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The title of Tracy K. Smith's new book of poetry, "Life on Mars" (Graywolf; $15), recalls the mid-century craze for all things Martian. Kids who grew up in the nineteen-forties and fifties, in the grip of Mars mania, had their own kids in the seventies; Smith, born in 1972 and a professor of creative writing at Princeton, was one of those kids, as was I. By then, Mars was a joke. The Viking images of the planet's surface made it look as inhabitable as cat litter. David Bowie had a great, disillusioned single called "Life on Mars?" in 1973 (it inspired Smith's title), about a girl forced to sit through the unendurable Hollywood fare of her parents' childhoods—cavemen, cowboys, Martians, and the like. Wherever we were headed, in the vast, fathomless future, it wasn't going to be outer space: the prospect of "life on Mars" was just another relic of our dreary life on earth.
Life on earth was particularly bad if you grew up black in the forties in Sunflower, Alabama, north of Mobile, as Smith's father did. Not that he stuck around: he joined the Air Force, and eventually worked as an optical engineer on the Hubble space telescope. He died in 2008, and "Life on Mars" is Smith's wild, far-ranging elegy for him. Its alternating cosmic breadth and intimate focus derives from the shared situation of poets and astronomers, squinting to glimpse immensity: "bowing before the oracle-eye, hungry for what it would find." Smith's own poetic focus, though polished, like the lenses of the Hubble, "to an impossible strength," is often directed to the here and now: the book is by turns intimate, even confessional, regarding private life in light of its potential extermination, and resoundingly political, warning of a future that "isn't what it used to be," the refuse of a party piled with "postcards / And panties, bottles with lipstick on the rim."
Smith cannot think about her father without thinking in galactic dimensions, which, paradoxically, minimize him: drawn to that scale, individual lives (even his) can seem puny, and private traumas (even hers) inconsequential. A brief, haunting lyric, "Us & Co.," sees the whole human story as a cosmic blip:
We are here for what amounts to a few hours,
a day at most.
We feel around making sense of the terrain,
our own new limbs,
Bumping up against a herd of bodies
until one becomes home.
Moments sweep past. The grass bends
then learns again to stand.
The grass bent under the weight of a human body is, in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" and in Robert Frost's great lyric "To Earthward," the very signature of human presence. When we die, the grass gets its turn to tell the story from its own point of view: reborn like a teetering fawn, it "learns again to stand." But poets so keen to erase human presence do not ordinarily render it this poignantly: Smith's father is shown returning from a long day at the Hubble to "read Larry Niven at home, and drink scotch on the rocks, / His eyes exhausted and pink." The fleetingly personal details in this book have to answer to the challenge posed by the comically resurgent grass; the cosmic scale is localized and given meaning in a father's eyes, bleary from a day spent bringing deep space a little nearer to human consciousness.
Smith's central conceit allows her to see us, our moment, as specks in the future's rearview mirror. Futures and pasts are, in astronomy as in poetry, all mixed up. Images transmitted to our telescopes from space are old, as every schoolkid knows, and yet they present a prospect that we think of as "the future." So it's fitting that to write about the Space Age Smith turns to forms that predate the modern world (including a terrific example of the villanelle, that old troubadour invention, about the euthanizing of geese at J.F.K. Airport). And it's fitting that her tart poem "Sci-Fi" turns out to relate the ways that "History, with its hard spine & dog-eared / Corners, will be replaced with nuance," and consigned, with other evidence of human struggle, to "The Museum of Obsolescence":
Special installations come and go. "Love"
Was up for a season, followed by "Illness,"
Concepts difficult to grasp. The last thing you see
(After a mirror—someone's idea of a joke?)
Is an image of the old planet taken from space.
That mirror in the museum shows us ourselves in light of our own insignificance; like the Hubble telescope, it illuminates "the edge of all there is," which looks "so brutal and alive it seemed to comprehend us back."
The idea of "life on Mars" also implied, way back when, that we earthlings were being watched, studied, in Smith's terms "comprehended"—perhaps even protected, the way a god watches over his people or a father watches over his young daughter. In nightmare form, this protectiveness spills into violence: "a father in the news who kept his daughter / Locked in a cell for decades." We all remember that news story; the father serially raped the daughter and kept their children locked up in the basement: "they begged him for air, and all he saw were bodies on their knees."
The inefficacy of prayer, its resemblance to base subservience, even sexual subservience, haunts this book—praying didn't keep Smith's father from dying. Oddly, it is Bowie, with his Ziggy Stardust act and his existence "quick as a cat . . . coy as Christ," though also "among us," "here / In New York City," who stands for the persistence of God, everywhere and nowhere, the big absence that stares down at us from the heavens.
The issues of power and paternalism suggest the deep ways in which this is a book about race. Smith's deadpan title is itself racially freighted: we can't think about one set of fifties images, of Martians and sci-fi comics, without conjuring another, of black kids in the segregated South. Those two image files are situated uncannily close to each other in the cultural cortex, but it took this book to connect them. In "My God, It's Full of Stars" (the title is taken from a line in Arthur C. Clarke's novelization of "2001: A Space Odyssey"), Smith imagines outer space first in various cinematic terms, then as a sea ("buoyant, bizarrely benign"), and then, in homage to her father's childhood, as an interstellar Sunflower, Alabama, with race temporarily suspended:
Sometimes, what I see is a library in a rural community,
All the tall shelves in the big open room. And the pencils
In a cup at Circulation, gnawed on by the entire population.
This is a reanimation of her father's childhood point of view: he is dreaming of life on Mars while forbidden to borrow a pencil, or, for that matter, a book, from his community library. His daughter's book, with, on its cover, an image of the Cone Nebula which he helped gather, will now be on those shelves. That prospect might have seemed to him, in those days, like something from science fiction.
Dana Levin's new book of poems—like Smith's, her third—is "Sky Burial" (Copper Canyon; $15). It is composed in an utterly different key, but it, too, is a family elegy. Here the circumstances are tragic. Levin, who is forty-six and teaches at a Santa Fe arts college, lost her mother and her father in quick succession, then, a short time after, her sister: three out of the five members of her immediate family, gone in a flash. The book never quite shakes off a feeling of outrage at having been routed—downright humiliated—by grief. Like Smith, though, Levin has chosen an arresting central metaphor to organize the thrashing sadness: the Tibetan practice of "sky burial."
All of Levin's work focusses, powerfully but a little uncomfortably, on the body: it's not a surprise that her book of elegies should fixate on burial. In the Tibetan procedure, bodies are ritually prepared by monks, or "body breakers," and left on the mountains, where they are picked apart by birds. (The practice derives partly from practicality—Tibet is very rocky, so you cannot dig a good hole.) The crisis of what to do with the body is one of the key features of poetic elegy: the best thing in John Milton's "Lycidas" is the ghoulish image of the drowned body that "visit'st the bottom of the monstrous world." By a not very athletic psychoanalytic leap, you could say that the transformation of the waste of the beloved's body into the immutable body of the poem is the work that elegy performs. Body-making is the elegist's business; when we chafe at elegy, it seems to me we're reacting to a poet's insufficient embodiment of her beloved. Nobody remembers a bad poem; it is, alas, merely more waste.
"Cathartes Aura" (the title refers to the vultures that eat the discarded bodies) describes the imagined preparation of Levin's mother for sky burial:
What is the body but a bag of alms
for the Infection-Eaters, who will cleanse the corpse to the bone—
Sever her arm.
Pound it
with the back of an ax, it's the pulp that sets
the paste—
Human barley cakes. . . .
You must finish, you must
sever her head—
What is an arm but an alm.
The white space surrounding every grim command is the field of action where those mandates play out. To participate in the mental reality of this poem, you have to imagine your own mother's body dismembered, decapitated, and picked apart by vultures—really imagine it, not turn away from the image in disgust or judgment. This is the brave, collaborative elegiac act to which we are conscripted by Levin's work.
"Sky Burial" brings a wealth of rituals and lore from various strains of Buddhism, as well as Mesoamerican and other spiritual traditions, all explained in ample, helpful notes that distinguish yamas from thangkas, and so on. I am probably the least sympathetic reader imaginable for this kind of thing, which in other hands might feel like mere siphoned mysticism. But the intensity and seriousness and openness of her investigations make Levin's use of this material utterly her own, and utterly riveting:
They flayed the slain captives' skins and wore them, dyed
"golden clothes"—to impersonate Spring's
Skinless Lord—
conjure a power I wanted. You know,
to make the corn stand up. Piercing the hardpan
inside my head, new self
green and scored—
Died. My sister died. In the fourth year
of parentless night.
The inalterable reality is rendered in the flat indicative: "My sister died." But the process of transformation, here yoked to the image of the Aztec god Xipe, who wears a tunic of human skin, is halting, tentative, feinting—as though enacting at once the difficulty of grieving and the difficulty of writing a poem about grieving. The far-flung rituals are merely an aspect of the desperation, as though Levin had to rummage all spiritual practice for some source of comfort.
The sky burials, the tunics made from human skin, the poems about charnel grounds and the Knoxville Body Farm ("the only place in the world where cadaver-insect symbiosis can be observed through all its cycles") give this book the air of a dark, forbidden compendium, a handbook for occult practice.
But the only practice it actually puts its faith in is poetry itself, which these exotic processes symbolize—and which, turn by turn and image by image, slowly hammers feeling into form. Metaphorical transformation can sometimes feel instantaneous, like a magic trick: when Robert Lowell describes ice floating down the Hudson as resembling "the blank sides of a jigsaw puzzle" or Frost describes a cellar hole as "slowly closing like a dent in dough," voilà, I can see it. But grief is harder to transfigure than ice jams and cellar holes, something both of these poets have come to know. Levin's strange and rigorous book shows us the slow metabolic processes that build behind the apparent miracle. Deriving "This from That" in her poem of that name, she follows the "Aurelian," or butterfly collector, who studies "the emergence of butterflies / from chrysalides," or dactyl from dactyl, the way a poet works: "of fighter jets / from number charts, / of syllables / from kettledrums." ♦


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Marcin Ptaszek
Contact Information
Office: MEYR 549D
Phone: 410-455-2264
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Associate Professor
Professional Interests
Our research interests are centered on the development of novel molecular arrays capable of absorbing and converting light in the deep-red and near-IR spectral windows. We are particularly focusing on the chemistry and photochemistry of hydroporphyrins: that are tetrapyrrolic macrocycles, which are synthetic analogues of photosynthetic pigments: chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls. We believe, that the very rich chemistry and photochemistry of hydroporphyrins, which are still not broadly explored, give an opportunity to create molecules with unprecedented optical and photochemical properties, which will make a significant impact of diverse areas of their application. The primary areas of intended application for such molecules are medicinal diagnosis, specifically fluorescence sensing and imaging, as well as phototherapy (specifically photodynamic therapy). However, the fundamental research performed in my lab has much broader impact on other areas, including artificial photosynthesis, light-harvesting arrays, solar energy conversion, and photocatalysis.
I. New fluorophores for in vivo bioimaging. Fluorophores for in vivo applications need to have absorption and emission wavelength between 700-900 nm, high brightness, large Stokes shift (~50 nm), high chemical and photochemical stability, low cytotoxicity, water solubility, cell permeability, etc. In addition, it is highly desirable to have fluorophores with narrow (10-20 nm) emission band, which is beneficial for simultaneous, multicolor detection of various factors. Our group focuses on the design, synthesis and characterization of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles (chlorins and bacteriochlorins) for application in fluorescent bioimaging. Chlorins and bacteriochlorins exhibit intense, narrow emission band in the optimal spectral window for in vivo application (650-850 nm). Our efforts focus on the preparation of water soluble, target-specific, tetrapyrrolic derivatives with improved photochemical properties (high qantum yield of fluorescence, large Stokes shift, and low photocytotoxicity).
|Generic structures of chlorin and bacteriochlorin
II. Strongly conjugated hydroporphyrin arrays – novel near-IR absorbing chromophores with diverse photonic applications. The goal of this project is to is to develop an understanding of structure-photophysics relationships in conjugated bacteriochlorin arrays, and to establish their feasibility for ultimately developing activatable long-wavelength fluorophores and singlet oxygen photosensitizers with potential in vivo imaging and therapeutic utility. We proposed to examine strongly conjugated bacteriochlorin dyads, i.e. dyads, where two identical bacteriochlorin subunits are connected with the linker that assures a strong electronic communications between macrocycles. In such arrays the electronic conjugation is expanded onto two or more porphyrinic subunits. As a consequence, the optical properties of such arrays are not the simple sum of the properties of their porphyrinic components, but are extensively altered. While, there are a broad data for analogous porphyrin dyads, to the best of our knowledge no prior research on the strongly conjugated bacteriochlorin dyads were reported. Our initial hypothesis was that the arrangement of BChls into strongly conjugated arrays would provide the way for extensive modulation of their optical and photochemical properties. In particular strongly conjugated BChl arrays will exhibit (a) bathochromic shift of the long-wavelength absorption and emission bands above 800 nm; (2) broad tunability of absorption and emission wavelengths, by changing the electronic properties of the conjugate linking moiety; (c) increased quantum yield of fluorescence; and (d) decreased quantum yield of ISC. The strongly conjugated bacteriochlorin arrays are now being examined as latent fluorophores and singlet oxygen photosensitizers, activatable by well-defined chemical stimulai.
III. Hydroporphyrin energy transfer arrays for multicolor fluorescence guided surgery. The aim of this project is to develop a novel generation of fluorescent probes to improve tumor visualization during surgery. Our collaborative research withy Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi group (NCI NIH) has demonstrated that bacteriochlorin-galactosylated human serum albumin conjugates visualize in vivo peritoneal ovarian cancer metastases with both great selectivity and great sensitivity. The high selectivity and sensitivity of this probes result from quenching of the bacteriochlorin fluorescence upon attachment to a protein, and fluorescence activation occurring only in the target cells. Moreover, we have shown that bacteriochlorin enables differentiation between tumors located on the surface and in deep tissue because of its ability to be excited by both green and near-IR light. In addition, bacteriochlorins, due to their exceptionally narrow emission bands, with wavelength tunability across the near-IR region (700-800 nm) can be used for multicolor simultaneous detection of multiple targets. We are preparing and optimizing a family of hydroporphyrin energy-transfer triads; where two common energy donors enables excitation with common green and deep-red wavelengths, and bacteriochlorins, equipped with the different sets of auxochromes will emit well-resolved near-IR bands.
Selected Publications
- Yu, Z.; Pancholi, C.; Bhabavathy, G. V.; Kang, H, S.; Nguyen, J. K., Ptaszek, M. Strongly Conjugated Hydroporphyrin Dyads: Extensive Modification of Hydroporphyrins' Properties by Expanding the Conjugated System J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79, 7910-7925.
- Harada, T.; Sano, K.; Sato, K.; Watanabe, R.; Yu, Z.; Hanaoka, H. Nakajima, T.; Choyke, P. L.; Ptaszek, M.; Kabayashi, H. Activatable Organic near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes Based on a Bacteriochlorin Platform: Synthesis and Multicolor in Vivo Imaging with a Single Excitation. Bioconjugate Chem. 2014, 25, 362-369.
- Vinita, A. M.; Sano, K.; Yu, Z.; Nakajima, T.; Choyke, P.; Ptaszek, M.; Kobayashi, H. "Galactosyl human serum albumin-NMP1 conjugate: A near infrared-near (NIR)-activatable fluorescence imaging agent to detect peritoneal ovarian cancer metastases." Bioconjugate Chem. 2012, 23, 1671-1679.
- Yu, Z.; Ptaszek, M. "Multifunctional Bacteriochlorins from selective palladium-coupling reactions." Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 3708-3711.
- Ptaszek, M.;Kee, H. L.; Muthiah, C.; Nothdurft, R.; Akers, W.; Achilefu, S.; Culver, J. P.; Holten, D. "Near-infrared Molecular Imaging Probes Based on Chlorin-Bacteriochlorin Dyads" SPIE Proceedings, 2010, vol 7576
- Ptaszek, M.; Lahaye, D.; Krayer, M.; Muthiah C.; Lindsey, J. S. "De Novo Synthesis of Long-Wavelength Absorbing Chlorin-13,15-dicarboximides." J. Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 1659-1673.
- Krayer, M.; Ptaszek, M.; Kim, H.-J.; Meneely, K. R.; Fan, D.; Secor K.; Lindsey, J. S. "Expanded Scope of Synthetic Bacteriochlorins via Improved Acid Catalysis Conditions and Diverse Dihydrodipyrrin-Acetals." J. Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 1016-1039.
Courses Taught
- CHEM 490: Fluorescence Sensing
- CHEM 684: Special Topics in Chemistry
- CHEM 351: Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM 352L: Organic Chemistry Lab II
- CHEM 690: Chemistry Seminar
- CHEM 713: Biochemistry/Chemistry Seminar

subset: commoncrawl


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- Ancient Romans greeted their guests with honey as "a gift from the gods and the elixir of life".
- England's Queen Anne used honey to pamper her magnificent hair – a secret that was so closely guarded that it was disclosed only after her death.
His & Her Shaving – This is my favourite, as Frank expected it would be. My skin has never been so moisturized. I have an awful time keeping it moisturized. Since I started using this soap, I haven't reached for my skin moisturizer nearly as often as I was. I went from using it 3-4 times a day, down to using it just once.
Refreshing Morning Mint is the ultimate "wake up bar" and it's a real fun looking soap. I really love how Soaps From the Hive swirl the ingredients together, not to mention hand bevel each and every bar of soap. The honey in this soap is blended with peppermint, lavender, fir needle and eucalyptus. Imagine the smell of this! Yumm!
This pretty Lavender & Oatmeal bar consists of honey, lavender and oatmeal. This can soothe irritated skin, ease a pounding headache, release stress & tension, lull you to sleep after a bath or help heal a sunburn. Lavender, oatmeal and honey are, in my opinion, three of the most amazing natural ingredients for anything – whether it be soaps, shampoos, natural remedies…..they are truly gifts from Mother Earth. My favourite experience with this soap is that, I cut off a piece and slipped it in my daughters pillow case to help her doze off to dreamland. And, unlike any of the other lavender soaps I've used for this, the smell hasn't faded and it's been two weeks. Lavender is a natural sleep aid. The scent relaxes your body and calms you to sleep. Yay for that!
This Mojito soap is one of my all time favourites. I could eat it! I love the smell and the colours. It consists of honey blended with spearmint & lime. Use it as a facial and body soap on oily skin. It's known to soothe headaches and invigorate senses.
Lemon Poppyseed is the mother of all exfoliating soaps I've ever used. You need to try this! The honey is blended with lemon and poppyseeds. This soap is also known to stimulate the immune system.
The Spiced Garden is so pretty too. Don't ya think? This was my husband's favourite – because it looks masculine of course. It got my approval because of its ingredients of honey blended with clove bud, cinnamon leaf and sweet orange, which is an excellent antiseptic. This is the soap I placed in the soap dish in our bathroom, knowing everyone will use it to wash up.
Unscented. Honey. Yup! Nothing in this soap but lots of Honey! Anyone that knows me, knows how I have become accustomed to unscented products. Unless it's a natural scent, I can't handle it at all. Perfumes and man made fragrances – well I can sniff them out a mile away. This is a must have for those who have are sensitive to scents.
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Hosta, impatiens and polka-dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) are good choices for the full-shade garden.
One of the most common topics of conversation between gardeners is the weather. Rain, heat, cold and drought all present challenges to maintaining a good-looking garden and landscape. Together, these environmental factors are referred to as the "climate" for a particular area or region. Since these areas can be rather large, we can call these environmental factors the macroclimate for a given area. The USDA Hardiness Zone map is a resource we use to determine growing conditions over wide areas and regions.
Within the larger macroclimates are smaller areas that have different or modified conditions. These pockets may be warmer or cooler, or wetter or drier than surrounding areas. These areas are termed "microclimates" and can be influenced by buildings, trees, bodies of water or elevation changes.
Most, if not all, residential gardens and landscapes have various microclimates. Trees, shrubs and structures influence how water, light, temperature and wind around a home affects gardens and landscapes. It is important to realize that these microclimates can, and will, change over the course of the year. The observant home gardener recognizes these microclimates and takes advantage of the conditions to successfully grow plants. Let's take a look at some of the common microclimates found in the home garden and landscape.
These hydrangeas enjoy the morning sun in this microclimate between the homeowner's house and garage.
Most home gardeners realize that the sun shines its light at different angles throughout the year. Knowing this helps gardeners determine the location of sunny and shady gardens, as well as where to plant shade trees to cool the house.
Your home, garage and other structures also influence landscape microclimates. These structures, especially southern and western walls, absorb heat from the sun throughout the day. When the sun sets, this heat energy radiates back out into the environment. It is common during the winter months to move container plants against the house when frosts and freezes are in the forecast because that radiated heat provides some protection. This is a good place to plant shrubs, fruit trees and flowering perennials that are considered marginally hardy. During the warmer summer months, these areas can be considerably warmer because the excess heat radiating from these walls can bake plants. Beds next to the house can also be drier because eaves and gutters redirect rainwater elsewhere.
This south-facing wall creates a microclimate with warmer temperatures, allowing the homeowner to grow these bananas (Musa spp.).
Shade is another common microclimate created by trees or structures. The amount of light a landscape bed receives can change throughout the year. When planted under deciduous trees, spring bulbs will flourish in the full sun. Once these trees leaf out, the bed can be used for plants that prefer shade, such as hostas and impatiens.
Garden art and overflowing containers add interest in this partially shaded microclimate.
The degree of shade is also important. Partial shade can be described as an area receiving between four to six hours of direct sun each day. Full-shade areas receive less than four hours of full sun, generally early in the morning or late in afternoon, based on the sun's angle. When the tree canopy is so dense that little rainwater reaches inside the drip-line, this is called dry shade. One last thought about shade: As young trees are planted, the area of shade will expand as the tree grows. Landscape areas that have been in full sun will need to transition to full shade after several growing seasons, and the gardener needs to be aware of these long-term changes and ready to change the plantings accordingly.
Microclimates also affect temperatures. Water features, depending on their size, can moderate temperatures, creating microclimates. Landscapes surrounding ponds can be slightly warmer in the winter and slightly cooler in the summer. Hardscaping materials and topography can influence temperature in the garden and landscape as well. Spots that are cooler than the surrounding areas are called cold traps. Cold air tends to settle in low areas of the landscape. Fences can also block the winter sun, so areas behind them will be more susceptible to frosts in the spring and fall. Not only the walls of a home, but virtually any hardscape can affect landscape temperatures. Stone, patio pavers and concrete absorb sun's energy, heating up and therefore tending to be drier. This particularly affects planting beds alongside paths and sidewalks.
A version of this article appeared in a July/August 2013 print edition of State-by-State Gardening.
Photography courtesy of Gary Bachman Ph.D.


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Friday, October 30, 2009
History Lessons Carved in Stone
A Gravestone in Vally Cemetery
for two children of Deacon John Pinkerton
from The Derry News, October 29, 2009
History lessons carved in stone
By Suzanne Laurent
LONDONDERRY — Dry leaves crunch underfoot and trees take on their muted autumn hues, the brilliance of early October now gone. While cemeteries and old burial grounds are interesting in their own right, they are almost more fascinating as Halloween approaches followed by the melancholy days of November.
The cemeteries of Londonderry and Derry are grassy slopes of history. They tell of the time when Londonderry covered the entire area, before Derry branched off to become its own town.
Various religious and secular organizations were associated with the beginnings of the first four cemeteries. Private lots were once common in town, but the descendants of these families moved their ancestors' remains to public cemeteries in the 19th century.
The Old Hill Cemetery, east of the town center on Hovey Road, began as the first churchyard of the Presbyterian West Parish in the original Londonderry. A drastic change occurred in this cemetery in 1930 when officials decided to clean up the broken stones that were tilted at dangerous angles amidst tangled underbrush.
"No measurements were taken of the location where the markers originally stood," said Town Historian Marilyn Ham.
The cleared yard was plowed by tractor, leveled and seeded.
"When the stones were to be reset, most were at the roadside," according to an account in The History of Londonderry, Vol. 3, edited by Ferne Schmidtchen.
"The decision was to place them in rows beginning near the wall where they leaned. By chance, the space between the headstone and footstone was not the usual distance. As a result, the uninformed observer might believe that early Londonderry was inhabited by midgets."
Pillsbury Cemetery on Hovey Road is Londonderry's newest cemetery and abuts the Old Hill Cemetery established in 1733. It opened in the fall of 2004 as the town ran out of space for new plots in Pleasant View Cemetery on Mammoth Road.
The Valley Cemetery (1793) on Pillsbury Road is located between the Old Hill Cemetery and the town center. It was also known as the Rev. Dr. Morrison's Churchyard for his Presbyterian meetinghouse that stood to the east.
According to a story in the Derry News dated Friday, Nov. 11 1881, "The town of Londonderry appropriated $300.00 for improvement of cemeteries in town, and accordingly work was commenced last Saturday, on the cemetery near Col. Pillsbury's. Many trees have been cut down and among them the famous old white oak, that has kept 'watch and ward' for nearly sixty years, over the tomb of the beloved Morrison."
Here is a look at some interesting people buried in Londonderry:
Major John Pinkerton, the founder of Pinkerton Academy, was buried in the Old Hill Cemetery, also called Pinkerton Yard. His horizontal tombstone, raised on four corner posts, had an extensive inscription which included the amounts of his bequests to the Presbyterian Churches of both the east and west parishes.
The Pettengill family cemetery, once located on Harvey Road, was relocated to Sunnyside Cemetery when the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport built a new runway five years ago. There are two other private family cemeteries in town: The Kendall Cemetery on Kendall Pond Road and the Towne Cemetery on John Street.
George "Duffy" Lewis, a star outfielder for the Red Sox in the 1910s, is buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery on Gilcreast Road. In 2000, John Clayton, a columnist for the Union-leader, discovered that Duffy's grave was unmarked and wrote two articles about it. A subsequent fund in Duffy's name provided a gravestone and flowers in perpetuity.
Ginger Harvey's grave is located in Sunnyside Cemetery on Litchfield Road. Ginger's father was a slave and Ginger worked in a home in Londonderry. One day as Ginger was approaching the house to work, she noticed smoke. She grabbed a broom and banged on the windows alerting the still sleeping family. The family asked what they could do to repay her and Ginger asked that she have a Christian burial. She lived to be almost 100 years old and was interred in 1865.
David Rollins Leach is buried in a family vault in Glenwood cemetery. He bequeathed $3,000 to found the Leach Library which opened on Feb. 25, 1880 with 1,000 books.
Londonderry has a Pet Cemetery on Harvey Road established by Minnie McGuire who felt that pets, too, should have a suitable final resting place.
Credit to The Derry News, www.derrynews.com
-(My computer is with the Geek Squad so I've posted this Derry News story in lieu of having my own database and Word files available to research a story. Hopefully I'll be back on line soon with my own postings!)
2 comments:
David Rollins Leach was the brother of my 3rd Great Grandfather, Ira Leach. Ira packed up his family and moved to Michigan, with my 2nd Great Grandfather David C. Leach, in tow, along with other family members. David C. Leach fathered Major Floris Leach, and Major Floris Leach fathered my Grandmother Vera Asenith Leach, who was my dad's mother.ReplyDelete
I'm quite proud of my Irish and New England ancestry. Many of the Leach family members still live in Michigan.Replies
Kay, thanks so much for dropping by, and I enjoyed your description of your Leach lineage. I hope you read the other posts here about life in Londonderry where your ancestors originated!Delete
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If you're recently back into the dating scene after a long hiatus, you may have noticed that a few things have changed. Life and dating have sped up to the point where both are virtually unrecognizable from a decade ago. Which, if you're like me was the last time you were single.
Phone calls have been replaced with texting. We're now making decisions about potential mates by swiping left or right on our smartphones and ending relationships with a click of the send button. We're dating in a culture of "I needed it yesterday," where you can order a pizza, buy a new pair of Jimmy Choos and find a date all without ever turning away from your smartphone. Recently, a man called me. On the telephone. When my phone rang ("He's actually calling? Why doesn't he just text?") I had the terrified look of a Pretty Little Liars character who's just discovered a dead body in the trunk of their parents car.
The way we date, relate and mate has changed- for better or for worse. If you want to keep up, you might want to grab a helmet and hang on tight.
Long gone are quiet nights spent with your laptop, lazily browsing through potential matches online. Instead, dating has become all about multitasking. Thanks to location based dating apps like Tinder, an increasing number of singles are turning to their smartphones to meet people while they're out for drinks with friends or burning calories on the elliptical machine. Goodbye waiting, hello instant gratification. You can now meet someone right here and now, at the swipe of a finger. You may even find your Tinderella or Tinderfella – that is, if you can look up from your phone long enough to make eye-contact.
Dating in multiples
Thanks to the ease at which we're now able to connect, multi-dating is the new normal. Whether it's talking to multiple people at the same or going on actual dates – be prepared to be one of, if not many, then at least a few people that someone is currently in touch with. As a rule of thumb I just assume that everyone I am dating is also dating other people – until otherwise stated. The "let's be exclusive and take down our online dating profiles" talk has become the new relationship milestone.
One of my best friends is a successful single woman in her thirties. As she explains, "I can't afford to throw away potentials for just for one guy and hang all my hopes on that one thread. Nope, nope, nope. Never again." In other words, until you have the "talk" all bets are off.
There are no rules
Whether you're waiting three days to call someone or three dates to have sex, thanks to social media and mobile technology, these rules have become as antiquated as sending a telegram. Even waiting 24 hours to return a text seems unnecessary. Want something or someone? Go get them. Playing it cool has gone out of vogue – a welcome relief for those of us who were never able to master it in the first place.


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MIAMI, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Matt Ryan threw for 220 yards and a touchdown Friday while helping the Atlanta Falcons dominate Miami in a 23-6 exhibition victory.
The Falcons had to settle for three Matt Bryant field goals and a 9-3 lead at halftime, but Ryan threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White in the third period.
Backup Atlanta quarterback Dominique Davis added a 39-yard scoring toss to Tim Toone in the final quarter.
Atlanta won its first exhibition game in three tries.
Miami rookie Ryan Tannehill, named the Dolphins' starter for the regular season, completed 11-of-27 passes for 112 yards and an interception. The Dolphins remained winless in exhibition action.


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Holidays in Tuscany: Touristic Itineraries
Thanks to its central position in the heart of Tuscany Il Borghetto Tuscan Holidays is an ideal starting point for guests who want to discover the most beautiful and historic places this region has to offer.
Florence, Siena, Volterra, and the Chianti wine region are all within an hour's drive. Arezzo, Pisa, Lucca, and many other small, medieval towns, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, are all easily visited in a day trip. Tuscan cuisine is world renowned; everywhere you go in the area, you can enjoy this wonderful food accompanied by fine local wines.
There are innumerable wineries in the area, which can be easily visited on your own or with a tour group, which we can arrange for you. Sports and nature enthusiasts may take excursions on foot, horseback, or mountain bikes. They can also wander through woods, vineyards, ruins of churches, castles, and lovely old farm buildings.
These towns are all at easy drive from Il Borghetto, being 1 hour maximum by car.
Moreover in a day (or less) the following excursions can be achieved:
- The Val d' Elsa, with its pearls; San Gimignano the city of the beautiful towers (the Medieval Manhattan of Tuscany!); Monteriggioni and its perfect town-walls; Colle Val d' Elsa with its medieval village 'Colle Alta', one of the most important Italian centres for crystal production. In addition, Il Borgetto is ideally situated for visiting the enchanting villages of Abbadia a Isola,Casole d' Elsa, Mensano, and more.
- Situated on the borders of the Val d' Elsa, in the direction of the sea in an area between forests and valleys on a slope of the Metallifere Hills, is the city of Volterra with its historical and artistic treasures, famous all over the world for the extraction and the craftsmanship of alabaster.
- The territory of the 'Chianti-shire', the place of production of the famous wine, extends as far as the cities of Florence (Chianti Fiorentino) and Siena (Chianti Senese). Chianti is well worth a visit, both for the overwhelming beauty of the nature and to experience the territories, and the castles, the churches and the farms, where it is possible to taste and to choose wines of great class, and take a tour that clarifies the ageing and production techniques (it is necessary to make a reservation beforehand). Here are the itineraries we suggest to visit Chianti Siena side and Chianti Florence side.
- The landscape of the Val d' Orcia, with its delightful cultivated hills covered with olive groves and vineyards and its wines Brunello and Nobile di Montepulciano, is celebrated all over the world. On top of these hills the ancient medieval villages of Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia, Castiglione and Rocca d' Orcia, Bagno Vignoni, some of which inhabited by the Etruscan population, can be visited in a day's excursion from Il Borghetto.
- The Abbey of Sant' Antimo, a superb example of Romanesque Cistercian architecture built in travertine, rises in the surrounding territory of Montalcino and is also easily accessible. To the border of the Val d' Orcia there is the lovely town of Montepulciano (definitely of interest to wine lovers!).
- The Crete Senesi and the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore: The evocative argillaceous territory of the Crete extends to south of Siena. Located in its rugged landscape is the splendid Benedictine Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore of the 14th century.
- The Abbey of San Galgano is one of the most important Cistercian Abbeys of the medieval Tuscany, whose imposing rests stand out in the countryside to south of Siena.
- The Coast of the Etruscans is the coast of the Tyrrhenian sea inhabited since the time of the Etruscan people who took advantage of its mining riches. It is a zone of archaeological and naturalistic interest with its beaches, harbours and the villages as Populonia, Castiglione della Pescaia, Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri.
The places listed above are some of the best known places to visit in Tuscany, but from Il Borghetto it is also possible to visit many less well-known areas that are equally as beautiful.
We are entirely at your disposal and more than happy to offer you more detailed information about the wonderful places we have introduced above. We can also provide you with information about many other places of interest, as well as a list of the cultural, artistic and 'artistic and folklore historical events' which regularly take place in our region, and to direct you on the map in order to help you to reach your desired destinations.
Please do not hesitate to ask!
Touristic Route Chianti Fiorentino
From Casellina in Chianti proceeding towards North or running through the SI-FI Superhighway with exit S.Donato, you reach the Florence side of Chianti and splendid places to visit during the vacation, like:
the medieval villages of Montefioralle and Lamole, Panzano in Chianti and Greve in Chianti,
Castle of Verrazzano,
Castle of Vicchiomaggio,
Castle of Querceto,
Castle of Mugnana and Cintoia, Castle of Uzzano.
|Panzano in Chianti
|San Donato - Pieve
|Castello di Mugnana
|Borgo di Lamole
Touristic Route Chianti Senese
Running through the road SS429 you reach the village of Castellina in Chianti, then that one of Radda in Chianti. Covering the way Chiantigiana you will be to Gaiole in Chianti.
Continuing towards Siena a series of routes wisely marked carry the tourist in one of the most beautiful places of the Tuscan countryside where you can visit , among the castles:
Castle of Brolio
Castle of Meleto
Castle of San Giusto a Rentennano
Castle of Ama
Among the parishes: Spaltenna, and the medieval villages of Vertine, Monteluco di Lecchi, Barbischio, Lucignano and San Sano, the Abbey of Badia a Coltibuono.
|Castellina in Chianti
|Castello di Vertine
|Pieve di Spaltenna
|Castello di Brolio


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Ivan Posavec (left) and Christopher Fuller helped the Harvard four edge Isis to reach the quarterfinals.
Henley Royal Regatta Official Site | Temple Challenge Cup Draw | Prince Albert Challenge Cup Draw | Thursday Schedule
HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England—Harvard's heavyweight freshman eight and varsity four both won their opening races Wednesday at the Henley Royal Regatta, advancing to race again Thursday.
In the Temple Challenge Cup, the Crimson cruised to a win of three and one-quarter lengths over Southern California in a winning time of 7:04. The Crimson reached the Fawley, which marks the approximate midpoint of the course, in 3:16. Harvard then finished comfortably, covering the second part of the course in 3:48.The Crimson freshmen advance to face Exeter University Thursday at 5:00 p.m., local time, noon Eastern. Exeter moved on with a three-quarter-length win against Queen Mary University, London. Sixteen teams remain in the Temple Cup field.
The varsity four opened competition in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup with a narrow victory over the Isis Boat Club from Oxford University. The Crimson led throughout the race and withstood a strong Isis sprint to win by three-quarters of a length in 7:18. Harvard's time matched Imperial College London for the fastest of the day in the event.
The win moved the Harvard four into the final eight. The Crimson will meet Georgetown Thursday at 11:10 a.m. local time. The Hoyas topped Lady Margaret Boat Club of Cambridge by one and one-half lengths Wednesday.
Harvard's varsity eight begins its Henley racing Friday in the Ladies' Challenge Plate.
Crimson oarsman Jack Morrissey also won Wednesday at Henley, advancing in the Thames Challenge Cup with his Molesey Boat Club crew.


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The Sun is a single star. But many stars are double -- they consist of two stars that orbit each other. One of the most beautiful double stars is in Leo, the lion, a constellation that's prominent during spring. And astronomers have found evidence that this beautiful double star has something more: a giant planet.
The star system is Algieba, and it's easy to see, because it's as bright as the North Star. Algieba is in Leo's mane, north of the constellation's brightest star, Regulus.
A telescope shows that Algieba is really two stars that shine a lovely golden yellow. Both stars are giants -- they're much bigger and brighter than the Sun. The stars are farther apart than Pluto is from Earth, so there's plenty of room for planets around each star.
Last year, a team led by astronomers in Korea reported a likely planet orbiting the brighter star in the system. The planet is at least nine times as massive as Jupiter, the largest planet in our own solar system. But the new planet's orbit resembles Earth's: The planet is about 20 percent farther from its star than Earth is from the Sun, and it takes about 14 months to complete an orbit. Because its sun is so much brighter than ours, though, this planet must be much hotter than Earth -- probably too hot to support life.
Still, Algieba's planet shows that planets can exist around double stars -- just as they do around single stars like the Sun.
Tomorrow: a celestial journey.
Script by Ken Croswell, Copyright 2010
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Brilliant Effects Master Phil Tippett Sheds Some Light on George Lucas' 'Star Wars'-Tinkering Mind
Last night the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX held a very special screening of Jurassic Park and flew in Phil Tippett, one of the visual effects masterminds behind the film, for a Q&A, which ended up being the surprise highlight of the night. Unlike a certain, recent Q&A subject, Tippett's candid answers weren't fueled by alcohol, they were simply the honest responses from a very smart man who has been in this business for decades, who has already proven his worth and who isn't bothered with studio politics.
We spoke with Tippett this morning about the film and his career, but we'll be saving that longer interview for when the Jurassic Park trilogy hits on Blu-ray on October 25th. But since it's on everyone's minds this week, we did want to share some of Tippett's thoughts about what George Lucas is doing to Star Wars. It's one thing for all us nerds to complain, but how does someone who created the visual effects for the original Star Wars trilogy feel about George's needless tinkering?
Surprise: He hates it too. It didn't take long before the topic came up last night in the Q&A, and Tippett's response was a simple, "They're sh-t." He doesn't think they're necessary at all, citing as one example how he loved Lucas' original, Sergio Leone-like approach to shooting Mos Eisley as this minimal, barren place and how now it's just "filled with a bunch of... CGI sh-t."
In fact, there's a lot about modern Hollywood spectacle films that the very affable Tippett isn't too fond of. He thinks Avatar was a total missed opportunity; to paraphrase, "Who cares about blue aliens and people walking around in mechs? We've seen those designs before. Do something crazy and new."
In regards to some of Hollywood's latest trends, he thinks "3D is sh-t" and, and this is a direct quote, "Robert Zemeckis is the Devil incarnate ... the motion capture stage is where good directors go to die." Ouch. Though, just to be clear, Tippett never took on a bitter tone about the state of the industry, there's just a sense of disappointment that the artist is dying and we're entering the age of factory-churned special effects.
And that's just a small amount of the Q&A. In our interview, Tippett elaborated about the new Hollywood mindset (he's got some good anecdotes about how Tristar execs first reacted to seeing what he and Paul Verhoeven did with Starship Troopers), Lucas' mindset in particular and specifically about what motivates these kind of decisions:
Movies.com: Us fans bitch and moan and gripe whenever George Lucas starts messing with Star Wars again, but is that something effects people who actually worked on the film feel? Are we the only ones who think he's a crazy person?
Phil Tippett: No, not really. At a certain point, even going back to Return of the Jedi at ILM...they had a little room where you could get chips and drinks and I was getting something. George and Richard Marquand, the director, came in and Richard was saying, "George, I don't totally get where we need to go with this picture." And George said, "Well, did you see Benji?" "No George, I didn't see Benji." "Well, what we're doing now is kind of like a cross between Benji and what we did on Empire Strikes Back."
So even then he was thinking about keeping his company alive and merchandising toys and stuff like that. It's really hard with franchises. It's really hard to keep things going. It's really hard to think of a third movie in a franchise that's better than the first two, ya know? Whoever it was, Pepsi Cola or whatever, paid him $3 billion to do the next three movies as long as he worked and directed it, so...
Movies.com: Was there ever any talk at Universal or with Spielberg of going back and making alterations to Jurassic Park or any of its sequels?
Tippett: No. No, no. But, for a while...I went down and had a meeting with Steven and Melissa Mathison to talk about doing a sequel to E.T. And we went down the road of all the things we could do and at one point Steven just said, "You know what? Just leave it alone. Just let it stand, let's not rake it over the coals."
Look for our full chat with Tippett in late October. In the meantime, we're going to go try and convince Mondo to print up some "Team Tippett" t-shirts.
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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So I was playing Angry Birds last night and I came across this. As first I thought was the Green Bommarang Bird, but was wrong. It was the green pig!
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|Victoria, B.C.
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|Glenlyon Norfolk School
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Senior • 2011 • Stats
Team co-captain ... Named to All-Ivy League second team ... Recorded a goal and an assist in 3-1 win over Cornell (Oct. 15) ... Scored tying goal in 2-1, come-from-behind win against Vermont (Oct. 2) ... Assisted sister Bridget on goal against Penn (Sept. 24) and overtime game-winner against Lafayette (Sept. 4) ... Netted the Crimson's first goal of the season in 4-0 opening win at Holy Cross (Sept. 2).
Junior • 2010 • Stats
Earned All-Ivy League honorable mention ... Started all 17 games ... Scored goals at home against Holy Cross (Sept. 4), at Penn (Sept. 25) and at California (Oct. 10) … Registered a season-high five shots at Brown (Oct. 2).
Sophomore • 2009
Named to the All-Northeast Region second team ... Started all 17 games for the Crimson defense ... Registered nine points on two goals and five assists ... Logged tying goal in second half to force overtime in season finale at Columbia (Nov. 6) ... Notched an assist in overtime win against Brown (Oct. 3) ... Scored first goal of the season at Bryant (Sept. 12) … Assisted on a goal against UC Davis (Sept. 9).
Freshman • 2008
All-Ivy honorable mention ... Appeared and started in all 17 matches at back ... Scored seven points on the season (two goals, three assists) ... Notched first career assist Massachusetts (Sept. 14) ... Scored first career-goal in 4-3 win against Northeastern (Oct. 8) ... Made first collegiate start against Holy Cross (Sept. 5).
Before Harvard
Played on provincial team for a variety of tournaments, including the 2008 Canadian National Championship, where she helped Team BC place second ... Helped her teams win the 2008 Under-18 Canadian National Championship, 2007 Western Canada Summer Games and 2006 U-16 National Invitation Tournament ... Her teams placed second at the 2006 U-18 Canadian National Championship, 2007 CanAm Challenge and 2007 Provincial Indoor Championship ... 2008 Female Athlete of the Year at Glenlyon Norfolk School ... Team MVP in 2007 and 2008 and Rookie of the Year in 2004 ... Coached in the Victoria Junior Field Hockey League from 2005-08 ... Completed the International Baccalaureate diploma with honors.
Sister, Bridget, is a sophomore forward for the Crimson.


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Intellectual PropertyCarret icon
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NASA IceBridge 2014 Arctic Quick Look Sea Ice Data
Available Now »
Watching the birth of an iceberg
NASA's Operation IceBridge has discovered an emerging crack, about 18 miles long, along the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf in Antarctica.
—Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger
IceBridge Overview
IceBridge Data Portal
The portal has been updated to enhance the functionality of the map interface. Read about the changes in this article and explore the portal now.
Note: The portal is currently supported in Firefox 3.6+, Chrome 6.0+, or Safari 3.0+ browsers.
The NSIDC DAAC manages data for products derived from NASA's Operation IceBridge aircraft missions, and implements tools and services extending the uses of IceBridge data products.
The NASA Operation IceBridge Mission, initiated in 2009, collects airborne remote sensing measurements to bridge the gap between NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) mission and the upcoming ICESat-2 mission.
IceBridge mission observations and measurements include coastal Greenland, coastal Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula, interior Antarctica, the southeast Alaskan glaciers, and Antarctic and Arctic sea ice.
The NASA IceBridge mission combines multiple instruments to map ice surface topography, bedrock topography beneath the ice sheets, grounding line position, ice and snow thickness, and sea ice distribution and freeboard. Data from laser altimeters and radar sounders are paired with gravitometer, magnetometer, mapping camera, and other data to provide dynamic, high-value, repeat measurements of rapidly-changing portions of land and sea ice.
The data products and related information are displayed on several Web pages, and can be accessed via the links on the left. These Web pages are described below.
- Data Sets - Lists IceBridge data sets currently available from NSIDC DAAC.
- Data Versions - Tracks changes and updates to IceBridge data sets.
- Instrument Data Sets - Lists IceBridge instruments. Links to data servers, where available, are provided.
- Campaign Data Sets - Provides a list of IceBridge data collected by campaign, and includes information on flights and instruments.
- Tools - Provides links to software on NSIDC's FTP server for reading and viewing NASA IceBridge data.
- Data Announcements - Lists updates to, or problems with the data.
- Published Research - Bibliography of published research using NASA IceBridge data.
- Evaluation Products - Products derived from published IceBridge data sets, made available to the public for review.
See Also
Current Missions: IceBridge
NASA's page for Latest IceBridge Campaign News.
Upcoming ICESat-2 Mission.
ESA CryoSat
European Space Agency (ESA) Earthnet Online page for the CryoSat ice mission.
Data Provider Information
NSIDC DAAC Information for Operation IceBridge data providers.
ICESat/GLAS Data
The main page of the ICESat/GLAS Data project at the NSIDC DAAC.
Exploring NASA's Operation IceBridge Data Sets through NSIDC's Data Portal to Visualize Changes in Polar Ice
Related Data Sets
In Situ Snow Depth and Ice Thickness Measurements Near ICEX2011 Ice Camp
GLAS/ICESat 500 m Laser Altimetry Digital Elevation Model of Antarctica
GLAS/ICESat 1 km Laser Altimetry Digital Elevation Model of Greenland
Unified Sea Ice Thickness Climate Data Record, 1947 Onward
Antarctic 1 km Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from Combined ERS-1 Radar and ICESat Laser Satellite Altimetry
Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment (PARCA)
A program with the primary goal of measuring and understanding the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet.


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Reese Witherspoon will host the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the White House Ellipse this year, planners announced Tuesday.
The lighting ceremony, scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, will also feature actress and singer Bellamy Young of ABC's "Scandal;" Crosby, Stills and Nash; Fall Out Boy; Trombone Shorty; Andra Day and Miss Piggy.
During the ceremony, President Barack Obama will illuminate a tree growing on the grounds of the Ellipse.
Witherspoon won an Academy Award for her performance in "Walk the Line." Her other credits include "Legally Blonde" and "Wild." She's also no stranger to White House events -- in 2010, she read stories to children attending the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Tickets for the tree lighting were distributed via online lottery.
Last year, the Park Service gave out tickets for 3,000 seats and 14,000 standing-room spots through the lottery.


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INNISBROOK, Fla. - It's one thing to know the names of the 700 employees at a golf resort; truth be told, many people in golf facility management are renowned for their interpersonal skills. But Rodney Green, the Director of Golf at famed Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, doesn't just know names, he knows stories too.
"That's Diane," he says after introducing this writer to one of the attendants at the Packard's Steakhouse restaurant during an early afternoon lunch interview. "She's a great person, great fighter. She's been out with a health issue, but she's back. Still smiling too. How can you not love that?"
"That's Philip," he explains after calling out to another employee who's leaning in through the grill shop window. "Great guy. Came to us from New Jersey. He works in shipping and receiving."
And so it continued. After lunch, while touring the facility in a golf cart, Green's hands spent as much time waving and shaking other hands as they did on the steering wheel.
"I need to trust and believe in everyone that works here," Green explains, "to know that we have the right people in the right positions to create the best environment and conditions for every visitor that comes to tee it up."
It's just another day in the life for Green, now entering his third year as the Director of Golf at Innisbrook. His day consists of marketing meetings, spreadsheets, apparel approvals, dozens of emails and hopefully, greeting a few golfers. It doesn't seem all that different from scenes played out at elite golf resorts all over the country. But it is.
Rodney Green may be the highest profile African-American Director of Golf in the country. Being at Innisbrook Resort, site of the PGA Tour's Transitions Championship and home to four championship layouts, Green's position would be in the spotlight regardless. But the fact that he's one of a small number of black high-ranking golf personalities within the vast golf community, there is an added attention that he's well cognizant of.
"I don't want to be known as the best black Director of Golf in the country," Green states, "I want to be the best Director of Golf, period. That was the mission and goal when I was hired and that's where my efforts lie. That said, of course race is something that I'm aware of, that Dr. Johnson is aware of, that the staff is aware of. We need to succeed first as a business, for Salamander Hospitality and for our employees and guests. But yes, we want to show that African-Americans can be as successful in golf management as anyone else. I'm sure there may be some people that are uncomfortable with seeing someone like me in a position like this, and wondering if I can pull it off. But, trust me, I understand that ultimately - whether we succeed or not - will not be because of the color of my skin."
Dr. Johnson is Sheila Johnson, owner of Salamander Hospitality, the management company of Innisbrook Resort. Dr. Johnson, one of the nation's wealthiest African-Americans, purchased Innisbrook in 2007 and in 2009 hired Green, who had been Director of Golf Operations at Disney World Resorts for a dozen years. Together, they have spent a great deal of time, money and sweat equity into renovating the resort - with aims of taking it from good to great.
"Our goal and vision is to develop Innisbrook into one of the top golf resorts in the country," explained Dr. Johnson. "We have a lot of momentum and it is virtually unrecognizable from the place we purchased. I'm so proud of the renovations, additions, our staff and the quality of our courses."
Dr. Johnson's assessment is shared by not only golf media and resort guests, but as host of the Transitions Championship on the PGA Tour, the resort garners overwhelming favorable reviews from the world's best players on a consistent basis.
But traditional barometers of success aren't the only standards for Innisbrook now, and both Dr. Johnson and Green understand that. Both appreciate - and even embrace - their roles and responsibilities as high-profile personas in a sports culture that's been admittedly lacking in persons of color running high-profile establishments. And though neither views the golf world solely through the prism of race, both acknowledge that the industry as a whole has been slow to evolve from the perception of a privileged, elitist, and frankly, mostly white, arena.
Green reflects on the need for diversity in golf, not just as an African American, but as a businessman. "Golf as a sport, for its own survival, has to embrace - and even lead - the changing demographics of the country. I come from a family of golfers, I went to college on a golf scholarship (South Carolina State), I've played professional golf - I love this game and am so grateful for the opportunities it has given me. And we need to make more of these same type of opportunities available for more people. I know that as an industry, as a community, we can do this. I've seen the change happen, albeit maybe slower than I'd like. But the joy of golf, of hitting a pure shot or sinking a clutch putt, that's not segregated by race. The golf ball doesn't care what color you are, where you're from, where you worship."
Dr. Johnson elaborates further. "As a business owner, my goals are no different to that of many others - to be successful, happy and treat my employees with respect. However, I understand that I hold a position within the black community and that I have a voice. There is no doubt that the golf industry as a whole has had challenges with diversity, and I have spoken about this several times. I encourage everyone to give golf a chance - after all, if I can start playing, then anyone can! And, I have Rodney Green to thank for his patience and skill for that."
Green has been proactive in encouraging youth - of all races - to think of golf management as a viable career.
"I often attend the Minority Collegiate Championships over in Port St. Lucie," explained Green. "Sometimes, it takes a few talks to the kids to breakthrough that what I do is a great career. I understand, many of the kids there have their own dreams of playing professionally. I get it. I did that for a while myself. And it was great. If that's something you are passionate about, of course, chase that dream. But there may come a time, as it did for me, where you have to make a decision as to where your future lies, what's the long term viable career. I'm there to tell them, it can still be golf. Whether it's marketing, sales, media, management or many other facets of the business, you can still make your mark, regardless of your race, in this industry."
Dr. Johnson, who is often asked to speak to youth groups on how to succeed in life and business, offers a consistent message. "It is a privilege to be asked for advice. I always tell people to accept the challenges that come your way, meet them head on and use those experiences to succeed. Make sure you are keeping company with other successful people that you admire and from whom you can learn. Then, once you have succeeded, support those in similar circumstances in which you once found yourself."
Says Green, "We want - no, we need - golfers of every race to feel at home here at Innisbrook. We would be foolish to allow race to dictate our management or marketing. We hire the best qualified people. The most important color here is green. It's how we want the course to look; it's how we want the bottom line to look."
Green's climb up golf's ranks has not gone unnoticed by the leaders of the industry.
"I've known Rodney Green since the first moment he became a member of The PGA of America," says current PGA of America President Allen Wronowski, who was an officer of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section at the time of Green's election to The PGA and actually handed Green his certificate of membership. "Rodney has always represented the skills, the work ethic, the class and integrity that we value so much within The PGA.
"We all recognize the importance of growing the game within every community. Rodney is a great example of what passion and dedication can bring to any PGA Professional. I'm very happy for his success in the golf world and I truly hope that it leads to greater success; for him, for Innisbrook and for future minority golfers that have hopes of becoming a part of the golf industry."
And ultimately, that is the hope that both Dr. Johnson and Green share for their legacy.
"We want to impress our golf visitors," says Green, "we want to impact this industry and we want to inspire the next generation."
And across this great golfing nation, thousands upon thousands of young African-Americans are wondering if golf can hold the key to their dreams. Because of the hard work and success of Dr. Sheila Johnson and PGA Professional Rodney Green, they need to look no further than Innisbrook to know that it most certainly can.
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Feb. 16, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's tennis team fell to UC Santa Barbara 5-2 this afternoon at the SCU Tennis Center to end the Broncos' 13- match win streak at home.
Santa Clara's record moves to 4-4 overall, while the Gauchos improve to 4-3 on the season. Dating back to last season's 11-0 mark, and 2003 victories over UC Santa Cruz and Hawaii, the Broncos had increased their streak of home matches won to 13.
With inclement weather predicted for the day, the sun prevailed, and brought out a great crowd to support the tennis program.
"We created opportunities but missed converting on some critical points," SCU head coach George Husack said. "It was a nail-biter. We competed well and we like playing at home, but UCSB was the better team today."
The teams split doubles contests by 8-4 scores on the first and third court, but it was UC Santa Barbara's Alex Anselme and Mike Placek who secured the doubles point with an 8-6 victory over the Broncos' Rick Ruso and Francisco Zepponi.
In singles action, the Gauchos had two nationally-ranked singles players earning victories, with 55th-ranked Carlos Palencia topping Erich Chen and No. 122 Micro Schwindt besting Federico Mattioli, both in straight sets.
Taylor Bedilion and Rick Ruso avoided the sweep with wins on courts four and five. Bedilion defeated Placek 6-4, 7-5 for his team-leading 15th victory of the season. Ruso topped Michael Frick 6-4, 6-3.
The Broncos will play two matches next week in Boise, Idaho, taking on Boise State on Friday, Feb. 21. The Broncos follow on Saturday with a match against New Mexico.
1. Palencia/Schwindt (UCSB) def. Chen/Bruggemann (SCU) 8-4
2. Anselme/Placek (UCSB) def. Ruso/Zepponi (SCU) 8-6
3. Mattioli/Bedilion (SCU) def. Ilya Leshinsky/Brotman (UCSB) 8-4
1. No. 55 Carlos Palencia (UCSB) def. Erich Chen (SCU) 6-3, 6-4
2. No. 122 Micro Schwindt (UCSB) def. Federico Mattioli (SCU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Alex Anselme (UCSB) def. Francisco Zepponi (SCU) 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), (10-4)
4. Taylor Bedilion (SCU) def. Mike Placek (UCSB) 6-4, 7-5
5. Rick Ruso (SCU) def. Michael Frick (UCSB) 6-4, 6-3
6. Nicholas Brotman (UCSB) def. Ben Hidalgo (SCU) 6-1, 6-4


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I just responded to a CL ad for a baby American white mutation Pacific Parrotlet. I did get a reply back, and it sounds promising. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Here he is:
And here is what adult males look like:
Edited by msdani1981, 06 July 2014 - 10:22 PM.


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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
When I was in sixth grade, I competed in a grade-wide spelling bee. I was a pretty damn good speller in those days. The bee ran well beyond its allotted time, mainly because after all the other kids were eliminated, it turned into a head-to-head battle of wits between myself and one other student. Her name was Laura H., and she was an untouchably perfect paradigm of beauty and intelligence. Probably every school has one. I pretty much had a crush on Laura from the first day of sixth grade, all the way through high school.
That day, they ultimately had to move us into a study room in the library because the classroom we were in was about to be filled with students returning from lunch. Just me, and Laura, and a proctor who gave us the words, back and forth, likely praying that one of us would screw up soon so she could go back to her regular day. On and on it went, and the tension in the room grew and grew.
Finally, I blew it, leaving out the "an" in "maintenance." I knew how to spell the word; I just forgot where I was in spelling it.
When I went home and told my parents, my dad asked, "Is that Diane H.'s daughter? I guess I know why you let her win." Turns out Laura's parents went to college with mine, and her mother was quite the smart babe as well.
So despite its ignominious place in my personal history, maintenance is one of my favourite words, and it makes sense at some cosmic level that a book with "maintenance" in its title would eventually become one of my favourite books.
A more tangible clue that Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (aka ZMM) is important to me: I have three copies of this book.
One is a hardcover, supposedly reissued for the book's twentieth anniversary in 1994. This is my stay-at-home copy, the tome I protect so much that as I think of it I'm reminded that it's still lacking a clear plastic cover for the dust jacket. It has the benefit of larger print, wide margins for note making (not that I have), and correction of most of the typos that appear in the paperback printing.
One is a pink-covered paperback, bought new when I was in high school. This is an unusual printing, the thirty-third by Bantam. In 1984, Pirsig wrote a new "introduction" for the tenth anniversary of the book's first publishing. I quote "introduction" because this is how it's described on the copyright notice page, but it's more accurately described as an afterword, which is how it appears in the hardcover and later paperback printings. However, my copy has it as an actual introduction, preceding the story, which is really strange because it describes a catastrophic event that occurred ten years after the events of the story and which dramatically colours the story itself. If you've read it, you know what I mean. I'm sure the author did not intend this, and so it was subsequently changed in the next printing. It makes my copy, as I said, unusual, and I rarely read this copy because of it.
The third copy I have, the one that I've been carrying around with me, is another pink-cover paperback. I specify the cover colour because I've seen printings with identical layouts except the background is yellow or green, rather than pink. I suspect these are early printings, just like when the sequel to ZMM, Lila, first came out in paperback, it was available in three colours. The copy of Lila I have is purple, but I doubt you could buy it today in anything other than green; likewise, good luck these days finding a paperback ZMM that isn't Pepto-Bismol pink.
Anyway, this copy of ZMM has been around the block a few times. It's not even mine. It was given to me in college by a friend who had an extra copy. I'm not sure why I took it, since I already had one of my own. Perhaps it was so that my girlfriend at the time could read it (like most people, she didn't have privileges to my library), and when we later broke up and I moved out, the book came along with me. (As far as I know, she never read it.) So I have this copy that was battered when I got it, that's dog-eared and losing a few pages, that I don't mind carrying in a back pocket or reading in a light rain, that's something of a permanent loaner, that I'll gladly give to anyone who wants to read this wonderful book, that has a name written on the flyleaf of someone I've never met, that has occasional, tiny, cryptic remarks written in ink in the margins.
Some of these remarks are mere checkmarks alongside passages someone thought particularly noteworthy, but a few make much less sense. One that sticks out at me appears at the beginning of Chapter 24:
I remember the dream again and the words "I'll see you at the bottom of the ocean" and wonder about them. But pines and sunlight are stronger than any dream and the wondering goes away. Good old reality.
At this point, the last sentence has been underlined, followed by a single word: "Ha." This may be the easy bit to fathom. The friend that gave me this copy, like nearly everyone in my social circle in those days, was a cognoscente of psychedelics. Laughing at the notion of "good old reality" would be par for the course. The book continues:
I get out of the sleeping bag. It's cold and I get dressed quickly. Chris is asleep. I walk around him, climb over a fallen treetrunk and walk up the logging road. To warm myself I speed up to a jog and move up the road briskly. Good, good, good, good, good. The word keeps time with the jogging…
The line beginning with "briskly" and containing the repeated word "good" has an arrow pointing to it with the words "Ahh! He knows." Knows what? Knows that jogging is good? Knows that reality is good? Knows the true meaning of his dream? Knows that his past is welling up inside of him and it's only a matter of time before it bursts out again? If so, what in this paragraph gives that idea?
I guess the reason I'm going into all this is because ZMM is more than a book to me, it's an event filled with baggage. When I first read it, in high school, I was floored by it and it quite firmly adjusted my idea of reality. As I re-read it now I see those passages that I took deeply to heart and can see how much of my current belief system relies on them. There's more baggage, of course, in the cover that stares me in the face from my desk, the one that says ZMM is "one of the most profoundly important bestsellers of our time." (All in caps.) Along with the words "Electrifying." "Fabulous." "Extraordinary." And there's the baggage of those that have read this copy before me, as illustrated above, and all those who have read the book over the years. I mean, Amazon.com has a total of 247 customer reviews!
Sadly, one of those reviews, and one that appears on the main book page and not buried within the subsequent 25 pages of reviews, keeps sticking in my mind. "A reader from Topeka, KA" [sic, not the proper abbreviation for Kansas] calls it an "oddball book" and says he/she couldn't get past page 248. Well, fuck you, Topeka. The quality of this or any other book notwithstanding, I firmly believe that if you can't finish the book you don't have the right to criticize it in print. It's obvious that Topeka didn't "get" ZMM, if for no other reason that he/she insists on calling it a "novel," which implies fiction, which ZMM is not. I think it's most particularly ironic that page 248 is exactly one page before Pirsig goes into the discussion of "stuckness."
(Okay, so maybe I'm defensive. And maybe 247 isn't all that many reviews… for example, The Celestine Prophesy has 571. Of course, it's a helluva lot easier to grasp than ZMM.)
But all this baggage makes me much more critical of the book than I ever have been before. It's kind of like putting a good rock-and-roll album on in the car while driving with your mother. How many times have I heard mine complain about the "noise," when all I could hear was jamming, if shrieking, electric guitar? (Although I never could adequately defend my Emerson, Lake & Palmer phase, and perhaps still can't.) Riding on the train, I actually found myself embarrassed to be reading ZMM. After finishing, I noticed another guy on the train reading it, and my first thought was, "you poor bastard." Why do I feel this way? ZMM is a great book! Sure, it's not quite as cerebral as reading Critique of Pure Reason. And sometimes Pirsig sounds painfully full of himself, as if he thinks the ideas he's espousing are the most earth-shattering concepts ever.
Then again, maybe it's just a case of the old saw, "familiarity breeds contempt." You hear a radical new idea for the first time, and you can't fathom it. Hear it again, and it begins to make sense. Again, and you can start to assimilate it. Hear it for the tenth time, and it's old news.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is not old news. It's a fresh look at the fundamental philosophical biases that western culture has considered a given since the days of Aristotle, and a means to move beyond them. It's as timely and important today as it was 25 years ago. Get some gumption, and give it a read.


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Facebook Options Tilt Bullish as Investors Price in Big Moves
Options suggest another big postearnings swing is in the cards for Facebook Inc., with many investors leaning bullish as the social network prepares for its third report as a public company.
Trading in bullish options was strongest Tuesday and the cost to employ a neutral trading strategy rose, implying an 11% move for Facebook shares after the company reports fourth-quarter results at the close of trading Wednesday.
"The options flow we're seeing shows most of the speculating is on the upside, not the downside, with most downside buying more protective," said Joe Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade. "There doesn't seem to be much speculation that Facebook will miss [earnings] expectations on the downside."