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SALISBURY – An extension of a moratorium was approved to provide city administration time to finalize procedures concerning non-conforming residences.
The Salisbury City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution to extend a moratorium for 90 days that was established for certain enforcement actions in connection with multi-family residences in R-5, R-8, and R-10 zoning districts that are suspected of being used in an illegal non-conforming manner.
The resolution states that the Mayor and City Council recognize that a fundamental principle of zoning under Maryland law is to reduce non-conformance. During a work session on Dec. 5, the Mayor and Council discussed the status of changes to the city's zoning code and to city procedures related to the enforcement of the zoning code in connection with illegal non-conforming uses. The council mutually agreed that the extension ·of a moratorium would provide time necessary for recommended training of the Board of Zoning Appeals members, preparation of legislation and for the required step of consideration by the Salisbury/Wicomico Planning and Zoning Commission of any changes to the city's zoning code.
"This resolution has been requested by the council as a means to extend the moratorium that was enacted several months ago so that the city will not be taking enforcement actions in connection with multi-family residences in the R-5, R-8, and R-10 zoning districts while council is considering changes to the illegal non-conforming provisions primarily of the Board of Zoning Appeals legislation," City Administrator John Pick explained.
Councilwoman Eugenie Shields said she hopes this is the last extension, and she is prepared to move the legislation forward even though she is going to vote against it.
"People are waiting for a decision one way or the other, and I hope that this will be the last moratorium that we do give to this resolution," she said.
Council Vice President Deborah Campbell admitted that the process had been a lot more complicated than anticipated.
"I hope this will move back to the legislative table as a collaborative effort that will show what a good job we can all do together for the community and the neighborhoods in our city," she said.
Council President Terry Cohen explained the council was initially reviewing the context of one bill and it has now moved to two or three. Also, amending zoning codes legislation must go through the Planning and Zoning Commission, which adds additional time.
"As we go through this, we are recognizing that in order to provide the fairest most responsive system possible and to be mindful of the burden that is placed on administration, as well as on the board itself, we take certain things into consideration," she said. "One of those items dealt with training, and the administration is currently following up, and the length of time allowed by another moratorium will enable administration to work with the board to make sure they have what they need in making their decisions."
The moratorium was passed in mid- September. At that time, Pick explained the ordinance was first introduced last summer through Mayor Jim Ireton's Safe Streets Legislative Package, and that increased evidence standards are necessary in cases brought before the Board of Zoning Appeals having to do with non-conforming conversions.
The ordinance states, "the Mayor and City Council are concerned that a shortage of safe, code compliant, low and moderate income housing exists in the City of Salisbury and that the past conversions of single-family residences to multi-family residential use provide unsafe and non-code compliant dwelling units in the city, which pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens."


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All photos by Dodge
Cars Home / Stuff to Buy Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
If you're looking for a large vehicle with three rows but you prefer a true SUV over a large crossover, the Dodge Durango should be on your list of options. But you also ought to drive one if you're looking at the crossovers, as the Durango offers all of the luxuries you'll find in the crossovers, but with the practical advantages of a truck like towing capacity. This time we tested the 2012 Citadel AWD version, which is the top of the line Durango with all the amenities you would expect from a luxury vehicle.
We were very impressed last year when Dodge reintroduced the Durango for the 2011 model year. The designers hit a home run with an exterior design that was more refined, but retained the muscular feel of its predecessor. The big Dodge crosshair grille still stands out and the look of the vehicle matches the power one wants from a large SUV. One quick look tells you that you'd be just as comfortable pulling up with the Durango at a nice restaurant as you would be taking it off-road or to a construction site. But look more closely and you'll see a nice attention to detail that we're learning to expect from the new Dodge since the restructuring that put Dodge and the rest of Chrysler under the control of CEO Sergio Marchionne. The 2012 exterior is essentially the same as there's no need to make changes to this new and winning design.
This attention to detail is best expressed in the Durango interior where we see the most dramatic progress of the new Dodge that was run by Ralph Gilles for the past two years until he was assigned to run the new SRT performance division. Interior design became a priority and it creates a very distinctive and comfortable driver experience. The leather trim and accent stitching stand out and you have soft padding in all the right places on the armrests. I love the look of the Dodge steering wheels and the feel with the soft and smooth leather as well. The Durango is loaded with interior storage spaces, but none of them are forced and they naturally fit into the interior.
The Citadel version we tested was decked out with all sorts of features, like the rear DCD entertainment center. The third row seats are surprisingly roomy, and it's very easy to get in and out of those seats with the second row 60/40 fold and tumble seats. Even when the third row seats are up, there's plenty of storage space in that back, and then it opens up to impressive storage capacity when those seats are folded down. The Durango has all the electronic amenities you would expect like a rear-view backup camera, keyless go, blind-spot and cross path detection and nav system. My only quibble was with the nav system, which wasn't quite as intuitive or easy to use as systems you find in other vehicles.
Our Durango featured a 5.7 liter V8 HEMI engine, so it naturally had impressive power. Compared to the larger crossovers, it does ride more like a truck, but the ride and handling is so much better than older SUVs that you have to drive it to appreciate the improvements made by Dodge. You can also choose the 3.6-liter V-6 if you don't need the heavy duty performance and want better gas mileage. This engine boasts 290 horsepower with a five-speed automatic transmission. For heavy duty needs, the V8 HEMI more than delivers and the six-speed automatic has been updated for better performance. Best in class towing is rated as high as 7400 pounds. The trade-off here is gas mileage, which is at the low end at 13 city and 20 highway.
The performance is truly impressive for a vehicle of this size. With its independent suspension, the Durango delivers tight handling for such a powerful vehicle. It can handle your towing needs and also provide comfortable driving in city environments.
The Citadel we tested with all the options is priced at $47,235, which makes it more than competitive with luxury crossover and large SUVs. If you're looking for the practical benefits of workhorse SUVs but also want the comfortable amenities and driving experiences of newer crossovers, the Durango might be the perfect choice.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Story highlights
Police investigate death of model and TV personality Peaches Geldof
She was daughter of Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof and TV presenter Paula Yates
She was "the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us," father says
Model and TV presenter Geldof was married and had two sons
Police were on Tuesday investigating the death of model and TV personality Peaches Geldof, the 25-year-old daughter of Irish musician and Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof and TV presenter Paula Yates.
Geldof, who was just 11 when her mother died, was found at her home in Wrotham, Kent, southeast of London, on Monday. Officers were called "following a report of concern for the welfare of a woman," a force spokesman told the Press Association.
In a statement Kent police said that a post-mortem examination would be carried out in the next few days.
"At this stage, the death is being treated as an unexplained and sudden death," Kent police said. "Officers are working to establish the circumstances around the death."
Bob Geldof released a statement saying his family is "beyond pain."
"She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us," the statement reads. "Writing 'was' destroys me afresh.
"What a beautiful child. How is this possible that we will not see her again? How is that bearable? We loved her and will cherish her forever."
The mother of two was a prolific poster on Twitter. Her last message Sunday included a photo of her as a child with her mother, captioned "Me and my mum."
"My beloved wife Peaches was adored by myself and her two sons Astala and Phaedra and I shall bring them up with their mother in their hearts every day," husband Tom Cohen said in a statement. "We shall love her forever."
She hosted the show "OMG! Totally Peaches" on Britain's ITV channel starting in 2011. The live show was based on Geldof and a panel helping viewers find solutions to their problems.
A host of celebrities paid tribute. TV mogul Simon Cowell tweeted his condolences: "The few times I met Peaches she was a sweet, funny warm person. Much love to her family she has left behind."
CNN presenter Myleene Klass said: "The news of beautiful Peaches is utterly devastating, God bless her babies. RIP mama xxx."
Geldof was the second daughter of Yates, who rose to fame in the 1980s as presenter of music show "The Tube." She died from an heroin overdose in 2000, aged 41.
Yates had divorced Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof in 1996 after starting a relationship with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence.
But the following year Hutchence committed suicide in a hotel room in Sydney, Australia, and in 1998 Yates lost custody of the three daughters she had with Geldof – Peaches, Pixie and Fifi. Bob Geldof later adopted Yates and Hutchence's daughter Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.
Peaches Geldof married rock musician Max Drummey but split in 2009 after just six months. She married Cohen, the lead singer of rock band SCUM in 2012.
CNN's Philip Taylor contributed to this report.


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Gajalakshmi, or Gaja Lakshmi, is a manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi. She symbolically represents power, strength, grace and authority. She is also referred as Gaj Laxmi – the Goddess of elephants – symbol of fertility. Two white elephants pouring water (abhisheka) upon the Lakshmi with their upturned trunk is the most popular image of Gaja-Lakshmi. Gajalakshmi is also counted among the Ashta-Lakshmi (eight forms of MahaLakshmi).
The two elephants are also believed to have welcomed Goddess Lakshmi when she rose out of the milk of ocean – during Samudra Manthan – by performing the jal abhisheka.
A popular belief in Hinduism is that there are eight pairs of elephants standing on eight corners of cosmos holding up the sky. These eight elephants are known as 'dig gaja.' The elephants that performed jal abhisheka on Goddess Lakshmi are one of the eight pairs of 'dig gaja.' The elephants worshipped her because they realized her power to enrich and nourish the world. And Human beings followed it.
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Did John Legend Cheat on Fiancée Chrissy Teigen?
Say it ain't so, John!
Did singer John Legend cheat on his fiancée Chrissy Teigen? The New York Post claims Legend was caught kissing a blonde woman in her late 20s in the bathroom of hot spot Acme on Friday night.
"They were in there a couple minutes," a source allegedly told Page Six, claiming the blonde woman in question was bragging about her and Legend's "steamy make-out session."
Teigen -- a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who is known for her hilarious tweets almost more than for her gorgeous looks -- took to Twitter to defend her relationship.
"Just read John cheated on me and in the uber-credible Post. I'm just heartbroken as it's definitely not typical post bulls--t," the 27-year-old posted. "The @nypost is normally so kind to me. And I am normally not the one to use the term s--t rag so I guess we're both a little off today."
The supermodel continued: "Gonna buy a parrot for the sole reason of it sh--ting on the post every day. Also the singing and companionship."
If Teigen doesn't believe the rumor, we guess we shouldn't believe it either. Funny, though, that on Monday night Teigen tweeted: "I honestly think so many more of us would get along if you didn't want to f--k my fiancé."
Legend, 34, couldn't have seemed happier about his pending nuptials when he chatted with "omg! Insider" correspondent Michael Yo last week.
"Yeah, it'll be a destination [wedding]. It was gonna be destination either way. We just changed destinations. So, the only reason why there was any uncertainty was we were making sure we wanted this particular place. Then we got a date that worked and now we know where it is and when it is," Legend said as he kicked off Yahoo!'s On the Road series.
In fact, the "Who Do We Think We Are?" singer even hinted at a possible wedding song.
"There's a song on my album that actually could be pretty good for the wedding. It's called 'All of Me' and it's inspired by Chrissy. She loved the song and cried when she heard it," he revealed.
Legend and Teigen have been dating for nearly seven years and have been engaged since 2011.
Regarding the cheating allegations, omg! reached out to a rep for Legend for comment, but has yet to hear back.
More Celebrity Features on Yahoo!:


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- Home
- Departments
- Planning
- Long-Range Planning
- Station Area Plan
Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan
City Council Adopts Resolution to Conclude Station Area Plan Process
Following the closure of the public comment period for the Draft EIR on June 2, the City Council held a public workshop on June 18, 2014 at which they voted unanimously to stop the Station Area Plan process in consideration of the myriad of community concerns with the effort. The Council formalized this action with adoption of Resolution 39/14 on July 16, 2014, which also directed City staff to restart the General Plan Update process.
For information on the upcoming General Plan Update process, please visit the General Plan Update webpage. City staff are in the midst of preparing a draft work plan for the update that will be presented to the City Council at a future Council meeting for action. Keep your eyes peeled on the City calendar for announcements of future meeting dates and subscribe to the General Plan Update Notify Me list to receive e-notifications.
Resolution 39/14 directs City staff to reform the General Plan Update Citizen Advisory Committee to review the Draft Station Area Plan and provide recommendations on any policies or proposals that would be worthy of consideration by the community and Council during the General Plan Update.
Draft Station Area Plan and EIR Documents
Information on the Draft SMART Station Area Plan and other supporting documents can be viewed here
Draft Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan
Complete Document
- Draft Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan (LARGE FILE SIZE; Allow time to download)
Individual Chapters
- Chapter 1. Introduction
- Chapter 2. Existing Conditions
- Chapter 3. Vision
- Chapter 4. Land Use
- Chapter 5. Access, Circulation, and Parking
- Chapter 6. Urban Design Guidelines
- Chapter 7. Public Facilities and Services
- Chapter 8. Implementation
- Appendix 1. Financing Models and Funding Sources
- Appendix 2. Affordable Housing and Anti-Displacement Strategy
Complete SMART Station Area Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
- Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan Draft EIR (LARGE FILE SIZE; Allow time to download)
- Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan EIR Appendices
Individual Chapters
I. Introduction
II. Summary
III. Project Description
IV. Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures
- A. Land Use and Planning Policy
- B. Transportation and Circulation
- C. Air Quality
- D. Global Climate Change
- E. Noise
- F. Biological Resources
- G. Geology, Soils, and Seismicity
- H. Hydrology and Water Quality
- I. Hazards and Hazardous Materials
- J. Cultural Resources
- K. Public Services
- L. Utilities and Infrastructure
VI. Other CEQA Considerations
VII. Report Preparation
Appendix A. NOP and Scoping Letters
Appendix B. Transportation Data (Large file; allow time to download)
Appendix C. Air Quality and Climate Change Data
Appendix D. Noise Modeling
Appendix E. Infrastructure Needs
General Plan Update/SMART Station Area Plan CAC
The GPU/SAP CAC were appointed by the Larkspur City Council to provide policy direction and feedback on the Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan, host public meetings, and identify the preferred land use/circulation scenario for the SMART station area. The CAC held seven public meetings during the Station Area Plan process, beginning in May 2012 and concluding their work in June 2013.
Please visit the meeting archives below to view past meeting agendas and minutes.
View Agendas Archive | View Minutes Archive
What is SMART?
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is a planned 70-mile commuter rail line and multi-use path stretching from Cloverdale (Sonoma County) to Larkspur at Larkspur Landing. The rail line and the multi-use path are intended to provide alternative transportation options to Highway 101, which is often congested during peak morning and evening commute hours. The Larkspur SMART Station will be located in Larkspur Landing, directly east of Highway 101 and adjacent to the Cal Park Hill Tunnel multi-use pathway.
Station Area Planning Grant
In May 2011, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments awarded a station area planning grant to the City of Larkspur to develop a Station Area Plan. The goals of this grant program are to promote transit ridership, reduce vehicle usage, increase housing supply (particularly affordable housing) near station areas, increase jobs near transit corridors and locate key services and retail within station areas throughout the Bay Area.
Planning Grant Documents
- Project Funding Agreement, Scope of Work, and Schedule (amended August 2013)
- Resolution 12-12: City Council authorization of funding agreement with ABAG/MTC
- Resolution 02-11: City Council authorization to submit application for station area planning grant funding


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Owners of Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City say they expect to shut it down in mid-September
The owners of the Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City say they expect to shut it down in mid-September.
Trump Entertainment Resorts tells The Associated Press on Saturday that no final decision has been made yet on the boardwalk casino. But the company says it expects the casino to close its doors Sept. 16.
Notices warning employees of the expected closing will go out to the casinos 1,000-plus employees Monday.
If Trump Plaza closes, Atlantic City could lose a third of its casinos and a quarter of its casino workforce in less than nine months.
The Atlantic Club closed in January, Showboat is closing next month, and Revel might do likewise if a buyer can't be found in bankruptcy court.


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An Art-Filled August at Agora Gallery
31 Jul 2015 – 20 Aug 2015
Agora Gallery
New York, United States
Three exemplary exhibitions make their way to Agora Gallery this late summer to move any art lover. Twenty-eight artists from eighteen countries bring their award-winning art to NYC to participate in the Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Exhibition.
These artists were all selected by a jury of curators, professors, appraisers, gallerists, and one museum president for their unprecedented quality and mastery. Fragmented Reality, with explosions of color and psychoactive patterns, sharp lines, and beautifully sensational shapes, presents a vibrantly animated world. Emerging Transformation creates an almost uncanny atmosphere with empty landscapes, emotional portraits, static still lifes, and nonrepresentational abstracts that forcefully pause time in poignant moments, causing the viewer to stop along with the action and take life slowly, reverently, and deliberately.
All three exhibitions will open on August 25th, 2015. Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Exhibition will run until September 8th, 2015, Fragmented Reality and Emerging Transformation exhibitions until September 12th, 2015. The opening reception will take place Thursday, August 27th, from 6-8 PM. The exhibition and opening reception are open to the public.
Featured Artists:
Fragmented Reality
Klaus Grape | Farzad Golpayegani | Marchu Torres | Vladimir Demidovich | Iva Milanova | Fred Mou | Jian Jun An
Emerging Transformation
Nathanael Carroll | Annika Banko | Jan Cyr | Mark Schiff | Ariel Gold | Michael Christidis | Donna Drapeau | Judy Blundell | Waltraud Oetzel | Marco Petracci | DAVO
The Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Exhibition
Juan Urbèt | Bernd Sannwald | Xinyu Zhang | Julija Levkova | Kelly Rae | Nancy V. Ridenour | Inés Menacho | Candace Sweet Primack | Patti Fontaine | Barbara Tosatto | Maria Martha Pichel | Madiha Abdo | William Vollers | Dafna Rehavia | Dale M Reid | Arturo Samaniego | Javier De Cea | Walter Bruszewski | Sue Howard | Raúl Fombona | Katarzyna Tomaszewska | Akira Otsubo | Hideo Tanaka | Jason Morgan | Yvon Buchmann | Charlotte Brisland | Darren Nisbett | José Sánchez (Felox)
About Agora Gallery
Agora Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the heart of Chelsea's fine art district in New York. Established in 1984, Agora Gallery specializes in connecting art dealers and collectors with national and international artists. The art gallery's expert consultants are available to assist corporate and private clients in procuring original artwork to meet their organization's specific needs and budget requirements. With a strong online presence and popular online gallery, ARTmine, coupled with the spacious and elegant physical gallery space, the work of our talented artists, who work in diverse media and styles, can receive the attention it deserves. Over the years Agora Gallery has sponsored and catered to special events aimed at fostering social awareness and promoting the use of art to help those in need.
Have you been to this event? Share your insights and give it a review below.


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A planet for all apes
Two movies released this month promise to shed a different light on the issue of our relationship with the great apes.
All apes, even movie stars, are entitled to the rights to life, liberty and protection from torture [GALLO/GETTY] |
Two new movies released this month – one a science-fiction blockbuster, the other a revealing documentary – raise the issue of our relations with our closest non-human relatives, the great apes. Both dramatise insights and lessons that should not be ignored.
Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the seventh film in a series based on Pierre Boule's 1963 novel, Planet of the Apes, about a world populated by highly intelligent simians. Publicity for the new film claims that it is "the first live-action film in the history of movies to star, and be told from the point of view of, a sentient animal". Yet no live apes were used.
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Instead, "performance capture technology", originally invented for the movie Avatar, enables a human actor, Andy Serkis, to play the role of the chimpanzee Caesar, not by dressing in a chimp suit, but by having every gesture and facial movement, even the twitch of an eyebrow, transformed into the movement of an ape.
My mate, primate
When I spoke with Wyatt last month, he acknowledged that there were practical reasons for not using real apes in his movie. But he also understood the ethical issue. "There are things I didn't want to be involved in," he told me. "To get apes to do anything you want them to do, you have to dominate them; you have to manipulate them into performing. That's exploitative."
Wyatt's reluctance to join in the exploitation of great apes is understandable, given that the film itself tells the story of apes rising up in response to oppression from dominant humans. The central human character, Will Rodman (played by James Franco), is a scientist seeking a cure for Alzheimer's disease who experiments on apes.
Many films would have glorified a scientist seeking such a goal, and treated the use of animals for that purpose as obviously justified. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, however, portrays Rodman as, in Franco's words, "a cold, isolated person". Only when Rodman's superiors cancel his experiments and he takes home Caesar, an infant chimpanzee, does the scientist begin to care about others. The plot then takes another turn when Caesar becomes too big and aggressive to live in a human home – and is taken to what is supposed to be a primate sanctuary, but is in fact a dumping ground for unwanted apes, run by humans who display cruelty to the captive animals.
Nim Chimpsky
As far as the treatment of apes is concerned, much of the film is firmly grounded in reality, as a viewing of Project Nim, a documentary based on Elizabeth Hess's book Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would be Human, clearly demonstrates. Nim was born in 1973, in a primate research facility in Oklahoma, and was taken from his mother when he was only ten days old, to be used in a sign-language experiment.
Reared as part of a human family, he learned to use more than 100 signs from American Sign Language, the language used by deaf Americans. But he was taken from his first human family and handed over to other teachers with whom he did not have the same kind of bond. He grew stronger and more aggressive and began biting his teachers.
Herbert Terrace, the Columbia University psychologist who was directing the project, decided to end it and sent Nim back to the primate facility in Oklahoma. There, the pampered chimpanzee – who, when asked to sort photos of humans and apes, put his own photo among the humans – was locked in a cage with other chimps. He demonstrated his view of that situation by signing "out" to passing humans. Nim suffered various other vicissitudes – and narrowly escaped being infected with hepatitis as part of a medical experiment – until he was eventually released to an animal sanctuary, where he died in 2000.
Self-aware simians
In 1993, Paola Cavalieri and I founded The Great Ape Project, an organisation dedicated to the idea of recognising that great apes have a moral status befitting their nature as self-aware beings who are capable of thought and have rich and deep emotional lives. At a minimum, they should have the rights to life, liberty, and protection from torture that we grant to all members of our own species, regardless of their intellectual abilities.
In the intervening years, that idea has made steady progress. Since 2010, the European Union has essentially banned the use of great apes in experiments. Experiments on great apes are now either banned or severely restricted in New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. In the United States, a bipartisan group of members of Congress is supporting legislation to end the use of chimpanzees in invasive research. In Spain in 2008, a parliamentary resolution urged the government to grant some basic legal rights to great apes, but the Spanish government has yet to implement it.
Perhaps the release of these two very different films will lead to a further push to bring great apes within the circle of beings with moral and legal rights. In that way, our closest relatives could serve to bridge the moral gulf that we have dug between ourselves and other animals.
Peter Singer is professor of bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. His books include Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, The Ethics of What We Eat, and The Life You Can Save.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent Al Jazeera's editorial policy.


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The Paiste 2002 14" Hi-Hat Cymbal is a 14" hi-hat cymbal, made from CuSn8 bronze, that is hand hammered, with a medium gauge and traditional finish. The 2002 cymbals are made in Switzerland from CuSn8 bronze. The manufacturing process is completed by experienced craftsman and boasts a hammering done completely by hand.
The bright, energetic and dynamic sound of the 2002 cymbal series is best suited for modern rock and metal, ska, rockabilly and punk styles, but also makes a great impression in classic rock, gospel and soul among others. Brilliance, clarity, precision and assertiveness allow the 2002 cymbals to be used in any music style. This cymbal boasts a warm, full, brilliant; fairly wide range with a warm, full open sound, as well as a defined, solid chick sound making it a versatile all-round hi-hat with definitive classic sound.
The main features of the Paiste 2002 14" Hi-Hat Cymbal include:


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Australia's central bank said their models and those used by the IMF showed in August estimates, that the Aussie dollar is four to 15 percent overvalued, according to Bloomberg.
In a separate December 14 document, the RBA also said its preferred model showed it was 7 percent overvalued.
The information was released in response to a Bloomberg Freedom of Information request (FOIA).
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) also said equilibrium rate may fall 1 - 4 percent in two years.
Here's a look at how the AUD responded to the news it is down to the 1.02 level.:
The AUD/USD has been trading in a 1.03 to 1.06 range since last November, and Societe Generale's Carole Laulhere and Kenneth Broux say in a February 5 note, that the AUD's valuation has been high compared to its 10-year average:
But for those thinking this could add to the currency wars, there's reason to believe otherwise.
The RBA said the situation in "Australia [is] not considered comparable to circumstances which led Switzerland to intervene on foreign-exchange market," according to the document released to Bloomberg. It said the AUD doesn't post a near-term risk of deflation nor is it "contractionary" for the economy.
Moreover, earlier this week, RBA Assistant Governor Guy Debelle spoke at the University of Adelaide, and said, the RBA could act to devalue its currency by buying foreign currency like the Swiss National Bank did, but it won't unless there is a huge change in the Australian economy or in the value of the Aussie dollar, according to the Brisbane Times.


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Today's workforce never truly switches off due to the proliferation of mobile devices and the blurring line between our personal and professional lives. Some have questioned whether this "always on" mentality will ultimately cause more harm than good, both for individuals and businesses as a whole.
While the jury remains out on that question, one positive aspect of the constant availability of technology is the impact on business continuity and disaster recovery.
Despite the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in October, many businesses in the affected area were able to maintain some level of continuity throughout the storm, drawing on mobile, social and virtual technologies to maintain communications with customers, employees, partners and suppliers. Here's a look at how new technology has fostered greater business continuity, even in the face of unexpected events.
Social Media
When you consider how quickly social networks have evolved from use by college kids to accepted platforms for business communications, it's truly staggering. The powerful reach of these publicly hosted channels gives organizations the ability to share updates on business-critical issues when their own networks and websites are down due to a storm or other disaster.
Social networks also enable companies to disseminate information to a wider audience that may not be as easily reached via more traditional methods. In the case of Sandy, for example, many retailers used Twitter and Facebook to update shoppers on which store locations were open.
Social networks also provide an avenue for organizations to stay in touch with their employees during unexpected events — providing updates on office openings, public transportation, relief efforts for impacted colleagues and other real-time updates that were incommunicable prior to the rise of social channels.
Mobile Devices
A decade ago, it was uncommon for anyone outside of the C-suite to have email access when not physically in the office. Today it's safe to say that the majority of employees have their smartphone or tablet hooked up to their corporate email.
And because many companies have optimized enterprise applications for the mobile platform, users can work remotely in much the same capacity as they would in the office, even if only armed with a mobile device.
Faster wireless networks and mobile hotspots also mean that employees can quickly connect to the Internet even if their work or home Wi-Fi is wiped out by a storm.
Using Virtualization
By definition, virtualization extends the traditional enterprise far beyond its physical limits. Many companies leverage server virtualization for disaster recovery, which is a much faster option for restoring systems than traditional tape backups.
In Hurricane Sandy's aftermath, many companies built virtual instances of employees' systems so they could resume work from alternate locations. By untying software and data from physical machines, businesses can more easily relocate impacted workers and get them back up and running with all the tools and information they need to conduct business as usual.
Remote Support
Another innovation of virtual technology, remote support solutions enable IT to securely access end users' computers, take control and troubleshoot their technology no matter where they're located. In addition to saving IT time and money, remote support solutions can be used to remotely build systems and virtual instances (as mentioned above) following disasters. This speeds up the recovery efforts for impacted offices, as IT reps halfway around the world can use the technology to rebuild systems and support users in the affected area as if they were on site.
Of course, this is not to say that hurricanes or other natural disasters still don't have a significant negative impact upon businesses. But technological advances have made it possible for organizations to continue operations in some capacity during unforeseen events.
For those companies that have yet to take advantage of mobile, virtualization and other innovations, one has to wonder if events like Sandy may cause them to reconsider. After all, enabling employees to be productive outside the office can also increase productivity during normal operations.
Whereas just a few years ago organizations had to start from square one following a major business interruption, today's technology enables companies to achieve relative continuity throughout and get back to speed much more efficiently following an unforeseen disruption.


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Mia (Erica Kathleen Linz) is a young woman seeking escape. She enters a circus tent and falls instantly in love with an aerialist (Igor Zaripov) that she sees performing. But when their eyes meet, he slips and falls, dragging Mia with him into another world. Mia and the aerialist become separated and travel in a place that exists between life and death to find each other again. Acts from Cirque du Soleil shows "O," "Mystère" and others illustrate their journey.
Release date: December 21, 2012


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The Latest: S Korea fears infections getting out of control
SEOUL, South Korea — New coronavirus cases in South Korea have reached the highest level in five months, and authorities fear infections are getting out of control in the Seoul region, which is home to half the country's 51 million people.
Officials reported 166 newly confirmed cases Saturday. That was the highest since March 11, when South Korea reported 242 amid an outbreak in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby towns.
With 103 new cases reported Friday, this is the first time since late March that the daily increase surpassed 100 two days in a row.
Officials say all but 11 of the new cases were local transmissions, and most were in the Seoul area.
— Canada-U.S. border closed for another month
— Alabama Gov. Ivey's chief of staff in quarantine
— Indonesia takes part in late-stage China vaccine trial
— Rural families without internet face tough choice on school. Roughly 3 million students across the United States don't have access to a home internet connection. For some, it is simply too expensive or there's no wi-fi.
— A federal judge threw out a lawsuit by an Arizona woman who claimed New York's quarantine requirement for travelers from hotspot states infringed on her "fundamental right to travel."
— NBA players at the Walt Disney World campus have been safe, with no players testing positive for the coronavirus since arriving in early July. Now some players whose teams missed the playoffs return home to virus hotspots.
— Follow AP's pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Popular tourist destinations in the Navajo Nation, including Canyon de Chelly, can start welcoming back tourists Monday under the tribe's reopening plan.
Much of the reservation has been closed since March as the new coronavirus swept through.
The tribe released a plan this week that allows parks and marinas to reopen with safeguards. Businesses can operate at limited capacity.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez says the Navajo Nation won't rush to fully reopen, recognizing that cases could spike if residents become complacent.
Employees at tribal and national parks on the reservation say they will be busy this weekend preparing for tourists.
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian state of Victoria continues to flatten the curve in its wave of coronavirus infections and deaths.
The state on Saturday reported four more COVID-19 deaths and 303 newly confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours. It is the second-lowest daily figure reported in Victoria this month after 278 cases Thursday.
Victoria's daily case numbers are gradually decreasing, with the seven-day average down to 344 from 521 a week ago.
But authorities warn there is more progress needed before lockdown restrictions in the city of Melbourne can be eased.
Melbourne residents and those in a nearby shire remain subject to strict night-time curfews, time limits on outdoor exercise, distance allowed from home, mandatory public mask wearing and shutdowns of non-essential industries.
MEXICO CITY — Mexico's number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 511,369, as health officials say they believe the country's infections have peaked.
They reported 5,618 new confirmed cases Friday, and said 615 more deaths from COVID-19 had raised the pandemic death toll to 55,908.
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell says Mexico had reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks, saying that "we have now had a maximum point in the curve."
However, he predicts that second waves of outbreaks will continue around the world for time. He says that "this is a phenomenon that is going to be with us in the whole world for several years."
PARIS — Paris is expanding the areas of the city where pedestrians will be obliged to wear masks starting Saturday morning, with health officials saying the coronavirus is "active" in the French capital and the Mediterranean city of Marseille,
The Champs-Elysees Avenue and the area around the Louvre museum are among zones where masks will be mandatory.
Paris police checks ensuring respect for mask wearing in designated areas are to be reinforced. Bars and restaurants could be ordered closed if distancing and other barriers to virus transmission aren't respected.
With France's national figures on infections also rising, Britain late Thursday ordered a quarantine for people entering the United Kingdom from France. France responded Friday by saying it would do the same for travelers from Britain.
HONOLULU — Hawaii's teachers union is challenging the state's school reopening plans by filing a labor complaint.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association filed a complaint with the state Labor Relations Board over a change in working conditions from increasing COVID-19 infections.
Most public schools will start the academic year Monday with online instruction. The union is asking that all schools be online until at least the end of the first quarter.
The union says some schools are going forward with in-person instruction. The state Department of Education disputes that statement. The union is asking teachers to wear black on Monday.
PHOENIX -- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's office says unemployed residents of the state were expecting to receive an additional $400 a week under an executive order by President Donald Trump will get only $300 extra.
Friday's announcement comes after the state decided it should not use its own funds to cover a required 25% match to the extra coronavirus payments.
Arizonans were getting $600 extra on top of the maximum $240 a week. But that extra pay expired in late July when Congress failed to extend it.
Also on Friday, Arizona health officials reported 928 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 40 additional deaths, increasing the state's totals to 191,721 confirmed cases with 4,423 deaths.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 2,264 more people have tested positive for the coronavirus — the largest increase in confirmed cases in nearly three months and the third time the state has topped 2,000 daily cases in the last week.
The state health department also said Friday that 25 more people have died from the virus, raising Illinois' death toll from the pandemic to 7,721.
The most confirmed cases reported in Illinois in a single day was 4,014 on May 12.
In a press release, the health department blamed the uptick in the number of virus cases on local elected officials of communities "where there is little public concern for consequences or enforcement" of social distancing and isolation orders. Officials say 14 of the state's 102 counties were deemed at "warning level" for the resurgence.
FRESNO, Calif. -- Students at a private school in California have attended a second day of in-person classes despite state and county orders to close the school.
Immanuel Schools in Reedley was told on Thursday to close its classrooms until the county is removed from a state monitoring list for two weeks. Fresno County also issued a health order against the K-12 school, which has about 600 students.
But the school allowed students into classes Thursday and Friday without masks or social distancing. The school's trustees and superintendent say they believe students' development will suffer if they cannot be taught on campus.
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says 4 million masks will be distributed to the state's residents at no charge to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The face coverings will go to low-income people, seniors, schools and homeless shelters through a partnership of the state, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Ford Motor Co.
FEMA is supplying 2.5 million of the masks, including 1.5 million that the state has already sent to social service agencies. Ford is paying for 1.5 million masks, which combined with an additional 1 million from FEMA will go to low-income schools, the city of Detroit, health clinics for the poor, some virus testing sites and other places.
The governor has required that masks be worn in enclosed public spaces and also in outdoor public areas whenever consistent distancing is not possible.
LOS ANGELES — California is withering under a heat wave that has brought dangerously high temperatures, increased wildfire danger and fears of coronavirus spread as people flock to beaches and recreation areas.
High pressure building over Western states pushed temperatures into triple digits across the state by midday Friday.
Los Angeles opened cooling centers, but with limited capacity because of coronavirus social distancing requirements.
Health officers were worried that people will pack beaches, lakes and other recreation areas without following mask and social distancing orders — a major concern in a state that has seen more than 600,000 coronavirus cases.
Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Israel saw a COVID-19 resurgence after a May heat wave inspired school officials to let children remove their masks.
"People will want to take off their masks when it's hot," Rutherford said. "Don't do it."
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A pair of COVID-19 clusters has been discovered at separate dormitories at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
An alert sent out by the school on Friday said the clusters were confirmed in Ehringhaus Community on the south end of campus and Granville Towers, which is on the west side of campus and adjacent to downtown Chapel Hill.
According to the school, the people in the clusters have been identified and are isolating and receiving medical monitoring. The school says it has also notified the Orange County Health Department and is working with the agency to identify possible potential exposures.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida's high school athletic board has voted to begin practices for football and other fall sports Aug. 24 and games less than two weeks later. The decision pushes aside the advice of medical experts who said competition shouldn't resume for at least six weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Florida High School Athletic Association board voted 11-5 on Friday to begin practices this month, though some counties with major outbreaks might choose to delay their seasons and forgo participation in the statewide playoffs.
Football games and other competitions could start Sept. 4, but the 67 countywide school districts plus private schools will have until Sept. 18 to resume if they want to participate in the playoffs. Other fall sports affected are swimming and diving, cross country, golf, bowling and girl's volleyball.
The association's vote pushed aside the recommendation of its medical advisory board, which called for not resuming sports until Sept. 28 at the earliest. No county meets all the criteria the board recommended for the resumption of sports.
The decision comes as Florida reported more than 6,200 new coronavirus cases and 200 deaths on Friday. Over the past week, Florida has averaged 175 reported coronavirus deaths per day — only Texas was higher with 212.
OAKLAND, Calif. — A judge has ordered a McDonald's restaurant in California that was hit by a coronavirus outbreak to follow increased health and safety protocols to help stop the spread of the virus.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports an Alameda County judge issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday against the owners of the McDonald's in Oakland. Workers said the outbreak there infected 35 people.
The judge ordered them to provide employees masks and gloves. It also required them to send home workers who show symptoms of infection.
After being closed for weeks, the McDonald's franchise reopened in July after agreeing to requirements in a temporary restraining order.
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials on Friday reported 928 coronavirus cases and 40 more deaths.
That increased the state's totals to 191,721 confirmed cases and 4,423 deaths.
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Arizona peaked about a month ago. The latest hospitalization metrics posted by the Department of Health Services are trending down to mid-June levels.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases decreased from 2,550 to 1,021 per day from July 30 to Aug. 13. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths decreased from 94 to 54 in the same time period.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama health officials are encouraged by a decline in coronavirus cases a month after a statewide mask order.
State Health Officer Scott Harris says the numbers are improving but warned people shouldn't abandon precautions heading into Labor Day gatherings and school openings.
The seven-day average number of daily cases has dropped below 1,000, after reaching 1,800 in mid-July. The number of hospitalized patients has dropped from about 1,600 to 1,400, and the percent of positive tests has dropped from 16.7% to 12.3%.
Harris encouraged people to keep wearing masks. He says the numbers may be declining because the surge of cases after the July 4 holiday has ended and the statewide mask order in July "played a role" in lowering the numbers.
Dr. Don Williamson, the former state health officer who heads the Alabama Hospital Association, says the next concern is a possible spike when students return to schools and colleges and gather for the Labor Day weekend.
Williamson says while the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals has dropped, 89% of ICU beds are full.
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez is urging all schools on the tribe's reservation to use online learning during the fall semester to help reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
Nez's statement cited all public and private schools, including charter schools, schools operated by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and those controlled by the tribe.
More than 9,300 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported on the reservation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.


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Petra – Jordan's most valuable treasure
Petra is an old archaeological city found in the Middle East, in the country of Jordan. It was once an important city, sitting astride the caravan trade routes linking places such as Damascus, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf beyond the desert. Despite this city having to be used on occasion as a fortress, some of its beautiful rock hewn architecture is anything but functional. Now the most popular tourist attraction in Jordan, you can bring images of this stunning city straight to your own living room.
A poster of Petra
The most iconic image of Petra is that of the building known as the Treasury, seen through a narrow rock gorge. It seems hard to believe that it was created by simply carving out the sandstone cliffs. Whether you are looking for a poster of this, or perhaps an art print of some other archaeological feature found in Petra, ARTFLAKES is sure to have what you are after.
An ARTFLAKES poster
ARTFLAKES offers a range of various types of poster including canvas prints, framed art and postcards. Whatever image of this iconic city you require, whether it is a poster for your home or for your workplace, there is a wide variety to choose from with ARTFLAKES.


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Let's compare two men.
Man 1 abjures marriage. He grows older moving from one long term relationship to another, experiencing relative instability in his love life but also the thrill of the hunt and the popping freshness of pussy varietals. As he ages, the number of women who are willing to abide his no-marriage clause shrinks, as does the youthful quality of the women. But he partly compensates for this inevitability with tight game and a charming, devil-may-care attitude, which allows him to punch above his weight well into his dotage. He has no heirs that he knows of, and for some reason this does not bother him as much as people tell him it should, but the fact that he is not bothered does bother him. He wonders, often now that the years ahead of him are far fewer than the years behind him, if one of those women he loved was one to hold to the exclusion of all others. At the end, he wheezes his last with memories of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women — of their loving ministrations and tender caresses and fleeting intimacies between window blind shafts of sunlight — dancing through his head, and in the company of a nebulous regret that refuses to dislodge.
Man 2 abjures bachelorhood. He marries at 30 after a trio of lukewarm short term relationships, and because he is a good man (or, more likely, because he is a man of middling status and dull personality with limited options in the sexual market which alleviates any threats of temptation against his virtue) he never cheats and puts his heart into pleasing his wife, who, because of her biology, inexorably grows less interested in sex with him, as her own attractiveness subsides in accord with her fattening waistline. He is healthy and content, all things considered, and he grows old fondly remembering his wife as she was many years ago, sexy and slender and whimsical, while the allure of her pussy — the only pussy he has seen and felt in twenty years — gradually diminishes, until the time comes he would rather caress pretty strangers with his eyes than caress his wife with his hands. He has two children, of whom he is very proud and loves very much, but still their existence does not relieve the gnawing that grips him in the chest when he thinks of love, and desire, that left him long ago. At the end, he wheezes his last in the company of his old wife's tears and clouded eyes, and he drifts off to forever with memories he wished he had, and memories so distant they have receded to mere imagination.
Now… ask yourself: Which of these two men had it better?


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It is unfair but there is nothing I can do about it. I am aching to get my hands on them.
Shotwell and I watch the console. Shotwell and I live under the ground and watch the console. If certain events take place upon the console, we are to insert our keys in the appropriate locks and turn our keys. Shotwell has a key and I have a key. If we turn our keys simultaneously the bird flies, certain switches are activated and the bird flies. But the bird never flies. In one hundred thirty-three days the bird has not flown. Meanwhile Shotwell and I watch each other. We each wear a .45 and if Shotwell behaves strangely I am supposed to shoot him. If I behave strangely Shotwell is supposed to shoot me. We watch the console and think about shooting each other and think about the bird. Shotwell's behavior with the jacks is strange. Is it strange? I do not know. Perhaps he is merely a selfish bastard, perhaps his character is flawed, perhaps his childhood was twisted. I do not know.
Each of us wears a .45 and each of us is supposed to shoot the other if the other is behaving strangely. How strangely is strangely? I do not know. In addition to the .45 I have a .38 which Shotwell does not know about concealed in my attaché case, and Shotwell has a .25 caliber Beretta which I do not know about strapped to his right calf. Sometimes instead of watching the console I pointedly watch Shotwell's .45, but this is simply a ruse, simply a maneuver, in reality I am watching his hand when it dangles in the vicinity of his right calf. If he decides I am behaving strangely he will shoot me not with the .45 but with the Beretta. Similarly Shotwell pretends to watch my .45 but he is really watching my hand resting idly atop my attaché case, my hand resting atop my attaché case, my hand. My hand resting idly atop my attaché case.
In the beginning I took care to behave normally. So did Shotwell. Our behavior was painfully normal. Norms of politeness, consideration, speech and personal habits were scrupulously observed. But then it became apparent that an error had been made, that our relief was not going to arrive. Owing to an oversight. Owing to an oversight we have been here for one hundred thirty-three days. When it became clear that an error had been made, that we were not to be relieved, the norms were relaxed. Definitions of normality were redrawn in the agreement of January 1, called by us, The Agreement. Uniform regulations were relaxed, and mealtimes are no longer rigorously scheduled. We eat when we are hungry and sleep when we are tired. Considerations of rank and precedence were temporarily put aside, a handsome concession on the part of Shotwell, who is a captain, whereas I am only a first lieutenant. One of us watches the console at all times rather than two of us watching the console at all times, except when we are both on our feet. One of us watches the console at all times and if the bird flies then that one wakes the other and we turn our keys in the locks simultaneously and the bird flies. Our system involves a delay of perhaps twelve seconds but I do not care because I am not well, and Shotwell does not care because he is not himself. After the agreement was signed Shotwell produced the jacks and the rubber ball from his attaché case, and I began to write a series of descriptions of forms occurring in nature, such as a shell, a leaf, a stone, an animal. On the walls.
Shotwell plays jacks and I write descriptions of natural forms on the walls. Shotwell is enrolled in a USAFI course which leads to a master's degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin (although we are not in Wisconsin, we are in Utah, Montana or Idaho). When we went down it was in either Utah, Montana or Idaho, I don't remember. We have been here for one hundred thirty-three days owing to an oversight. The pale green reinforced concrete walls sweat and the air conditioning zips on and off erratically and Shotwell reads Introduction to Marketing by Lassiter and Munk, making notes with a blue ballpoint pen. Shotwell is not himself but I do not know it, he presents a calm aspect and reads Introduction to Marketing and makes his exemplary notes with a blue ballpoint pen, meanwhile controlling the .38 in my attaché case with one-third of his attention. I am not well.
We have been here one hundred thirty-three days owing to an oversight. Although now we are not sure what is oversight, what is plan. Perhaps the plan is for us to stay here permanently, or if not permanently at least for a year, for three hundred sixty-five days. Or if not for a year for some number of days known to them and not known to us, such as two hundred days. It may be that they are pleased with us, with our behavior, not in every detail but in sum. Perhaps the whole thing is very successful, perhaps the whole thing is a experiment and the experiment is very successful. I do not know. But I suspect that the only way they can persuade sun-loving creatures into their pale green sweating reinforced concrete rooms under the ground is to say that the system is twelve hours on, twelve hours off. And then lock us below for some number of days known to them and not known to us. We eat well although the frozen enchiladas are damp when defrosted and the frozen devil's food cake is sour and untasty. We sleep uneasily and acrimoniously. I hear Shotwell shouting in his sleep, objecting, denouncing, cursing sometimes, weeping sometimes, in his sleep. When Shotwell sleeps I try to pick the lock on his attaché case, so as to get at the jacks. Thus far I have been unsuccessful. Nor has Shotwell been successful in picking the locks on my attaché case so as to get at the .38. I have seen the marks on the shiny surface. I laughed, in the latrine, pale green walls sweating and the air conditioning whispering, in the latrine. I write descriptions of natural forms on the walls, scratching them on the tile surface with a diamond. The diamond is a two and one-half carat solitaire I had in my attaché case when we went down. It was for Lucy. The south wall of the room containing the console is already covered. I have described a shell, a leaf, a stone, animals, a baseball bat. I am aware that the baseball bat is not a natural form. Yet I described it. "The baseball bat," I said, "is typically made of wood. It is typically one meter in length or a little longer, fat at on end, tapering to afford a comfortable grip at the other end. The end with the handhold typically offers a slight rim, or lip, at the nether extremity, to prevent slippage." My description of the baseball bat ran to 4500 words, all scratched with a diamond on the south wall. Does Shotwell read what I have written? I do not know. I am aware that Shotwell regards my writing-behaviour as strange. Yet it is no stranger than his jacks-behaviour, or the day he appeared in black bathing trunks with the .25 caliber Beretta strapped to his right calf and stood over the console, trying to span with his two arms outstretched the distance between the two locks. He could not do it, I had already tried, standing over the console with my two arms outstretched, the distance is too great. I was moved to comment but did not comment, comment would have provoked counter-comment, comment would have led God knows where. They had in their infinite patience, in their infinite foresight, in their infinite wisdom already imagined a man standing over the console with his two arms outstretched, trying to span with his two arms outstretched the distance between the locks.
Shotwell is not himself. He has made certain overtures. The burden of his message is not clear. It has something to do with the keys, with the locks. Shotwell is a strange person. He appears to be less affected by our situation than I. He goes about his business stolidly, watching the console, studying Introduction to Marketing, bouncing his rubber ball on the floor in a steady, rhythmical, conscientious manner. He appears to be less affected by our situation than I am. He is stolid. He says nothing. But he has made certain overtures, certain overtures have been made. I am not sure that I understand them. They have something to do with the keys, with the locks. Shotwell has something in mind. Stolidly he shucks the shiny silver paper from the frozen enchiladas, stolidly he stuffs them into the electric oven. But he has something in mind. But there must be a quid pro quo. I insist on a quid pro quo. I have something in mind.
I am not well. I do not know our target. They do not tell us for which city the bird is targeted. I do not know. That is planning. That is not my responsibility. My responsibility is to watch the console and when certain events take place upon the console, turn my key in the lock. Shotwell bounces the rubber ball on the floor in a steady, stolid, rhythmical manner. I am aching to get my hands on the ball, on the jacks. We have been here one hundred thirty-three days owing to an oversight. I write on the walls. Shotwell chants "onesies, twosies, threesies, foursies" in a precise, well-modulated voice. Now he cups the jacks and the rubber ball in his hands and rattles them suggestively. I do not know for which city the bird is targeted. Shotwell is not himself.
Sometimes I cannot sleep. Sometimes Shotwell cannot sleep.
Sometimes when Shotwell cradles me in his arms and rocks me to sleep,
singing Brahms' "Guten abend, gut Nacht," or I cradle Shotwell in my arms
and rock him to sleep, singing, I understand what it is Shotwell wishes
me to do. At such moments we are very close. But only if he will give
me the jacks. That is fair. There is something he wants me to do with
my key, while he does something with his key. But only if he will give
me my turn. That is fair. I am not well.
Copyright (c) 1996 The Estate of Donald Barthelme