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Synopsis: There are several diseases that can be transmitted from pet reptiles and amphibians to humans. However, by practicing good sanitation and personal hygiene, keeping herps out of the kitchen and food preparation areas, it is possible to minimize the risk. It is also important to have all new herps examined and tested prior to introducing them to your home.
Nobody likes to think about it, but the truth is that any pet animal has the potential for carrying a disease that could be contagious to humans. A disease that is contagious from an animal to a human is called a zoonosis (or zoonotic disease). For example, you might have read about the possibility of green iguanas carrying the potentially dangerous bacterium, Salmonella. Let's separate fact from fiction and learn about the zoonotic diseases of reptiles and amphibians, and how to prevent herp-related illness in your family.
To minimize the risk of contracting a disease from a pet reptile or amphibian, always purchase domestically bred and raised animals only. The reasons for this are simple: captive herps bred in this country are usually housed and bred in much cleaner conditions than their wild counterparts (which means less risk of parasites or organisms that might cause disease). They are subject to much less stress and crowding than wild-caught herps are, and domestics are not subject to poor conditions (such as incorrect temperature, crowding, poor diet) that may occur during importation to this country.
In addition to always purchasing domestic stock, choose herps that appear healthy, and have new pets examined by a herp vet. If your vet recommends testing, be sure to have those performed.
The risk of contracting a disease from a reptile or amphibian is generally small, as long as owners practice good hygiene. However, people with a suppressed immune system are more at risk than the general population. For example, children under 10 and the elderly are considered to be at higher risk. People with chronic disease that compromises the immune system are also at greater risk, as are people with AIDS. People who have had organ transplants, and those taking immunosuppressive drugs (such as prednisone or dexamethasone) are also more susceptible to infection.
Probably the most recognized zoonotic disease is Salmonellosis, caused by the Salmonella bacterium. There are over 2000 different strains of the organism, and there is a different one (or several) that can be found in just about every animal species! But any strain (officially called a serotype) can cause disease in any animal, and virtually all serotypes should be considered to be potentially dangerous to animals and humans.
The problems associated with pet reptiles and Salmonella first came to light in 1963, when a pet turtle was implicated in the disease found in a 7-month-old baby. In 1975, the FDA ruled it illegal to sell turtles with a carapace (upper shell) length of less than 4 inches (with exceptions made for educational or scientific institutions and marine turtles). This law was enacted because baby turtles are much more likely to shed Salmonella bacteria and because it was assumed that larger turtles were less likely to be purchased or handled by young children (who are more at risk).
There are several problems associated with this unusual group of bacteria. First, it can be difficult to diagnose. While this bacterium usually inhabits the gastrointestinal tract, it is not always passed in the feces. So, performing one fecal culture isn't always helpful. If the culture does not show the presence of the bacterium, it doesn't mean that the herp doesn't harbor the organism. In other words, a negative culture result does not rule out the disease. Sometimes, multiple cultures may be necessary to diagnose Salmonella. Other diagnostics may be employed to try and diagnose this disease. Another problem is that the Salmonella bacterium isn't like most other bacteria that can simply be treated with a 10-day course of antibiotics. By treating with antibiotics, instead of eradicating the bacterium, it is possible to create an animal that becomes a carrier, able to shed the organism during times of stress. It is impossible to tell if a reptile is harboring Salmonella simply by looking at it.
The best way to deal with the entire issue of Salmonella is to treat each reptile as if it is carrying the bacterium. By taking certain precautions, you can minimize the risk of actually acquiring an infection from a pet herp. Make sure everyone in the family knows that they must wash their hands after handling a herp. Wear gloves and face protection when washing herp cages, supplies and soaking pools. Use a safe disinfectant (ask your vet) frequently and correctly. Supervise young children around reptiles. Never clean reptile equipment or cages in a kitchen or bathroom used by humans. Don't soak herps in tubs, sinks or showers used by humans. Keep herps out of the kitchen and bathroom. Make herp cages simple to clean and disinfect. Keep other pets away from herps. And finally, no matter how much you may care for your pet herp, never kiss it (and make sure that your children know this rule, as well!)
If a herp does scratch or bite a family member, make sure that the wound is scrubbed with plenty of hot, soapy water. Any bite or scratch should be taken very seriously, as there is a potential for infection. A doctor should be consulted for all bites and scratches.
There are other types of bacteria found in reptiles that can also cause disease in humans. One potentially serious organism is called Campylobacter. This bacterium can cause serious gastroenteritis, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever.
Other types of bacteria that can be isolated from reptiles can also cause infections in people. One of the most serious diseases is tuberculosis. Infections in humans can be contracted through scratches, bites, during handling an infected reptile and when cleaning the cage of an infected herp.
Occasionally, reptiles can transmit fungal infections or viruses to humans. Many herps harbor large numbers of protozoal organisms, which may infest humans, most commonly the elderly, infants, and those with weak immune systems.
While we may usually associate worms with pet dogs and cats, there are many different types of worm parasites that can infest pet reptiles. By far, the most dangerous are called pentastomid worms. They are found in different species of snakes, crocodiles, turtles and lizards. The adult worms are found in the lungs, windpipe or nasal passages. Infested reptiles can shed millions of pentastomid eggs because the eggs are coughed up by the reptile, swallowed and then passed in the feces. The cage can become contaminated with incredible numbers of eggs. Humans can become infested by ingesting eggs (which are microscopic and cannot be detected by the naked eye). This fact alone should be enough to deter owners from cleaning cages and cage equipment in the kitchen sink!
If a human swallows some pentastomid eggs, they hatch and become larvae. These immature worms then penetrate through the intestines of a human and then go wandering through the bloodstream, to settle in lymph nodes, liver, lungs, or other organs where they become dormant in cysts. The larvae then mature and may break out of the cysts to once again migrate through the human body. Eventually, cysts can become hardened with calcium deposits and the larvae will die. The larvae migrating through the human body can cause varying degrees of inflammation and reaction. Surgery may be necessary to remove larval cysts. Medical treatment of humans with larval cysts is not usually effective.
Mites are external parasites that can infest a variety of reptiles. While most are quite species specific, and can only complete their life cycle on their intended host, they are capable of biting humans.
Ticks are another group of insects that can be found on reptiles. The ticks themselves are not usually dangerous to humans, although they can bite humans and family pets. But ticks can carry several different diseases that can infect humans, such as relapsing fever, western equine encephalitis virus, among others.
This information is not meant to scare herp owners, but to ensure that pet owners understand that it is very important to teach all family members that practicing scrupulous hygiene is very important when it comes to owning herps. It is equally important to find and utilize the knowledge of a qualified herp vet. By having appropriate testing performed by your vet, by washing after handling a herp, and finally by keeping herp cages clean, any risk of disease will be minimized.
Copyright © 2006 Margaret A. Wissman, D.V.M., D.A.B.V.P.
All Rights Reserved
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The Bucks were aiming for their fifth straight victory Tuesday night, but the stifling defense of the Boston Celtics blocked them from any chance.
Isaiah Thomas dropped 20 points and five other Celtics scored in double digits.
The combination of a strong defense and a bench that outplayed Milwaukee was the duo that propelled the Celtics to victory. The Bucks had no answers for either of those two assets.
Boston used its lockdown defense in the third quarter to pull away with the game and never look back, as the Celtics went on a 16-0 run in the period. Boston was up 58-57, but then a pair of threes from Jonas Jerebko and Jae Crowder. The run was finished with an Evan Turner breakaway dunk off of an intercepted pass from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The lead would remain 11 or more the rest of the game, as the closes the Bucks would get was 82-71 after a Jabari Parker layup with 8:25 left in the court.
Another key implementation in Boston's path to victory was the magnificent play from their bench, which outscored the Bucks' bench, 50-25. Their solid contributions were led by David Lee and Evan Turner, who had 13 points and five rebounds each. Rookie R.J. Hunter made his role felt, as he hit a three-pointer and finished the game with seven points.
Greg Monroe led the Bucks with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Antetokounmpo added in 16 points, despite finding himself in early foul trouble.
Boston just seemed to have a more aggressive mindset than the Bucks. They came at Milwaukee for 48 minutes in waves of consistency, much like the Wisconsin Men's basketball team did to opponents last season. The Bucks were not ready for it.
Milwaukee will look to redeem themselves Wednesday evening when they take on the Denver Nuggets in the Mile High city.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Roland Illig wrote: > > would it be hard to move mk/*.dist into mk/platform/ and adjust pkgsrc > to it? I think the latter is a better place for these files. This idea wasn't so well-received when I proposed it a while ago. My current plan is to make these files unnecessary by improving the pkg_* tools. Cheers, -- Johnny Lam <email@example.com>


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CNBC: Behind the Counter Dec 15, 2010
NEXT Showing on CNBC: CNBC has pulled this show from it's regular rotation.
One-Hour Documentary Reported by CNBC's Darren Rovell to Premiere on CNBC on Wednesday, December 15th at 9PM ET/PT
" The documentary also examines the dark side of the franchising business showing how the American Dream can very quickly become a nightmare. Rovell tells the cautionary tale of Camp Bow Wow, a franchise built around America's love affair with its pets and reveals some of the potential pit falls of the franchising industry.
Rovell also uncovers how a well-known franchise like Cold Stone Creamery may not be what it seems. With little protection or support from the Federal Trade Commission along with hidden expenses, steep nonrefundable franchise fees and more, even some of the most successful franchisees can't get out of the red. "
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Tvbythenumbers/~3/_WYyP_gzdJQ/74212
CNBC Site: http://www.cnbc.com/id/39911155/
11/03/11 Update from the Legal Minds behind the Cold Stone - CNBC showdown:
Cold Stone Creamery and Its Franchisees Take Joint Action Against Negative Publicity: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
Watch V1.0 (December 15, 2010) here:
Notable Points from V1.0 BTC:
At 0:27 - Cold Stone depends on "Fans of the Brand" to become franchisees
At 0:45 - "what you see is not always what you get"
At 01:25 - the underbelly of Cold Stone and the franchise industry as a whole can be exposed.
At 01:50 - cecil explains the 3 levels of profiteering by Cold Stone
At 02:24 - Kahala reported revenues of $70.4 Million in 2009 - 18.5% came from kickbacks
At 02:31 - Cold Stone requires 2% to service the store's lease - "wait a second here! you are telling me..."
At 03:06 - up to $140,000 in equipment from a company controlled by Cold Stone
At 03:55 - Cold Stone's eroding store base - from 1402 stores in 2008 to 1198 in 2009 (see below for 2010 figure)
At 04:06 - Cold Stone's response: "CSC's primary focus is creating the best conditions and opportunities for franchise owner success"
At 04:46 - Second best store in the nation in sales - but still could not turn a profit
At 5:01 - Cold Stone franchisees SBA failure rate from 2000-2009 was 30.6%, "one of the highest rates among well known franchises"
At 5:18 - the FTC "non-answer", Q: "what is the obligation by the franchiser, if any, to make sure they succeed?"
A: "I don't think anyone out there legitimately wants the franchisee to fail"
At 5:40 - the deck is stacked against the franchisees from the start - the business model is a failure
Watch V2.0 (March 14, 2011) it here:
Notable Points from V2.0 BTC:
At 01:22 - Cold Stone web site claims that CS franchise opportunity is "about as solid as they come".
At 01:30 - Dan Beem says Cold Stone franchising allows the franchisee to spend "quality" time with family and kids while making a good living.
At 02:08 - ExFranchisee: "not all the costs were what they were project to be, and there was not room for profits"
At 03:20 - Question to Dan Beem: "So you don't know on an individual basis how your franchisees are doing on a net basis?" Dan Beem: "No, they are independent business owners"
At 03:48 - Franchise Attorney: "Reality is that every aspect of your business is controlled by the Franchiser"
At 04:16 - Franchise Attorney: "I call them kickbacks"
At 05:09 - Cold Stone profiteering on proprietary Kohler cream is explained on 3 levels of distribution.
At 06:20 - One time second largest grossing store still could not make a profit
At 07:31 - NIACCF and Cold Stone Corporate Attorney "believes that rebates are fine"
At 07:57 - Cold Stone attorney Zarco blames theft by franchise employees for lack of profitability - "product going out the backdoor is substantial"
At 08:11 - Question to Beem: "Have you ever told the franchisees how much you make on the sweet cream, how much you make on other parts of the rebates?" Answer: "No, that's competitive advantage"
At 08:36 - "Cold Stone does NOT provide information regarding projected food costs, or any other detailed financial information"
At 09:14 - "Puig is a current franchise with whom Cold Stone ALLOWED us to speak" (Gag order lifted)
At 09:53 - "In the US their store count has fallen from 1163 stores in 2009 to 1102 stores by the end of 2010"
At 10:41 - ExFranchisee "I know many people that have gone bankrupt, lost there homes, lost their 401k ..."
At 11:09 - "there is a level of desperation in these people [ExFranchsees]"
At 11:19 - Beem blames it on the econony (again)
Robert Zarco, Rudy Puig, Dan Beem
Zarco with a smile on his face, spending the Cold Stone NIACCF retainer on the "Legal Eagle"
Links to read:
CNBC: Behind the Counter
Cold Stone flies blind... and Obfuscates with a 700+ page FDD
Blue Mau Mau's Don Sniegowski analyzes the Cold Stone Behind The Counter Segment:
Don is referring to minute 3:20 of Version #2 of Behind the Counter:
At 03:20 - Question to Dan Beem: "So you don't know on an individual basis how your franchisees are doing on a net basis?" Dan Beem: "No, they are independent business owners"
12/26/10 - Cold Stone forces CNBC to shut it down
CNBC Shelves Cold Stone Story after Zarco Attacks
Posted Sun, 2010/12/26 - 18:15 by Janet Sparks
CNBC films a Cold Stone ice cream mix being made, source/CNBC
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – CNBC unexpectedly pulled its documentary Behind the Counter: The Untold Story of Franchising after receiving a threatening letter from Kahala's newly retained counsel Robert Zarco.
In an email bulletin sent out throughout the system on December 23, the franchisor executive team updated the Cold Stone Creamery franchise community on its strategy "to defend and protect" its brand against "inaccuracies" of the CNBC documentary, which the network has repeatedly aired since December 15. In addition to hiring Zarco, identified as "the leading franchise attorney in the country," to represent franchisees on Cold Stone's behalf, they also retained Snell and Wilmer as franchisor counsel.Read it all: http://www.bluemaumau.org/9797/cnbc_shelves_franchise_story_after_zarco_attacks
Insight from a current franchisee about having Cold Stone as a Business partner:
The Truth Strikes Again
By The Truth 2010-12-31 14:48
Anyone who has been a franchisee for the past 7 years knows that the CNBC report was misleading only in that it reported a 30.6% failure rate at Colstone Creamery. If we were to go through the records of the franchisees who bought Coldstone Creamery Stores as first time locations, the truth would come out that the actual failure rate is upwards of 75%. They have blown over as a house of cards in a cold wind one after the other through the entire country. Every store in the city of Chicago failed and was sold or given to a new franchisee for pennies on the dollar! All across our region I have known other franchisees who have been so devastated by losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of their lives, that by the time they collapse they are so happy to be done with the ordeal that they don't have the strength to take action. There are many more who collapsed than those who are left in the system which is now totally dominated by bottom feeders. The corporate people at Coldstone are very sharp tongued and have never shied away from making insults about franchisees as they fail. Once they have failed, the franchisee gets to suffer the repercussions of bankruptcy and Coldstone moves on with a debt free new franchisee and considers the episode a TRANSFER! This is why you see the laughably low failure rate published by CNBC at 30.6%. The actual rate is so, so much higher.
Now to address the matter of our corporate president Dan Beem. It seems if Mr. Beem had studied at the collegiate level, he may have taken a course in ethics and we might be on an entirely different track here. In ethics class we learn the difference between right and wrong and how to apply that knowledge in our daily affairs and our business transactions. I really must say that all of our franchisees are at a considerable disadvantage having an uneducated corporate president. Anyone who has personally met with Mr. Beem can see clearly that he is none other than a slick salesman and a corporate figurehead who will never discuss anything that has not been pre approved for conversation by the legal staff. Now after years of horrible decision-making he has created his signature opus by hiring Robert Zarco to "represent the franchisees." So now he is spending huge piles of our money defending the lies that have gotten him in so much trouble in the first place. Does he want to be the Macbeth of the franchise business world? Does he even know who Macbeth is?
In reading Mr. Zarco's letter to CNBC, which caused the network to shut the program down, many things are very clear. First, Mr. Zarco doesn't know anything about our business at Coldstone. He has no idea what it is like to run one of these operations, how there is no money in the stores, how difficult it is to manage your huge loan at Coldstone and how pitifully inept the entire corporate support staff is at aiding you in doing so. For Mr. Zarco to suggest it is outrageous that Cecil Rolle said in the interview that he had talked five franchisees out of suicide is way off base and inappropriate. It's exactly the type of heartless, demonstrative treatment corporate has been involved in for so long that leads people to desperation and suicidal tendencies in the first place. Inherent in that statement is the notion that what people FEEL as the result of the evil actions of their business partners and financial ruin is irrelevant. I would like to see Mr. Zarco in the shape he is in, try to run one of our stores with the extremely labor intensive nature of our business. He would never make it and he is unqualified to open his mouth on the subject.
Mr. Zarco claims he is representing the National Independent Association of Coldstone Creamery Franchisees. The existence of such a group is news to me and I have been suffering through life at Coldstone for many years. I have never even heard of such a group. Perhaps they are a group of second-generation franchisee's that got their stores for free and are looking to improve the reputation of the brand? Again I have never heard of this group.
For Robert Zarco to suggest Mr. Rolle is "neither indicative nor representative of the typical Coldstone franchisee" is categorically false and shows Mr. Zarco has not done any homework. Do your research Mr. Zarco and you will find that I am speaking the truth. The failure rate is upwards of 75%. You claim in your letter that CNBC's irresponsible reporting "deprives consumers of the truth regarding the relationship that exists between Coldstone as the franchisor, and its franchisees." If the chain of events that have unfolded over the past years at Coldstone weren't tragic and criminally fraudulent I would be tempted to laugh at that statement. It seems the business of fraud is alive and well at Coldstone Corporate now that you are claiming to represent US!!! If anything you should thank CNBC that they published 30.6% as the failure rate.
And now to my brothers and sisters who have suffered through bankruptcy, poverty, wasted years, divorce, and insult at the hands of this company who willfully has done this to you. I say let us be one. Let us come out of the woodwork and stand for what is right. Contact Cecil and get to know your rights. As we come together we can defeat these people. Our suffering will eat the insides of our oppressors out and they will bend to our demands. Pray and be bold. Never surrender!
12/28/10 - Cold Stone is not happy about the truth...
Cold Stone Creamery burning mad at CNBC
By JOSH KOSMAN
Last Updated: 2:35 AM, December 28, 2010
Posted: 12:52 AM, December 28, 2010
A new CNBC documentary on franchising has one Scottsdale, Ariz., company ice-screaming mad.
Cold Stone Creamery and a franchisee group are threatening legal action against the business cable network, claiming this month's documentary, "Behind the Counter: The Untold Story of Franchising," incorrectly portrayed the company as a cold-hearted firm that charges franchisees hidden expenses, relies on kickbacks from vendors and requires franchisees to purchase equipment from a company it controls.
Lawyer Robert Zarco, who represents the Cold Stone franchisees, said the program unfairly put the big chill on their businesses by relying solely on a former Florida franchisee Cecil Rolle, who already lost a legal battle against the company making similar, if not identical, charges.
01/11/11 - The Cold Stone "GAG ORDER"
Cold Stone Franchisee Groups Urged Not to Respond to Media
Posted Tue, 2011/01/11 - 18:30 by Oscar P Hoot
The ocular owl has spotted an urgent message to Cold Stone Creamery franchisees warning not to respond to requests from CNBC or other media for interviews regarding last month's "Behind the Counter: Untold Story of Franchising." Last week's email states, "We need to take care of this first step of protecting our investments from a further tarnished reputation," referring to CNBC's hour-long expose.
"If you are contacted by CNBC or any other news media, or if you already
have been contacted, we urge you to immediately notify either the
Michael Goldman of the National Advisory Board (deleted) or the Rudy
Puig of the NIACCF (deleted) before engaging in any further
conversations or interviews with any member of that news media." -Cold Stone NAB and NIACCF
Read it all here: http://www.bluemaumau.org/cold_stone_franchisee_groups_urge_not_respond_media
02/12/11 - Cold Stone segment is updated and it's back
CNBC's Behind the Counter Back on Air
Posted Sat, 2011/02/12 - 14:47 by BMM
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. – CNBC's hour-long program "Behind the Counter: The Untold Story of Franchising" will be back on air after a month and a half absence.The longest television documentary to date on the franchise industry will air on Sunday, February 13 at 10pm, replacing the scheduled "Supermarkets Inc: Inside a $500 billion Money Machine."
The program stopped airing before Christmas when Miami-based attorney Robert Zarco threatened to sue the cable network for its unflattering portrayal of Cold Stone Creamery. Originally, the president of Cold Stone's holding company, Kahala Corp, turned down an interview with the cable news channel because he was concerned the piece would negatively portray the company. After watching the program air, Cold Stone changed course. The franchisor made a surprising move and hired attorney Robert Zarco, regarded as one of the foremost attorneys for franchisees, to go after the news channel.
In answer to a question from Blue MauMau about the program's return to the air Sunday night, CNBC reporter Darren Rovell states, "We encourage viewers to see the additions we have made to the show."
Read it
all: http://www.bluemaumau.org/9982/cnbc%E2%80%99s_behind_counter_back_air
Cold Stone Creamery Ready For The Steel Death Slab?
Last night while watching CNBC I came across a show called
"Behind The Counter – The Untold Story of Franchising". This peaked my
attention because I'm not a huge fan of franchises. They talked about 3
different franchises. Camp Bow Wow which is doggy daycare, 5 Guys
Burgers and Fries, and Cold Stone Creamery. They praised Camp Bow Wow
and 5 Guys Burgers and Fries, but Cold Stone Creamery got ripped a new a
new one. A former franchise owner went on camera breaking a contract
agreement and made some pretty bad clams against Cold Stone. He said
that Cold Stone requires you to buy a whole bunch of expensive
equipment. He said that most of the equipment was not needed to run the
operation, and on top of that you have to buy the equipment from a
business that Cold Stone owns. Another claim he made was that you are
required to be a "leassee" of your location. Obviously you will be
unless you own the property. But there's a big catch. You lease the
property from Cold Stone. But the bigger catch is that you have to pay
Cold Stone fees for this. But wait, there's more! Cold Stone is not even
on the lease!!! So you pretty much pay a bunch of money to Cold Stone
for nothing. According to the show, this fee is in the ballpark of
$36,000. OUCH!! Anyway this guy going on and on about how horrible Cold
Stone Creamery is. Top Top it off, he made the claim that you CAN'T make
money owning a Cold Stone Creamery. But wait, there's more!! The guy
making these clain owned the 2nd highest grossing Cold Stone Creamery in
the United States. think about that. He has the 2nd highest grossing
store in the US and he said he had to shut it down because he could not
make money and had to close because Cold Stone was milking him out of
business with all their fees. That's not good. If what he says is true,
Cold Stone Creamery's day are numbered.


text:
Lennart Sorensen wrote:
On Wed, Jun 15, 2005 at 04:15:14PM +0300, eternalnewbee wrote:But, to have to buy another card just to be able to run Debian
>>is sort of an overkill, isn't it?
Well I wouldn't use the raid feature of that card in the first place.
> I would either buy a 3ware raid card, or use software raid. As I said earlier, SW RAID wass out of question: the box was to have multi-OS installation. I have no shortage of 3ware cards. But, I needed all the PCI slots; this was a comm center box which needed as many WanPipe/Digium cards.
If Sil won't release official specs on how to talk to their proprietary raid, that is their (and any customer of them) problem. Having to reverse engineer everything is just too much hassle, especially when linux software raid performs better than their software raid.
True. And I hate SiI for that.
I could not agree more. Except that, I was not spoilt for choice, this is a dual Opteron box (Tyan K8W) and at the time there were not a lot of producers that supplied this.True, but I still think if you want raid and dual boot, buy a realsupported hardware raid card.
<BigEvilishGrin> This is a recorded message, isn't it? </BigEvilishGrin>


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Grotonwood Facilities
Note: All of Grotonwood's lodging, dining and meeting buildings are year-round spaces, and if requested can be accommodated with special equipment, such as projector, screen, microphone, or speaker to enhance your presentation and breakout sessions. We never mix different retreat groups within a single lodging option. All groups get dedicated sleeping and meeting space. Please bring appropriate attire to make full use of our waterfront, hiking/biking trails or outdoor campfire areas. We also require that retreat guests bring their own linens, blankets, sheets, pillows and bath towels as Grotonwood can not provide them to guests.
Prescott Lodge
The beginning of the next era in Camping and Conferencing, and Education at Grotonwood. Prescott Lodge has private room lodging, meeting and learning spaces, and placed in the center of Camp.
Family Church Development Center
Feels like a camp within a camp. This secluded combination of 3 cabins and a meeting building offer retreat groups a quiet, private place. Easy access parking brings guests close to their cabin. The three cabins hold a total of 38 guests in a mix of twin and bunk beds. Each cabin has two modern bathrooms for convenience. The meeting building offers a semi commercial kitchen, cozy fireplace and plenty of tables and chairs for dining or breakout sessions.
Blanchard Hall
Formerly known as the Adult Education Center, Blanchard Hall is the flagship of Grotonwood's lodging options. Completely renovated in 2014 with updated furniture, flooring, and private bathrooms. Blanchard Hall offers groups up to 43 people a surprisingly comfortable visit. Rooms have a mix from one to four twin beds per room. There are no bunk beds in Blanchard Hall. In the center of each of the two levels is the common meeting rooms, which serve as wonderful spaces for check in or retreat kick off locations.
Judson Village
Consisting of four recently renovated cabins and a more rustic fireplaced lodge, Judson Village is a favorite to many because of its location half way between the main dining hall and the scenic Lost Lake waterfront. Each of the four cabins has two modern bathrooms and three bedrooms with a total of 7 bunk beds per cabin. Total sleeping capacity of the 4 cabins and lodge combined is 62 people.
Pioneer Village Yurts
These round huts have been used by Nomadic civilizations for hundreds of years! Bring your group and live simply in one of these cool, spacious structures. Each of our two brand new yurts contains 11 beds. The yurts do not have heat, electricity or indoor plumbing, but a bath house is located just a short walk from each of the buildings.
Feel free to make use of our full-size Gymnasium which offers a rock climbing wall, basketball court, volleyball nets, a stage, and many other physical activities. In addition to the main Gymnasium, there is a separate lounge room where your event's attendees can relax and watch the activities in the gymnasium below.
Grotonwood Dining Hall
Located in the center of the camp, our main dining hall offers retreat guests a delicious, well-rounded meal. Our dining staff can prepare breakfast, lunch or dinner for up to 175 people while taking into consideration the many dietary restrictions and requests common today such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or allergies. Our retreat guests enjoy white-tablecloth seating at tables reserved by group for easy dining. Groups can pick and chose their menu favorites in a buffet style presentation and all are encouraged to enjoy the generous salad bar and dessert table (dinner only). Let us know who is having a birthday/anniversary and we can prepare a special cake to celebrate. Unlike most other retreat centers we do the work and bus each table when the meals are finished. You get to relax and enjoy the conversation.
Log Cabin Chapel
Compliments abound of the incredible acoustics in our log cabin chapel. Some of our retreat guests come to Grotonwood specifically because of the great acoustics of the chapel. Holding approximately 125 people, the chapel is the perfect place to start/finish a retreat, or to create the right tone for a weekend of personal exploration. Complete with video/sound booth, the chapel is the heart of Grotonwood.
Hideaway Lodge
As you could guess from its name, Hideaway Lodge is quietly tucked away in the woods. Formerly the Director's residence, this private home offers 5 bedrooms, a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a fireplaced living room. All the conveniences of home but nestled into a wooded setting. Hideaway Lodge is a perfect venue for your group's leadership team or a smaller, private retreat.


text: In article <1993Apr10.082246.3032 at msus1.msus.edu> lebowitz at krypton.mankato.msus.edu (Robert J. Lebowitz) writes: >I'm teaching a new course on biological applications of computers this >quarter and I'm looking for more videos to show the students that >illustrate historically important work in the field, or convey some >interesting facets of computers that biologists can relate to. I've >shown "The computer, the KGB and me" and I'm purchasing "Artificial Life ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -- dunno this one. biology? >II" this week. Any other good titles I should look at? > >Rob >-- Don't know about titles, but I'll tell you a hot pair I saw in a 1989 seminar (at the SFI Complex Systems Summer school, Santa Fe). That was a time lapse film of teleost epiboly made by J. P. Trinkhaus (Yale Biology) followed by a computer animation of solutions to a dynamical model of the process done by George Oster and a student. The film is pretty impressive, and was 'certified' by Trink as capturing the key biological processes. George Oster is in the Dept. of Zoology, UC Berkeley. He's *very* good, and has many other excellent computer animations that are quite biological, which is not always true of Alife stuff. I have no clue if he gives these things out or what, and maybe I'm out of line mentioning his name here. On the other hand, there's no harm in writing to him. I'm motivated to mention him in part because I think his stuff is so good that it merits widespread circulation. John


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IJGT Georgia Open today at Savannah Quarters
The International Junior Golf Tour's Georgia Open is today and Sunday at Savannah Quarters Country Club in Pooler.
The 36-hole event features top junior golfers ages 9-19 from the Southeast and around the world. The divisions are Boys 15-19, Boys Under 14 and Girls Under 19.
Rincon's Tyler Shepard, a South Effingham High School senior competing in the Boys 15-19 Division, has an 8:42 a.m. tee time today at No. 1. Savannah's Nate Tosto, in the Boys U-14 Division, has a 9:27 a.m. tee time today at No. 10.
For information, call 1-800-792-9143 or go to savannahquarterscc.com.
Tybee Run Fest T-shirt design contest under way
The Critz Tybee Run Fest 2013's T-shirt design contest is now open and will run until Nov. 23.
The contest, open to all ages, is sponsored by the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com.
Last year's contest finalists received more than 10,000 online votes, with the winner called "The Shark." The winning designer is rewarded with a Tybee Island weekend prize package provided by Tybee Vacation Rentals and dinner at the Sundae Cafe.
The Critz Tybee Run Fest is Feb. 1-2 and combines five different races from 1 mile to 26.2 miles.
For contest information, go to critztybeerun.com/t-shirt-contest. Download the design at savannahnow.com/critztybee.
For information about the event as a runner, sponsor or advertiser, go to critztybeerun.com or facebook.com/critztybeerunfest.
Record night for Wolf in Armstrong victory
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — Armstrong Atlantic State University senior middle hitter Brittany Wolf set a new single-match hitting record as the Pirate volleyball team notched a 3-0 win over Pfeiffer at the Mount Olive Volleyball Classic on Friday. Set scores were: 25-12, 25-17, 25-8.
Wolf hit .909 with 10 kills and no errors in 11 attempts for the Pirates (20-4), eclipsing Cindy Pound's school-record .818 single-match hitting percentage set at Voorhees on Sept. 14, 1992.
Top players — Armstrong, Jessica Santaniello 10 kills, no errors in 22 attacks (.455 hitting percentage), 9 digs; Ashley Seal 30 assists; Stephanie Sfara 9 digs.
Super Senior State tennis tournament in Savannah
The Savannah Area Tennis Association has partnered with The Landings Club to bring the USTA Georgia Super Senior State Championships to Savannah.
From Friday through Sunday, 653 players from around the state are competing in the tournament in the 60- and 70-and-older age groups. The competition is taking place at all three venues at The Landings as well as at Daffin Park.
SATA has five women's teams competing in the 60s from the 3.0 to 4.5 level, and two teams in the 70 at the 3.5 and 4.0 levels. The Savannah men are fielding two teams in the 60s and two teams in the 70s.
The winners represent Georgia against the champions of the other nine states that comprise the USTA Southern Section.
College of Charleston to negotiate with CAA
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The College of Charleston board of trustees has authorized school officials to negotiate with the Colonial Athletic Association. Charleston has been a member of the Southern Conference since 1998.
President George Benson said joining the Colonial would mean more chances for at-large bids to NCAA championship tournaments and give the college's coaches a stronger recruiting position.
The Colonial is comprised of William and Mary, James Madison, George Mason, Delaware, UNC-Wilmington, Towson, Drexel, Hofstra and Northeastern.
Nowitzki has surgery, could miss six weeks
DALLAS — Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki, 34, had arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee Friday, and the 11-time All-Star isn't expected to resume on-court activities for about six weeks.
Dallas opens the regular season in 11 days at the Lakers.
Nowitzki has experienced swelling in the knee most of the preseason, twice having the knee drained since training camp started Sept. 29.
Jets' Tim Tebow gets trademark on 'Tebowing'
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Dropping to a knee like Tim Tebow might cost you now.
The New York Jets backup quarterback has officially trademarked "Tebowing," the move in which he goes down on one knee and holds a clenched fist against his forehead while praying during games. After Tebow led the Denver Broncos to a handful of fourth-quarter comeback victories last season, "Tebowing" swept the country.
Newsday first reported that the trademark was approved last week after paperwork was filed in April.
Tebow says Friday he wasn't aware the trademark was official yet. The devout Christian says his representatives filed on his behalf not for financial gain, but "to just control how it's used, make sure it's used in the right way."


text:
Sep 12, '08 07:30:00AM • Contributed by: jehrler
What we did is create a "sharing" IMAP Gmail account with https set as a requirement in the Gmail settings. Then all persons who will need to have the ability to send/receive secure communication get login credentials for this shared Gmail account. (Granted, anyone who has access to this account can read any messages, but we obviously could create other shared email accounts as needed to deal with smaller groups.)
With that set up, when someone needs to send a secure message, they send (via email or AIM) notification to the other parties that they are posting a secure communication. Then, using the wonders of IMAP Gmail, they create a message on the shared Gmail account via an encrypted SSL connection (with no To: addressee ... just to be sure it doesn't accidentally get sent!), and save the message as a Draft. (On the iPhone, to save a draft, you compose a message and then choose Cancel -- it will then ask if you want to save it as a draft.)
Once the Draft is saved, the users who need the message and have the login credentials can access the Gmail account via an SSL encrypted connection from any computer or iPhone. Once they have the info, they then delete the Draft message.


text:
You are browsing the archives of Gordon Garnos.
What kind of financial condition is your town really in?
With the flooding in the Pierre-Ft. Pierre area and at Dakota Dunes, financial difficulties in the state, counties and towns, appear to have taken a back seat. But the difficulties are still there. At the same time these governmental entities continue to work for us. As I see it, the flood and these financial problems are helping to create a new spirit of cooperation in South Dakota.
Health care reform smells a lot like socialized medicine
The discussion of health care reform (Obamacare) appears to be moving into high gear here in South Dakota. Our state's congressmen and woman seem to have trouble connecting with it. That may be for a good reason. To me, call it what you wish, public or private or a combination of those two plus whatever else Congress might throw into the pot, it still smells a lot like socialized medicine. I'm no expert on health care reform or socialized medicine, but I got awfully close to it once, British style, a long, long time ago. It was an incident that could even be called funny, if it didn't have a smack of tragedy to it.
The trip to Mitchell was measured by Burma Shave and Quaker State signs
High gas prices hurt all of us because it is limiting visitors coming to South Dakota as well as cramping us from seeing the other parts of our beautiful state. In fact, the high gas prices remind me of the ration stamps during World War II that also limited our travel. The only difference is the ration stamps were needed because the gas was going to a good cause. Things are different today.
The study of demographics tells quite a story about South Dakota
The census report for South Dakota was recently announced, telling the demographics of aging in our state. The fact is we're growing older and it is most important that we are aware of it and have an answer of what are we going to do about it. This has a bearing on the birth rate, the economy and the job market in our state.
Casino owners blame smoking ban for earnings lost
The campaign by casino owners before the state's smoking ban went into effect was the ban, if passed, would seriously hurt one of the state's revenue sources. It's been six months since the ban became law and the video lottery revenue is down more than 17 percent from the corresponding time a year ago. Because of the loss in lottery revenue in those six months, should some changes be made in the smoking ban law?
Many doors need to be opened for your community's economic development
As so many of us worry about getting the economy going again, Jim Hagen, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, opens one of the doors that will help make it happen: "Statewide, travel is responsible for more than $1 billion in direct spending, nearly 30,000 direct jobs and $265 million in tax revenue. Simply put, when people travel, the economy grows, jobs are created and the tax coffers are filled," he said recently.
Do you have one of these heroes in your hometown?
The 2011 South Dakota Hall of fame class was recently announced, naming 14 individuals to the hallowed hall at Chamberlain. One of these individuals or one or more of the 667 previous selectees named to our state's official Hall of Fame may be from your hometown or they may have achieved international fame. In either case they are truly heroes in their area of endeavor.
Good news doesn't always make the media–but it should
Journalism 101 should note there are two kinds of news–good and bad. One definition of the news is the reporting what is the unusual. Good news isn't always noteworthy in the minds of some people. Another definition of news is the reporting of current events. I'll touch on that later in another column. Good news deserves to be read as well as all the murders, car crashes and obituaries that appear in most newspapers.
Did all of SD sales-use tax exemptions pass a thorough testing?
A South Dakota legislative committee is scheduled to examine the dozens of sales-use tax exemptions this summer. These exemptions total more than $500 million annually in what could be tax collections. That $500 million would be quite a windfall for the state. Did all of those exemptions pass a thorough testing, or just a seat-of-the-pants type of test as to their value for the people of South Dakota? Hopefully, we'll find out.
Statewide referendums already in the air
It has only been about a month since the South Dakota Legislature closed the doors on the 86th session in Pierre and already there are plans being made to refer two of the new laws to the voters in the state. Both relate to health care in South Dakota. There is also a hint that more referendums may be coming down the pike.
New large project refund program or is it the Governor's slush fund?
During the last session legislators changed the state's large project refund. Taking effect in 2013, the new refund program is to be less expensive and discretionary. Unlike the current program, projects won't automatically qualify for refunds simply by meeting certain spending requirements. Instead, a panel will decide who gets the refund. Opponents call the change the Governor's slush fund. Are they right?
The state has about as many issues as its potpourri of attractions
Valhalla isn't a word the average person is going to work into a conversation every day. However, Valhalla, has slipped into more conversations over the past several months–ever since some sorehead got all cranky-like because he found out former Governor Rounds was keeping secret a little hideaway in the heart of our Black Hills for his friends and for his personal use. So, along comes our new governor, Dennis Dogood. He assures us there won't be any secrets while he is on his watch.
State budget cuts confronted by a lot of disappointment, dismay and frustration
As school boards across the state disappointingly sink their teeth into cutting their 2011-2012 budgets as mandated by the South Dakota Legislature and Governor Daugaard, we are seeing a variety of watered down budgets surfacing. With the reduction or elimination of programs in our schools the question must be asked, were they necessarily needed in the first place?
In your mind was legislative session successful?
The last day of the 86th legislative session is next Monday. Some are withholding judgment on whether or not the session has been successful until the last gavel falls. In your opinion was it a good, worth-while session or not? I would have to say parts were OK and parts weren't. But getting the budget into line almost looks miraculous.
Harping doesn't seem to get issue off back burner
South Dakota was once known as the state of infinite variety. Observing the Legislature over the past several weeks South Dakota is more like the state of infinite issues. From playing with the state's abortion ban to raising car license fees were a couple of examples like this facing us. Still, there is another issue that has been on the back burner far too long. That's the issue of the millions of tax dollars our state government is losing to Internet and catalog sales.
Will the week be an 'Aha' or an 'OMG' one for our Legislature?
This is the last full week for the 86th legislative session in Pierre. Will it be a good one? Will our legislators accomplish what they had hoped for, especially in regard to the budget for state government? Some South Dakotans argue little has been accomplished this session, but will we really know until they return March 28 to Pierre after their two-week break. Today we mull over some of the actions that have taken place since January 11 when the session started.
This is not the time to pick on the 'voluntary tax'
Because of the recession and the smoking ban talk has been to get rid of video lottery because revenue is down as well as the lottery being morally wrong. Some other talk was to increase the state's share of the lottery's profits. However, the state's earnings from video lottery is the second largest revenue for South Dakota's general fund. The number one source is the sales tax.
South Dakota: Frugal or negligent?
The state's budget is center stage in Pierre, but the spotlight is on cutting its education budget. Gov. Daugaard originally said a 10 percent cut for all departments in state government, but educators responded, "No way!" It appears that now the governor and the educators may be coalescing towards a solution both sides can live with.
Gov. Daugaard says to tax or not to tax is not a question
From the beginning of his campaign for Governor, Dennis Daugaard declared "No new taxes." So far, there have been two sales tax bills presented to this session of the South Dakota Legislature. One of these has already been killed in committee and even though several legislators have shown some interest in the other, there is little chance it will go any where. By now it may also be dead. Today's column is also throwing in a couple of "games" that our readers may find interesting.
Dawn of the decade means redistricting in South Dakota
Every 10 years South Dakota must rewrite its legislative districts following the 10-year census. This traditionally is proportioned according to equal populations in each district. When it comes to redistricting, odoriferous politics in our state has played a big part in how the areas actually came into being. Political parties aren't the only challenges to this process: huge legislative districts and sparsely populated areas make for headaches,too.
One of columnist's worst fears can happen right here in South Dakota
In a joint session of the Legislature Jan. 19th, Gov. Daugaard said the state's spending had to be reduced by $127 million in order to balance the budget with the estimated amounts of tax revenue for the 2012 fiscal year. This will begin July 1 of this year. Legislator responses were anywhere from complete opposition to "we're going to have to bite the bullet to get the job done in just one fiscal year."
Should the South Dakota School of Mines be put on the auction block?
A Rapid City legislator mistakenly wants the state to "privatize" (sell) the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. In fact, he was going to introduce a bill for that purpose. It wouldn't be the first state-owned institution or facility that had a change in course or sold. The school gets about $14 million a year in direct support from the state and the legislator said that if the university was sold the state would save at least that much annually. But there is more to that proposal that needs questioning.
There are issues the South Dakota Legislature would rather not see surface
South Dakota's 2011 legislative session is now a little over a week old. Making up the budget deficit is still the big issue even though the exact amount of revenue shortage isn't nailed down yet. Governor Daugaard has said there won't be any new taxes. There is also rumor that some lawmakers may try to write in a couple of exemptions into the smoking ban law. Some legislators want a state immigration law. And even the abortion issue could surface again. But each issue has its detractors.
Making resolutions should not be considered a waste of time
Making resolutions for the new year used to be a big deal for many, but recent studies have found it is not the sport it once was. The 86th session of the South Dakota Legislature opened this week and I am sure a number of our legislators have made resolutions as to what they want to accomplish or not accomplish during this 38-day session. We had better throw in the lobbyists' wants as well.
Far too many South Dakotans didn't have a happy new year
Alcohol-related crashes are the most preventable on South Dakota's highways and byways. Why? They never should have happened. Still, there were 61 people killed in our state last year and nearly 700 were injured in such crashes. These numbers certainly didn't set any records. Yet, they just shouldn't have happened, but they did.


text:
26th January 2009, 10:31 PM
Hello all you Serebii users! I'm ShinySandshrew. Why do I call myself that? A shiny Sandshrew was my first shiny Pokemon. I have been playing Pokemon since the days of Red&Blue. If you want to say hey post something or drop me a PM. I will be posting more soon so watch for me.;136;


text:
"I ask you to accept one thing. Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong. That is your call. But believe one thing, if nothing else. I did what I thought was right for our country... It has been an honour to serve it. I give my thanks to you, the British people, for the times I have succeeded, and my apologies to you for the times I have fallen short."
Any word on what the 'new role' will be?ReplyDelete
Brother, don't compare yourself to Tone - I much prefer the Apostle Paul analogy. Your work leads to eternal glory for Christ our Saviour.ReplyDelete
adrian, agreed!ReplyDelete
was a mere coincidence that i was thinking about this, and then checked the news and found out about blair going.
looking eternally is best.
love your favourite 'soundbite'


text:
All the photographs on this site are the work of Steve Walker and are not to be reproduced in any way without his permission. If you would like to contact Steve he can be reached here firstname.lastname@example.com
Grenada 2014
Flambouyant is the word
Maldives 2013
Onboard liveaboard Thea
Ambon to Raja Ampat
Back to Dewi Nusantara (this is becoming an expensive habit) but it really is that good. Critter diving in Ambon to start then up to Raja Ampat to see the reef life and wow, how good is that. Some new critters including the Epolette Shark, Bamboo Shark, Malebe and hairy shrimp.
Scillies 2012 Back on Moonshadow. Jo (Joleine) now has 2 kids and has lost none of her magic touch in finding a wreck, dropping a shot exactly where she says she will and all on slack at the biggest spring tide of the year.
Great conditions mean we can get out to the Eagle on Bishops rock as well as enjoying the other inshore wrecks and, of course, the seals (including one who came to say hello on the Cita !
Me- no camera but Joe had his with wide angle and its me as model.
Cathy discovers treasure hunting and we do mad dash on helicopter to see Derrick on our last day.
Komodo - On Dewi. Superb and everything we hoped for. If you are a diver and you get the chance - get to Komodo. Macro, pelagics, landscapes and dragons...... love it. For this I did a video slideshow..... I hope you enjoy this.
Egypt 2012 Grand Sea Serpent in the Southern Red Sea - A fun trip sans camera but with the catapult. International British/Swiss incident follows !! Hilarious trip. Cathy getting her video tuned up.
Raja Ampat off the North West tip of West Papua. A four leg trip via KL, Bali and Makkasar to Sorong to embark. We arrived in a tropical storm but enjoyed some beautiful weather to enjoy both above and below water. The boat Dewi Nusantara (AKA Paradise Dancer) is just the best vessel, crew, diving experience we have ever had.
Despite us both having colds on board this was just an amazing trip.
The sheer abundance and variety of fish life, corals and critters just left you wistfully chuckling to youself (or maybe thats just me). Shhhh don't tell anyone but all the fish are down here !!
You are diving pretty much on the equator for the northern part of the trip. Water temp a balmy 27 to 29 degrees. Don't expect crystal clear viz there is just so much life in the water it stays a bit milky but in no way spoils anything.
I have never done so much wide angle photography and in doing so have tried to capture a sense of what it is like to dive here. We loved it and will be heading back..... asap.
Philippines 2011 - My first trip to the Philippines and have seen enough to know I would like to go back. A country of biig contrasts. Very poor, very lush, beautiful scenery, loads to see underwater. Marine sanctuarys show how it should be, but outside of those the impact of even low-key fishing can be seen. Mcaro life extraordinary with giant nudibranchs, beautiful blue octopus, lovely frog fish and delicate pigmy seahorses.
Maldives 2010 - A trip to explore the Southern Atolls. Not many people/divers/boats down here - but loads of sharks.... In fact on pretty much every dive. We stayed on a small Liveaboard called Sheena who specialise in this part of the Maldives. Mainly channel diving and potential for some biiiiiig currents. But where there are currents.......
Great fun and likely to go back .... next time spring tide and mid monsoon for even faster water !!!!
Scillies 2010 - A welcome return to the Scillies. Back on Moonshadow this time with Joe and Oxygene. Karin takes charge of dog walking and growing babies. Some excellent diving, viz and wildlife. The seals were very lively - must be the time of year. Highlight - last dive on the Italia finding and photographing fab nudibranch (Flabellina pedata - I reckon) Been looking for one of those for a while.
The Collosus now has an inovative "tour" arranged around the wreckage with buoys as markers and a laminated book to explain what it is you are seeing - like the copper "pin" in the pic to the right.
Lundy 2010 - Set off the North Devon coast and right in the path of the prevailing SW winds blowing in from the Atlantic Lundy can have some lively weather. But in the lee of the island is flat calm and we get to play with the seals!! Great fun - fab trip.
Bali Mar 2010 - When you have wanted to go somewhere for so long you are bound to be dissapointed -But not Bali. It bettered our expectations - what a fab place. Critter spotting heaven.
Nakari Camp - Red Sea - Wonderful hospitality and freedom to dive make Nakari a great place to go. There is relatively little development so it still feels remote. We had great weather and took the 7 mtr ribs way offshore to visit some rearely dived sites. Dolphins, stargazer and pipefish were the highlights.
Grand Sea Serpent Jul 09 - Daedelus, Rocky, Zargabad, St Johns and Fury Shoals. Water temp 31 degrees - Tiger sharks on Elphinstone. Great conditions, crew and company.
Borneo/Sipadan Feb 09 - If you want to visit just one place in your life that will blow you away, try Borneo. Mountains, Rivers, Rainforest, unique wildlife and truly world class diving. Charming, people with great food and climate. Yep - we loved it.
More Photos
Kota Kinabalu City,
Mountain Climb,
Orang Utans, monkeys, Rainforest & rivers
Above water Mabul & Sipadan
Underwater (all)
Underwater (The best)
Grand Sea Serpent - Calm in the storm.
Scillies 2008. Once again we are drawn back to the Scillies. This time a little earlier in the year. Less kelp and a bit cooler but still greeeeat. We stayed in new accommodation in Hughtown that worked really well for divers and non divers.
Maldives - Northern Atols x 2. A return trip to the northern Maldivian atols. This time in the opposite Monsoon season. Spectacular diving, great viz, full-on Manta encounters and swimming with a large pod/shoal/school?? of sharks. Lots of cleaning stations and a bit of deep throat!! Monsoon really is a top boat and the Maldives a truly great dive destination.
Maldives - Northern Atols On board Monsoon, a new Egyptian built liveaboard serving the northern Lhaviyani, Baa, Raa & Noonu Atols. Old friends Joe, Karin and Chris. Fantastic diving with one amazing Manta, Eagle Ray and 50+ shark dive. We were speechless. Yoga on the top deck at dawn, barefoot walks on deserted islands, dolphins at sunset and no other divers!
Caledonia - New Caledonia
is a sizeable island situated midway between Australia and Fiji.
The island is french, very french. Our travels took
us to three outlying islands. The first, Amedee, was a day trip
from the main Island. The other two islands, The Isle of Pines
and Ouvea were a short plane ride. Both were remote but the diving
superb. Not a destination for anyone who doesn't like fish to
eat and the accommodation can be very basic. A real adventure
and a new South Pacific experience.
If you are interested follow this
link for the land photos.
- Sept 06 Three days in Shagra then a week on Hurricane.
A wonderful trip taking in The Brothers Islands, Daedelus and
Elphinstone. Some windy weather, high seas and fun. Great to
meet Joe and Karin on Hurricane. First time out with the the
new camera setup (Nikon D200, Sea and Sea Housing and ports and
12-24mm and 70-180mm lenses.) No more excuses - this camera setup
is amazing although i have much to learn yet to get the best
from it. Oh dear I will just have to keep on diving until I get
it right :-)
Isles - July 05. Back again on Moodshadow with Jo the skipper
and 10 friends. Viz not so hot this year but luuverrly weather.
A nice blend of scenic and wreck dives. Still lots more to do
here - booking again for 2006.
Sea (Marsa Shagra) - May 2005. A return visit to our friends
at Marsa Shagra. Elphinstone delivered with 8 Hammerheads on
our first dive there and Hammerhead and bottle nose Dolphins
on the last dive (sorry no Dolphin shots). Great variety and
life on the house reefs that kept us occupied and very happy
for the week - the Red Sea really does have something of everything.
Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi - Sept/Oct 2004. We stayed at the Kungkungan
Bay Resort (KBR) on the shore of the Lembeh Straits. A
terrific Hotel/Resort with individual huts/cottages on stilts
built from local timber. So much to say about the place, great
food, lovely people, spectacular scenery & a truly faultless
dive operation. The diving was out of this world. All of the
weird, wonderful, amazing and simply beautiful creatures all
in a 2 mile stretch of water on the equator. Who could ask
for more................
Scilly Isles - July 2004. What a find! Beautiful
scenery above and below water. Abundant wrecks, great marine
life and Seals!!
I was a guest of St Albans Sub Aqua Club - thanks guys. An object lesson in how
fantastic diving can be in and around the UK.
Barrier reef & Osprey Reef - Dec 2003 aboard the Undersea Explorer
. A fantastic trip heading NE from Port Douglas (north of Cairns) and exploring
reef systems, drop offs as well as being a part of the research on board the
vessel. An absolute "must" for anyone wanting to expand
their knowledge and experience of sea and reef life
Sea Oct 2003 - A week at Marsa Shagra - Some new finds including Red
Sea Walkman, Stargazer, Red Sea Chromodoris plus excitement at Elphinstone.
Sea May 2003 - First week at Marsa Shagra and a 2nd week on Suzanna 1
cruising the Brothers, Daedelus and Elphinstone.
2001 - The first trip to the Caribean. And a life changing
If you have any good links to dive
sites (on the web) let me know and I will stick them on here. Likewise
if you want to put on some news, trips etc - let me know. In fact
any ideas/problems, just send them through.It is taking a while
to put this all together but I will try to keep it going.Hope to
see y'all soon and we won't have to just look at photo's.Steve
PS. Thanks to Cathy for
finding the Frog Fish (does two count as a shoal?) and Jon for finding
the Seahorses (Is that a herd I wonder?).
Raja Ampat 11
Philippines 2011
Read more
Scillies 2010
Read more
Bali Mar 2010
Read More
Borneo / Sipadan 09
Read More
Grand Sea Serpent
Read More
Scillies May 08
Read More
Maldives Feb 08
Read More
Maldives Sept 07
Read More
New Caledonia 06
Read More
Thailand March 06
Read more >
Maldives Dec 05
Read more
Scillies 05
Read More


text:
"Only in America. The bonus of this fine, fine biography is that it could turn you into an investor, if you're not one already; or a better one, if you are. Lowenstein has done a great job with a great subject."--Andrew Tobias
"Mr. Lowenstein has done a masterly job."--The New York Times Book Review


text:
Obama moves on Libya. Probably not the last move either. Here's where the anti-interventionists have a point: in a normal time, imposing a no-fly zone upon a country like Libya would be an easy exercise of US power. But three wars is a lot even for America. It makes even a hawk like me wonder: has the US gone too long on Afghan futures? If Libya (an oil-producing country 300 miles from Sicily) is deemed not a vital interest of the US, how much less vital is Afghanistan?
Enforcing the No-Fly Zone
March 17th, 2011 at 10:25 pm David Frum | 21 Comments |
Recent Posts by David Frum
- Where Will All the Smart Kids Go?
- Has Competition Impoverished America?: Review of "The End of Affluence" by Jeffrey Madrick
- Anatomy of a Train Wreck: Review of "The System" by Haynes Johnson and David Broder
- Bookshelf: The Bankruptcy Around the Corner
- Health Care: Beware the "Little Fix"
21 Comments so far ↓
hisgirlfriday // Mar 17, 2011 at 10:30 pm
AFTER BEATING THE LIBYA WAR DRUM FOR WEEKS now David Frum admits that three wars is a lot for America… maybe too much?!?!
David's post confirms to me my suspicion that all of this Libya intervention fetishism is a result of the neocons and neoliberals in both parties being tired of the old boring war in Afghanistan they led us into last decade now that they've got this new shiny war to fixate on.
eta: HOWEVER if intervening in Libya forces us to give up the ghost in Afghanistan that is at least somewhat of a plus. What would be even better though is if Obama leading us into war in Libya forced the Republicans in Washington back into the actual conservative foreign policy posture they had before the neocons took over under W. back when the Republicans had nothing good to say about our adventures in Yugoslavia.
talkradiosucks.com // Mar 17, 2011 at 10:42 pm
You know, David, what originally attracted me to this website was the impression that I had that you were a level-headed chap. A sane conservative fighting against the forces of insanity that are taking over the American conservative movement. Heck, you sell coffee mugs imploring us to drink coffee instead of Kool-Aid, and puppy sweaters suggesting FF is the website for "thinking dogs".
And you deliver on this promise in many respects. *Except* when it comes to foreign policy. There, you serve up one commentary after another that invokes nothing less than the full tangy flavor of neoconservative Kool-Aid, kept chilled in the refrigerator and ready to be brought out to quench any thirst for military conflict that might arise at a moment's notice.
And here we have perhaps a crowning achievement in that regard. After loudly calling for intervention in Libya day after day, you've gotten your wish. And only *now* you're wondering if a third war was really a great idea?
You wrote an article only 18 months ago entitled "Afghanistan remains worth fighting for". http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/09/03/david-frum-afghanistan-remains-worth-fighting-for.aspx
So, what has changed in a year and a half? Is it really not worth fighting for now? If so, why was it worth fighting for in 2009? Was it just because a new and more exciting "opportunity" for nation-building had not presented itself? Or have you only decided to focus on Afghanistan as the war that perhaps we shouldn't be involved in now because you know that it is actually the one we are most embroiled in, and therefore could not extricate ourselves from even if we wanted to?
You don't seem to have learned much — if anything — from the disaster that we made in Iraq, a war you played an active role in enabling. We are about to yet again dive into a war where we have no entry strategy, no exit strategy, no way to define what constitutes victory, and really, no real idea if the people we are supporting are actually the good guys. And while I respect you in general, your ongoing foreign policy commentary about Libya strikes me as so poorly thought out, and so lacking in any sort of even basic healthy skepticism, that I'm starting to wonder if I gave you too much credit in the first place.
habsfan // Mar 17, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Talk Radio,
I am perplexed by the expressions entry strategy and exit strategy. Clausewitz never coined such terms. Rather he referred to the mobilization of the national will and the imposition of ones will upon the enemy….So I am confused. Libya is a small theatre where force must be used. This is not about the morality cause of getting rid of a nasty dictator; though that must happen at this point. This is about preventing the swamping of southern Europe with hundreds of thousands of refugees which the Europeans cannot handle. Force to be used will be nothing like what was required in either Iraq or Afghanistan….With the exception of some crack units, this is a rag tag army that will probably not put up much resistance in the face of massive airpower. The Libyan airforce has not been nor will be a factor. The greater threat is from the brigades commanded by Gaddafi's son(s). This is still a small force that can be despatched quickly. The pressing question is who will help organize and arm the rebels……?
k.a.gardner // Mar 17, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Obama moves on Libya?
The U.N. Security Council just this afternoon authorized use of "all necessary measures" to protect Libyans. The U.S. won't be the only country enforcing the No-Fly Zone.
habsfan // Mar 17, 2011 at 11:46 pm
This is a NATO driven initiative with particular input by France and Italy who do not want a refugee crisis in Southern Europe. The US will carry part of the weight, but I believe that NATO as well as some Arab states will carry a substantial part of the burden…..Gaddafi's army is not exactly state of the art and could well be rolled back with enough airpower. I believe this breathes new relevance into NATO as this impacts them directly and gives the US the opportunity to shed some of the heavy lifting.
Habs won 3-2 in shoot out.
chlai88 // Mar 18, 2011 at 12:31 am
The whole MidEast is of interest to US. Libya is unlike Iraq & Afganistan where we faced unwelcoming populations, sectarian fights, a determined enemy & lousy timing. More important, they are wars that don't enjoy cover of legitimacy in the world. Gaddafi is weak by comparison & very unpopular in his country. Furthermore, the Arab league & UN's endorsements are super rare & military engagement starts with a limited no-fly zone & the possibility of escalation depending on what Gaddafi does. This is more Bosnia, Srebenica. If just based on pure cynical self-interested US political calculations, Libya won't cost the US more than the failures in Iraq & Afghanistan. However, failure to act at this critical turning point in the Middle East may cost us more than inaction later.
rbottoms // Mar 18, 2011 at 5:50 am
America isn't sufficiently intimidating if Obama waits for UN approval to send even more troops off to die. He should have gone all Top Gun on Libya's ass but noooo, he's trying to avoid inflaming Ay-rab sensitivities.
gmat // Mar 18, 2011 at 6:56 am
Very good point. In Afghanistan, the US Armed Forces (one of whom is my son, any prayers are appreciated) are doing their best to execute the mission given to them by their civilian masters. My question to those civilian masters is, "As the Taliban are no threat to the US, and al qaida doesn't live there any more, even if you are able to accomplish this highly complex and heinously expensive project in Afghanistan, so what?"
You'll never convince me that, for a small fraction of what the US has pissed away in Afghnistan, payed in cash to the ISI, the US couldn't have had the heads of bin Laden and his 9 closest associates in a duffel bag, 10 years ago.
talkradiosucks.com // Mar 18, 2011 at 7:17 am
"I am perplexed by the expressions entry strategy and exit strategy."
They're pretty simple concepts. Why are we going in? What are the circumstances under which we leave?
There is NO PLAN HERE for what we do on the whole in Libya. It is like a football coach going into a game knowing only what his first play will be.
"Libya is a small theatre where force must be used."
Why, because you said so? Are you signing up to be shipped over there to fight?
"This is about preventing the swamping of southern Europe with hundreds of thousands of refugees which the Europeans cannot handle."
Oh, bullshit. You're simultaneously claiming this won't be so hard to deal with and that an entire continent can't deal with it? Give me a break.
"Force to be used will be nothing like what was required in either Iraq or Afghanistan….With the exception of some crack units, this is a rag tag army that will probably not put up much resistance in the face of massive airpower."
Gee, where have I heard *that* before.
"The pressing question is who will help organize and arm the rebels……?"
There are many pressing questions, such as WHO ARE these rebels? But they don't matter, because we've jumped into this before getting them answered.
We've become a nation of fools, unable to learn from our mistakes even while we are actively still paying for them.
habsfan // Mar 18, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Schlieffen had a plan…see what happened. Words like entry and exit strategy are hollow shells used to simply sound sophisticated. Indeed any military/diplomatic action comes with a plan. Clearly, as mentioned, this crisis is impacting Europe directly via a huge population displacement. Stablizing Libya will stem the tide…..
Of course every football coach wins his game….or does he change it to meet the changing nature of the game……That is the true art of leadership….Clausewitz should be required reading.
jerseychix // Mar 18, 2011 at 7:40 am
Umm DF? These comments should have been blasted around the world about 5 years ago.
We are engaged in a never ending war in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have no conditions for victory, and no conditions for defeat. We have an endless supply of contractors that enrich themselves at the expense of middle class families (like mine, I'm in the reserves) who actually have to GO THERE and fight.
It is time to stop these wars. And barring that. It is time to pay for them. Let's institute a war tax. One penny on every transaction the first month, two the next, three the third, four the fourth…
talkradiosucks.com // Mar 18, 2011 at 8:11 am
"It is time to stop these wars."
You're telling this to Frum? Please.
jerseychix // Mar 18, 2011 at 8:36 am
Well, if I don't say it, he can't hear it at all!!
talkradiosucks.com // Mar 18, 2011 at 8:50 am
He can't hear it because he's not listening. Neocons seem to view war as a religion: you might as well try to convince the Pope to become a Hindu.
Primrose // Mar 18, 2011 at 8:41 am
Clausewitz (since when did he become the be all and end all of foreign policy thinking) may not have talked exit strategy and what all but Sun Tzu most certainly did. But frankly, I think the Clausewitz's idea that war is but an extension of politics carries the implicit understanding that there needs to be a strategy behind war. It's been a while since I've read him and I was never a fan, but it is not war for the sake of endless war its war to achieve your means. So you've got to be able to get out in a way that achieves your objective, or its pointless.
Also, his theory was based on two European powers in a war as was common in warfare at the time. It did not address asymmetric warfare where superior firepower could not decide the issue.
habsfan // Mar 18, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Clausewitz theorized war and was quite familiar with asymmetric warfare, say the Iberian campaign during the Napoleonic Wars. Hence his philosophy of war does take into consideration all these things through proportionality. Buzz words like ENTRY and EXIT strategy are distortions of sound strategy. As a platonist he spoke of absolute war, but this is not the crux of the argument.
The Libyan question is a small conflict and involves working with people already on the ground. No US ground troops will be involved. In fact, Canada, that Uber power is sending fighters, as are Norway, Denmark, the UK, France, Italy etc…..
The burden of the great power is that it must be able to project power when it is in its interests. In this case, Washington must act as a member of NATO because of the massive population shift that will seriously harm Europe. Imagine NATO warships turning back refugee boats en route to Sicily, or Marseilles….Better use force and reestablish some stability in Libya.
Primrose // Mar 18, 2011 at 8:50 am
I have to admit Mr. Frum to being perplexed by this blog post. I understand one may have ambiguous feelings towards and issue, as I do in Libya, but you were so unambiguous in your call toward action that I wonder why?
Perhaps were you too sure Obama would not and it was a chance to make him look "weak"? Or is this blog post a chance to find an honorable excuse to exit Afghanistan which was so bungled.
At any rate, I DO not support a war in Libya. I can tolerate a UN sanctioned no-fly zone because that is relatively easy to undo, unlike Afghanistan and Iraq. But if we can not afford to feed infants and teach pre-schoolers, we can not afford another war. Period.
Primrose // Mar 18, 2011 at 9:04 am
You simply don't understand power and how to use it. Power is about perception and one is never so intimidating as before it was used, and force should always be greater than the words used to threaten it. (Rumsfield ruined shock and awe by telling everyone about it. He should have called it a corrective measure.)
Instead of studying Hollywood star vehicles, perhaps you should read Machivelli. Read up on the Medeci's, Tallyrand, Bismark.
Had we, for example, put all of our effort into Afghanistan, the unwinnable land, the sinker of empire and won, we would not have had to go into Iraq or Libya. We could have simply made a request and they would have buckled in fear.
By waiting to be invited, we make ourselves seem like the indispensible nation, thereby increasing our power, and the perception of our power. By going in unilaterally we seem a bully, and the world will look sharply to publicize our weaknesses, reducing our power.
TR Roosevelt truly summed it up best when he said, speak softly but carry a big stick. Unfortunately, most people have forgotten about speaking softly.
rbottoms // Mar 18, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Had we, for example, put all of our effort into Afghanistan, the unwinnable land, the sinker of empire and won, we would not have had to go into Iraq or Libya.
So what you're saying is that George Bush is a dimwit who drained resources away from Afghanistan to mount a trillion dollar fiasco that killed 5,000 troops, maimed another 50,000 of them, killed 100,000 civilians, nearly bankrupted our country and made us so weak we can't effectively start a third war?
I'd say that's about the size of it.
Of course it's really all Obama's fault.
nuser // Mar 18, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Anti semitism may be on the rise in Egypt. This is Frum's main worry and concern, and is perhaps his reason for being so hawkish on muslim wars.
Rob_654 // Mar 18, 2011 at 8:56 pm
If these military conflicts are as vital to our national interest as some like to claim – I see no problem at all with pushing for a Military Draft of all men and women of military age – with no outs except for true physical and psychological issues.


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Just 24 hours after putting injured Mike Tyson on hold, heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield's advisers have offered a late November title fight to unranked Francesco Damiani, of Italy, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
As of last night, Damiani had not accepted the offer from Holyfield's promoter, Dan Duva. Damiani (27-1, 23 KOs) has been idle since losing his World Boxing Organization crown to Ray Mercer in Atlantic City last January.
Holyfield pushed for a championship match next month after his scheduled Nov. 8 showdown with Tyson was postponed indefinitely when the former champion suffered a rib injury in training, Oct. 8.


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James Graham wrote: > To take a slightly different example, it is OK to have data-marquee that > is used by a script that the author includes in the page to implement > marquee effects. But it is not permitted for a user agent to provide its > own marquee effects based on the presence of a marquee attribute. s/marquee attribute/data-marquee attribute/ (sorry for the spam)Received on Monday, 19 October 2009 15:31:13 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Thursday, 29 October 2015 10:15:53 UTC


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2013 Goals
Learn more
Get rid of clutter
Take risks
Have patience
Be a great mom
That last one really consumes me. The best part of 2012 was most definitely finding out about our new addition and having him join us in 2013 will undoubtedly be the best part of this year! If all other resolutions and goals fell by the wayside but this one I'd be ok. I just want to be the best mama I can to this little guy. There are many feelings of nervousness and excitement as I think of Dan and I stepping into our roles as parents, but I couldn't ask for a better companion for the challenge. Happy New Year to you all!


text: It vents out the back for an efficient fireplace specifically designed to fit in (very) tight spaces. That means you can install the Brigantia Eloquence in a" 2 x 6″ studded exterior wall. The depth allows for flush installation nearly anywhere. Think of installing the Eloquence in a non-conventional place for a fireplace – the kitchen perhaps, or a bedroom, dining room or small office. The Eloquence has the popular linear burner with the modern feel customers are looking for. The front and 'door' come in black or brushed nickel. You also have a choice of interior linings – either black or reflective ceramic glass. You can also add the optional backlight for a warm glowq even when the fireplace is off. The Eloquence zero clearance gas fireplace goes from a low of 14-thousand BTUs to 25-thousand BTUs. It comes standard with a remote control so you can adjust the flame height (and the heat). You can also use the remote as a thermostat. Framing Dimensions: 26 1/2″ w x 17 3/4″ h x 6 1/2″ d.


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Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for tossing a large chunk of snow into the stands as he was leaving the field Sunday after his team's loss to the Seahawks.
"It was kind of like a little battlefield out there, so to speak," Ellis told reporters who cover the Jets. "I mean, it was just all in fun, going to the locker room."
According to an NFL spokesman, players are notified before each season that any contact with fans that potentially presents crowd-control issues and risk of injury is prohibited.
Players are also informed that they must not confront fans during games and must leave any issues to security personnel.
Jets coach Eric Mangini thought his team was put in a dangerous predicament as it walked off the field, saying several people were pelted with snowballs.
"That situation in the stadium in general was not a very safe situation for anybody involved," Mangini said. "That doesn't justify us getting involved in it on the flip side of that. He understands that. We thought that there could've been more done to prevent what was happening in terms of the safety from snowballs coming down."


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State Economy
JUST RELEASED: GDP Measure is Out of Touch with Reality
Governor McCrory is at it again, peddling the myth that his team made North Carolina's economy the best in the country. The administration recently trumpeted the glad tidings that North Carolina's gross domestic product (GPD) grew faster than any other state since he took office.
If that sounds out of touch, it is. Wages in North Carolina are below average, unemployment is higher than the national rate, and whole communities are still struggling to recover from the Great Recession. Sadly, North Carolina's economic performance over the last few years has been mediocre, not meteoric. So how did the Governor get it so wrong? Read more at the Progressive Pulse.
North Carolina's economy is not only struggling to rebuild after the Great Recession but also experiencing the effects of a longer-term economic transformation in the industries and jobs that are growing. These broader economic trends and the fiscal decisions made at the state level impact family's economic hardship and the opportunities available in communities across the state.
Public policy can have a significant impact on North Carolina's economy. State investments in economic development, workforce development, and job creation can open doors to opportunities for the state's most struggling communities. However, poorly developed policies can undermine economic growth, exacerbate long-term unemployment, and rob certain groups and geographic areas of economic security.
Poverty, Inequality and the State of Opportunity – 1 in 5 North Carolinians live in poverty and many more struggle to make ends meet. Over time as the economy has grown and transformed so too has inequality and the effects on opportunity for all North Carolinians has been significant in terms of economic mobility and the vibrancy of our middle class. The Budget and Tax Center publishes regular analysis of poverty, inequality and the state of opportunity as well as analyzes proposals that would support North Carolinians struggling today and build greater opportunity for the future.
Economic and Workforce Development – North Carolina's approach to economic development primarily involves giving millions of dollars in subsidies to already-profitable businesses, and often any new jobs these subsidies create do not benefit economically disadvantaged counties or populations. The Budget and Tax Center publishes analyses of current economic development programs and develops alternative proposals that could create widespread opportunity across the state. This requires as well a strong workforce development system that provides for career pathways in growing industries that pay living wages and it will be increasingly important for North Carolina's community college system and university to remain affordable and innovative at supporting students young and old into the workforce.
Communities of Opportunity -- Communities across the state are dealing with the significant challenges of population growth, demographic and industry shifts and fewer public dollars to build an infrastructure of opportunity for all. The Budget and Tax Center works to analyze and develop proposals to support equitable development across the state with a particular focus on how transportation, housing and job opportunities are interconnected.
The Labor Market and Economic Growth – The functioning of North Carolina's labor market is critical to the sound functioning of the state's economy. The Budget and Tax Center monitors the labor market and other indicators of how the broader economy is faring with an eye to understanding the impact on individual North Carolinians. In addition, the Budget and Tax Center publishes reports on North Carolina's unemployment insurance system and creates proposals on how North Carolina can better support unemployed workers and increase access to quality jobs.


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Leopard print nails are my favorite. I think it's a great starting point for someone who may not have much experience with nail art. You don't need a steady hand, and it doesn't matter if you're precise. It's a series of dots and blotches, and in this design, messy is good!
If you don't have a dotting tool, Sally Hansen nail pens also work. I used to use Sally Hansen nail art pens, but they are very expensive and don't last very long. A dotting tool and some cheap black polish are a good investment!
- Light pink (I used Zoya "Shay" mixed with hot pink)
- Hot pink (I used Sally Hansen "Feverish Rose")
- Black (I used Pure Ice "Black Rage")
- Dotting tool
- Also mentioned: Essie "Mink Muffs"


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When Allen Hendy told me our contractor was going to shut down I-5 for a girder setting, I looked at him like he was out of his mind and let loose a dignified: Excuzemewhat?!
Allen is the project manager for the Salmon Creek Interchange project. For nearly three years now, his team and our partners at Clark County Public Works have been overhauling local roads and the I-5/I-205 junction in Salmon Creek. We're on the last (and most exciting!) phase of construction – building a new interchange at NE 139th Street to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety in the busy area.
But here's the pinch. We're setting girders – essentially piecing together the bridge's backbone – and there are a dozen girders that need to be hoisted into place directly above I-5. The installation process will close I-5 from 11 p.m. Friday June 7, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 10. Here's a look at the span where we'll be working:
Unlike many girder settings, this location isn't level. I-5 is higher than the surrounding ground, which means the cranes essentially have to park downhill – below the launch spot of the girders and far below the installation target on top of the bridge piers. This less-than-ideal setup limits the cranes' lifting power.
To address this complication, crews will park a third crane on southbound I-5 to assist with a complicated pick-and-switch-and-lift process to install the girders. Imaging a track relay, but with a 165-foot concrete and steel baton, and three cranes instead of runners. It will be one of the most complicated and difficult settings we've ever done, and it will take up to three hours to install each girder.
All that to say: the only way to complete this task is with a full closure of I-5. (I get it now, Allen!) We're working to coordinate detour routes, identify potential "trouble spots" where traffic is more likely to back up and find ways to maintain access for local traffic and emergency vehicles. But no matter what we do, the closure will have a ripple effect on traffic in the entire area and there's a huge potential for traffic headaches – even nightmares.
Here's how drivers can help avoid traffic nightmares:
- Don't drive if you don't have to.
- If you have to drive through Clark County during the weekend of June 7-10, then visit our website to figure out if your route will be impacted.
- Familiarize yourself with the detour routes. (Pro tip: I-205 is your best friend.)
- Expect traffic congestion and plan for delays – give yourself some extra time to reach your destination.
- And as always, use the WSDOT tools at your disposal to know before you go! Visit our travel alerts page, call 511 and download the WSDOT app to access real-time traffic info during the closure.


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Yea, I was thinking about having some minor upgrades made on my boogie 50/50 power amp, you know anyone in central CT?
"One man gathers what another man spills..."
Not really. When you go back to the books and interviews and such, Jerry was searching for *it* all the time as well. Of course he could always play decently or adequately to our ears but he said he's always looking forward to those times when it gets "slippery" and effortless. Other times he may be struggling and it feels like they are all wrong notes. When things turn "on" then you can't hit a wrong note.JustinJohn wrote:I realize that I may have had *it* for a brief moment... But Jerry did it all night, every night, for decades! It's a very humbling experience.
Or at least... every not your hit is good. Playing notes that aren't normally "hip" in a really hip way is one of those many "on" qualities Jer had. Like Miles Davis.mijknahs wrote:When things turn "on" then you can't hit a wrong note.
Thanks Mike! thanks for a real fun night! You guys were so gracious throwing me solos in tunes i've never played before! too funny..dunno if i wanna hear the tape. Actually i would love to sometime. ~Joemyoung6923 wrote:I have to say Joe, that amp that you brought up a few months ago sounded amazing! As did your guitar playing. It was so nice having you sit in with us.
But that amp... Damn that thing is tasty!
sure I can do some upgrades depending on what you want. Just msg me if interested.jeager wrote:Yea, I was thinking about having some minor upgrades made on my boogie 50/50 power amp, you know anyone in central CT?


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Get a handle on bathroom safety with this bathtub and shower
The Safe-er-Grip assists your balance while entering or exiting the tub or shower — full body weight is not to be applied to product. (If device is required to bear full body weight, or is used for leverage, it is recommended that a traditional permanently mounted grab bar be installed.)
This easy to install grip gives both parent and child steady
confidence in and around the tub.
Item #40524


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All quotes tagged Blinding
(373 quotes found)
"You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle."
"But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit, For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To see me thus transformed to a boy"
"I might show facts as plain as day: but, since your eyes are blind, you'd say, ''Where? What?'' and turn away."
"If it is an extraordinary blindness to live without investigating what we are, it is a terrible one to live an evil life, while believing in God"