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Sunday, June 9, 2013
Mackowski & White: "CHANCELLORSVILLE'S FORGOTTEN FRONT: The Battles of Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church, May 3, 1863"
While Gettysburg has entire books devoted to smaller and smaller segments of the great battle, even to the extent of documenting the conflict over a single farm, Chancellorsville struggles to get much coverage at all, let alone similar micro-historical treatment. However, this imbalance has now been favorably altered with the appearance of the first full length account of the actions of General John Sedgwick's left wing of the Army of the Potomac during the campaign, entirely appropriate given that Uncle John fought essentially an independent series of battles east of Chancellorsville. Chris Mackowski and Kristopher White's Chancellorsville's Forgotten Front offers readers easily the best available military history of the battles of Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church.
The activities of the main body, under the direct control of army commander General Joseph Hooker, are ably recounted by Mackowski and White, providing context for newer readers and a refresher course for those already familiar with the campaign and the timing of events. A common theme throughout is poor communications, a product of both lines of communication length (a faulty telegraph system and a 25 mile courier route) and unclear content. In the latter case, Hooker kept his plans close to the vest, with only army chief of staff Daniel Butterfield fully informed. Instructions to corps commanders were parceled out on a need to know basis, not an ideal policy in the case of Sedgwick, who possessed a reputation for following orders but not for initiative. Thus, Sedgwick was both isolated and starved of clear direction, except for a series of orders that arrived during the heat of battle and were often vague, outdated, and non-situationally aware.
All of the movements and events associated with Sedgwick's augmented VI Corps command are admirably analyzed and detailed in Chancellorsville's Forgotten Front. While the book's overall focus shades more toward the Union perspective, the responses of their Confederate foes [primarily Jubal Early's reinforced division, Cadmus Wilcox's brigade, and a number of late reinforcements] are fully represented. Mackowski and White's largely regimental level battle narrative is at a scale that will please the great majority of readers drawn to books of this type.
Before describing the brief but bloody Battle of Second Fredericksburg, much attention is directed toward the initial river crossings below the city. As with many other aspects of the campaign, miscommunication made the bridging operation by no means a smooth one. However, abundant north bank Union artillery made it impossible for the Confederates to take advantage of any temporary confusion. The entrenched positions of Early's men, approximately 10,000 soldiers spread thinly over 7 miles, and the terrain problems imposed upon any attacking force are clearly laid out. The authors make note of the narrow-front columnar formations employed by many of Newton's assault regiments as being something of a progenitor to the breakthrough tactics later used by the army at Spotsylvania and Petersburg, but it's unclear if they were a major factor in capturing the heights. Either way, Sedgwick's cautious exploitation of his victory allowed the bulk of Early's division to escape unscathed to the south, where they could operate on the Union left flank.
While acknowledging the benefits of hindsight, the authors are critical of Sedgwick's caution at several points in the campaign. His two hour pursuit delay after capturing Fredericksburg, with the intention of bringing Brooks's fresh division to the advance, is perhaps the most egregious of these. Even so, Mackowski and White make a strong case that Confederate General Cadmus Wilcox deserves far more credit for delaying Sedgwick than he's ever been accorded by Chancellorsville lore. On his own initiative, Wilcox brought his brigade to Fredericksburg and blunted the breakthrough behind the town. He also selected Salem Heights as the proper rallying point for checking the Union advance, occupying the center position at Salem Church with reinforcements in the form of Lafayette McLaws's division and Mahone's brigade extending the Confederate line north and south. The authors detail how this force crushed Brooks's division and threw Sedgwick back on the defensive. Just how well crafted the defense was, with the five brigades positioned on the reverse slope of the height with the added benefit of an intervening wood to neutralize Sedgwick's massive edge in artillery, probably deserves even more acclaim than the book gives it. The slightly concave shape of the line also facilitated the concentration of converging fire upon the Union regiments entering the wood.
Overall, the book's leadership assessments comprise fair critiques of the generals of both sides. Wilcox's role as unsung hero of the battle has been mentioned already, and a reasonable balance is drawn between criticism of Sedgwick's excessive caution and the consequences of a poor communications setup between Hooker's headquarters and his own. Early was placed in a difficult position throughout, but performed his duties well. He averted a near disaster by quickly reoccupying the Fredericksburg position after a member of Lee's staff mistakenly ordered him to abandon it [although perhaps he should have refused all along]. Early also arranged his retreat from Fredericksburg with skill, preserved his division as a fresh fighting force and falling back in the correct southerly direction. This last action allowed him to reoccupy Marye's Heights in the confusion after the Union defeat at Salem Church and substantially increase the danger to Sedgwick's Banks Ford salient. Complaints are mainly tonal in nature. One might argue that some of the criticisms of Howard expressed in the book are outdated and it becomes a bit tiresome to yet again see McClellanism dredged up in some form each time the subject of slow movement and cautious leadership is raised.
As one has come to expect from this publisher, the quality of the maps more than meets expectation, although it would have been nice to see more than one for each battle and a few more to bridge some of the gaps that have no map associated with them (e.g. Wilcox's first blocking position). Appendix materials include orders of battle, numbers and casualty tables, a post-war sunken road history, and a list of Medal of Honor recipients.
Far more than a mere esoteric supplement to existing works on the campaign by Bigelow, Sears, Furgurson, etc., Chancellorsville's Forgotten Front is a completely original and essential part of the literature. It is highly recommended.
3 comments:
- AnonymousJune 10, 2013 at 8:00 PM
I've been eagerly awaiting this one and your thoughts on it. Thanks for providing an excellent review.
Will Hickox - Chris EvansJune 11, 2013 at 10:29 PM
Great review.
Looking at this area of the battle in detail should be very interesting for students of Chancellorsville.
Chris - AnonymousJune 17, 2013 at 8:22 PM
I've found the book pretty good, but it is quite maddening that the citations are rather useless at many places because they reference the bound volumes at FSNMP rather than the actual source of the document.
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Some scholars say early versions of the Bible featured Asherah, a powerful fertility goddess who may have been God's wife.
Research by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, a senior lecturer in the department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter, unearthed clues to her identity, but good luck finding mention of her in the Bible. If Stavrakopoulou is right, heavy-handed male editors of the text all but removed her from the sacred book.
(More on TIME.com: See how Americans view God)
What remains of God's purported other half are clues in ancient texts, amulets and figurines unearthed primarily in an ancient Canaanite coastal city, now in modern-day Syria. Inscriptions on pottery found in the Sinai desert also show Yahweh and Asherah were worshipped as a pair, and a passage in the Book of Kings mentions the goddess as being housed in the temple of Yahweh.
J. Edward Wright, president of The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies and The Albright Institute for Archaeological Research, backs Stavrakopoulou's findings, saying several Hebrew inscriptions mention "Yahweh and his Asherah." He adds Asherah was not entirely edited out of the Bible by its male editors.
"Traces of her remain, and based on those traces… we can reconstruct her role in the religions of the Southern Levant," he told Discovery News.
(More on TIME.com: See pictures of colorful religious festivals)
Asherah, he says, was an important deity in the Ancient Near East, known for her might and nurturing qualities. She was also known by several other names, including Astarte and Istar. But in English translations Ashereh was translated as "sacred tree."
"This seems to be in part driven by a modern desire, clearly inspired by the Biblical narratives, to hide Asherah behind a veil once again," Wright says.
Aaron Brody, director of the Bade Museum and an associate professor of Bible and archaeology at the Pacific School of Religion, says the ancient Israelites were polytheists, with only a "small majority" worshipping God alone. He says it was the exiling of an elite community within Judea and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C that lead to a more "universal vision of strict monotheism." (via Discovery News)
(More on TIME.com: See the history of TIME's reporting on religion)

subset: commoncrawl


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Hosting a dialogue among parents, educators and community members focused on improving our schools and providing a quality, equitable education for each of our nearly 100,000 students. ~ "ipsa scientia potestas est" ~ "Knowledge itself is power"
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Open Records Request yields interesting information about SPLOST
It seems that Nancy was 'virtually' bullied by Gene Walker and others on the board for her vote against the SPLOST IV construction plans put forth by the board. She was also very concerned about the apparent advocacy by employees of the district for the passage of SPLOST. She repeatedly sought information and pointed out problems as she saw them. There was some very serious 'cheerleading' for SPLOST IV by some DCSS power players behind the scenes—a big 'no-no' legally speaking.
Below are some quotes from the stack of hard copies of the emails requested and received by the Dunwoody group:
Responding to Nancy's inquiry as to the rumor that there was a meeting about SPLOST IV that evening, Barbara Colman (DCSS COO and head of construction) sent an email to the entire board announcing the upcoming meetings at the offices of ODE (Organization of DeKalb Educators) scheduled by "Friends of DeKalb", the PAC with the goal of passing SPLOST IV.
Dr Walker responded, asking Nancy, "Since you have publicly stated your opposition to SPLOST IV what use would you have for such info?"
Nancy's response: "Thank you for asking. First let me clarify what I have and have not stated publicly. As you recall, I did not vote in favor of this SPLOST resolution and stated the reasons for my vote prior to the vote. This is not congruent with being against SPLOST IV as a financial mechanism. This is an important difference."
She goes on to explain that she wanted the info in order to keep a current calendar for her constituents. (Nancy maintains a blog which you can find here.)
Nancy asks in a later email to Barbara Colman, Dr. Atkinson, Ms. Tyson and the rest of the board, "Will our attorneys be present? This is a meeting of an advocacy group expressly gathered to promote the passage of SPLOST. As such, any use of employees and county resources dedicated to this meeting must be clear that they cannot advocate for this tax but only provide information. Also, if a group formed to advocate against the tax would the county provide equivalent personnel and resources? I want to make sure we are operating in compliance with the law."
Ramona Tyson replied to the group, "Ms. Jester, Again, the administration has never met with this group or any other group to promote the passage of SPLOST. Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan (SAB) continually meets with staff to provide guidance and direction on our role which is simply to provide information to requesting groups. We have been scripted and advised in meetings with SAB on our role. We repeatedly communicate this to you and will continue to do every time we receive this type of communication We have been told by SAB that we may attend meetings where we are asked to provide information but never promote SPLOST. We are in full compliance now, and the past and will continue in the future. You have received emails that are archived that communicate this same position."
To which Nancy replied, "Let me assure you my memory is serving me quite well here. Again, I write about this matter because I am not convinced that our staff is compliant with the letter or spirit of the law. I hope that offers clarity and assurance that I shall not drop this matter. To this point, I am in possession of an email from a staff member that states, '…the school district is asking for your energy, enthusiasm and support once again.'"
Nancy goes on to indicate that Tyson's statement is false since the email she obtained clearly predates Tyson's assertion that "the administration has never met with this group or any other group to promote the passage of SPLOST" (see the above Tyson quote). Tyson was copied on that earlier email and was, therefore, aware that the staff member had been meeting with the PAC from earlier in the summer.
Tyson replied, "Give us this staff member's name so that we can address this through personnel." Nancy then replies that she will forward the original email from the employee to the attorneys and Tom Bowen.
Later in the emails collected, Paul Womack forwarded an email to the board written by Eric Johnson (former state legislator who proposed building prison camps for illegal immigrants) describing why he is supporting SPLOST. Nancy replied that Eric Johnson lives in Savannah and that his email was about Chatham County's SPLOST and wasn't meant to advocate for SPLOST in DeKalb. Further, of course, Eric Johnson cannot and will not vote in DeKalb. She questioned the relevance of Johnson's actions in Savannah to support for SPLOST in DeKalb since the circumstances, which she described, were so different.
Gene Walker then responded with an email to Nancy stating that, "It both saddens and disappoints me to see how transparent and consistent you are in attempting to diminish or dash any scintilla of support one might muster for the November vote on DeKalb's SPLOST. However, the most hurtful and insulting aspect of your response is your expressing the need to clarify any confusion over Eric's email. In case you're not aware, the implication is that your level of reading and comprehension is superior to ours."
That comment made me chuckle. How could Nancy's questioning the use of sharing the opinion of a former state legislator from hundreds of miles away to promote our SPLOST be "hurtful" or imply that she has superior reading skills? As I read it, I interpreted Nancy's reply to only infer that Womack was misrepresenting support for DeKalb's SPLOST by allowing people to assume that this email from Johnson promoted DeKalb's SPLOST. Perhaps Nancy should no longer infer anything. Perhaps she should just say exactly what she is thinking.
However, Walker continues to berate Jester in his four paragraph email stating that he is well aware that Johnson does not represent DeKalb but that "former state senator Johnson's explanation of SPLOST and why he supports it for his community is one of the least confusing and credible examples one can offer regarding the value of SPLOST and how it is managed. And the importance and meaning of his e-mail to me is that he is encouraging people in Georgia, no matter their county, to vote 'Yes' for SPLOST."
So basically, Walker figures it is perfectly fine to plagiarize and send out someone else's email with the intent of swaying voters in your own district on your own version of a similar issue. Interesting.
I read the Johnson email in its entirety. Not only does he not mention anything about the rest of the state SPLOSTs, nor encourage anyone anywhere else to vote for a SPLOST, Johnson references only specific tax benefits for Chatham County such as reducing the millage rate by 3 mils over 5 years (not true for DeKalb). He also says they have the lowest millage rate in the metro area (not true for DeKalb). In fact, he specifically says that property taxes will increase by law to pay for approved bonds (in Chatham County only). Further, one entire paragraph in Johnson's email is devoted to the fact that SPLOST will provide much needed construction jobs for people. Specifically, he states, "This isn't spending tax dollars as a 'stimulus' for green jobs or politically-correct purposes, but real, good-paying construction jobs."
Nancy responded by reiterating the tax implication in DeKalb for non-passage of SPLOST, "If SPLOST fails, it would sunset and (the $2500 exemption) would result in a $57 per year increase in property taxes. This would be the same for any property. ($2500 x 22.98 mils). If the voters of DeKalb passed a SPLOST in the future, I believe that exemption would return."
51 comments:
WOW! I'm very impressed with Nancy. I have a feeling this is part of what the Grand Jury may be investigating. It is time for the board members to be held accountable. My gut tells me this is just the beginning...
- January 4, 2012 at 12:12 PM
- Atlanta Media Guy said...
Unreal! Does anyone think Eugene Walker and for that matter Womack should resign at the next BOE meeting? This was blatant cheerleading by our BOE members. I also wonder who the DCSS employee is, that Nancy speaks of, who wrote an email that expresses the need of support for SPLOST IV. Time to lawyer up again!
Great read and let's have some more Open Records requests, what a treasure trove of info. Puts that whole embarrassing meeting in perspective, when the BOE members walked out on Jester, McChesney and Pam Speaks explaining why they voted against SPLOST.
I hope the investigation continues, DA James will be put under a lot of pressure to squelch this, but I think the cat is out of the bag and we're about to find out a whole lot more about just how DCSS has been enriching friends and family members of our elected, formerly elected and hired leaders of the once "Premiere" school system....
Will the taxpayers be on the hook for the defense lawyers of our BOE members if charges are brought against them? I'm afraid I know the answer to this question and it's not a good one for our students and teachers. I hope I'm wrong. - January 4, 2012 at 12:48 PM
- Dekalbparent said...
Kinda tickled that this blog post immediately follows the post on the anti-bullying effort started by the former DCSS students...
- January 4, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Nancy Jester must have a lot of guts and patience to deal with that kind of bullying from her fellow board members. I am glad someone with her integrity is on the board. (I voted against this SPLOST.)
- January 4, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Entire DCSS reported to be taking "FMLA"
"Fire My Lazy A$$" - January 4, 2012 at 4:00 PM
I did not know promotion of splost was not allowed by board members. Jay CunninghM was standing in his usual spot on an island area Along Wesley Chapel RoD holding his 'vote yes for splost' sign. He was on his phone at that time.
I say usual spot because this is where he stoop when he was running for reelection. - January 4, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Sorry for my typos, I am on a phone
- January 4, 2012 at 4:16 PM
Actually, as "private citizens" board members can do anything they want. So, they have the same freedom of speech as the rest of us, as long as they aren't on school system time or using school system resources, like their email addresses.
School board positions are part-time, so technically he probably didn't violate any laws.
However, it certainly falls in the fuzzy ethical area. No surprise there. - January 4, 2012 at 4:34 PM
Anon 4:34pm.
Let me try and help you understand the law, elected officials and private citizens.
Board Members are elected officials of DeKalb County and the School District.
They receive $23,420 per year as an elected official.
They have the ability to create potential laws that actually citizens vote on. SPLOST, an increase in the mileage rate, etc.
They can not promote a referendum that they (BOE) voted to have on the ballot. (PERIOD)
If I am on the BOE and created a motion to pass legislation that is voted on by the citizens of DeKalb County, then I am not allowed to promote or advocate for the legislation. As a person or a board member.
End of story. - January 4, 2012 at 5:08 PM
- Get the Cell Out - ATL said...
Curious if the Dunwoody group was charged a fee for these documents. We were sent a letter from an attorney asking for hundreds of dollars when we asked for cell tower meeting minutes and contracts and proposals.
Briarlake apparantly had no trouble when they asked for the same thing. They also reportedly have copies of the research the board relied upon that showed them the health risks were "50/50."
What is the trick to getting this board to comply with Open Records? Can we ask them to just post all the contracts on their website so all the schools can see exactly what they were signed up for? - January 4, 2012 at 5:19 PM
@Anon 5:08
I'm not arguing or disputing your point, but what "law" do you base this on?
So they're elected by the citizens and paid by the county. Do they lose their First Amendment rights because of this?
The point made by Anon 4:34 sounds more reasonable. As long as they're not acting in their official capacity as a board member or using board/school system resources, what law are they breaking? - January 4, 2012 at 5:30 PM
There was a very interesting comment on DeKalb County School Watch regarding the use of the DCSS server/website (Druid Hills HS) which had information advocating for SPLOST IV. The following web address had the information listed below:
Here is an excerpt:
"Upcoming Meetings on the School SPLOST
Both the Fernbank PTA and the Emory LaVista Parent Council will have presentations on the school SPLOST at their October meetings. The PTA meeting is October 18 at 6:00 p.m., and the ELPC meeting is October 19 at 9:00 a.m., both in the Fernbank cafeteria. If you have any additional questions, you can contact Fernbank parents serving on the county-wide SPLOST advocacy committee: …….If you or someone you know would like a yard sign supporting the school SPLOST, please contact …. at the above address. "
Then it went on to list the positives if SPLOST IV passed and the negatives if it didn't pass.
The DCSS website is one of the primary means of communication for DCSS.
IMO - It was not appropriate to post this on the Druid Hills website which is part of the school system server. - January 4, 2012 at 7:15 PM
Does anyone know how to get a copy of the actual grand jury report? The presentment is not yet posted on the DeKalb DA website.
- January 4, 2012 at 7:31 PM
- PolitiMom said...
@anon 5:30
I think this is similar to the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in political campaigns. Yes, it is a violation of freedom of speech, but more likely a protection from undue influence.
I'm so proud of Nancy Jester. And so relieved to know she is consistent with her views and commitment to watchdogging behind closed doors. I just wish the AJC would pick up on it and act like investigative reporters for once. Time for Bowen and Walker to go. - January 4, 2012 at 8:34 PM
If you are having trouble with Open Records request and you believe DCSS is not living up to the letter of the law, you can (and should) contact the GA General Attorney Sam Olens. This is a big issue with/for him and he and his office will give you guidance.
Yes, it is legal to be charged for the records you request, but governments are required to be the most cost efficient as possible. (For example, offering electronic copies rather than paper)
Good luck! - January 4, 2012 at 8:44 PM
In Fulton, pro-SPLOST meetings were held by PTAs at schools, so I am not sure there is any law prohibiting anything. If someone could site the law, I would be interested.
- January 4, 2012 at 8:49 PM
PTAs can advocate for SPLOST, but school system employees cannot advocate for SPLOST in their roles of school employees. I looked at some of the Fulton PTA websites that advocated for SPLOST. They were not hosted on the Fulton server.
- January 4, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Brilliant idea on the part of these parents for getting this information via Open Records. I guarantee any random set of records would reveal something just as conniving and over the top as this.
Nancy Jester, thank you for being willing to tolerate this type of garbage and showing us there are people out there who understand what they are supposed to do as board members. - January 4, 2012 at 11:04 PM
- Paula Caldarella said...
I have a favor. I would like to submit an Open Records request myself. If the individual(s) who submitted the one reference here would contact me so I can find out how this was done I would appreciate it. Please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Thanks!!! - January 5, 2012 at 7:09 AM
In order to file an Open Records Request, you can simply send an email or letter requesting the items that you would like to see. The legal citation is O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-1(a)(1), 50-18-70(a). You can go to the Attorney General's website and view information about the open records act and FAQs about filing an open records request:
FAQs are here:
http://law.ga.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,87670814_87996542,00.html - January 5, 2012 at 7:18 AM
- Cerebration said...
We have a link on the side panel of the home page under "Favorite Links" called Open Records Generator". It was developed by journalism students and after you input some parameters, it will generate a professionally written legal request. Then you just email or snail mail it to the relevant person/people. Pretty cool!
There is also a very good organization devoted to Open Records in Georgia called the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. Their website is
http://www.gfaf.org/ - January 5, 2012 at 8:35 AM
- Cerebration said...
Also, we are getting reports that the school system puts its attorneys on many of these requests and they may write you a letter stating that the cost to dig up and copy what you seek will cost a ridiculous amount of money. Do not pay. You are entitled to a low cost response. In fact, you are entitled to go to the main office and look through the documents to see what you'd like to have copied (many times they try to get away with sending you a lot of items that are not exactly what you are looking for - wasting your time and money). Jim Walls at Atlanta Unfiltered is an expert in Open Records. He has helped us several times. Many journalists are devoted to this cause, as this is taxpayer money -- your money -- and you are entitled to see how it is spent.
Of course - the Online Check Register would be a big step into the light for the school system! - January 5, 2012 at 8:49 AM
@Cere 8:49...I went to hit the "like" button on your comment and forgot this was a blog. Well said re: online check register!
- January 5, 2012 at 9:13 AM
Gene Walker had to bully Nancy, as he made a deal with the Fernbank mafia. They support his re-election, he gets them a new school, even though they just had a renovation a few years ago. Quid quo pro.
- January 5, 2012 at 4:16 PM
- Paula Caldarella said...
Confirmation of Marcus Turk's "reassignment":
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-superintendent-sidelines-finance-1291141.html - January 5, 2012 at 6:43 PM
And you have to love Gene Walker: (from the AJC article about Turk)
School board member Eugene Walker said Turk was an "excellent employee" and that he didn't know why Atkinson dismissed him. He also said such staffing decisions are within the superintendent's purview.
"All we do is hold the superintendent accountable for the results," he said. - January 5, 2012 at 8:12 PM
"Woods would not comment about the specifics surrounding Turk's dismissal. The former finance chief will continue working for the district in another role, Woods said."...
..."School board member Eugene Walker said Turk was an "excellent employee" and that he didn't know why Atkinson dismissed him. He also said such staffing decisions are within the superintendent's purview."
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-superintendent-sidelines-finance-1291141.html - January 5, 2012 at 8:13 PM
@ 8:12 pm
""All we do is hold the superintendent accountable for the results," he said."
Yet Walker NEVER held Lewis accountable for results as student achievement in DCSS low income schools plummeted. Tyson had the worst results of all yet he wanted her to be the permanent superintendent.
Look how many relatives he has working for the school system.
From the AJC::
"Relatives working for system: Son is a resource officer; daughter-in-law is a secretary; granddaughter is a secretary; several relatives are also longtime employees of the school district."
http://www.ajc.com/news/school-board-report-card-669675.html - January 5, 2012 at 8:24 PM
Walker needs to be gone he is old school. He should have just said the board is behind our super. No he did not because he is part and the friends and family. If he had been doing his job we would not be in the mess. Go home walker plant some flowers or watch soaps. It's a new day the gig is up.
- January 5, 2012 at 9:03 PM
Word on the street is that Walker is falling apart over the changes. (Not sure what to call them -- reassignments, firings, etc?)
Anyhow, Walker is MAD. - January 5, 2012 at 9:05 PM
A not-so-veiled threat from Gene Walker. This is the first time I have heard him utter the word "accountability" vis a vis a superintendent. I expect he and those BOE members who have the most to lose will begin to undermine Dr. Atkinson, as this comment in the AJC subtly does. Here's what I think: the BOE members who voted for Dr. A thought they were getting a super they could manipulate. The deal, they thought, was that they'd pay her a boatload and she -- so happy to lead a school district of such career-building size -- would do as they directed. Instead, I think this woman has more character than they counted on. I bet she is learning about corrupt practices she never in her wildest dreams thought she'd encounter. I am thrilled that these stories are creeping their way to the surface - the Grand Jury presentment; the collapse of NewBirth Academy which brings attention to the expensive-to-run DCSS charter school on the same property; Berry's departure; the growing batch of reassignments; Wood's promise of "drastic" personnel changes. That said, members of this BOE will fight to maintain their power and influence. Dr. A may turn out to be the super who surfaces all the issues, gets rid of toxic personnel, and recalibrates the district during what will turn out to be a brief and stormy tenure.
- January 5, 2012 at 9:27 PM
Breif and stomy.. you are correct. Three Black highly qualified thrown to the wolves. Three Black women down the tube. All replaced by whites. Yes, bring on the accountability, Dr. Walker and bring it on soon. Wonder whose watching the "money" now? We do not need any more furlough days and we need our tax sheltered money as promised. Stop the waste...paying high salaries to replace folk who are in holding cages. Increase in student achievement..can't wait to see the test scores!
- January 5, 2012 at 9:37 PM
If PTA's are allowed to advocate for a tax, then the rules should be very clear that the PTA board take a vote as to a formal public position. Then in their correspondence, they should report that a vote was taken and affirmed.
If not, members of the PTA that are not in favor of the tax would have a legitimate complaint about the way the PTA is being managed.
ts a member organization with board representation and require disclosure as to public positions assigned to the organization. - January 6, 2012 at 12:50 AM
Here is the saddest part of the Nancy Jester/Gene Walker back and forth:
Gene Walker has a history of trying to BULLY WOMEN.
And the feckless, weak BOE Chair Tom Bowen ALLOWS WALKER TO KEEP BULLYING!!
Shame of you Gene Walker, a bully with a scandalous past.
This is a new one:
"In Tuesday's motion, Gillen accused Baker, Baker aide Sam Tillman and Parole Board member Gene Walker of trying to cover up a written record of a telephone call Baker allegedly made on behalf of a convicted cocaine trafficker."
Older Walker mess:
You, Chairman Tom Bowen, are even more of a disgrace. You should at least know better. - January 6, 2012 at 9:49 AM
School board member Eugene Walker said Turk was an "excellent employee" and that he didn't know why Atkinson dismissed him. He also said such staffing decisions are within the superintendent's purview.
"All we do is hold the superintendent accountable for the results," he said.
Left unsaid by Walker and the AJC: Gene Walker has at least five or six families members working for the school system, some without college degrees yet making more than actual teachers!!! - January 6, 2012 at 9:51 AM
No sane adult can read Walker's past comments, or watch his behavior at BOE meetings, and state that he is a competent, professional, mature, responsible elected official. He is truly an embarassment to the school system and county as a whole.
If I can find the time, I'm thinking about leading a recall against him. - January 6, 2012 at 12:15 PM
If Walker runs for re-election, I can't imagine him getting a vote from any female voter not related to him.
- January 6, 2012 at 1:09 PM
Walker has been granted a stay of execution by the legislature.
Even though the new law states that we should reduce the size of the school board from 9 to 7, the plan is to make ALL the board members whose terms are coming to an end this year run for re-election. For 2 board spots.
They legislature is planning on granting Eugene Walker his own district and let him be one of the 5 remaining board members.
Even though the county will not have any "Super Districts", he is getting a special exemption to have his own district.
Does that seem fair to the other black female board member who has a super district?
I don't think so!
Also, Eugene Walker lives about 2 miles away from another BOE member, Jay Cunningham.
They have proposed "CARVING" out a new district to include Eugene Walker that does not include Jay Cunnigham?
Does this seem fair?
Sounds very similar to the Cynthia McKinley district that was carved out for her a decade ago!
I have serious issues with Walker getting a district and Pam Speaks NOT getting a district! WTH?
Can someone please explain to me why this is happening without a peep from the media? - January 6, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Ever hear the story about the state Democratic Party telling Gene Walker they didn't want him to run for re-election after his four terms of state senator? Even they had enough of his shenanigans.
- January 7, 2012 at 3:06 PM
Yet the Fernbank mafia supported Gene Walker for re-election.
- January 7, 2012 at 3:06 PM
"Left unsaid by Walker and the AJC: Gene Walker has at least five or six families members working for the school system, some without college degrees yet making more than actual teachers!!!"
The inference behind this statement demonstrates a total lack of knowledge about compensation. There are a LOT of workers that make more than teachers that do not have college degrees. Plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics are a few of these. If you hire workers with these type of skills, you will need to pay the prevailing rate to keep the good ones. That rate could be more than what some teachers make, especially when you consider the years of service and experience. Otherwise you'll be stuck with that bad ones that can end up costing the taxpayers even more. You get what you pay for.
My point is not on Walker's family members or what they make. It does not make a difference if they were employed prior to him becoming a board member. Show proof that his family members where hired solely on their last name and that they lack the skills for the jobs they are performing. This applies to ANY employee that has or had a friend or family member that worked for the school system, which there are MANY.
If you keep point fingers at the wrong areas and people, you will become like "Chicken Little' and no one will believe you. - January 7, 2012 at 3:23 PM
Anon 3:23.
I have serious issues with people thinking, "You have to pay them that much to be able to hire the best!"
That is total BS and you know it!
There are thousands of people out of work currently. Even people with Masters degrees from a real college! Not some online institution.
I agree with you that there are plenty of professions out there that pay more than teachers.
I disagree with our educational system (not you) that administrators are paid MORE than teachers. Teachers are the ones that get the job done! Teachers are also the ones that don't get the job done.
No matter how hard it is, get rid of the bad ones.
If Walker's relatives are productive employees in the system, then they are secure in their job.
The problem that so many people have is with "Friends and Family" members who have NO EXPERIENCE being hired OVER qualified applicants that HAVE experience in the job.
I assume you are an electrician, plumber or mechanic? Because the people I know in those professions are not making a ton of money. Definitely not 6 figures.
When I see an administrative assistant job posted on the DCSS website that pays $90,000, I want to know where in the hell does someone come up with that salary?
Because you want to hire the best administrative assistant? (HELL NO!)
When we have several departments within DCSS being run by "Friends and Family" that have had no prior experience in their specific field EXCEPT at DCSS, I have issues.
Especially when I hear of expensive software systems that have been purchased with MY TAX DOLLARS that are not even being used in the department. They are sitting on the shelves!
I am specifically referring to the TRANSPORTATION Dept.
Do I need to tell you who is in charge of that department? Probably not. It's not Walker's relative.
Please don't give me the standard line about compensation having to be raised to attract the best employees. If we got what we paid for we would have HIGHLY EDUCATED CHILDREN IN DEKALB!
How you like them apples? - January 7, 2012 at 3:49 PM
Let's see if Dr. A can successfully tackle that department and relatives. Go Dr. A!
- January 7, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Anon 3:49,
I don't know what you were trying to say in your first 3 paragraphs. Have you seen any statistics showing the white collar worker wages have fallen? I've seen them go up because organizations are doing more with fewer workers. Blue collar worker wages have fallen drastically, partly because you have undocumented workers willing to work for lower wages off the books and because they are more skilled workers seeking traditional blue collar jobs because the white collar job ranks have shrunk. I'm sure you know that teacher salaries have not kept up with inflation and in some cases have fallen. There are also fewer teachers. This is true around the country.
Yes, there are thousands of college graduates without jobs. Many are probably liberal arts majors. I have not seen many job openings with those with philosophy, art history or African studies degrees. I understand the job market is still good for those with science and engineering degrees. In other words, there is still demand for technical skills.
Can you name one industry where field workers make the same or more than management? I don't think you can. That's the way of the world. Does every manager in most organizations have prior experience in that area they oversee? Some do and some don't. I know of a lot of MBAs that got management jobs out of school (years ago of course) because they were smart and could be trained in that area.
Yes, there are probably former teachers that have headed areas like construction, HR, IT and finance in years past. While they may understand the business of running a school system, they don't understand that particular area. What they should do is hire people with that functional expertise and manage them. That is what happens in most organizations.
We work in a world of supply and demand. When you have a large supply of a resource, that can drive overall prices down. Specialist can still make top dollar. That's probably why urban superintendents can make what they do. That's also why good electricians, plumbers, and auto mechanics make what they do.
You were obviously referring to Frances Edwards son in law in your post. I think military transportation or logistics specialist could also do a good job in that area. I don't know anything about his education or work history. Do you? Is that the same department where a few Cherry relatives work? - January 7, 2012 at 6:56 PM
Bravo, Nancy!!!!! We need more board members like you. How dare you be smarter than the others...haha....the lies that are told and so easily revealed! Do they not care they'll be discovered or are they really not smart enough to know they will?? So sad these people oversee our children's education. Pathetic!!!!!
- January 7, 2012 at 7:48 PM
Which Cherry relatives work for DCSS? We have mentioned the relatives of other administration personnel, as well as relatives of Board members, but Jim Cherry was superintendent a while ago, and I would suppose his children and their generation would be approaching retirement age. Are there grandchildren or in-laws?
- January 7, 2012 at 8:13 PM
@ Anonymous 6:56
You are right. Supply and demand will rule in the end.
My 92 year old mom was a nurse. She had two daughters who were teachers (my sister and myself). They each had a child. Both of those children are teachers. When we get together, the teachers and former teachers bemoan the low compensation, lack of respect and poor working conditions of teachers.
My mom tells her grandchildren not to worry. She cites what happened in the nursing field and sees a parallel in the teaching field.
This is her theory.
30 years ago, nurses were very low paid and low on the totem pole in terms of respect and working conditions.
As a result, nurses left the field in droves. When the health care industry realized that nurses were an absolutely critical part of the medical profession, there was a concerted effort to train and hire nurses. But by then, many young people who would have gone into nursing had a negative view of the profession. They were eventually lured back into nursing by a substantial increase in compensation and better working conditions. Nurses today command very good compensation and have a lot of control over their schedules.
My mom says that this is what will happen in teaching as well. She says she saw it happen in her profession, and this will happen in teaching too. - January 7, 2012 at 8:30 PM
- Cerebration said...
Regarding the new districts - it now looks like the lawmakers who brought forth this change from 9 to 7 have placed the responsibility of drawing the new district lines squarely on the board itself.
This is from Mary Margaret Oliver's newsletter today:
MMO has pre-filed for consideration in the 2012 Session two bills, HB 671 and 672. HB 671 implements the specific directions of 2011 legislation that reduces the DeKalb School Board's nine member Board to seven members. Because of this reduction in Board size and the need to reapportion districts based on the 2010 Census, new district lines must be drawn and the election of seven new board members must be staggered over 2012 and 2014 election cycles. MMO has met with constituents and school advocates on this proposal and has requested that the School Board submit new district lines to the DeKalb Delegation for review. - January 7, 2012 at 8:31 PM
I really, really hope that Amy Power, Marshall Orson, the Fernbank PTA, and the rest of the nameless cowards from the "Friends of DeKalb Schools" sincerely regret their support of Gene Walker. You too, ODE's David Schutten.
Gene Walker is going to be the cause of the school system losing SACS accreditation. He's that out of control, especially with the personnel moves by Dr. Atkinson. He is furious (he knows that the pro-nepotism C Lew administrators are on their way out), and he's this close to saying or doing something that SACS won't be able to ignore.
His rude, passive aggressive, ignorant e-mails to Nancy Jester are just the tip of the iceberg. Any threat to the Walker clan's cushy job set-up, no matter how unqualified they are, will result in Walker losing it, and the entire school system will pay the price. - January 7, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Speaking of jacka#$ Gene Walker...
From State Rep. Mary-Margaret Oliver's newsletter:
MMO Legislative Activities: MMO has pre-filed for consideration in the 2012 Session two bills, HB 671 and 672. HB 671 implements the specific directions of 2011 legislation that reduces the DeKalb School Board's nine member Board to seven members. Because of this reduction in Board size and the need to reapportion districts based on the 2010 Census, new district lines must be drawn and the election of seven new board members must be staggered over 2012 and 2014 election cycles. MMO has met with constituents and school advocates on this proposal and has requested that the School Board submit new district lines to the DeKalb Delegation for review.
HB 672 provides that a new city may not be legislatively created in less than a two year legislative term, and is introduced, in part, in response to a proposal for the new city of Brookhaven in DeKalb County. MMO has met with Commissioners Kathy Gannon and Jeff Rader, and representatives of the county and city associations about the process for creating new cities in general. At issue, in part, is the goal to create new cities based on financial viability standards, and to give voters more options on how they wish to receive city services. This discussion will be ongoing in the House Government Affairs Committee on which MMO serves.
MMO recently met with the new Department of Family and Children Services Director Ron Scoggins to discuss HB 633 which creates a centralized child abuse reporting telephone line and intake system. A central intake system is now operating in 157 counties for the hours when DFCS offices are not open.
You can review these or any other bill filed at the General Assembly web-site http://www.marymargaretoliver.org/http://www.legis.state.ga.us, and additional updates will be provided on MMO's Facebook and web site www.marymargaretoliver.org. - January 7, 2012 at 9:11 PM
@ Anonymous 8:30
Your mom is a very astute person. Nursing and teaching were both female dominated fields. When your mom worked, women did not have the job opportunities they have today in the workplace. As a result, during her time both fields got the top students. Once Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity laws were passed in the 60's, more opportunities became available to women. The top students naturally pursued those. Nursing and teaching then had to fill jobs with the next tier of students.
I recall when nurses had low nurse-patient ratios in hospitals. Over time that has increased significantly. Does that seem similar to what we are seeing with teacher-student ratios?
Supply and demand may influence differentiated teacher pay, especially for special needs, math and science teachers. It will be interesting to see which school district proposes this as a solution for hiring highly qualified teachers in those high needs areas. - January 7, 2012 at 9:50 PM


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Grand Rounds Nation CME
Grand Rounds, a staple of American medical education for more than 100 years, spans every field of clinical practice. It is a master class on the art and science of medicine, delivered by renowned clinicians in academic settings nationwide. Yet in today's practice, where time is an all-too precious commodity, regular attendance at Grand Rounds sessions has become increasingly difficult. In response to this challenge, ReachMD brings the lecture hall to you, with these outstanding talks from across the country.


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Zero Tolerance 0452CF Sinkevich Design ZT0452CF New in box
1 in stock
ZT0452CF Made in USA New in Box
The original Zero Tolerance 0454 was an award-winning collaboration between ZT and custom knife designer Dmitry Sinkevich. But it was also a very Limited Edition knife.
To make this amazing knife more readily available, ZT has created a new-for-2015 version based on the original's streamlined form and high-performance function. The 0452CF is the same size as the original 0454, but with a carbon fiber front scale and S35VN dual-finished blade. S35VN sharpens to a razor edge, holds it, and can be resharpened easily. The 0452CF opens as smooth as butter with the KVT ball-bearing opening system and built-in flipper. A titanium frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert ensures solid lock up.
As a final touch of class, the 0452CF features handsome 5-spoke pivot hardware. From office to outdoors, the 0452CF is ready to go wherever you're ready to take it.
Made in the USA
Based on the award-winning 0454
Manual open, KVT ball-bearing system
Frame lock
Reversible (left/right), deep-carry clip
Steel: S35VN, stonewashed & satin finish
Handle: Carbon fiber front, titanium back, stonewashed finish
Blade length: 4.1 in. (10.4 cm)
Closed length: 5.2 in. (13.2 cm)
Overall length: 9.3 in. (23.6 cm)
Weight: 4.6 oz. (130.4 g)


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Using a novel realization of a "phonon laser," scientists at PML and the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) have observed and learned to control a process called mode competition. This process occurs routinely in optical lasers, but has never before been seen in analogous optomechanical oscillator systems, which have come to be known as phonon lasers.
In a conventional continuous-wave laser, an optical cavity supporting modes of many discrete frequencies is coupled to a gain medium, which typically has a spectral width encompassing many of the cavity modes. When the gain exceeds the losses for any of the optical modes, that mode starts to oscillate. In many cases, such as gas lasers and dye lasers, the gain medium is inhomogeneously broadened, and many modes can oscillate simultaneously, largely independent of one another.
To force single-mode (monochromatic) operation, it is typical to insert frequency-selective loss elements, such as etalons, in the cavity. In the more ideal case of a homogeneously broadened gain mechanism, multiple modes may start to oscillate, but one dominant mode eventually suppresses the others – hence the term "mode competition" – resulting in a laser's famously monochromatic light.
That phenomenon has been observed for half a century. But it had never been seen in an optomechanical system (in which the output is not coherent photons, but coherent vibrational modes described by quantized excitation states called phonons), even though the advent of the phonon laser in 2009 enabled researchers to realize several other mechanical counterparts to optical laser activity.
John Lawall of PML's Quantum Measurement Division and colleagues from NIST and JQI set out to look for mode competition using a novel phonon laser they devised. (See Fig. 1.)
The team's device employs a Fabry-Perot optical cavity, operated in vacuum, in which one mirror is a thin, specially patterned, silicon nitride membrane. Using the NIST nanofabrication facility (CNST), the researchers patterned the membrane so as to form a sub-wavelength diffraction grating offering a reflectivity of 99.4%. In addition to the optical role the membrane plays in the cavity, it is a mechanical oscillator supporting hundreds of drumhead modes with frequencies upwards of 130 kHz. When light is injected into the cavity, the circulating power becomes very large, and is correlated with the membrane motion. When detuned to the high-frequency side of a cavity resonance, the radiation pressure associated with the circulating power provides mechanical gain. If the gain is sufficient to overcome the intrinsic damping of a particular mechanical mode of the membrane, that mode starts to oscillate. The membrane motion is probed by an auxiliary interferometer beam, not involving the cavity that keeps track of its displacement over time.
The experimenters found that, despite the fact that the mechanical gain couples to hundreds of membrane modes, steady-state operation is always characterized by a single mechanical mode. In other words, their phonon laser behaves in a manner analogous to that of an ideal, homogeneously broadened conventional laser. "As we raise the pump power, out of the multitude of modes in the cavity, there is going to be one that has a lower threshold than all the others," Lawall says. "Once you exceed that threshold, then that first mode will start to oscillate the membrane and increase in amplitude until its gain gets saturated. All other modes will experience a little bit of gain, but not enough to oscillate.
"Then we send in more power until we exceed the threshold for the second-lowest mode. It has a higher threshold because it has a lot more intrinsic damping from the membrane – maybe several times higher than the first mode. But optically, it happens to be much better coupled to the light than the first mode was. So we end up in a situation where that second mode has more damping, but potentially an enormous amount more optical force, resulting in a larger net gain.
"With sufficient pump power, if we wait a few seconds, that second mode can easily have enough gain to overcome its intrinsic damping, and it zooms up and suppresses the first one. In effect, it 'steals' gain from the competing mode and inhibits its oscillation."
By varying the characteristics (power and detuning) of the pump beam, the team found, they could cause any of several modes to dominate. Or they could tune the system into a state of maximum competition and then "let nature decide which one wins," Lawall says.
The researchers were able to calculate the gain analytically, and found that, in addition to predicting mode competition leading to single-mode operation, the calculations made a surprising prediction. Not only does the dominant mode steal gain from the other modes, but if sufficiently strongly driven, it actually reverses the sign of the gain of the weaker modes, causing them to be damped. The experimenters dubbed the phenomenon "anomalous cooling," and found the experiment to be in excellent agreement with the prediction. When the mode with the second-lowest threshold power was oscillating strongly, the mode with the lowest threshold power was optically cooled from room temperature to about 180 K.
The results, recently submitted for publication, add valuable insight into the behavior of optomechanical systems.
"Over the last 50 years, optical lasers have become the staple for optical metrology requiring coherent light at a well-defined frequency," says Garnett Bryant, Leader of PML's Quantum Processes and Metrology Group. "Nanoscale optical lasers have become ubiquitous for commercial applications with the same needs. The results presented here show the way toward the same goal of single-mode operation for applications and metrology where sources of mechanical vibrations are needed."


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Battle For France
The battle for France saw Matilda IIs fighting what would become a general retreat. However, Matildas caused problems for the Germans, whose 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns were simply too small in calibre to penetrate the thick armour of the Matilda.
Western Desert
Perhaps the A12 Matilda II is more synonymous with the ferocious battles in the desert where it was to meet its match against the infamous 88s of the Afrika Korps.
The Far East
Later, as they became increasingly obsolete compared to the later German vehicles, many were sent to the Fast East where the opposing Japanese tanks were much lighter.
It was the only British tank to remain in active service for the entire war.
The A12 Matilda II troop
This kit allows you to build the Western Desert, BEF or Soviet versions and has the choice of 2-pdr or 3" howitzer main gun.
Models supplied unassembled and unpainted


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- Snohomish High School
- Photos & Social Media Guidelines
Photos & Social Media Guidelines
There are times during the year when photos or audio-visual recordings of students may be taken for use by the district, school or teacher. When possible, we will alert parents in advance, but this is not always possible. In addition, the district's Photo Consent/Opt Out Form only pertains to photos and audio-visual recordings taken for district, school or teacher exclusive use and purposes. The consent form does not include or pertain to those photos taken by parents, parent organizations, clubs, etc.
It is important to be aware that student family members, community members and attendees at school events may take and publish photos and other recordings of students without coordinating such with school district personnel, and it is possible that your student could appear in a third party's photos and other recordings. The Snohomish School District is not responsible for the use of any students' likeness (photo, voice, etc.) that appears in those photos and recordings.
Below are some simple guidelines we ask parents and others to follow in regards to taking personal photos/videos and posting them online or on social media. These guidelines are encouraged to protect student confidentiality and safety.
- Only take photos/videos of your own child.
- Do not tag or list student names on photos/videos.
- Any photo/video taken by a company is copyrighted and should not be posted (e.g. yearbook, class and individual student pictures).
- Many parents do not want their child's photo/video online. Permission from the child's parent/guardian must be received prior to posting any pictures/videos from school/classroom events. For your own protection, documentation of this permission (handwritten note, copy of an email message, etc. ) should be obtained should questions arise in the future.
- Pictures/videos should not be taken at school for the purpose of posting online. Prior permission from the school office must be obtained any time you take pictures on campus.
- Student photos/videos are not to be used to promote a business of any kind.


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Any person accessing this site agrees to the following:
Material on this site is the copyrighted property of KE Camps. All rights reserved. The information and images presented here may not under any circumstances be reproduced or used without prior written permission. Users may view and download material from this site only for personal, non-commercial home use. To reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, distribute or publicly display material from this website you will need written permission from KE Camps.
Users agree not to use the site for sale, trade or other commercial purposes. Users may not use language that is threatening, abusive, vulgar, discourteous or criminal. Users also may not post or transmit information or materials that would violate rights of any third party or which contains a virus or other harmful component. KE Camps reserves the right to remove or edit any messages or material submitted by users.
KE Camps is not responsible for material submitted to KE Camps or posted in chatrooms or on bulletin boards by site users. By communicating with KE Camps, however, users grant KE Camps permission to use any information, suggestions, ideas, drawings or concepts communicated for any purpose KE Camps chooses, commercial, public or otherwise, without compensation whatsoever.
THE MATERIALS IN THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, KE Camps DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. KE Camps DOES NOT WARRANT OR REPRESENT THAT THE INFORMATION IS ACCURATE OR RELIABLE OR THAT THE SITE WILL BE FREE OF ERRORS OR VIRUSES.
Under no circumstances, including but not limited to negligence, will KE Camps be liable for special or consequential damages that result from the use or inability to use the materials in this site. In no event shall KE Camps' liability to a user for any loss, damage or claim exceed the amount paid by the user for accessing this site.
This agreement is effective until terminated by either party. You may terminate this agreement at any time by discontinuing your use of KE Camps site and destroying all materials obtained from it.
If you have questions about our terms and conditions, you may contact us here.


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Scared of doing that jump? Watch this video and conquer that demon
Warning: contains effing and jeffing
Warning: contains effing and jeffing
This video from rider Harry Main is trending on YouTube and it's not hard to see why. Despite the F-words it's a really inspirational mini-movie.
WARNING: Contains frequent swearing. Do not watch if offended by bad language.
It features Harry Main attempting some wild gap jumps and step downs up at Havok Bike Park. Harry Main is more of a BMXer than mountain biker and certainly isn't often seen downhilling or freeriding (which is what this video is more about really).
If you're pushed for time then scroll on to the 4min 30sec mark and watch it from there.
Although the things he attempts and (mostly) pulls off are probably bigger than the sort of obstacles and jumps that you may and us may be fretting over, the sense of confidence, assessment and practice is hugely relatable.
There's the shakey hands, the aborted run-ups, the geeing yourself up, the conning yourself, the stressing, the pre-regrets.
And the ending is just absolutely fantastic.
Famous last words: "I'm doin' it. This is going down. I ain't comin' 'ere to ****ing look at that." – Harry Main.
Harry Main: "HUGE DOWNHILL MTB PARK ! RODE IT AND CRASHED IT ON MY ENDURO DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE!! CRAZY INSANE * CRASH FOOTAGE * LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS WHAT VIDEO'S YOU'D LIKE TO SEE NEXT! LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE CONTENT! Follow me on social media: Instagram; @harrymain Twitter; @harrymainbmx"


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A famous mouthwash company chose the marketing slogan, "Better than flossing." As a consumer, would you believe a high-end commercial that essentially tells you to stop flossing? Just use this brand of mouthwash and the risk of gingivitis, cavities, etc., is gone. What a wonderful idea! Now for the reality: This is simply not true.
The company that made these claims received some negative feedback for making this false claim. Does this mean that all mouthwashes are ineffective? Absolutely not. It takes a little bit of research to know which mouthwashes are most effective and best suited for you. Here are some key points to remember when choosing a mouthwash.
First, think about why you want to use a mouthwash. If you are at high risk for cavities, you would benefit from a fluoride mouthwash. Check the labels to see which ones contain fluoride.
If you have active gingivitis, a mouthwash with some antibacterial properties would be preferable. Read the labels carefully. You do not want a mouthwash containing alcohol. If you have active periodontal disease, an antibacterial mouthwash is appropriate, though you may want to discuss which kind would be best for your individual needs.
Prescription mouthwashes are also an option. You should pay close attention to the directions, such as how much and how long to use them. There is one brand in particular whose effectiveness can steadily diminish if you use it continually. There can also be side effects you should discuss with our office and/or your pharmacist.
Some great mouthwashes for kids change the color of plaque on their teeth to help them see how they are doing with their brushing. This is a great learning tool for the child and the parent! Why not pick up a bottle for yourself next time you're at the store and evaluate your own performance?
Beware of claims that a mouthwash can loosen plaque. This is not accurate. Beware of any mouthwash that has alcohol. This is worth mentioning twice. Take care of your taste buds. If you are using a strong mouthwash, it can reduce your sense of taste.
These tips should help you choose the right mouthwash for your needs. Please contact Drs. Burk and Flinn at our Rockville and Olney, MD office with any specific questions!


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The term "multimedia on the Web" evokes expectations of Web-based presentations with sound and video. Although significant barriers exist today for the professor or teacher who wishes to create his or her own audio/video course content, streaming audio alonesound without videois a Web-based technology that is available today. It is easy to learn, inexpensive to produce, and available to off-campus students with only a 28.8 Kb connection to the Internet.
During the summer of 1999, I learned how to produce Web-based multimedia presentations for my classes. I had seen such presentations on corporate sites in the form of "streaming media." They looked and sounded very good when I viewed them over my universitys T1 Internet connection.
After spending a week making some very simple files, however, I decided not to proceed further with streaming audio/video (A/V) for two reasons. First, producing all but the simplest streaming video requires considerable technical skill. Though its easy to "capture" (convert from VHS videotape format to digitized file format) a straightforward video clip, the editing skills (cutting, splicing, fade-in and fade-out, adding titles and captions, synchronizing with sound, and so on) needed for all but the simplest videos require considerable practice and time to learn.
Second, A/V files are too large to stream fluently over a modem connection to the Internet, whether the modem is 28.8 or 56 Kb. There are many pauses in the streaming process, and the video motion is jerky, making presentations unusable in a course for students who prefer to work off-campus and who have only a modem connection to the Internet. Though these problems are eliminated when the A/V file is viewed in an on-campus computer lab, I felt I could not justify forcing my students to use already overcrowded labs rather than their own home computers. (See Exhibit 1 for more information about producing streaming video.)
However, I discovered that while A/V presentations did not stream to a 28.8 Kb modem connection fluently enough to be usable, audio presentations did stream very well when viewed at all but the busiest Internet times. Furthermore, the software required to create the digitized streaming audio files is free, as is the software required to listen to them. Finally, the software is very easy to use; a teacher can make a streaming audio file after only 10 minutes of practice.
What Is Streaming Audio?
"Streaming audio" refers to a file format and software that permits a long audio (or A/V) file to be played without the listener's having to first download the entire file, a process that could take an hour or more and occupy several megabytes of drive space in the case of a long lecture. A quarter- or half-minute of the file is preloaded into a "buffer," which the player software uses while more of the file is streamed in advance. This buffer permits a very long file to be played continuously after only a few seconds delay.
There are several formats for streaming audio. I use the RealAudio [.rm] format, the current industry standard.
Why Stream Rather Than Download the Audio Files?
Sound files can be made in many formats other than RealAudio's Streaming RM format, but I prefer streaming for several reasons:
- RealAudio files can be played almost immediately, without being downloaded in their entirety first.
- In the event that Web use is heavy and even an RM file does not stream fluently enough, the student can simply download the file to his/her hard drive and play it with complete fluency thereafter. The professor need only provide students with a direct hyperlink to the file.
- RM files are up to 40 times smaller than sound files in other formats. They can be downloaded more quickly, and they take up less space, with little or no perceptible loss of sound quality.
- Many college computer labs, such as those at my institution, do not permit students to download anything onto them.
- RealPlayer now comes bundled as a plug-in with the free Netscape Navigator and is easy to download and install by itself. Users of older versions of Netscape Navigator and of Microsoft's Internet Explorer can download it from the Real.com site. (See my streaming audio tutorial for details.)
Using Streaming Audio in the Classroom
At present, I use streaming audio in three ways:
- Sound samples. For example, in my Middle English
Literature class, I can demonstrate various modern
experts' oral interpretations of Middle English texts,
such as the opening of Sir
Gawain and the Green Knight, read by a scholar
from the University of Georgia.
- Lectures. Some lectures are already freely
available in streaming audio format on the Web, such as a
of Ebonics featuring Professor Richard Wright of
Howard University's Linguistics Department.
- Supplementary material. Some of my own lectures are available, such as "The Medieval World-View."
I have found that making my own lectures available to students for remote listening and study has been most beneficial to my classes. Years ago, I basically abandoned formal lecturing because it allowed students to be too passive, and I changed my teaching style to emphasize small-group work. During class, students work in groups of four to six, beginning with assignments I have already given to them over the Web. I act as a mentor, going from group to group to ask questions, refocusing discussion when needed, and listening a lot. Most classes end with the whole class in one large circle, engaging in a group discussion, during which students share the results of their small-group discussions.
But while streaming audio has transformed my classroom, there is still some material I feel I must present in lecture format. I could just write out the material, make it available on a Web page as yet another reading assignment, and do without lectures altogether. However, lectures allow students to hear a real voice behind the material, listen to its intonations, and learn to make notes from a talk rather than from a text. Presenting material in a variety of formats such as this can lead to better learning, or at least to a different way of learning.
Streaming audio helps enhance the benefits of traditional lectures while eliminating some of their drawbacks. For example, I dislike the passivity of students as they listen to an extended in-class presentation and resent spending precious classroom hours in this way. Streaming audio makes it possible to present a lecture without taking up classroom time with a lecture. Furthermore, streaming audio challenges the inherent authoritarian nature of the traditional lecture format, which typically allows little time for interactive question-and-answer or discussion in a large group.
I have made streaming audio files of each of the lectures I used in the fall of 1999. I assign the lectures as homework so that my students can listen to them whenever they want. All lectures are available as links on the course Web page. Students can pause, back up, and replay the lectures, or parts of them, as many times as they wish so that they can make notes, answer the telephone, make a cup of coffee, and so on. With more time to assimilate the lecture material, they can also think more critically about itan activity that should be encouraged.
Using Virtual Handouts
I compose Web pages for use in conjunction with each lecture, much as I used to make up handouts. Its easy to make simple diagrams with a basic graphics program like Windows Paint and include them in the Web handouts. Students can either look at these pages online while listening to the lecture or print the handouts and write their lecture notes directly on them. For example, see the assignment (Exhibit 2) for my first lecture on "The Medieval World View," which contains links to the lecture in streaming audio and the Web page handouts.
I assign each lecture with its accompanying Web page handout as homework, along with a writing assignment based on the lecture. My students listen to the lecture, making notes and studying the handout. They then complete the writing assignment, which they e-mail to the other members of their discussion group and to me. I keep it for grading purposes. Each student has to read at least one or two of their groupmates' assignments.
At the next class, students are well prepared to discuss the lectures contents, raising questions and criticisms with each other. They spend class time discussing and interacting with each other and with me rather than sitting back passively listening or making notes without discussing or interacting. I also use threaded Web discussion forums provided in Microsoft FrontPage 98 on a FrontPage server, real-time IRC Chat on our MSU IRC server, and e-mail distribution groups (like small mailing lists) to encourage further critical discussion.
I was surprised that student responses to my full integration of streaming audio into my Fall 1999 courses were so positive. Most students appreciated the fact that they could pause the lectures or even listen to them more than once. I am continuing to use streaming audio and have begun to collect some guest lectures for use in future classes, always making sure to get permission from my guest lecturer to put the talk on the Web. (See Exhibit 5 for more detail on student responses.)
Using the Internet can make teaching more interactive; more focused on critical thinking, discussion, and problem-solving; and less concerned with assimilation and retention of information. With this simple and cheap streaming audio technology, I can use all of my class time to enhance student-centered, interactive education. I recommend the technology to anyone who wants to enhance his/her teaching.
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First photo by Gabriella
Shirt – Jackpot, Pants – Zara, Shoes – Monnari, Bag – Vintage, Necklace – Gmarket
On my last day in Kraków I had a chance to meet up with Gabriella from Street Fashion in Kraków, such a sweetheart. We drank lemonade at an atmospheric cafe on Bracka street. The cafe had seats outside that looked like school tables where customers would sit alongside eachother and watch the passerbys, kinda like first row fashion show seats, and I'm thinking that's how Gabi chooses her streetstyle prey.
The Kraków trip was a breath of fresh air; my favourite was the fact that the modern youth culture was completely embedded in the historical bits of the city, so you'd easily find a nightclub in a Polish townhouse of the 1500's. Café's are marrrveloos as well, they have this natural vintage den-like atmosphere that you can't possibly create out of scratch, oh how delicious.
You know this was coming: YOU NEED TO VISIT KRAKOW. Capitals and all.


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Prophecy Against Gog
38 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 k"Son of man, lset your face toward mGog, of the land of nMagog, the ochief prince of pMeshech1 and pTubal, and qprophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, rI am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech2 and Tubal. 4 sAnd I will turn you about and tput hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and uall your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5 vPersia, wCush, and vPut are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 xGomer and all his yhordes; zBeth-togarmah from athe uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—umany peoples are with you.
7 b"Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8 cAfter many days you will be mustered. dIn the latter years you will go against dthe land that is restored from war, the land whose people ewere gathered from many peoples upon fthe mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and gnow dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will advance, coming on hlike a storm. You will be ilike a cloud covering the land, you and all your yhordes, and many peoples with you.
10 "Thus says the Lord God: On that day, jthoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11 and say, 'I will go up against kthe land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon lthe quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,' 12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against mthe waste places that are now inhabited, and mthe people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, nwho dwell at the center of the earth. 13 oSheba and pDedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all qits leaders3 will say to you, 'Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?'
14 "Therefore, rson of man, prophesy, and say to sGog, Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel are gdwelling securely, twill you not know it? 15 You will come from your place out of uthe uttermost parts of the north, you and vmany peoples with you, wall of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. 16 You will come up against my people Israel, ilike a cloud covering the land. xIn the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, yI vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
17 "Thus says the Lord God: Are you zhe of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? 18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, amy wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For bin my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day cthere shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 dThe fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, eshall quake at my presence. And fthe mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21 gI will summon a sword against Gog4 on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. hEvery man's sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and bloodshed iI will enter into judgment with him, and jI will rain upon him and khis hordes and the many peoples who are with him ltorrential rains and hailstones, mfire and sulfur. 23 So I will show my greatness and my nholiness and omake myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then pthey will know that I am the Lord.
39 "And you, qson of man, rprophesy against sGog and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, tI am against you, O Gog, uchief prince of vMeshech1 and vTubal. 2 wAnd I will turn you about and drive you forward,2 and bring you up from xthe uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the ymountains of Israel. 3 Then zI will strike your bow from your left hand, and zwill make your arrows drop out of your right hand. 4 aYou shall fall on ythe mountains of Israel, you and all your bhordes and the peoples who are with you. cI will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall in the open field, for dI have spoken, declares the Lord God. 6 eI will send fire on fMagog and on those gwho dwell securely in hthe coastlands, and ithey shall know that I am the Lord.
7 "And jmy holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and kI will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And lthe nations shall know that I am mthe Lord, the Holy One in Israel. 8 nBehold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord God. That is the day oof which I have spoken.
9 "Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and pmake fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bow and arrows, qclubs3 and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, 10 so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for pthey will make their fires of the weapons. rThey will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God.
11 "On that day I will give to sGog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of tHamon-gog.4 12 For useven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order vto cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that wI show my glory, declares the Lord God. 14 They will set apart men to travel through the land regularly and bury those travelers remaining on the face of the land, so as vto cleanse it. At5 the end of xseven months they will make their search. 15 And when these travel through the land and anyone sees a human bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of yHamon-gog. 16 (Hamonah6 is also the name of the city.) Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17 "As for you, zson of man, thus says the Lord God: aSpeak to bthe birds of every sort and to ball beasts of the field: 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to cthe sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. 18 dYou shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth—of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them efat beasts of Bashan. 19 And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20 And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,' declares the Lord God.
21 "And fI will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see gmy judgment that I have executed, and gmy hand that I have laid on them. 22 hThe house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 23 And ithe nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that jI hid my face from them and kgave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them laccording to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.
The Lord Will Restore Israel
25 "Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now mI will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on nthe whole house of Israel, and oI will be jealous for my holy name. 26 They shall pforget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when qthey dwell securely in their land with rnone to make them afraid, 27 swhen I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, tand through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. 28 hThen they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. 29 uAnd I will not hide my face anymore from them, when vI pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God."
Vision of the New Temple
40 wIn the twenty-fifth year xof our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, yin the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, zthe hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city.1 2 In avisions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on ba very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was ca man whose appearance was dlike bronze, with ea linen cord and fa measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, g"Son of man, hlook with your eyes, and hhear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. iDeclare all that you see to the house of Israel."
The East Gate to the Outer Court
5 And behold, there was ja wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, keach being a cubit and a handbreadth2 in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6 Then he went into lthe gateway facing east, mgoing up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.3 7 And nthe side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. 8 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. 9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; oand its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. 10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. pThe three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. 11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. 13 Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other. 14 He measured also qthe vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.4 15 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 And the gateway had rwindows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their sjambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were tpalm trees.
The Outer Court
17 Then he brought me into uthe outer court. And behold, there were vchambers and a wpavement, all around the court. xThirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court,5 a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.6
The North Gate
20 As for ythe gate that faced toward the north, belonging to uthe outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. 21 Its nside rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of zthe first gate. Its length was afifty cubits, and its breadth btwenty-five cubits. 22 And cits windows, its vestibule, and cits palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps dpeople would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to ethe inner court. And fhe measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.
The South Gate
24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And ghe measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. 25 Both it and its vestibule hhad windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had ipalm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 27 And there was a gate on the south of jthe inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.
The Inner Court
28 Then he brought me to jthe inner court through the south gate, and khe measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. 29 Its lside rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule mhad windows all around. mIts length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 30 And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. 31 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and ipalm trees were on its jambs, and nits stairway had eight steps.
32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and ohe measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. 33 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 34 pIts vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.
35 Then he brought me to qthe north gate, and rhe measured it. It had the same size as the others. 36 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others,7 and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 37 Its vestibule8 faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.
38 There was sa chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate,9 twhere the burnt offering was to be washed. 39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two utables on either side, on which the vburnt offering and the wsin offering and the xguilt offering were to be slaughtered. 40 And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. 41 yFour tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, zon which to slaughter. 42 And there were four tables aof hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the vburnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. 43 And hooks,10 a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid.
Chambers for the Priests
44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two bchambers11 in the cinner court, one12 at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south13 gate facing north. 45 And he said to me, "This chamber that faces south is for the priests dwho have charge of the temple, 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests ewho have charge of the altar. These are fthe sons of Zadok, who alone14 among the sons of Levi may come gnear to the Lord to minister to him." 47 And he measured the court, ha hundred cubits long and ha hundred cubits broad, a square. And ithe altar was in front of the temple.
The Vestibule of the Temple
48 Then he brought me to jthe vestibule of the temple and measured the kjambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate15 were three cubits on either side. 49 lThe length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve16 cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps.17 And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.
The Inner Temple
41 Then he brought me to mthe nave and measured the njambs. On each side six cubits1 was the breadth of the jambs.2 2 And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sidewalls of the entrance were five cubits on either side. And he measured the length of the nave,3 oforty cubits, and its breadth, ptwenty cubits. 3 Then he went qinto the inner room and measured the jambs of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the sidewalls on either side4 of the entrance, seven cubits. 4 And he measured rthe length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across sthe nave. And he said to me, "This is tthe Most Holy Place."
5 Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits thick, and the breadth of uthe side chambers, four cubits, uall around the temple. 6 And the side chambers were in three stories, one over another, vthirty in each story. There were offsets5 all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side chambers, wso that they should not be supported by the wall of the temple. 7 And it became broader as it wound upward to the side chambers, because the temple was enclosed upward all around the temple. Thus the temple had a broad area upward, and xso one went up from the lowest story to the top story through the middle story. 8 I saw also that the temple had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers measured a full reed of ysix long cubits. 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. zThe free space between the side chambers of the temple and the 10 aother chambers was a breadth of btwenty cubits all around the temple on every side. 11 And the doors of the cside chambers opened on dthe free space, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south. And the breadth of the free space was five cubits all around.
12 The building that was facing ethe separate yard on the west side was seventy cubits broad, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.
13 Then he measured the temple, fa hundred cubits long; and the yard and the building with its walls, a hundred cubits long; 14 also the breadth of the east front of the temple and the yard, a hundred cubits.
15 Then he measured the length of gthe building facing the yard that was at the back and hits galleries6 on either side, a hundred cubits.
The inside of the nave and the vestibules of the court, 16 ithe thresholds and jthe narrow windows and the galleries all around the three of them, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, from the floor up to the windows (now the windows were covered), 17 to the space above the door, even to the inner room, and on the outside. And on all the walls all around, inside and outside, was a measured pattern.7 18 It was carved of kcherubim and lpalm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Every cherub had two faces: 19 ma human face toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple all around. 20 From the floor to above the door, cherubim and palm trees were carved; similarly the wall of the nave.
21 The doorposts of nthe nave were squared, and in front of othe Holy Place was something resembling 22 pan altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad.8 Its corners, its base,9 and its walls were of wood. He said to me, "This is qthe table that is before the Lord." 23 The nave and the Holy Place had each ra double door. 24 The double doors had two leaves apiece, stwo swinging leaves for each door. 25 And on the doors of the nave were carved cherubim and palm trees, tsuch as were carved on the walls. And there was ua canopy10 of wood in front of vthe vestibule outside. 26 And there were jnarrow windows and palm trees on either side, on the sidewalls of the vestibule, wthe side chambers of the temple, and the ucanopies.
The Temple's Chambers
42 Then he led me out into xthe outer court, ytoward the north, and he brought me to xthe chambers that were opposite zthe separate yard and opposite athe building on the north. 2 The length of the building whose door faced north was ba hundred cubits,1 and cthe breadth fifty cubits. 3 Facing dthe twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court, and facing ethe pavement that belonged to the outer court, was fgallery2 against gallery in three stories. 4 And gbefore the chambers was a passage inward, ten cubits wide and ha hundred cubits long,3 and gtheir doors were on the north. 5 Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. 6 For they were in three stories, and they had no pillars like the pillars of the courts. Thus the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and the middle ones. 7 And ithere was a wall outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers, jfifty cubits long. 8 For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those opposite kthe nave4 were la hundred cubits long. 9 Below these chambers was man entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.
10 In the thickness of nthe wall of the court, on the south5 also, opposite othe yard and opposite othe building, there were pchambers 11 with qa passage in front of them. They were similar to the chambers on the north, of the same length and breadth, with the same exits6 and arrangements and qdoors, 12 as were the entrances of the chambers on the south. There was an entrance at the beginning of the passage, the passage before nthe corresponding wall on the east as one enters them.7
13 Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers opposite othe yard are the holy chambers, rwhere the priests who approach the Lord sshall eat the tmost holy offerings. There they shall put the most holy offerings—tthe grain offering, uthe sin offering, and uthe guilt offering—for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter the Holy Place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court vwithout laying there the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. vThey shall put on other garments before they go near to that which is for the people."
15 Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by wthe gate that faced east, and measured the temple area all around. 16 He measured the east side with xthe measuring reed, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around. 17 He measured the north side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around. 18 He measured the south side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured, 500 cubits by the measuring reed. 20 He measured it on the four sides. It had ya wall around it, z500 cubits long and z500 cubits broad, ato make a separation between the holy and the common.