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He's not even an owner yet – why would he know???
The NBA is not expanding anytime soon – why voluntarily create MORE competition for the talent, resulting in even higher salaries, which are nuts as they are?
Not to mention splitting the national tv revenue by another 2 teams.
Hanson's only hope is relocation, which we know with the Sac debacle, ain't happening any time soon. never say never but this is pretty darned close.-
Ballmer is privy to nearly everything now. And expansion will be more plausible after Ballmer's offer raised the value of every team, making the one-time expansion fee a serious chunk of money for all owners.
And perhaps pricing an expansion team out of reach? Thanks to Ballmer, getting a team here is now five to six times what it would have cost just to build an arena. Truly, NBA ownership is now exclusively a sport of kings, and I don't mean Sacramento.
I interpreted that since he bailed on Chris Hansen's group he didn't believe the NBA would be approving a Seattle franchise anytime soon. The fact that Adam Silver has been pushing for expansion in Louisville pretty much puts the nail in the coffin on Seattle's NBA hopes. Relocation won't be an option since they were told don't bother when they inquired about the availability of the Bucks and T-Wolves. The only hope for Hansen now is for a new commisioner to step in as that its painfully obvious Silver is continuing what Sterno has established for the NBA's direction. Seattle is for the NBA what LA is for the NFL. What happens when cities don't bow down to them.
I think Silver isn't carrying the same baggage for Seattle. But his priority is making money, and if there's an arena here with Hansen in charge, he will give an OK to expansion. And since expansion is usually done in tandem, there's room for Louisville.
If Larry Ellison is seriously interested, and he's flirted with the NBA in the past, San Jose will be the second city. No pro sports competition there. I also think the NBA would choose Virginia over Seattle for the same reasons.
Ballmer doesn't know the latest on Seattle's NBA chances because he's been picking up the couch cushions looking for $2 billion to buy the Clippers with. That he walked away from Hansen's group after Chris overplayed his hand and instead overpaid for a existing team he won't move speaks volumes. He'll support and vote for a future Seattle franchise as an owner but that's really about as far as it goes now.
Actually, there isn't much to know on Seattle's chances. Until a new TV deal is in hand, no consideration will be given to expansion. And no team loks vulnerable to a move.
Too bad Chris Hansen can't get in on that Root Sports action.


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ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Alaska serial killer buried three victims in the state of Washington and submerged two others in a lake there but refused to provide many more details about their whereabouts, according to interviews released Tuesday by the FBI.
The FBI posted more than six hours of videotaped interviews on the Internet that agents, Anchorage police and federal prosecutors conducted with Israel Keyes in the months before his suicide in an Anchorage jail.
The material shows Keyes' movements across the country before his arrest in Texas on March 13, 2012. However, investigators have had leads run dry on a number of other victims and are seeking the public's help.
Keyes lived in Washington state before moving to Anchorage in 2007.
In a Nov. 29 interview, just three days before he was found dead in his jail cell from suicide, Keyes asked if investigators had found any knives at his New York property or on a boat he owned in Washington state. He said there were two knives missing from his girlfriend's home in Anchorage, and he didn't know where they were.
He was particularly concerned about a Cold Steel Tanto, 4 1/2-inch folding knife he bought in Port Angeles, Wash. Asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Feldis why the knife was important, Keyes indicated authorities might find something if they took it apart.
Was it blood?
"Well, there might, not on it, maybe inside somewhere," Keyes replied.
He said, "yeah," when asked if the knife was associated with one of the Washington killings.
FBI Special Agent Jolene Goeden probed deeper, asking if a body were found at the bottom of a lake, would it still be intact.
"Were they contained in something or were they just tied to the milk jugs?" she asked.
"No," he responded.
She pressed, "I mean, is it something where we, we might possible actually still get an intact ..."
"No," Keyes repeated, cutting her off.
He later indicated the folding blade wasn't the primary means of death.
Asked if the victims were shot or strangled, Keyes replied after chuckling, "You'll get the whole story eventually."
He then relented and said the only victim shot was Bill Currier in Vermont. All others were strangled except one Washington victim, who was hit in the head and killed as Keyes tried to subdue him.
Feldis and another assistant U.S. attorney, Frank Russo, decided in the taped interview that the Washington state couple were buried in a hole and not submerged in the lake.
Keyes says, "Yeah, that was a while ago."
Keyes worked for the Makah Indian tribe in Washington state after he got out of the Army in July 2001.
"It wasn't that long that you, um, killed somebody and it was that sort of feeling that you needed ... " Feldis said.
"Yeah, Neah Bay's a boring town," Keyes replied.
Later, the questioning turned to the bodies in the lake, and Keyes seemingly chastised his interrogators about not figuring out one of the locations.
"You guys know about Lake Crescent in Washington, right?" he said.
Feldis asked, "And that's the lake?"
"That's one of the lakes," Keyes replied.
Keyes indicated he weighed the body or bodies down with four to five milk jugs.
"Just for one body," Feldis asked.
"Yeah," Keyes said.
The FBI believes one victim was killed in Neah Bay shortly after Keyes was released from the Army. The other two people buried in Washington state are believed to have been killed from July 2001 to 2005. The other two victims in the state were believed to have been killed in 2005 or 2006.
After his arrests in 2012, Keyes was charged with the murder of 17-year-old Samantha Koenig, an Anchorage barista who was kidnapped from the coffee stand where she worked. Her dismembered body was pulled from a lake north of Anchorage two months after she went missing.
Keyes later confessed to the 2011 murders of Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, Vt., and indicated to authorities there were victims in a total of 10 states.
Keyes never disclosed much information about the other crimes, trying to keep as many details as possible out of the media so his daughter wouldn't be able to find any information up on the Internet or his mother wouldn't have a heart attack reading what he did.
He also was in constant negotiations with investigators, oftentimes frustrating them on not releasing information as he said he would.

subset: commoncrawl


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About UCC
Club History
The Erie Canal had just opened up the West, and the Age of Immigration was beginning. Thousands were coming to America from the British Isles and Europe drawn by the promise of food, jobs, and prosperity. The Mohawk Valley, with its abundance of waterpower and its strategic location in relation to transportation, was on the leading edge of industrialization. The population of the area was growing rapidly, and two out of three Uticans were born in foreign countries or were children of immigrants. In this climate, new traditions and customs of these new Americans began to take hold.
The earliest recorded curling events locally were organized by Scotch and English textile workers in Clark Mills in 1832. In 1855, the sport moved to lower Campbell Pond (now Twin Ponds) in New York Mills where it flourished for more than 20 years. Many Uticans were part of this group and traversed the three mile distance in horse drawn sleds.
Benjamin Allen, who arrived from England in 1832, was an expert stonecutter and worked on the Erie Canal Expansion, the Chenango Canal and various other building projects. He was an avid curler that participated in the games held on the Chenango Canal, the Globe Mill Pond in West Utica, Butterfield skating rink on Jewett Street, on the Erie Canal, and sometimes on the Mohawk River flats. Allen purchased property that contained Ballou Creek where it emptied into the Erie Canal. By damming the shallow section of the creek near Rutger Street, he was able to form a large ice surface that could be used for curling and ice skating. In 1868, he formed the Utica Curling club. In 1874, the rink area was fenced in and a small shed with wood-burning stove was built. That same year, the New York Mills Curling Club merged with Utica and joined the Grand National Curling club as the Utica Curling Club.
To reduce the shoveling that curling outdoors required, a large building was erected in 1891-92 that could house 3 sheets of curling ice under cover and could also be used for skating. Refrigeration was provided by opening the large windows on three sides of the building. It was known as Rutger Rink and was home of the Utica Curling Club until 1916.
The facility was willed to the Utica Curling Club by Benjamin Allen's son, W. Fred. In 1916, the city of Utica, looking to expand its boundaries and expand Rutger Street eastward, paid the Club nearly $20,000 for the building and property. The club bought property on Francis Street and began construction on the new Clubhouse in October of 1916. The building housed 5 sheets of ice and again, refrigeration was provided (or withheld) by Mother Nature through large windows in the curling shed. Even though no curling clubs had artificial ice prior to World War I, A.S. Brinckerhoff, a member of the building committee and long time ice chairman of the old Rutger Rink, had insisted that a basement room in the new Francis Street building be designed to hold equipment for ice-making.
By 1923, the membership limit of 180 had been reached and a waiting list established. Then came two disastrous winters of thaws, uncompleted schedules, and wrecked bonspiels. The natural decision followed - an artificial ice plant was installed. As a result of old "Brink's" foresight, when the York Ice Machinery Co. made the installation in 1925, not a single change had to be made in the basement to accommodate the equipment.
The depression of 1930-39 demanded rigid economy and required individual financial aid to tide over some unbalanced budgets, but curling never declined. In the early forties, women relatives of club members got permission to use the ice, when available, for fifty cents per person per game. In 1948, on behalf of women relatives and friends, Marjorie Foster submitted a report of the women's activities, and in September 1948, the men voted to accept the women as associate members. The women's organization, first led by Marge Foster, was originally named the Utica Tartans, but in 1949 changed their name to the Utica Glengarries. The invitation of women to curl gave the club its most pronounced increase in membership. Women became full membershs with voting privileges in 1990. Read a full history of the Glengarries.
The original Glengarry pin, affectionately known as the "stick lady" was designed by a charter Glengarries member, Lynda More. At the same time, she created a companion pin for the men. Both were curling stone stick figures with a U for Utica surrounding the figure. After a few years, the Lynda created a second pin for Glengarries to trade at bonspiels. It is a shield in white, blue, and gold, with a Glengarry hat, crossed brooms, a stone, and a thistle. Mixed curling became a staple of the club, and our famous Mixed Bonspiel was started in 1953, so a mixed pin was created, combining the male and female heads on a single pin.
A major expansion was undertaken in in 1958-59, which was also the first time that all five sheets had matched stones. In 1962 a new ice base was installed, with indirect refrigeration which removed the hazard of pressurized ammonia gas inside the curling shed. The interior was upgraded in 1975 and 76 (paneling and modern kitchen). Most importantly, our stones were replaced at the start of the 1985-86 season with the new Ailsa Craig insert stones with modern plastic handles.
In 1995, the Francis Street club was destroyed by fire. But by 1996, a new facility with 6 sheets of ice had opened on Clark Mills Road in Whitestown. In honor of our "resurrection from the ashes", Tom Garber designed our new Phoenix logo and pin. Since then the building has been modified for wheelchair curlers and others with disabilities. The new facility has been host to the U.S. men's and women's championships, the U.S. club championship, the college national championship, and in 2011 celebrated the 100th anniversary of hosting the Mitchell Bonspiel, an international men's Grand National Curling Club event first held in 1885. The Utica Curling Club now sports almost 300 members embracing novices, long-time curlers, juniors, college curlers, and wheelchair curlers. Teenagers began curling in 1954; Little Rockers (ages 6-12) in 1989. College curling, which had been sporadic, became a permanent addition in 2005 when Hamilton College and Colgate University formed their curling clubs and made the Utica rink their home. SUNY Polytechnic Institute joined in 2015 and we have had representatives from SUNY Binghamton, Syracuse University, Utica College, Cornell University, and Mohawk Valley Community College.
In 2018, The Utica Curling Club celebrated its sesquicentennial. We look forward to the next 150 years or curling!


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From the Hans Christian Andersen biography "The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. Day By Day", written by DPhil Johan de Mylius:
The Vilh. Pedersen edition1862: The Vilh. Pedersen edition
6th - 21st October
In Granada. Sees Alhambra and witnesses the festivities in honour of the arrival of Queen Isabella II in the town. Is invited out to look at ladies and feels his blood churning, as also happened earlier during the stay in Spain.
Reads Søren Kierkegaard's work Begrebet Angest (The Concept of Fear) and is offended by the fact that Kierkegaard labels the genius as unchristian.
Gets into a heated discussion with Jonas Collin on the topic of faith in God and Christianity:
"I then was told in a direct manner about God's expelling of Christianity in favour of the new God Christ"
(the diary, 13th).
7 October
The first booklet of a series of 3 which together make up: H.C. Andersens Eventyr og Historier. Med Illustrationer efter Originaltegninger af V. Pedersen. Første Bind. Med 91 Illustrationer. (Hans Christian Andersen's Tales and Stories. With Illustrations Based on Original Drawings by V. Pedersen. First Volume. Including 91 Illustrations). The following two booklets were released on 3rd November and 15th December. This, as well as the second volume (1863), includes all the fairy-tales and stories illustrated by Vilh. Pedersen, in chronological order.
21 October
Return via Loja to Málaga, where they stay from 22nd - 29th October.
30 October
Arrival by ship to Gibralter. Receives a letter from Sir John Drummond Hay, English Consulate General and Danish Consul to the empire of Morocco, who is married to the sister of Georg Carstensen. The letter invites them to stay with the Drummond Hay family when they arrive in Tangier.
2 November
They sail to Morocco, to Tangier and ride out to Ravensrock, the country house of Sir Drummond Hay. They are the guests of the consul both here and in Tangier. The consul is their guide to the Pascha. An invitation is received to visit the home of a rich Jewish family.
9 November
Aboard the French steam-powered battleship 'Titan' to Cádix.
13 November
Via Jeres to Sevilla, where on the first evening in the town he is inspired to write a poem about the cigar! Here he meets the Swedish painter E.S. Lundgren and the Scottish painter John Phillip, who bring him along to the Art Academy. One of the halls is home to 24 works by the painter Murillo from Sevilla. HCA is very impressed with Murillo and thinks more highly of him than of Rubens:
"Like Southern sunlight from the world of spirits [...] No-one outdoes him. Every one of these paintings is a great pleasure to behold"
(In Spain).
Does not get to see the tobacco factory but notes in his travel journal that:
" Snuff from the Seville factory rains and snows over the entire peninsula; five hundred people, mostly women, work in that great tobacco tin".
Is worried about talk of cholera.
22 November
By train to Cordoba. On to Madrid on 25th.
26th November - 2nd December
In Madrid. Visits the poet and literary historian Juan Hartzenbusch.
2 December
To Toledo. Return to Madrid on 7th December.
7th - 19th December
In Madrid. Goes to the bull-fighting once again, as Jonas wishes to see it. Would have preferred to spend the money going to the opera.
Is introduced to the Duke of Rivas, who is a politician and writer, by the Swedish Ambassador Bergman. Sees the Real museum.
Goes to see a translator by the name of Jacobo Zobel de Zangroniz, who works for a magazine in Madrid. Zobel wishes to write a piece about HCA's stay there, and HCA takes the opportunity to suggest he translate "The Story of a Mother" for the magazine. In Madrid, as elsewhere in Spain, HCA meets only a few people who have heard of him, and then only through English or German translations. The young Zobel, who HCA spends some time with during the last few days in Madrid, wishes to write about his life.
Visits, whilst in Madrid, La exposicion nacional de bellas artes de 1862. There he sees, amongst other things, a statue of the recently deceased politician and poet, Martinez de las Rosas, who had lived in exile in Paris for some time. HCA had met him there in 1843 and had been looking forward to seeing hem again during the visit to Spain.
19 December
Via St. Chidrian to Búrgas, where they lodge in a hotel where the girls are very brash towards them, as though it were a brothel:
"The girls in this house are quite like prostitutes, they almost threw themselves at Jonas and I, laid their hands on us, had many excuses and would stop at nothing to please us".
(the diary, 20th).
The travelling companions find the winter weather gruelling.
22 December
On from Búrgos through San Sebastián and Irún into France to Bayonne.
23rd - 27th December
In Bayonne, where they spend Christmas at the hotel with cake, champagne and cognac. A wax candle from Rome is placed in the champagne bottle and serves as their Christmas tree. In the window of a book-store, HCA sees a copy of his work Billedbog uden Billeder (Picture Book without Pictures), as well as a book by Oehlenschläger. Departure from Bayonne on 27th-29th for an outing to Biarritz. The trip continues on 29th via Bayonne to Dax and on to Bordeaux.
30 December
Arrival in Bordeaux, where they celebrate the New Year, once more with champagne and cake. Here, as had also been the case earlier on during the trip, HCA is very displeased with his young companion:
"From him I never receive any thanks, although surely from his parents"
(the diary, 29th).


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With millions of iPhones already sold, Apple was hoping for another hit with the release of the iPhone 3G S. The new phone features an improved camera (with AutoFocus), larger memory capacity, faster hardware, and a new OS. Apple has been accepting preorders for the phone over the last couple weeks.
AT&T stores opened at 7:30 am in preparation for the launch. Lines were relatively short and orderly even in busy locations like the AT&T Suffolk Street and Delancey Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side (according to MacRumors). Louisville, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Montreal, Quebec were among the cities to have small lines of 100 people or less (via Twitter). Despite the shorter lines, the phone reportedly sold out quickly.
The AT&T shops received stocks of approximately 60 units for those who did not preorder and many sold out within 20 minutes or less. Stores will reportedly receive their next shipment 5 business days. AT&T had already exhausted its pre-order supply a week ago. Customers ordering over the last week will have to wait one to two weeks to have their phone delivery.
Outside the shops ringtone merchants and phone recyclers pestered many of the customers, try to get them to sell their older models for refurbishing, or to sell them ringtones or accessories. Local TV channels even showed up to many of the events.
The phone costs $199 (16 GB) or $299 (32 GB) for new subscribers and as much as $599 (32 GB) for subscribers with under over a year left on their current contract. Rather than risk a disastrous launch day OS update like last year (which saw Apple's servers crash from the traffic) the new OS v3.0 was released early this week, staggering the downloads from new phones and older iPhone 3G's
The iPhone 3G S launch appears to have gone very well for Apple, and success seems certain for the powerful iPhone 3G S. However, it features tough competition this fall from new Android handsets, the Blackberry Storm 2, the Palm Pre, and other phones such as the Nokia N97, or the Samsung Omnia Pro (Windows Mobile).


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Senate committee approves gun trafficking bill
Published 10:31 am Thursday, March 7, 2013
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday making gun trafficking a federal crime as lawmakers cast the first vote in Congress to curb firearms since December's horrific shootings at a Connecticut elementary school.
The panel was also debating bills banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, requiring background checks for nearly all gun purchases, and providing more money for schools to buy video cameras and other safety equipment.
The committee approved the gun trafficking measure on an 11-7 vote. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, was the only Republican to vote in favor of the measure, whose chief sponsor was the panel's chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Evidence was abundant of partisan clashes ahead as the two parties sparred over the need to limit firearms.
Leahy said he hoped senators would make significant progress this week on curbing gun violence.
Grassley said everyone wants to prevent more killings like the deaths of 20 first-graders and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. But he said gun control does not work and accused Democrats of wanting to "impose more gun restrictions on law-abiding citizens."
All four measures were expected to pass the committee. But their fate when the full Senate considers them, probably in April, is less certain. The trafficking measure by Leahy, D-Vt., was thought to have the best prospects, while the assault weapons ban by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., seemed to have the slimmest chance.
The trafficking bill would create penalties of up to 25 years in prison for people who legally buy guns but give them to others who use them in crimes.
Democrats led by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., had hoped to reach a bipartisan deal on expanding federal background checks with conservative Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. But on Wednesday, Democrats set aside their efforts to win over Coburn after weeks of talks failed to resolve a dispute over requiring that records of private sales be retained.
Their inability to craft a deal with Coburn was a blow to Democrats because of his solid conservative credentials and "A" rating with the NRA. His support could have meant backing from other Senate Republicans and even moderate Democrats, including several facing 2014 re-election campaigns in GOP-leaning states.
In addition, supporters of curbing guns say the Senate will have to approve legislation with strong bipartisan support to boost their chances of success in the GOP-led House. Republican leaders there have said they won't act until the Senate produces legislation.
Democrats said they would negotiate with other Republicans and would not give up on eventually cutting a deal with Coburn.
"We're confident plenty of senators already understand that this is the sweet spot where good policy and politics meet," said Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a gun-curb group led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino whose membership includes more than 800 mayors.
Expanding the checks is the cornerstone and most popular part of Obama's effort to rein gun violence. They are now mandated only for sales by the nation's 55,000 federally licensed gun dealers, not for private sales between individuals, like those at gun shows or online.
An Associated-Press-GfK poll in January found 84 percent favored requiring background checks at gun shows. Other proposed gun curbs were supported by just over half the public.
Thursday's Judiciary session prompted widespread efforts, especially by gun control advocates, to pressure recalcitrant senators and show signs of public support.
Supporters of gun curbs planned rallies outside the home-state offices of Grassley, the Judiciary Committee's top Republican, and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., grievously wounded in a Tucson mass shooting two years ago, solicited contributions by email for the political action committee she and husband Mark Kelly, the retired astronaut, have formed to help elect lawmakers who back gun curbs.
"Your contribution will help us keep the pressure on Judiciary Committee senators while ensuring the rest of them see our message" during Congress' recess late this month, she wrote.
NRA officials said they have urged their members, said to number more than 4 million, to contact lawmakers.
Democrats say background check records, whether kept by the individuals, manufacturers or others, are the only way to ensure that the checks are conducted for private sales. Coburn said such information could help create a federal registry of gun owners — something that is now illegal and that the White House says would not happen.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., also have been involved in the background check negotiations and said in a joint statement they would continue looking for a compromise with other senators.
"Dr. Coburn is still hopeful they can reach an agreement," Coburn spokesman John Hart said Wednesday.
Lacking agreement with Coburn, Schumer planned to seek a vote by the Judiciary Committee on a bill resembling a measure he initially proposed two years ago. It would require background checks for nearly all gun sales, with narrow exemptions including one for transactions between close relatives. It would also cut federal aid for states that don't send enough mental health records to the federal background check network — a widespread problem that has fueled critics' complaints that the current system should be fixed before it is expanded.


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While looking into the eyes of two young Marines during a Feb. 23 ceremony honoring their fallen brother in arms, I could see the war in Afghanistan. While some say the conflict is "winding down," it will never be over for these patriots, who saw their friend die less than a year ago.
The two Marines, Preston and Mike, made the nearly 600-mile trip from North Carolina's Camp Lejeune to the small town of Leesburg, Ga., to comfort the family of Lance Cpl. Steve Sutton. The 24-year-old Marine was killed while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand Province on May 26, 2012.
"Steve Sutton was my brother," Preston said.
Throughout the emotional ceremony, the Marines stood beside Gene Sutton, the fallen Marine's father, who had his arms around both young men when a statue was unveiled to honor Steve. When I spoke with the grieving father before the event, he was overcome with emotion.
"I raised him myself," Gene said through tears.
Image courtesy: U.S. Marine Corps
The elder Sutton spoke about his son's success as a high school and junior college offensive lineman who later volunteered to transfer his athletic prowess from the football field to the battlefield. While immensely proud of all Steve accomplished, Gene misses his son dearly and knew getting through the day's events would be a struggle.
"I don't know how I'm going to make it through hearing them play 'Taps,'" he said.
Just as they were there for Steve during his final hours, Preston and Mike were there for their fellow Marine's dad.
"If there's anything anybody can do for Steve, it would be to continue this support and to support his family," Preston said. "That's what he would want."
"Big Steve," as the burly Marine was nicknamed, will always be in the hearts of his loved ones and those who served alongside him. But he also managed to inspire people who never got the chance to meet him.
"I feel as if I knew him well," Col. Donald Davis, commanding officer of the nearby Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, said. "He's present here with us not only in spirit, but in the eyes of those of you who raised him and influenced him through his life."
Colonel Davis spoke of what it takes for young men and women to leave home and spend many months in faraway places like Afghanistan, where thousands of U.S. troops still serve more than eleven years after the 9/11 attacks.
"Walking among you and speaking to each of you, as well as (Steve's) family and friends, I see character," Davis said. "I see the attributes needed for a good Marine: patriotism, hard work and a compassion that truly reflects a concept beyond oneself."
These noble qualities could also be seen in Steve's fellow Marines. As I met both warriors and thanked them for their service, I couldn't help but wonder what both had been through. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a close friend, especially during the chaos and confusion of combat.
Despite pain that had to be extraordinary, both Marines addressed the more than 300 people who stood outside on a damp, chilly afternoon outside the Lee County Courthouse. When both Marines spoke, the hand of Steve's father, who was again overcome with emotion, rested on their shoulders.
"He influenced my life," Preston said. "I'm glad to see that there are still people in America that will show up and honor people that fight and serve."
Sadly, too many Americans, starting with politicians on both sides of the aisle, are disengaged from the Afghanistan conflict. Still, there are thousands of combat veterans like Preston and Mike and thousands of families like the Suttons who have lost loved ones since 9/11. These folks don't just live in small towns like Leesburg, Ga.; they are in communities all across the nation.
The next time you meet a veteran or family of a fallen service member, look into their eyes. You won't just see the wars that changed their lives; you will see all that's good about the country they helped defend.
"During his funeral procession, a local young woman said 'we don't have to know one another to be for one another,'" Davis said. "'We are all family.'"
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Rice in dish adds depth
Boiling rice avoids ratio, timing flaws
Starchy, crunchy and flavorful, fried rice is a deeply satisfying dish no matter what you add to it. And you can add just about any vegetable or protein you care to name, fresh or left over.
I love fried rice not only for its taste and versatility, but also because it's so easy to make at the last minute. I almost always have most of the core ingredients stocked in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer. If a carton of leftover take-out restaurant rice suddenly appears on a shelf next to the milk, I'm good to go.
I've never been all that great at cooking rice. I just can't seem to get the ratio and timing right, and I always forget when you're supposed to leave it alone and when you're supposed to stir it. I finesse this handicap by leaning on a little trick I learned during my restaurant days: boiling the rice in a big pot of salted water as if it was pasta. That way there's no rice-to-water ratio to worry about. For brown rice, 45 minutes does the trick.
And if you're in a particular rush, you can swap in instant brown rice, which is almost as nutritious as regular brown rice and cooks up quicker, as advertised.
This being spring, I made sure that the stars of the recipe were seasonal ingredients, starting with peas. Fresh peas are heavenly, of course, but they start turning to starch as soon as they're harvested, so be sure to cook them right away. I also incorporated two other spring vegetables – sugar snap peas and radishes, though I left the radishes raw. Sauté a radish and this spicy, crispy root vegetable becomes sweet and tender.
But I like the kick of a raw radish, so I simply shredded them, then tossed them with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Sprinkled on top of the finished dish, these raw radishes are similar to a pickle.
Protein-wise, this recipe calls for shrimp, but you can use any protein you choose, or toss in mushrooms instead and call it a vegetarian's delight.
As is typical in Chinese cuisine, this dish requires little cooking time. But you must have all the ingredients measured and chopped before you toss them in the pan. If you want to streamline the process even further, you can leave out the sauce, simply serving the finished dish with soy sauce and hot sauce on the side. For that matter, you could lose the radish garnish, though even suggesting such a thing makes me sad.
In the end, I can pretty much guarantee that if you try this recipe even once, you'll be inspired to make it again and again, changing it slightly every time to make room for whichever delicious seasonal ingredients happen to be at hand or whichever leftovers are crying out to be used up.
Shrimp Fried Rice with Pickled Radishes
2 eggs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups coarsely shredded radishes (about 10 large radishes)
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup blanched fresh or thawed frozen peas
1 cup blanched sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Coat the pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add a pinch of salt and some pepper to the eggs, then add them to the pan. Tilt the pan to spread the egg all around to make a flat pancake. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, or until almost set. Turn over the egg (you can cut it in a few pieces to make it easier, using the side of a nonstick pan-safe spatula) and cook for another 10 seconds. Transfer the egg to a cutting board.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until almost cooked through, about another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and return the skillet to the heat.
Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet, then add the rice, pressing it flat with the back of the spatula. Cook until the rice is slightly crispy, turning it over with the spatula, about 8 to 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, in a small bowl combine the radishes, vinegar and salt to taste. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sake and sesame oil. Chop the egg and add it along with the peas and sugar snap peas to the bowl with the shrimp.
When the rice is nicely crisped, add the contents of the shrimp bowl and the soy sauce mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the mixture is heated through. Transfer the fried rice to 4 bowls and top each portion with some of the radishes.
Yield: 4 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 440 calories, 14 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 27 percent total fat calories), 22 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams sugar, 175 milligrams cholesterol, 7 grams dietary fiber, 670 milligrams sodium.


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At church on Sundays, African-American students are hearing a possibly unexpected pitch alongside the familiar sermon: Come to Cal State University.
Officials from the California State University system have been pioneering a program of seeking new prospective African-American students in church pews — a program that's serving as a model for similar efforts elsewhere.
Blacks make up about 6.6 percent of California's population, according to 2011 census data. Jorge Haynes, a Cal State spokesman, said the university system's African-American population is 5 percent.
California is at the leading edge of a demographic shift affecting the country. The state's Hispanic population is slated to become its largest single ethnic group by 2014.
Given this shift, according to the Los Angeles Times, "colleges have to work harder to attract African-American, Latino and other underrepresented students." And last year, a federal court upheld a ban of race-based admissions in the state's school system.
Cal State's outreach is part of "Super Sunday," a program that sends top university officials to predominantly black churches to talk about admissions requirements and financial aid. Started in 2006, Super Sunday has contributed to a steady rise in African-American students over the last decade, according to the Times.
First-generation students might not be as familiar with college admissions as those whose parents have attended, Cal State spokesperson Erik Fallis tells us. "We're trying to bridge that knowledge gap."
The program now has more than 100 churches in its network and has served as a recruitment model for Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Officials from Cal State say they're also in talks with universities from Texas and Tennessee.
Sarah Hines-Thompson, a data clerk at one of the participating congregations, told us Super Sunday helped her daughter Marissa, a Cal State-Northridge graduate, pursue her bachelor's degree. She said the program taught her daughter about scholarships and funding.
"It encouraged her to step forward into the state university realm," Hines-Thompson said.
(Kat Chow is a part of NPR's race, ethnicity and culture desk.)
Correction on Feb. 11 at 2:21 p.m. ET.
A previous version of this post stated that California's "Hispanic population is slated to become its majority ethnic group by 2014." Latinos will actually make up California's largest single ethnic group – a plurality – by 2014, but not a majority. That's according to analysis of Census data by the California Department of Finance.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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All I see are those dark black cornerstones. It's not the photography or the lighting, the black fabric that I used for those squares is the blackest black I've ever seen, and up until the last couple of days, I had never really thought about black being anything other than black. But this black is too black. The black I used is from the Little Gatherings collection and not part of the Hemming House collection. I think it over powers the muted colors of the basket blocks. The next border is supposed to be the same fabric you used for the cornerstones. I don't think that's going to help matters at all, adding a border of that black black.
So here's what I see as my options:
1. Keep the cornerstones, add the black black inner border, then the outer border, and call it done.
2. Keep the cornerstones, use a different fabric for the inner border, add the outer border and call it done.
3. Keep the cornerstones add no borders, and call it done now.
4. Tear it all apart and replace the cornerstones using a black fabric from the Hemming House line, use that same fabric for the inner border, add the outer border, and call it done.
5. Roll it into a teeny tiny ball and smash it into the corner of a drawer and try to forget about it.
Stay tuned for an update . . . .


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File a Complaint Against
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If you have traded with aspen-investment-llc-scam-broker-review-complaint and believe you have been scammed by them you have a chance to get your money back. Many unregulated brokers have been found to scam traders. At Broker Complaint Registry it's our job to make sure you can fight back and get your money refunded. By filling the form you have taken the first step to recover your money.
Is aspen-investment-llc-scam-broker-review-complaint a scam or legit broker?
- The broker froze your account
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- Money has been taken out from the account
- The broker doesn't take your calls
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- You noticed the broker took money out from your bank account with out your permission
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Don't give up. You can fight back and get your money refunded. Start by filling the form above and we will get in touch with you and provide you with information on how to start the process.


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Cruise Cash Bar provides an immediate credit to a guest's Sail & Sign account which can be applied toward any bar purchases. This credit is good for any bar charge made to their account including alcoholic drinks, juice, soda, water, and coffee shop charges. Cruise Cash Bar is valid for a single voyage and cannot be transferred to future bookings. Cruise Cash Bar is non-refundable and any unused credits will be forfeited.
*Cruise Cash Bar purchases limited to $500 per cabin.


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Additional information
Weight | 16 oz |
For cool-to-cold weather, this lightweight microfleece jacket delivers warmth without unnecessary bulk. Perfect alone or layered, it's a great value and it features clear coil zippers with dyed-to-match chain stitching and taping. (Grey chain stitching on White.) An anti-pill finish helps preserve a clean appearance.
Weight | 16 oz |


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Finished changing pad is about 12"by 27" long. The pocket holds one hard or soft wipes container as well as one or two diapers.
½ yard Cotton Print for the outside and pocket
½ yard Chenille, Minky, or heavy Flannel.
(I prefer Chenille because it is nice and thick without having to add extra batting)
Sew on Velcro
1. Cut the cotton and Chenille fabric into a rectangle 13" x 35".
Lay the fabrics right sides together and pin edges well.
2. Sew edges together with a ½" seam allowance leaving a 4-5" opening on one of the 13" ends, this is so you can turn it all inside out later.
*A ½" seam allowance is important so you can stitch the hole closed with your top stitching.
*Chenille and Minky both have a tendency to stretch a lot. Use a walking foot if you have one, it helps to guide the top and bottom layers of fabric at the same rate. If not don't worry about the stretching, keep it taught so you don't have any large folds, and again pinning well will help.
3. Cut excess fabric at corners as shown in the picture to give corners a nice square edge when turned.
4. Turn right side out through the opening and iron the cotton side only at the edges. Pin your hole closed.
5. Top stitch across the entire 13" end where your hole is, using a ¼" seam allowance. Make sure when you are top stitching that you are using a small enough seam allowance to catch the fabric edges of the hole and sew it shut.
6. Turn the end that you just top stitched up onto the inside 6 ½" to create the pocket. Pin the edges to keep it in place.
8. Your almost done! Now you just have to add Velcro. Put in a wipes container and a diaper so you know how thick it will be. (or something soft like a folded up towel that makes it 2"thick if you don't have a wipes holder and diaper handy) I simply role my changing pad up how I normally would, and then just pin my Velcro pieces in place where I want them and make sure they meet. Sew on Velcro.
* You can also use a long ribbon to make a tie-shut changing pad. Just sew two long pieces of ribbon at the center of one end so that you can wrap the ribbon around the changing pad and tie it. I prefer Velcro because its much faster and easier.
*please do not copy or reproduce this pattern/tutorial without my consent. Thank you!


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DETROIT (AP)-- Chrysler is recalling 469,000 Jeep SUVs worldwide because they can shift into neutral without warning on startup.
The recall affects 2005 to 2010 Grand Cherokees and 2006 to 2010 Commanders.
U.S. safety regulators say cracks in a circuit board can cause a faulty signal as the SUVs are being started. If the vehicles shift into neutral they can roll away.
Chrysler says the problem has caused 26 crashes and two injuries.
Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will update software to take care of the problem. Chrysler found cracks in a circuit board that turns the four-wheel-drive system on and off.
Repairs will be made at no cost to owners.
The recall covers 295,000 vehicles in the U.S., 28,500 in Canada, and 4,200 in Mexico. The remaining 141,000 are outside North America.
The company says in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Administration that it began looking into the problem after a customer complained that an SUV rolled away in January of 2012 after being started remotely.


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by Paul Lefebvre
copyright the Chronicle, May 30, 2012
This is part one of a series of articles about hydropower.
MONTPELIER — The Legislature gave a nudge this session to a renewable source of energy that roughly 70 years ago dominated Vermont's rivers and ponds. As recently as 1940, hydropower supplied the state with 90 percent of its power needs.
But today hydropower is seldom mentioned in the push to acquire 20 percent of Vermont's energy needs from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2017.
"Hydropower is the forgotten stepchild of the renewable energy movement," says Lori Barg, who owns a business in Plainfield that designs and installs small hydro systems for towns and farms, and who gave testimony for the hydro bill that was signed into law recently by Governor Peter Shumlin.
One of the co-sponsors of the bill was Northeast Kingdom Senator Vince Illuzzi of Derby. Nearly ten years ago Senator Illuzzi spearheaded a failed attempt to get the state to buy hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River.
He has been pushing hydro ever since and, except for this year, striking out.
"It's been a constant fight with ANR and water quality people," he says. And in the Legislature there has been no middle ground with hydro projects, he adds: "Either you authorize them or you don't."
The bill that made it into law this year, S.148, intends to expedite the permit process for small and micro hydro developers. A small hydro is defined as a project that generates up to five megawatts (MW) of power, while a micro is one that is 100 kilowatts (KW) or less. There are 1,000 KW in a MW.
Estimates of Vermont potential for hydro projects are all over the map. According to the bill's findings, they range from 25 MW to 434 MW. In a 2008 study, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) estimated there were 25 MW at 44 sites; whereas a year earlier the Department of Public Service (DPS) estimated there were 90 MW developable at 300 of the 1,200 existing dams, according to the bill's findings.
In testimony on the bill before the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee, Ms. Barg testified that Vermont has 400 MW of potential hydropower without building a single new dam.
So, the elephant in the room or the whale in the river is the question: Why isn't hydro playing a larger, more important role in the renewable energy mix?
The reason, say a variety of sources, is the cost of permitting — a process that involves both state and federal agencies.
"Most hydroelectric projects require approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The length and cost of the process of obtaining a FERC approval do not vary significantly with the capacity of the hydroelectric project," says the bill's findings. "However, the ability of a hydroelectric project to absorb this cost decreases as the capacity of the project grows smaller."
To ease the permitting cost, S.148 authorizes the DPS commissioner to enter into an agreement, or what is known as a "memorandum of understanding" (MOU) with FERC that would enable Vermont agencies to prescreen proposed hydroelectric projects in the state.
The MOU would be comparable to one recently signed between Colorado and FERC "to streamline and simplify the authorization of small-scale hydropower projects." But whereas the Colorado MOU focused mainly on agricultural irrigation canals, Vermont's will deal with small dams and conduits.
The state must initiate negotiations with FERC by July 15, and recently the DPS assigned a staff person to the project, according to Andy Perchlik, who is the department's director of Clean Energy Development Fund.
It may be too early to estimate how much money the new law will save those who develop small hydro projects, says Mr. Perchlik. The bill says the state will review the MOU once five projects have been permitted and are up and running.
For its part, says Mr. Perchlik, the state is expected to do "more hand holding" with developers and coordinate permit work among agencies. The department and ANR will put together a list of criteria that a project will have to meet and, once all the agencies have signed off, he adds, FERC will be able to move ahead.
Though some may see the legislation as a step forward, no one is saying it will stimulate hydro development or increase applications for small or micro hydro projects.
Since S.148 went into effect the phone hasn't been ringing off the hook at the Department of Environmental Conservation, says Brian Fitzgerald, the department's Streamflow Protection Coordinator.
"Realistically, there aren't that many good projects out there," he says.
If the MOU succeeds, Mr. Fitzgerald says the state will be able to offer "a new service" to small hydro projects. He says that by pre-screening environment issues, the state will be able to speed up the FERC review.
Still, he adds, when licensing a hydro project, the state is "allocating a public resource." And that requires a permitting process "to be thorough and thoughtful."
Mr. Fitzgerald says operating costs and the need to maintain minimum stream flows are the biggest obstacle for hydro developers. And while legislation to allow hydro owners to sell or net meter power back to utilities has improved the economic picture, he expects the new law will only help a few small hydro developers.
A 5 MW hydro is "a big project for Vermont," he says.
Hydro projects are licensed for 30 years and, according to Mr. Fitzgerald, between three and five have been certified in the state during the last couple of years. But some say that the permitting process in Vermont takes so long that would-be developers get discouraged.
There are no tax credits but the state does offer grants for micro projects. Mr. Perchlik says the grants only kick in when the permits are nearly in hand.
"You need to prove you've got the permit," he says.
When it comes to hydros, he adds, applications for financial aid are rare.
As the woman who founded the Plainfield business, Community Hydro, Ms. Barg believes projects should be rated initially by the impact they will have on the environment. That would enable those projects with low impact to clear the permit hurdle quicker.
She also believes there should be something like the IRS 1040 EZ form for hydro projects, which she says would make life easier for both the regulated and regulators. In her ideal list, developers would be required to go through a standard form and check off the statements that characterize their projects.
For example:
• "Utilizes for electric power generation only the water power potential of an existing dam"; or
• "Utilizes only a dam at which there is no significant existing upstream or downstream passage of fish."
In testimony before the House Committee on Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources, she characterized the federal licensing process as onerous and expensive, regardless of size.
Still, she notes, that the MOU signed between Colorado and FERC has expedited the permit process in the Rocky Mountain state by licensing ten projects in a year and a half.
Big hydro projects like the one at James Bay in Quebec may have given hydro an indelible black eye. Senator Illuzzi says it alienated the public opinion by displacing native people and flooding thousands of acres of land. But local hydros, he argues, are viewed more benignly.
Still, when it comes to permitting, he says developers are caught between a "chicken-egg type of thing" as to who comes first, the state or FERC?
"It's a colossal circuit that advances nothing," he says.
contact Paul Lefebvre at [email protected]


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Everyone loves to receive flowers, especially on their birthday. There is nothing like that special smile you cant help but get on your face when you see a beautiful bouquet of flowers that are given to you. Flowers can brighten any day. The colors of different flowers can be very eye pleasing. Flowers can also be very beneficial to a persons well being!
Believe it or not, recent behavioral studies have uncovered quite possibly the simplest way to improve emotional health and wellbeing – flowers. Considering the fast-paced and highly-stressed lifestyle most of us lead today, this comes as a welcome discovery. Besides exercise and other personal lifestyle changes as stress relief, one can now use flowers as a way to feel better and more relaxed.
It has been found that being around flowers triggers uplifting emotions like happiness. Flowers are also able to enhance good feelings such as life satisfaction and also affect how people behave in a social situation.
A natural and healthy mood moderator, flowers are said to:
- Immediately alter moods.
When someone receives flowers, it has been proven that happiness is almost instantaneous, displaying excited smiles indicative of extreme pleasure. This result occurs in all age groups.
- Effect moods in the long run.
People who receive flowers are more likely to be less anxious, depressed and restless. They experience heightened enjoyment and are more satisfied with their lives than those who have not received flowers.
- Create intimate bonds with others.
Being around flowers makes people more sociable and leads to increased contact with others, especially friends and family.
- Brighten up spaces and create a sharing atmosphere.
Most people position their floral arrangements in highly visible places such as the living and dining rooms, and in hallways and entrance halls. In other words, the flowers are placed in areas where visitors are welcomed.
There's no two ways about it. With such a compelling argument, there's no reason why we should let stress get the better of us. Surround yourself and your loved ones with flowers, and see the difference for yourself.
Just looking at pictures of flowers seems somewhat easing to me. And having them is even better!!
I had mentioned in a previous post that October is the most celebrated birthday month. I was sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers, courtesy of 1800-Flowers. The bouquet was from their birthday collection. It may not be my birthday, regardless, these flowers are very beautiful! 1800-Flowers is also going to give one of my awesome readers a $40 savings pass.
Mandatory Entry: Like 1800-Flowers on Facebook and leave a comment telling them what your favorite birthday bouquet is. Come back here and let me know you have done this, also leave your email with this entry!
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This giveaway is open to US residents. This giveaway will end at midnight on October 30,2010. Winner will be chosen at random.org and will be given 48 hours before another winner will be chosen.


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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cd3crm/premature_labor) has announced the addition of the "Premature Labor (Tocolysis) - Pipeline Review, H1 2014" report to their offering.
This report provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Premature Labor (Tocolysis), complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Premature Labor (Tocolysis) and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects.
This report features investigatory drugs from across globe covering over 20 therapy areas and nearly 3,000 indications. The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, Company/University websites, SEC filings, investor presentations and featured press releases from company/university sites and industry-specific third party sources.
Drug profiles/records featured in the report undergoes periodic updation following a stringent set of processes that ensures that all the profiles are updated with the latest set of information. Additionally, processes including live news & deals tracking, browser based alert-box and clinical trials registries tracking ensure that the most recent developments are captured on a real time basis.
The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products.
Note*: Certain sections in the report may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data for the indicated disease.
Companies Mentioned:
- GlaxoSmithKline plc
- Actavis plc
- Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
- PDC Biotech GmbH
- Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cd3crm/premature_labor


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The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world.
Sandwiched into a small seven-by-seven mile (11x11km) square of land between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city. Great ethnic and cultural diversity shows itself in the city's varied neighborhoods, from the crowded and exciting streets of Chinatown to the eclectic attitudes of the Castro and the gleaming condominium towers built on the city's more recently gained tech-savvy reputation. There's enough to see that one could devote a lifetime to exploring the region, and it'll become clear why people continue to make their way to this special place.
Your book will be sent in PDF format readable on any device.
Gone Again Travel & Tours · Email us · Phone: 773-417-8808


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The word clann in Gaelic means children of the family. Each clan was a large group of related people, theoretically an extended family, supposedly descended from one progenitor and all owing allegiance to the patriarchal clan chief. It also included a large group of loosely-related septs – related families – all of whom looked to the clan chief as their head and their protector.
The Senchus fer n-Alban lists three main kin groups in Dál Riata in Scotland, with a fourth being added later.
The Cenél nGabráin, in Kintyre, supposedly the descendants of Gabrán mac Domangairt.
The Cenél nÓengusa, in Islay and Jura, supposedly the descendants of Óengus Mór mac Eirc.
The Cenél Loairn, in Lorne, perhaps also Mull and Ardnamurchan, supposedly the descendants of Loarn mac Eir
The Cenél Comgaill, in Cowal and Bute, a later addition, supposedly the descendants of Comgall mac Domangairt.
The Senchus does not list any kindreds in Ireland. Among the Cenél Loairn it lists the Airgíalla, although whether this should be understood as being Irish settlers or simply another tribe to whom the label was applied is unclear. The meaning of Airgíalla 'hostage givers' adds to the uncertainty, although it must be observed that only one grouping in Ireland was apparenly given this name and it is therefore very rare, perhaps supporting the Ui Macc Uais hypothesis. There is no reason to suppose that this is a complete or accurate list
Some clans such as Clan Campbell and Clan Donald claim ancient Celtic mythological progenitors mentioned in the Fenian cycle, with a group including Clan MacSween, Clan Lamont, Clan MacEwen of Otter, Clan Maclachlan, and MacNeil tracing their ancestry back to the 5th century High King of Ireland. Others such as Clan MacAulay, Clan Mackinnon and Clan Gregor claim descent from the Scots King Kenneth Mac Alpin who made himself King of the Picts in 843, founding the Kingdom called after the name of the land Alba (modern-day Scotland). The MacDonalds and MacDougalls claim descent from Somerled, the half-Gael/Norse-Manx Lord of the Isles in the mid-11th century.
Though the clans had always been a feature of pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland, they first emerged into English consciousness from the turmoil of the 12th and 13th centuries when the Scottish crown pacified northern rebellions and re-conquered areas taken by the Norse, and after the fall of Macbeth when the crown became increasingly Anglo-Norman. This turmoil created opportunities for Norse, Scottish and English warlords and their kin to dominate areas, and the instability of the Wars of Scottish Independence brought in warlords with Norman, and Flemish ancestry, founding clans such as the Chisholms and Menzies.
Inheritance and authority
The Scottish Highland clan system incorporated the Celtic/Norse traditions of heritage as well as Norman Feudal society. Chieftains and petty kings under the suzerainty of a High King ruled Gaelic Alba, with all such offices being filled through election by an assembly. Usually the candidate was nominated by the current office holder on the approach of death, and his heir-elect was known as the tanist, from the Gaelic tànaiste, or second, with the system being known as tanistry. This system combined a hereditary element with the consent of those ruled, and while the succession in clans later followed the feudal rule of primogeniture, the concept of authority coming from the clan continued.
Thus the collective heritage of the clan, the dùthchas, gave the right to settle the land to which the chiefs and leading gentry provided protection and authority as trustees for the people. This was combined with the complementary concept of òighreachd where the chieftain's authority came from charters granted by the feudal Scottish crown, where individual heritage was warranted. While dùthchas held precedence in the medieval period, the balance shifted as the mainly lowland Scots law became increasingly important in shaping the structure of clanship.
Legal process
To settle criminal and civil disputes within clans both sides put their case to an arbitration panel drawn from the leading gentry of the clan and presided over by the chief. Similarly, in disputes between clans the chiefs served as procurators (legal agents) for the disputants in their clan and put the case to an arbitration panel of equal numbers of gentry from each clan presided over by a neighboring chief or landlord. There was no appeal from the decision which awarded reparations, called assythment, to the wronged party and which was recorded in a convenient Royal or Burgh court. This compensation took account of the age, responsibilities and status of the victim as well as the nature of the crime, and once paid precluded any further action for redress against the perpetrator. To speed this process clans made standing provisions for arbitration and regularly contracted bands of friendship between the clans which had the force of law and were recorded in a convenient court.
Social ties
Fosterage and manrent were the most important forms of social bonding in the clans. In fosterage, the chief's children were brought up by favoured members of the leading clan gentry (traditionally the mother's brother or similar, i.e. in another clan), whose children in turn were brought up by other favoured members of the clan (again the mother's brother or the like – i.e. in another clan). This brought about intense ties and reinforced inter-clan cohesion. Manrent was a bond contracted by the heads of families looking to the chief for territorial protection, though not living on the estates of the clan elite. These bonds were reinforced by calps, death duties paid to the chief as a mark of personal allegiance by the family when their head died, usually in the form of their best cow or horse. Although calps were banned by Parliament in 1617, manrent continued covertly to pay for protection.
Less durably, marriage alliances reinforced kinship between clans. These were contracts involving the exchange of livestock, money and rent, tocher for the bride and dowry for the groom.
Clan management
Payments of rents and calps from those living on clan estates and calps alone from families living elsewhere were channelled through tacksmen. These lesser gentry acted as estate managers, allocating the run-rig strips of land, lending seed-corn and tools and arranging droving of cattle to the Lowlands for sale, taking a minor share of the payments made to the clan nobility, the fine. They had the important military role of mobilising the Clan Host, both when required for warfare and more commonly as a large turn out of followers for weddings and funerals, and traditionally in August for hunts which included sports for the followers, the predecessors of the modern Highland games.
From the late 16th century the Scottish Privy Council, recognizing the need for co-operation, required clan leaders to provide bonds of surety for the conduct of anyone on their territory and to regularly attend at Edinburgh, encouraging a tendency to become absentee landlords. With an increase in droving, tacksmen acquired the wealth to finance the gentry's debts secured against their estates, hence acquiring the land. By the 1680s this led to the land in ownership largely coinciding with the collective 'dutchas' for the first time. The tacksmen became responsible for the bonds of surety leading to a decline in banditry and feuding.
Disputes and disorder
Where the oighreachd, land owned by the clan elite or fine, did not match the common heritage of the duthchas this led to territorial disputes and warfare. The fine resented their clansmen paying rent to other landlords, while acquisitive clans used disputes to expand their territories, and many clan histories record ferocious long lasting feuding such as the Clan Gordon and the Clan Forbes, which lasted for centuries and caused many deaths in both clans. On the western seaboard clans became involved with the wars of the Irish Gaels against the Tudor English, and a military caste called the buannachan developed, seasonally fighting in Ireland as mercenaries and living off their clans as minor gentry, but this was brought to an end with the Irish Plantations of James VI of Scotland and I of England. During that century law increasingly settled disputes, and the last feud leading to a battle was at Mulroy in Lochaber on August 4th, 1688.
Reiving had been a rite of passage, the creach where young men took livestock from neighboring clans. By the 17th century this had declined and most reiving was the spreidh where up to 10 men raided the adjoining Lowlands, the livestock taken usually being recoverable on payment of tascal (information money) and guarantee of no prosecution. Some clans offered the Lowlanders protection against such raids, on terms not dissimilar to blackmail.
Although by the late 17th century disorder declined, reiving persisted with the growth of cateran bands of up to 50 bandits, usually led by a renegade of the gentry, who had thrown off the constraints of the clan system. As well as preying off the clans, caterans acted as mercenaries for Lowland lairds pursuing disputes amongst themselves.
Civil wars and Jacobitism
As the civil wars of the Three Kingdoms broke out in the early 17th century the Covenanters were supported by the territorially ambitious Argyll Campbells and House of Sutherland as well as some clans of the central Highlands opposed to the Royalist House of Huntly. While some clans remained neutral, others led by Montrose supported the Royalist cause, projecting their feudal obligations to clan chiefs onto the Royal House of Stuart, resisting the demands of the Covenanters for commitment and reacting to the ambitions of the larger clans. In the Wars of 1644-47, the most prominent Royalist clan were Clan Donald led by Alasdair MacColla.
With the Restoration of Charles II, Episcopalianism became widespread among clans as it suited the hierarchical clan structure and encouraged obedience to Royal authority, while some other clans were converted by Catholic missions. In 1682 James Duke of York, Charles' brother, instituted the Commission for Pacifying the Highlands which worked in co-operation with the clan chiefs in maintaining order as well as redressing Campbell acquisitiveness, and when he became King James VII he retained popularity with many Highlanders. All these factors contributed to continuing support for the Stuarts when James was deposed by William of Orange in the "Glorious Revolution".
The support among many clans, their remoteness from authority and the ready mobilisation of the clan hosts made the Highlands the starting point for the Jacobite Risings. In Scottish Jacobite ideology the Highlander symbolised patriotic purity as against the corruption of the Union, and as early as 1689 some Lowlanders wore "Highland habit" in the Jacobite army.
Decline of the Clan system
Successive Scottish governments had portrayed the clans as bandits needing occasional military expeditions to keep them in check and extract taxes. As Highlanders became associated with Jacobitism and rebellion the government made repeated efforts to curb the clans, culminating with brutal repression after the battle of Culloden. This followed in 1746 with the Act of Proscription, further measures making restrictions on their ability to bear arms, traditional dress, culture, and even music. The Heritable Jurisdictions Act removed the feudal authority the Clan Chieftains had once enjoyed.
With the failure of Jacobitism the clan chiefs and gentry increasingly became landlords, losing the traditional obligations of clanship. They were incorporated into the British aristocracy, looking to the clan lands mainly to provide them with a suitable income. From around 1725 clansmen had been emigrating to America; both clan gentry looking to re-establish their lifestyle, or as victims of raids on the Hebrides looking for cheap labour. Increasing demand in Britain for cattle and sheep led to higher rents with surplus clan population leaving in the mass migration later known as the Highland Clearances, finally undermining the traditional clan system.
Romantic "revival" of interest
Sir David Wilkie's flattering portrait of the kilted King George IV, with lighting chosen to tone down the brightness of his kilt and his knees shown bare, without the pink tights he wore at the event.The Ossian poems of James Macpherson in the 1760s suited the Romantic enthusiasm for the "sublime" "primitive" and achieved international success with a disguised elegy for the Jacobite clans, set in the remote past. They were presented as translations of ancient ballads, a fraud caustically dismissed by Dr. Samuel Johnson. This damaged the reputation of the poems, but their artistic merit had widespread influence.
Shortly before or after the Dress Act restricting kilt wearing was repealed in 1782, Highland aristocrats set up Highland Societies in Edinburgh and other centres including London and Aberdeen, landowners' clubs with aims including "Improvements" (which others would later call the Highland Clearances). Clubs like the Celtic Society of Edinburgh included Highland chieftains and Lowlanders taking an interest in the clans. The success of the historical novels of Sir Walter Scott as well as the pomp surrounding the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 spurred 19th century interest in the clans and a reawakening of Scottish culture and pride.
Lowland families
The Lowlands south of the river Forth had been Brythonic Celtic, with the southeast coming under the Angles and Galloway and the western seaboard becoming Norse-Gaelic, then by 1034 the Kingdom of Alba had expanded to bring all but the last area under Gaelic Celtic rule. From the accession of King David I (1124), the traditional social patterns of much of eastern Scotland began to be altered, particularly with the growth of burghs and the settlement of French feudal families on royal demesne lands. This process was, of course, very slow, but its cumulative effect over many centuries was to undermine the integrity of Gaelic in the areas affected, areas which later became known collectively as the Lowlands, though to a large extent Galloway and Carrick, where Galwegian Gaelic survived into the 17th century, were not affected as much as elsewhere until very late.
However, many aristocratic Gaelic clans did in fact survive in form, especially in Galloway (e.g. MacDowall, MacLellan, MacCann ), Carrick (e.g. Kennedy) and Fife (e.g. MacDuff). The term clan was still being used of Lowland families at the end of the 16th century and, while aristocrats may have been increasingly likely to use the word family, the terms remained interchangeable until the 19th century.
By the late 18th century the Lowlands were integrated into the British system, with an uneasy relationship to the Highlanders. The total population of Lowlanders diminished drastically in some parts of the south as a direct result of the Agricultural Revolution which resulted in the Lowland Clearances, and the subsequent emigration of large numbers of Lowland Scots.
However, with the revival of interest in Gaeldom and the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822, there was a new enthusiasm amongst Lowlanders for re-identification with their Gaelic culture. As a result many Lowland families and aristocrats now appear on clan lists with their own tartans, in some cases with a claim to ancestry from the Highland area – encouraged, no doubt, by companies who market supposed coats-of-arms and heraldic devices, manufacturers of tartan cloth, and by the immense growth of Internet genealogical research, beginning in the last few years of the twentieth century. As a result, many of these families now have their own clan societies, websites and annual reunions.
Clan membership
A clan is community which is distinguished by heraldry and recognised by the Sovereign. A clan is considered a "noble incorporation" because a clan chief is a title of honour in Scotland and the chief confers his or her noble status onto the clan. Clans with recognised chiefs are therefore recognised under Scottish law. A group without a chief recognised by the Sovereign, through the Lord Lyon, has no position under Scottish law. All claimants to the title of chief must be recognised by the Lord Lyon who determines if the claimant is entitled to the undifferenced arms of the community that the claimant wishes to be chief of. A chief of a clan is the only person who is entitled to bear the undifferenced arms of that community. The clan as a "noble corporation" is the chief's heritable property and the chief's Seal of Arms is the seal of the corporation. Under law the chief owns the clan and is responsible for it.
Historically a clan was made up of everyone who lived on the chief's territory, or on territory of those who owed allegiance to the said chief. Through time, with the constant changes of "clan boundaries", migration or regime changes, clans would be made up of large numbers of members who were unrelated and who bore different surnames. Often those living on a chief's lands would over time adopt the clan surname. A chief could add to his clan by adopting other families, and also had the legal right to outlaw anyone from his clan, including members of his own family. Today, anyone who has the chief's surname is automatically considered to be a member of the chief's clan. Also, anyone who offers allegiance to a chief is considered a member of the chief's clan, unless the chief decides not to accept that person's allegiance. The only rule is that it is up to the chief who he or she may decide to accept as a member of his or her clan.
Clan membership goes through the surname. It does not pass through a married woman who has taken her husband's surname, and then on to her children. Children who take their father's surname are part of their father's clan and not their mothers. However, today it is common for people to claim clan membership through their mother's side of the family, anyone who offers allegiance to a particular clan chief is part of his or her clan (unless refused by the chief). Today many clans have lists of septs. Septs are surnames, families or clans which historically, currently or for whatever reason the chief chooses, are associated with that clan. There is no official list of clan septs, and the decision of what septs a clan has is left up to the clan itself. Confusingly many sept names are shared by many clans, and it may up to the individual to use his or her family history or genealogy to find the correct clan they are associated with.
Clan symbols
MacArthur tartan as published in the Vestiarium Scoticum in 1842. The Vestiarium was composed by the "Sobieski Stuarts" who passed it off as a reproduction of an ancient manuscript of clan tartans, the Sobieski Stuarts claimed to be grandsons of Bonnie Prince Charlie. The Vestiarium has since been proven a forgery.
There are no official rules on who can or can not wear a particular tartan. Also, there is currently no official registry for tartans. Even though the Lord Lyon does not have jurisdiction over tartans, the Lord Lyon may record a specific tartan which a clan chief or commander wishes to use as an "official" tartan for their clan. Originally there appears to have been little association of tartans with particular clans or areas, but the idea gained currency in the late 18th century and in 1815 the Highland Society of London began the naming and registration of "official" clan tartans, and gradually the original belted plaid was supplanted by the modern tailored kilt. In fact, many of today's "clan tartans" are the work of a 19th-century forgery known as the Vestiarium Scoticum.
Crest badge
A sign of allegiance to a certain clan chief is the wearing of a crest badge. The crest badge suitable for a clansman or clanswoman consists of the chief's heraldic crest encircled with a strap and buckle and which contains the chief's heraldic motto or slogan. Although it is common to speak of "clan crests" there is no such thing. In Scotland (and indeed all of UK) only individuals, not clans, possess a heraldic Coat of Arms. Even though any clansmen and clanswomen may purchase crest badges and wear them to show their allegiance to his or her clan the heraldic crest and motto always belong to the chief alone. In principle these badges should only be used with the permission of the clan chief and the Lyon Court has intervened in cases where permission has been withheld. Crest badges, much like clan tartans, do not have a long history, and owe much to Victorian era romanticism, having only been worn on the bonnet since the 19th century. The original clan badges were merely plants worn in bonnets or hung from a pole or spear.
All information credited to:Wikipedia


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President Barack Obama has saluted the outgoing Timothy Geithner as one of the best U.S. Treasury secretaries ever. He's surely been among the most contentious.
Not since the Great Depression had an administration inherited so many grave financial threats at once. To many, Geithner deserves credit for helping steady the banking system and helping restore investor confidence. Yet his toughest critics say Geithner's policies consistently favored big banks over ordinary struggling Americans.
When Geithner became Treasury secretary in January 2009, the economy had sunk into a deep recession. Unemployment was surging. Stock prices were sinking. The financial system was teetering.
Geithner, whose last day in office is Friday, was an administration point man on all these issues. Here's a look at some of the crises the Treasury confronted on his watch:
In the bleakest days of the financial crisis in 2008, the Bush administration got Congress to approve a $700 billion government bailout fund: the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.
By the time Geithner took office, billions had been handed out to the biggest banks. Many were considered at risk of failing because of their huge investments in subprime mortgages that were souring.
Opponents charged that TARP, a taxpayer-funded bailout, let banks evade responsibility for reckless gambles. Geithner countered that the banking system had to be stabilized. The bailout was deemed necessary to get credit, the essential lubricant for an economy, flowing again.
In the end, the banking system was bolstered with the help of TARP and a separate Geithner initiative requiring the largest banks to undergo "stress tests." The tests calmed investors by showing that the banks could withstand an even worse downturn.
TARP distributed $245 billion to banks. So far, it's brought back $268 billion for a return of $23 billion.
Critics argue that under Geithner, the government failed to ensure that banks would use their TARP money to lend more to businesses and homeowners.
Geithner's approach won't prevent future crises, opponents further argue. They say big banks still feel free to make risky bets because of an implicit guarantee: that if their gambles fail, the government will save them, and the banks' executives won't be held accountable.
"Secretary Geithner protected the interest of the largest financial institutions, and we will pay a very heavy price for that," said Neil Barofsky, who was the government's top watchdog for TARP.
Many private economists are less critical. They say Geithner achieved the fundamental goal of stabilizing the U.S. financial system without damaging the economy.
"The effort was a success and vitally necessary for ending the Great Recession and starting a recovery," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.
Geithner and the administration endured intense criticism for giving bailout aid outside the banking system to American International Group.
The insurance giant represented everything the public detested about the government bailouts: Its rescue was the costliest at $182 billion. It spent $440,000 on spa treatments for executives only days after its rescue. It gave millions in bonuses to top executives, including those who'd made the risky bets that had unraveled AIG.
Geithner, who led the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before heading Treasury, was involved in the decision to save AIG in September 2008 and oversaw its bailout as Treasury secretary. Some of the rescue money went to fully repay banks that had invested in AIG. Critics called this a giveaway to banks that should have had to accept less than full payment.
Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have said that letting AIG fail would have threatened the entire U.S. financial system, in part because of AIG's outsize role in selling credit default swaps. These swaps were insurance-like guarantees on mortgage bonds. They required AIG to pay billions once the housing market went bust.
Supporters note that the government ended up profiting on its investment. AIG has repaid all the bailout money, and the government made $22.7 billion more than it provided.
Government bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler became a political issue in 2012. Republican Mitt Romney opposed rescuing the two companies. Obama countered that the bailout saved jobs at automakers, parts companies and other businesses. Both companies are now selling more cars, hiring workers and earning profits.
But unlike with the bank and AIG bailouts, the government is expected to lose money on the auto bailouts — up to $24 billion out of the $80 billion it provided.
The auto industry rescue was begun under the Bush administration but expanded under Obama. Administration officials have said the effort saved more than 1 million jobs and came as the economy was enduring a severe crisis. Geithner was involved in crafting the auto bailout and selling it to Congress.
Private economists generally view the auto bailout favorably. "There are certainly those who argue that it could have been done in a less expensive manner, but the auto bailouts did save U.S. jobs," said David Wyss, an economics professor at Brown University.
The Bush administration took control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in September 2008. The two have continued under government control in what became the costliest of the bailouts.
The government has given $187 billion to Fannie and Freddie and been repaid $55 billion for a net cost so far of $132 billion. The money was supplied so the two can continue to play a key role: buying or guaranteeing mortgages and packaging them into bonds to be resold to investors. This system expands the availability of mortgages.
The future of Fannie and Freddie remains hazy. Geithner's Treasury proposed several options for their future but didn't push any.
Under Geithner, Treasury compiled a mixed record of helping homeowners at risk. Of $50 billion in TARP money earmarked to reduce foreclosures, only $6 billion has been tapped. As of November, 1.1 million homeowners have received permanent loan modifications through the administration's main foreclosure-prevention program. An additional 1.5 million have been helped by the Federal Housing Administration.
The administration's initial program to ease mortgage payments for the most troubled homeowners became a source of derision. Homeowners called it a bureaucratic mess. Treasury officials countered that the administration had inherited a foreclosure crisis for which it had to devise solutions on the fly.
Critics say Geithner should have taken a harder line in forcing mortgage servicers to modify home loans. They also say he should have pushed hard to let struggling homeowners reduce their loan principal.
But Geithner's supporters say he had to deal with congressional Republicans who felt the government shouldn't be helping people escape their debts.
In 2010, Congress passed what the Obama administration hailed as the stiffest restrictions on banks and Wall Street since the Great Depression. The legislation, named for Sen. Christopher Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank, both Democrats, contained proposals crafted by Geithner.
It authorized the government to break up companies considered a risk to the financial system. It created an agency to safeguard consumers. And it aimed to tighten scrutiny of complex financial instruments that had previously escaped regulatory oversight and had fueled the crisis.
Geithner said the bill would reduce the risk of another crisis. But critics saw the legislation as flawed. Republicans said it created obstacles to the smooth operation of financial markets. And liberals said Geithner didn't go far enough to try to curb the worst abuses. They complained that he caved to pressure from banks to weaken the reforms.
The argument will likely continue long after Geithner's exit. Since taking control of the House in the 2010 election, Republicans have sought to dismantle Dodd-Frank.
Democrats are pushing for studies of how much benefit large banks enjoy from being deemed "too big to fail." Many Democrats want to require struggling financial firms to be dismantled rather than having taxpayers save them.
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