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Wash. Times Attacks DOJ For Enforcing The Law With Anti-Bullying Initiative
In a Washington Times piece, Kerry Picket criticized the Department of Justice for saying that its Civil Rights Division is "committed to ending bullying and harassment in schools" and for highlighting its "authority to enforce federal laws that protect students from discrimination and harassment at school because of their race, national origin, disability, religion, and sex, including harassment based on nonconformity with gender stereotypes."
Echoing The Washington Times piece, a National Review Online blog post also attacked the Justice Department's initiative on bullying.
What's wrong with the department's anti-bullying initiative? If harassment rises to the level of a civil rights violation, shouldn't the Department of Justice step in to do something about it?
Not according to Picket. Picket writes that there is a "catch" to what the Department of Justice is doing. It is only targeting some types of bullying, and not dealing with the scenario in which an "overweight straight white male who is verbally and/or physically harassed because of his size."
But here's the thing. If a person is harassed "because of his size," and his size alone, the Justice Department does not have the power to step in. And it's irrelevant whether the victim is straight, gay, or bisexual or white, Asian, black, or Native American. In this context, the Department of Justice enforces civil rights laws, and there is no current civil rights law dealing with discrimination on the basis of weight. On the other hand, if the white male were being bullied because of his race or gender, there may be a role for the Justice Department.
Perhaps law professor David Bernstein at the libertarian Volokh Conspiracy blog put it best: Picket's piece "seems like a cheap rhetorical trick-trying to insinuate that the administration has something against 'straight white males' when the administration is simply staying within the limits of its legal authority."
From Bernstein's post:
Discrimination based on size or weight is not barred by federal law, so the federal Department of Justice has no business investigating such discrimination.
This op-ed seems like a cheap rhetorical trick-trying to insinuate that the administration has something against "straight white males" when the administration is simply staying within the limits of its legal authority (and not to mention that discrimination based on being white or male would, in fact, be subject to DOJ investigation-and discrimination based on sexual orientation is not, regardless of whether the subject is gay or straight).


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Algeria player Fatima Zahra Oukazi: "We could have performed better than our result. Our reception wasn't good, and this was a difficult match. Today's match was our last in the tournament, so I hoped to perform well. But as you can see from the result, we couldn't. This competition was a good experience. Playing against good teams helped us improve our performance which we need to maintain our position in Africa."
Algeria coach Ikhedji Mouloud: "We were disappointed with today's result. I wish we could have played at the same level we played against Serbia yesterday. We couldn't maintain our concentration."
On their achievement here in Japan, and improvement going forward: "The most important thing we take away from here in Japan is experience playing vs world class opponents. Within Africa we had success, but without going abroad to play world class teams it's hard to improve. Here, we have united the team and this is important as we take the next step forward. I wish we could win points not only by opponent errors, but also from our own play. We have to work on this and improve."
Poland captain Aleksandra Jagielo: "I will not deny that the aim of our game today was to win. It's good that we won. I'm happy that girls who didn't play before were given a chance to gain some match experience here before the next round."
Poland coach Jerzy Matlak: "It's difficult to say more than my captain has said and I agree with her. In my opinion the last three matches were fairly easy and we have to remember that the next round won't be as easy. We have to be fully concentrated to play and win."
Regarding resting his team before the next round in comparison to other teams like China and Russia who are still fighting: "I'm not sure how the next pool will look, but the match between Korea and Turkey will determine our next opponent. It won't be an easy match. We have three days of rest starting this afternoon which will allow us to recover. We have a few injuries and health problems. Our players will be aware that it won't be as easy in the next round, but they will be psychologically ready to stand in the next pool."

subset: commoncrawl


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USU "Sales Jedi" Enter State-Wide Competition and Leave With Top Prizes
By Steve Eaton
When the Utah State University students walked into the room for the competition, the judges had no idea they were dealing with Aggie "Sales Jedi."
All they knew is that Utah Valley University had invited the best sales students from colleges around the state to a competition where they would be tested in high-pressure, role-play situations that one student said were like doing sales pitches "on steroids" because they were expected to close a sale in under 10 minutes.
When the First Annual Utah Valley University American Marketing Association Intercollegiate Sales Idol Competition was over, USU students had taken first and second place, and won an honorable mention, claiming three out of the top six spots.
The students were all "Sales Jedi" because Sterling Bone, assistant professor of marketing, had dubbed them so for successfully completing his strategic sales management course. He says they are "Sales Jedi" because they have "used the truths of selling to eliminate the dark side, and restore trust and order to the universe." Dr. Bone teaches the students about integrity in sales and urges them to hold themselves to high standards while genuinely trying to meet the needs of their customers.
The competition was the idea of some UVU professors who used to work at Brigham Young University with Dr. Bone where he had set up a similar competition before coming to USU. This first competition drew students from UVU, USU, and Brigham Young University.
"We wanted to create an intercollegiate competition where each school could pick its best, brightest, and finest sales professionals, and give them the opportunity to compete with other schools across Utah," he said.
Half of the students took on the role as sales professionals for Property Solutions, a company that is a leader in cloud-based property management software, and the other students represented Qualtrics, a firm that helps its clients gather "real time insights" through its cloud-based survey software. Their job was to sell that company's product to someone who was pretending to be an interested customer.
Bluffing and making up information about the companies they were representing, however, would have been a bad strategy because the people pretending to be interested buyers were employees of Property Solutions or Qualtrics. They were there, in part, in hopes of discovering new talent they could hire, Dr. Bone said. Each buyer was accompanied by another person who was to observe and judge the presentations.
After the first round of sales calls, where students were expected to introduce the company, discover the buyer's needs, present a compelling product demonstration, handle an objection, and close the sale in under 10 minutes, six people were selected to go on to the finals. For the final round of the competition they had to again make a sales presentation, only this time it was before twelve judges and in front of a crowd of their competitors.
Tom Goldhardt, a senior majoring in marketing, took first place and earned a $1,000 cash prize. Second place went to Cache Mckinley, a senior majoring in business administration, who earned $500. An honorable mention and a $50 prize went to Jason Porter, a junior majoring in business administration. The students were selected from a larger pool of USU students who had hoped to participate. The final team also included Bree Arnold, a junior majoring in marketing, Daryn Frischknecht, a senior majoring in marketing, Michael Gallacher, a senior majoring in marketing, Amy Nelson, a senior majoring in public relations, and David Whitaker, a senior majoring in marketing.
Members of the USU team: From left to right, Daryn Frischknecht, Sterling Bone, Bree Arnold, Michael Gallacher, Tom Goldhardt, Jason Porter, Cache Mckinley, and Amy Nelson. (Not pictured, David Whitaker)
"Our goal was to be the most winning team of all schools represented at the competition," Dr. Bone said, "and we by far surpassed that."
All the competitors were given more than a month to research and prepare for the competition. Jason said he researched the name of one of the company's real clients and made up a business card with her name on it and passed that card to the buyer as someone he could contact to hear from a happy Property Solution's customer. It was an extra-mile preparation move that seemed to surprise and impress the judges, he said.
Tom made his presentation as a Qualtrics sales professional but had the added advantage of having used Qualtrics software at USU and as an intern on two different jobs.
Dr. Bone, who was able to hear the judges deliberate, said they were impressed the students had gone to such great lengths to understand the products and services they would be selling.
"I was proud to be the faculty coach and advisor to this team and to see them succeed and thrive," he said. "They took what they've learned in class, what they've learned in their internships, what they've learned in their experiences here at Utah State, and they demonstrated that knowledge in a very competitive, real-world format," he said.
He said a sales manager from a global pharmaceutical company flew in to see the competition and spoke with Dr. Bone about how impressed he was with the USU talent. A primary goal of the competition was to give the students a chance to network and showcase their abilities with potential employers.
Mike said that he benefited from hearing the feedback from the judges on his presentation. They told him that once he identified a need he should have dug deeper to find ways he could fulfill that need.
"That was really useful to have that feedback because otherwise you'd almost be wasting your time if you didn't find out what you could have done better," he said.
While the students had all had opportunities to role-play sales scenarios in Dr. Bone's class, they said that to make a pitch in such an intense, competitive environment offered them experience they had not before had.
"I think what makes an Aggie Sales Jedi, distinct from other Sales Jedi that I have worked with is their work ethic, their commitment, and the drive they have to be the best that they can be," Dr. Bone said.


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Eee PC line to gain gamer-friendly graphics chip
Why, oh why?
Asus has let slip that it's working on an Eee PC netbook with a discrete graphics chip for all you gamers who want to play the latest titles on the move without having to lug a 15in Alienware around.
That, apparently, is what a company spokesman said recently, bizarre as it may seem.
Details are scarce, so it's impossible to say whether the company's considering an 8.9in model or a 10in machine. The latter seems more likely, not for the screen size per se but because it'll need the bigger chassis space for the extra cooling a half-decent discrete GPU is going to require.
Asus Eee PC 1002HA: really better for games than a 15in laptop?
We're not entirely sure we see the point. Larger Small, Cheap Computers are already criticised for being worse value than a cheap 15in notebook, and adding a powerful GPU is only going to make that worse.
The only advantage the machine would offer the gamer is weight - and that's offset by the smaller screen, weaker CPU and probably lesser battery life, when compared to a typical low-cost 15-incher.
What such a plan - if it ever comes to fruition - reveals is Asus' desperation to try absolutely any scheme to try and sell more Eees. Fair enough, of course, not least because the SCC family has provided the Taiwanese manufacturer with its first real mainstream success, which is also improving the perception of the broader Asus brand in the West.
The risk is that such a strategy dilutes what the Eee brand is all about, something not helped by the vast array of different models the company currently offers. One more, this time with a discrete GPU, will not make much difference to that, we suppose.
Sponsored: Your Guide to Becoming Truly Data-Driven with Unrivalled Data Analytics Performance


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Editorial Reviews
"Helen has given us a series with men that will not only Melt your heart, they will heat up your soul."
-The Book Fairy Reviews
"Made my heart stop in my chest. Helen has given us such a heartbreakingly beautiful series."
-Tina at Bookalicious Babes Blog
Ryan Steel is known in Snow Creek as the handsomest Steel brother with the most jovial personality. Now that his busy grape harvest and winemaking season is over, he's happy to spend time with his family and help his brothers, Talon and Jonah, celebrate their impending nuptials. The Steels are taking a well-deserved break from the conspiracy surrounding them...until an unlikely woman and a long-buried secret shatter Ryan's world.
Detective Ruby Lee has been on her own since she was fifteen. When her past collides with the Steel family's mysteries, she's determined to find the truth. She has her own issues, and she's not looking for a relationship, despite her all-consuming attraction to Ryan Steel. The gorgeous dark-haired man gets under her skin anyway...and he needs her.
Together they explore both of their histories, but those pasts could cost them a future.


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Time to answer another one of your questions!
it's like this, cat asked...
i've had an etsy shop for years now - and feel like i'm coming to the end of it. i'm wondering if you ever feel 'done' with the things you're well known for making, and what you do if this happens. do you just power through, knowing that your items will sell and that is motivation enough? or do you never make an item that you're not still passionate about?
No. I don't make anything that I'm not passionate about.
If while I'm sewing product for the shop & my thoughts keep going over how I never want to make another such & such again, I know I'm done. You will notice that the product in my shop changes & evolves just like I do.
In the beginning of my etsy shop, I used to sell tote bags. Simple, basic tote bags. You'll notice that I don't sell them anymore. That's because I just got sick of making them.
I've mentioned before that productivity is based on your mood. If you're not in a good mood, you're not going to happily whip out a ton of product. You're going to drag your feet wishing you just didn't have to do it at all. And if you're not keeping productivity up, then you're not listing often & you're not keeping your sales up.
The great thing about running your own etsy shop is that when you're not feeling it, you can walk away for a bit & pick up again when you're feeling more motivated.
Here's my suggestion for keeping the positive creative energy flowing: Keep a journal & jot down any product ideas that may come to you from time to time. Refer to it when you get to the point that you are feeling done with your current offerings. Try making some new & different things, until you come across something that's more enjoyable to make.
I am motivated by money as well. A couple weeks ago I was thinking about the shop & how far it's come. Then I wondered how long we would continue with it. Then I thought about how our kids will need braces & college educations & I thought that maybe it'd be around for a long time. And that sat well with me. I felt fine with that. We never know what the future holds though. I guess we'll see.


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North Park's residential neighborhoods feature elegant and varied architectural styles, including Craftsman, California bungalow, Spanish/Mission Revival and Mediterranean. Because many of the houses were designed by renowned designer David Owen Dryden, the area is home to the Dryden Historic District. In 2012, Forbes magazine named North Park as one of America's best hipster neighborhoods, noting that the restaurants, microbreweries, boutiques and the Ray Street Arts District all boost creativity throughout the area.
Commercial-Res Income, MLS# 190005681
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2-4 Units, MLS# 190006739
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Commercial-Res Income, MLS# 180065020
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Commercial-Res Income, MLS# 190003047
Listing provided by Sterling Investments Mgmt
Commercial-Res Income, MLS# 180040620
Listing provided by Cushman & Wakefield of San Die
Commercial-Res Income, MLS# 190012348
Listing provided by Acre Investment Real Estate
Residential, MLS# 300636736
Listing provided by William K.Terrell
This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. You should rely on this information only to decide whether or not to further investigate a particular property. BEFORE MAKING ANY OTHER DECISION, YOU SHOULD PERSONALLY INVESTIGATE THE FACTS (e.g. square footage and lot size) with the assistance of an appropriate professional. You may use this information only to identify properties you may be interested in investigating further. All uses except for personal, non-commercial use in accordance with the foregoing purpose are prohibited. Redistribution or copying of this information, any photographs or video tours is strictly prohibited. This information is derived from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) service provided by Sandicor®. Displayed property listings may be held by a brokerage firm other than the broker and/or agent responsible for this display. The information and any photographs and video tours and the compilation from which they are derived is protected by copyright. Compilation © 2019 Sandicor®, Inc.


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Park Planning
Send an Email
Historic Latta Plantation704-875-23125225 Sample RoadHunterville, NC 2807
Description: Tucked away on the banks of the Catawba River, just 12 minutes from uptown Charlotte, this backcountry 52-acre plantation offers a very personal glimpse into the life of a merchant (James Latta) and his family in rural Mecklenburg County in the early days of our republic. Acknowledged on the National Register of Historic Places, Latta Plantation (circa 1800) consists of the original home and smoke house, fields, farm animals, a garden and interpreters in period clothing.
Historic Latta Plantation is located within Mecklenburg County's 1,290-acre Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. In addition to the Historic Plantation, the preserve offers a nature center, fishing, horseback riding, a raptor center and picnic areas with lovely lake and forest views. For more information, including hours of operation and pricing information, visit:
Charles T. Myers
Visit the Charles T. Myers Golf Course website!
7817 Harrisburg RdCharlotte, NC 28215704-536-1692
Description: 18-hole course (Ladies-2761, Blue-3315, Gold-6334), driving range, chipping/putting green, bent-grass greensRenaissance Park
Visit the Renaissance Park Golf Course website!
1525 Tyvola RdCharlotte, NC 28210704-357-3373
Description: 18-hole course (Ladies-5315, Mens- 6270, Championship-7465), driving range, chipping/putting green, bent-grass greens
Visit the Revolution Park Golf Course website!
2661 Barringer DrCharlotte, NC 28208704-342-1946
Description: 9-hole regulation course (Red-2211, White-2825, Blue-2976), chipping/putting green, Bermuda greens
Sunset Hills
Visit the Sunset Hills Golf Course website!800 Radio RdCharlotte, NC 28216704-399-0980
Description: 18-hole course (Red-5185, White-5810, Blue-6146), driving range, putting green, practice sand trap, Bermuda greens
The Tradition3800 Prosperity Church RdCharlotte, NC 28216704-549-9400
Description: 18-hole (Forward-5498, Middle-6201, Back-6561, Championship-7054), 2 putting greens, driving range, chipping green, bent-grass greens
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Top seed Stanislas Wawrinka ousted American Sam Querrey 6-2 6-2 and will play Marinko Matosevic in the quarter-finals after the Australian overcame an ankle injury to spring another shock by defeating a below-par Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4.
World number six Tomas Berdych also progressed with a 7-6 (2) 6-4 win over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
The manner of Murray's 7-6 (10) 6-2 defeat by Stepanek will do nothing to boost the British number one's confidence as he squandered eight set points in the opener before tamely surrendering the second.
The result snapped the world number five's 19-match winning streak on grass, a sequence that started in 2012 with his run to Olympic gold in London.
"I have only got myself to blame that I lost the first set. I don't know how many set points I had but quite a lot of them were on my serve," defending champion Murray told reporters.
"On this surface especially you shouldn't really be losing sets like that. That's what is disappointing really about the match."
New coach Amelie Mauresmo, a former Wimbledon champion herself, kept a poker face as the match headed towards a disappointing conclusion but she would have noted the challenge that lies ahead over the next 10 days before Murray opens Centre Court proceedings at the All England Club on June 23.
Murray's dropshots were off target, often falling short of the net, his backhands kept misfiring and there seemed to be a never-ending stream of forehand errors flying off his racket.
If such errors prove costly against a player he had beaten in five of their six previous meetings, the Scot's chances of overcoming rivals such as Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the grasscourt major look rather perilous.
"I need to spend time on the courts practising some things," admitted Murray. "Returning first serves, I wasn't quite as sharp on that as I would have liked.
"I didn't win that many points when he made his first serve. Normally that's quite a strong part of my game.
"I'll need to practice that a little bit over the next few days. I have played well on grass over the last few years so I would have hoped to have done a bit better," said Murray.
A year after completing a Queen's Club-Wimbledon double, Murray was strangely off colour as he allowed Stepanek to steal the opening set with a delightful crosscourt volley.
Any hopes of a revival fell flat early in the second set when he surrendered the opening game with a forehand error and Stepanek made sure he made the most of his chances.
The wily Czech, who at times gave Murray the runaround, sealed an impressive victory when his opponent sliced a backhand into the net on match point, leaving the crowd stunned and the home favourite frustrated.
"When you play the best in the world you have to come up with the best … they bring the best out of you and it was a great win for me," Stepanek said courtside after setting up a quarter-final with South African Kevin Anderson.
Wawrinka was impressive in dispatching Querrey for the loss of four games in 50 minutes but has spent little time on court this week after second-round opponent Marcos Baghdatis retired hurt after five games on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Swiss said his performance was not paramount, adding the emphasis was on time playing on grass ahead of Wimbledon.
"It's a faster surface so you don't have that much time," said Wawrinka. "You need to be ready to play more aggressive – you need to trust your game, you need to go for it.
"It's never easy the first few matches because the grass is faster. Even if you lose you can still practice."
In the final game on Centre Court, Tsonga never looked like imposing himself on Matosevic and was broken twice in the opening set against an opponent who produced a number of powerful groundstroke winners.
Berdych squandered 17 break points on the way to winning the first set against Mannarino but his extra class told in the second.
(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Tony Jimenez)


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Emergency Medicine - EM Physician
- Location: Hamilton, AL
- Posted: Aug 15, 2019
Job Description
Envision Physician Services is seeking Emergency Department Physicians for opportunites in Hamilton, Alabama.
Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, or Internal Medicine Physician specialties considered.
Physician Benefits:
- Competitive hourly rates
- Independent Contractor status
Physician Requirements:
- Current on ACLS, ATLS and PALS certifications
- Possess a current, unrestricted Alabama medical license, DEA, and Alabama Controlled Substances registration
Quality people. Quality care. Quality of LIFE.(TM) Envision Physician Services is a national physician-led practice management company. This publically held company provides outsourced clinical department recruitment, staffing, management and billing/collection services for hundreds of hospitals and health systems nationwide.
Known for its unique structure, Envision Physician Services develops local practices, supports them with regionally-located clinical leadership and operational personnel and provides them access to unprecedented national resources. Each Envision Physician Services practice has its own unique culture, but all sites recruit and hire clinicians who share the company's core values of being patient-focused, customer-centered and caregiver-inspired.
Envision Physician Services is a family of companies, each of which has clinical staffing needs. Full-time, part-time, and independent contractor opportunities are available through Envision Physician Services.
Candidates considering a career within the Envision Physician Services family of companies will find a variety of community types (from small towns to major urban areas), practice settings (small hospitals to major academic health systems), job levels (entry level to senior management), and competitive pay with exceptional benefits. Specialties supported include Emergency Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Women's and Children's, Surgery, Anesthesia and Radiology/Teleradiology.
Envision Physician Services is proud to be an EOE/AA employer.
Salary Information


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Software will not start at all. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling and get the same result. Error box stating power plus has stopped working. This is on a 32bit vista OS with up to date updates. Has anybody else had anything similar happen?
Also tried to download the update for the software using the link that i was emailed but this no longer works is there another way to get this?
thanks in advance


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The Flexionater can generate loads from zero to several hundred foot-pounds of torque to accommodate the specific mechanical characteristics of...
Approximately 5-10% of the population experience excessive scarring after joint surgery or injury and that is where patients may have an appropriate need for an ERMI device… Click here for More Details.
Commonly, the excessive scarring is called a 'frozen shoulder' or 'stiff knee', but the conditions are also explained commonly by Adhesive capsilitis in the shoulder, or Arthrofibrosis in the knee or ankle. The amount of scarring cannot be anticipated or predicted, since it is a biological response based on an individual's genetic healing response during conventional rehab, and the actual joint condition post injury or post surgically.
Then, Physical, Occupational Therapists, and Nurse Case Managers, most often refer the use of ERMI devices for an adjunct treatment in the patient's home. Next, an ERMI representative introduces the case and the Doctor determines whether to prescribe the device for use as medically necessary.
ERMI works in partnership with the patient's doctors, therapy, and other health professionals to advance care to improve motion only because that patient has shown limited progress from conventional rehab methods or shown unacceptable gains against range of motion goals. Click for More details for patients… or click for more details for professionals.
Continued motion loss after injury, surgery, and rehab occurs only among a small population of people due to their natural biological response during the healing process. In short, these group of people "over scar" during healing around a joint, and that restricts and limits their range of motion, sometimes permanently. This disease state is commonly referred in knees, as a "stiff knee" and in shoulders, as a "frozen shoulder".
When physical therapy makes limited gains in returning daily functional range of motion in a patient, the options for further treatment of severe motion loss are limited to more invasive procedures like additional hospital procedures including Manipulation Under Anesthesia and additional surgery. As the internal scarring progresses during natural course of healing, the window also closes when the scar tissue will stretch and realign itself, so it is flexible enough for the joint to move. The scar tissue has about 10% of its strength at 5 days after injury or surgery, 40% at 40 days, 60% at 70 days, and 100% at 1 year. °( Elhorn AR, Sawyer M (1991). The Problem Knee: Soft tissue Consideration. In: Engle RP(ed) Knee Ligament Rehabilitation. Churchill Livingston, New York, p. 197-212).
In 1991, ERMI, LLC developed medical device technology as an non-surgical option to improving motion. The company serves those patients and clinical and managed care professionals, who were not able to improve motion when conventional methods failed to make desired gains and goals. ERMI medical devices offer a uniquely different home mechanical solution that mimics how intensely a physical therapist applies over pressure to scar tissue using a patient's own control to reach the most difficult limit or end of the range of motion.


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This may be old news for some, but it's still awesome!
For just $4.99, you can take the first of five episodes of seafaring adventure anywhere you go with the remaining four episodes hitting the App Store soon!
Get Monkey Island Tales – Episode 1 for the iPhone in the iTunes App Store Now!
In case some of you didn't know. I didn't o.O
Okay, back to hiatus.


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Name: Betty Knight
Age: 78
Address: Flat Creek Road
Family: Husband, the late Fred Knight; children, Ronnie Knight and Lynn Knight; five grandchildren and two great grandchildren
Job: Homemaker
Church: Hyde Park Baptist Church
Hobbies: Cooking, crocheting and helping people
Favorite book: The Bible
FORT LAWN – In 1996, third-generation farmers David and Jimmy Jordan were looking for a crop that could be watered and didn't require very much rain.
Their options were limited, given their location just north of Fort Lawn on S.C. 21. That was something the Jordan boys learned young, while watching their grandfather try to scratch out a cotton crop on the same ground.
"We'd sit on the porch and watch thunderstorms come through and go around this place every single time, making our granddaddy so mad he could spit," David Jordan said.
Bless Pete, I'm suffering from Osama bin Laden overload.
It's kinda like having to unfasten your britches due to that last piece of pie you just had to have.
Right now, I've had my fill when it comes to reading, watching, hearing and talking about the demise of Osama bin Laden.
Now, the very first reports about him sure seemed like the kind of heroic story old veterans like me yearn for.
The Twin Towers mastermind was finished off in a way that befit his own lifestyle (see Matthew 26:52).
The newly restored historic Lancaster Courthouse is getting a face-lift of another kind outside.
The Lancaster Council of Garden Clubs (LCGC) is coordinating an ongoing project to plant and maintain a flower garden at the courthouse's rear entrance, which faces the Catawba Street courtyard.
This is no ordinary flower garden. The garden will showcase local and state plants, as well as provide a habitat for birds and butterflies. The garden will also include historic components to provide a community learning experience.
If you live in the country, you may be hearing a noise right now you just can't explain.
That's not some huge industrial machine humming miles away and it's not your imagination gone wild. There's nothing wrong with your hearing.
It's the return of the 13-year cicadas, which have re-emerged from underground to mate.
Jane Massey of Van Wyck has already seen more than her share of these fearful-looking, red-eyed insects flitting about.
The amount raised locally for Relay for Life changes from year to year, but one thing will never change, said Kimberly Collins, community manager for the American Cancer Society.
"Lancaster County is known for its passion for Relay," Collins said.
That passion was there for everyone to see as 76 teams raised more than $170,000 this year.
The 2011 Relay for Life culminated with the annual walk at the University of South Carolina Lancaster on Friday, which drew a crowd estimated at more than 9,000.
Chef and cookbook author Nancy Hughes' Tomato Basil Soup with Chicken is a bowl of comfort at its best.
"Everybody loves soup, but it takes a long time and cooks away all the nutrients," said Hughes, author of "15-Minute Diabetic Meals."
Hughes said the soup takes "15 minutes flat" to prepare.
The key is to make sure to drain the navy beans and to rinse them twice to get rid of the cloudiness and gunk.
– Editor's note: W.B. Evans is on vacation this week. Due to reader requests, we are reprinting this Remember When column, which was originally published in the May 13, 2007, edition of The Lancaster News. "Mamas cannot be replaced, but our memories help keep them alive," Evans said. "I'm getting mushy, but somehow I feels that she knows I still care, at least, if The Lancaster News is on the newsstands in heaven!"
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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Participatory Video, a new innovative way of capturing and sharing communities' voices on social and environmental change, was recently introduced by the IUCN Water Programme.
Participatory Video is a process and set of techniques to involve a project or community in shaping and creating their own film. IUCN project partners and beneficiaries were trained during a 5-day Participatory Video course in Arusha, Tanzania from 20-24 September.
In the IUCN Pangani project region, rising tensions over scarce water resources and the impacts of climate change have put the Pangani river under increased pressure. IUCN and partners, through the Pangani River Basin Management Project (PRBMP) and Global Water Initiative (GWI), is implementing solutions and actions towards improving the ecological, economic and socio-cultural benefits of the Basin.
The project approach focuses in part on capacity building, knowledge sharing and community participation. Complementing the work of the community development officers in the Pangani basin, Participatory Video (PV) helps to better understand community needs and identify gaps in water resource planning. As part of IUCN's work within this region, Participatory Video supports the collective process, whereby communities use video to document their environmental challenges, needs and ideas for solutions.
"Working together with our Global Water Initiative partners, the PV training strengthened our project partners' communications and facilitation skills, which is important in sharing the progress and impact of our work", said Katharine Cross, IUCN Water and Wetlands Programme Officer in East and Southern Africa. "The local community, through the participatory process, was given complete control of their own film and recordings. This process was very empowering, enabling the community to take stock of what has been done and what still needs to be done. Communities were given the opportunity to communicate their needs and ideas to decision-makers and project partners."
Fifteen participants from PRBMP and GWI partner organisations, including CARE, SNV, CRS, SAIPRO, and PBWB were facilitated throughout the training by Claire Warmenbol, IUCN Water Programme Officer. "Participatory Video can be a highly effective tool to engage and mobilise marginalised people, enabling greater participation in development and environmental projects. Further benefits from participatory video processes include project monitoring and evaluation, as well as providing a powerful tool for advocacy and information sharing", she said.
Following the PV work with communities, the participants were further introduced to editing skills, distribution channels for promotion and sharing of video, as well as a session on the ethics of filming. "Reporting back on project work often involves writing lengthy reports which are time-consuming. Participatory video offers an alternative or supplementary way of communicating our work, directly through the project beneficiaries", said Irene Chikira, training participant and PBWB Community Development Officer.
The PV training was organized in Arusha, a bustling town within the IUCN project region. The Pangani river flows from Africa's highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, passes through the arid Masai Steppes, and flows into the Indian Ocean at the coastal town of Pangani in Tanzania. Throughout its 500km course, the landscape changes from lush green highlands where coffee and banana plantations abound, to arid drylands where pastoralist communities and industrial estates vie for the river's water supply.
For further information, please contact [email protected]


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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Government war planes bombed opposition-held areas of Syria and President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels fought on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on New Year's Day on Tuesday.
A year ago, many diplomats and analysts predicted Assad would leave power in 2012. But despite international pressure and rebel gains, he has proved resilient.
His inner circle remains largely intact and retains control of the armed forces, even if it relies on air strikes and artillery power to hold back the rebels fighting to overthrow him.
The air force pounded Damascus's eastern suburbs on Tuesday and rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the second city and commercial capital, as well as several rural towns and villages, opposition activists said.
Opposition video posted on the Internet showed plumes of grey smoke rising in Irbin, in the east of Damascus.
Residents of the capital began the new year to the boom of artillery hitting southern and eastern outskirts, which form a rebel-held arc around the capital. The heart of the city is still firmly under government control.
In the city center, soldiers manning checkpoints fired celebratory gunfire at midnight although the streets were largely deserted.
"How can they celebrate? There is no 'Happy New Year'," Moaz al-Shami, an opposition activist who lives in central Mezzeh district, said over Skype.
He said rebel fighters attacked one checkpoint in Berzeh district on Tuesday morning. Opposition groups said mortar bombs hit the southwest suburb of Daraya, which the army attacked on Monday to retake it from rebels.
An estimated 45,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which started in early 2011 with peaceful protests demanding democratic reforms but turned into an armed uprising after months of attacks on protesters by security forces.
A resident of the central city of Homs said artillery shelling had smacked into its Old City on Tuesday.
Homs lies on the north-south highway and parts of the ancient city have been leveled during months of clashes. Government forces ousted rebels from Homs early last year but militants have slowly crept back in.
"The Old City is under siege. There is shelling from all sides," said the resident, who asked to remain anonymous.
A video posted on YouTube showed the bodies of three boys who activists said were arrested at a government checkpoint on their way home from school in Damascus' Jobar suburb on Sunday.
One of the boys, who appear to have barely reached adolescence, has his hands tied behind his back. Another had a large open wound on his throat.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports and the footage.
The opposition-linked Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, reported 160 people killed on the final day of 2012, including at least 37 government troops.
The civil war in Syria is the longest and deadliest of the conflicts that rose out of the uprisings that have swept through the Arab world over the past two years.
Many Sunni Muslims, the majority in Syria, back the rebellion, while Assad, a member of the Shi'ite-derived Alawite minority sect, is backed by some minorities who fear revenge if he falls. His family has ruled Syria since his father seized power in a coup 42 years ago.
Assad's forces now rely more on air strikes and artillery bombardment rather than infantry. Residential areas where rebels are based have been targeted, killing many civilians.
Rebels have taken swathes of the northern mountains and eastern desert but have struggled to hold cities, saying they are defenseless against Assad's Soviet-equipped air force.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war have failed, with the rebels refusing to negotiate unless Assad leaves power and the president pledging to fight until death. Western and Arab states have called for him to go. He is backed by Russia and Iran.
In the last days of 2012, international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi called on countries to push the sides to talk, saying Syria faced a choice of "hell or the political process".
One Damascus resident, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said the usual New Year's Eve crowds were absent from the increasingly isolated capital.
"There was hardly anyone on the streets, no cars, no pedestrians. Most restaurants, cafes and bars were empty," she said.
Some young people gathered at three bars in the old city.
"There was music but nobody was dancing. They just sat there with a drink in their hands and smoking. I don't think I saw one person smile," she said.
The midnight gunfire caused alarm.
"It was very scary. No one knew what was going on. People got very nervous and started making phone calls. But then I discovered that at least on my street, the gunfire was celebratory."
Editing by Peter Graff and Angus MacSwan


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Here is where I will be putting the details of Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates for my paternal side.
Certificates (Paternal Side)
2 Comments »
Hello, As I am new to this site and am enjoying reading the old and new blogs I am unfamiliar with the how it works.
I would love any copies of any certificates with the Pollard name and wills also. I am a direct descendant of Jeramiah Pollard and Catherine Read and have a family tree but I haven't any cerificates. If I could have copies I would be so grateful and over the moon.
Kind Regards
Comment by Hazel Ellis — February 18, 2011 @ 2:55 pm
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Grant Desme: A Man of God
Vocation. The word is defined as a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action, especially a call into religious life. It's also defined as work, or an occupation one is involved with.
Grant Desme, 23 year-old top prospect for the Oakland Athletics, has a gift. He won the Most Valuable Player of the Arizona Fall League, batting .315 with 11 homers and 27 RBIs in 27 games.
He put up staggering numbers in the minor league regular season, batting .288 with 31 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases in 2009. Desme was the only player in the minors to record at least 30 homers and 30 steals.
Talk about a young man with a ton of ability on the baseball diamond.
But Desme did not feel his true calling was baseball. Last Thursday the minor league's best player retired from baseball. Yes, you heard right, he retired from baseball at 23 years old. Desme gave it all up for a higher power.
Seeking peace and aspiration for higher things in life, Desme decided to leave the game to become a Catholic priest. According to several news reports, his announcement startled A's General Manager Billy Beane, but he was supportive and understanding of Desme's choice.
But why exactly did Desme decide to become a priest? After all, it's not a choice a person makes overnight; it has to be well-thought out.
The first two years of his minor league career, Desme was setback by shoulder and wrist injuries. He said that his days off the field gave him time to realize what's important in his life and he got himself into Bible study during that time. News reports also confirm that he discussed the faith with his teammates.
Not one to distract the team during the season, Desme kept his decision to leave the game for the priesthood to himself.
I have to say, this is one of the nicer stories I've heard in the sporting world over the last week. Desme has so much God-given talent and I am proud that he recognizes that–that his talent comes from God and he is willing to thank Him for it. There are certain athletes that have no desire to truly appreciate what the good Lord has given them, much less devote a large portion of their life to the faith.
Desme possesses an extremely admirable quality. I know that if I were as extraordinary as him in terms of baseball, I'd never want to give that up. I would stay in the game and go on to have a lucrative career, as I'm sure that was Desme's future.
But he opted not to do that; he remained in God and chose to enter the Seminary, which as I understand he will begin attending in August. The process of becoming a priest takes a lot of time; Desme said he will be a priest in 10 years.
Speaking as the nephew of a Catholic priest, I know (probably better than most people) that being a priest isn't just about saying mass and giving out communion. There's a lot more to it than that. Priests' lives are a lot more difficult than baseball players'.
My uncle, Fr. Tom Kreiser, has been a Catholic priest for about 16 years now. In those 16 years he has had to travel the world to make pilgrimages, relocate from his assigned parish several times, and even study in Rome, Italy for four years with other priests of his order.
All of that on top of learning a number of different languages (including Latin and Italian), learning to hear confession, and learning how to guide and help other people when they're in serious trouble. For example, if an elderly wife loses her husband of 50 years and is unbelievably heartbroken, it's a priest's job to make sure that woman is going to be safe in her faith, mind, and body.
I'm not exactly sure how I would handle that. I don't think I ever could.
I have to tip my (Yankee) cap to Desme. I wish him the best of luck at the Seminary and maybe one day I'll get to attend one of his masses. He will be in my prayers and I truly pray he succeeds. I am glad he found what he was looking for in his faith.
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow me."–Matthew 19:21


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It was our third day in high elevation Hemis National Park, we had awakened before dawn and chugged down a mug of life-giving coffee before ascending a few hundred yards to a knoll above our tented camp in the Rhumbak Valley.
Our group watching the first Snow Leopard from a knoll above our camp in Hemis National Park
At this very spot, on our first afternoon in the park, and within half an hour of officially beginning our Snow Leopard search, our expert local spotter had exclaimed "Shan!!" – the Ladakhi name for Snow Leopard. After a few tense moments and some mild panic, we had all trained our telescopes on a Snow Leopard stalking across a far mountain slope. The distance was extreme, estimated at 2.5-3km, even the cat's spots were hard to discern, yet we spent an enthralling hour and a half watching it sunning itself on a rock, then rolling like a tabby in loose gravel before setting off, at a remarkably rapid pace, across the mountain slope until it disappeared above a cliff face. Moments later it came barreling down the cliff in a chase, scattering a herd of Blue Sheep in all directions, however it didn't seem to reach striking distance of any of them. It then disappeared over the mountain ridge, seemingly in disgust! "High fives" were shared all round, we were elated! We had 9 days in the mountains and by the first day we had already actually clapped eyes on this, the Gray Ghost of the Himalayas, albeit distantly. Seeing a wild Snow Leopard is every wildlife enthusiast's dream, probably the ultimate and most elusive wildlife experience on the planet. This Holy Grail of sightings was until quite recently, virtually impossible, requiring months of extreme endurance for even the slimmest glimmer of hope. Peter Matthiessen's famous book Snow Leopard describes such an attempt that proved ultimately unsuccessful in his primary goal of glimpsing a Snow Leopard.
View of our camp in the Rhumbak Valley
Knowing this, we were certainly far from disappointed by our experience but we of course all dreamed of a closer view. So the next day we trekked to the Tarbung Valley, lying below our camp. It was on the upper slopes of this valley where our distant Snow Leopard had been observed. By the end of the day our eyes were stinging with the effort of incessantly scanning the slopes surrounding us for another view of this cryptic feline. I hadn't imagined that there would literally be millions of locations within view at any time where a Snow Leopard could be hiding! By sunset we felt that we were faced with a near impossible task and were grateful for the extreme luck to have obtained our first sighting! However, we were somewhat encouraged by spotting at least 10 herds of Blue Sheep (locally known as Bharal) on the slopes around this lower valley. These sturdy mountain sheep are the preferred diet of the Snow Leopard in this part of its range and the high density of prey was a good indication that a predator should be around!
A small herd of Blue Sheep take fright in Hemis NP
Our guide explained that camera traps scattered at strategic sites in the three valleys around our camp had revealed that there were no less than 11 resident Snow Leopards in the immediate vicinity! An astounding density for a large predator, especially in such a cold, desert-like environment. Furthermore, the total population in Hemis National Park is estimated at 50-60 individuals, making the park an important genetic reservoir for this species which is classified on the IUCN's Red Data List as Endangered. In case we had any doubts, our guide led us to one of these camera traps where he hauled out the camera and as we flicked through the past few weeks' images, we were amazed to see close-up shots of Snow Leopard after Snow Leopard; males, females, cubs, taken both at night and day!
Day three had dawned bright and sunny once again. In fact these days in late October were just stunning, and despite being at 3,900m in elevation, the conditions necessitated no more than a t-shirt! However as soon as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, a remarkable phenomenon occurred; the mercury literally plummeted more than 20 degrees centigrade to below zero over a short time. We opted for a pre-breakfast scan at the knoll above camp from where we had lucked into our first sighting. This time it was our assistant Snow Leopard spotter who uttered the magical word, and after a scramble we were again all watching a much closer Snow Leopard in the Tarbung Valley. The cat actually appeared almost golden in the early morning light and this time we could admire its magnificent thick, blotched pelt, extremely long tail and large head. Snow Leopards are the subject of recent taxonomic debate, sometimes being placed in their own genus Uncia (from their earliest Western name Ounce, an ancient name first given to the Eurasian Lynx; which also occurs in Hemis National Park). However most recent research places them amongst the Panthera. This is the genus of the typical large cats including Lion, Leopard, Jaguar and Tiger. In fact genetic evidence indicates that the Snow Leopard's closest living relative is the Tiger. Our Snow Leopard sat, quite Cheetah-like, before stalking off and once again rolling in the gravel, apparently an indication of the desire to mask its scent before a hunt. We realized that we could place ourselves much closer to our dream target if we hiked down into the valley where we had spent the previous day, so we left one of our spotters on the knoll with a radio and we descended with bated breath, by-passing camp and breakfast en route!
The far slope of the Tarbung Valley where our 2nd Snow Leopard had been spotted
Half an hour later we were on the slope opposite to where we had seen our Snow Leopard and with directions from our spotter we managed to relocate the cat. It was barely visible at the top of an outcrop about 300m away, cautiously peering over the rocks at us. We settled down and trained our telescopes, cameras and binoculars on the far slope and slowly but surely, our leopard gained confidence until it lifted its whole head and stared at us. After an hour, a pleasant surprise awaited us when our camp staff arrived with hot breakfast and coffee in tow and served us a delicious meal in situ as we marveled at the Snow Leopard! Hard to believe this was real! As the sun rose and the day heated up, our cat dozed off, all we could see was a paw and the top of its head. Lunchtime rolled around and once again we were treated to another hot meal brought up from camp.
Enjoying a hot meal whilst watching a Snow Leopard – more than we could have wished for!
Snow Leopard peering over a rocky outcrop in the Tarbung Valley
As the shadows lengthened, a herd of ten Blue Sheep made an appearance on the scene. They slowed grazed their way up from the stream cutting through the valley, heading in the general direction of the rocky outcrop in which our Snow Leopard was resting. Closer and closer they approached and our adrenalin levels began to rise, but then the lead sheep changed direction and started moving back down the hill. Seven in total descended but two adults and a juvenile kept moving towards the danger zone…..
Ten Blue Sheep entered the scene and began grazing their way to where the Snow Leopard was hidden
After an hour the sun dipped over the horizon and the temperatures started to plummet. The three upper sheep stopped grazing and lay down, seemingly bedding down for the night, and we guessed that the show was over. In fact some of our group decided to head back to camp. However after another quarter of an hour these three sheep started grazing again and continued making their way to the lusher grasses growing along the base of the outcrop in which our Snow Leopard was still snoozing. Suddenly the Snow Leopard detected the presence of its prey and sat up on its haunches for the first time since we had relocated it. It began to bob its head from side to side, a clear feline sign of measuring distance and perspective in planning an attack. We could not believe our fortune, could we really be treated to a Snow Leopard hunt – this was beyond our wildest dreams? Then the leopard was moving and it headed along the top of the outcrop, disappearing on the hidden slope opposite to where the sheep were grazing.
The Snow Leopard slinks into a fault line in the rocks above the grazing Blue Sheep
Two minutes later it appeared half way down the outcrop and slightly above the Blue Sheep. First it sat up trying to relocate its prey and once locked on, the cat slunk low and crept into a fault line that ran across the outcrop towards the sheep. Half way across the rocks, it sunk into a hollow, just the top of its head visible as it kept a careful watch. The two adult sheep now began moving away from the attack zone, did they have an instinct that danger was near, or did they know from experience not to dally near rocks where leopards might lie in wait?
The three Blue Sheep unwittingly approach the rocky outcrop, the Snow Leopard's head is visible at the very top middle of the image
However the young sheep carried on oblivious heading higher up the slope along the edge of the outcrop, and closer and closer to the hidden Snow Leopard. By this stage we were all at our wits end and shaking with excitement, was the Snow Leopard going to charge, why was it taking soooooo long? My shoulders were aching with the effort of holding my camera ready for the pounce.
The Snow Leopard launches its attack and bounds down the rocks towards the young Blue Sheep which turns tail and flees
And finally in a blur, everything happened. The Snow Leopard leapt from its cover, bounding across the rocks in great leaps towards the young Blue Sheep. All three sheep took to flight, creating dust trails in their wake. The speed at which the Snow Leopard closed ground on the young sheep was remarkable as it barreled off the rocky outcrop to open ground, clearing a large rock en route.
The Snow Leopard's great leaps allow it to gain ground on the young sheep
Within seconds the Snow Leopard was on the hapless sheep. After careful scrutiny of images, it seems that the Blue Sheep lost its footing as it tried to escape but in the process it kicked up a load of gravel and dust, right into the Snow Leopard's face, temporarily blinding the cat. This gave the sheep a vital break and it was able to pull away from the leopard which kept at its heels but was several critical paces behind.
The Blue Sheep loses its footing but in the process kicks gravel and dust into the Snow Leopard's face temporarily blinding the predator and allowing the sheep to escape the attack
The two adult sheep had gone their separate ways, one heading downhill away from the danger and the other, possibly the younger sheep's mother, scrambling up a steep slope. At this point, our young sheep made a tactical error and instead of fleeing downslope, it tried to follow the upper sheep.
Dust trails ahead of the young sheep indicate the direction of escape of the adult sheep. The Snow Leopard's target chooses the upper route and pulls away from the Snow Leopard
The slope became incredibly steep, almost vertical, and this gave the Snow Leopard its chance to gain ground on its shorter legged target.
The slope steepens and the young Blue Sheep begins to lose its lead
Both the adult Blue Sheep can be seen in this image, one at the bottom left and other at the top left. Towards the centre of the image is the young Blue Sheep with the Snow Leopard right behind
The Blue Sheep tried to ascend an almost vertical slope to escape its pursuer
Finally the young sheep realized the leopard was almost upon it and bravely pulled a u-turn, heading back down the slope in the direction from which it had come. Snow Leopards have extremely long tails, up to a meter in length and besides storing fat, the tail is utilized as a 'scarf' in the winter. This tail is also a valuable rudder and balancing device, thus the Snow Leopard was easily able to perform its own abrupt u-turn and track the sheep back down the slope.
The Blue Sheep and Snow Leopard make about turns, notice how the Snow Leopard's huge tail assists its balance
The Blue Sheep takes a great leap down the slope but it cannot match the 15m (50ft) bounds of the cat
The Snow Leopard makes its second attack and stretches its paw out to ankle-tap the sheep
Extending a paw, the Snow Leopard seemed to ankle-tap the sheep and as it rolled, the cat leapt onto sheep and immediately latched onto its throat. This take at such high speed and on a steep slope meant gravity took its affect and the cat and sheep tumbled over and over each other until the Snow Leopard took control of the situation. The Snow Leopards' thick pelts have long been highly sought-after artifacts by the people who share its Central Asian range, providing amazing insulation in the cold, but another reason their pelts are so thick must be to protect the leopard when it takes rough tumbles across its rugged, rocky environment.
Contact is made and the Snow Leopard immediately latches onto the sheep's throat
Predator and prey tumble head over heels down the steep and rugged slope
Finally the Snow Leopard manages to take control of the situation, still firmly attached to the sheep's throat
For at least 3 minutes the Snow Leopard lay alongside the young sheep, firmly attached to its throat as it suffocated its prey, the Blue Sheep feebly kicking its hind legs intermittently.
The Snow Leopard spends three minutes suffocating its prey
Only when it was certain the sheep was dead did our predator finally release its fatal grip and rest alongside its upcoming meal for several minutes catching its breath after such an extreme effort. For the first time in minutes, the Snow Leopard became aware of us again, ensuring we had not moved and were posing no threat on the opposite slope.
The successful Snow Leopard scans its surroundings whilst it catches its breath after ensuring the Blue Sheep is dead
Finally the Snow Leopard picked up the Blue Sheep and dragged it across the open area, pretty much following the route of the chase, back to the fault line in the rocks and finally over the rocky outcrop and out of our view where presumably it feasted on its well-deserved meal!
The Snow Leopard begins to drag its victim back into the rocky outcrop from where it had attacked
Taking a rest from the hard work of carrying its upcoming meal
The Snow Leopard drags the sheep across the rocky outcrop and out of view of the observers before it begins to feed
By this time the light was fading fast and we arrived back in camp half an hour later in the pitch dark, still not quite believing what had unfolded before our eyes!
This was truly an incredible encounter we had been so, so fortunate to witness; a full Snow Leopard hunt from beginning to end including the take and kill. Our Snow Leopard spotter had been working in Hemis for 16 years and he had never seen this happen before nor knew anyone else who had been as fortunate as us. Film crews and professional photographers have spent months and sometimes even years following Snow Leopards and although several thrilling hunts have been captured, as far as we are aware, no successful hunt has ever been photographed! I am exhilarated therefore to be able to share my images and story of this hunt with you.
The scene of the Snow Leopard hunt in the Tarbung Valley – the white line begins at the point where the Snow Leopard spent the day and tracks the route of the leopard's stalk along the back of the rocky outcrop and then across the fault line in the rocks. The blue line follows the route of the Blue Sheep as they grazed towards the rocky outcrop. The red line follows the chase with the yellow dot indicating the first failed attack and the red dot being the final kill position
For anyone wishing for the opportunity to witness such an incredible event, ORYX – Worldwide Wildlife Safaris (www.oryxwildlifesafaris.com) offer Snow Leopard expeditions annually in October and February, combined with a Royal Bengal Tiger and Indian One-horned Rhinoceros extension. They also arrange and guide other wildlife tours globally to the world's last remaining wildernesses in search of iconic wildlife.
Rugged scenery in montane Ladakh, the snow covered peaks of Hemis National Park are visible in the background
The 4,400 square kilometre Hemis National Park is the largest park in the whole of South Asia. It is accessed through the high altitude (3,500m) city of Leh, capital of Ladakh in Jammu-Kashmir State, north west India. Regular flights operate from New Delhi offering phenomenal views flying over the Great Himalayan Range. Ladakh, also known as Little Tibet due to the local influx of Tibetans after the Chinese take-over of Tibet, is situated on the border with Tibet but several hundred kilometers east of the volatile and disputed Pakistani Kashmir boundary. Leh and its surrounds are well worth exploring, in fact essential since its necessary for most people to acclimatize here for at least one full day before beginning their Snow Leopard expedition in nearby Hemis National Park.
Monasteries such as this abound in the vicinity of Leh
Several impressive temples and monasteries are dotted around Leh and the birding can be excellent with species such as Ibisbill, Solitary Snipe and Mountain Leaf Warbler to name but a few. Access to Hemis National Park is via a short drive to Zingchen and this scenic route offers the best chance for locating the long legged and large bossed Ladakh Urial also known as Red Sheep. The road comes to an end near the boundary of Hemis and from here it's an easy walk of less than an hour to the base camp in the Rumbak Valley (3,900m). Within the vicinity of camp and its surrounding valleys, 11 Snow Leopard are resident. For those with additional time, it is worth hiking deeper into the park to Kanda La pass (4,900m) and here Woolly Hares are much commoner as are their main predator, the Eurasian Lynx. The huge Argali, another species of wild sheep, also occur here. Wolves can be encountered anywhere in the park. Birding opportunities are limited with fairly low diversity at this elevation but typical species include Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Himalayan Snowcock, both species of chough, White-winged Redstart, Brown Accentor and Fire-fronted Serin.
Urial or Red Sheep is another of the Snow Leopard's prey species
Lammergeiers also known as Bearded Vultures are a common sight in Hemis NP
All text and photographs are by the author and protected by copyright.
What an amazing experience it must have been. Thanks for sharing this awesomeness!!
Fantastic photos and notes Adam, I'm very envious, but hope to get over that as next week we head off on this very same trip! If we have half your luck I would be thrilled, in fact a mere glimpse is more than I dare hope for.
Adam, fantastic stuff, well done mate!
This is simply outstanding, thanks for sharing!!
That is about all one can say except maybe congratulations and, of course, excellent photos – thanks for sharing.
In 2001, I spent 8 days in Hemis on a semi-solo trip (Markha Valley). While I was "looking for" snow leopards, and hoping I might just luck into one, I knew I'd never find any. However, I am sure they saw me. And I went to a wildlife conference a few years later, and I want to say it was Australian film-makers who captured the first footage of snow leopards copulating in that same area.
Anyway, it is the harshest environment that I have ever seen anyone living in – stunning but harsh. It made me think of Nevada… if you raised the entire state 10,000 feet. Maybe I will get back some day.
Best bird(s):
Tibetan Snowcock – Chukars on steroids, Lords of the Steppe, 4 massive birds slowing strutting along. Amazing.
Wallcreeper – a single bird
I also happened across a herd of Argali – I think it was 13. They were in the area close to Rumbak.
Yes, I must go back…
Impossible. No one ever sees snow leopards. They are totally invisible. These images just cannot be.
Absolutely amazing!
It's every naturalist's dream come true! Happy someone could enjoy it, and very thankful that you shared it with us the rest of the world.
Excellent pictures, story and graphics.
Congratulations and thank you again
If anyone is keen to follow our current Snow Leopard tour we are posting updates as and when we can on https://www.facebook.com/IndriUltimateWildlifeTours
Last december 2013 were in Rumbak. We saw 2 Snow Leopards eating a donkey in Tarbung valley. But saw no hunting.
Congratulations for excellent observation.
This sequence of photos is superb, fantastic, incredible and awesome (plus a lot of other descriptors). I am very proud to be a tiny, even minute part of your team, marketing tours across North America.
Woah ! Even after seeing the images I can't belive you guys actually captured the pictures of the kill !
Beautiful animals these – and I am getting goosebumps just reading through your blog and seeing the pictures !
My dad is a retired Indian Forest Service person, and he had shown these pics to me yesterday, and today I shared them via another friend's post.
An awesome wildlife moment! Good job Adam!!
What I saw in the photos of a Snow Leopard making a Kill & read in the description is any Nature lover & Photographers Dream….Am sure, all the people who were present there to see this Great action are so much blessed to witness this Life Time experience……All I can say, WOW
Truly magnificent narration of a stunning experience. Breathtaking
Dave & Sammy Langlois
Refreshing read! Thanks for sharing. All I can say further is … lucky you!
#snow leopard hunt. Interesting photography. kudos
Wow! Superb sighting. I know lots of people who have been to Hemis and had sightings of snow leopard, if lucky within a few hundred metres, but never a hunt! So cool that you captured it all. I was there last year and saw 8 cats, but none hunting – will have to try again! There's a report and some photos from our trip here:
This was like watching Animal Planet in slow mode. While your photos capture the hunt in its entirety, I like your narrative skills even best. I do my wildlife viewing while in my sofa but it still kicks ass! Your website is truly amazing, thanks for sharing these wonders with us.
If i may ask. What camera equipment were you using? What was your system? I am well equipped for general safari trips but I'm curious to hear from experts on their setups for harsher environments and for longer distances. Thanks in advance.
© 2013 10,000 Birds. All words, images, and opinions are the property of their respective authors unless stated otherwise.


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Community radio in the U.S. received a large boost in January when President Obama signed a billed that will permit establishment of an estimated 800 to 1200 new local community radio stations
About 800 of the non-commercial community stations are already operating and providing music, health, education, and local information, news, and sports. The stations are run by community organizations, churches, and other civic groups, typically staffed by volunteers, and dependent upon donations from organizations and listeners.
Community radio operations tend to provide information about community and civic organizations that are overlooked by commercial broadcasting, focus on social issues in communities, and provide services to minority, ethic and immigrant groups. Programming on community radio is distinctively different from commercial radio and tends to be more local than, and providing alternative content to, that of public radio stations.
The stations operate on low power, making them useful for servicing small towns, counties, metropolitan suburbs and neighborhoods.
The expansion of spectrum devoted to community radio had been sought for several decades and the Local Community Radio Act signed by the president directs the Federal Communications Commission to make provision for the additional services. Some disputes with commercial channels over spectrum are expected in large metropolitan areas during that process.