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October 4, 1999, Section E, Page 5Buy Reprints
A mere three years ago, when Eve Ensler first sat in front of an audience at Here in the South Village and performed her one-woman show, ''The Vagina Monologues,'' she was an unknown quantity. Last night, when a return engagement of the show opened at the Westside Theater, she was a bona fide phenomenon, all because of a dozen or so short monologues about a body part. A body part that 30 years after the sexual revolution people are still a little embarrassed about naming aloud. Ms. Ensler has performed the show as far away as Jerusalem and Stockholm and as close to the American heartland as Oklahoma City. Famous women, including Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg and Glenn Close, have recited a monologue each at benefit performances.
If Ms. Ensler is the messiah heralding the second wave of of feminism, and a lot of people seem to think she is, it is partly because she's a brilliant comedian. ''The Vagina Monologues'' is alternately hilarious and deeply disturbing. But as important as the serious monologues are -- the tribute to Bosnian rape victims, an eyewitness report about the wonder of childbirth -- humor is the show's real strength.
Some monologues, like the story of a young woman who was sexually abused by male relatives but then found redemption (and intense pleasure) with her first lesbian experience, combine drama and comedy. Ms. Ensler finds humor in the use of hand mirrors at get-to-know-your-anatomy workshops (''I have lost my clitoris! I shouldn't have worn it swimming!''), an elderly woman's dreams about Burt Reynolds, the indignities of pelvic exams and one particular four-letter word for vagina that she has decided should be a term of endearment and praise, not an insult.
The whole problem with saying the word vagina is introduced with a dare-to-tell-the-truth attitude. (''It sounds like an infection at best, maybe a medical instrument. 'Hurry, nurse, bring me the vagina.' '') Even the weaker material (like the lists of answers Ms. Ensler received while interviewing a couple of hundred women about their feelings and experiences) gets laughs, thanks to her well-timed heartfelt delivery. The monologue-demonstration about sexual moans, near the end of the intermissionless evening, is a winner. Meg Ryan's fake-orgasm scene in the film ''When Harry Met Sally'' was nice, but it pales in comparison.
Although Ms. Ensler's riffs between monologues are carefully scripted, she has added a couple of references for the local audience: quick mentions of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and of Hillary Rodham Clinton's likely campaign for the United States Senate.
The audience at the preview performance on Friday night (far from all women) was overwhelmingly adoring, but the man to my right did seem to check his wristwatch between every monologue. For some, enlightenment comes slowly.
Written and performed by Eve Ensler; production supervised by Joe Mantello; sets by Loy Arcenas; lighting by Beverly Emmons; general management, EGS; associate producer, Sally Fisher; production stage manager, Barnaby Harris. Presented by David Stone, Willa Shalit, Nina Essman, Dan Markley/Mike Skipper and the Araca Group. At the Westside Theater, Downstairs, 407 West 43d Street, Clinton.


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City Apartments - Contarina
- Free WiFi
- Collect nights
More great choices
What's around City Apartments - Contarina
- In San Marco
- St. Mark's Square - 2 min walk
- La Fenice Opera House - 3 min walk
- Grand Canal - 4 min walk
- St. Mark's Basilica - 4 min walk
- Doge's Palace - 5 min walk
- Rialto Bridge - 8 min walk
- Bridge of Sighs - 8 min walk
Getting around
- Venice (VCE-Marco Polo) - 30 min drive
- Venice Santa Lucia Station - 27 min walk
- Porto Marghera Station - 18 min drive
- Venice-Mestre Station - 23 min drive
At a glance
Key facts
- 1 apartment
Check-in and check-out
- Check-in time 2:00 PM-9 PM
- Check-out time is 10:00 AM
Required at check-in
- Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 18
Travelling with others
- Pets not allowed
- Free WiFi in rooms
- No parking
Payment types at the property
Other information
- Smoke-free property
At the property
- Multilingual staff
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Spanish
In the apartment
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Iron/ironing board
- Separate dining area
- Separate living room
- Separate sitting area
- Private bathroom
- Shower only
- Bidet
- Hair dryer
- Flat-screen TV
- Digital TV channels
- Free WiFi
- Refrigerator
- Kitchen
- Stovetop
- Cookware, dishware, and utensils
- Dishwasher
Recommended hotels
City Apartments - Contarina's small print
Also known as
- City Apartments Contarina
- City Apartments - Contarina Venice
- City Apartments - Contarina Apartment
- City Apartments - Contarina Apartment Venice
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport.
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve cribs/infant beds.
Mandatory fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at check-in or check-out:
- A tax is imposed by the city and will be collected at the property. This tax does not apply to residents of Venice City and children under 10 years of age. Further exemptions may apply to patients and their companions, and people staying in the city for specific purposes/duties, subject to the submission of proper documents to the property. A 30 percent reduction applies from 1-31 January.
- A tax is imposed by the city: From 1 January - 31 January, EUR 1.70 per person, per night for adults; EUR 1.40 per night for guests aged 10-16 years old.
- A tax is imposed by the city: From 1 February - 31 December, EUR 2.50 per person, per night for adults; EUR 1.20 per night for guests aged 10-16 years old.
Deposit: EUR 250 per stay
- Cleaning fee: EUR 80 per accommodation, per stay
Optional extras
Late check-in between 9 PM and midnight can be arranged for an extra charge of EUR 50
We have included all charges provided to us by this property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the unit you book.
Is the description of this hotel not correct? Tell us

subset: commoncrawl


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Everything Uniforms is a busy retail store specializing in uniforms for all Healthcare Professionals, Chefs, and Estheticians – including students in these fields. Our Uniform Brands are Koi, Grey's Anatomy, Barco, Cherokee, Dickies, Heart Soul, Infinity, Marvella, White Cross, Professional Choice, Excel, and Mobb. We also carry duty shoes by the brands of Nursemates, Klogs USA, Alegria, Sanita, Dansko and Akesso shoes.
We are a local, small business located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. You can order any of our uniforms and products online to have them shipped and delivered straight to you!


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Fascinating NYT article on how we talk about distracted driving. Words have meaning. The word "accident" implies no one is responsible. "Accidents happen," as the saying goes. Most car crashes are not accidents. They are caused by driver action, inaction, or distraction. Let's call a spade a spade. #crashnotaccident
Tag Archives: kitrick
100% natural cancer
"Natural" foods and products seem to be all the rage these days. Buzzwords like "organic," "free range," and "gluten free" convey a sense of health and superiority to other products. But not all natural products are good for you.
Talc in talcum powder is a naturally-occurring mineral, similar in composition to asbestos. Research suggests, however, that talc may be linked to ovarian cancer. Two recent cases against Johnson & Johnson in St. Louis found that they knew about the risk of ovarian cancer and never disclosed it.
What does this mean to you:
Interestingly, talcum powder is not regulated by the FDA, as other products are, but the makers should still warn about its potential dangers. I guess talc is not considered a drug. Or, you know, a food. What I'm saying is, don't eat talcum powder.
Knowing when to leave is half the battle
We all know the type: the person at the party who cannot bring themselves to leave. Whether they just like the sound of their own voice or fear of facing what is at home is just too much, knowing when your time is up is critical. (Watch this segue.) And the same goes for IVC filters.
After surgery, the risk of blood clots forming goes up. If one of those clots makes it into the lungs, it can be bad. Like, pulmonary embolism-bad. So, surgeons can place a metal cage or filter in a vein, called the inferior vena cava, to trap blood clots to prevent them from reaching the lungs.
The problem is that, if these IVC filters are left in too long, they tend to not stay in place. That is, they can move or tilt, causing perforation or tearing of the vein.
These filters have several metal spines, and in a pinch, can also be used to catch bass and stripers. (This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA.) What has been stated by the FDA is that leaving an IVC filter in too long can be dangerous.
What does this mean to you:
It can sometimes be as important to know when to stop using a particular medical device as it can be to know when to start.
Take a moment and repose yourself
Most people are familiar with a statute of limitations, a law that gives you a certain amount of time to bring a claim starting from the date of the injury. That makes sense, since you know when you are injured. A "statute of repose," on the other hand, is a limitation on the amount of time starting from the date a product is made, whether you have been injured yet or not.
What makes these laws – such as Ohio's law – particularly vicious is that they can cut off the ability to file a claim BEFORE THE INJURY HAS EVEN HAPPENED. One a product had been made – whether that's a medical device like a hip implant, a smoke detector, or a baby's high chair – after 10 years, no claims can be made against the manufacturer.
What does this mean to you?
Not surprisingly, Ohio's statute of repose has been described as "a victory for manufacturers." If manufacturers won, who lost? And by the way, how does this make products safer?
Shhh! We'd like to keep our fraud secret!
So, Über and Lyft want to keep their insurance policies secret, which raises a lot of questions in my mind. Like, what are they hiding? And specifically, what is covered by the policy? Is it only the driver, or are the passengers covered too? Seems like we should be allowed to know the answers.
Interestingly, the companies are required to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage – insurance that protects you when you are not at fault. But, there is no requirement that the rest of us buy uninsured motorists coverage, and there is no requirement that your agent offer or even explain it to you. Its important enough to require it for those services, but not for everyone else. Hmmm.
What does this mean to you:
Go now and find out how much uninsured motorists coverage you carry on your insurance policy. We will wait for you here. Yes, its that important. Go on.
Do you have uninsured motorists coverage in your auto policy? Do you also have it in your umbrella policy? What are the limits? Considering that almost 15% of drivers carry no insurance and many more do not carry enough insurance, do you have high enough limits?
Where there's smoke, there's fire
When I was growing up, my grandfather was a smoker. As entertainment for the grandkids when we'd go to visit, grandpa Harris would stand up on a chair, hold his lit cigarette up to the smoke detector, and set off the alarm. Now that's fun.
But its only fun as long as the smoke detector works. It was revealed this week that as many as 150,000 smoke detectors made by ESL and Interlogix have been recalled. According to the Consumer Product Safety commission, radio interference can cause the detectors to fail. Most were installed commercially in schools, apartments, hotels, and dorms.
What does this mean to you:
Call your security or fire system company to see if you have one of the recalled units. If you do, you can find out more by calling Edwards/ESL at (800) 655-4497 or Interlogix at (855) 286-8889.
And in other news, people no longer buying Ford Pintos
Change is hard. I get it. The people in the horse and buggy business probably didn't like to see the advent of the automobile. But as technology changes, especially in the the area of safety improvements, business must change and adapt along with it.
It is disappointing, then, but perhaps not surprising, to learn that many manufactures of table saws, such as Bosch, Black & Decker, Makita, and Ryobi, have been conspiring to thwart new safety rules to require automatic blade stop technology, called Saw Stop, in their saws. And this is no small issue. 67,000 U.S. workers and do-it-your-selfers suffer blade contact injuries every year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
What does this mean to you:
Its one thing if they don't want to adopt the safer technology, but its quite another to actively try to stop safer technology from being adopted as the standard.
Shop around before making a major tool purchase. What you don't know can hurt you.
What kind of action do you have?
Not all cases involving hundreds or thousands of plaintiffs are class actions. Class cases make the most sense where the wrongful conduct applies the same to everyone affected. Think of a corporation that misrepresents its financial condition. All shareholders suffer the exact same loss in share value.
But what about when the wrongful conduct affects lots of people, but each in their own individual way? Those cases are called mutli-district litigation, or MDL for short. MDL's are common with defective medical devices, where the defect is the same in every case, but the way it affects each person is unique to their circumstances.
The defective Stryker hip implants is an example of a current MDL. For every implant, the metal in the hip joint begins to fret, or corrode, causing pain and swelling in the hip joint. Some affected patients may have to have a revision surgery, some won't, while some may require multiple surgeries.
What does this mean to you:
Class actions get a bad name, perhaps not without merit, for automatically including people without their knowledge. MDL's on the other hand, require the plaintiff to actively pursue a claim for their harms and losses.
Testing, schmesting.
You would think that medical devices implanted inside your body would be some of the most highly-tested products in the world. Not so, though, for hip implants made by the Stryker company, who began selling its hips without going through clinical trials first.
Stryker claimed its hips were similar to DePuy's metal on metal hips that were already for sale. The fault in this logic, if you can call it that, is that DePuy's hip implants are the ones having problems with fretting and corrosion of the metal, which causes pain and swelling. This defect may even lead to metalosis – metal toxicity in the blood stream caused by metal ions and shavings from the implant itself. This, despite the fact that the industry has known for some time that as much as 40% of metal-on-metal hip implants would fail.
Stryker has since recalled its Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants. DePuy has since settled many of the claims against it for $2.5 billion.
What does this mean to you:
Someone with a recalled hip implant probably does not know the make or model they have. If an implant patient continues to have, or suddenly develops, pain or swelling around their hip implant, they should check with their surgeon right away.


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We do understand the sac pouncing, gliding, race, zombie's type, run in the ice, desert race and a lot of other issues uncommon such thinggs as this. When compared with other sorts of vehicles, ATV was created so as the wider choice of land as nicely as terrain is essentially handled via this and it is function inside managing and working with terrain is incredibly beneficial. In some nations exactly where fencing is not prevalent, such as the US, Canada and Australia, some of ATV riders knowingly cross privately owned property in rural locations and travel over public/private properties, exactly where their use is limited only to trails. It featured larger balloon tires and a sportier look than the equivalent Huge Reds, but could be ordered with cargo racks if the buyer chose to. It featured both suspension and racks, creating it the 1st utility three-wheeled ATV.
Also to common perception preparing and regard for security guidelines must also be second nature to ATV driver and passengers alike. There is definitely lots of electrical energy in an ATV that offers it the potential to roll above brush and trees devoid of obtaining hesitating. All generally the spare regions with regards to ATV need to for time on prevent any wide variety of inconvenience for the duration of difficulty a outcome of ATV pick up stuck. Try to remember that ATV security recommendations are not just for persons, but also in spot for the environment. You will also be in a position to travel up into higher altitudes when you have a high high-quality ATV.
Other manufacturers speedily followed suit, and 4x4s have remained the most well-known sort of ATV ever because. If you are searching for a fantastic ATV or other recreational car, then be prepared to invest some time seeking only for the reason that there are so numerous of them. ATV as it is known is all terrain vehicles, which can be either three or 4 wheeler.
Suzuki can also be massive adequate to study what variety of addons and supplies you are going to require and you also can obtain folks critical addons and know they had been developed for your ATV so that they will most likely be perfect. Southwest – One particular attractive feature of an ATV trail in the Southwest is the sheer quantity of remote and uninhibited camping opportunities that are out there in the desert, mountains, lakes and canyons. But functionality does not have to break the bank as some low cost ATV tires can supply you the very same results as an pricey tire.
In reality, the battery is far more crucial for a UTV contemplating that it does not have a kick-get started facility as opposed to motorcycles. NOTE: No matter who possesses the ATV safety certificate, all riders age 14 and below ought to be supervised by an adult. The growing usage of automobiles has enhanced the desires of automobile spare components. The park also boasts five major ATV trails varying from ten- to 40-mile loops, ranging in degrees of difficulty from uncomplicated to tough. Quite a few state-owned or leased abandoned rail beds are accessible for many-use, including three-season ATV use.
Students can print their ATV Security Certificate at the DNR internet site after passing both the on the net and Hands-On class. Even though you are greater off not experiencing battery failure due to manufacturing defects, at least you have protection in case you finish up with a lemon. As opposed to other varieties of vehicles, ATV is planned so as some wider array of land not to mention terrain may well be handled from this will be operate by way of managing and utilizing of terrain can be rather useful.


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Posted on March 31, 2013
10 examples of bespoke article design and scrolling goodness
Have you been noticing all the pretty sliding/scrolling articles that are popping up around the Internetz? My students think they're wonderful, and so do I. So let's look at a roundup of some great ones. Of course we'll… Read More
Posted on October 11, 2010
Boring old news media: Still boring, still old
I was just rereading a post by Steve Yelvington — whom I used to call the smartest man in online journalism (and he may still be — it's just that there are so many more people in it… Read More
Posted on April 9, 2010
7 examples of exceptional Flash packages
These come from USA Today, The Washington Post, the ABC (Australia's public broadcaster), Reuters, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Seven examples, seven news organizations. Yes, they are all large news organizations. But I'd… Read More
Posted on March 14, 2010
Portrait of a great communicator
Yesterday I watched a documentary video I had TiVo'd earlier from the Sundance Channel: Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight Unfortunately it's not yet available on Netflix (?!), even though it was released last May. I recommend that… Read More
Posted on February 28, 2010
Spending time with Los Angeles homicides
Have you seen the L.A. Times homicides map? I'm sure you've marveled at the New York Times homicides map, and perhaps you have also admired the Boston Globe homicides map. The L.A. map, however, has a lot (a… Read More
Posted on September 12, 2009
A macro approach to micropayments
Lots of folks were talking about micropayments for journalistic content this week (example). One thing I've mulled over is a daily fee that's quite small (say, 50 cents? Maybe even less). I think this is easier to accept… Read More


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Limerick Strand Hotel
The honeycomb of local artisan honey, sitting on the breakfast counter, tells you all that you need to know about the ambition of chef Tom Flavin and his team, at Limerick's pristine Strand Hotel. This crew have thought it all through, from the honey at breakfast, to the Ballyhoura mushroom millefeuille at dinner, from the Silver Darlings herring that starts the day, to the platter of local smoked seafood at dinnertime. Mr Flavin wants to offer guests the pure flavours of the Wild Atlantic Way, and he works extra hard to get there. The hotel runs like clockwork, and staff are both charming and witty. The views across Limerick city from the 4th and 5th floor rooms are spellbinding, and The Strand is a destination that has the heartbeat of the city.
NEW! Ireland the Best 100 Places
Hardback, out October 2019
John and Sally McKenna have selected 100 extraordinary Places throughout Ireland that epitomize what is unique and entrancing about the beautiful island of Ireland.
More along the Limerick coast
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Sign up for our Megabites Newsletter, a blog which brings you all the latest contemporary news of the best food and food people in Ireland, including all that's new on the Wild Atlantic Way.


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The recording is the first solo album of the Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son in the series The Real Chopin, published by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute. In his outstanding interpretation one can hear the selection of Nocturnes, op. 9, 32, 37 and 55.
The album was recorded at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio, Warsaw, 24th–25th November 2009.
Publisher: The Fryderyk Chopin Institute, 2010.
Visit the NIFC Online Store
Visit the Amazon Store


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You can enjoy abundance despite the chaos swirling around. Even if you are not heard directly in the noise, you can help spark a movement in the direction of your intentions. You can inspire others to follow in accord and help to bring the movement to fruition.
It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.
The image is that of a progressive covering over of the sun. Here the eclipse reaches totality, therefore even the small stars can be seen at noon.
In the sphere of social relationships, this means that the prince is now so eclipsed that even the most insignificant persons can push themselves into the foreground. This makes it impossible for an able man, though he might be the right hand of the ruler, to undertake anything. It is as though his arm were broken, but he is not to blame for being thus hindered in action.
The time of ENTHUSIASM derives from the fact that there is at hand an eminent man who is in sympathy with the spirit of the people and acts in accord with it. Hence he finds universal and willing obedience. To arouse enthusiasm it is necessary for a man to adjust himself and his ordinances to the character of those whom he has to lead. The inviolability of natural laws rests on this principle of movement along the line of least resistance. These laws are not forces external to things but represent the harmony of movement immanent in them. That is why the celestial bodies do not deviate from their orbits and why all events in nature occur with fixed regularity. It is the same with human society: only such laws as are rooted in popular sentiment can be enforced, while laws violating this sentiment merely arouse resentment.
Again, it is enthusiasm that enables us to install helpers for the completion of an undertaking without fear of secret opposition. It is enthusiasm too that can unify mass movements, as in war, so that they achieve victory.
Previous readings
Today: I Ching
Author: harinam
Yogi, teacher, healer View all posts by harinam


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Dog Friendly Tybee Island, GA
Need help deciding where to stay, play, or eat with your dog in Tybee Island, GA? Get the scoop on our favorite pet friendly hotels, restaurants, and activities in Tybee Island, GA below! Or give us a call at 877-411-FIDO to book your dog-friendly vacation in Tybee Island, GA now.
There are 111 pet friendly hotels in Tybee Island, GA. You'll find information on all the most popular pet friendly hotels, vacation rentals, bed & breakfasts, and campgrounds in Tybee Island, GA below.
Don't leave Fido in the hotel room when it's time for dinner. There are 14 dog friendly restaurants in Tybee Island, GA. A handful of our favorite sidewalk cafes, coffee shops, bars, and other eateries in Tybee Island, GA that welcome Fido to join at an outdoor table are listed below. Bon appetit!
Get out and play! There are 8 dog friendly activities in Tybee Island, GA. You'll find information on our favorite dog parks, beaches, hiking trails, tours, stores, and lots of other "animal attractions" in Tybee Island, GA below.
When you want to really spoil your dog, or just meet other dog owners in Tybee Island, GA who are as crazy about their pets are you are, there's no better place to bring Fido than a dog event. You'll find information on some of our favorite annual dog events in Tybee Island, GA below.
When traveling with dogs, one thing is certain. Poop happens. Luckily, there is 1 dog friendly pet service in Tybee Island, GA that can help you out with poop bags (or anything else you may need). You'll find information on the most popular pet stores, pet sitters, trainers, groomers, and other pet businesses in Tybee Island, GA below.
Traveler Photos
Want to feature your creature? Upload a photo of your pet in Tybee Island, GA! You can also share by using the hashtag #bringfido on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.


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Vinik Marine History
Click on the image to see an enlargement.
, ex
, built in 1951, was once the flagship of Mobil Oil's NYC Fleet.
Even in the 1970s, she was the fastest tug in the harbor, but, in 2004, she floated but hadn't moved from a spot beneath the Outerbridge Crossing for so long that those who knew her felt she would never again move by her own power.
A day before she was to become a reef, the
became the property of Mike Vinik and Mike, to some, became the laughing stock of the harbor.
"Everyone" knew the vessel. They saw her classic lines and knew her proud history. They also knew of her burst pipes and declaration as a "total loss" by the insurance industry. They would be sad to see her go, but, what could they do. They knew the
couldn't be repaired.
But, they didn't know Mike Vinik.
Mike Vinik
At 12, Mike taught sailing to day campers.
In high school he'd worked for a sail manufacturer then a marine supply store and earned his Eagle Scout with a Bronze Cluster. He graduated high school at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology on Sandy Hook, NJ and earned their Marlin Spike Seamanship Award at graduation.
In college at SUNY Maritime he become an EMT, volunteered at Ground Zero ON "9/11," and earned licenses in deck (to run a ship) and engine (to be the engineer).
He served as Assistant Port Engineer for Weeks Marine, then as a deck hand on a tug, then as a ferry Captain for NY Waterways.
He was working full time as a mate on the
, a tug pushing the dredge off Sandy Hook, but wished ultimately to become a Sandy Hook Pilot.
During the summer of 2004, a year after graduating from SUNY Maritime with a BS and a Mate's license, Captain Mike Vinik purchased the
and founded Vinik Marine.
He purchased the
and created Vinik Marine to prove his worth to the Sandy Hook Pilots and to have an income during their lengthy training period.
Vinik Marine
It took 9 months of crawling through the sludge in the bilge, replacing frozen pipes, repairing cylinders, sleeping on cold winter nights aboard a vessel with no hot water and no heat before the
Word spread. Many who had watched became Mike's maritime friends. It's always good to know a guy who can raise the dead. They helped him get a few jobs. Things were tight. It was cold and quiet on Raritan Bay but sometimes he got 2 jobs a week, and, though they might be at 1 in the morning and access to the tug was made in an open aluminum skiff, at least it was work.
It wasn't until the summer of 2005, that the
was christened the
in honor of Mike's grandmother Dorothy Elizabeth Azzolino.
In May 2005, Don's article about the rebirth of the
, the
, the
, made the company and Mike "tug boat rock stars" and the talk of the harbor.
With an impressive showing by the tug, her captain, and her crew at the 2005 Tug Boat Race came a few more jobs. Mike and the
were laughing stocks no longer. This picture, taken by Steve Munez at the 2006 NYC Tug Boat Race, shows the
"ahead full" with flags and "crew members" as decoration.
Assisting, litering, and towing at all hours of the day and night brought some income and the need for more crew. Classmates at SUNY Maritime and even a pizza delivery guy or two joined the crew. As the number of crew members grew, the number of Maritime graduates and their family members working at Vinik Marine also grew. They are really a world class crew!
May 2006 brought
Don Sutherland
second article
about Mike, Vinik Marine, and his "newest" tug, the
, ex
. Mike had done it again.
This time it was in Tampa, again, with a vessel that never moved. At least the
came home to port on its own power all the way from Tampa.
As the
entered NY harbor off Sandy Hook, Mike Vinik watched from the Pilot Boat. He'd been accepted by Sandy Hook Pilots and had left the
on its voyage to NJ in order to report for duty as a pilot in training. Shortly thereafter, Mike left the Sandy Hook Pilots and he and the crew turned the
into a working tug.
Vinik Marine employees fill dual rolls -- deck (steering and handling) and engine (maintaining and repairing) -- unlike most maritime counterparts. They choose a worthy classic vessel, restored or rebuilt it, and turn it into as a working vessel. Take a World War II veteran, remove the debris of it's prior life, chip away the rust and the old paint job, add a red-white-and-blue paint job, new radar, new computers, even a new galley. Make the brass shine and the stack display the red white and blue VM logo. Rename the vintage vessel in honor of a loved and respected individual -- one worthy of being hailed on radios through out NY Harbor and beyond -- and use for ordinary, fairly unique, and truly unique tasks. That's become the Vinik Marine routine.
There have been losses to Vinik Marine. Hurricane Sandy did the most damage. During Sandy Vinik Marine lost the
Robin Kenneth
, a crew boat named after Michael's father Robin Kenneth Vinik, and the
Teri Lou
, a WWII yard tug named after Michael's aunt Teri Lou Azzolino.
At present the fleet includes the mothballed
, ex
, the
, named after dear family friend Charles Oxman and often honored as the Best Vintage Tug at a race, the
(a 100 passenger party boat), and the
, named after Mike's mother Agnes Azzolino. The
, the
(a 40 foot tug or push boat), and the
are no longer with us.
At Vinik Marine, each day brings a new adventure.
Routine jobs include ship and tug barge assists, and litering (taking "small" loads of road salt & stuff off a larger vessel too big for "shallow docking" and bringing it to a location from which it can be used).
There are really unique jobs, like designing, building, and floating a 30' by 100' foot bill board off the UN in the East River so Dow Chemical could advertise their "Human Element" marketing campaign to those meeting at the United Nations.
Each day brings a sunrise and a sunset, often while traveling past the Lady in the Upper Bay or quietly off Roseville, the tug boat graveyard. When days are spent in the bays and rivers of New York Harbor, new adventures do happen. Sometimes one even gets to name a tug in honor of a beloved grandfather or good good friend.
2017 Brings More Vessels and More Names
2017 was a wonderful year!
Captain Mike Vinik married his lovely wife Liz Vinik and they welcomed son Nicholas Charles Vinik to the family.
Vinik Marine welcomed the
and the
to the fleet.
2018 Brings Ice to NYC
It's January and it is cold in New York City. The
and the
are both breaking ice to keep the ferry lanes and docks open.
is caught on camera by a TV news crew (see left) and another crew
films and interviews
the tug and crew.
It's a lovely start to another year.
Read About Retired Vessels:
The First
Mike Azzolino
and The
Charles Oxman
© 2018,


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Taronga research scientist Ben Pitcher recently returned from Montague Island, where he spent time studying little penguin colonies. Ben is interested in the sensory ecology of animals – that is, how they perceive and gather information from their environment and how they make decisions based on that information.
"The ocean is warming and the movement of the water is changing," says Ben. "As the East Australian current strengthens and warmer water pushes down, little penguins may have to go to a different place to find food. If we can understand how they are finding food, we can predict whether they will be able to adapt to this change, or whether it will eliminate the cues they are using to find their food."
Montague Island, a protected nature reserve adjacent to the NSW South Coast, is home to up to 8000 penguins. During his time there, Ben was looking into not only how the penguins find food, but also how they use the smell of that food to navigate back to their nests.
Ben and his fellow researchers were also studying whether penguins can recognise the smell of their own nests and differentiate their nests from their neighbours'. They did this by allowing young penguins to choose between artificial nests that smelt like their own or another penguin's nest.
Taronga scientists are also working with Macquarie University on a research project that is tracking penguins as they forage for food along the East Coast of Australia. While on Montague Island, Ben and his colleagues attached GPS devices and accelerometers to 15 penguins and have since been following their movements to see where they go to forage.
From their studies, the researchers have been able to determine that smell is likely to play an important role in how little penguins experience the world, both to find food and to find their way home again.
Taronga also has a colony of about 50 little penguins. A visit to the zoo is a great opportunity to see these shy birds up close. Our scientists work with these birds to develop technologies and study techniques to help them with their conservation efforts for little penguins in the wild.


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The always redundant but glorious Falls Creek Falls, Washington.
Liquid Vortex
Crashing waves wash through this rock formation as the sun sets along the Olympic Coast, Washington.
Let It Shine, Let It Shine, Let It Shine...
Light beams fill the canyon next to Upper Oneonta Falls, Oregon.
A small but pretty waterfall in Mt. Rainier National Park, WA.
Frozen Paradise
It is always an adventure getting down to Spirit Falls, and adding snow didn't make it any easier. However, when such a beautiful place beckons it is totally worth it!
One of my favorite waterfalls. Spirit Falls, WA.
A sheet of water plunges over Lower South Falls in Silver Falls State Park after days of heavy rain.
Singing Waters
Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park, Washington.
Multnomah Falls, OR.
Water rushes down Avalanche Creek after heavy rain in Glacier National Park.
Two Trees
Beautiful fall conditions from this classic vantage point in the Columbia River Gorge. Unfortunately the viewing area washed out in the winter of 2016-17.
The Green Machine
One of my favorite hidden gems in the Columbia River Gorge.
Solar Powered
Fairy Falls tends to look larger in photographs than in reality. Despite its relatively small stature it is one of my favorites. Columbia River Gorge, OR.
Dappled Light
After days of heavy rain this section of the Columbia River Gorge had multiple waterfalls crashing down into the river.
Light beams and mossy goodness in Oneonta Gorge.
Palouse Falls under a fiery sky, Washington.
Hidden Gorge
This is usually an easy spot to get to, but snow still blocked the road making it a 13 mile round trip hike making it feel like a much more epic adventure than it should have.
Basalt Curtain
Svartifoss, Iceland.


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After another monumental data breach this past week from Marriott/Starwood, we were once again exposed to the real threats and realities that exist with our information held within the systems of large corporations where we spend money. Marriott has not finished identifying duplicate information in the database, but it believes it contains information on approximately 500 million guests. They believe for approximately 327 million of these guests, the information hacked included name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, date of birth, and other pertinent information. There is still no definitive information on whether or not credit card information could be decrypted by the hackers. Class action lawsuits are already flying off the shelf. It almost seems as if once per month we are barraged with some new data breach from large companies seeing what has happened with Equifax, Yahoo!, and now Marriott recently. Many Americans may already believe hackers have their information from ...Read More →
Do We Have Data Breach Fatigue?
Dec 8, 2018 Posted Gen X & Y Financial Advice Tagged 000, bank, Best Gen X Financial Advisors, breach, CyberFraud Insurance-, data, data breach, fatigue, financial advice to the X and Y Generation, Fraud, Guest uaccount information, iu protecting, Lawsuits, loss, mailing address, Marriott/Starwood, passport number, Password Manager, Phone Number, Protection Service, reimbursement, Starwood Preferred, Yahoo, your smart money moves Comments 0