the author of The Fair and the Falls (EWU Press), the definitive history of Expo ’74, which draws extensively from King Cole’s personal papers and recollections. | <urn:uuid:e8a44879-e741-407b-9a2b-a8f00b92f29e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-16026-remembering-the-king.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973288 | 1,241 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Obama presses Congress on cybersecurity bill
In a July 19 Wall Street Journal opinion piece, President Barack Obama urged Senate action on cybersecurity, urging Capitol Hill lawmakers to pass comprehensive legislation.
Describing a recent cyber attack drill exercise, Obama called for cybersecurity to be a top priority, and to pass laws that would enable information-sharing, address security concerns and protect civil liberties.
“It doesn’t take much to imagine the consequences of a successful cyber attack. In a future conflict, an adversary unable to match our military supremacy on the battlefield might seek to exploit our computer vulnerabilities here at home,” he wrote. “This is the future we have to avoid. That’s why my administration has made cybersecurity a priority, including proposing legislation to strengthen our nation’s digital defenses. It’s why Congress must pass comprehensive cybersecurity legislation.”
Obama also said he would veto any cybersecurity legislation lacking strong privacy and protections for civil liberties.
The piece comes just as Congress prepares to take up a compromise cybersecurity bill constructed from multiple proposed pieces of legislation. On July 24, a group of five senators working on the compromise bill are expected to address the press in a briefing on the legislation.
Amber Corrin is a staff writer covering defense and national security. Connect with her on Twitter: @AmberInsideDOD. | <urn:uuid:b20dfb70-1b91-442f-a1a8-9794e1957b72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fcw.com/articles/2012/07/23/obama-urges-cybersecurity-legislation.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936193 | 274 | 1.757813 | 2 |
The German Energy Transition in Palestine and Jordan
On 24th September, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Ramallah invited to a round table discussion in our new conference room in Ramallah, focused on “The German Energy Transition and the Potential for Renewable Energy in Palestine”. We were happy to welcome Arne Jungjohann of the HBS office in Washington, D.C., Dr. Riyad Hodali of the Palestinian Solar and Sustainable Energy Society (PSSES), and Mohammad Qaraqa of the Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) who provided valuable input for a lively discussion. The discussion was moderated by George Korzom of MA’AN Development Centre.
Arne Jungjohann is the Director for the Environment and Global Dialogue Programme of the Washington office. Previous to his work with HBS, he worked as a senior advisor for the German Green Party. In his presentation, Arne provided some background about the German decision to fade out of nuclear energy and go renewable. By doing that, he explains, Germany has created more than 380.000 jobs, built up a world leading green technology sector, and has reduced the dependency on fossil fuel imports. Today renewable energy (25%) provides more electricity than nuclear power (18%). “On sunny and windy days, half the country is powered by renewable energies,” Arne emphasized.
Dr. Riyad Hodali, who holds a Ph.D. in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, provided background information about the Palestinian Solar Initiative as well as the importance of feed-in tariffs for the success of renewable energy initiatives. The PSSES is a non-governmental organisation trying to promote renewable energy in Palestine through projects on different levels, such as education, policy development, and research. Among their previous projects is the installation of solar-run streetlights for parts of Wad El Nar, a very dangerous road which connects Hebron to Bethlehem. PSSES also cooperated with the Indian Barefoot College by selecting three senior illiterate women to participate in a six month-training in India. Using only colours and manual techniques as a teaching tool, they learn how to install, maintain and repair solar panels and provide for lighting in their villages.
Mohammad Qaraqa gave input on the restrictions and hindrances faced by renewable energy projects in the context of the Israeli occupation, and provided an overview over the general situation of electrical energy in the oPt. ARIJ has been working for more than 20 years in the fields of economical and social development, and natural resource management in the occupied Palestinian territory. ARIJ is currently conducting a project for poverty reduction through green energy, in the course of which they will provide 18 rural poor families in the Bethlehem governorate with no current access to affordable energy with home based off-grid solar panels system.
Just one day later, on 25th September, HBS brought the German Energy Transition to Jordan through a workshop on “The German Energy Transition - How Does It Work and What Does It Mean for Jordan?” in Amman. With the great support of EDAMA Association , HBS was glad to welcome Anna Leidreiter of the World Future Council, Batir Wardam, a renowned environmental researcher, and Raouf Dabbas of Friends of the Environment Jordan, in addition to Arne Jungjohann who travelled to Amman with us.
Anna Leidreiter is the Policy Officer in the Climate and Energy Department for the World Future Council. Anna focused in her presentation on international reactions to the German transition and on successful implementation strategies. According to her, the German Feed-in tariff policy became a blueprint for more than 80 countries and states worldwide. The right regulatory framework can trigger investments and result in enormous social-economic development, in which feed-in tariffs play a crucial role. The WFC aims at bringing the interests of future generations to the centre of policy making. It addresses challenges and provides decision-makers with effective policy solutions. In-depth research underpins the council’s advocacy work for international agreements, regional policy frameworks and national lawmaking and thus produces practical and tangible results.
Batir Wardam is a Jordanian environmentalist with professional experience in disciplines of natural resource management, environmental policies and communication. He has a 15 years working experience in national academic institutions, NGOs, the government of Jordan and international and regional environmental organizations including UNDP and IUCN. In his presentation, he stressed that as Jordan imports 98% of its energy needs, energy security is a key issue. Focusing on renewable energy would mean a shift towards using domestic energy sources. As Arne Jungjohann pointed out: because of the climatic conditions, a solar panel in Jordan could produce twice the electricity than in Germany. According to Batir, the German case example has been widely used in the Jordanian debate. Its applicability has been used to back up the arguments of pro-renewable activists and researchers and thus strengthened their stand.
Raouf Dabbas is a former senior advisor at the Jordanian Ministry of Environment, and founding member of several NGOs. As the president of the NGO the Friends of Environment Society for ten years, he has vast experience as an environmental lobbyist and activist. He gave an overview over the current status of energy consumption in Jordan, and pointed out the potential for renewables in the country. He emphasised that a policy framework, based on clear guidelines and incentives, is crucial for the development of a thriving renewable energy sector.
As different as the two events were – a rather small, informal round table discussion in Ramallah, and a bigger, more formal workshop in Amman – both had in common the obvious wish and need for discussion. And as Anna Leidreiter points out , the underlying factors of the German transition are often overlooked. “The secret to why an industrialized country with a huge energy demand can phase out nuclear power and rely on renewable energies in times of financial crisis is simple: by taking a decentralized approach and engaging a critical mass of citizens the energy transition results in regional value creation and therefore in socio-economic benefits across the country. In Germany there are 800 energy cooperatives that are the driver of the energy transition. FiTs are evidently acting as a connecting policy – linking people, policy, energy and economy.”
For more pictures of the events, please visit our facebook page !
Please find the power point presentations online:
- Mr. Arne Jungjohann presentation
- Ms. Anna Leidreiter presentation
- Mr. Batir Wardam presentation
- Mr. Raouf Dabbas presentation
Pictures of the event in Amman are also provided on EDAMA’s facebook page | <urn:uuid:5b4eafa5-9348-46e3-aea3-e30cbe6fc54d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ps.boell.org/web/118-712.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944662 | 1,370 | 1.75 | 2 |
(CNN) -- It's not enough to fizz with carbonation and taste sweet.
For years, drinks have been infused with promises of electrolytes, caffeine and instant energy. But now, some sodas and other concoctions are offering the opposite of Red Bulls and Four Lokos -- they slow things down.
As more sedating sodas enter the market, some beverage makers have taken relaxation to another level by producing sodas laced with marijuana or ingredients to mimic that drug.
"Everyone is looking for some effect somewhere," said Dr. Matthew Seamon, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University.
Beverages such as Malava Novocaine, Drank, Unwind, Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda and Slow Cow (sold in Canada) are marketed as helping people unwind.
"When you are stressed out, normally you'd have a drink," said Matt Moody, founder of Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda. "You can't walk around smelling like vodka all day. I wanted to try to make something you can have to mellow you out. It's not going to make you stumble, fall down and slur your speech. It's a quick fix to slow things down when things get hectic."
Critics question the safety of such anti-energy drinks, which are sold in locations including college campuses and convenience stores. Not many scientific studies about anti-energy drinks have been done, as they are just emerging in the market.
Ronald Peters, associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, points to similarities between street drug concoctions and the anti-energy drinks.
Urban youths, especially in the South, started mixing codeine cough syrup with Sprite or candies such as Jolly Ranchers in the 1990s to make what's been called "purple drank" and "sip and syrup," Peters said.
He called the marketing of commercialized anti-energy drinks "one of the worst things I've ever seen with corporate immorality," accusing the companies of profiting off a higher-end version of a street drug. And a lot of parents aren't aware what these soda-like drinks do, he said.
"The modeling of this drug is worse than candy cigarettes," Peters said of the widely available anti-energy drinks. "It actually has sedatives in it. They didn't have quasi-nicotine in candy cigarettes, but this one has it in it. It makes it an unethical product."
Some anti-energy drinks carry warning labels of possible drowsiness and discourage driving after use.
Peters likened the drinks to a gateway drug -- kids who buy the commercialized products are more likely to try the candied codeine cough syrup mix.
Beverage makers say that their products are safe, and more so, that they help people. One company called the product "a positive alternative" to drugs and alcohol.
Tim Barham, president of Frontier Beverage, which produces Unwind, said his company's drink is not "associated in the same realm at all" with the cough syrup mixtures.
He said Unwind appeals to "high school and college students, soccer moms and Wall Street executives" to promote relaxation after a stressful day. Unwind and other drinks contain melatonin, a neurohormone used to treat sleep-related disorders that can be purchased as a supplement. Some studies found that melatonin can interfere with testosterone, so some sleep doctors don't recommend using the supplement until boys reach college age.
Melatonin is not approved as a food additive because it is not "generally recognized as safe" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. So a company that uses the ingredient can be subject to a challenge by the FDA.
Last year, the FDA warned the makers of the relaxation drink Drank about its use of melatonin, calling it "an unapproved food additive." Drank sells its product now as a dietary supplement, rather than as a beverage, in order to contain melatonin, according to a company spokesman. The FDA had no further comment regarding the matter.
Many of the anti-energy drinks contain exotic but innocuous-sounding ingredients like kava, melatonin, valerian root, rose hips and passionflower. Seamon said such supplements could have risks.
Recalling how the original colas more than a century ago contained cocaine and lithium, when they were considered benign, Seamon said today, the companies are "a step above regulators. Maybe the science and risks haven't been documented."
The latest relaxation drink to capture headlines is Canna Cola, a marijuana-infused soft drink.
The product contains the chemical THC and is scheduled to go on sale in medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado this month and expand to California. The drinks will be available only in medical marijuana dispensaries to people who are legally permitted to buy them.
It is not available to the general public.
Despite its colorful and cartoonish branding and flavors like lemon-lime, grape and orange, the product is not marketed toward children, said Clay Butler, co-founder of Canna Cola.
He acknowledged that some critics "are nervous about products like this. I think they're incorrect and there's misguided fear."
"This is medicine, and you should take it as you would with any prescription drug," Butler said.
Canna Cola's ambitions extend beyond medicinal drinks into producing more widely available relaxation drinks that don't include marijuana, Butler said. | <urn:uuid:d0e6fb74-dc55-41cc-a040-d9bcaf65016b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/04/anti.energy.drinks/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963347 | 1,125 | 1.84375 | 2 |
ANIMAL welfare authorities have removed 153 cockfighting birds from a Lovely Banks property after statewide raids.
The RSPCA and police broke up a large cockfighting ring and seized more than 400 roosters in Melbourne's outer west in September.
Officers said it was one of the biggest rings discovered in Victoria.
John Ung, of Anakie Rd, Lovely Banks, faced Sunshine Magistrates' Court on November 9, charged with being found in a common gaming place and attending a fighting event.
He was ordered to surrender his 153 roosters and banned from owning poultry for 10 years.
RSPCA inspector Hugh Robinson said officers went to the Anakie Rd property last week to remove the roosters, which they believed had been used in cockfighting. He said the birds were destroyed.
"These animals are bred for cockfighting and groomed and housed in a manner that depicts this," he said.
"They're very aggressive and will attack.
"Unfortunately they cannot be rehomed."
The RSPCA said it was an offence under state and federal animal cruelty laws to allow gamecocks to fight, to possess cockfighting implements, or own a bird for the purposes of fighting.
It's also an animal cruelty offence to attend a cockfight.
Melbourne police swooped on a Rockbank property on September 9 and charged more than 80 people after investigations into the illegal gaming.
Mr Robinson said two offenders from the Geelong area had also faced court in the past month on separate matters unrelated to cockfighting.
Reggae Rodaughan, of Chaffey Square, Corio, was charged with aggravated cruelty and fined $500 on November 2.
The offence related to a mastiff that developed osteomyelitis in a front leg after being attacked by another dog.
On the same day, Daniel Hose, of Forrest Rd, Lara, faced the Geelong Magistrates' Court, charged with failing to provide vet treatment.
He was fined $500.
The offence related to a goat found on his property that was missing half a front leg. | <urn:uuid:1ecdaf32-65df-4f4f-b84b-375861373220> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2012/11/20/354889_news.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97708 | 431 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The Lost Years - by Mary Higgins Clark
In The Lost Years, Mary Higgins Clark, America’s Queen of Suspense, has written her most astonishing novel to date. At its center is a discovery that, if authenticated, may be the most revered document in human history—“the holiest of the holy”—and certainly the most coveted and valuable object in the world.
Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons believes he has found the rarest of parchments—a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ. Stolen from the Vatican Library in the 1500s, the letter was assumed to be lost forever.
Now, under the promise of secrecy, Jonathan is able to confirm his findings with several other experts. But he also confides in a family friend his suspicion that someone he once trusted wants to sell the parchment and cash in.
Within days Jonathan is found shot to death in his study. At the same time, his wife, Kathleen, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, is found hiding in the study closet, incoherent and clutching the murder weapon. Even in her dementia, Kathleen has known that her husband was carrying on a long-term affair. Did Kathleen kill her husband in a jealous rage, as the police contend? Or is his death tied to the larger question: Who has possession of the priceless parchment that has now gone missing?
It is up to their daughter, twenty-eight-year-old Mariah, to clear her mother of murder charges and unravel the real mystery behind her father’s death. Mary Higgins Clark’s The Lost Years is at once a breathless murder mystery and a hunt for what may be the most precious religious and archaeological treasure of all time. | <urn:uuid:b5c6f519-de71-48ec-b304-be562ed85a5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://yavapailibrary.org/yavapai/nytlist3.asp?tynid=900 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973718 | 353 | 1.757813 | 2 |
That assessment is based on the results of a one-day test in January during which district bus drivers kept track of the number of times other drivers illegally passed their buses as they were stopped. There were 400 such incidents in January, less than half the number counted during a similar one-day test last year. And it was only about a fourth of the 1,600 violations reported during the first such test back in 2011. That’s the good news.
“I would say it’s brought into the bright light the concern for stopping for school buses,” Lt. Hawk Hagebak of the Cobb Police Department’s Traffic Services Unit said of the cameras. “Driving down the road, you don’t know if the bus has a camera or not.”
About 1 of every 12 of the Cobb district’s 1,202 buses is equipped with the cameras, which were first installed back in 2010 at the cost of $200 each. It was a worthy investment aimed a reducing the likelihood of children being mowed down by speeding, careless drivers. And anyone who has ever spent much time in a school zone knows there are always a few such drivers.
The buses initially were equipped with one camera each.
Then Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions paid to have six more cameras installed on the buses last year. One of the cameras is pointed toward the front wheels of the bus and another toward the rear ones, recording possible violations on video. Meanwhile, a large yellow box containing five other cameras is situated in the middle of the bus to snap pictures of the license plates of lawbreakers.
As for the fines involved, $134,059 has been raised thus far from the 1,092 citations issues. Violators pay $300 for a first offense, $750 for a second and $1,000 for each additional violation for five years. It would seem a better solution would be to take away the licenses of repeat violators.
The bulk of the revenue from the fines — 75 percent during the program’s first year, and less thereafter — was kept by ATS, with the remainder split between the county government and the school district.
ATS is looking at various other bus routes to see if more cameras need to be added to buses, and on which routes. One would think that they should be on all school buses, not just a select few as at present. But that would involve a substantial cost, no doubt.
It appears that, based on the declining number of violations recorded, that many local drivers are starting to “get the message,” i.e., that local school buses are camera-equipped and cannot be passed with impunity, as was the case for so long for so many callous motorists.
Now here’s the bad news: What’s frightening is what last month’s study also showed — that each of the 102 camera-equipped buses was passed illegally an average of four times on the day in question. Multiply that figure by 12, and then multiply the sum of those numbers by the number of school days.
It’s another tragedy waiting to happen — and another argument both for increasing the number of cameras on school buses, and for more rigorous patrolling in school zones by Cobb police. | <urn:uuid:73994684-68f1-45e6-83cd-23566521c4a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/21836405/article-Bus-Cameras-%E2%80%94-Progress--but-illegal-passing-still-a-cause-for-concern | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980971 | 678 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The North Atlantic is an unforgiving place. Freak storms, fog banks, and severe weather make navigation a survival issue. Our fully gimbaled boxed compass is a faithful replica of a dory compass. Stacks of dories were sailed to the Great Banks and single fishermen set out with fishing lines and victuals for a day. Cod fishers used a similar compass to find their way back to the mother ship, a sailing schooner. The solid bronze gimbaled compass sits inside an expertly hand distressed, French finished box. | <urn:uuid:e50926d4-b484-4771-820f-7b3204f7a067> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windandweather.com/Home-Accents/Gimbaled-Lifeboat-Compass-Reproduction.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937988 | 110 | 1.5 | 2 |
Big Ten changes could have seismic effect
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, left, held court with the media last week during the league meetings in Chicago. Delany said little, but everyone in college sports is hanging on his every word because of the power that he holds to affect so many futures.
Since going on the air in 2008, the Big Ten Network has increased revenues by nearly 200 percent.
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The Big Ten Conference is exploring expansion plans that could generate millions more in revenue for its members and upend the college football landscape.
Three years after launching its one-of-a-kind TV network, the Big Ten is eager to tap into a wider audience, which would bring additional subscription fees and advertising revenue.
In that model -- unique in college sports -- the Big Ten owns the majority of the Big Ten Network, produces its own content, broadcasts hundreds of football and basketball games annually and gives its schools more control over their brand.
And it allows the conference to rake in millions in revenue that had previously gone to unaffiliated TV networks.
It has developed into a winning game plan for the 11-member Big Ten Conference.
Most college athletic programs run deficits that drain university funds, but the Big Ten has created a system in which most members make enough money to cover their athletic costs and return money to the academic side of the university.
At stake: Millions in TV deals, bowl payouts, ticket revenue and academic partnerships.
Expansion could have lasting effects in Western Pennsylvania, where the University of Pittsburgh is considered a candidate for Big Ten expansion. It also could cause a seismic shift that will alter college athletics as they exist today.
Perhaps more than any other school that has been mentioned as a candidate for Big Ten expansion, Pitt is most similar to Big Ten schools. Geographically, it lies between two current conference schools. Academically, it is a large, public research university, like most of the 11 institutions. Athletically, it boasts competitive football and basketball programs that capture eyes of sports fans outside of Western Pennsylvania.
Jake Crouthamel, athletic director at Syracuse from 1978 to 2005, said he fully expects Pitt to join the Big Ten if it is invited.
"They're going to jump," he said. "It's about money. The whole thing's about money."
Pitt officials declined comment for this story, instead releasing a statement that read, "There has been much speculation about possible change to the conference landscape. At this juncture, we feel it would be counterproductive, and inappropriate, to comment."
Crouthamel said he understands the school's tight-lipped approach to potential Big Ten expansion. He said he has tried, unsuccessfully, to contact Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson, a longtime friend, to gauge his thoughts about the issue. It makes sense that Pederson would be quiet, Crouthamel said, because "he's one of the athletic directors in the room hoping and praying they're not the ones excluded [from Big Ten expansion]."
Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon has spoken out against a potential Pitt move to the Big Ten.
"I can't see how any team would improve where they're at by movement," Dixon said in December when the Big Ten first announced plans to explore expansion. "Every situation, you have to look at why you're doing it to improve yourselves. And I can't see how moving from the best conference in college basketball history would be a good thing for anybody."
Dixon said the football team is in a good position in the Big East because of the conference's postseason bowl tie-ins.
Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt said recently he has had "zero" talks about Big Ten expansion and said he had no comment on the subject, referring questions to the Pitt administration.
Crouthamel, who helped found the Big East Conference, said rejecting the Big Ten would not be a wise decision. He said if Pitt, or any Big East school, turns down an offer from the Big Ten, it risks being left behind in what might soon become an extinct athletic conference. Crouthamel said Big Ten expansion could have a "trickle-down" effect that will force conferences to poach schools from other conferences in an athletics arms race. He does not expect the Big East to survive.
If Pitt decides to leave, it would have to give the Big East notice 27 months in advance and pay the conference $5 million, a "loyalty clause" the conference added after three teams defected to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2005.
Rumors of Pitt joining the Big Ten are more than twice as old as the Big East Conference itself.
When the University of Chicago, a founding member of the Big Ten, left the conference in 1946, Pitt was one of a handful of schools rumored to replace the Maroons, according to a Post-Gazette article published at the time. Michigan State joined the conference several years later.
When Penn State joined the conference in 1990, Illinois president Stanley Ikenberry tried to persuade other university leaders to invite Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers as well, according to a highly placed administrator at one of the Big Ten schools.
Ikenberry was unavailable for comment, an Illinois spokesman said.
But chancellors and presidents rejected the other three schools because -- unlike Penn State -- Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers were not considered academic peers to the other Big Ten schools when comparing research income, graduate programs, endowment, libraries and museums, the source said.
Pitt might again be left off the Big Ten's invite list -- not because of its academic profile but because of its location. The Big Ten is looking to grow -- in size and geographic footprint -- so that it becomes a more marketable conference to TV executives.
That could work against Pitt, said Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College in Massachusetts, because Penn State already brings the Big Ten to Pennsylvania.
"I'm not saying they wouldn't go for Pittsburgh," Zimbalist said. "There's just a smaller inducement to go into Pittsburgh as there would be New Jersey."
Put simply, money.
"You don't have to say 'factors,'" Zimbalist said. "It's just 'factor.'"
Each Big Ten school earned about $22 million from TV rights deals in 2008. Big East schools, by contrast, earned $4.5 million. Big 12 schools earned between $7 million and $12 million.
In addition to lucrative TV deals with ESPN/ABC and CBS, the Big Ten is the only conference with its own TV network, the Big Ten Network. (The conference owns 51 percent of the network; News Corp. owns the rest.) The Southeastern Conference launched the "SEC Network" in 2009, but it differs from the Big Ten Network because its games are syndicated on multiple TV stations instead of being housed on one network.
In three years since the network launched, Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman said the venture is doing better than even he had predicted.
The network's advertising revenues have increased from $14.9 million in 2008, its first full year of existence, to a predicted $43.1 million in 2011, according to SNL Kagan, a division of financial information firm SNL Financial that specializes in media and communications. The network also earns a lot of money from negotiated carriage fees it charges cable and satellite providers.
The network still has incredible earning potential.
"I think if the conference decides that expansion is in the best interest of the Big Ten, I would definitely think that would be a positive for us," Silverman said.
The Big Ten Network earns about 88 cents per subscriber in the eight states that are home to Big Ten universities through carriage fees, SNL Kagan senior analyst Derek Baine said. That figure plummets to 5 cents per subscriber outside the eight-state Big Ten region, meaning there is a lot of money to be made if the conference can expand to new territory.
That poses the biggest barrier to Pitt's Big Ten prospects. The school's inclusion might not add much money from new subscribers. Still, given the success of its football and basketball teams, Pitt could be an attractive draw for advertisers.
The Big Ten is also interested in the estimated $5 million a conference football championship could bring.
With 11 football teams, the Big Ten is one team too small to field a conference championship. The Pac-10 and the Big East are the only other BCS conferences without a title game. By adding at least one member, the Big Ten would be eligible to field a football championship game.
The Big Ten is attractive to many schools for the same reason the conference is looking to expand -- money.
In addition to incredible TV dollars, the Big Ten is home to some of the nation's largest sporting venues. More than half of the Big Ten's football stadiums have a larger seating capacity than the 66,000-seat Raymond James Stadium, home of the South Florida Bulls and the largest stadium to house a Big East school.
With larger stadiums, Big Ten schools have more ticket revenue.
In the 2008-09 academic year, the most recent data available, Big Ten schools averaged $38.1 million in football revenue. Pitt made $20.5, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
That same year, the Pitt athletic department reported $45.8 million in revenue, which was less than any Big Ten institution. Big Ten schools made an average of $77.4 million.
Those figures, including Pitt's, might include subsidies the athletic departments receive from university funds to cover operating expenses. In 2006, the most recent data available, Pitt reported an $8.2 million athletic deficit.
There are other benefits besides money. Conference members, plus founding Big Ten member the University of Chicago, compose the prestigious Council on Institutional Cooperation, a consortium of research universities that pools resources to enhance academic collaboration.
One Big Ten administrator estimated the CIC saves schools millions annually because of the group's purchasing power and sharing ability.
All 11 members belong to the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only organization of the nation's top 63 research institutions that offers funding for research projects and promotes policy initiatives for national and international issues. Pitt is also a member.
Academic concerns have prevented the Big Ten from expanding in the past, but those issues likely will not hinder Big Ten expansion anymore.
"The landscape has changed," the Big Ten university administrator said. "I don't think presidents care a great deal about academic standings. They're looking at the dollars."
Big Ten schools have recently invested millions earned from TV revenues into academic and athletic programs.
Though the lion's share of its Big Ten Network money went to athletics, Wisconsin used a portion of its cut to fund a scholarship program for low-income students, and the school used other Big Ten Network funds to aid its campus libraries.
Like Wisconsin, Michigan devotes a portion of its media rights revenue for non-athletic financial aid. But most of it goes into the athletic department's general fund, which the school tapped to pay for a $20 million renovation to Michigan's basketball arena and a $23.2 million basketball player development center.
Penn State puts its Big Ten Network funds in its athletic budget, which is used for new construction, facility maintenance and other operational needs. A portion of the funds are used for institutional programming on the network.
In many cases, the Big Ten Network has allowed athletic departments to pull themselves out of debt, causing less strain on a school's general funds and freeing academic resources for academic endeavors.
Most experts say the possibility of Big Ten expansion is more like a probability. The questions that remain are: How large does the conference grow? What schools will the conference choose? And when will it happen?
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany declined an interview request for this story. He has talked to reporters about potential expansion, but would not reveal which schools he was considering or when he would consider inviting them.
Last week, Delany told a group of reporters the Big Ten was not married to its 12- to 18-month time frame of exploration, saying it could be stretched in either direction.
Zimbalist and Silverman urged caution -- Silverman because any change will affect the conference for decades to come and Zimbalist because any rash decision could have the opposite of the intended effect. If the Big Ten adds too many schools, or the wrong schools, it could detract from that $22 million TV payout conference members currently receive.
To protect against that, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez told The Associated Press that new schools should not immediately earn the same amount of money as current members.
"You just don't jump into the league and get a full share of what everyone else in this league has established over time," Alvarez said. "I think someone has to buy their way into the league."
The conference has options. It could add one school, becoming a 12-team conference, or it could grow to as many as 16 schools.
John Feinstein, a best-selling sports author and an analyst for National Public Radio, The Washington Post, Sporting News and Golf Digest, believes the Big Ten will make overtures to Notre Dame and Texas, two of the nation's richest athletic programs. If either joins, the Big Ten will likely be content with expansion, Feinstein said. But he expects both schools to reject an invitation. Notre Dame turned down a chance to join the Big Ten in the late 1990s, and school officials have reiterated their desire to remain independent in football.
Then, Feinstein said, he expects the Big Ten to explore expanding to 14 or 16 schools. Crouthamel said he, too, expects a large expansion.
Delany recently shot down a news report that the conference had offered invitations to Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame and Rutgers, though the Associated Press recently reported Missouri officials would listen to a Big Ten offer.
In addition to Pitt, several Big East schools have been rumored targets for Big Ten expansion, including Syracuse, Rutgers and Connecticut. Maryland and Boston College of the ACC and Kentucky of the SEC have had their names involved in speculation, too.
Speaking to reporters during a meeting of Big Ten coaches and athletic directors, Delaney gave a strong indication the Big Ten would look to the south for expansion -- particularly the Sun Belt, which stretches from southern California to Florida.
"Our schools have benefited by healthy economies, by strong job markets, by growth," Delany said. "In the last 20 or 30 years, there's been a clear shift in movement to the Sun Belt. The rates of growth in the Sun Belt are four times the rates in the East or the Midwest."
Many, like Crouthamel, believe Big Ten expansion could lead to major changes in college athletics where rival conferences could expand to keep pace with the Big Ten. Crouthamel believes the Big East, and schools like Pitt and West Virginia, will be vulnerable if other conferences, such as the ACC and the SEC, expand.
West Virginia athletic spokesman Michael Fragale said athletic director Ed Pastilong will not comment on Big Ten expansion since "everything is pure speculation." But Fragale provided a statement from Pastilong, which read, "West Virginia University is 100 percent committed to the Big East Conference. WVU is very proud of its part in the formation of the Big East football conference, and our No. 1 goal as we move forward is this conference."
With little talk of its own, the Big Ten has generated a lot of buzz in a handful of months. Newspaper articles and radio segments are devoted to the topic almost daily as schools and conferences posture while the future of college athletics is decided.
Crouthamel described the process as "devastating." He worked for more than a decade to build and maintain the Big East and once helped save it from ACC expansion. Now all he can do is watch from afar as one of his life's works is threatened by the Big Ten.
"Sportsmanship, in this exercise, is gone," he said. "It's all about money."
First Published May 23, 2010 12:00 am | <urn:uuid:21400c49-a0fb-4ac6-a058-cd63092e3f1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pitt-big-east/big-ten-changes-could-have-seismic-effect-248138/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967808 | 3,322 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Patent application title: HEAD FOR RIVETING MACHINE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME
Bruno Bisiach (Venaria, IT)
IPC8 Class: AB23P1100FI
Class name: Overedge assembling means riveter single header
Publication date: 2008-10-16
Patent application number: 20080250622
A head for a riveting machine for applying shear rivets, the head
comprising a plate and a body that have both a hole and are slidable
relative to each other, and a sliding chuck equipped with jaws and
arranged within a sliding chamber, defined inside said body, so as to
engage a stem of the rivet, said chuck being capable of taking a first,
engagement position and a second, disengagement position, wherein a
control member controlling the sliding movement of the chuck is provided,
said control member being in turn controlled by the plate sliding. The
invention further concerns the method of controlling the head.
1. A head for a riveting machine for applying shear rivets, the head
comprising a plate and a body slidable relative to each other, and a
sliding engagement assembly arranged within a sliding chamber, defined
inside said body, so as to engage a stem of a shear rivet, said
engagement assembly being capable of taking a first, advanced position
and a second, retracted position inside said chamber, wherein the head
further comprises a control member controlling the sliding movement of
said engagement assembly.
2. The head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control member controls the sliding of the engagement assembly from said advanced position to said retracted position.
3. The head as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control member is in turn controlled by the sliding of the plate.
4. The head as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control member is a pin associated with the engagement assembly.
5. The head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pin is associated with the engagement assembly by means of a radial support.
6. The head as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pin is secured to the radial support through a screw.
7. The head as claimed in claim 6, wherein said radial support is associated with the engagement assembly through a ring nut, preferably made of metal.
8. The head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engagement assembly comprises a sliding chuck equipped with jaws.
9. The head as claimed in claim 8, wherein said jaws are secured to a sleeve, preferably made of rubber.
10. The head as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sleeve is made of rubber and said jaws are secured to the sleeve by curing.
11. The head as claimed in claim 10, wherein said sleeve is fitted onto a bush, preferably made of metal.
12. The head as claimed in claim 11, wherein said ring nut surrounds the sleeve and is held between said sleeve and said bush by means of an internal annular projection.
13. The head as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pin is slidably housed within a channel formed in the head body.
14. The head as claimed in claim 13, wherein said channel is cylindrical and has an axis substantially parallel with an axis of the sliding chamber.
15. The head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sliding of the engagement assembly inside the sliding chamber is opposed by a resilient member, such as a coil spring.
16. A method of controlling a head for a riveting machine for applying shear rivets, which head comprises: a plate and a body slidable relative to each other; a sliding engagement assembly arranged within a sliding chamber, defined inside said body, so as to engage a stem of a shear rivet, said engagement assembly being capable of taking a first, advanced position and a second, retracted position inside said chamber; and a control member controlling the sliding movement of said engagement assembly, the method comprising the steps of:engaging the stem of a rivet into the engagement assembly by overcoming the resistance of a resilient member;controlling the sliding of the plate relative to the body in a first direction such that the plate and the body move away from each other, thereby causing setting of a rivet ring and the subsequent breakage of the rivet stem;controlling the sliding of the plate relative to the body in a second direction opposite to the first one, thereby actuating the control member and, consequently, causing disengagement of a broken end of the rivet;possibly performing a pushing action, e.g. by means of a flow of compressed air, through a rear opening in the head, or through a front hole in the head, thereby causing ejection of said rivet end through the front hole in the head or the rear opening, respectively.
17. A riveting machine including a head comprising: a plate and a body slidable relative to each other; a sliding engagement assembly arranged within a sliding chamber, defined inside said body, so as to engage a stem of a shear rivet, said engagement assembly being capable of taking a first, advanced position and a second, retracted position inside said chamber; and a control member controlling the sliding movement of said engagement assembly.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a head for a riveting machine and a method of controlling same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A known process in mechanics is the cold permanent deformation of one end of a fastener, such as a nail, a rivet, a pin, a stud, an eyelet and so on, in order to form a head (or a counter-head, should the member be already provided with a head at the opposite end) at that end so as to obtain a fixed and non-removable connection of the pieces, e.g. section bars, sheets, rolled sections and so on, through which the fastener is arranged.
Said process, which can be either a manual or a mechanized process, is generally referred to as "setting" and, in case of mechanized processes, the tools employed will be referred to as "riveting machines".
In bodywork construction, especially but not only in aeronautical field, use of so-called shear rivets is known for fixedly connecting sheets. An example of such rivets is disclosed in GB 2 240 835.
FIGS. 1a and 1b show a rivet of the kind mentioned above applied to a pair of sheets L1, L2, before and after riveting, respectively.
This kind of rivet is generally denoted 11 and it includes a stem or shaft 13 having a head 15 and a threaded or grooved end 17a, and a collar 19 which is set on a threaded or grooved portion 17b of stem 13, by applying a relative axial traction between end 17a of stem 13 and collar 19. Said axial force causes moreover breakage of end 17a at a fracture zone, denoted by reference numeral 21, generally coincident with a corresponding annular groove.
Riveting machines designed for setting rivets of the above kind are also known. An example of such machines is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,575.
According to the prior art, the riveting process comprises the following steps: in a first step, rivet 11 is inserted into a hole previously formed through the pieces to be connected; collar 19 is then fitted onto rivet 11; rivet 11 is then inserted into the head of a riveting machine, which holds rivet stem 13 inside a chuck equipped with jaws; the front part of the machine head, generally consisting of a moving plate, is moved away from the head body, thereby causing the setting of collar 19 and the consequent breakage of end 17a of the stem; the front part of the machine head is then moved back against the body and the machine is ready for receiving a new rivet that, when entering the head, will cause ejection, through a rear opening provided therein, of end 17a or tail that has remained seized between the jaws.
One of the problems arising when designing a riveting machine for rivets of the above kind is related with the need of getting rid of the rivet end or tail, once the latter has been broken during the setting operation, so that the machine is ready for performing a new working cycle.
In currently employed machines, the tail is generally disposed of by exploiting the push of the tail of the subsequent rivet, which is introduced into the machine head thereby ejecting the tail of the previous rivet that has remained seized between the head jaws. Yet, this method is not suitable for use in all applications.
For instance, according to the prior art, the tail can be ejected only through the rear opening in the riveting machine head. Moreover, since ejection takes place by means of a push, jamming can frequently occur due for instance to blocking of the tail or the subsequent rivet, thereby causing machine stop.
More particularly, the known method is not suitable for applications in which the channel housing the rivet tail inside the riveting machine head is used also for the passage of a flow of cooling air.
Such an air flow is generally employed for cooling the sheet surfaces during drilling performed prior to rivet insertion.
Once drilling is completed, the rivet is inserted into the hole formed in the sheets, possibly upon application of a sealing material, and is then fixed by setting.
If, after the breakage of the tail, the latter remains seized inside the machine head until the arrival of the subsequent tail, the channel for the passage of the cooling air flow would be obstructed and the riveting machine head could not be used for cooling the surfaces when drilling the subsequent hole.
A further problem arising when using the prior art riveting machines is the impossibility of freeing the rivet from the head jaws once the rivet has been seized in order to perform the setting step.
Actually, it is clear that, if for any reason, for instance a fault in rivet manufacture or a wrong positioning of the riveting machine head, the operator realizes that the riveting operation cannot be properly performed, or that the tail did not break because of the above problems, an intervention on the riveting machine head will be necessary, in order to try to unlock the jaws for releasing the rivet.
This problem is particularly serious in case of automated, robot-controlled riveting machines. In such case indeed it would be necessary to manually operate in order to release the rivet from the head, often by disassembling part of the head, in positions which can hardly be reached by the hands of an operator and with working delays, incompatible with and automated or robotized process.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems by providing a head for a riveting machine that allows a self-release of the rivet.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a head for a riveting machine that allows ejecting the rivet tail.
It is another object of the invention to provide a head for a riveting machine that allows clearing the channel inside the machine head after setting, thereby making said channel available for the passage of a cooling air flow.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a head for a riveting machine that, besides solving the above problem, can be constructed by simple and cheap modifications of the existing heads.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method of operating a head for a riveting machine, which method allows solving the problems mentioned above and can be applied in existing heads, with a limited number of changes
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects are achieved by means of the head for a riveting machine and the relevant control method as claimed in the appended claims.
Advantageously, according to the invention, the rivet tail that has remained seized within the chuck after breakage is released from the engagement with the chuck jaws and can be ejected from the head either by gravity or by means of a flow of compressed air.
Moreover, since the member controlling the disengagement of the chuck from the tail is in turn controlled by the movement of the plate, a head according to the invention can be obtained by simple and cheap modifications to heads of already existing machines, made either during the design phase or on the head already constructed.
Another advantage of the invention is that the method of head control can be applied in simple manner to already existing heads, without need of modifying the control cycle of the moving parts of the head.
A further advantage of the invention is the possibility of freeing a rivet that has remained seized in the head jaws, by automatically operating and by substantially exploiting the same movements of the head parts as intended for the setting operation, and, above all, without need for human interventions on the head of the riveting machine
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention, given by way of example, will be described hereinafter with reference the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1a and 1b show a rivet applied to a pair of sheets, before and after setting, respectively;
FIG. 2a shows the head according to the invention, in rivet engagement configuration;
FIG. 2b shows the head according to the invention, in the configuration taken after the breakage has occurred.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, there is shown a head 31 of a riveting machine according to the invention, comprising a front part or plate 33 and a rear part or body 35. Thanks to means such as a hydraulic slide, not shown since they are known to the skilled in the art, said parts can slide relative to each other along a direction parallel to axis S of hole 37 formed in plate 33 and receiving stem 13 of rivet 11 and the associated ring 19, said axis being substantially coincident with the axis of stem 13 of said rivet 11 when the latter in inserted into said hole 37.
Body 35 has an axial hole which is formed along an axis substantially coincident with axis S of hole 37 formed in plate 33, and which receives the assembly engaging stem 13 of rivet 11 when the latter is seized in body 35.
A substantially cylindrical sliding chamber 36 is defined inside body 35 and houses: a sliding engagement assembly comprising a clutch 41 having a set of radial segments or jaws 39 arranged to engage threaded or grooved end 17a of stem 13 of rivet 11; a flexible sleeve 43, made of rubber or another material, which has secured thereto, preferably by curing, segments or jaws 39 of clutch 41; a bush 45, preferably made of metal, onto which rubber sleeve 43 is fitted; a ring nut 47, preferably made of metal, which surrounds rubber sleeve 43, is held between sleeve 43 and bush 45 by means of an internal annular projection 48 and is equipped with a radial support 49 that has fastened thereto, by means of a screw 53, a control member, the aim of which will be described further on; said control member consists of a pin 51 slidable within a side channel 53, parallel to sliding chamber 36 and having such an extension that it opens at the surface of body 35 towards plate 33 so as to let said pin come out from body 35; a resilient element 55, consisting for instance of a coil spring, located between the rear base of bush 45 and the bottom of sliding chamber 36, where an annular groove 38 receiving the base of said spring is formed.
Chuck 41 is slidable within chamber 36 so as to take an advanced position, in which it is contact with abutment 34 formed in correspondence with the front portion of chamber 36, and a retracted position, in which chuck 41 is spaced apart from said abutment.
The advanced position is taken by chuck 41 when head 31 is in idle condition, that is before the head receives stem 13 of rivet 11 or, as shown in FIG. 2b, after end 17a has broken thereby remaining seized within chuck 41.
The retracted position is taken instead by chuck 41 when head 31 is ready to perform setting, that is after stem 13 of rivet 11 has become engaged in chuck 41 by overcoming the force of resilient member 35 and the head is awaiting the command causing, through known means, the forward sliding of plate 33, whereby setting is performed.
The above description makes it clear that, in the absence of control member 51 controlling the backward movement of chuck inside chamber 36 due to the thrust of plate 33 during its return movement towards body 35, chuck 41 would remain in its advanced position after the rivet stem breakage, thereby making ejection of rivet end 17a, seized between jaws 39, difficult.
On the contrary, thanks to the control member, which is in turn controlled by plate 33 during the backward movement the plate performs, through known means, in order to go back against body 35 and to prepare itself to receive a new rivet, chuck 41 moves backwards inside sliding chamber 36 and away from abutment 34. In this manner, jaws 39, thanks to the deformation of sleeve 43 supporting them, can move radially away from rivet end 17a, which can subsequently be ejected either by gravity or, preferably, by means of a flow of compressed air coming for instance from rear opening 57 of chamber 36, formed in body 35.
According to the invention, the method of controlling the head comprises the steps of: engaging stem 13 of rivet 11 into chuck 41 by overcoming the resistance of resilient member or coil spring 55; controlling the sliding of plate 31 relative to body 35 in a first direction such that the plate and the body move away from each other, thereby causing the setting of collar 19 onto rivet 11 and the subsequent breakage of end 17a of stem 13 of rivet 11; controlling the sliding of plate 31 relative to body 35 in a second direction opposite to the first one, thereby causing displacement of control member 51 and, consequently, disengagement of jaws 30 of chuck 41 from end 17a of rivet 11; possibly performing a pushing action, e.g. by means of a flow of compressed air, through rear opening 57 of head 31 or through front hole 37 of the head, thereby causing ejection of end 17a through front hole 37 of the head 31 or through rear opening 57, respectively.
Patent applications by Bruno Bisiach, Venaria IT
Patent applications in class Single header
Patent applications in all subclasses Single header | <urn:uuid:4bfad8af-bc26-48e2-b18c-1b4ff5993227> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20080250622 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942689 | 3,858 | 1.59375 | 2 |
While many stations are resisting the transition to digital television, in the supposed hopes of holding on to their analog spectrum for as long as possible, one station has asked the FCC for permission to shut off its analog transmitter and go digital now.
The station’s request to end commercial analog broadcasts before the mandated 2006 shut-off date for NTSC is the first of its kind in the U.S.
When asked whether the move was designed to secure must-carry with the local cable operators, both the station’s general manager and its owner issued an emphatic ‘No comment.”
The Commission’s Mass Media Bureau has approved a petition by Lenfest Broadcasting to cease analog broadcasting of its commercial station WWAC-TV Atlantic City, NJ, on NTSC channel 53 and operate WWAC-DT as a single channel, digital-only television station on DTV Channel 44.
By going exclusively digital, the local cable operator (in this case Comcast) might be forced to carry WWAC-DT, thereby giving WWAC-DT access to approximately 1.8 million viewers in nearby Philadelphia. WWAC's digital transmission tower is located 35 miles closer to Philadelphia than its Atlantic City analog tower, which reaches only 575,000 cable subscribers. A station representative said that roughly 2,677 households watch TV off the air in their market.
WWAC-DT is a full-power UHF station broadcasting in digital with a Thales Broadcast dual-IOT digital transmitter, operating at 200 kW ERP. Under the FCC’s Sept. 24 ruling, WWAC may cease analog transmission at any time and serve the public only with its digital service, which began broadcasting a DTV signal in August.
After surrendering its analog license, WWAC can request that local cable operators carry its digital signal in analog. The station would have to supply the cable headend with digital-to-analog-conversion equipment, enabling analog TV viewers to continue to watch the broadcasts.
Station management said no decision had been made as to when WWAC-TV’s analog transmitter would be turned off.
For more information visit www.wwac.tv/. | <urn:uuid:702156c9-f516-4512-97b4-776e16665813> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://broadcastengineering.com/news/broadcasting_fcc_grants_atlantic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960913 | 446 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Google’s “My Location” feature for Google maps on mobile is remarkable. It allows phones without GPS to be located. In one fell swoop it achieved the following:
Google have undermined the value of GPS in phones
Why buy a GPS phone when google can ‘upgrade’ your existing phone? A lot of people dismiss cell tower based location finding as useless due to its accuracy of 300 metres to 1.5 kilometers – it’s not much use for driving directions but its very useful for cinema times, traffic conditions, weather, news and find a friend functions. The less clicks the better on mobile and google just eliminated 90% of the pain of entering your location.
Additionally GPS doesn’t work indoors, using the last location that the GPS received can be woefully inaccurate (“why does my mobile think I’m in my back yard?”).
Google have drastically reduced telecommunications companies location based services stream
Telcos have been holding their crown jewels of cell tower based location finding close to their chests for years now. In most of the world there is no cross telco location service requiring developers to negotiate and intergrate with each telco separately – slow, painful and expensive.
The revenue model I’ve seen most often is to charge the equivalent of an SMS cost for locating a user e.g. if you have an app such as ‘find a friend’ and the application want to locate the user then the API cost of that is one SMS credit – typically 0.15 Euro. Google can now do this for all phones for free. Add this up and billions of dollars has been lost by telcos world wide – its entirely their fault – such a costly service means things like tracking services or location based advertising are unfeasible.
I was anecdotally told by a large telecom equipment provider that soon after the Google press release went out telcos were calling asking to ‘block’ access to this information – too late – the cat is out of the bag.
Google have removed one barrier of mobile services, especially search
A very smart person at Vodafone once told me mobile services are all about the user context. A key context is location – know where a person is, the time of the day, their previous searches and you know one hell of a lot about them. Yellow pages types search are greatly enhanced by a default location e.g. local cinema times, traffic jams, public transport.
Enhance PC searching services
Google now have the opportunity to enhance their PC based searches by offering a ‘locate me using my phone’ option on PC google maps, iGoogle etc. As with most of the privacy concerns about google, if the service is compelling enough most people will use it. Imagine a search box like the following
[mexican food ] [Search] [I'm feeling lucky"] ["Search using my mobile location"]
High barrier to entry for competitors
So now that we know it can be done (build a cell tower database without carrier permission or assistance) why not just copy what google did?
Its hard for several reasons
1 You need to install an application in GPS phones.
GPS phones are relatively rare – its seen as a smart phone feature, this greatly reduces your size of your crowd needed for crowd sourcing a worldwide cell tower database.
2 You need a pervasive installed mobile app on GPS phones
Google have the excellent Google maps for Mobile, lots of people have downloaded it. Its has secretly been collecting cell phone tower locations via GPS for months. What other native application is as pervasive as google maps? Games? Most are written in java and generally do not have access to cell tower information.
3 You need smarter than average mobile developers
Cell tower information is not normally available to developers, it has hitherto served no useful purpose to application developers, it is system level information like the MAC address of your ethernet card. Since the previous two points greatly reduced the data collection ‘crowd’ size you should read the cell tower info from as many phones as possible. You also need to work out timing information to roughly calculated the distance from the tower, this may involve some very low level hacking of the phone modem software – this means smart developers hacking windows mobile, blackberries, symbian, linux etc – this is expensive.
So who best to compete with google, preferably to create an open source DB of cell tower locations?
I think the only companies who can compete with this is phone manufacturers, in particular if Nokia added this to an update of Symbian and release some new phones they could create a rival database very quickly. Microsoft could do it too.
There is one other option, its cheap, effective and a secret – contact me if you are interested. | <urn:uuid:2363d15e-407f-4a4a-b495-12813437555e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mobrule.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952948 | 981 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The Right Opinion
Obama vs. America's Fiscal Health
The reason President Obama and Republicans can't come to an agreement on the fiscal cliff negotiations is that they don't share the same goals. This is also the key to understanding why President Obama appears far less worried about going over the cliff.
Republicans are focused on restoring the nation's financial health by promoting economic growth and reducing our horrendous deficits and debt. President Obama's primary aim is to complete his project of fundamentally transforming America.
I ask you loyal Democrats to please consider these things. Obama has demonstrated almost no concern for our crushing debt or deficits -- at least not since calling President George W. Bush unpatriotic for presiding over deficits and debt dramatically smaller than his own.
Obama's treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, showed a casual indifference to our debt when responding to questions from Rep. Paul Ryan during budget hearings. He flippantly admitted the administration had no long-term plan for bringing our debt under control and was unapologetic for having failed to submit any plan to restructure our entitlements.
When David Letterman asked Obama about the size of the national debt, Obama couldn't even make a guess. It seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind.
But Obama's cynicism about the debt doesn't change the fact that it is a looming national crisis. It's undeniable that our entitlement obligations are growing at an unsustainable pace and that our national debt and the annual mandatory interest payments on it are reaching alarming heights.
The budget debates essentially boil down to the Republicans' desire to return the nation to financial health vs. Obama's desire to use the government's taxing and spending powers as tools to remake America in his image rather than to facilitate economic growth or balance the budget.
Before you write off my comments as unfairly partisan, I ask you to ponder Obama's major negotiating demands. He is insistent, is he not, on increasing tax rates and reducing deductions for higher-income earners, even though it's an objective fact that Obama's plan to raise taxes on just a small percentage of Americans would not generate enough revenue to make a significant dent in our nation's deficits or debt. He has to be demanding this change, then, for other reasons. I can think of none, other than his idea of fairness, by which he means punishing the rich, even if it won't improve the economy or our fiscal picture.
Further, he has stubbornly resisted meaningful spending cuts and has absolutely continued to dig his heels in over GOP efforts to reform entitlements to avoid our nation's impending financial meltdown.
On top of all this, Obama wants $80 billion more in "stimulus" spending. Can you believe this? In budget negotiations that are supposed to be about fiscal sanity, he's wedded to yet more federal spending of money we don't have. Finally, he is demanding that Republicans surrender their authority to set limits on future spending through budget ceilings.
As you can see, Obama's goal of fundamentally remaking America happens to be nearly incompatible with economic growth and national solvency.
Don't you see? There is no way Obama can do what he was born to do -- remake America in his image -- unless he continues to implement the very policies that drove us toward this cliff in the first place. Obama's ideology compels him to keep spending borrowed money and increase growth-suppressing tax rates on the very people whose productivity is imperative for economic growth. Maybe Obama cares some about economic growth and our national deficits and debt. Maybe not. Either way, he's tied to policies that harm both.
Republicans, for their part, are trying to get our spending and entitlements under control and to keep tax rates no higher than they are, not to protect the rich -- although the last time I looked, the Constitution applies to them, too -- but to protect economic growth and foster liberty.
Contrary to Obama's class warfare propaganda, it is his own policies, not those of Republicans, that promote greed and envy, by keeping people worked up about how much the other guy is making rather than encouraging them to become productive members of society.
How convenient for Obama that he can advance his goal of redistributing income and assets by characterizing Republicans as people who care only about the rich, which is absurd on its face.
A national leader who believed in America's founding principles and who subscribed to promoting equal opportunity rather than equal outcomes would be encouraging people off the government dependency cycle and into productive jobs. He would be seeking long-term solutions to our national debt rather than downplaying the crisis and using class warfare to facilitate his goal of social engineering.
The question is not whether America will wake up but when.
COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM | <urn:uuid:4499493b-ab60-475b-945e-791d6d061c88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://patriotpost.us/opinion/16057 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967362 | 967 | 1.539063 | 2 |
TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now Editorial) - This Friday kicks off the annual WTOL 11 Give Autism the Boot autism awareness and fund raising campaign. Each year for the past 6 years, you have made this one of the most successful charitable efforts in Northwest Ohio.
Due to your generosity dozens of programs have been developed and launched at the Great Lakes Autism Center. And hundreds of families have been given financial assistance and discovered reasons for optimism as they learn to cope with the perplexing reality of Autism.
The cost of coping is enormous and on-going. Please know that when you stop this weekend and throw a contribution into a boot held by police or firemen every penny stays right here in Northwest Ohio.
The WTOL 11 Give Autism the Boot weekend comes only once per year. But your generosity makes a real difference every day for a lifetime. On behalf of all of the families and all of the kids whose lives you will touch, thank you so much for caring and for sharing.
This is a WTOL11 Editorial. We want to know what you think. Send your comments to Editorial@WTOL.com.
Copyright 2012 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:b8150317-9e61-43c0-9885-82d06956fbc8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/18840004/editorial-give-autism-the-boot-kicks-off-this-weekend | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940112 | 243 | 1.5 | 2 |
Southern Utah University’s Convocation Lecture Series is pleased to announce that in celebration of the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics Vonetta Flowers, the first African-American woman (and first person of African descent) to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, will come to SUU directly from Vancouver where she is preparing for another medal run.
Her presentation titled "Preparing for Opportunity" will be Tuesday, February 9, at 11:30 a.m. in the SUU Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.
On February 19, 2002, people in Alabama were glued to their TV's, curious to see how the state's only bobsledder would perform against the rest of the world. In less than 1 minute 48 seconds, tears of joy began to flow, because the young woman from Birmingham, Alabama who dared to try an untraditional sport had left her permanent foot prints in the snow by becoming the 1st person of African descent to win a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics. People from all over the world soon became familiar with the story of how a little girl's dream of competing in the Summer Olympics led her to try out for the U.S. Women's Olympic Bobsled Team. In only 18 months after answering a help wanted ad, she would win the inaugural bobsled event and shatter the racial barrier in the process. Many were shocked to discover the struggles she encountered, others were encouraged by the sacrifices she made and all were inspired by her determination to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian.
For times, locations, and full details of each presentation please visit the SUU Convocations website. | <urn:uuid:9b6a8287-5559-4399-be85-f7dbe92ac222> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.suu.edu/news/2010/02/olympic-gold-medalist-to-speak-at-suu.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973275 | 341 | 1.8125 | 2 |
New Roots in Charlottesville
In spring 2009, IRC in Charlottesville implemented New Roots, a project to provide the resources for families to cultivate gardens of their own, fulfilling economic, health, and cultural needs in Charlottesville’s refugee community. The families that participated last year reported not only saving money with their produce, but enjoying the easy access to fresh vegetables, and feeling satisfaction and a sense of community from being able to raise plants and share their harvests with friends and neighbors.
View pictures of New Roots build-out day and refugees' gardens here.
For the growing season of 2010, IRC will install raised garden beds for 20 refugee families that have arrived in Charlottesville in the last year. We are seeking donations of lumber, soil, seeds and seedlings, and garden tools to help a new group of families put down New Roots in Charlottesville. Email charlottesville@theIRC.org to learn about how you can be a part of New Roots! | <urn:uuid:5e14cf0f-211d-4d77-b06d-4d3f9f33cb86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rescue.org/us-program/us-charlottesville-va/new-roots-charlottesville | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931839 | 193 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The lights are on, the cars lined up.
Eyes pop! Jaws drop!
The breath-taking show begins.
Yes, it’s Christmas in McAdenville, the jewel just a few miles to our east that lights up to amaze lookers, old and new, when December rolls around each year.
The tiny little town on the South Fork River swells from a population of about 600 to a town of thousands as people from far and near drive through the winding streets or take a walk through Christmas Town, USA.
Thousands of lights – red, white and green — glowing on trees from one side of town to the other. Old Man Winter puffing a lighted breath of cold across the lake. A colorful fountain. The Nativity. Carols filling the air along the way.
McAdenville’s beauty defies description. Words simply come up short. You really do have to see it to believe it.
Around this area, the story of Christmas Town, USA, is well-known.
The idea of lighting a few trees around the community center sprung up at a meeting of the town’s Men’s Club more than a half century ago.
W.J. Pharr, president of the textile company that was and still is McAdenville, backed the idea along with town officials. Mrs. Pharr caught wind of the plan and suggested lights in the traditional Christmas colors which have not varied to this day.
So in 1956 it began with nine trees and little else, then it grew and grew to include the hundreds of trees and thousands of lights seen today.
The Pharr family and Pharr Yarns management continues to support the annual transformation, giving back to the county and the people who have contributed to the company’s long success in textiles.
Not bystanders to this wonderland are the residents of McAdenville. Year after year they decorate their homes, and especially their doors, to express originality and the personality of those who live in houses that line the Christmas Town route. Civic pride abounds.
We salute all who bring Christmas Town, USA, to life, especially those who make sure the lights are up, every one burning, and the switches synchronized to turn on the town as darkness nears.
The treasure that is McAdenville, Christmas Town, USA, now glows for another year. Be sure to take a ride and see for yourself the beauty beyond our words. | <urn:uuid:869fa060-e8b6-4f86-a718-e361dad3f39d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shelbystar.com/opinion/our-opinion/editorial-mcadenville-lights-continue-to-delight-1.57879 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944163 | 516 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Come with us to a land where moss hangs thick from majestic oaks. A land where the scent of magnolias permeates the warm breezes and the aromas of family recipes are absolutely beguiling. It's a place where Southern hospitality isn't just a phrase, it's a tradition.
Take a trip back in time to days long past in the Old South. These episodes travel to the plantations of our state and treat you to such unique excursions as a picnic under century-old oak trees and a view of a bayou while enjoying planter's punch and drop biscuits.And you'll learn some fascinating facts about the Civil War from guests in authentic uniforms and dresses.
Since Southern hospitality is, indeed, a real tradition, Chef Folse shares more of his delicious recipes that viewers can use to entertain wherever they may be. How about a steaming bowl of shrimp and okra gumbo, crabmeat-stuffed chicken breasts, and a slice of warm cane river pound cake? Sound appetizing?
That's just the beginning as you experience these programs which are as much of a delight for your sight as they are for your senses of taste and smell. Won't you join us?
Got Art? We Do! Click. Bid. Now!
Featuring An All-Star Lineup of Bayou State Musicians and a Contest for you!
LPB’s Daily Legislative Reports
The story of the Acadian people!
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Louisiana State University. 10:00 PM Monday on LPB.
Academy Award-winning animated short and game/storytelling app/novel! | <urn:uuid:966d67f3-0ea8-44ae-95c4-626f00f799a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beta.lpb.org/index.php?/site/programs/plantation_celebrations/plantation_celebrations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939936 | 340 | 1.53125 | 2 |
“I never thought of this as a ‘house,'” Storey said. “It was designed to be a ‘container' of daily life. It made me realize there is work and there is life, but more often these are inseparable.” — latimesblogs.latimes.com
For many Americans who bought more home than they could really afford in the giddy days before the crash, the big-house dream has become a nightmare in the ashes of foreclosure and regret.
So after all that, how does 84 square feet sound? — New York Times
Sixteen-year-old Austin Hay of Santa Rosa, Calif., has been sleeping in a work-in-progress 130 square foot "tiny home" in his parents' backyard for months. The project came about because "like every teenager, I want to move out," says Hay. — grist.org
SUBMIT NEWS: submit in 60 seconds! | <urn:uuid:ac9ccf94-9cf3-4b33-8d95-7fb4109f4da0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archinect.com/news/tag/32906/tiny-house | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977155 | 197 | 1.609375 | 2 |
MIAMI (AP) - Forecasters say Tropical Storm Isaac is moving westward across the Atlantic on a track that could possibly take it toward Florida, where the Republican National Convention will be held next week.
The National Hurricane Center said Isaac had top sustained winds near 40 mph (64 kph) at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday night and was expected to strengthen. It was 435 miles (700 kilometers) east of Guadeloupe and heading west near 17 mph (28 kph).
Storm warnings were issued Tuesday across several islands in the Caribbean including Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Martin.
It's too soon to gauge the storm's exact path. Some computer models forecast Isaac to head toward Cuba and then Florida, while others suggest a sharp northern turn in coming days near Puerto Rico before entering the open Atlantic.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:658d1d11-ed56-4c15-a8e2-25c9a648c62d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kolotv.com/weather/headlines/Tropical-Storm-Isaac-on-Move-Florida-May-Be-in-Track-166978036.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954738 | 194 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Life According To Lenson
LOS ANGELES—"I thought the teachers were blindfolding the kids, giving them lollipops, putting roaches on their faces and killing them,” confided eight-year-old Darcy.
Like all children, Darcy has a creative imagination, and while no children were killed, it is clear that all is not right in the hearts and minds of the children at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles. The reported horrors of exploitation and abuse rapidly unfolding have captivated the nation’s attention. Parents view their children as their dearest treasures, and make immense sacrifices to provide the best in life, including love, protection and education.
Now, many parents of the approximately 1,500 students are wondering how their innocent, defenseless and dependent children could have been betrayed by the school employees into whose care they were entrusted. They’re angry, scared and in many cases, feeling guilty that they were unable to protect them.
Not only are the children affected, but the trust and emotions of the parents have been shattered. One mother, Karina, lamented, “The administration is not telling us where they are shipping our old teachers. Some of them were good people and they were like family to us. Every teacher here today is new. We don’t feel safe just because they are new.”
Arrests of the alleged perpetrators and the dramatic action of removing all staff is a step in the right direction. But as each affected parent knows, the boundaries between this school and home have weakened. Each day is now filled with parental angst about the alleged emotional, physical and sexual abuse, wondering if their child was a victim, and worried about how this disruptive event will impact their child’s future.
These parents have good reason to be concerned. Children need to learn that the world is safe and that authority figures, such as teachers, police and firemen, are to be trusted. A child that has been abused learns that the world is not a safe place, and is at greater risk of not being able to develop trust and intimacy with others as an adult.
“What the parents would like is for the old teachers to come back and work with support from the psychologists,” said another parent, Maria. But to make it work, it is becoming increasingly clear that the parent-teacher-student culture of the entire school needs to be evaluated and repaired. As evidence, during this interview one sixth grader alleged that the former principal used to call the students in grades four through six who had not completed their homework assignments “stupid and idiots.” She had never spoken of this to her parents. It is clear that information and truth in the Miramonte Elementary School saga may flow slowly, as even the older children are reticent to report events to parents or authority.
Abuse is damaging, but does not automatically decide one’s fate. Some fears and worries expressed by children today will be mild and transient, based on the child’s developmental stage. Removing the offending teachers will likely ameliorate symptoms in others.
Children look to their parents for support and guidance. If the parents demonstrate successful coping skills, so do the children. Damage to all children can be shortened by ensuring a strong, healthy relationship with parents. Certain family dynamics enhance the long term risk factors for the children, such as families which, prior to the school abuse, exhibit social deprivation, parental separation, or chemical, physical or emotional abuse.
All children are born with a particular temperament. Some children’s biological makeups make them more vulnerable to stresses. Their sense of powerlessness can be reduced by participation in sports and success in school, as these successes increase their self esteem.
Knowing their children may have been abused by staff has made the parents victims as well. The parents need the community's empathy to regain control, and facilitation.
We can demonstrate our empathy for these parents by putting ourselves in their shoes and imagining the crisis of emotions they are experiencing.
We can help the parents regain control of their lives by showing them how to assertively influence the course of direction that takes place at school with regard to communication, inclusion and transparency. Karina suspects that a parental request for cameras in each classroom was denied “because then all the other schools would want them too, and that would be too expensive. The government has money for war, but no money for our kids. That’s wrong.” Parents need to know how to communicate their requests to authorities rather than feel victimized.
And finally, we can help these parents facilitate the conditions for resolving any ongoing concerns regarding their children’s mental health by providing sufficient counseling and education. In this large school, the children are separated into three tracks. The parents who have children in the two tracks that are not currently in the classrooms complain that they are not permitted to attend meetings and are less informed as to what is taking place.
Fortunately, there are no absolutes about children being damaged by abuse. As children grow, and move through various developmental phases, it is possible to repair much, if not all, of the damage inflicted by abuse. These children can grow into adulthood having unaffected social, sexual and interpersonal functioning.
Maria stated what is probably on every parent’s heart: “Send good people who are good teachers, not bad people who are bad teachers.”
Parents can be empowered if they know the indicators of children experiencing difficulty following an upsetting event in his or her life, so they know when to reach out for professional help. Below is a partial list of common behavioral and psychological manifestations:
Sleep problems, nightmares
Somatic complaints: (stomach and headaches)
Verbally or physically aggressive (sad kids often act mad)
Repeating abusive acts to other children or seductive
Attention seeking behavior
Guilt, humiliation, shame
Sense of being different from others
Feeling responsible for the situation in any way
Eileen Lenson, MSW, ACSW, Board Certified Coach, welcomes your comments at Eileen@LensonLifeCoaching.com, or through her website at www.LensonLifeCoaching.com.
© Copyright 2011 by canyon-news.com | <urn:uuid:b1886cf7-dd62-47f7-b1f9-820f17e9d3d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/LifeAccordingToLenson/Eileen_Lenson_printer.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973091 | 1,291 | 1.789063 | 2 |
An Orchestra Explores the Divine
07/27/2012New York Times
Written by James R. Oestreich
SALZBURG, Austria — Zubin Mehta, the Israel Philharmonic and the Collegiate Chorale, having opened their three-concert series in the Salzburg Festival’s preseason Spiritual Overture this week with two programs mostly rooted in Judaism, took a sharp, somewhat surprising turn on Thursday evening, into music of Bruckner.
Bruckner, who hailed from nearby Linz, was a practicing Roman Catholic, and his mighty Te Deum, completed in 1884, certainly fits the Spiritual Overture’s nominal criterion. His Seventh Symphony perhaps less so, though — written around the same time — it uses a passage from the end of the Te Deum (on the words “Let me never be confounded”) as a building block of its Adagio.
That Adagio, moving as it is, became something of a memorial to Wagner, who died in 1883, as Bruckner was nearing completion of the symphony. What’s more, Bruckner’s music, like Wagner’s, was appropriated by the Nazis for its grandiosity, and the Adagio was played on German radio at Hitler’s death.
Does the Israel Philharmonic, which has for the most part studiously avoided Wagner’s music, have no qualms about putting Bruckner forward, especially in so prominent a forum on such an auspicious occasion? True, unlike Wagner, Bruckner was apparently not a vociferous anti-Semite.
“Their opinions have nothing to do with it,” Avi Shoshani, the orchestra’s longtime secretary general, said in an interview. “What Wagner has been to Holocaust survivors is a symbol of a nightmare that we don’t even try to imagine.”
Early in his time with the orchestra, Mr. Shoshani added, he thought he could turn things around.
“I was a complete idiot,” he said. “The wounded will remain wounded. We can only respect their feelings.” (Not that they are necessarily rational, as feelings are often not: there are survivors, Mr. Shoshani noted, who firmly believe that Wagner and Hitler actually met.)
As it happens, he added, Bruckner’s music is something the orchestra and Mr. Mehta, who has been named its music director for life, perform particularly well. On the basis of Thursday’s concert, he will find no argument here.
The performance of the Seventh at the Festspielhaus was a model. The strings were vibrant in soaring lines, biting and seemingly tireless in those notorious Bruckner tremolos. Woodwinds had character, and the brasses were powerful in sonorous outbursts but no less impressive in quiet passages, even those, yes, Wagner tubas.
Mr. Mehta drew a full-throated account of Te Deum from orchestra and chorus alike. Of the prominent vocal soloists, the soprano Krassimira Stoyanova was excellent; the tenor Roberto Sacca, a bit blatant and untamed.
But it was a vocal soloist who had stolen the show on Wednesday night in another semi-sacred program at the Festspielhaus, consisting of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”) and Ernest Bloch’s “Sacred Service” (“Avodath Hakodesh”).
Here again, as they had on Tuesday, Mr. Mehta and the orchestra and chorus responded to the Spiritual Overture’s stress on Judaism this year with a major statement, brilliantly executed: in this case, Bloch’s imposing setting of Hebrew texts from the liturgy for Sabbath morning, completed in 1934. The five-movement work is symphonic not only in its grand scale, but also in its cyclical development of a striking motif: a melodic fragment that has recurred in various transpositions throughout Western musical history: as the first four notes of the Gregorian chant “Asperges me,” as a motto in symphonies by Mozart (No. 41) and Saint-Saëns (No. 3), and in any number of other contexts.
And again the baritone Thomas Hampson took a leading role. As great as he had been on Tuesday in works by Schoenberg, Mahler and Noam Sheriff, he was even more remarkable here, declaiming in a plausible cantorial style: more, virtually embodying an Old Testament prophet.
Singing all-out, in Hebrew, with greater concern for passionate communication than for tonal beauty (though there was plenty of that, too), he was utterly compelling. Even to a listener who had followed Mr. Hampson through major triumphs — not least, his comprehensive survey of Mahler songs at a festival in Amsterdam in 1995 — this was unexpected, perhaps his most stunning achievement yet.
The Wednesday program was filled out with the Beethoven concerto, to no apparent thematic purpose. But a fine performance of a masterpiece needs no special pleading, and the veteran pianist Rudolf Buchbinder played the solo part with a sure sense of structure and considerable flair.
In response to enthusiastic applause, Mr. Buchbinder performed the finale of Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata. Mr. Mehta and the orchestra, too, were roundly cheered by nearly full houses on all three nights, with the Bruckner evening eliciting a sustained — and ultimately, standing — ovation.
All this (and more) before the festival had officially opened, as it did in a ceremony televised throughout Austria on Friday morning. The Spiritual Overture runs through Sunday.
Photo Credit: Silvia Lilli | <urn:uuid:2ac39b00-d9b9-4571-ab99-8078eb0c895f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.afipo.org/news/press-articles/orchestra-explores-divine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966568 | 1,253 | 1.734375 | 2 |
|— Census-designated place —|
|Honolulu County and the state of Hawaii|
|• Total||2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2)|
|• Land||2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2)|
|• Water||0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)|
|Elevation||13 ft (4 m)|
|• Density||1,600/sq mi ( 620/km2)|
|Time zone||Hawaii-Aleutian (UTC-10)|
|GNIS feature ID||0364543|
Waialua is a census-designated place and North Shore community in the Waialua District on the island of Oʻahu, City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a population of 3,860.
Waialua was one of the six original districts of ancient Hawaii on the island, known as moku. Waialua is a former (sugar) mill town and residential area, quite different in its quiet ambiance from nearby Haleʻiwa, which is more commercial and tourist oriented. The Waialua Sugar Mill is the center of this town and the historical base of its plantation history.
The U.S. postal code for Waialua is 96791.
Waialua is located at 21°34'31" North, 158°7'46" West (21.575300, -158.129457), southwest of Haleʻiwa, reached on Waialua Beach Road (State Rte. 82) or Kaukonahua Road (State Rte. 830). Kaukonahua Road turns eastward and, as State Rte. 803 then 801 runs up into the central plateau of Oʻahu to Wahiawā or (as 803) to Schofield Barracks. Farrington Highway (State Rte. 930) runs westward to Mokulēʻia.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km2) is water. The total area is 8.30% water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,761 people, 1,128 households, and 882 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,007.6 people per square mile (1,161.7/km²). There were 1,219 housing units at an average density of 974.8 per square mile (376.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 15.34% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 51.85% Asian, 3.96% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 27.39% from two or more races. 6.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,128 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.71.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 101.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $46,763, and the median income for a family is $51,801. Males have a median income of $29,607 versus $23,716 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $17,220. 11.7% of the population and 8.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Many of the current families living in Waialua are the results of agricultural industry which began in the early 1900s. There was an increased demand for workers as the industry grew, resulting in workers being brought in from China, Portugal, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and other areas. Upon arriving in Hawaii, many of these workers were assigned to work in the sugar plantations in Waialua. During the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the sugar production decreased as increasing labor and production costs caused producers to move overseas. Many of the families brought to Waialua during the sugar rush remained here and many of their descendants reside there today.
- "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Waialua CDP, Hawaii". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- Lloyd J. Soehren (2010). "lookup of Waialua ". in Hawaiian Place Names. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Waialua CDP, Hawaii". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- "Waialua CDP, Hawaii." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 21, 2009. | <urn:uuid:943494ec-0596-4e7c-8406-8b83b6ffb7a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waialua,_Hawaii | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943366 | 1,322 | 1.796875 | 2 |
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009
You have got to check out a new Google Labs project called "In Quotes". This lets you search for certain terms that someone said. For example, I can type "earmarks" into the search box, and that term is added to the list. I can press the down button to go back and see what he has said.
Here is a good one: Obama saying that there will be no earmarks in the stimulus package, just before his inaugaration.
"The package will set a 'new higher standard of accountability, transparency and oversight. We are going to ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert projects without review,' Obama said. 'We're not having earmarks in the recovery package. Period.'"
This is from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/06/congress-convenes-confront-economic-crisis-obama-response/
And for those of you who think that they weren't earmarks (call them something else), Obama himself admits that there were earmarks in it at: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/03/63934377/1
Anyway, this is a great tool to quickly find what someone has said on a subject.
Oh, you can also filter by year. So I can see what he said during 2008 only, and here is a good quote: "Earmarks have 'been an issue for a while now,' Obama said in an interview. 'But, obviously, we're entering into a political season, which means that they're going to get amplified. I don't think there's anything wrong with the concept of earmarks if they are transparent and above board.' But, he added, a one-year moratorium to review the earmarking process would generate 'confidence that taxpayer money is being well spent.'" (source: Washington Post in March 2008)
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Philosophy for Understanding Theology
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Settlers of Catan
Misc Arduino projects | <urn:uuid:cbebdbb6-bb52-40d7-b2de-a66afa7ecf46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chetos.net/blog.asp?what=dispPost&PostUID=25421 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952965 | 484 | 1.789063 | 2 |
I just purchased a new 30 qt brew kettle, and had the store install a spigot. They say that they water tested the spigot but during the first brew there was some leakage. The strange part is that the leakage began at the beginning of the brew, and once the liquid inside raised in temperature the leak ceased. So upon a closer inspection and a little reseach I noticed that the rubber O-ring is on the inside of the brew kettle. From some of the schematics I have seen online, the rubber O-ring is located on the outside of the kettle. Can anyone provide some clarity on proper placement of the rubber O-ring for brew kettle spigots? | <urn:uuid:65d86a0e-86d4-4cee-8257-63cd8fe58a1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=10484.msg130518 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976763 | 142 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Since we first opened our doors in 1892, Huffy has been focused on finding new and
better ways to make a ride for pretty much everyone – that pretty much everyone
can afford. Over the years, millions of people (actually, more like tens of millions)
around the world have found their reason to ride on a Huffy.
Innovation and Design
As times change, people change. And as people change, their reasons to ride change.
That’s led to several important innovations in the bicycle market – pioneered by
In the 1960’s and 1970’s the Huffy Radio Bicycle appealed to music lovers. It provided
a radio built into the tank with the antenna and battery pack on the rear carrier.
The Huffy Dragster’s new design established the 60’s trend for children’s bicycles.
This 20” wheel bicycle had a “banana” seat and high-rise handlebars.
The Huffy Scout pioneered a new look for the 70’s and became a best seller. This
10-speed, lightweight bicycle featured a narrow racing saddle, dropped-style handlebars,
and an American West color scheme. | <urn:uuid:2f70a766-b0a5-4586-9dd4-8e2fde8e84f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffybicycles.com/About/Profile.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937087 | 251 | 1.625 | 2 |
OF LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE
Opinion No. 203 (1996)
QUESTION 1: May a judge permit brochures in her courtroom and other public areas in the courthouse that announce the availability of a county bar sponsored lawyer referral service? The referral service is a non profit organization open to all qualified lawyers and complies with American Bar Association guidelines, State Bar guidelines, and state statutory requirements. The referral service in question screens questions to determine if legal representation is needed, informs callers if they qualify for pro bono legal services, makes a referral to the next name on a rotating list of attorneys who have agreed to provide an initial consultation for a nominal fee in their given areas of expertise, and maintains a list of attorneys available to provide legal services at a reduced fee in certain legal matters.
ANSWER 1: Yes. Canon 4B permits a judge to participate in extra-judicial activities concerning the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice. Access to our courts is usually not meaningful without the assistance of lawyers. Many members of the public do not know how to find a lawyer, especially one they can afford. A judge who advertises the existence of a lawyer referral service is promoting meaningful access to our legal system for all persons, regardless of their economic condition.
Even though the lawyers selected through this referral program will charge a fee to their clients, the judge is not promoting the individual lawyer but is assisting the public to locate a lawyer who professes familiarity with the legal issues, maintains malpractice insurance and agrees to charge only a modest consultation fee, and perhaps a reduced fee to clients of modest means. By informing the public of this bar sponsored service, the judge is improving the administration of justice, as permitted under the Code, not misusing the influence of her office.
QUESTION 2: May a judge appear in a televised public service announcement and recommend that unrepresented parties contact the county bar sponsored lawyer referral service to find a lawyer before going to court?
ANSWER 2: Yes. Canon 4B would allow the judge to inform the public that it is wise to have legal representation in court. Because the judge is not recommending any individual lawyer, but a lawyer referral service that is open to all lawyers who maintain malpractice insurance, announce their areas of expertise, and agree to a nominal consultation fee, the judge is not lending the influence of her office to specific lawyers but is using the influence of her office to advise the public of the desirability of obtaining a lawyer before appearing in court and informing those without other resources of one service that might help them find appropriate legal representation. Because a lawyer selected through such a referral service is never identified there is no danger that lawyers on such a list would be in a position to influence the judge who endorses the lawyer referral service. | <urn:uuid:88635820-5f93-4d5f-b3dc-081f7486862f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.uh.edu/libraries/ethics/judicial/jeao/201-300/jeao203.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959576 | 567 | 1.5 | 2 |
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Arkansas: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Betty Luman | September 27, 2012
If you go
Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Trails and grounds are open sunrise to sunset daily.
Admission: Free except for some traveling exhibits.
Info: crystalbridges.org or 479-418-5700.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will celebrate its first anniversary in November. Upcoming exhibits include:
- "See the Light: The Luminist Tradition in American Art," Oct. 13-Jan. 28. It traces the evolution of light in American art from the Luminist artists of the 19th century contemporary artists such as James Turrell and Dan Flavin who use light as their medium.
- "Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges," Oct. 13-Jan. 28. Showcases four of Safdie's earlier buildings whose architecture helped to shape Crystal Bridges.
- "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell," March 9-May 28. Traveling exhibit features 42 original Norman Rockwell paintings and a complete set of all 323 of Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers. Timed, reserved tickets required.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A girl looked down on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in the valley below then gave it the supreme preteen compliment: "This is awesome."
And she hadn't even been inside.
I felt the same way. Although I planned my trip to see the art collection amassed by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, I found myself equally thrilled by architect Moshe Safdie's buildings and the landscaped trails winding through 120 wooded acres.
The little girl and I were awed by the copper-roofed pavilions set in and around two ponds fed by a natural spring. The museum's name is derived from that water source — Crystal Spring — and the bridgelike construction of the buildings.
Inside, the buildings seem organic, with water-reflected sunshine dappling the walls.
The more than 400 works on display are arranged chronologically and provide an overview of this country's art history, from the earliest days of Colonial America.
My friend and I chose to go backward in time by starting in the 20th-century gallery filled with familiar names: Georgia O'Keeffe, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Grant Wood. Norman Rockwell's iconic "Rosie the Riveter" (1943) hangs back to back with Robert Henri's 1908 painting of a woman in a long, high-collared black dress, proving how quickly the role of women in this country changed. Moving on, we found Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Frederic Remington, Winslow Homer, the fabulous landscapes of the 19th century, the famous portraits of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart and Charles Willson Peale.
"I often hear that the size of the museum surprises people," curator Kevin Murphy said. "It's much larger, as is the collection, than people expect."
Even for those who aren't fans of art museums, the building is worth experiencing. And it won't cost you anything: Wal-Mart gave $20 million so admission to Crystal Bridges would be free.
They seem to have thought of everything: Rooms with comfy chairs and sofas separate the galleries; you can gaze out at nature and architecture while others in your group are enthralled by the art. An activity center stretches the imaginations of young visitors.
Eleven — the restaurant named for the museum's Nov. 11, 2011, opening day — spans the ponds, with glass walls and a soaring arched ceiling of Arkansas pine. We spent an afternoon looking at art, then returned just after sunrise the next day to walk some of the more than 63/ ½ miles of manicured trails. Deer grazed near "The Way of Color," a James Turrell Skyspace. Set in a hillside near the start of the Art Trail, the stone chamber frames the sky during the day. At sunset, a computer-programmed light show dazzles viewers.
If you have time for just a short walk, take the one-third mile paved Art Trail. The youngsters in your group will get a kick out of the bronze bears and André Harvey's "Stella," a large bronze pig. Robert Indiana's "LOVE" is instantly recognizable. Instead of an eye-popping red, green and blue print, this three-dimensional version of rusty-looking steel stands 6-feet high.
We continued up the slightly more challenging Rock Ledge Trail, making our way back to town along the 61/½-mile paved Crystal Bridges Trail and pausing at a sobering installation. Commissioned for a wooded site along a creek, "A Place Where They Cried" is a procession of sandstone monoliths. It's a tribute to the thousands of American Indians who died during the Trail of Tears forced migration of the 1830s.
The Crystal Bridges Trail is part of the 36-mile City of Bentonville Trail System and includes an observation deck on a ridge above the museum. I hope the next time I visit in spring: More than 500 dogwood trees are scattered along the museum's mile-long Dogwood Trail.
And I will be back. The permanent collection will rotate; it contains more than 2,000 works. A multiyear partnership with the Louvre, Atlanta's High Museum of Art and Chicago's Terra Foundation for American Art will bring traveling exhibits to Crystal Bridges. | <urn:uuid:7e657c89-cfdf-4161-af40-b4a862c673c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chron.com/arkansas/article/Arkansas-Crystal-Bridges-Museum-of-American-Art-3898973.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931216 | 1,193 | 1.5625 | 2 |
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