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South Mumbai residents in mad scramble to prove Marine Drive is 100
Postal Department says Marine Drive will turn 100 only in 2020 as work on the precinct was completed in 1920; residents continue to hunt for papers to prove that 2015 marked the centenary year for the area
Under two months after South Mumbai's iconic promenade, Marine Drive, kicked off its centenary celebrations, the General Post Office has punctured the revelry. On December 18 last year, residents from the heritage buildings that line the sea face launched the design for a commemorative stamp that salutes the glamorous crescent bay. But the celebrations, the GPO thinks, might be premature by four years.
The Marine Drive Citizens' Association members, R Somani (right) and Ashok Gupta, are confident of procuring the papers that the postal department requires as proof. Pics/Bipin Kokate
Members of The Marine Drive Citizens' Association took into account the year 1915, which was when work on Kennedy Sea Face (what the British referred to the stretch we now know as Girgaum Chowpatty) commenced, but the GPO is driven to believe that the year when work on the promenade was completed — 1920 — is the legitimate starting point. This makes 2020 the centenary year.
Members of The Marine Drive Citizens' Association, R Somani and Ashok Gupta are confident of landing the government document that the postal department has sought
The residents refer to an old stone pillar that stands right outside Mafatlal Swimming Pool at Chowpatty with a now fading engraving that marks December 18, 1915, as the date when work on Kennedy Sea Face began.
R Somani (r) and Ashok Gupta say lighting buildings in on the cards too
An engraving on a pillar doesn't count, says The Department of Posts. A government document proving that Marine Drive has hit 100 is what they seek. P N Ranjit Kumar, Postmaster General, Mumbai, says, "The Postal Department performs many roles. One among them is the formal commemoration of historic events. For this, we release postage stamps and commemorative covers. We will be happy to join in the centenary celebrations of Marine Drive but there is a lack of clarity on the authenticity of dates. From what I understand, the centenary year of the promenade is 2020. The Department prefers authentication like a government record or gazetted document since it's part of our Standard Operating Procedure." An error in postal commemoration is, he calls, "unforgivable".
P N Ranjit Kumar, Postmaster General
The release of a commemorative postal cover and stamp to mark the occasion was to be accompanied by lighting the buildings that create a uniform sweep to mirror the bend of the bay, some of them like Soona Mahal reflecting Art Deco influences. A neighbourhood cultural festival and cleanliness drives were also on the anvil.
Tetrapods on the stamp's design
The postal department finds support from architect Kamu Iyer, whose book, Boombay: From precincts to sprawl charts the architectural styles of key buildings in the city, weaving history along the pages. Iyer laughs softly, "I think the postal department is right. They will complete 100 years from completion date only in 2020."
The postal cover design
Mumbai history enthusiast Deepak Rao agrees that 2020 will mark the promenade's centenary but says, "If people wish to celebrate five years early, who's to stop them?"
A pillar at Chowpatty carries an engraving that marks December 18, 1915, as the date when work on Kennedy Sea Face began
Iyer, in the book published in 2014, writes: "Marine Drive started as a road to connect Malabar Hill, where the wealthy and ruling class lived, to Fort. The road from Malabar Hill's Walkeshwar, where the governor resided, to the Secretariat, which abutted Oval Maidan, was along the sea up to Chowpatty. Known as Kennedy Sea Face, this road was built in 1920. It made sense to extend it for quick and easy access to Fort instead of diverting to Queen's Road on the east of the railway line. However, the cost of reclaiming land from the sea for just a road would have been disproportionately high. It made better sense to extend the bay, reclaim more land from the sea and regain it by building a sea wall."
This Back Bay Reclamation Scheme that he refers to was entrusted to the Bombay Development Department, with British architect WR Davidge picked to make a master plan. The plan would cover parts of Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Nariman Point and Marine Drive.
Much like today's infra projects, this one too was plagued by cost escalation and corruption charges; Davidge's plan was set aside and modifications introduced by an advisory committee that was in fact, responsible for "creating a bay by extending Kennedy Sea Face to Nariman Point", according to Iyer's book.
The postal department's scrutiny hasn't battered the residents' resolve, though.
Ashok Gupta, vice president of the association says his team is trying to rustle up the evidence the postal department has sought. "We have been at the collectors' office and Old Custom House for the last few days, trying to lay our hands on some document or letter that can serve as proof." R Somani, President of the association seems calm. "We are not worried," he smiles, gazing at the sea from the terrace of Gupta's Zaver Mahal apartment.
But it's not just the Post that's throwing them a challenge. The ongoing wedding season has proved party pooper too. "We wanted to light the buildings along the stretch, starting January, but lights weren't available on rent because of high demand during the wedding season. We should be able to decorate the stretch starting next month. We have also planned a painting competition because what better inspiration can an artist ask for than Marine Drive?"
The scramble that will decide the fate of the celebrations takes a backseat when a light February evening breeze tinged with salt skirts the terrace.
It's little wonder then that English architect Claude Batley said this about the promenade, although he disagreed with other alterations suggested by the advisory committee: "If you have any doubt of its worthwhileness, watch the happy throngs of promenaders, of all sorts and conditions, drinking in the sea air morning and evening; an asset that has never been put down as of any tangible value in the profit-and-loss account of the scheme."
How the street got its name
The Kennedy Sea Face was named after Sir Michael Kavanagh Kennedy (1824 to 1898), who joined the Empire of India (E.I.) Co.'s service in the department of Engineers in Bombay. He was a Lt. Colonel in the British Army and secretary to the Government of Bombay, Public Works Department. Awarded the prestigious Knight Commander of the Star of India for his services during the 1976 famine in Bombay and Madras, he later served as Director-General of Transport during the Afghan War (1879-80).
Where's the proof?
A letter from the office of the Chief Post Master General, Maharashtra Circle, Mumbai, dated December 3, 2015 addressed to Vinay Somani, vice-president, The Marine Drive Citizens' Association, says:
With reference to the above cited letter [dated November 24, 2015], regarding proposal (sic) for special cover on 100 years of iconic landmark of Mumbai – Marine Drive on 18-12-2015, it is seen that the authenticated proof regarding the 100 years is not submitted. It is requested to kindly submit the authenticated proof evidence regarding 100 years to this office at the earliest.
The letter is signed by Rupesh Sonawale, Asst. Director, Postal Services (PSR).
Sealed with a stamp
A number of city institutions have had commemorative stamps and postal covers issued for them, including:
>> The Cathedral & John Connon School, Fort, released a commemorative postage stamp on October 27, in 2010, on completing 150 years.
>> JJ School of Arts had one released in 1982.


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Strap-On Secretaries 3Favorites [+]
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Running Time: 61 minutes
Released: 04/2007
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Director: Angela D'Angelo
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Giant Sequoia Tree - grow the biggest tree in the world with this starter kit. Giant Sequoia trees are enormous evergreen trees native only to California. If you've got the patience to grow this right, you could leave behind a tree that will live for hundreds of years. You'll probably want to search for a couple of online tutorials for growing giant sequoia. D 11 a google search for detailed instructions.
Kit includes :-
This kit comes in a plastic bonsai pot, a seed starting mix, a seed packet of 2-3 giant sequoia seeds, slow release fertiliser and leca balls to keep the soil mix draining properly. It's so simple, all that is necessary is indirect sunlight, watering, moderate temperatures and patience.
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Private Asia Tour – Cheap Cost Halong Cruise Packages have been in Demand Now!
Ask just any traveler nowadays concerning the private tours and you will find an easy and customary answer! "Well, we'll enjoy having it!" this is actually the most typical answer you will get from just about any traveler who like to travel around the world to be able to spend the vacation or leisure having a different approach. Well, there are specific advantages of choosing the non-public tours. And also the private Asia tour you will choose next isn't excluded from this. If you're searching for such tour package that…Read More


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Michael Kamfonas
For over 25 years, Mr. Kamfonas has been playing a leading role in designing and developing strategic systems for Fortune 100 businesses and government. From pioneering headline-makers, to lower profile decision support and back-office robust implementations and integration projects, he repeatedly set architectural vision, designed highly functional solutions and mentored teams in methods that pushed the envelope of common practice. He operated in diverse technology environments such as GE - Lockheed Martin, SIAC/NYSE, Morgan Stanley, Freddie Mac, Ernst & Young, The Home Depot, Food Lion and First Data Corporation.
He combines extensive background with practical experience in modeling and design of data-warehouses, VLDB, parallel and distributed architectures, as well as software automation. His rich experience, hands-on approach and unrelenting commitment make him a highly valued contributor of any project, quickly earning credibility and respect of peers, subordinates and managers alike. He is flexible and multifaceted and adapts to support the project needs as the designer, the mentor, the go-to person, the modeler, the application DBA, the SQL expert, but also as the architect, the adviser, the technologist, the inventor or the roll-up-your-sleeves downright developer. The productivity and automation tools he brings along have saved customers millions of dollars, with tangible quality and productivity benefits. His financial products, many in the multi-terabyte range on DB2/DPF and Unix, serve critical needs such as client-facing financial reporting, EDW analytics or daily P&L. He also contributes periodically to technology evaluations, strategic initiatives, data warehouse renovation studies,high performance low latency systems, provisioning architecture, code generation and automation.
In retail, he designed and implemented parts of the enterprise decision support architecture of a top-5 US retailer, including a multi-billion row data warehouse and marts. He helped other retail customers to expand existing systems, improving data models, addressing performance issues, automating database script development and implementing aggregations. He served in SIAC's New Architecture Initiative (NAI) for the NYSE, advising on database technology selection and design around high performance low latency reliable messaging infrastructure, as well as canonical message and data administration standards development.
He was the chief architect of the early Citibank Credit Card data warehouse, one of the largest multi-terabyte MPP implementations of its time. Prior to this, in the early 90s, he led the architecture and part of the design of a $50MM cost management system for GE-Aerospace (currently Lockheed Martin), the first design that implemented his Versioned Dimensional Model. He designed various systems in Lockheed Martin and GE Aerospace, including a cost management system, HR and benefits systems and various logistic database systems. He is currently president of InfoKarta Inc. investing in the development of large high performance quickly deployable analytical databases. He served as Chief Architect and Director of Data Warehouse Technology for Lockheed Martin's IS&T/NE. He directed internal R&D, towards the deployment of model-driven high performance parallel data cleansing, transformation and loading technology. He developed the Versioned Dimensional Model (VDM) for analytical databases, which address the temporal correctness of historical dimensional databases and enhances conventional star-schema variants and methodologies. He has developed techniques and algorithms for very large multi-level cubes with interactive response time and high availability, distinct count capability, very large differential balance retention, and metadata-driven code generation. He published several articles and presents in conferences in the US and Europe. He is currently spending most of his time consulting in the areas of data warehousing, performance engineering and dimensional modeling for large customers in the East Coast. He has been consulting independently since 1998.


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SkyMira offers a range of services that are easy to use, rapidly deployable, can access data and monitor nearly any machine or device, all integrated into a cohesive, user-friendly platform designed to produce snapshot clarity of daily operations.
Milford, CT (PRWEB) January 13, 2014
SkyMira, an industry leader in developing easy-to-use, intuitive apps that work on any browser-equipped smartphone, tablet or laptop, today announced the deployment of workflow automation at Gulf Coast Pipeline Services, a turnkey provider of services in the pipeline owner/operator community based in Houston, Texas.
The mobiGateway is a key element of SkyMira's mobile business applications and machine-to-machine (M2M) telemetry services. The mobiGateway, a hosted Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP), addresses the difficulties of managing a diversity of devices, networks and user groups at the time of deployment and throughout the mobile solution's lifecycle.
In November, the mobiGateway was deployed at Gulf Coast Pipeline Services. This included the eForm mobile applications and integration with back-office invoicing and payroll. "The mobiGateway facilitates multiple applications on a single platform in both online and offline mode and is easily scalable for any mobile field force," said Roy Lund, Director of Client Services, Skymira, LLC.
Gulf Coast Pipeline Services is a pipeline integrity management, commissioning and maintenance contracting organization offering an extensive range of cleaning, testing, construction and maintenance services to the pipeline industry and providing specialized support services to the chemical, petrochemical, and oil and gas industries.
Gulf Coast Pipeline Services realizes various benefits according to Jennifer Dunn office manager of Gulf Coast Pipeline. In the field, the improved forms provide increased accuracy and customer signatures on the form in real time. In the office, the direct integration of the form information into their back-office system has dramatically reduced administrative time for invoices and payroll.
"The system is very useful and very user friendly both in the field and the office," Dunn stressed. "It is running very smoothly. Before our invoicing was very involved and now with a few clicks invoicing is done. We were looking to update our technology and become more streamlined and are extremely glad we found SkyMira."
For more information, please visit: http://www.skymira.com/services-mobiGateway.htm and http://www.skymira.com/services-workflowautomation.htm.
About SkyMira LLC
SkyMira offers a range of services that are easy to use, rapidly deployable, can access data and monitor nearly any machine or device, all integrated into a cohesive, user-friendly platform designed to produce snapshot clarity of daily operations. Skymira is headquartered in Milford, Connecticut.
Contact Details:
Skymira, LLC
167 Cherry Street, Suite 430
Milford, CT 06460
Tel: (866) 521-0540
About Gulf Coast Pipeline Services
Gulf Coast Pipeline Services provides commissioning/decommissioning, construction, fabrication, maintenance and repair activities, leak detection, integrity management, line location, pig tracking and other general services to the chemical, petrochemical, and oil & gas industries. Gulf Coast Pipeline Services is headquartered in Seabrook, Texas.
Contact Details:
Gulf Coast Pipeline Services
1906 Marvin Circle
Seabrook, Texas 77586
Tel: (281-291-7955)
Source: SkyMira, LLC


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A cappella with attitude
Clive, Derek & Dave
Hi. We're Derek Wheeler, Dave Tarry and Clive Brooks and collectively we sing as The Laners. Most of our material comprises English traditional songs but we also sing some shanties and an increasing number of the many fabulous contemporary songs that are coming into the tradition.
Almost all of our songs have big choruses, so audience participation is mandatory; just sitting and listening isn't an option.
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|( 22 upvotes )
|Let us also hope that the 21 year old 'Man' that ordered the shooting and his cohorts live short interesting lives before suffering terminal lead/copper poisoning.
|( 17 upvotes )
|Every star is a a world and every world is the result of our choices.
|( 9 upvotes )
|( 24 upvotes )
|Why I didn't fav this when I first saw it, I have no idea.
|( 58 upvotes )
|Nice catch! I wish there had been a larger round, the queen would make a nice bishop. Sh**gun carts for the rooks are genius though.
|Well done. 5L.
|Hate to be the "Chess Nazi," but the "Gold" queen should be on black, since the "silver" queen is on white. Just sayin'. Oh, BTW: 5Ls.
|I think this can also go to MilitaryLulz.
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Last Thursday night, the Somerville Alibrandis defeated the South End Astros 4-3 at Jim Rice Field in Roxbury. The victory moved the Alibrandis to 15-7-1. As of Sunday, Somerville trailed Stoneham and Revere in the Ted Williams Division of the Yawkey Baseball League.
Somerville started and finished strong against South End. The Alibrandis scored three runs in the first inning and broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the seventh, which proved to be enough to squeak by the middling Astros (10-11-1 as of Sunday). Ted Dziuba had two of the Alibrandis' eight hits, including his first home run of the season, and Marc DesRoches provided two more knocks from the fifth spot in the order. Vladimir Camacho pitched a scoreless sixth and picked up his second win of the season, and Brian Tanguy notched his fourth save of the season.
The Astros were able to hang around because Somerville was uncharacteristically sloppy in the field. Over the first 22 games of the season, the Alibrandis had committed 35 errors. Against South End, the club had four miscues.
The Alibrandis play the Brighton Black Sox tonight at Rogers Park and host the Brighton Minutemen on Friday at Trum Field. The Alibrandis were to have played Monday at East Boston.


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Finding things to do in London with the family is easy when you know how! Our guide to the top 100 free things to do in London, from pond-dipping to beauty treatments is perfect for the whole family. From pond-dipping to beauty treatments!
We know what it's like when you're a busy mum - you want to find the time (and the cash) to have great days out with the family but total up the price of four tickets for a great family-friendly event and you're quickly looking at spending in excess of £100. That's where our guide to free things to do in London comes in. All of these activities are family-and-purse-friendly and based in the capital so you can enjoy all the activites London has to offer for you and your kids, on a budget.
Museums and galleries
Scientific exploration
The Big Bang Theory has made geeks cool: even more reason to visit the Science Museum. This family favourite offers children so much to get their hands on, from the Interactive Garden for under-5s, with its textural walls and mirrors, to the Who Am I? gallery where they can find out more about the human body, and a gallery exploring the history of flying. The Science Museum
Culture vultures
Many of London's art galleries still have free admission. Allow half a day for each one. Most popular include the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Tate Britain has some useful tips on visiting a gallery with children - visit Tate Britain
Art to enjoy
The Wallace Collection is one of the best art collections in London. You can see The Laughing Cavalier and The Lady with the Fan, as well as armour, porcelain, furniture and other decorative items. The Wallace Collection
Ship ahoy!
At the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, you can see the uniform Nelson was wearing when he was shot at the Battle of Trafalgar, fire a cannon and even steer a ship into port. National Maritime Museum
Visit the V&A
With four million exhibits across four floors, 10 acres and 145 galleries laid out according to genre, time period and artist, the V&A is well worth a visit. Recent must-see exhibitions include Hollywood costume and a retrospective of David Bowie. Victoria & Albert Museum
Modern art at the Tate
Tate Modern has works by some of the most famous artists of the modern age including Picasso, Dali and Bacon. And if you want a great view of London and the Thames, visit the top floor café for a peek! Tate Modern
Picture perfect
The Photographers Gallery in W1 is a treasure for those who love photography. Exhibitions feature some of the world's greatest snappers and there are retrospectives, historical exhibits and award-winning images. Suitable for older children or those who are keen on photography. The Photographers Gallery
London's hidden secret
The Horniman Museum has over 80,000 items from around the world in its anthropology collections: Asian tents and carvings; Native American textiles; African masks and paintings; Ancient Greek pottery and even a torture chair! Free activities for children include puppets, singing and storytelling. The Horniman Museum
Welcome to the Wellcome
If you don't like the sight of blood, steer clear of The Wellcome Collection in NW1, which describes itself as a free destination for the incurably curious. Its exhibits trace the history of illness, death, medicine and genetics with such highlights as watching a video of open heart surgery, looking at paintings of dissection and listening to Florence Nightingale. The Wellcome Collection
Tour the British Museum
There are 8 million objects in the British Museum so it can be a nightmare to know where to start! Why not do a 40-minute tour, then go off and have a closer look at some of this museum's famous exhibits, including Egyptian mummies and hieroglyphs. The British Museum
Life of an architect
Sir John Soane Museum is the home of famous architect John Soane, who designed the Bank of England. As well as paintings and statues, you can see an Egyptian hieroglyphic sarcophagus and slaves' chains. Sir John Soane Museum
London's story
Would you Adam and Eve it? The Museum of London tells the story of this great city, from prehistoric times to the present day, with nine free galleries to explore. There are also extra exhibitions and events so check out The Museum of London
Famous faces
The National Portrait Gallery is a great place for celeb spotting - on canvas. The latest must-see portrait is of Kate Middleton, unveiled at the beginning of 2013. Visit The National Portrait Gallery
Other worlds
The African Worlds collection at the Horniman Museum has amazing African art, sculpture and artefacts, including masks and musical instruments, plus religious altars and Egyptian mummies. The Horniman Museum
Do you love dinosaurs?
Almost every child goes through a 'dinosaur' phase, so if your kids are obsessed with T Rex, you must pay a visit to the Natural History Museum. As well as the popular Dinosaurs Gallery, with lifesize dinos and scary sound-effects, the museum is a great place for animal lovers of all ages. Natural History Museum
Time flies...
...at the RAF museum in Hendon. Opened in 1972, the museum has over 100 aircraft from around the world from very early aircraft designs to the latest jets and military aircraft. Fun activities including 3D cinema and sound and light show, Our Finest Hour. RAF Museum
First-class post
Do you have a postie in the family? The British Postal Museum and Archive offers behind the scenes 30-minute tours: highlights include a fleet of postal service vehicles and over 50 pillarboxes of different types. The British Postal Museum and Archive
All about the army
The National Army Museum in Chelsea brings war to life with maps, medals and even the saw used to amputate a Lieutenant General's leg at the Battle of Waterloo. Look out for the museum's next-door neighbours, Chelsea Pensioners, in their scarlet uniforms too! The National Army Museum
Art attack!
We all know the National Gallery has some amazing paintings, but it also runs some great free events: magic carpet storytelling for under 5s, art workshops and Family Walk 7 Talk - a free tour of the gallery's masterpieces. Visit the National Gallery for details.
Discover the big bang theory
Well, almost. Go to The Wellcome Collection and hear local scientists describing their latest experiment, life in the lab and why science matters to everyone. Tickets are free, on a first-come, first-served basis. The Wellcome Collection
Play areas and children's activities
Larking about!
Museum of London: Docklands tells the story of London's history as a port, with free activity packs. The Mudlarks play area for under 12s is mega-imaginative: big kids can weigh cargo or load a tea clipper while the small kids get to crawl around with large foam bananas and a London bus, or pretend to drive a DLR train. Museum of London: Docklands
Check out your library
London's libraries aren't just for borrowing books: many of them run free activities, such as storytelling and face painting, especially in school holidays, so you can relax for a few hours!
A taste for adventure
Playgrounds usually cater for the under 5s, with swings and slides. If you have older kids, hotfoot it to Highgate Wood, Muswell Hill, which has climbing equipment of various levels of difficulty and a zip wire that gets very busy at peak times. In Regent's Park, they will enjoy the new timber treehouse area, close to Hanover Gate.
Imagine at the South Bank
Each February, The Southbank Centre has a festival for children, Imagine, with activities for all ages, from opera for babies to vampire-themed Valentine's Day celebrations for teens. Over 100 free and ticketed events include readings from leading children's authors; interactive performance pieces; life-size dinosaur puppets and theatre for children. Visit The Southbank Centre
Let's play!
If your children are museum-ed out or fed up with walking the streets, cheer them up with a visit to Coram's Fields, a unique 7-acre playground and park for children in central London, between King's Cross and Holborn. Coram's Fields
Kensington Gardens
As well as the lovely Peter Pan statue and acres of parkland, Kensington Gardens is home to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground, visited by 750,000 children each year! It's a beautiful space, with teepees, a huge wooden galleon and climbing apparatus.
Outdoor activities and sports
Get your skates on...
In good weather, join in with London Friday Night Skate (LFNS) and Sunday Stroll, both weekly marshalled street skates in central London, open to all skaters who can stop, turn and control speed on hills. The Friday night skate is for more advanced skaters; the Sunday Stroll from Hyde Park is a more relaxed pace. Visit London Friday Night Skate for latest news.
Fancy a run?
There are free park runs all over the capital. For example, fun runners can enjoy a 5km run against the clock on Hampstead Heath from 9am every Saturday. You have to register before you can run, but it's free. Visit Park Run for more info.
Ramp up your fitness levels
Get in training! Some parks and commons have free circuit training equipment. On Wandsworth Common, for example, there are wooden structures that blend in well with the surroundings.
Let's go fly a kite!
For a taste of the high life, try Blackheath - a large grassy area with views to Greenwich and the river - and Clapham Common. Obviously stay away from areas with trees that your kite could get tangled in.
Gone fishing...
As long as you already have a rod licence (from the post office) you are allowed to fish for free on the River Thames. However, it's a large river and can be rather daunting. A better, and more peaceful choice is Regent's Canal, running from the Paddington Basin up to north London. Visit Thames
Let's get fit!
Green spaces are good places to improve your fitness. Take a walk in the fresh air, or if they're up for it, get the whole family jogging or enjoying a game of football or Frisbee.
In the swim
Keep an eye on local swimming pools as they often offer free swim promotions. And for just £2 you can swim outdoors in London: Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds is one of the most popular places. Children up to age 15 can use the mixed pond, accompanied by an adult, but only during the summer months.
Wheelie good!
The concrete area under the Royal Festival Hall is popular with rollerskaters and skateboarders and offers a safe place for whizzing around - a great way for your kids to burn up any excess energy.
Plane spotting
Heathrow Airport is a brilliant place for planespotters: you can watch the big jets come in to land and take
dramatic photos. Some people make a game of spotting all the world's
airlines or aircraft types. Visit Plane Mad for where to view...
Houses and gardens to visit
A little-known gem
Visit Bushy Park near Hampton Court. London's second largest Royal Park, it has 320 red and fallow deer, which roam free. Areas of interest include the 60-acre woodland gardens, the site of the American camp based in Bushy during WWII and a chestnut avenue, as well as a beautiful formal Baroque Water Garden and Diana fountain.
Grand designs
Somerset House's famous courtyard and massive Georgian building alone are worth of a visit, but you should definitely take a look at its two staircases, the balcony views of the Thames, and the small basement gallery. In the summer, the dancing courtyard fountains are great for kids to play in. Somerset House
Gardens to inspire you
Eat your heart out, Alan Titchmarsh! Many of London's parks and gardens have beautiful displays of flowers - get ideas for your own garden. And for a small charge, you can visit private gardens open under The National Gardens Scheme. Visit The National Gardens Scheme to find out what's open when.
Flower power
Waterlow Park, on Highgate Hill, is a beautiful park of 20 acres, with a pond, lawn, mature trees, play areas and planting - its meadow areas are part of an RSPB project to encourage sparrows back into the city. In the summer, there are masses of wildflowers including sunflowers and cornflowers. Waterlow Park
A Tudor mansion
Hall Place in Bexley is a beautiful Tudor mansion in 65 acres of parkland. The gardens are free to visit and there's a new bird hide for keen birdwatchers. There are regular family activities too. Visit Hall Place
Parks and walks
Go for a river walk
The Thames River Walkway from Westminster Bridge to London Bridge is also called the Millennium Mile, even though it's actually almost two miles. It runs past some of the capital's best-known sights - Big Ben and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Millennium Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral and the buzz of the South Bank.
Take a picture
Fancy yourself as one of the paparazzi? London Photo Walk organises monthly walks for beginners to pros, taking in a different part of the capital every month, with advice from the tour leader. Find out more at London Photo Walks.
Stunning statues
Why not go and see London's favourite statues? There's something for everyone from Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Guy the Gorilla in Crystal Palace Park to Eros at Piccadilly and Paddington Bear at Paddington Station. Oh, and don't forget Nelson on top of his column!
Green space...
London has so much green space that it's a shame to ignore it. Go for a walk in some of the parks: the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park, the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park and the deer in
Richmond Park are all worth a look.
View points
Instead of paying to go on the London Eye or the newly opened Shard, enjoy free views over the City from Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath; Tower Bridge; 300 steps up at The Monument and from the top of St Paul's Cathedral.
Visit the peacocks
One of London's most beautiful and romantic parks is Holland Park. Attractions include the Japanese Kyoto garden and the peacocks which strut their stuff, occasionally showing off their tail feathers, especially during the mating season. Look out, too, for the rabbits hopping around among the peacocks.
London's bridges
A walk over some of London's
bridges offers lovely views of river life as well as great photo
opportunities. Some of the best are Waterloo Bridge or Lambeth Bridge,
Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge.
Pack up a picnic
Buy some sandwiches, crisps and drinks and take your picnic to one of London's parks, heaths or commons; there's always plenty of space for the kids to run around and let off steam and many parks have amazing play areas too!
A canal walk
Take a stroll along the Regent's Canal towpath from Maida Vale with its colourful narrowboats, then alongside London Zoo where you can see - and hear! - the exotic birds in the aviary. The path then runs through Camden, with its craft market and stalls.
London's history
Visit Parliament
UK residents can contact their MP to arrange a free tour of the House of Commons and to climb the clock tower of Big Ben. Tours last 75 minutes and are really popular, so make sure you book in advance. Visit Parliament
Free speech
Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park on a Sunday is the place to hear people have a public rant! A tradition since 1872, you can still go and watch people standing on small chairs and lecturing the crowd on politics, religion, the economic situation and more. Great if you have a teen keen on politics, but have another activity up your sleeve in case the topic doesn't interest them.
Jump on a bus!
Tour buses are very expensive, but if you have a travelcard, you can hop on a normal bus and enjoy the same sights for free. The best route is the Number 11 bus, which runs past St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, Westminster and Sloane Square.
Fancy yourself as a legal eagle?
The public gallery at the Old Bailey is open to everyone over 14 and gives you a look at the way our legal system works. You may hear gory details if you're attending a murder or rape trial, so decide whether or not this will be suitable for your teen. Old Bailey
Tickets please!
London's old Routemaster buses still crop up in films and old TV series, and if you have a travelcard you can hop on one and enjoy the ride if you choose your route carefully. The no 15 runs past the Tower of London, Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Palace; the no 9 also runs from the Tower of London.
History of home
See how your gran lived! The Geffrye Museum traces the history of the English home and interiors, giving children the chance to see what life was like in the days before TV, centra heating and computers. Holiday activities for children include hat-making, painting and Chinese lanterns. Visit The Geffrye Museum
Ghoulishly good
Many of London's cemeteries feature some interesting tombstones and are also a good place to see birds and wildlife, as well as being a calm and peaceful environment when you need a break from busy London streets.
On your guard!
Go and watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace at 11.30am (daily in the summer; every other day in winter) and thrill to a bit of Royal history. Afterwards, why not take a wander through Green Park, with its breathtaking views of the Queen's London residence? Changing the Guard
As quiet as a church mouse
Although there's a charge to visit St Paul's Cathedral, many of the city's churches are free, including the beautiful Southwark Cathedral.
Seek justice...
The Royal Courts of Justice was opened by Queen Victoria in 1882 and became the permanent home of the Supreme Court. Visitors are allowed to explore the building and watch lawyers in their robes and wigs battle it out in court. The Royal Courts of Justice
Lock up those Crown Jewels!
The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking up of the Tower of London and has taken place on each and every night, without fail, for at least 700 years. Although the Queen no longer lives there, the Crown Jewels and many other valuables still do! Apply at least two months in advance at The Tower of London
A history lesson
There are so many historical buildings in London, but you can easily come up with a short walking tour. A good one would be to take a stroll along Whitehall, past Downing Street and No 10, then down to Buckingham Palace, and then through St James's Park and Green Park.
See Tower Bridge open!
The lifting of Tower Bridge has become a must-see event for visitors to London. Even those who are not into engineering will be impressed when they see the hydraulics in action as the bridge opens for large ships. For opening times, visit Tower Bridge
Food and drink
Fresh from the farm
If you like food, get yourself down to one of London's farmers' markets where you can often taste and sample without buying: cakes, sausages, cheese and juices are all typical freebies on offer. Visit London Farmers' Markets to find out more.
Calling all chocoholics...
Every year, in December, chocolate comes to the South Bank in the form of the Chocolate Festival. Find out how chocolate is made and where the beans are grown, and chomp your way through as much choc as you like if you feel like buying!
Meat to eat...
Smithfield has been London's biggest meat-trading market since 1868. Open from 3am, it's best to visit before 7am for a view of market life, where the capital's leading restaurants and shops come to buy their meat wholesale. Smithfield Market
A taste of the Orient
Chinatown in Soho is a fascinating place to wander, with its noisy, crowded shops, exotic Asian produce and streets of restaurants offering everything from char sui pork and barbecued duck to the best dim sum in the capital.
Feast of flavours
Harrods Food Hall is a must-see in London. As well as its over-the-top murals and a ceiling that wouldn't be out of place in a museum, you can find food from all over the world, beautifully arranged and guaranteed to make you feel hungry!
Street markets
Take in a market
Soaking up the atmosphere in one of London's street markets is a great way to kill a few hours. Enjoy the bustle and bagels of Brick Lane on a Sunday, or Columbia Road flower market. Food fans will love Borough Market, Hackney Hand Made and the Saturday market on Duke of York Square on Chelsea's Kings Road.
Street culture
Some areas of London give you an exciting glimpse into another culture. Visit Southall market, for example, for its colourful Indian saris, bhangla music, sizzlingly spicy samosas, desserts for the sweet-toothed and enough curry houses to shake a stick at!
Lovely Covent Garden
Covent Garden runs two markets: the Jubilee market and the Apple market. Both offer clothes, hand-made jewellery, decorative household items and more. A great place to soak up the atmosphere...
Alternative London
You can still see punks at Camden Market, a great place to check out loads of alternative offerings, from tattoos and piercings to street art, funky jewellery and joss sticks, as well as indy fashion and new design. Teenagers will love it! Camden Market
Notting Hill Carnival at the end of August sees this usually quiet area of London transformed into a street festival of colour, loud reggae music, floats and fun. Go during the day if you have young children as the streets become very packed at night.
Musical highlights
Free music
If you're in the mood for a bit of culture, you can find free recitals, concerts and rehearsals at the Royal College of Music. Churches also have free music events, so keep your eyes peeled for notices while you're out and about. Royal College of Music
Classical education
If your usual music is more chart than chamber, get along to the Clore Ballroom at the Royal Festival Hall for free lunchtime concerts of classical, jazz, Blues or singing. You can also sometimes catch a free performance in the foyer, so well worth a visit. Find out more at The Southbank Centre
Liszt at lunchtime?
If you fancy a breather from being out on the streets, the church of St Martin in the Fields, near Trafalgar Square, has a long tradition of free lunchtime concerts. Visit St Martin in the Fields for info.
Anyone for opera?
Opera tickets are expensive, but if you like opera why not grab a performance for free in Covent Garden, where singers from the Royal Opera House are often to be found 'performing' in the basement area of the piazza.
Making music
The Music Gallery at the Horniman Museum has 1,600 instruments from around the world, the largest number on display in the UK. Watch short films linking the instruments on display to their cultures, or listen to the sound made by some of them. Budding musicians will love playing some of the instruments in the Hands On space. The Horniman Museum
Remembering the Beatles...
The most famous pedestrian crossing in popular music is a designated a site of national importance. Beatles fans from around the world flock to the Abbey Road crossing to pose for photographs, imitating the picture on the Abbey Road album cover which shows Paul, John, George and Ringo strolling over the crossing in 1969.
Theatre, comedy and more...
Performing arts
Covent Garden is the place to go for street performers that will keep your kids amused for hours: from 'statues' to ventriloquists, escapologists, fire eaters and jugglers, the piazza has seen them all. Confident kids will love the chance to join in!
See City Hall
City Hall, near Tower Bridge, often has free London-related exhibitions as well as a lovely riverside location. The nearby Scoop at More London is an outdoor sunken amphitheatre with seating for 800. In the summer it regularly holds free events - from films, music and theatre to local community events and activities. Scoop at More London
Busy at the Barbican
The Barbican Centre is a concrete maze with raised walkways, gardens and water features and the free Curve Gallery. You'll often find free music or performance in the foyers and there's plenty of space to sit and people watch. The Barbican Centre
Have a laugh!
Teenage children will enjoy The Comedy Café Theatre in Shoreditch, which hosts a free open mic night for comedians on Wednesdays - a venue where many of today's biggest names first performed. Comedy Cafe Theatre
See a film at the BFI
If you have a telly addict in your family, get them along to The British Film Institute's Mediatheque - widescreen computer booths where you can watch thousands of archive TV shows, films and documentaries, with plenty of material about London itself. Book ahead or just turn up at a quiet moment. British Film Institute
Great river views
The Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank is a good place to find free concerts and exhibitions. While you're there, be sure to take the singing glass lift to the fifth floor, where you'll find a balcony area with impressive views of the Thames.
Give yourself a round of applause
Did you know you can get free tickets to many TV comedy shows - your big chance to be in the audience of one of your favourite programmes! Book in advance at the BBC comedy department
Take in a festival...
With people of so many nationalities in London, it's no surprise there are so many cultural and religious festivals to enjoy. The year kicks off with Chinese New Year (Feb) and takes in Easter and Diwali along the way. Find out more at Visit London
Enjoy a bit of Zen-like calm
These days, children learn about the world's religions at school, so why not take them to visit the Buddhist temple in Wimbledon, Wat Buddhapadipa, with its orange-robed monks and chanting? Visitors are welcome to explore the temple grounds. Buddha Padipa temple
Nature lovers
Visit a farm!
There are several city farms with free admission. One favourite is Newham City Farm, with goats, rabbits, Shire horse, llama, cattle, sheep, poultry, pigs and donkey. Milking displays and horse and cart rides by arrangement. Newham City Farm
Exotic animals...
Crystal Palace Park Farm isn't the place to go for pigs or poultry. Instead, it has chinchillas, goats, parakeets, rabbits, snakes, small lizards, amphibians, alpacas, degus and Shetland ponies. Crystal Palace Park Farm
Bit of birdwatching?
On Wandsworth Common, a local bird expert runs morning walks, where you see and listen to loads of bird species from green parakeets (yes, really!) to blue tits, robins and finches. Wandsworth council
Feed the ducks
Most parks and commons have ponds but check the local rules about feeding ducks. Some councils have banned bread, as it can go mouldy or choke the birds.
Go pond dipping!
The Horniman Nature Trail in Dulwich organises free pond-dipping in the summer holidays: check out water boatmen and dragonflies. Equipment provided; children must be accompanied by an adult. Visit The Horniman Museum
See the bees!
The Horniman Museum in Dulwich also has a fabulous Nature Base: see swarms of live bees in their hive, discover what a mole's fur feels like, look up close at insect wings and find out what sounds animals make at night. The Horniman Museum
Something batty
London Bat Group organises regular bat walks. One, for example, takes place in Holland Park, where you enjoy a talk then go out into the park with bat detectors. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea or Google 'free bat walk London' to find more.
A farm in the city
Deen City Farm in Wimbledon is open six days a week and has sheep, goats, cows, alpacas, pigs and various poultry. There are
many animals to see, some of which you can feed or stroke at certain
times of the week. Visit deencityfarm.co.uk
Fashion, beauty and shopping
Go for glamour!
If you visit the beauty departments of London's top department stores such as Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and John Lewis, you can often find free make-up demos from the likes of Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier. Teenagers, in particular, will love finding out which colours and products give them a glam look!
Window shop
Bond Street is a fun place to window shop: as well as the latest bling couture from the world's leading fashion designers, you may even spot a celebrity, out buying the latest creation for their wardrobes...
Visit the land of make-believe
If you're after a magical experience, did you know that Disney Stores have free, fun activities for kids? Events such as colouring, interactive games and group activities bring Disney to life at various times of the day. Wave a wand to make princesses sing or learn a dance to get a certificate, you'll have trouble getting the kids to leave! Disney Store, 350-352 Oxford Street, W1C 1JH.
Fancy a facial?
Beauty treatments don't come cheap, but students at the London Beauty Institute are always on the lookout for guinea pigs so they can practise their new-found skills: many therapies, including massage, manicure, facials, reflexology and waxing are on offer. Visit London Beauty Institute and follow them on Facebook to find out more.
Become a fashion model...
Almost as good as having your own Gok Wan, London's major department stores have a personal shopping service, so if your style is frump not fab, why not let them release your inner fashion diva?
Enjoy a bit of window shopping
The capital's major department stores put on a visual show all year round, not just at Christmas. Take a look at Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason for starters...
And if you don't live in London, use our handy days out planner tool to find free family days out in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and lots of other destinations around the UK.
Family Days Out
Want to have fun with the kids? We'll find you all sorts of suggestions in your area
Where to next?
- More ideas for family days out
- What to do when the weather's bad
- Fun things to do with your teenager


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A holiday story, "Christmas in 1823," by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
The winter gala days are associated in my memory with hanging up stockings, and with turkeys, mince pies, sweet cider, and sleigh rides by moonlight. My earliest recollections of those happy days, when schools were closed, books laid aside, and unusual iberties allowed, center in that large cellar kitchen to which I have already referred. There we spent many winter evenings in uninterrupted enjoyment.
A large fireplace with huge logs shed warmth and cheerfulness around. In one corner sat Peter sawing his fiddle, while our youthful neighbors danced with us and played blindman's buff almost every evening during the vacation. The most interesting character in this game was the black boy called Jacob, Peters lieutenant, who made things lively for us by always keeping one eye open — a wise precaution to guard himself from danger, and to keep us on the jump. Hickory nuts, sweet cider, and olie-koeks (a Dutch name for a fried cake with raisins inside) were our refreshments when there came a lull in the fun.
As St. Nicholas was supposed to come down the chimney, our stockings were pinned on a broomstick, laid across two chairs in front of the fireplace. We retired on Christmas Eve with the most pleasing anticipations of what would be in our stockings next morning. The thermometer in that latitude was often twenty degrees below zero, yet, bright and early we would run downstairs in our bare feet over the cold floors to carry stockings and broom to the nursery.
The gorgeous presents that St. Nicholas now distributes show that he, too, has been growing up with the country. The boys and girls of today will laugh when they hear of the contents of our stockings in 1823. There was a little paper of candy, one of raisins, another of nuts, a red apple, an olie-koek, and a bright silver quarter of a dollar in the toe. If a child had been guilty of any erratic performance during the year, which was often my case, a long stick would protrude from the stocking; if particularly good, an illustrated catechism or the New Testament would appear, showing that the St. Nicholas of that time held decided views on discipline and ethics.
During the day we would take a drive over the snow-clad hills and valleys in a long red lumber sleigh. All the children it could hold made the forest echo with their songs and laughter. The sleigh bells, and Peter's fine tenor voice, added to the chorus, seemed to chant, as we passed, "Merry Christmas!" to the farmers' children and to all we met on the highway. Returning home, we were allowed, as a great Christmas treat, to watch all the preparations for dinner.
Attired in a white apron and turban, Peter assisted the cook. Holding in his hand a tin candlestick the size of a dinner plate, containing a lighted tallow candle, with a stately step he marched into the spacious cellar, with Jacob and three little girls dressed in red flannel at his heels. As the farmers paid the interest on their mortgages in barrels of pork, head-cheese, poultry, eggs, and cider, the cellars were well crowded for the winter, making the master of an establishment quite indifferent to all questions offinance. Laden with vegetables, butter, eggs, and a huge turkey, Peter and his followers returned to the kitchen. There, seated on a big ironing table, we watched the dressing and roasting of the bird in a tin oven in front of the fire. Jacob peeled the vegetables, we all sang, and Peter told us marvelous stories.
Peter was a devout Episcopalian, and took great pleasure in helping the young people decorate the old stone church, built by Sir William Johnson, and which stood just opposite our house. He would take us with him and show us how to make evergreen wreaths. Like Mary's lamb, where'er he went we were sure to go. His love for us was unbounded, and fully returned. He was the only being, visible or invisible, of whom we had no fear. We would go to divine service with Peter Christmas morning and sit with him by the door, in what was called "the negro pew."
He was the only colored member of the church, and, after all the other communicants had taken the sacrament, he went to the altar. Dressed in a new suit of blue with gilt buttons, he looked like a prince, as, with head erect, he walked up the aisle, the grandest specimen of manhood in the whole congregation; and yet so strong was prejudice against color in 1823 that no one would kneel beside him. On leaving us on one of these occasions, no sooner had he started than the youngest of us, Kate, slowly followed after him and seated herself close on the altar steps beside him. As he came back, holding the child by the hand, what a lesson it must have been to that prejudiced congregation!
From: ELIZABETH CADY STANTON: As Revealed in Her Letters, Diary and Reminiscences. Edited by Theodore Stanton and Harriot Stanton Blatch.
Free ebook is available online.
Images: Holiday cookies by Miyagawa; Christmas pudding by Musical Linguist; Holiday ornament by Hmbascom.


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Genetics vs Environment among Monarchs July 31, 2012Author: Beach Combing | in : Contemporary, Medieval, Modern , trackback
There is a phrase that's trotted out from time to time that monarchs are simply the descendants of those who killed lots of people and as such deserve little respect and certainly no adulation.
Of course, it is true that monarchs are the descendants of those who killed many people. But what really matters is not that they killed but who they killed. The present English monarch has, in her veins, for example, the genetic markers of those who spilt a metric tonne of Viking blood (God knows they had it coming), quite a lot of 'Turkish' blood, oodles of Spanish blood and most importantly enough French blood to fill ten thousand Olympic swimming pools. English identity is summed up by that kill list and the queen is a walking embodiment of what it means to be English because of her serial killing great great great great (x10) grandparents.
So far so good. The monarchy was picked out in earlier times by a Darwinian drive to kill and be 'fitter' than other human beings. The genetics in a royal family is presumably better than other families, hence the surprising ability of kings and queens through the ages. Only, Beach at least, cannot take genetics seriously. At least not to this extent. It is all well and good talking about the symbolism of a blood line but the reality can't give one family that much of an edge. This is especially true when said royal family has spent the last three generations 'debasing' itself by marrying cross-eyed cousins from other royal lines.
Of course, if you look at the list of kings and queens from the last thousand years of European history there were a minority who should never have made it: Christian VII, Gian Gastone, Ludwig II of Bavaria… They hadn't the skill set necessary and were bad news for their countries. However, the really incompetent monarchs are few. Most were capable and several were exceptional.
This is where Beach starts to have problems. Monarchy is in some senses a random political system: a country's genetic pool has a lottery and spits out one man or woman to rule. G.K. Chesterton had fun with this in the Napoleon of Notting Hill. It is the equivalent of looking around your High School biology class and saying, 'kids, we are now going to put everyone's name in a hat and choose a supreme ruler: Brandon stop playing with that bunsen burner!'.
Do you remember those in your high school biology class? The idea of 70% of that class sitting on a jury is terrifying enough: the idea of them being surrounded by courtiers is sheer ice-cold horror. And yet… And yet… Most kings and queens rise above C+. The only explanation that Beach can find is that their upbringing was exceptional: they were raised to duty and office. This means that paradoxically monarchy is the best argument he knows for environment over genetics.
Of course, Prince Charles may make him change his mind in a couple of years.
Beach has never found anything written along these lines and if anyone has any suggestions for reading or thinking he'd love to hear them: drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com
2 August 2012: First Andy: 'What you are looking for is Lysenkoism, a "science" pushed by Trofim Lysenko in the soviet days. He decided that ofspring would inherit acquired traits, so a plant regularly plucked of it's leaves, would produce seedlings which were bare of leaves. Applied to people, a son of blacksmiths would be a better blacksmith, a daughter of ballet dancers would be a better dancer, because her parents were so skilled. There is an entertaining short story debunking it in the "Spontoon Island" archive – (based on a world of human-animal hybrids) Then Tacitus from Detritus: Regards the genetics of monarchy you must make allowances for human frailty and dalliance. Sure, kings had liaisons all the time, but it would be naive to imagine that queens-although closely supervised-did not diversify the gene pool on occasion. Henry VIII was not entirely paranoid. And of course throughout history there were a smattering of monarchs who were more than willing to subcontract this sort of thing. Yes, I am looking at you Edward II. Long ago I posted on my blog something that has caused me pangs of regret: I mean really, folks looking for something serious on the English Civil War get nonsense like this. Thousands of folks. More this week due to the damn royal corgis. I suppose the modern era of tabloids and DNA testing will relegate royal hanky panky to the obsolescence that is monarchy in general in these swank times.' Thanks Tacitus and Andy!


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2016 Position Preview – The Bench
The bench, the reserve players, for any baseball team remains one of the easiest to overlook, yet highly impactful part of a 25-man roster. These guys never get the recognition they deserve for trying to stay ready over the course of a 162-plus-game season and just being ready to do what is necessary when the time comes. The bench in baseball isn't like a bench in basketball – the likelihood of entering a game is extremely minimal, playing time is never guaranteed or regular (there's no set innings/outs mark for a baseball reserve player to reach), and there's no "10th Man" award that serves as an attainable goal for the best bench player. Still, the proper depth, flexibility, and utilization of these players by a manager is one of the biggest keys to a team's longevity over the course of a season and determinant of how far they go in a post-season.
- Week 1: The Rotation; Catcher
- Week 2: First Base; Second Base
- Week 3: Third Base, Shortstop
- Week 4: Left Field, Center Field
- Week 5: Right Field, The Bench
- Week 6: The Bullpen, The Coaching Staff
In 2015: The Rangers broke camp in 2015 with a four-man bench – backup catcher Carlos Corporan, utility infielder Adam Rosales, and two reserve outfielders in Jake Smolinski and DeLino DeShields. That's right, DeLino DeShields started off as the backup center fielder to Leonys Martin. By the mid-point of the year, only DeShields was having an impact on the team, having forced his name into the starting lineup as the everyday center fielder.
Corporan, who was a non-factor offensively, ended up sidelined with a sprained thumb that required off-season surgery. Although he was activated for the September Roster Expansion, he was never used in a game because of that thumb. Corporan has since signed as a New York Yankee.
Adam Rosales, the incumbent utility player from 2014, played in 55 games and really performed right to his average line (2015 – .228/.296/.342, Career – .227/.294/.342) with just under average defense playing six positions. He ended up being designated for assignment with the activation of lefty starter Derek Holland and was granted his unconditional release. He has since signed with the San Diego Padres.
Smolinski, who entered Spring Training as one of the finalists for the vacant left field position, never regained the momentum he had in 2014 as one of those power-hitting, "come out of nowhere" type contributors. After being designated for assignment in June, rival Oakland claimed him.
Everyone knows what happened to DeShields. After the All-Star break, with the aforementioned players no longer a factor, the bench took on a much different look. The Rangers went internal for their utility infielder and brought up Hanser Alberto. Alberto came up as a defensive-minded fielder who could excel at second, short and third. His claim to fame came in the Division Series, when Adrian Beltre had to be sidelined in the middle of game one with a strained back. Alberto would be called upon to replace the heart and soul of the club, a tall task indeed, and ended up with a game-winning hit in the 14-inning Game 2.
The other three bench players in the playoffs were secondary catcher Chris Gimenez, and two free agent outfielders in the form of Will Venable and Drew Stubbs.
In 2016: The bench picture looks a lot clearer going into Spring Training. How that continues to evolve over the course of the club's time in Arizona remains to be seen. As of now, Hanser Alberto is the incumbent utility infielder, a role he was quite comfortable and happy in filling last season. As it stands, Chris Gimenez will be the backup to Robinson Chirinos, although Jon Daniels made some moves to create some competition for that reserve catcher. Bringing back Bobby Wilson, who performed that duty admirably behind Gimenez in the second half of the season, and signing free-agent backstop Michael McKenry will do just that. It would appear to be Gimenez' spot to lose, but as has been shown, manager Jeff Banister isn't afraid to go with an unconventional choice if that choice benefits the club.
There is one part of the diamond whose reserve spot is up for grabs. One spot is taken, but there would seem to be a second outfield spot for the taking. In the off-season, the club signed veteran Justin Ruggiano to be the right-handed hitting complement to left-fielder Josh Hamilton. With recent news coming out that Hamilton's twice-surgically repaired knee has been pain-free for approximately one, single day this Winter, Ruggiano would appear to be in line for far more playing time than likely thought. In competition for the remaining one or two outfield spots are Ryan Rua, who was 2015's Opening Day starting left fielder, prospects Nomar Mazara and Lewis Brinson, and, assuming he gets enough reps in the outfield, Joey Gallo.
From the Hot Stove: Just because we're a little over two weeks out from Spring Training doesn't mean that additional moves won't be made to see who else can contribute to this contending Texas Rangers team. As other teams make moves and shore up their strengths, surpluses can be created and dealt from. With the Tampa Bay Rays having acquired Corey Dickerson from Colorado, they now have a couple of extra outfielders that could profile as fourth or fifth outfielders on the Rangers in the form of Desmond Jennings, who missed most of last year with a knee injury, but could be an average-contact hitter potentially good for double-digit home runs who plays all three outfield positions, and Brandon Guyer, who primarily profiles as a fourth outfielder. Tampa, incidentally, needs a high-leverage reliever, something Texas happens to have in spades.
In the free agent market, names like Austin Jackson, Chris Denorfia, Marlon Byrd and Dexter Fowler remain, but the latter would cost a draft pick and more money and years than the Rangers would want to spend.
The "Richard Durrett" three questions at this position:
- Which four players would make up your Bench for the Texas Rangers? The way things are shaping up, think of a reserve catcher, utility infielder and two backup outfielders.
- Who sees more playing time this year: Josh Hamilton or Justin Ruggiano?
- Is there a name in free agency or trade that you believe would be a great piece to add to Jeff Banister's bench?
Next week is our last week of Position Previews at Shutdown Inning! I'm as sad as you all are, but we've got two very important and very fluid spots on the club coming up – The Bullpen and The Coaching Staff.


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Storm chasers aid public safety
Published 10:58 am, Saturday, October 20, 2012
There are those who relish in the thrill of a chase and get excited when a storm is brewing. Storm chasers might be described as foul weather enthusiasts, but they do play a role in helping keep the professionals abreast of conditions hazardous to the public.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jody James has been a professional weather man for 24 years, and has seen storm-chasing by lay people evolve with technology.
"Obviously, they all have a passion for the weather and getting up close and personal with the storm," James said. "The typical chaser now has a phone, they might have some video equipment or at a minimum a camera." In some cases, chasers stream live video. While many storm chasers are young, James said there are people in their 50s, 60s, and even older out there chasing storms.
"They seem to get most excited when they see a tornado, James explained. "I think in general, that is hitting the jackpot . . . Seeing Mother Nature at its best or worst, depending on your perspective."
Most chasers communicate with the National Weather Service in real time on spotternetwork.org.
As James explained, there's a difference between chasers and "spotters" when it comes to reporting such events as tornadoes, hail and flash floods.
Storm spotters are typically public servants of some sort, like law enforcement and firefighters. Chasers, on the other hand, are people who gravitate to storms as a hobby.
Such was the case Oct. 12 during a hail storm in Hale Center when chasers from outside the area converged. A tornado was observed touching down five miles southeast of Hale Center in a storm system that delivered baseball-sized hail, at least in one case breaking car windows.
"They just come out of the woodwork when this happens," Jeff Vitale, another NWS meteorologist, said after that storm.
The Spotter Network brings storm spotters, storm chasers, coordinators and public servants together, according to the website. It provides information to public servants engaged in the protection of life and property.
Most chasers, James said, are responsible and know how to safely pursue their hobby while providing valuable public safety information, oftentimes in remote areas.
This area of the country is a coveted place to be for storm chasers, as the meteorologist explained.
"The chasing environment here is good, we have good visibility . . . They refer to it as a good chase."
Interest in storm chasing as a hobby spiked in 1996, James noted, with the release of "Twister," depicting a married couple on the brink of divorce joining together to create an advanced weather alert system while putting themselves in harm's way of violent tornadoes.
"I think when the movie came out, that seemed to result in an increase in people who wanted to storm chase," James said.
Texas Tech offers a graduate program in atmospheric science, and James said those students also like the chase.
"They have students who go out and storm chase, sometimes with university equipment and sometimes on their own," he said.
As for exercising caution when chasing the storms, James said spotters, such as law enforcement officers, are trained for safety by the NWS. But experienced chasers, he said, also typically are good about staying out of harm's way.
"Experienced chasers know how to be safe, they know how to be in the correct place in relation to the storm," James said. "It's not something someone wants to try and do without much knowledge of meteorology or severe storms because you can get into trouble in a hurry."
To comment:


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Executive Director
Meg Baldwin, J.D.
Executive Director
Meg Baldwin is the Executive Director of Refuge House, the domestic and sexual violence center serving the eight county Big Bend area. She has served in this role since 2005. Prior to joining Refuge House, Meg was an Associate Professor of Law at the Florida State University College of Law, specializing in women's rights, violence against women, and prostitution.
Meg is a nationally recognized expert on the legal, social, and advocacy issues facing prostituted women and children. She was instrumental in creating one of the first advocacy and support agencies for women seeking to escape and heal from prostitution. Meg drafted the first state legislation to provide civil remedies for women coerced in prostitution against perpetrators, which has become the model for legislation adopted in other states.
Meg was the 2008 recipient of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence Warrior for Women Award, and the 2010 recipient of the National Organization of Men Against Sexism Lifetime Achievement Award.
Meg serves on the Board of Directors of United Partners for Human Services and the Board of Directors of the United Way of the Big Bend. Meg has served on the Board of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, the National Advisory Board of the FCADV Trafficking Project, and was an advisor to the Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Study Commission. She is a 1984 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School.


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Policeman moved by hunger victims gives all his salary
Thursday August 4 2011
One of the core functions of the police is to protect, life but this time an officer saved a life by donating his entire July salary to the Kenyans4Kenya relief kitty.
Police Constable Hashim Mohammed Elmoge was moved by the story of a child who continued suckling her mother long after she had died.
"I had heard that people were going hungry, but had not imagined how serious it was until I saw the real situation in the media," said Elmoge.
Law enforcer
The law enforcer said he was convinced he could not feed the entire starving population but said he would be very pleased if he saved even one life.
He was probably borrowing a leaf from the teaching of Mother Teresa that if you cannot feed a hundred people, just feed one.
The police constable's act has shown that it is the epitome of generalisation to assume that all officers are brutal and corrupt, only interested in receiving.
He says he felt morally bound to join the just cause of saving the lives of Kenyans suffering.
Asked about how much he had contributed the officer simply quipped: "Let me not quote the figure. Even a shilling will make a difference." He added that that was just the beginning.
"I would urge my colleagues to realise the significance of giving, especially during this holy month of Ramadhan," he said, adding that he was glad his mother welcome his decision.
His mother Mariam Hajji Dakane who is a former nominated councillor who lives in Wajir town.
The first born in a family of nine — seven boys and two girls — was born on November 27, 1975 and attended Township Primary School in Wajir.
He sat for KCPE in 1989 and scored 50 points out of the possible 84 points.
In 1993, he sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at Sabuney Secondary School in Wajir and scored a mean grade of C plain.
His father, Mr Mohammed Elmoge, passed away in December 2006. He was a politician and had contested twice — 1979 and 1983 — for Wajir Central parliamentary seat.
"I am still single and don't intend to marry soon," said the 36-year-old officer who was quick to add that the lady he would marry will be the happiest.
Police Constable Elmoge, Force number 86369, who hails from Wajir Central, studied Political Science at the Agra University in India before joining Delhi University where he studied a post graduate Diploma in Journalism.
Officer Elmoge also pursued a degree in law at the Mysore University, also in India.
He came from India in December 2001 but after failing to secure a place at the Kenya School of Law, decided to join the Kenya Police.
He was recruited into the Kenya Police Force in 2004 and served at the Industrial Area police station where he served till 2009 when he was transferred to the Crime and Intelligence Unit at the operations department of the Nairobi area Provincial headquarters.
At Industrial Area station the officer served at the report and inquiry desk, crime branch and also area patrols.
In the year 2008, he attended a special promotion course at the senior Training wing of the Kenya Police College but one month into the training he was discontinued on medical grounds.
He developed hernia and came back to Nairobi where he was later operated on in early 2009 at the Equator Hospital in Nairobi West.
"I have recovered fully and hope that I will be considered for the next promotional course," said Elmoge.
But the generous officer has had a brush with the law twice, both before the Wajir magistrate's court first on charges of being in possession of bhang.
The court however acquitted him but convicted the other man he was with, last year.
The officer was also charged before the same court early this year with assaulting another man in Wajir town but the matter was later withdrawn after the complainant withdrew his case.
Nairobi deputy PPO Moses Ombati said the officer was under interdiction because he was charged before court.
However the court acquitted him last year and his seniors had written to the Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere to consider his case.
"It will be at the discretion of the commissioner to either uplift the interdiction or remove him from the force," said Mr Ombati.


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Accept and embrace the future. Start your digital comic library by pulling the trigger on The Sixth Gun sale!
Source: Comixology
Comixology is having a 3 day sale (starting today) on Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt's supernatural western, The Sixth Gun. Follow the link below to purchase issues and bundled volumes straight from their website, or simply log into the ComiXology app on your mobile devise.
Take me to the Sixth Gun Sale now!
This is one of those digital comic sales that makes digital comic believers say, "See! This is what I'm talking about you old fashion stubborn Squidbillies!"
With this sale you can:
- Pay only 25% of the original comic book price.
- Catch-up on a wonderful series you've heard nothing but good things about, but have been holding off buying any issues because it's so far along.
- Start a digital comic collection you are proud of (It can be quite embarrassing when you let a buddy log in to your ComiXology account and they see you've purchased several issues of Witchblade or any of those Grimm Fairy Tales comics).
At least check out the first volume for only $4.99!


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I strongly believe that a professional design (theme) is a vital part of a blog. The best solution is to hire someone and design you a theme from scratch. How about the ones who cannot afford a paid theme? Of course the only option is to use a free one! Did you know that there exists professional free themes for all of us!? I have picked three ones that I really think are professional free themes
That's it for the moment. More free wordpress themes and other stuff to come!
Olgi Zenullari


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Tempe, AZ – A Jason Kipnis home run onto Rural Road in the bottom of the first inning energized a sellout crowd of 4,381 on Saturday night at Winkles Field – Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark in game 1 of the Tempe Super Regional. And by the time the evening was over, Mike Leake had secured his nation leading 16 win of the season and the 40th of his ASU career. The 7 to 4 victory over the Clemson Tigers puts the Sun Devils one win away from a return to Omaha and the College World Series, while the Tigers now hope to emulate Fresno State of last year and take the next two.
In the third inning a Chris Epps' RBI single would tie the game up for Clemson. And in the seventh Epps' would single again, this time driving in two runs to once again even the game up.
Answering right back in the bottom of the seventh a Matt Newman RBI double would drive in Carlos Ramirez and give the Sun Devils the lead for good. While in the eighth Ramirez himself would record his third hit of the night, a single through the left hand side that drove in two more insurance runs.
Graham Stoneburner would take the loss for Clemson after surrendering those three runs. Starter Casey Harman would strike out four on the night, but give up ten hits and four runs in 5.2 innings of work.
Game two is scheduled for Sunday night at 7:00 pm Pacific. Clemson will be the home team and is likely to go with Massachusetts native Chris Dwyer, while ASU will likely use Australia native Josh Spence who earlier this week claimed to be 100% recovered from injuries.


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The environmental risk which needs to be managed in a company is primarily the risk of being prosecuted in a criminal court.
This happens in two ways. Either the company is prosecuted or the individual officers or directors end up in court. The second concern must be the risk of being sued in a civil action – either by a regulator trying to recover clean-up costs or by an aggrieved third party, possibly a neighbouring landowner or resident, seeking to recover damages for property damage or interference with the use or enjoyment of the property or even for personal injury.
From the lawyer's standpoint, this means considering not only the relevant statute law (which is already complex), but also common law, especially common law nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher.
In order to manage the risks in a company, you have to identify them.
In any industrial operation, the first step is to recognise there is a risk of breaching those environmental laws relevant to that type of operation. You also have to identify those laws, otherwise you cannot know whether you are complying with them or not.
For example, pollution of a watercourse could result in prosecution by the National Rivers Association and a fine; the recovery of clean-up costs by a regulatory authority; the suspension or tightening up of conditions in the licence; and being sued in the civil court by the local angling club.
However, it would be an unfortunate company that had all of the above happen as a result of a single incident.
The downside ranges from a fine of thousands of pounds to damages of millions of pounds and tighter restrictions on the plant's operations.
Perhaps the most perverse aspect of any form of risk management in the industrial world is that the same organisation often makes the same mistakes on a cyclical basis. Corporate memory is surprisingly short – about eight years – and fades as managers move on. A well structured environmental management system can help to alleviate this problem.
The greatest need is for senior management to recognise that there is a risk to the company from environmental liabilities. Once that step is overcome, it has to formulate a policy on how to deal with it, and to implement that policy, through an environmental management system.
As well as a clear statement of the company's policy, top management must also demonstrate overt support, including assigning appropriate resources, both in terms of manpower and money. The system must encourage communication within and between departments in the company. Checks on the effectiveness of the system are essential, including information gathering, internal discussions, effective record keeping and a programme of auditing and review.
Environmental auditing is only one part of an environmental management system and is a means of checking that the system is working, rather than an end in itself.
There is also the question of how to deal with the results of an audit and other documentation. The danger is that audit reports could come to light at a future date, possibly during litigation, and could be highly damaging if they revealed relevant matters which were neglected.
A 'points to consider' list, or even an oral report, are simple alternatives to a full report.
Standards need to be implemented, both for environmental auditing and for the company to follow on a day-to-day basis. The most basic standard is compliance with relevant environmental legislation.
In addition, a knowledge of relevant forthcoming legislation is essential so the company can make appropriate investment decisions and then vary its operations if necessary. However, many companies will want to go further than compliance with legislation and will want to meet the common practice standards in their industry.
For example, it would be unusual to find a modern chemical factory without bunds around their storage tanks, yet there is no legal obligation to have them. Some companies have developed their own internal standards to meet this type of requirement, often referred to as 'best practice' or 'state of the art' standards. These are usually comprehensive and cover the day-to-day operations of the plant.
In a multi-national company, there can often be internal conflict between a foreign head office seeking to impose its version of internal standards and a local subsidiary which does not see the relevance to the local situation. It is in this situation that the voluntary EU Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS) may help a subsidiary in the EU to develop more relevant standards.
What is good practice today often becomes a legislative requirement tomorrow. It is only by identifying at an early stage those environmental risks which are most relevant to a company's operations and dealing with them that it is possible to contain the risks and associated costs.
Trevor Adams is a partner at Ashurst Morris Crisp.


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Travellers urged to stay safe
While enjoying Australia Day celebrations this long weekend, people travelling across the state are being urged to check local fire conditions before they leave and to stay informed.
Very High and Severe fire danger is forecast tomorrow with hot and windy conditions to continue through the night and into Friday morning.
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said this Australia Day long weekend, people needed to be aware of fire conditions, including Fire Danger Ratings and Total Fire Bans and should decide what they would do in the event of an emergency.
"This includes staying informed throughout the weekend. As we know, conditions can change rapidly and you need to be ready to act under the threat of fire," Mr Lapsley said.
"Often when people are travelling they are less aware of the local conditions and risk and because they are holidaying, are a lot more relaxed.
"It is extremely important heading into these severe fire conditions that you keep on top of weather and fire conditions. Decide your trigger to leave and don't wait until it's too late."
Mr Lapsley reminded the public a number of fires were still burning in the east of the state at Aberfeldy, near Heyfield and at Harrietville and said these blazes would be monitored closely tomorrow and throughout the weekend.
"Residents in these areas should also be aware for the potential of these fires to spread and the importance of keeping up to date with local warnings and advice," he said.
"Never rely on one source for information – Visit the
There is a wealth of alternative holiday activities away from fire affected areas. Local accredited Visitor Information Centres and accommodation providers across the region are well placed to inform visitors with options.
Due to current fires, Department of Sustainability and Environment (
Due to the nature of the fires, road closure information can change quickly.


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Open March 15 - November 8
Reserve: 419-738-6016
Reserve: 419-738-6016
Info: 419-738-6016
Info: 419-738-6016
14719 Cemetery Road
Wapakoneta, OH 45895Get Directions
RV Sites
Check-in: 12:00 pm, Check-out: 12:00 pm
Check-in: 2:00 pm, Check-out: 12:00 pm
Planned weekend activities are from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.
Have a fun time on our hayrides -- Every Saturday night (Memorial Day to Labor Day) and also on Sunday of a holiday weekend.
Bring your water guns for a super soaker hayride. These are a blast for all ages. July 1 and September 3
Join us on Saturdays (Memr'l Day wkend to Labor Day wkend) for either Candy Bar Bingo or Bunco. Just bring one candy bar per person and have some fun! If you win a game, you pick a candy bar as your prize. We keep playing until all the candy bars are gone! Great for all ages!
Our heated pool hours are:
Sunday thru Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday & Saturday (and Sunday of holidays) 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Please NO glass in the pool area. No pets in the pool area but someone can sit with your pup outside the fence.
Large floating devices can only be in the pool during slow times. Please be respectful of your fellow campers.
Most importantly, have fun!
Join us on any of the holiday weekends for a fun demo for everyone. Mark your calendars: Memorial Day and July 4th weekend is our Pampered Chef demo. Labor Day weekend will be the Premier Design and LuLaRoe demo. Don't miss them. They are a lot of fun.
The Wapakoneta KOA Mining Company is a great family activity. Get your flashlight and mining pick. Not really necessary but it sounded good. Join us for some fun. This is a great innovative and interactive attraction where you pan for some awesome gems, arrowheads and so much more. Make it a family game of who finds the biggest ruby! Make a great family memory!
This activity is not only fun for the children but I think the parents have a great time too! Every Saturday afternoon in summer we will have fun with Tie-Dye! Shirts of all sizes are available for $10. Let your creative side run wild with all the different colors and designs. See you there!


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GM Design Director Tom Peters defends the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray tail lights. He explains the rationale behind the back end of the C7, in response to the controversy and criticism surrounding the lack of round lights. And he points out the differences between the tail lamps on the Chevy Camaro and those of the new Stingray.
For more Corvette reviews, photos and videos: http://www.autoweek.com/section/corvette
Category: C7 Corvette, Features, People and History, Reviews, Walk Arounds
Tags: autoweek, C7, featured, Stingray, Tom Peters


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Karl Henry: A test of resolve
Resolution has to be one of the most popular words at this time of year, but it's a word that tends not to last. How many of your resolutions have you kept in the past few years?
Still, I'm a big believer in setting some.
There is nothing better than starting the New Year with focus and a goal to work towards. Just look how hard it can make you work.
The key part is to make sure that you set the right resolution, and that you make it last all year, as opposed to the usual four or five-week timeframe. The best way to do this is to set yourself a realistic goal -- one that fits into your schedule, one that is doable and one that you can measure.
If it's weight loss you're after, no matter what advert you see, there is no easy way to do it.
No matter what resolution you happen to choose, you have to work hard at it.
Working hard at something is what gives you the satisfaction of achievement, fulfilment and the sense of happiness that comes from setting a target and working towards that target.
So, no easy options this year -- we all know that they don't work.
Instead, set yourself real resolutions and commit to working towards and achieving each one.
You will need
2 chicken fillets per person
200ml low-fat natural yogurt
2 tbsp tikka spice powder
Cut the chicken into strips, then mix the low-fat yogurt and the tikka spice in a bowl and add the chicken.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave it in the fridge for between four and five hours to marinate. Once marinated, thread the mini-fillets on to wooden kebab skewers, one fillet per skewer.
Now lay the skewers on to a baking tray and cook them in the oven at 200°C for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Alternatively, you can cook them on a George Foreman grill.
Looking for a getaway with a difference, one with lots of activities and a spa to relax in afterwards? Look no further than Delphi Mountain Resort in Leenane, Connemara, which is surrounded by the stunning 12 Bens. It is one of my favourite parts of the world.
delphi mountainresort.com
This year, no matter what exercise you decide to take up as part of your New Year's resolution, you should monitor your effort levels. To achieve the optimum benefits, you need to be working hard enough so you are slightly out of breath, but still able to hold a conversation. This is called a talk test and it is the cheapest and the easiest way to ensure you get all the benefits from a workout.
Irish Independent