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Advice about Teen Sitters & Mother's Helpers
How to Find a Teen Sitter
- BPN subscribers can view the Childcare Message Board. Teenagers offering babysitting can subscribe for free.
- Bananas maintains a list of teen sitters, and other childcare referral agencies do too.
- Ask your neighbors! They may have a sitter to recommend, or they know families in the neighborhood who have teens. Even if a recommended teen isn't available, he or she may have a friend to recommend.
Questions & Advice
- What you should expect from a teen sitter
- How Much to Pay a Teen Sitter
- Tipping the Babysitter
- Middle school babysitter for 3rd grader?
- 13 Year Old Daughter wants to Babysit
- Mother's helper to help in the evenings
- Sitter's Unauthorized Computer Use
- Pre-Teen Mother's Helpers
- Teen sitter for a 3 1/2 month old?
- Teenage Babysitter may be stealing
- Teen Babysitter No Show
- Using Young Babysitters
- How Old does a Teen need to be?
What you should expect from a teen sitter
Most teenagers who are interested in babysitting and who are available ...
- do not have a lot of experience
- do not have a drivers license (and if they do, cannot by law have under-21 passengers for the first year)
- will need a ride to your house and back (unless they live nearby)
- may not be able to babysit on weekdays
- may need to be home by 10pm on weekends
Many local teens have taken CPR and babysitting classes, but many more haven't. If your requirements are too demanding, you may find it difficult to find a teen sitter, and you may be better off hiring an experienced adult childcare provider.
Young teens vs. older teen
Teens often start to be interested in babysitting when they are 11 or 12, and many parents hire neighborhood teens at this age. Most parents who have long-standing arrangements with teen sitters started off with a young teen from the neighborhood whose parents would be home in an emergency. Or they initially hired the teen to come at times when a parent would be at home at the same time working on other tasks. Peak teen babysitting years seem to be between 12 and 15. Teens 15 and older tend to have social activities they want to do with their friends on the weekends. By the time they are 16, they are often driving, going to parties, involved in sports, and it becomes hard to schedule them for babysitting. In addition, 16-year-olds can work at other jobs besides babysitting that usually pay more and are less demanding. Many families have older teen sitters who have been sitting for them for a long time, since they were 12 or so. It's a good idea to develop a relationship early with a younger teen. They may be still willing to babysit for you even after they are driving!
What age child can a teen babysit for?
Most parents who hire teens have children who are past the toddler/diaper stage. There are teens who are very experienced with babies and toddlers - use your intuition about whether the teen is mature enough to care for a baby or toddler. But many teens are reluctant to change diapers, feed and clean up after a messy baby, and they often don't have the life experience to make decisions that adults think of as just common sense. Teens may not have the experience to deal with accidents that crawlers and toddlers can so quickly get in to, and they may not know what to do in unfamiliar situations that require a judgement call.
For most teen sitters, it is best if your child can talk well enough to communicate the basics to the teen babysitter, asking for a snack, telling the teen where the towels are kept, and so on.
Teens are perfect for school-aged children. They have the energy and enthusiasm to play games with them for hours, get down on the floor with them and roll around, and engage with them in a way that adults just can't.
How much do they charge?
In Berkeley and vicinity, older and experienced teens generally charge at least minimum wage to babysit, and more if they are experienced, or if they drive, etc. They may charge more for additional children and they may charge more for late hours. Younger teens just starting out will usually take less, especially if you will be home or if their own parents are on call.
Middle school babysitter for 3rd grader?
Oct 2008
We have a 3rd grade girl and were wondering in this day and age whether a 7th grader is old enough to babysit on a night out (until 10pm say). We are tired of driving our college-age babysitter that doesn't drive back home 4 miles away and we have a great middle school gal that lives about a mile away. I'm sure I did babysitting in middle school, but I can't remember how late. Any opinions? Anon
I started babysitting when I was 10 years old, and at least once, at 10 or 11, I babysat for half a dozen neighbor kids on New Years Eve! I wouldn't hesitate to hire a 7th grade babysitter (assuming, of course, I was comfortable with her maturity level) for a 3rd grade child as long as the 7th grader has some adult backup available in case of emergency. (Can she call her own parents for help if there's an injury or something else she's not sure how to handle? She's more likely to want to do that than to call you. Or, does she know YOUR neighbors, and will said neighbors be home?) As far as how late at night, I would probably check with the sitter's own parents too, to confirm her normal bedtime. Holly
Hi, It's not at all unreasonable to have that age of babysitter/babysittee, IMO. But there's a huge range in maturity and trustworthiness of 7th graders and also 3rd graders, so I think it totally depends on the kids involved.
I've got an eighth grade daughter, a second grade son, and a four-year-old son. I have had my daughter babysit my middle child for a couple of hours at a time when she was in seventh grade (he was in first grade then) and I was totally comfortable with that. But I knew that watching two kids would have been too much for her.
This year she is 13 and is going to start watching both boys for a couple of hours at a time, and (we hope) babysitting for people outside the family. She's really responsible and I totally trust her. (In fact, she insists on taking CPR/first aid training so she knows what to do in an emergency). She has some friends I would also trust, but she has a couple of friends that, frankly, I wouldn't feel comfortable with.
Of course it also depends on how agreeable and obedient your 3rd grader is and whether he/she is likely to challenge a teen sitter. I am a big believer in using young teens for babysitting, as long as you can find the right young teens :-)
Spend some time talking to your babysitter and their parents and observe them with your kid. You can probably tell if it's going to work out or not. Jennifer
i think 7th grade is too young to be left in charge of any child. 7th grade is only about 11-12-13 years old. anon
13 Year Old Daughter wants to Babysit
May 2008
My 13 year old daughter is very keen to start babysitting. Any advice on how to begin this ''profession'' would be appreciated: what experience she should have with children (maybe mother's helper at first?); ages of children appropriate for a (very mature) 13 year old sitter?; how to get the word out (advertisements, going around the neighborhood, etc.); required training (CPR, etc.); and fees charged. Thanks so much! Linda
Both of my daughters did the Red Cross babysitting course at about this age. We all thought it was wonderful. They learned all sorts of helpful things (including how to turn off the water to the toilet if it starts to overflow!!). Recommend it highly - just google them or call the number in the phone book and ask about babysitting training. sitters' mom
Mother's helper to help in the evenings
June 2006
We have two kids under 2.5 years old attending preschool/daycare, and both parents working outside of the home. We are considering hiring a mother's helper during the dinner hour to ease the transition from work/daycare to dinner to bath to bedtime. Have you had such help before? Any advice what type of personality/backgrounds to look for? How many hours is ideal? Needing an extra pair of hands
We hired a mother's helper about 9 months ago and it's been a HUGE help. She comes in twice a week for around 5 hours total. Does cooking and food prep, light cleaning, dishes, laundry, changes bedsheets, even a little sewing. We posted an ad on Craigslist and she responded. We got lucky because she lives in the neighborhood and was looking for just a few hours each week. We are going to be seriously bummed when she someday decides to move on.
In addition to posting an ad on Craigslist, you can look on Craigslist for what people post who are looking for such a positions. It's under Gigs/Domestic. Also, one of the BPN newsletters might help.
We spoke to almost 10 people before we hired anyone. We found that most people wanted more hours than we could offer. Typically people wanted half time work (20 hours/week), but would accept something a little less, but not the 4-6 hours/week that we would guarantee (which is why we got lucky with who we got). Make sure you check references, too
Hiring a mother's helper is a matter of what your own needs are and what you feel comfortable with. My mother's helper comes 4 to 6 hours a week after school. She is 16 and very warm and fun. She plays with the kids and folds their laundry, picks up their toys after play, and feeds them dinner too. (they eat early because they are babies). I found her through asking teachers at a local high school to recommend someone. Since she is never there alone I didn't do a more thorough background check or anything like that love our Mothers Helper
How to find a teen sitter?
Sept 2005
My husband and I are in great need of finding a babysitter so we can get out for a date night every now and then. I have posted on the childcare newsletter several times and have gotten very little response. We would like a highschool or college age female who has their own transportation and babysitting experience. Do any of the local highschools and/or colleges have job boards that you can put posts up on for babysitting? When a friend finds someone good they are less then eager to give their babysitter's name over which is understanable, but we really need to get out! Any advice on finding a babysitter other then BPN childcare digest would be so much appreciated. Oh, we live just off of Trestle Glen in Oakland. Thanks in advance! Parents who need a break!
Hi, Ask neighbors. Try Cal Jobs on the UC Berkeley website JM
My sister has found some great teen sitters by advertising at the local Mormon Temple (we're not Mormon). Makes sense to me. Suppose you could extend that approach to any place of worship that has a ''Sunday School'' component to it where teens are involved in childcare. anon
Sitter's Unauthorized Computer Use
March 2004
We noticed our babysitter had helped herself to my husband's computer in his study to check her email and surf the web a bit. Nothing porno but she was definitely not watching our 5 year old while she was doing this. Even more, I feel like it is a big invasion of privacy. She admitted it when I confronted her and said it was an ''emergency'' that she needed to check something. I told her not to do it and if such an ''emergency'' arises again to call me first. Is this a firing offense? I should add, she is relatively young (early 20s). I think the younger people are less territorial about their stuff - am I wrong to be bugged? Bugged But Wondering
I think that if you haven't made the rules clear, now would be a good time. The second offense might or might not be worth a ''firing'' depending upon how you feel, but why not just include a password upon start-up so that nobody but you and your partner can access the computer, and avoid the issue altogether in the future? big on passwords
I'm an internet addict -- I email all day long, I web surf. I also have a nanny whom I adore who is utterly devoted to my children. It would not bother me at all if my nanny checked her email while she was working. I often check my email when I'm with my kids, and while I know I'm not necessarily providing optimum care when I'm on line, I also know that it's very difficult to provide optimum care all day long. I think you might try to figure out what you both feel comfortable with -- maybe checking email during naptime, or something like that. It's hard to imagine a job where we wouldn't get to do a little bit of this kind of thing every once in a while, and if the nanny is good in other ways you might try to work things out with her. Ayelet
If you had not previously discussed computer use with her, and you are otherwise happy with her, I don't think this was a firing offense.
FWIW, I've never had this issue with our nanny simply because she is a limited English speaker who doesn't USE computers. But with teenage babysitters, I have always specifically invited them to use my home computer at need, and left it set up so that they can easily browse the web without needing access to any of my passwords. (These girls generally do homework and work on college applications after the kids are in bed.) I also know parents whose kids work or play on a home computer *with* their babysitters (much as they would do art projects or anything else). So not everyone considers computer use to be an automatic no-no, and your sitter probably came up with the ''emergency'' thing when it became obvious to her that you were unhappy about it. I would let it go. Unless and until it happens again, of course. Now that there is a rule in place and she is aware of it, you should let her go if she violates it. Holly
Hi - Well, one thing I can tell you is that it is easy to fix this - you can make your computer or any part of it accessible by password only. Then, the sitter may be abe to turn the machine on, but she won't be able to do anything on it. michael
I wouldn't mind my sitter taking a short break to read her email. But I WOULD mind her using my computer without asking. It would be the equivalent of someone going through my desk and papers looking for a notepad to write on. It's ''my'' computer, not the family computer, so it's not like the family stereo or the family refrigerator. I have all sorts of personal stuff on my computer - my calendar and address book, credit card numbers, letters from friends, etc. Other family members have to ask before they use my computer, so I would definitely want a non-family member to do the same.
I have teens, and I have students working for me, so I know that email and IM are a ''necessary'' part of their lives, and they may not get the concept of the computer as personal space. When a teen relative or student visits, I tell them which computer they can use and what I'm OK with (OK to run IM and check email, not OK to download programs). So in your case I would just chalk it up to a learning experience for the babysitter, tell her what your rules are about the computer, and assume the best from here on out. computer mom
As a former babysitter, I guess I think you're ever-so-slightly overreacting to your babysitter's use of your computer, EXCEPT that she wasn't watching your son. I wouldn't say that she should be fired for this first-time incident, but now that you've made your wishes clear, it shouldn't happen again. You could of course set up password protection on the computer, which would ensure that this won't happen again. Christine
so is your issue that she wasn't watching your child (which I assume you were paying her to do), or that she was on your computer? seems like you should be able to block use with a password setup or, if you're technically challenged like me, just hide the power cord or some such essential item.
Maybe you should let it ride to see if its a pattern or if it really was a emergency like she said If it is a pattern, preventing computer use may not motivate her to spend time with your child - she may simply switch to some other activity that is less easy to track and then I would think its time to find another baby sitter. ilona
I suggest you put a password on your computer. I have one on mine. Yes, the on in my own home and it's just my husband, daughter and myself. I think that it's always a good idea to have password protection on your computer even in your own home as you can protect against someone in the house using the computer without permission as well as if it gets stolen, making it harder to break into (though it's not hard to do). just call me paranoid...
Pre-Teen Mother's Helpers
March 2006
My daughter is almost 10 and a neighbor has offered to hire her as a ''mother's helper'' for the neighbor's almost-2-year-old. This would involve my daughter playing with the neighbor's child while the mother is home. For those of you with experience (on either side, hiring or having your child work as a mother's helper), how old were the helpers typically? Also, what is the going rate for this? My daughter would be happy to do it for free, but perhaps she should charge something so I'd like to find out what other folks are charging. Thanks!
My daughter who is now 20 starting babysitting at 11 yrs. old, having been through 2 Babysitter Classes. If you know the family well and they know your daughter well, an hr. here or there can't hurt...it will be a great learning experience. As for pay, maybe a couple of bucks a pop...The average sitter gets $6/hr. but that's someone experienced, trained, etc. Good luck kmaz
My daughter is 10 and works as a mother's helper once a week for 2 hours. she gets paid $2.50/hr (she asked for $2/hr, but the neighbor has been paying her $2.50) She only plays with the child, doesn't do any household chores. Of course the parent is ALWAYS there! Deborah
Sept 2005
I'm considering hiring a teenage ''mother's helper'' to play with my generally happy, exploring 8month old while I do work on the computer at home or do other activities that require baby-free time (e.g., stain/varnish furniture). I have a referral for a 14 year old but have not yet met with her. My question - Is it appropriate to ask other duties of a 12-15 year old girl or boy? Mainly s/he should be playing with my baby, but what if at the scheduled ''help'' times my baby ends up taking a nap? Do I send the helper home (with or without pay)? Do I ask the helper to load/unload the dishwasher? Do baby-related chores (change sheets, start laundry)? I realize some of these things would be skill-dependent on the mother's helper, but I wanted a sense from other moms what your expectatoins have been - and, of course, what you have paid the helper. Thanks! wanting a few hours
You can structure things any way that works for both you and your helper, but if you want her to do light housework while your child naps, you should be very clear about that up front. You should also err on the side of caution when it comes to those duties.
Also, if you are hiring the helper for 6 hours a week, you should pay her for 6 hours a week whether you end up using her for the full time or not. If she's setting that time aside for you, she deserves to be paid for it. Sara
I have a mother's helper who comes 3xs a week. She's not a teen, but that's what I was originally looking for. I pay her minimun wage and her main duty is to play with the baby. When the baby naps & when I feed the baby, she helps me by straightening out the kids' room (but I do all the cleaning) and by folding the baby's clothing. She probably has at leat 1/2-1 hour a day of down time after that, but I don't really think it's fair for her to do non-baby related stuff. After all a housecleaner would charge me at least $12 an hour. anon
Hi, we live in the same area (Longridge Road) and we have a wonderful babysitter which I would gladly share since we only go out about once month.
Nov 2003
My 11 year old has been recruited to babysit. She is eager, loving and responsible. She is not doing it alone at this time, even during the day. That means I'm her backup resource. I have no idea what is reasonable for her to charge. It will be a good lesson in learning about money and the value of labor. I hope! Any reference point or thoughts on paying young babysitters would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi -- I live in Pleasant Hill and use a few 7th graders (11 and 12 year olds) for babysitting in the afternoons occasionally. The going rate here for that age seems to be about $5/hr. For the high school kids, we pay $10/hr (ouch!). Hope this helps! Trish
We had a 13 year old babysitter for our son (12-15 months at the time). The only difference from your situation is that we were home at the time, although there were times later on that she did at times take him to the park around the corner. She set her own price at $2.50 and when she got used to our son's needs we raised it to $3.00. She still works for us now and then but not as frequently since she's back in school.
Others may disagree with me but I think 11 (or 13) is too young to leave with a baby or toddler without the parents home, or another adult caregiver who the child knows and who is familiar with that child. A preschool age kid might be a bit different for short periods of time. Eagerness and even responsibility don't take the place of maturity and knowledge. I know you said you were the 'back-up' but what does that mean? She can call you from the babysitting job with questions? You live across the street from the job and can run right over? You go to the job with her but stay out of the way? Or do you go and guide her step by step? Of course this is between you, your daughter, and the other child's parents. The reason I metion this is that I think the payment to a babysitter would be less if the parents are home than if they're not. Just one perspective. Protective mama bear
April 2002
I'm an expert on nanny salaries (and pretty good on babysitter rates), but I have no idea what to pay an 11 year old who wants to be a ''mother's helper'' - i.e., he will play with my 3 year old while I (hopefully) do other things in the house. Would love to hear thoughts on the appropriate wage. Fran
When my son was nine he worked as a mother's helper and charged $1/hr, but most people paid him $2/hr. Deborah
We have a 12-year-old mother's helper, and we pay her $2 an hour. We sometimes include a little more than this, give her gifts for birthdays and Christmas, take her to dinner periodically...so it works out to more than that. She has taken care of our cat before and watered our garden when we've been away, and on those occasions we pay her $5 a visit. She's probably due for a raise, come to think of it. Anyway, she's thrilled with both amounts and our son adores her. Carolyn
A neighbor girl (eighth grader) has been a mother's helper to me two hours per week for over one year and I pay her $5/hour. My girls are four and two and they are happy to go off and play with Molly while I work around the house. It has worked out very well for us and she has graduated to babysitting in the evenings (when her parents are home and we are going out locally) after the girls go to bed. We pay a bit more for babysitting in the evenings. It is nice to see the girls forming this strong relationship with a neighbor family and it has created a nice bond between the adults of the families as well. Laura
We paid our 12-year old mother's helper $5 an hour (although we usually rounded up a bit with a ''tip'' as a bonus), and she spent about 10-20 hours a week during the summer with us when our son was 4 to 8 weeks old. It was wonderful to be able to take a shower, answer e-mail, eat lunch, etc. while she held or ''played'' with him. Kristie
Teen sitter for a 3 1/2 month old?
July 2004
Re the following posting: Am I the only parent out here who questions the wisdom of having a teenager, and a virtual stranger at that, caring for a 3 1/2 month old child??? What do others think? ?????
Hi, I have a 3 1/2 month old baby boy & am looking for a reliable teen sitter. I'm hoping to find someone who another mom can recommend to me... we're hoping to hire someone to watch our baby once a week for a date night... Contact: Jennifer
Families have been enlisting the help of older children to help with infant care probably since the origins of family/community life. That's not so strange. In fact, teens have babies of their own quite often and have been doing so, again, since the origins of human time. There is nothing intrinsically wrong or bad or dangerous about a teenager caring for an infant.
My teen would not be the ideal candidate for babysitting an infant. However, someone else's teen might. She/he might even have more experience than many adults, if she has been charged with caring for infant siblings.
Personally, if I were the parent of a 3 1/2 month old infant, again, I would appreciate support and understanding from my community and not a questioning of my judgment based on other's opinions of what is safe or not safe for my child. Just because we *think* something is true, doesn't necessarily make it so. evalynne
It totally depends on the teen. I have seen many teens, myself included - although a long time ago, who can and do babysit a baby of this age with nearly as much expertise, tenderness and responsibility as many moms. It it up to each individual parent to decide what is best for their infant. But IMHO teen babysitters should not be disparaged in this format. Many a mother logging onto this network has used a teen babysitter for a much needed break with no problems.. there are ALWAYS concerns when leaving young children in anyone else's care, even family. anonymous
Teenage Babysitter may be stealing
August 2004
I'm worried that my next door neighbors teenage daughter is stealing when she comes over. Today I came home from work and found a couple of small ceramic bear figurines missing. The only reason I noticed it was because I had recently re-organized the shelf they were on and had moved them to a higher shelf so my almost 4 yr old couldn't reach them. I had 5 and now there are only 3. Honestly, this isn't about the items itself but more the pricipal of the matter. I'm bothered by the breech of trust and worried about the daughter. I already exhausted all avenues in our home as to where they may be and the only logical explanation seems to point to her (we had give them a spare key to get in while we were at work so they could feed our cats while we were gone). Any advice on how to bring this up as gently as possible would be helpful.
it really depends. how long and how well do you know the family. is this the only incident of stealing you suspect. have there been other times. what hard evidence can you confront them with? if you don't know the family well, and there have been other incidences, then I would get a new baby sitter. You need to have trust in your babysitter for peace of mind. on the other hand, if you know the family well, and feel that your allegations would be handled with respect and understanding, then I would approach the parents. Having said all that, with regards to the safety and care of my children, I might just get another sitter anyway. I need peace of mind as well as a mature individual watching my children. anon
I would be 100 % sure of your accusation before talking with your neighbor. My 1.5 and 3 year old know how to pick up our step stool or scoot chairs over to get what they want. If something is missing, I usually give it a couple weeks and it turns up in the most creative places. You might casually ask your teen neighbor if they remember seeing your child play with the bears because they are missing. If your not comfortable with them having your key then maybe someone else should cat sit and ask for the key back. The biggest issues here are: do you really think your neighbor is stealing? Are you paranoid and over reacting? Do you not feel comfortable with your neighbors having the house keys? Handle with caution especially if you plan on living by them for a while. Decent neighbors are hard to find and are not perfect. If they are wrongly accused of something you may lose a friend/neighbor that is irreplaceable. If you are not sure, there are ways to get your thoughts across without damaging the relationship. If they have taken something, are you willing to forgive them and put boundaries on the relationship or terminate things? Lots to think about. Good luck and I hope you find your bears. Anon
Teen Babysitter No Show
Oct 2002
Any advice on how to educate teen babysitters on being responsible for: 1) showing up when scheduled; 2) if they can't show up, calling to cancel beforehand; and 3) if they didn't show up, and didn't call to cancel beforehand, returning my call the day after to talk about why they didn't show up and didn't call to cancel?
I'm frustrated, since this has happened more than once. Maybe the parents of teens can help me figure the best way to teach professionalism to a teen. These are teen babysitters who offer their services on the UCB Parents listserv. Your advice is welcome. Rebecca
Wow--I babysat a ton when I was a teen and my mom would have *killed* me if I was that irresponsible. First of all, I would start by deciding to not hire the teen again. Furthermore, if you are able to, I suggest you speak to her/him (or maybe send an email if you have an address) explaining why the behavior was unacceptable and you are unwilling to hire her/him again. If this is done in a non-patronizing and non-angry manner, I think the teenager will hear an important lesson about basic responsibility, even simple courtesy. In the long run, you may help her/him become a more aware and professional young person. Good luck. Elizabeth
Your complaint is familiar to me. We had a wonderful teen sitter who forgot a few times. My husband was very sympathetic to her and told me that it was our responsibility to remind her. So I always called her the day before to confirm/remind her of the time and date. This actually helped immensely. Jennifer
I have just arrived in Berkeley, and I agree it is very difficult to find a babysitter.
The only thing that helped me was asking people in the neighboorhood if there were teenagers who did some babysitting, and we foudn 2 nice girls that way. If you don't know people in your neighbourhood very well, why don't you mention where you live on this web site and see if anyone who lives nearby can help?
Otherwise, the university should be a good source, and putting an ad in the Daily Cal is a good way to find students interested in sitting. Hope this helps.
Using Young Babysitters
Does anyone have any advice or input on the advantages/disadvantages of using adolescent aged babysitters? I have had offers for sitting from 14 & 15 year olds who claim (and parents claim) to be mature and capable of handling my two children. I, myself, babysat young infants when I was approximately 14, but now that it's MY child I feel slightly apprehensive. thanks for your input.
It depends on the babysitter. Every child is different. We have a sitter whose services we started using when she was 14. She is WONDERFUL--conscientious, focuses on the kids, brings things for them to do (she has a kid-kit armed with stamps, sticker, etc. etc). She is down to earth and sensible, and does a really good job. I never worry about leaving my daughter (now 3) with her, since I'm sure that she'll make good decisions, even in the face of trouble.
On the other hand, my stepdaughter, only a month younger than this other girl, was not nearly as good. Some of this was probably the resentment factor. But some of it is just temperament. She didn't want to be bothered to really engage her little sister, and viewed the whole exercise as punishment, even when she was being paid (in currency or by clothes-shopping allowance, etc).
So I don't think there is a standard answer. As with everything involving humans, you'll have to gather the information and make a decision based on the individual characteristics of the person. Good luck! Dawn
My son is five and half and we have been using young sitters for the past year. Both sitters are boys. One is 13 and the other 14. The advantages, as I see it, are that they are close enough in age to my son to be playmates, but tall enough and confidant enough to be authority figures. We know the families of both boys and both live in our neighborhood. We have always told them that if they encounter a situation they don't know how to handle, they should call their parents. Their parents feel fine about this. This lends a feeling of security for everyone. (Remember, even the teenager's parents are wondering if he is ready, can handle himself, knows what to do in an emergency, etc. - to their parents, the child is just past the age of needing babysitters!) Also, my son is not the rebellious type. You might want to run a trial with the teenager and your child when you are home. You can see how they interact and monitor the situation. This way everyone has a chance to check it out. Good Luck!
I would use extreme caution with young sitters, but my strict safety criteria would really apply to any sitter, irrespective of age. Some young folks are more responsible and competent than some adults, as you would expect. Imagine a worst case scenario, then ask yourself if you think the prospective sitter could deal with it. Included events might be a huge, fast fire, a big earthquake, the child choking on a small object which is stuck in the airway, or the child falling & hitting his/her head & losing consciousness, an insistent stranger at the door. I would review those scenarios with a prospective sitter and ask how they would handle each case. Then listen very carefully to their responses, letting them talk rather than asking them leading questions. Would the sitter be able to calmly call 911 and explain the situation or transport the child to emergency? Also, there may be issues with infant care that are different than with an older child. Is there reasonable age-appropriate childproofing in the house? Has the child had limits set on wild behavior? Is the child respectful of sitters? Can the sitter lift and carry the child easily? You want someone calm, mature & thoughtful no matter what their age. Whether I took the word of the sitter's parent about their capabilities would depend a lot on what I knew about the parent. Good luck! Christine
One thing to consider with young babysitters, or even older ones - if you are friends with your neighbors, set up a babysitting date when the neighbor is home and can be called for help an emergency. A backup is a great idea. When I started babysitting at 11, my mother would come help me if necessary. And carry a pager or cell phone so you can be reached immediately.
I'd suggest you try babysitters out! That's what we did with our 14 year-old babysitter before we were happy with leaving her with our young twin daughters for any considerable length of time. We just scheduled a time for her to come one saturday afternoon when we could spend some time telling and showing her all the things we wanted, and then we went out to an early dinner, with my cell phone on for any problems. We called once just to see if things were doing OK. She did great and we now use her as our main babysitter. This tryout let us get to know her some, and of course gave us the option to go out an leave her or not if it seemed like she wasn't right. I know I started babysitting at around 13 when I was growing up, but of course it depends on the person as to if they are mature enough, etc, to make you confident leaving your kids with them.
How Old does a Teen need to be?
What age is considered to be an appropriate one for a teenage babysitter? If the teen is CPR certified, taken a babysitting course, seems keen and responsible, is, say, 14 ok? Also, how long can one expect to have an interested babysitter if we pay and treat him/her well? What is a good 'contract' for hours per week/month? Our family has had a couple of 15/16 year olds who we just get to know and then they are off to 'real' jobs/ social life. All I am looking for is someone to care for and play with the kids (2.5 and 6.5 yrs) while my husband and I go out for the odd dinner -- not every day or late nights. Caroline
In answer to the question about how old a teenager should be to babysit- it depends on the teenager. I actually started babysitting myself when I was eleven, only in the afternoon, babysitting the 3 year old next door while my mother was at home. I was the oldest of 4 children however and had lots of in-home experience. (I know times have changed however).
As troop leader of a group of Junior and Cadette girl scouts (grades 4-8), I got to know quite a few girls some of whom later became babysitters for my 2 year old adopted son. The girls became most interested in babysitting around 12-13, wanting to get CPR certified, earn money, etc. 13-15 is the peak years for wanting to babysit before they get too involved with boys, school, sports, etc. I was lucky knowing these girls intimately, I knew which ones were mature, had younger siblings, babies in the family, etc. Now that they are older, I can only get them on an occasional basis, but during those late middle school years they were more available. For girls who were just starting out, their moms were available at their house to answer questions or to come over and help if there was an immediate question. We also had a cell phone the sitter could call, etc. 14 is plenty old enough to babysit children ages 2-6 if the sitter is responsible. Christine


text:
BAGHDAD - The grueling day begins … The alarm rang and the clock read 2 a.m. Senior Airman Courtney Beard got out of bed and readied herself for the day's events.
As her wristwatch showed 2:30 a.m., the intelligence analyst with the 467th Expeditionary Intelligence Squadron was now gathered with her Spur Ride team outside the motor pool on Camp Victory, Iraq. The team waited patiently, wearing their body armor and helmet. The Spur Ride could begin at any moment.
"Standing around waiting for everything to begin was torture," Beard said. "It was even more torturous when they began to play music that was more suited for a haunted house."
At 3 a.m., a group of first sergeants walked up and instructed them to gather their gear and proceed to the pad. Once they were herded toward the pad, the calisthenics began. For the next 90 minutes, the group of 73 participants did jumping jacks, ran in place while holding their rifles over their heads, sit-ups and push-ups.
"They smoked us for about an hour and a half," Beard said.
Now it was time to pack their rucksacks. This was a difficult task by its self. The rucksacks were located 100 yards from the pad and they had to pack each item one by one; low-crawling, duck-walking or lunging back to the pad between each item. At this time, the participants were given a chance to fall out and enjoy a delicious treat.
"It was during this time that the sergeant major was going around with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts," she said. "He kept putting them in our face and telling us we could have a donut and some coffee if we quit now."
After some more running, each team had to fully inspect their military vehicle before pushing it around the motor pool. But of course, it wasn't as easy as they thought it would be.
"The first sergeants enjoyed making it harder for us by standing on top of the hood and jumping up and down to put more weight on it," Beard said.
The second station began at the bottom of communication hill on Camp Liberty, Iraq. The task was simple; run up and down the hill as a team within 5 minutes and 30 seconds. If the team didn't succeed, they had to do it again but had an extra minute to complete the run.
"We did not succeed as a team on either of the first two tries," she said.
However, they were given a third chance to complete the run and move onto the next stage. This time it was based on each participant's individual time but with some added difficulty.
"I was already exhausted from running up the hill twice and the third time seemed like it would be impossible to complete," Beard said. "And of course it was at this time that they made us put on our gas mask and run up the hill that way."
People started passing out and hitting the ground. As medics tended to the fallen, those still standing moved on to the obstacle course. The obstacle course consisted of climbing over high walls, maneuvering across wooden planks, and low-crawling through mud and under barbed wire.
In addition, they had to do more push-ups, flutters kicks, mountain climbers and jumping jacks in the dirt as well as demonstrating proper room clearing procedures. They had to complete the course three separate times, low-crawling, duck-walking or lunging back to the beginning.
Completely soaked in muddy water, the participants proceeded to the next station. They had competed against their own minds and bodies all day. Now it was time to go against others.
"We had to see who could fill the most sandbags and carry them to a location about 100 yards away," Beard said.
The next station required even more teamwork. One person lead the entire team through a pitch black building after getting a quick glance at the route on a map.
"They had about five seconds to look at the map," she said. "Communication was very important during this portion in order for everyone following the leader to know what was ahead of them including stairs and turns."
The teams then had to clear the Ba'ath Party House and march to the range for another competition. The objective was to obtain the best score by shooting targets in the kneeling, prone and standing positions.
"While each of our team members shot, the rest of us had to stay in the front leaning rest position," she said. "We also had to do push-ups as directed."
Now it was break time, for the first sergeants at least. As they pulled out their lunches, the participants had to don their gas masks again and march a mile and a half to the abandoned Victory Over America Palace, which was used by Saddam Hussein. Once they got there, they were allowed to remove their gas mask but had to clear the palace.
"Soon after that, we heard 'gas, gas, gas' and had to put our gas masks on again," Beard said. "This was the first time in 14 hours I was pulled out of my world of feeling good."
They were once again marching to another palace near sniper hill on Camp Slayer, which was another mile and a half away.
"They tried to get in our heads," she said. "They told us it was going to be another four-mile march. It sure did work on me."
Editor's Note: This is part two of a three part series about Beard and her Spur Ride experience.
|Date Taken:
|Date Posted:
|01.18.2011 02:05
|Story ID:
|Web Views:
|Podcast Hits:
This work, Airman marches, low-crawls and sweats her way into history: Part two, by TSgt Richard Longoria, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LUXURY STEREO OPERATION . each ( of 20) switch and control is working the two eq channels simultaneous.
18db /oct low end filter 27hz.184.108.40.2060.
18db/oct hi end filter 18khz.12k.8k2.5k6.3k9.
treble boost-cut 15khz.10k.6k8.4k7.3k3. peak or shelf.
bass boost-cut 33hz.22.214.171.1240. peak or shelf.
lo midrange 24 step boost-cut in 24steps sweeping from 77hz – 1.2 khz. transistor gyrator circuit.
hi midrange continuous boost-cut sweeping continuous from 270hz – 6 khz. transistor gyrator circuit with turbo and hi Q functions.
the design is all transistor. era of neve 1080 console channel strips in regards filtering & bass-treble circuits. the bass is fat and clear and warm. seems to go forever. the treble is clean and shattering – not harsh.
the active gyrator bandpass midrange stages are similar to the adr – massenberg – cambridge designs of the late seventies.
the transistor operational amplifiers are of our own small class a design. the eq has an accurate and clear tone – its easy to get a good sound from these. use to a subtle extent and colour or blast off to super creative souping up in stereo.
over time i had collected enough parts to make this all neve line eq preamp. it uses a pair of neve ba283 and a pair of part of ba284 to make up the 2 way eq. ba283 & ba284 come from the famous early 70′s neve 1073 mic/line/eq chassis. it is very very sweet and smooth and does have .that. sound. big and clean.
nick lee (malaysia) has this unit in his mastering studio now. his words… "Hi Greg, Got the unit today. Wow!!! I'm astonished!!! There's definitely some magic happening inside.. so many tone variations when driving the input and balancing with the master output. The EQ is extremely robust, in fact, it's got more mojo than my Manley EQ. I really like the 35Hz and 60Hz freqs, seems to bring it out more with a '3D' sort of feel without affecting the rest of the spectrum. This EQ is really something man, very very nice indeed."
this is my neumann P.E.V eq. (pair) out of a tv broadcasting studio console. these are hi quality very expensive sounding units. fat and smooth. ray emery got them from an old mastering set up. they were feeding a cutting lathe from a tape recorder.
this is my klaupunkd channel. these single mic/line/eq dicrete channels came from a live sound desk that was designed and built by bob clow in melbourne late 60s. its first gig was for jesus christ superstar at the forum theatre. ray emery rescued it from a dumpsta. the klau has a fantastic sound. very tight top end and a large dimensioned bottom. the midrange boost is bitchy . very characterfull. klau loves being overdriven by gain (negative feedback control) and input/output level frigging.
a couple of images of the NEVE-ISH ten81 project im making. MAY09


text:
ORRVILLE, Ohio -- Fredericktown resident W.H. "Chip" Gross was named the 2014 Writer of the Year at
Current subscribers have full access to all online news content as part of their subscription. If you are a current subscriber, please log in with your website account information for full access. If you are a current subscriber, but have not yet registered for access to the website, please call our Circulation Department at (330) 287-1615


text:
Comparative Performance of PureVision Lens Designs
This study has been completed.
Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: April 16, 2008
Last updated: December 7, 2011
Last verified: December 2011
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the PureVision Lens designs when worn on a 30-day continuous wear basis
|Device: Currently Marketed PureVision Contact Lens. Device: Alternate Design of the PureVision Contact Lens.
|Phase 3
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double Blind (Participant, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|A Study to Evaluate the Product Performance of the Redesigned Bausch & Lomb PureVision® Contact Lens (Test) Compared to the Currently Marketed Bausch & Lomb PureVision® Contact Lens (Control) When Worn on an Extended Wear Basis.
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Eye WearU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Bausch & Lomb Incorporated:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Subjective Responses to Symptoms/Complaints [ Time Frame: Measured at screening/dispensing visit, 1 day, 1 week and 1 month follow-up visits ]Subjective responses to symptoms/complaints on a scale 0-100, where 100 is the most favorable score. Subjects rated various aspects of lens comfort, vision, and handling. The average of each symptom/complaint over all follow-up visits was assessed as the primary endpoint.
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- LogMAR Visual Acuity [ Time Frame: Mean over all visits - 1 day, 1 week, 1 month ]The mean distance high contrast LogMAR visual acuity (VA) score for test eyes over all visits, determined by the total number of letters correctly identified on the logMAR chart.
- Lens Characteristics [ Time Frame: Over all scheduled visits day 1 - 1 month ]Investigators evaluated study lenses, while on eye, for the number of eyes showing 100% wettability, no discoloration, none-light deposits, fully centered centration, and adequate movement.
|Study Start Date:
|December 2007
|Study Completion Date:
|June 2008
|Primary Completion Date:
|February 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Active Comparator: Purevision Contact Lens #1
PureVision Soft Contact Lens Design (currently marketed)
Device: Currently Marketed PureVision Contact Lens.
Contact lens for continuous wear
Experimental: PureVision Contact Lens #2
Redesign of the currently marketed PureVision soft contact lens.
Device: Alternate Design of the PureVision Contact Lens.
Contact lens for continuous wear
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- subject is myopic
- VA correctable to 0.3 logMAR or better (driving vision)
- Clear central cornea
Exclusion Criteria:
- Systemic disease affecting ocular health
- using systemic or topical medications
- wear monovision, multifocal or toric contact lenses
- Any grade 2 or greater slit lamp findings
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00661687
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00661687
|Laser Focus Sdn Bhd, Vision Correction Centre
|Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 80400
|Asian Eye Institute
|Makati City, Philippines, 1200
Sponsors and Collaborators
Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
|Study Director:
|Gerard Cairns, MCOptom, PhD
|Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
|Principal Investigator:
|Benny Chian, MCOptom
|Laser Focus Sdn Bhd, Vision Correction Centre
|Principal Investigator:
|Harvey Siy Uy, MD
|Asian Eye Institute
More Information
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 23, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00661687 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|April 16, 2008
|Results First Received:
|February 20, 2009
|Last Updated:
|December 7, 2011
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 23, 2017


text:
But nevertheless she would feed herself in the middle of the day, having a roast fowl with bread sauce in her own room.
Never mind the bread sauce, Mrs. Baker;—the pheasant's the thing.
Place some fried or baked sausages round the turkey, and serve with bread sauce.
Serve them with bread sauce and good brown gravy; a little of this last should be poured over them.
This is a very delicate white sauce; and at elegant tables is frequently served instead of bread sauce.
"bread sauce is so ticklish; a simmer too much and it's clean done for," Mrs. Baker said with a voice of great solicitude.
Serve them up with bread sauce in a basin, and fix one of the principal feathers of the pheasant in its tail.
Might she suggest a roast fowl and some bread sauce, and perhaps a sweetbread,—and just one glass of champagne?
I see you are early accustoming them to bread sauce, said Mr. Reeve of the Edinburgh Review, when he saw her thus employed.
I wonder if half the governesses fared so luxuriously as I that day; certainly the chicken and bread sauce was delicious.


text:
- Payment Services
- Doing Business in China
- eCommerce
- Online Payments
- Rates
Add UnionPay to your site in 48hrs via CPS. China Payment Services is in partnership with ChinaPayLearn more about UnionPay and CPS.
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text:
Winona, MN, USA < change city >
DJs (10)
Florists (8)
Cakes (6)
Caterers (6)
Bands (6)
Wedding Day Beauty (6)
Officiants (5)
Limos (2)
Tuxedos (2)
Wedding Fashion (2)
Bartenders & Beverages (1)
Decorations (1)
Jewelry (1)
Rentals (1)
Lighting (1)
Ceremony Sites (28)
Reception Sites (23)
See All Vendors >
Kasha's Sugar Art
County Road M
Fountain City, WI, United States
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
Kasha designed a beautiful wedding cake for us and also an amazing groom's cake (...
Waldees Cakery
Winona, MN, USA
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
Great cake at SUPER prices! Many different flavors to choose from and my cake lo...
Margaret Ann Jerome (wed...
La Crosse, WI, USA
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
Margaret Ann is out of Sparta, and you will have to look up her name online as sh...
Consumer's Bakery & Cath...
133 S Fourth Street
LaCrosse, WI 54601, United States
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
We went with the spiral cake. It was beauitful! The cake was marble with whipped ...
International Bake Shop
444 Main Street
La Crosse, WI, United States
3 ratings, 3 reviews, 3 weddings
We decided to go with cupcakes for our guests and had a small cake for the head t...
Kathy Gibbs
0 ratings, 1 review, 1 wedding
Excellent cake at a reasonable price. She is located out of altura,MN.


text:
After many months of development, previews and demonstrations, Microsoft finally pushed Windows 8 and Windows RT out the door and into the marketplace as part of a lengthy, bifurcated and relatively calm event in New York City.
[More from Mashable: Here Are All of the Windows 8 Ads So Far [VIDEOS]]
Company CEO Steve Ballmer and Windows lead Steven Sinofsky both took the stage to detail all that you already know about Microsoft's radically re-imagined, touch-friendly operating system and to highlight much of the new hardware built to support it.
The event was actually a two-parter: First Microsoft execs spent an hour or so talking through Windows 8 for laptops and convertibles (there wasn't a traditional box-style desktop in sight), then they took a lunch break and finished off the afternoon with an official launch of Microsoft's home-grown tablet, Surface. Surface runs the ARM-friendly Windows RT.
[More from Mashable: Windows Store Officially Opens With More Than 7,873 Apps]
The second event was somewhat smaller, more intimate and looser than the heavily scripted Windows 8 unveiling. Microsoft also seemed to be a lot more careful about who could sit in on the Surface unveil.
Some said they sent hardware partners -- who build competing Surface devices -- elsewhere.
The video above puts you on the floor and in our seats. Watch and then don't forget to read all of our coverage of the event and of Microsoft's new Windows 8-related products.
This story originally published on Mashable here.


text:
Taking Over the Internet One Domain at a Time
As many of my readers know, I've taken up amateur photography over the last few years. I have always had a presence on Flickr, and of course I post some of my work here occasionally. But within the last several months, I have decided to take things more seriously. I am printing and framing more of my work, and have begun to have some of my photography displayed locally. As part of that decision, I have also created a new domain where I am featuring the photography which I display and sell, so head on over and take a look. Besides the gallery section, there is also a blog where I will post information on any shows I have. I would also appreciate any feedback you may have.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.


text:
Northstar Engines and System Technical Discussion Discussion, Loud ticking at idle. in Cadillac Engine Discussion; I currently have an 03 Olds Aurora. I am aware that this isn't a Caddy...but the 4.0 is close enough ...
- 02-02-10 02:42 AM #1Cadillac Owners Member
- Automobile(s): None
- Join Date
- Feb 2010
- Age
- 31
- Posts
- 3
Loud ticking at idle.
I currently have an 03 Olds Aurora. I am aware that this isn't a Caddy...but the 4.0 is close enough to the N*. Anyways, a loud ticking develops around the front lower half of the engine (its louder underneath the car) after the car is well warmed up, and the oil pressure falls below 35psi. The oil level is fine, and the oil pressure seems normal while in operation. the "Oil Life" gauge has 90% of the life remaining. I am currently using 20W-50 oil in the car. This is the first oil change I've used this weight. I am aware that the manual basically says not use anything above 10W-30, but the car has used no oil since it was changed to the heavier weight, which was around 700 miles ago. I use it in my other vehicles, and since it rarely stays below freezing for more than 12 hours at a time, I didn't think it would cause any problems. Could the oil be causing the noise, or could it be something else? The car also mainly sits parked, and is only driven in spurts.
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
So you are using heavier weight oil in a car in cold weather and you drive it in short spurts? Why? I would have gone with a thin oil in cold weather. Especially if you aren't driving it long. The motor and the oil has to heat up before the oil gets thinned out. Strain on the pump and stuff. Thinner oil is a better choice.
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
You should not, under any circumstances, use motorcycle or heavy diesel engine oils in your 4.0, or any other automotive passenger car engine, for that matter. 20W-50 is way too heavy an oil for that engine and is specifically NOT recommended by GM. Read your owner's manual.
Use the recommended oil for your ambient temperature range (10W-30 ?) and do some listening to locate the tick. GM engines will run about 10-20 psi oil pressure at hot idle and around 35-45 at cruise (over 2000 rpm).
(BTW - that 20W-50 oil is destroying your engine during cold starts due to low oil flow. Your short hop driving is also an engine killer: a car engine experiences less wear during a 3,500 mile coast-to-coast trip than in two weeks of city stop & go.)
Re: Loud ticking at idle.This is the first oil change I've used this weight. I am aware that the manual basically says not use anything above 10W-30, but the car has used no oil since it was changed to the heavier weight
- 02-05-10 10:39 AM #5Cadillac Owners Fanatic
- Automobile(s): Cadillac
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
- Posts
- 272
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
The 20-50 is only good for a motor that's plumb wore out. It's WAY too heavy for a close-tolerance, low mileage motor. The thicker oil takes a few seconds to start circulating (especially in cold weather) and this is terrible for bearings, rings, and valve guides. The engine will probably see as much wear in a few dozen real cold starts as it would normally see in a 100k of driving.
It sounds like your rod bearings might be telling you that.
I make it a habit with a Northstar to never add oil unless it's well over a quart low. Adding oil when your engine is down a half-quart may make you feel good, but it ain't doing very much for an engine that has 6 quarts or more left in it. When I started putting only 6 1/2 quarts in my STS at oil-change time, the level hardly moved between changes.
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
..........and your fill procedure is close to the recommendation to fill to halfway up the dipstick hashmark: Keeping the level at the top mark promotes oil consumption. My engine takes a tad over 7 quarts, with filter, to fill to that level and I use a quart of Pennzoil 5W-30 Platinum every 4,000 miles+.
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
what about 10w-40? i've been using that in the winter. is that really bad? I have a ton of miles on the motor though...
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
Depends on the engine, and what's a "ton of miles" ?
10W-40 is good for vintage Olds 455s, GM 454s; good ol' iron stump-pulling engines. OR a modern engine that is subjected to RV or trailer towing duty.
Consider that Ford is recommending 5W-20 year round for their engines - both car and truck - and take into account the lubricating properties of modern oils and the old "heavier is better" theory goes out the window. My F-150 4.6L will go round trip to Florida (1675 miles) and not use one drop of Pennzoil Platinum 5W-20. (The damn thing uses so little oil that I get antsy and dump some Marvel Mystery Oil into each fillup on highway trips - upper cylinder lube.)
Heavy oils actually promote cold start wear due to low flow, and if the car is a city driver, they never warm enough to flow properly.
Blah, blah, blah...........read the oil company spec sheets..........
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
for my northstar. 146k miles. I've been using 10w-40 for the last couple years (even in winters), so i hope it hasn't been hurting anything. But the winters here rarely get below 32 degrees..
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
You're borderline OK, but take a look at the recommended oils on the "thermometer" in your owners manual.
West Chester ? Got your snow shovel ready ? ..........and you have been to about 12 degrees this winter, so far..........
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
What everyone else said. 5w-30 in your 4.0. The specs changed with the roller cam upgrade in 2000. Stick with a good brand of the factory recommended oil type. Avoid the 99 cent stuff- if you go cheap you get cheap and it can cost you in the long run. A bit of oil usage is a good thing. These damn engines never wear out - so long as they have oil in the crankcase.
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
Do you think its causing a lot more wear at startup than the 10w-30? I will change it out in about 2k miles for 10w-30. I currently have 1k miles on an auto-rx treatment so i really don't want to waste all of that. I used Castrol GTX 10w-40 btw, I never use cheapo stuff.
Yep, i have my 9hp snowblower ready if thats what you mean!! It plowed right thru all 22" last time like it was a chocolate cake
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
Stump pulling engines Sub? Speaking of which- we still have a horse trade to make- please send your address again to my email- firstname.lastname@example.com and I will get that intake and injectors out to you. Sorry the fuel rails are totally different than the STS models- I think these were meant for the last Eldorados. The intake and injectors are on the shop if you can track down a 76 455 Q-Jet rebuild kit somewhere in your travels. No rush at all.
Sorry to get off topic-
Re: Loud ticking at idle.
To resurrect an old post...I changed the oil out, 5W-30....And I thought the noise was gone...but only just for a little, after driving it around today, the tick it still there. I only drove with the heavy weight stuff at most 700 miles. Since I have owned the car (3 years, and about 25,000 miles), I have normally used 10W-30, that was the first time I switched to the 20W-50. Have I done irreversible damage or is it just a coincidence? P.S. My oil pressure has never fallen below 20psi at idle, the average is about 28psi at idle after its warm, and its around 60psi at cruising speed. This has been the same since I've owned the car, I only noticed an increase of around 2psi with the 20W-50...is that normal as well


text:
Spanish repost subjunctive
posted by Anonymous on .
Please read the P.S. I sent you one more time! Would you believe they are all wrong? You will need the accent marks or they are marked wrong.
1. será = future; no reason for Subjunctive
2. irán = future; must be plural to go with the subject O y M and must have written accent mark. (ido is the past participle and goes with a form of haber = ha ido = has gone)
3. puedan = Subjunctive because of
dudo = DOUBT and it must be plural because of subject ellos = 3rd person plural.
4. vayan = the verb is (ir) NOT (poder) = Subjunctive because of "Es posible "= my reason #4 in the P.S.
5. puedan = plural subject AND Subjunctive because of "Es posible" = see above
6. haya = Present Subjunctive because of "es posible que" ALWAYS using Subjunctive
7. será = but on a test the Future would be marked incorrect because there is no written accent.
8. This would be a good choice EXCEPT for "no es imposible" which is judgment and requires the Subjunctive.
Now, you may have some questions to ask! You MUST concentrate on the P.S. I gave you with the reasons for using the Subjunctive = 1, 2, 3 and #4 has to do with impersonal expressions still expressing 1, 2, or 3. Draw out the locomotive + QUE + caboose and label the locomotive with WISH, EMOTION and DOUBT and the caboose with SUBJUNCTIVE. Don't forget the "trailer hitch" QUE in between!
Thank you I understand what you said but you were the one who said #1 was será I said it was era so I'm confused about that one. I know to use the accent marks I have to copy and paste from that site you gave me so it takes much more time.
#8 Yes I had to leave the house quickly and I was afraid I forgot #8. The answer is Subjunctive = resolvamos.
Era is the Imperfect of ser. The instructions clearly stated you must choose Present Subjunctive OR Future. That eliminated the Imperfect. If you look at the first sentence, the "hace + period of time requires the present to say: "O & M have been in Costa Rica 3 days. The 2nd then will say "I'm sure the trip will be (futur) fantastic for the two.
Copy & paste from a site? I didn't give you a site where you need to copy and paste!
I have to leave now but I'll check the boards when I get back, in case you have further questions.
yes you did. its suppose to be a different way but it doesnt work for me. w w w . mason . gmu . edu / ~aalonso / accents . html
I found the website but it belongs to a teacher and it is not I!
WAIT! Are you now telling me you are Sheila, and NOT Anonymous? I gave Sheila a GOOGLE Search on "Knight of Olmeda" = a literature site! It has nothing to do with YOUR post about the Subjunctive!
Sorry, Anonymous. Please tell me WHERE that post was? I can not find it nor does it seem at all familiar!
im not sheila
heres the reference point.
Hace tres dias octavio y miguel estan en costa rica. Estoy segura de que el viaje (era) fantastico para los dos. Creo que alli (ir) a ver plantas exoticas de todo tipo. Dudo que ellos (poder) hacer todo lo que quieren en solo tres dias. Hay muchos lugares interesantes que visitar. Es posible que ellos (ir) solo a dos o tres lugares. Es posible que uno de esos dias ellos (poder) visitar la selva tropical. La naturaleza de costa rica es impresionante. En costa rica van a ver que es muy importante cuidar la naturaleza. donato y yo creemos que en el futuro es posible que no (haber) tanta contaminacion en el mundo entero si los paises se juntan. Pero algunos creen que eso no (ser) posible. Yo creo que no es imposible que nosotros (resolver) estos problemas.
Before I get too confused here: do you now have the 8 answers for these verbs and do you understand why they are as I wrote them?


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...Good for: Wreck diving, value-for-money and underwater photography...
...Not so good for: Small animals, wall dives and drifts...
Hurghada is located on the Egyptian mainland at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, some 65 km southwest of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, and Sharm El Sheikh just a few kilometres further. Such a position makes an ideal base for scuba diving in the Red Sea since it is the main gateway for liveaboard trips to both the northern and southern sections of Egypt's Red Sea.
The local Hurghada dive sites can be quite interesting, with many coral reef sites dotted around Giftun Island. There is an interesting cave passage to explore at Umm Gamar but heading into the northern region is where the best action really is.
In the Shadwan and Gubal islands region there are several fantastic wreck dives, including the Abu Nuhas wrecks, the Rosalie Moller, the Kingston, Ulysses, Salem Express and Gubal Barge. These wrecks offer so much variety in terms of history, type, age and depth that you'll need several days of diving here to get to grips with all that Hurghada has to offer. There is even a house reef where dolphin encounters are highly likely.
What's more, Hurghada is often the departure point for liveaboard safaris to the Southern Red Sea of Egypt. Dive sites such as the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone are frequently on the lips of experienced divers who visit the Red Sea, and each of these can be reached on liveaboards out of Hurghada.
With its days as a backwater village long since gone, the town is now a thriving Red Sea beach holiday destination. It offers all the usual attractions of a popular tourist area, all at competitive prices. So if you choose to base yourself here for some local day trip diving, or as a launch point to discover fantastic wreck and reef adventures further afield, few divers will leave here with a sense of disappointment.
The Abu Nuhas Wrecks - This reef system in northern Hurghada has 4 shipwrecks that are suitable for diving. Each of the wrecks has its own individual character and offers something unique. Therefore to dive all 4 of the wrecks together will be a complete and thoroughly rewarding scuba experience.
Carless Reef - This is a popular spot not far north from Hurghada for liveaboards (1 hour) and daytrips (2 hours) when the conditions permit. This isolated mid-sea reef, is found between Sha'ab Umm Qamar and Giftun Island and weather conditions often make the exposed site difficult or impossible to dive. Show more
Carless Reef consists of a plateau pushing up from the Abyss and featuring 2 large pinnacles. The surface conditions and current can present a challenge, but the proliferation of life in the swirling, nutrient-rich water can make diving here one of the Red Sea's most exciting experiences. It is difficult to imagine how this site was declared practically dead after a vicious crown of thorns starfish attack in the late 1990s. Now it bursts with life.
The 2 pinnacles rise from the reef plateau at around 18m and top out in smaller plateaus of around 5m depth. The pinnacle walls are bedecked in hard and soft corals and have thousands of small colourful fish, predominantly orange fairy basslets flitting around. The plateau varies in depth between around 15 and 18 metres before a drop-off into the abyss on its north eastern edge. You can investigate the plateau which features many little bommies, brain corals, and acropora corals. There is also a large population of inquisitive moray eels described as "semi tame" which often leave their refuges and swim freely around the divers.
Large gorgonian fans reach out into the blue from the steep walls of the drop-off. When the current is in full flow, big fish action is the name of the game. White tip reef sharks, jacks, tuna and barracuda are quite commonly seen. A pod of dolphins could come into view if luck is on your side. Whispered accounts of sailfish and a "resident" tiger shark also stir your imagination as you scan the blue.
Few dive sites in the Red Sea offer as much as Carless Reef: healthy corals, reefs bursting with colour and possible pelagic sightings in the blue that can live long in the memory.
Dolphin Reef - This is not an outstanding reef. It is quite a shallow submerged reef system and offers little to excite scuba divers in terms of coral life. However, this is not the reason that boats flock to this site. Shaab El Erg is Hurghada's dolphin house reef and liveaboards often visit this site, both as a check out dive and as a shallow final dive at the end of a cruise. Show more
Dolphin encounters are very common here, whether its just snorkelling with them during a surface interval or actually interacting with them underwater during a dive, which seems just as likely. If you've never dived or even swam with dolphins before then this site is likely to be a lasting memory from your Hurghada diving holiday.
El Mina Wreck - This Red Sea dive site features the wreck of an Egyptian minesweeper ship which sank just outside the harbour in Hurghada. It is named after its location, El Mina meaning "the harbour" in Arabic. It was a 58m long ship which was attacked by Israeli phantom jets (during the war between Egypt and Israel) and sunk while at anchor. The date of the sinking is a matter of some debate but seems to have been in 1967 or 1973. Nowadays, it is a perfect site for a wreck dive. Show more
There is a mooring line, down which divers descend to the stern of the boat at a depth of approximately 18-20m. The ship lies on its port side and your dive may start by inspecting the propellers which, as with the rest of this young wreck, are in very good condition. Although there is not a huge amount of marine life on this site, it is of interest particularly to wreck aficionados.
Visibility is normally good at this site, allowing you to have a clear look at almost half of the entire wreck from the stern. Watch out for a few pufferfish hanging around the stern area, as if patrolling the divers' descent. After spending few minutes around the stern, you can begin moving around the wreck keeping it on your right shoulder, descending to a depth between 25-30m (considering the no-deco limits).
The contra air guns are clearly visible, as are many bullets now encrusted in corals. There is also a big anchor chain lying at the sea bottom. Moving forward towards the bow, it is possible to see a torpedo that has fallen off the boat. Once at the bow on the starboard side, you can clearly see the blow that took the ship down, and it is worth looking inside with a torch.
As the minutes at depth pass by, it will soon be time to ascend over the bow by swimming towards the rear of the boat again. Coral growth has started forming over the superstructure of the boat and there is good chance to see several pipefish crawling around as well as ghostpipefish. Cleaner shrimp can be spotted in various nooks and crannies and large numbers of glassfish also lurk in the calmer crevices.
The Gubal Barge Wreck - The Gubal Barge is a site frequently dived by the northern Red Sea liveaboards since it is suitable for all levels of scuba diver. It sits in around 15m of water and is located in a sheltered spot where boats commonly tie up for the night. As a result there is a strong chance you will experience it as a night dive. Show more
While the Red Sea, and the Hurghada region in particular, is famed in the diving industry for its large wrecks, this one is small at under 35m in length. Some wrecks here are wonderfully intact and feature several decks yet the Gubal Barge is little more than a decaying hull. However, it is popular more because of the marine life than any unique features of the wreck. It has been suggested that it is the popularity of the location as a mooring site, and the titbits thrown overboard that is chiefly responsible for the proliferation of fish.
The surrounding reef is as worthy of inspection as the wreck itself, and if there are too many divers around it is worth enjoying the relative peace of the reef where you can spot dorid nudibranchs, and perhaps even the magnificent Spanish Dancer. Lionfish lurk in wait for some passing prey, while various shrimps, including boxer shrimps, and anemone crabs seem to appear in every crevice.
Encrusting sponges and soft corals are all over the withering remains of the barge, as are well-disguised scorpionfish, some enormous resident giant moray eels and the occasional crocodilefish. You may also spot octopus both in the fissures of the wreck and on the surrounding reef, while a swirling silvery fishball dances this way and that in the water column above you.
While some night dive sites can be "hit and miss", the Gubal Barge always delivers.
Kingston Wreck - Shag Rock is just 15 minutes motoring time south west of the Thistlegorm and is part of the Red Sea reef system known as Sha'ab Ali. It gets its name from the cormorants that sometimes perch on the reef's light beacon, and not after some lover's secret rendez vous point, as some may like to think. Show more
On the northern slopes of Shag Rock lies a wreck, the Kingston, which sank here on 22 February 1881. This was an 78m long twin mast steamship that ran aground and gradually sank to a maximum depth of 15m at the stern. The ship's hull and main deck frame are fairly intact and the Kingston lies upright in a north-south aspect, perpendicular to the reef, the bow furthest up the gentle reef slope.
Due to its location near the entrance to the Straits of Gubal, currents can be strong here, so its best to drop in to the north and use the current to drift dive onto the wreck. Penetration is simple in the shallow and open inner hull. Take your time to explore here as the hull also offers protection from the prevailing currents; however surge can sometimes be present so do take care. The frame structure is overgrown with stubbly hard corals and the hull is home to Arabian angelfish, surgeonfish and groupers, with many anthias and damsels flitting around.
As you progress through the dive, you can entertain yourself by exploring all the various swimthroughs under and along the deck. You can inspect the spare propeller which sits midway along the deck, slightly more towards the stern of the 2 large cylindrical boilers. While your nose may be stuck in some of the crevices of the wreck, be sure not to miss the larger fish that are present in this area such as schools of yellow snapper, plus the occasional sweetlips and Napoleon wrasse.
When you're done with wreck exploration, just join up with the reef slope and drift with the current to the south. The reef is quite stunning with its densely packed coral fields and neat layers of Acropora table corals to the south east. Yellowtail goatfish and bluelined snappers form big schools here.
The Kingston also lies in a part of the Red Sea where dolphin sightings are reasonably common. While you have a strong chance of seeing them from the surface, to encounter them on a dive, while not unheard of, requires luck to be on your side.
Rosalie Moller - This wreck lies in 50m of water so it is for advanced divers only. It is a large ship in good condition and attracts huge congregations of schooling fish. It is one deep and interesting exploration and certainly worth the trouble to divers with a sense of adventure. Show more
The Rosalie Moller is another Red Sea legacy of World War II. This 110m coal ship was bombed in 1940 by German aircraft and sank into 50m of water, just off Gubal Island in the northern Hurghada area. It is an excellent deep dive and requires advanced certification since you'll descend down the buoy line onto the companionway and the main deck at 32m. For this reason, it will take you several dives at this wreck to orientate yourself due to the necessarily short bottom times.
If you decide to explore the stern area then you'll make your way over the collapsed funnel, past the engineers accommodation and engine room, the bomb blast hole on the port side, the galley and life boat deck, finally to descend down to the immense propeller and rudder. This is the deepest portion of the wreck as the seabed upon which the ship rests slopes gently from bow to stern. The main deck at the stern is 36m deep.
To explore the bow of the ship you'll swim past the bridge, passenger saloon, to the winch area. Take a diving torch and look inside the rooms. They are packed full of cardinalfish and the deck is crawling with juvenile fusiliers, yellowtail barracuda and glassfish. Of course, such an immense mass of juvenile fish attracts some of the hunters you can find when scuba diving in Hurghada such as trevally and tuna. Over the bow lurk several meaty groupers, close to the anchor chain.
It is possible to penetrate the wreck through the large cargo hold entrances on the main deck. The holds have 2 levels. However, there is very little to be seen of interest that can't be seen from the outside; just some bags of coal. And the lower level is very silty and this can be very hazardous at such depths.
To end this adventurous dive you can either make your way back to the buoy line amidships or climb the crow's nest to 22m and then swim southeasterly 20-30m or so to pick up the ascent line.
Small Giftun Island - One of the 2 islands that comprise Giftun National Park, Small Giftun is the more frequently featured on liveaboard itineraries and by diving daytrip boats from Hurghada. Where the land dips underwater, the wall drops to great depths of over 100m and there are 2 plateaus which you may visit depending on your dive plan. Show more
There are several ways to dive Small Giftun depending on the current. Drift along spectacular drop-offs and coral-covered plateaus, glide by pinnacles, overhangs and caves all with prolific gorgonian fan growth and a dizzying array of Hurghada marine life. Pelagic action is a constant as the waters are nutrient rich and a frequent feeding ground.
The southern end of the island features a shallow wall to a plateau and is a popular spot for night dives. Otherwise you will explore the east side (featuring 2 plateaus) or the west side (featuring only the southern plateau). In either case the dive will feature a drift along a healthy wall which give way to the southern plateau where the current eases giving you time to explore the area in detail.
Jumping in on the east coast of Small Giftun Island during the day time, you will begin what is one of the best drift dives in the area along a beautiful wall of purple soft corals and fan corals. You will drift along, allowing the changing colours and topography of the wall to pass before your eyes. The current brings with it a lot of nutrients and therefore makes it a site rich in underwater life. Keep one eye on the blue as barracudas and trevallies can be seen hunting their small prey. Napoleon wrasse and hawksbill turtles can also be seen, often on your safety stop.
When you come to the southern plateau, you will see that it is bedecked in vibrant hard and soft corals. Where the plateau drops away to the depths you can see gorgonian sea fans at their most magnificent. These sprawling red beauties have a diameter of more than 2m and look out for longnose hawkfish lurking in their protective folds. Healthy acropora corals, brain coral and leaf corals abound all over the plateau. Fast swimming schools of fusiliers may dash past your eyes glinting flashes of silver which contrast amazingly when they meet even bigger schools of blue-striped snappers.
After sunset, the reef comes alive with some of the favourite nocturnal creatures of visitors to the Red Sea. Spanish Dancers, cuttlefish, squid, lobsters, sole and shrimps make this one of the top Hurghada night diving spots.
In the shallows you may see, particularly on the west side of the island, broken and dead coral mixed with the healthy hard corals. This is due to the proximity of Hurghada harbour, meaning the site is much visited by day trip boats. If you have ever witnessed a boat full of Hurghada daytrippers you will not be surprised to hear that these snorkelers and first-time divers tend not to be shallow coral's best friends.
When ending your dive you would be well advised to deploy a surface marker buoy and watch out for the zodiacs and daytrips boats whizzing around picking up their punters.
The Ulysses Wreck - Built in 1871 in Newcastle, England, this 95m long cargo vessel was sunk after hitting the reef of Gobul Seghir in 1887. It now lies at a maximum depth of a little over 30m, making it the ideal depth for Red Sea wreck divers to explore. Having been submerged for such a long time the Ulysses has been well and truly 'marinated' and is now completely encrusted with hard corals, blending in with the natural substrate of the Red Sea. Show more
You will begin this dive by back-rolling in from a zodiac and dropping down to the wreck which lies at a 30 degree angle with its more intact stern in deeper water and the fragmented bow lying shallower. Normally the dive will begin at the stern where it is possible to penetrate and carefully fin through below the grid-like beams of the main deck. The light may be limited here so it is worth bringing your torch for illuminating the occasional the occasional nudibranch, but especially the ball of glassfish you can often find behind the engine room.
As you make your way shallower you can cover the sandy slope where the mast funnel lies. Look out for ghost pipefish lurking around the small gorgonian here.
Further into the shallows you will find the wrecked remains of the bow where you might find moray eels and the occasional grouper. Here you will rejoin the reef and slowly make your way back to the boat. Look out for crocodilefish and seahorses in the gorgonian fans of this section of the reef. If you are lucky you might hear the unmistakable noises and then witness the unforgettable sight of dolphins, which are quite commonly sighted in this area.
The northern Red Sea is slightly cooler than the southern section. For diving Hurghada, temperatures peak at 27-28°C during July to September. After these months the temperatures slide slightly down from 27-25°C in October and November. They continue their downward journey from December to February, plummeting from 25-22°C. After the annual lows of February, things start to warm up again to 22-26°C between March and June.
Corresponding air temperatures see summer averages of around 35°C in Hurghada, sometimes inching up into the low 40s. Temperatures in the cooler winter months, such as January, tend to hover around the 20°C mark.
Many marine creatures are sighted regularly by scuba divers throughout the year around Hurghada without there being any specific optimal period. Such creatures include the dolphins, dugongs, grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks.
For more information on your diving options, and all the other travel information you might need to visit Hurghada and Egypt, view our:
The Egyptian liveaboards run trips that encompass the whole region, from the local Hurghada dive sites, up through the northern wrecks area, and on to the Sinai Peninsula and the Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed. This is simply the most convenient and cost effective way to dive the whole northern Red Sea region.
Day trips from Hurghada will also visit the local sites, as well as allow you to dive the Abu Nuhas wrecks that are further afield. However, although day trips will appeal to those that prefer to base themselves on terra firma, it must be understood that daily travel times to the further sites will be 2-3 hours each way.
For the holiday adventure of a lifetime, why not combine your diving trip with a tour to discover the historical sights of Egypt? You can take a River Nile cruise or a Cairo city tour: Egypt antiquity tours.
Review our maps below of the Hurghada region and its host country Egypt. Here, you will find information on how to get to Hurghada.
Depth: 5m - >40m
Visibility: 10m - 30m
Currents: Gentle - moderate
Surface conditions: Calm but can be choppy in some places
Water temperature: 22°C - 28°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: ~40
Recommended length of stay: 1 - 2 weeks


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A fire in a chimney from a wood furnace spread into the walls of a house on Petersham Road New Year�s Day, causing extensive damage to the upper floor.
Fire Chief Richard Stevens said no one was injured in the fire at 225 Petersham Road. The heat of the fire cracked the chimney, allowing the fire to spread. It followed the walls around the chimney to the top of the 2-1/2 story house, where the main damage occurred.
The home is owned by Timothy and Jackie Gearin
�It�s an expensive loss, but the house is salvageable,� Chief Stevens said.
Firefighters were called out just after 5 p.m. New Year�s Day. Petersham, Royalston and Templeton fire departments assisted in bringing the fire quickly under control. The fire was knocked down by 6 p.m.
Only one family member was home at the time of the fire. He, a pet dog and two cats were able to get out safely. The family is still looking for one of the cats.


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Last July I returned to my beloved Missoula after a period of forced exile in Canada. A Canadian by birth, I had made the mistake of returning to the Great White North on a business trip in the middle of my immigration application, and the boys at the border would not let me return home again until they had sorted out a glitch in my paperwork. It's a long story, but the border and the bulwark of its bureaucracy had become a dam of sorts, and it would not let me return to the place I absolutely, definitely had to be—where I was to wed my American lover in less than a month's time.
After 29 days of anxious, whiskey-drenched waiting, the dam finally disappeared two days before our ceremony, thanks in large part to the Promethean efforts of Senator John Tester and his helpful staff. When I got home, I found waiting for me Steven Hawley's new book, Recovering a Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Communities (Beacon Press, $26.95). My experience with the concrete thoroughness of U.S. immigration had created a great sense of empathy for the Pacific Northwest's endangered salmon, so I put everything but my impending wedding on hold and dove into Hawley's impassioned cri de coeur for the Snake River.
What a gift. There are already several books about the damnable impacts of the dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers, but Recovering a Lost River is a worthwhile addition to this library. Not only is it well-researched and chock-full of historical information and scientific fact, it is also a rollicking good read, the narrative equivalent of a barebones rafting trip through Hell's Canyon in high water.
Hawley spares no time or space to make clear what's at stake. After a scatological prologue that would have made Jonathan Swift proud, he travels to Alaska to see what the residents of "the last frontier state" are smoking. Turns out, it's salmon, and lots of it, in large part because they have refused to dam their rivers the way their West Coast cousins have to the south, in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California.
Returning home to the Pacific Northwest, Hawley recounts the now-familiar story of how human ingenuity and resourcefulness—and a whole lot of skulduggery involving a carefully constructed web of "lies, dam lies and statistics"—have turned the lower 48 states's great salmon rivers into sickly shadows of their former selves.
What makes Recovering a Lost River different is its optimism. In a world run down by innumerable stories of environmental degradation, Hawley, like the Gospels, tells tales of resurrection. He takes us to California and Maine to introduce us to the people and places that have had the temerity to remove dams for the higher purpose of serving those gods of the freshwater world: anadromous fish.
There's Allen Harthorn, a bipedal champion as tireless as his finned brothers and sisters. Harthorn looks after Butte Creek "as if it were part of his family," helping to bring thousands of salmon back from the brink in a tiny tributary of California's Sacramento River that, almost unbelievably today, was once thick with salmon.
It's clear from the beginning that Hawley has a specific purpose in mind, and that's to have the lower four dams on the Snake River removed to restore wild runs of endangered salmon. But the airtight case he makes in Recovering a Lost River indicates he has been able to maintain his journalistic integrity in the process. When the facts and lies he has uncovered during a decade of research coalesce into a conclusion as pellucid as a pool on the Clearwater River, there is little to do but cast it all down on the page and let readers decide the obvious for themselves.
This is clearly a book about substance, but like all good nonfiction these days, it includes all the makings of a good story: compelling narrative, effective pacing and what David James Duncan calls an "antic tone." Indeed, readers familiar with Duncan's work will find a similar voice in Recovering a Lost River. Hawley doesn't wield it as precisely and consistently as Duncan does—he sometimes overdoes it a tad, and ends up with the literary equivalent of casting into the huckleberry bushes on the far bank—but it is a tremendous read nonetheless. Once the snow hits, put your rod away, grab a copy and revel in the magic of a passionate river rat singing his heart out for the place—and fish—he loves.


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Osmond, 40, who quit as chairman last autumn, was estimated to own about two% of Punch, which had a traumatic path to market. The new issue was originally priced at 250p-300p a share, but the float was pulled because of lack of investor demand. Punch then staged a fresh launch at 230p.
After the hastily rearranged float, Osmond said: 'It took a few days to restructure it, so more money went into the company and it was less diluted for the shareholders. Nobody sold any shares. They want to hold on to their investment and may decide to exit once the shares trade up.'
After Punch's debut, the shares rose to 247p before slowly declining to 216p on Friday.
Osmond is thought to have cashed in his shares at 245p, netting £6 million. The sale of about half his shares in the group so soon after launch is likely to raise eyebrows in the City.
The initial float was pulled because investors were not prepared to pay more than 250p a share.
They were also worried that Osmond and other shareholders would cash in their holdings straight away, a charge that Osmond denied. But Punch shares last traded at 245p, the price at which Osmond sold, just a couple of weeks after Punch floated.
With a fortune estimated at £150 million, Osmond is not thought to be short of cash. His investment vehicle, Sun Capital, set up with fellow Punch founder Alan McIntosh, has yet to strike a deal.
Punch is thought to be desperate for a big purchase. Giles Thorley, the 34-year-old chairman, is understood to be keen to stamp his mark on the company and the City.
Punch recently lost out to rival Enterprise Inns when Japanese bank Nomura sold its pub estates for £2 billion.
WestLB-backed chain Pubmaster is seen as a likely target for Punch.Reuse content


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I was wondering which cylinder is the "hot" one. I read that #3 tends to get the least amount of fuel with the stock fuel rail. That would lead me to beleave #3 is the hot cylinder. If anybody has some "fact knowledge" that would be great.
I'm installing a Defi EGT and Boost gauge, If that matters to anyone.


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You are hereBlogs / War Criminals Watch's blog / Are you outraged about indefinite detention by U.S. military?
Are you outraged about indefinite detention by U.S. military?
Crimes are crimes and must be denounced whoever commits them. This government has passed yet another bar for disregarding the rule of law and the basic rights of people with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and many of you are rightfully angry about that.
Mounting meaningful, mass actions against the completely unjust and illegitimate continuation of indefinite detention and the prison camps at Guantanamo and Bagram this January is ALSO a meaningful response to the outrageously unjust NDAA. We have been planning for months, with a number of other groups including Witness Against Torture and Amnesty International, for mass protest on the tenth anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo. What better way to send a message to this government and everyone around the world against military detention on U.S. soil than to refuse to accept the moral outrage of sending people from other countries into the "legal black holes" of Guantanamo and Bagram?
Whether you are in an area that has an event planned or not, you can help get youth on buses to DC January 11 to participate in a human chain stretching from the White House to the Capitol, representing each and every one of the people still locked away without rights in Guantanamo or Bagram. $30 gets one person more on the bus!
This action will be the first national-level action that will bring into focus and highlight the terrible situation thousands of men imprisoned at Bagram in Afghanistan face: a legal black hole that manages to surpass Guantanamo in many ways.
No human being deserves to be detained indefinitely without trial or tortured. And with your support, we will mobilize a significant and diverse showing of people determined to bring that message to bear on this terrible tenth anniversary next month.
- War Criminals Watch's blog
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