text:
Naturally, the Beacon Hill Civic Association now considering suing the city over intersection ramps
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You let the wheelchair
people in and next thing you know you get the deaf and the blind with those chirping crosswalks. Muffy?
Demonize all you want
But for the past couple of years, Beacon Hill residents have been proposing a solution that is fully ADA compliant, that meets all the national historic register requirements for looks, and that costs the city nothing. The city, on the other hand, has been dragging its feet and stonewalling.
Curious: what is that
Curious: what is that solution?
The proposed solution:
What is the BHCA is recommending?
In keeping with the historic character of Beacon Hill, the BHCA supports the use of wire-cut bricks for the ramps and Architectural cast concrete pavers for the detectable warning pad. This is not an unreasonable request. The US access board has said that properly laid brick is just as ADA compliant as poured concrete and scientific studies comparing wire-cut brick surfaces to concrete have found that wire-cut brick provides a smoother surface for wheelchair users. Also ADA compliant is the use of the Architectural cast concrete pavers instead of plastic for the warning pads. These pavers can be made in any color and can be made with the same audible echo as the plastic pads. An additional benefit is they are 1/3 the cost of the plastic pads and possibly have a longer lifespan, as many of the plastic pads installed last year have already needed replacement. So if maintenance and cost are an issue then there is a distinct advantage to the pavers.
The BHCA has never put the importance of the historic guidelines over importance of accessibility and safety. And in this case, there is no conflict between the ADA guidelines and the preservation guidelines - we can satisfy both. The point is not only that we can – we should.
A couple of questions
1. Has MAAB weighed in? Best practice is to design to the more stringent guidelines.
2. Have any of the constituents on Beacon Hill performed construction work via the MA Public Bidding Laws? Writing the specifications and pulling together drawings is one step. Getting GCs that do public bid work to bid (accurately) on this level of work it's another (You must get 3 min). Assuring that the GC bids are accurate and that all seem to have bid on the same project is another. And then actually getting them to do the work as designed is yet another step.
I can tell you from experience that while doing public bid work can be rewarding, it is not easy. More than a few times has CA work been fraught with arguments, contractors trying to substitute (it's within their right), and otherwise come across as though they've bid on the job they want to build, not the one in the Contract Documents.
And even then, the GC is often not the same company that performs the sub-grade work. So of course they're going to hire the low bid. Why not? They've got to make some money on the project.
The public entity overseeing this project has an aversion to the brick for a reason. I suspect in their experience it doesn't go as well as hoped.
I'd like to be positive about their idea, but i don't think they've thought it through as much as they think they have.
You must be kidding
The neighborhood's relationship with brick sidewalks goes way back.
In 1947, when Curley tried paving over the sidewalks with concrete, the ladies staged a sit-in on the sidewalks, physically blocked the workers, and brought such unfavorable national attention to bear on Curley that he backed down.
Walsh doesn't have nearly the juice that Curley did in 1947; this ain't over by a long shot.
The neighborhood really isn't asking for anything special, or anything that hasn't been done successfully in other cities.
public entity
I said the public entity, not the civic association wrt brick aversion.
Construction today is different than construction of yesteryear.
Beyond that hurdle, even those without disabilities have difficulty walking on those sidewalks on Beacon Hill.
I point out to you that publicly bid work in MA is not the same as other States. There's a reason many contractors don't looked doing it. Getting this kind of work, at the quality you and the BHCA expect, will be difficult. As much as I like Contractors, I wouldn't wish this job on my weirdest enemy.
Edit: and by weirdest I *meant* worst. Gah
Beyond that hurdle, even those without disabilities have difficulty walking on those sidewalks on Beacon Hill.
Which is why nearly everybody, both able bodied and disabled, uses the street rather than the sidewalks. There are so few cars passing through that a person using a wheelchair usually has plenty of time to get to the end of the block without a car needing to wait or for the car and the chair to maneuver around each other.
Federal money
Federal money for the city is at stake here. Do you really think the city cares all that much about ramps? All this hollering about to poor individuals in wheelchairs. Get real.
Folks on the hill had a reasonable proposal. The mayor wants the federal dough. Heavy handedness ensues.
*rolls eyes*
of course.. the tax payers end up paying again and again.
Seriously, you want these ramps, YOU PAY FOR THEM, not the tax payers. The city should give a dollar amount for what they want to do, and the BHCA can make up the difference if it means that much to them.
Yeah, that's a completely
Seriously, you want these ramps, YOU PAY FOR THEM, not the tax payers.
Yeah, that's a completely terrible idea. That would give the BH people a green light to procrastinate as long as they felt like, and/or install non-compliant ramps that would have to be torn up and replaced later at taxpayer expense.
The city should say "Work will commence on such-and-such date unless you have a final, acceptable plan in place before then."
Why is it even necessary for the City to be having
a discussion with the community about how these ramps are built? There are these things called STANDARDS, and the CIty should be able to install these ramps to said standards without having to get "mother may I permission" from the local busybodies.
Instead, in the name of "civic engagement" and "transparency", let's waste everyone's time and the taxpayer's money debating what should be an obvious decision.
And in six months time, after the ramps are installed, nobody will even care about them.
As for the lawsuit, I hope that the judge recognizes it for what it is - frivilous.
What should have been an obvious decision
would have been for the city, 2 years ago, to accept the neighborhood's offer to pay for the fully ADA-compliant solution that the neighborhood was proposing.
Here on this planet, government is supposed to serve the people, and not the other way around. It's amazing the amount of hate emanating from the fascist-wannabes on this list when the people try to insist on that simple principle.
Here on this planet,
Here on this planet, government is supposed to serve the people
It is trying. But the Beacon Hill people keep getting in the way.
God forbid that the government, when changing streets and sidewalks, should listen to the people who live on those streets or use those sidewalks.
God fordid that the government
actually use standard materials and colors for wheelchair ramps, so people who are reliant on those ramps can expect some measure of uniformity in design and color when they encounter them.
Say your neighborhood group proposed changing all the stop signs from red to green because they decided the red ones weren't asethetically pleasing to them. Would you agree with this idea?
Same principle applies here.
Bad analogy, no biscuit.
There are standards that road signs must meet.
There are also standards that the ramps must meet.
The BHCA's proposal is within those standards.
You're just making shit up.
Point taken
However, IMO the principle behind the analogy still stands. BHCA is demanding that the City use a different standard for wheelchair ramps in their neighborhood FOR NO GOOD REASON (other than aesthetics, which, being a subjective value, does not count).
And I don't blame the City for fighting this. Ever heard of this little thing called "bad precedent"?
Aesthetics do not count?
The city has no standard, as evidenced by the fact that the city has used different materials and different designs at different times in different neighborhoods.
And, are you seriously making the claim that how stuff looks should have no bearing whatsoever in how the city decides to spend our money on stuff we will have to look at for the next 50 years?
Ever hear of this little thing called "the government works for us, not vice versa?"
Well then
I guess there is no reason to get rid of City Hall. Aesthetics don't count.
What about the people
who use ramps and currently aren't able to access the sidewalks of BH?
They use the street
Generally, people in wheelchairs use the street, as do most pedestrians. Very few people walk on the sidewalks in the interior of Beacon Hill.
I still fail to see...
... Why should Beacon Hill be allowed to get special treatment? The arguments I saw, from residents mind you, on a previous post said because it's a popular tourist attraction? Please..
That is completely unfair to the other neighborhoods in Boston.
National Register of Historic places
It's the only neighborhood in Boston with that distinction.
Like it or not it makes them special.
And I don't live there.
Not quite so
There are many Boston neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Back Bay Historic District, Bulfinch Triangle Historic District, John Eliot Square District and many more. Unlike the others, the Beacon Hill Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District. This is certainly a distinction, but not one that justifies this foolishness. Beacon Hill has asphalt, stop signs, electrical lines and boxes and so forth. Ramps are just another part of the infrastructure of life and on that we all are able to push into the background as we focus on the important things.
Or most of us are.
And for the fiftieth time....
Nobody is saying there should be no ramps.
Nobody is asking for the city to do anything unreasonable, that hasn't been done successfully in other cities.
Double-edged sword
Nothing the city is planning to do is unreasonable either. Yet here we are.
The Government is serving the People.
The government is serving People with Disabilities. Marty Walsh is serving people who can't see. Marty Walsh is serving People that have difficulty or complete inability to walk. Marty Walsh is serving People that have a tendency to trip, stumble, and fall, due to Beacon Hill's hazardous and treacherous topography. Our right to safety is more urgent and important than aesthetics.
Marty Walsh should be commended for taking decisive action on this!
government has to serve ALL the people
Even those nasty rich people that pay for all the nice things we have People w disabilities are not harmed by BHCA'S solution. This is a dumb fight to pick. Don't know if BH is harmed. Let's call it unnecessarily inconvenienced.
Local busybodies?
You call them local busy bodies? I think they're called citizens. And they live there. So they can and should have an opinion. And by the way, this is about collecting federal money and unions and NOT about handicapped access. You really think the city is so concerned about the tiny number of people who use wheelchairs on Joy Street? Or another street? They wheelchairs use the streets, not the sidewalks.
Read much?
"We'll pay for them" is, of course, exactly what the neighborhood has been offering for the past couple of years, only to be repeatedly rejected by the city.
Do you even bother to read the stories you comment on?
they said they would pay for them
And they say their solution is ADA compliant. And they want to use a more durable material than concrete.
I don't know why the city is fighting them on this. Makes no sense. Which usually means follow the money. There's more to this story that we are not hearing. The city has an agenda (or a contractor that is a big political supporter).
This is such a low ticket item - makes no sense that they are fighting this - especially if Beacon Hill is offering to pay - that makes it a no ticket item.
It makes a huge amount of sense to me.
The neighborhood didn't vote for Walsh. He can kill two birds with one stone: punish the neighborhood, and gain cred elsewhere for "standing up to a bunch of obnoxious snobs."
Reminds me of a similar issue
The Neighborhood Assn of the Back Bay asked the MBTA not to build the elevators for Copley where they are now. On Boylston they were concerned that a) they might damage the façade of the library, b) some maps showed a giant steam pipe right where they wanted to build the elevator. On Dartmouth they were concerned about impacts to Old South Church. The suggested solution was to build the elevator on the inbound side further down Boylston near the new entrance to the library and build the outbound elevator across the street.
The MBTA said NABB hates people with disabilities and the papers ate it up. the MBTA went ahead (as usual) as they damn well pleased.
In addition to aesthetic issues, the MBTA's contractors cracked at least one of the granite "seats" by the library, ran into a giant steam pipe and I think had to move the elevator location on the inbound side. On the other side they literally cracked an entire wall at Old South requiring over a year of work to repair.
Maybe we'd be better off just having the neighborhood associations direct repairs!
When Mussolini was in power
.. the trains ran on time ...
... and pesky citizens didn't get in the way of important government projects.
As I recall, the NABB claims that they raised those
issues about BPL and Old South Church surfaced only AFTER the problems occurred. And, if NABB was so concerned about those matters beforehand, they why didn't THEY hire their own engineers to evaluate those issues and present their findings to the T during the design phase?
Right, because under our system of "guilty until proven innocent", it always seems to be the project proponent's responsibility to expend their time and money to disprove claims, no matter how preposterous they are.
And, if NABB was so concerned about those matters beforehand, they why didn't THEY hire their own engineers to evaluate those issues and present their findings to the T during the design phase?
How about the government agency, whom we the taxpayers are paying to do its job, actually do its job?
It would seem that the NABB concerns were in fact correct, and not in the slightest "preposterous", no?
I don't think so
This predates my joining the board, but my understanding is that all of these issues were brought up in the planning phase with the MBTA. The MBTA's decisions to reject were mostly financial. Not saying they weren't valid - don't know the details. But it was about money.
The MBTA made it look like NABB just hated people with disabilities, entirely not the case. The point was never "don't build". It was move one elevator across the street and one elevator a little further down the street. In hindsight with good reason (and the fixes probably cost WAY more than the alternatives).
Just stop
We've seen your comments. We know what you worry about. Property values and equity. Your type needs to be run out of town.
How do you sleep at night?
If you get anything REMOTELY resembling that from my comments, you are not paying any attention.
Taxes so that people can afford to live here long term - fine. Property values and equity - not the least of my concerns (other than how they impact tax rates).
As for the first - pray that interest rates never increase (or at least not much). The impact of lower interest rates on our taxes has been nothing short of phenomenal.
It's like they're trying to
It's like they're trying to live out every stereotype people have about these beacon hill nimbys. It would only be better if the president of their board was named Lowell Cabot Bulfinch or something along those lines.
you mean
Lowell Cabot Bullfinch, III, Esq. I own a mansion and a yacht.
Too bad for your stereotype
Too bad for your stereotype that the most recent bhca chair was a Latina, eh?
And that the BHCA has played an active and successful role in getting several large properties in the neighborhood developed as subsidized housing rather than as expensive condos.
Subsidized housing on Beacon Hill?
"that the BHCA has played an active and successful role in getting several large properties in the neighborhood developed as subsidized housing rather than as expensive condos."
Could you please elaborate? Where are the "large properties in the neighborhood developed as subsidized housing"? And please don't give the BHCA credit for the affordable units in projects such as the Saltonstall building. Those weren't developed as affordable housing, the small number of affordable units in that building were required by law.
Start here
The BHCA was a primary sponsor of 250 cambridge Street, which, at 64 units, is entirely subsidized. (The BHCA is not involved in the ongoing management of the building).
Many of the same people who were active in the BHCA were also active in the conversion of the Faneuil school to subsidized ( 40 units) and HIV+ (20 units) housing.
Beacon House on Myrtle Street has 85 rent subsidized and 32 rent moderated units for seniors.
The former Bowdoin School has 26 out of its 35 units available for Section 8.
And the Saltonstall building is not in the district, so it's not relevant one way or the other.
Wow, a Latina? Welcome to
Wow, a Latina? Welcome to the 21st century, Beacon Hill. Does that excuse wasting taxpayer money on fighting an ADA requirement because you disagree with the aesthetics of sidewalk ramps? The public process has played out. They lost. You seem a little obsessed with the topic. Perhaps you're a BH resident. In any event, it would be nice if these folks would move on and let the City spend time and effort on more significant issues.
Get your story straight
The neighborhood is not fighting, nor has it ever fought, the ADA requirement. The neighborhood supports ramps; it is the city that has been needlessly dragging the process out, even though it has a no-cost win-win solution right in front of it.
It's because folks "moved on and let the city spend time and effort on more significant issues" that we got the West End bulldozed and replaced by bland 1960s apartment buildings, that we got Scollay Square bulldozed and replaced by that concrete monstrosity known as "Government Center," and that we got the Esplanade bulldozed and replaced by the mediocre highway that is Storrow Drive.
On the other hand, it's because people stood their ground and refused to "move on" that we have a nice historic neighborhood rather than more of Charles River Plaza, that route 695 didn't completely gut Cambridge, Somerville, and Roxbury, and that we still have a thriving pushcart market at Haymarket.
Frankly, time and time again, history have proved the "nimbys" as having been right; I'll throw my lot in with them over the Robert Moses' and John Volpe's of this world.
Load of crap
Go sell that crap at Haymarket.
Cape Wind, buildings taller than 15 stories (or whatever the shadow limit is) in Copley, a total lack of drug treatment centers, medical marijuana dispensaries, burying the Pike for new development...
Do it
And I hope the court decides that yellow is more compliant than even the red Walsh would have used.
If Portland Oregon can figure out a way...
That's what Beacon Hill said they want
Except the gray part would be made of granite.
Enough already with the granite
"Dark gray tiles will be installed in historic districts such as the Old Port and Stroudwater while bright yellow tiles, embedded in concrete, will be used in all other locations."
I alert you to the word "yellow". That is one of the sticking points with the denizens of the Hill. And they don't want bricks to be removed or trees cut down to make the streets ADA compliant so a wheelchair can fit through...and
ENOUGH. Good luck with 'em going to court. I am sure the lawyers for the city will find more than enough cases on point where historic districts complied with the ADA requirements (including the compliance by our own historic Back Bay) that the fools on the hill will end up looking just like fools on the hill. The down side is that this whole mess will get dragged out even more and folks with those mobility issues will, gosh darn, just have to suck it up.
I always love this
When people link to articles they don't read (and even quote the sentence that tells them they are wrong):
Dark gray tiles will be installed in historic districts such as the Old Port and Stroudwater while bright yellow tiles, embedded in concrete, will be used in all other locations.
Gray in the historic districts. Yellow elsewhere.
You don't even have to read - there's a picture in the article.
Are you the contractor who loses out if they use granite?
Oh, I know you do...
I must of made your day!
Did you read the BIG headline:
Portland's Historic Preservation Board approves installation of about 50 gray and yellow ramps.
Again: The Historic Preservation Board approves installation of about 50 gray and yellow ramps.
And, yes, I did read the article. I am trying to compare and contrast here between the attitudes involved. Aside from that, "the all other locations" are probably within said historic district from the subject of the article which is "The Historic Preservation Board approves installation of about 50 gray and yellow ramps."
At least you did not mention the word "granite". Doh. Darn. You did.
Compare and contrast
Portland agreed to gray on brick. Would they have objected to granite (oops, I said it again - call me Brittany) if the local historic assn. or biz assn. said they'd pay? Probably not.
I think the city is being VERY high handed here. BH seems to have a very reasonable solution (acceptable in Portland for example) and they are willing to pay for it. As Bob L has pointed out - the attitude adjustment needed isn't Beacon Hill's - it's city hall's.
Portland, Maine
Cambridge has these too. Look at parts of the neighborhood east of Mass Ave between Harvard and Porter.
The neighbors aren't asking for some whack-o thing like these blog posts suggest.
Disclaimer: I live in Allston and don't really care about what happens on Beacon Hill. Just noting that these "special" brick ramps aren't that big of a deal for other cities.
That's Portland, Maine, Whyaduck!
Portland Oregon has some surprisingly old neighborhoods, but Portland Maine has a really ancient downtown area.
And what they did in that ancient downtown area is very much relevant to the historic look of Beacon Hill.
I think it's funny they yammered on
..without noticing that.
People are in such a rush to display empiricism that they forget to be empirical.
They race to rationalize while making a hash of reason and the details get gummed up.
Portland ME does have lots of old brick stuff but they aren't as stuffy about it.
Isn't the Portland OR daily called 'The Oregonian?'
For those too lazy to Google
Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) position:
- We have always supported accessibility on Beacon Hill.
- We have always supported improvements to our ramps and bringing into compliance with the current ADA standards including the addition of the dimpled tactile pad.
- We have never disagreed with the size, shape or the number of ramps on Beacon Hill.
- The only issue we have with the City's proposal is the materials (concrete and plastic).
and more about the proposed solution.
Number four is the kicker, is it not?
And honestly, dragging this out for as long as they did, makes it difficult for me to believe that they are totally sincere on numbers 1-3.
How is the BHCA "dragging this out?"
Isn't it the city that's dragging it about?
What about the city showing up at a supposed "explain the project to the neighbors and gather feedback" meeting without any pictures or diagrams showing the city's proposal?
If that's not a blatant raised middle finger to the public, I don't know what is.
Too late for Beacon Hill preservation
Until they work on reestablishing Mount Whoredom on the north side of the hill, their cries of historical preservation will ring hollow.
Yeah, you're right
If it weren't for those busybodies back in the 1920s and 1930s, Boston could have a nice modern downtown like Dallas.
Well yeah...
and isn't it too bad that it did? Now you have instead acres of sterile, pricey condos instead of funky, old school urban housing. Ironically I've known several BH residents who ended up there in their old age (or at River House on lower Pinckney--or is it Revere?) because of the elevators and garages they needed once their mobility became limited. A five-story townhouse or a narrow tenement is pretty tricky to navigate once you hit a certain age.
Not sure what your point is?
The very same sorts of people who are being vilified as "NIMBY" now, were fighting against the destruction of the West End back then, and were also vilified as standing in the way of progress, idealistic eggheads, etc.
Actually, Bob...
you might want to revisit the history.
They were not "fighting against the destruction of the West End", which, as we know, was destructed. It was only when their area was under threat that the NIMBYs became concerned. (As corrected mentioned in the post by Kaz.)
After witnessing the destruction of the West End by "urban redevelopment" in the '60s, the BHCA succeeded in getting the South Slope and later the North Slope and the Flat of the Hill, designated as historic districts – thus preventing the neighborhood from meeting the same fate as its neighbor."
Actually, whyaduck...
You might find that, although the bhca *as an organization* did not become involved in the West End, you'll find that many of the same people who worked for the preservation of Beacon Hill had also put a lot of their blood, sweat, and tears into the unsuccessful attempt to save the West End. They got better organized and were more successful the second and third times around.
You're drawing a distinction without a difference.
Which Beacon Hill?
The busybodies of the 20's only cared about preserving their South Slope. It wasn't until the realized they needed a buffer zone that they included the Flats and then finally...like 30 years later, the North Slope.
You are under estimating Beacon Hill
What makes you so sure there aren't prostitute working there regularly now? It wasn't that long ago that people in Beacon Hill were complaining about condoms showing when they were out for a walk with the dog. I think condoms and needles still show up in walkway between South Russell and Smith Court.
EDIT: Holmes Alley
I need to learn the streets better
I just assumed those stories were from right outside of the General Hooker entrance.
*ba-dum tssh*
beacon hill
Sauce for the goose?
Of course, if it were any other neighborhood fighting against "we don't need to listen to the stinking public" government action, you'd be cheering them on.
Im suing the next
Yuppie who moves into my neighborhood!
Reply to Bob Leponge (I love the name!)
Bob, I'm guessing that you may live in the Beacon Hill area. And I agree with you, the city should have listened when you folks proposed an ADA compliant alternative. But I'm also guessing they already paid for those bumpy yellow pads and they are sitting in a warehouse somewhere for City workers to plop into the curb cutouts.
But I'm also guessing they already paid for those bumpy yellow pads and they are sitting in a warehouse somewhere for City workers to plop into the curb cutouts.
So, over what amounts to a restocking fee from some supplier, we should need to look at some kind of out-of-place, poorly-engineered, yellow-paint-wears-off-in 18-months crap for the next 50 years?
Ah, yes
the truth comes out. You and your fellow denizens on the hill (assuming that you do live on the hill) just don't want to look at those gosh darn yellow pads as they are "out-of-place." This really is the reason, is it not?
So what's wrong with that?
So, what, exactly, is wrong with people who live in a neighborhood, who have invested their money, years of their time, and their political capital on constantly supporting and improving the livability of the neighborhood, and who are paying for city services through their taxes, asking their elected government to make the sidewalk ramps they plan to look at and walk on for the rest of their lives out of durable, ADA-compliant masonry instead of cheap, temporarily ADA-compliant plastic crap?
Why do you say "the truth comes out?" Was that some kind of secret or surprise to anyone?
The BHCA's website, http:/
The BHCA's website, http://bhcivic.org , makes their position sound very reasonable.
To summarize, they want wire-cut bricks for the ramps, and grey concrete pavers for the tactile pads.
They say the concrete pavers are cheaper than yellow plastic pads, and last much longer. I'd tend to agree on the durability, since I've seen plenty of plastic pads which are cracked or have large holes after just a few months.
While the brick ramps would cost more than concrete, Rep. Livingstone's message says the cost would be negligible -- an additional 1 to 3% of the overall project cost.
The Beacon Hill Civic Association, ah, yes.
South End Historic District
seems to have the standard yellow there. They are currently installing the new ramps at the corner of Berkeley and Chandler with a combination of new brick and a concrete leader to funnel users onto the ramp. They look perfectly fine and the brick blends in well with the previous brickwork at the end of the project.
If anything, I would love to see all of the bricks go away. Many times bricks are broken, missing or uneven, and they're downright treacherous in the winter as they often freeze before the other surfaces. The "penguin walk" is quite common.
If anything, I would love to
If anything, I would love to see all of the bricks go away
You must absolutely adore downtown Albany. And Brasilia
These people are absolutely
These people are absolutely disgusting and are disturbingly detached from reality. It's not like the city is planning to replace the crappy, uneven, historic brick sidewalks with flat cement. Fuck all of these people.
No, not at all
It's not like the city is planning to replace the crappy, uneven, historic brick sidewalks with flat cement.
It's not like the city didn't try to do exactly that once before.
Try Harder
The city needs to go down that route again. And this time don't back down. Those Beacon Hill residents complaining about this should consider themselves lucky I am not in charge because I would just Le Corbusier their ass. Or kick them all out and turn it into a colonial theme park with Ye Olde Beer Slide down Joy St.
Unfortunately for you,
The city needs to go down that route again. And this time don't back down. Those Beacon Hill residents complaining about this should consider themselves lucky I am not in charge because I would just Le Corbusier their ass. Or kick them all out and turn it into a colonial theme park with Ye Olde Beer Slide down Joy St.
Unfortunately for you, your style of urban planning went out of style rather abruptly on April 28th or May 2, 1945, depending upon how you count.
don't you mean August 6 and 9, 1945?
No, not at all
No, not at all.
And I can only hope they try again.
Personally, I would like to see all the brick ripped up. They are slippery when wet and treacherous.
The 18th century is over.
I agree.
We should just fricken get rid of all this old stuff already, and put in nice wide streets, with convenient strip malls, and plenty of parking. That's what people want.
False choice
Because there's nowhere between dangerous brickwork and strip malls where Beacon Hill might reside just fine.
Actually I would propose less parking
Actually I would propose Charles street have no parking, 2 lanes of traffic [one each way not one way], and wide, concrete sidewalks like the Back Bay [to better facilitate all users and sidewalk cafes and such].
So if the BHCA pays for all or some of the work, who is responsible for upkeep? Who is responsible if someone falls and sues? What part does each party play during construction?
There has to be a legal side of this we're not hearing about.
These are the ramps being put
These are the ramps being put in at the Plymouth waterfront. They havent finished the work, putting up ducky light poles with gas lantern like lamps but are LED today as I scruntinized the process. They even have put in a compass.I think with respect to Plymouth , they trump Beacon Hill with historic, they have the Rock , after all, and much better eating too!
Nice compass , https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/410x328q90/536/482ac3.jpg
Added feature , already nearby for those that dig trains, and is in the Sarge's clock park!


text:
The Spring/Summer 13 menswear runway season got off to a different start this time around with London launching a three-day showcase called London Collections: Men. It happened just before Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence and the current men's fashion week in Milan which will be followed by Paris as per usual.
Here's why London matters. For starters, menswear has long relied upon fashion weeks in Milan and Paris almost omitting the men's collections that show alongside womenswear in New York and London (which happen 3 months too late anyway). In menswear more-so than womenswear, it would seem that we are mostly looking at big luxury brands for direction.. and a lot of times that equates to a whole lotta suits. Emerging designers aren't as well featured and that's where London comes in. In just 3 days, more than a handful of brands made their mark, most geared towards the youth market. It felt refreshing not only as our first look at the season but as if youth culture is finally getting its platform in menswear. It doesn't hurt that the timing is also spot on. Below are a few highlights from London.
This one is perhaps early to say, but a few designers signal a more FEMININE direction for menswear via sheer materials and a soft color palette.
Elsewhere designers featured inspiration taken from SoCal SKATERS.
SPORT reference was also strong with baseball and basketball jerseys.
A more sophisticated take was noted at Xander Zhou with a new FUTURIST direction.
In silhouette direction, BAGGY shapes were key on pants and shorts. James Long took the baggy direction even further with below-the-knee shorts.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Categories: Business, Corporate, Commercial Law
Instructor(s) Alexander, Lisa
This is an introductory course that covers basic issues relating to the law of principals and agents and surveys state laws governing the formation and operation of closely held business associations, including partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, closely held corporations, non-profits and social enterprises. The course deals with choice of business entity, forming and financing business enterprises, and management rights within such enterprises. This course is strongly recommended for all students, not just those students who plan to practice business law.
In semesters when a 4th credit is being offered: 2Ls and 3Ls who choose to take the course for 4 credits, in addition to attending classes and taking the final exam, will have to complete a professional skills drafting exercise to draft a corporate agreement based on a problem I give to you and to write a short memo on why you made the drafting choices you made. You will get feedback on this assignment. 1Ls can only take the course for 3 credits, and thus, they will not be required to do the exercise.


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The History of Medicine Society is sponsoring a treasure hunt for anyone interested in the history of the health sciences. The scavenger hunt will run from Tuesday, September 6 at 8:00 am through Thursday, September 15 at 6:00 pm. Any time during that period, participants can pick up an entry form at the Circulation Desk on the 3rd floor of the Briscoe Library. Uncover treasures located throughout the building and even online! See rare historical books, and view digital collections.
Completed forms should be placed in the designated boxes at the Circulation Desk on the 3rd floor or in the P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library on the 5th floor by 6:00 pm on Thursday, September 15.
Participants must answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly to be eligible for a prize. All qualifying entrants may enter a drawing to win novelty chocolates, and student entrants are eligible for one of three $5 gift cards to Starbucks! Winners will be drawn at the September 15 meeting of the History of Medicine Society. Walter Humann, MS III and winner of the 2015 Danny Jones History of the Health Sciences Student Essay Contest, will present Medical Progress in the West: A Historical Perspective at 6:00 pm in the Howe Conference Room.
For more information, contact Peg Seger, Head of Outreach and Community Engagement, at 210-567-6398 or email@example.com.


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August 16, 2012
By Pat Hendricks Munson
Sentinel Contributing Writer
Her name may not be recognizable to the general public but millions have seen her handiwork on the faces of some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars. She is called upon time after time to deliver just the right look for actors and actresses going before the cameras to portray characters of every era, age and ethnicity.
She is none other than Marietta Carter-Narcisse a makeup artist extraordinaire, and one of only two members of color in the makeup and hairstylist branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; a voting member. The artist has worked in the industry for years now adding esthetic credence to actors' performances in highly acclaimed and recognizable movies as well as period pieces such as the upcoming "Sparkle," about a 1960s up and coming singer staring American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and the late multi-Grammy winning Whitney Houston.
Carter-Narcisse was not expecting to work on this film when out of the blue she received a last-minute call requesting her services on the movie set in Detroit. The always professional makeup expert had less than a day to prepare and pack for the trip.
"I received the call after 12 in the afternoon on a Monday and by eight in the morning on Tuesday I was on a flight to Detroit," said Carter-Narcisse, who went straight from the plane to the set. The beauty pro artist, teacher and businesswoman principally worked her magic on Sparks but also had the opportunity to makeup Houston on several occasions during filming.
Working 80 plus hours per week for one month straight was grueling to say the least. However, viewing trailers and looking at pictures of the stars in the movie all the hard work is paying off. Sparks and Houston look very authentic in their 1960s era makeup and clothing and Carter-Narcisse is proud of the work she's done and the film itself. With Sparks being in almost every scene Narcisse had her work cut out for her and she is pleased with the results.
"I feel real good about how Jordin looks. I am very, very happy. It could have been a huge disaster not having time to prepare as I usually would. When doing these films time is needed to research the period in order to manipulate authentic imagery. You have to know the period to manipulate it. I brought my research to the project. I wanted to give that retro chic look of the 60s."
Carter-Narcisse gives lots of credit to Houston for making her feel comfortable and understanding the last minute arrangement of her stepping into a project already in progress. She remembers Houston being very warm, supportive and understanding and even though they had never met they realized they had many friends in common.
"Whitney was great. She made me feel very comfortable. We talked a lot about our kids, raising children in this industry, being there for them and trying not to miss out on that part of family life while meeting the demands of the industry" said Carter-Narcisse, a wife and mother of a 17-year-old son. That was one of their last conversations before shooting ended in November 2011 and the announcement of Houston's untimely death in February this year. The movie opens Friday, August 17.
Her portfolio covers a who's who in the film industry including top stars such as Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg, Cindy Crawford and Robert Deniro.
She has either worked as the makeup artist, designer or supervisor on "Beverly Hills Cop II," "Malcolm X", "A Time to Kill," "The Long Kiss Goodnight," " Ghost," "The Mighty Quinn," "Eve's Bayou," "The Negotiator," "Baby Boy," on television commercials, music videos and more.
Carter Narcisse started out as a seamstress. A native of Barbados she moved to New York in 1971 with her parents and four brothers. Back in the early days her dad, who recently passed away after 61 years of marriage to her mother, could not afford to buy clothes for his children.
"My dad said 'if you want clothes, make them.' Between the ages of 12-24 years old I made everything I ever wore except underwear. I would look at pictures in a magazine and tell my friends 'I'm going to wear that tomorrow.' I made a new outfit every night and I never wore an outfit twice."
The young seamstress started sewing clothes for friends in her neighborhood and it wasn't long before her talent was recognized. A secretary at her junior high school, also a native of Barbados, noticed she had style and eventually started an after school program for girls teaching them about fashion and how to properly apply makeup. By the time she was 16 she had a steady flow of customers for her home-made clothes.
"I didn't know I was a business person. I was totally passionate about it. It was so much fun doing it. It was great," Carter-Narcisse remembered. After high school the budding entrepreneur attended Long Island University on a full scholarship as a pre-med major while going to work at a hospital "dressed to kill" in her self-made designs. After graduating from LIU she worked for two years as an insurance underwriter while on a waiting list to med school.
Although she admits to hating that job she continued to go to work in perfect makeup, dress and shoes. One day her boss told her "you don't belong here." She resigned and enrolled into beauty school, eventually getting a cosmetology license. With that she left New York and moved to Los Angeles, via Europe. That's where her youngest brother was on the road as a valet for the Commodores, repairing their clothes and other odd jobs. At that her young brother didn't really know who they were. However, she did, and being the innate business woman she is "I hitched myself to him" and the rest is history. Through him and the Commodores she met Natalie Cole.
"It was one of those moments when God gives you and opportunity. I had no business cards, no pen and no paper. I offered my services to Natalie Cole and three days later her manager called to say "Natalie wants you to do some alterations." From those alterations Carter-Narcisse went on the road with Natalie Cole for almost a year doing her hair, makeup and gowns.
It's been a long and winding road from the small island of Barbados to literally touching the faces of tinsel town royalty. Carter-Narcisse considers is "very fortunate to have a career as a makeup artist and not just a Black makeup artist…I was fortunate a lot of my films weren't pigeon holed. They appealed to a more general market because it can be tough in this industry for people to see you as simply an artist and not the color of your skin.
"I hope they market Sparkle as just a really sweet movie. I think it will be fabulous. The trailer looks hot and I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's Whitney's last movie and I think people want to see it, which is great."
In the meantime Carter-Narcisse is spending quality time at home in Florida with her family. She is teaching makeup to a younger generation of artists and is actively working to help build the film industry in Barbados.


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I am honored to share my new bi-monthly column for Lehigh Valley Style magazine, Fresh Perspectives with Jaime K.
So much to say about the emotions of seeing this in print, but for now I'll tell you: It's the March issue and it's on news stands now! Learn about my journey to become vegan and years later, to embrace the Lehigh Valley as my home for creative communities, young entrepreneurship, and vegan food (we keep getting luckier!). Going forward, the column will highlight people and businesses doing work I admire, be it art & design, mindful cooking, or making positive community and societal impacts.
"Fresh Perspectives is meant to chronicle my love of the Lehigh Valley, seeking beauty in everything, living with true mindfulness to be kind in a world that makes it easy to post an Internet meme about kindness while forgetting to show it in our actions.
It's about simple and unintimidating recipes, and inclusiveness, and honoring where we come from while striving to be better." (pg. 100)
I hope you'll love it, and if you have suggestions for future columns I'd love to connect and learn about them. Reach me at email@example.com.
xo Jaime K
"All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know."


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'Obamacare' Ruling Puts New Emphasis On State Governments
26 states opposed Affordable Care Act. Now they must implement it.
July 3, 2012 -- There are very few certainties in politics, but the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act, the controversial health care law colloquially referred to as "Obamacare," resulted in one of those rare sure things: It assured that the debate surrounding the law will rage on for the foreseeable future.
Almost immediately after the Supreme Court announced its ruling, Mitt Romney vowed to repeal the law if elected in the fall. Republicans in the House and Senate got a new talking point -- Republican control of both chambers will greatly improve their ability to facilitate this repeal.
And several Republican governors, including Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Scott Walker of Wisconsin, said that they would wait until November to take any sort of action to begin actually to implement the law.
Democrats need to maintain control in only one of the following three places -- the White House, the Senate, or the House of Representatives -- to, at the very least, seriously hinder Republicans' ability to repeal the law entirely. If Romney is elected president, there are a handful of legal options he can take unilaterally, without the help of Congress, to go after the law, but he'll be greatly limited. And Republicans will face a time crunch, given that the law will take full effect in 2014.
If the Affordable Care Act continues to be the law of the land, however, state governors will have the job of implementing several requirements outlined by the reform. For example, under the law, each state is required to set up state exchanges where residents can, if they choose, select a healthcare plan (residents can also go through employer if that is an option for them). The exchanges do not need to be up and running until 2014, but states are required to demonstrate by Jan. 1, 2013, that their exchanges are in progress, and will be operational by the 2014 deadline. If they fall behind, the Department of Health and Human Services would then come in and set up the exchanges.
"If the state decides not to establish an exchange, then the federal government establishes the exchange for them. So it's kind of a pick-your-poison scenario, if you will," said Renee M. Landers, a professor of law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Presumably, governors who are resistant to setting up exchanges would be more resistant to the federal government establishing the exchanges for them.
Under the law, as it was written, governors would also oversee an expansion of Medicaid within their states. However, the Supreme Court ruled that states could opt out of this expansion. The legal procedure for deciding whether to go forward with the expansion will differ by state. It would be paid for entirely by the federal government for the first several years, and afterward states would only be required to chip in 10 percent of the cost.
The governors might not be acting alone.
"States might need to have legislation to be able to take advantage of the expansion," said Landers. "It's really impossible to generalize accurately because each state situation is so different. A governor can possibly make some kind of administrative changes, but certainly if it's going to take more money than they would need to go through the legislature."
It's not known what the governors in these states might do about the expansion of Medicaid, but many states that joined the suit against the law have Republican-controlled legislatures, and that's unlikely to change.
In Louisiana, for example, members in both the state house and senate have four-year terms, and are currently serving out their 2012-2016 term. In Michigan, no state senators are up for re-election this year, and house Republicans have a 16-seat majority.
In Virginia, the state senate has 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats, but the state's Republican lieutenant governor serves as the tie-breaking vote. The Virginia state legislature won't hold elections again until fall 2013, when there will also be a gubernatorial race in the state.
Several states could end up opting out of the Medicaid expansion -- and in that case, Landers says, the ACA would not meet all of its goals.
"It will mean that the Affordable Care Act will fall short of achieving some of its goals, because the Medicaid expansion was supposed to address low income people," Landers said.
Low-income residents of a state that opts out of the expansion will likely not be required to pay the fee for not having insurance.
"Their incomes will be too low to pay the tax. Unless a person has an income that meets the federal threshold for filing a tax return, they don't have to meet the individual mandate requirements" said Landers. "And even if you have the income that's above that level, if there are hardship requirements or you can show that there is no affordable product on the market for you to pay that's not less than 8 percent of your income, also can get an exemption."
The federal threshold for filing a tax return is an income of at least $9,350 annually for a single filer, $18,700 for a married couple with no dependents, and $22,350 for a couple with one dependent. After that it increases by an amount of $3,650 per dependent.
The National Journal estimates that the 26 states that opposed the health care law represent a majority -- 55 percent -- of Americans who have no medical insurance.


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How to Treat Motion Sickness in Pets
Help Your Pet Conquer Motion Sickness
As we pile into our cars for Labor Day road trips this weekend, some of us are faced with a messy situation: motion sickness. Sure, it's awful when it happens to us, but many pet parents also have to come to grips with dogs or cats getting queasy — or reliving breakfast — when they are cruising on the interstate.
Motion sickness among pets is usually caused by travel-related anxiety, but young dogs may be more prone getting car sick because their equilibrium still needs time to develop. Or it could be linked to a bad travel experience in the past. Just like when our gag reflexes kick into gear at the sight of a food that made us sick, dogs and cats may associate car travel with a previous vomiting episode.
If your pet's stomach gets tied up in knots at the sight of the back seat, there are some remedies you can try to help him overcome the queasiness. Keep reading for our tips!
Let in some fresh air. Not unlike humans, a little fresh air from outside can help the nausea pass by balancing the air pressure in the car. And letting some cool air into a hot, stuffy car will also go miles in making him feel better.
Go slowly. If your pet's motion sickness is stress-related, he'll need to go back to school and learn all over again that car rides are fun! Begin by letting him smell and explore the car for just a few minutes at a time without leaving the driveway. When he seems comfortable that the vehicle isn't going to eat him, try securing him in his safety restraints (harness or carrier) with lots of praise and treats or catnip. As he becomes familiar with being buckled in, you can start the engine and even back down the driveway. Once you reach the point where he seems as though he can handle a longer car ride, take him to fun places like the dog park, a favorite segment of your walks, or — for cats — straight back to the comforts of home. Repeat these exercises while watching his reactions carefully, and if he shows any signs of distress, take a break and a step back. It's slow-going, but in time, he should come to associate good things with car travel.
Limit food intake. If your pet has a history of vomiting and defecating in the car, try to schedule your trips four to five hours after his last meal or limiting his food the day of the trip.
Provide an herbal cure. A little piece of candied ginger or a small, nonchocolate candy just before you get in the car can help to settle the stomach. Cooled peppermint tea has also been known as a tummy soother for dogs.
Most often, you'll know if your pet suffers from motion sickness because of obvious signals like vomiting or diarrhea. But other more subtle symptoms could also indicate that he's getting sick, such as whining or crying, immobility, urination, and excessive yawning, drooling, or licking of the lips. If these home-based remedies don't work for him, consult with your vet for the best course of treatment.


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Audiobook's market blurb sounds promising:
"Listen to over 2,800 audiobooks totally free. Taken from the Librivox Project these beloved classics are now on Android. Easily stream or download the books. Perfect for your commute, relaxing at home, in bed, or while at the gym. The app keeps your place for you with automatic bookmarking across your whole library."
It goes without saying that we simply had to check out this app. Read on to find out what our verdict is.
|Reviewed version
|Latest version
Features & Use
The app really does provide a lot of freely accessible audio books—here's a brief selection of available works:
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Winter's Tale
The Sorrows of Young Werther
All Audiobooks are LibriVox recordings, which means that they are public domain and therefore downloadable free of cost.
You can listen to the recordings online (streaming), or else download them (whilst listening to that particular audio book if you so choose).
Audiobooks is a pretty awesome deal, no question about it. That being said, I have to warn you not to expect professional readers, like the ones you might be used to from other audio books, because that's not the case with this app.
LibriVox.org have made it their mission to publish all public domain books as audio books. The readers are basically every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and their skills range from "WTF??" to "Hey, not bad!". You may even stumble across a few speakers who sound really professional, though I have to say that during my test of this app I didn't come across anyone who was as talented as the speakers you hear reading normal audio books or in radio commercials, etc.
Screen & Controls
Using Audiobooks is very intuitive and doesn't really require grand explanations. You'll find the following categories on the display:
All Titles
Most Popular
Surprise Me
My Library
This is where you start your search for interesting audio books. There's also a Search function in the upper half of the screen that allows you to pin-point your search for a specific publication.
Once you've located a book via one of the categories or the search function you can click on it in order to read a synopsis of the book. There are two buttons near the bottom which allow you to either hear a sample from the book or play it back straight away. If you let the book playback immediately it automatically gets downloaded as well (a function which you can switch off – if you wish – via the menu button and Settings). The books you've downloaded wind up in the CrossForward folder of your SD card. You can also play them – using Astro, for instance – on your standard player, although they don't show up in the player's display.
The Audiobooks player is just as easy to use as the app itself. It has the usual buttons:
Skip (forwards/backwards)
… as well as a button which opens up the list of chapters. The downloading process is shown at the bottom of the screen, and you can abort or restart it at any point.
My Library shows you all the audio books you've downloaded/listened to and lets you revisit them.
Bottom line:
If the lack of professional speakers won't dampen your enjoyment of these audio books my guess that you'll really enjoy this little app. It deserves its four stars for Screen & Controls because controls works like a charm. The app's major downfall is its stability (see below for more details). As far as the quality and talent of the readers go: to each his own, I say!
Speed & Stability
Audiobook's performance on the Milestone was satisfactory, thought the ads aren't displayed correctly at the bottom of the screen (which, let's face it, I'm not exactly upset about), due to the high resolution. However, the app didn't perform well at all on the G1. I kept getting "Application is not responding" messages, and the player wouldn't obey me, either; for instance, when I wanted to skip to the next chapter I wound up five chapters further instead.
Price/Performance Ratio
The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Android Market.


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Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty in his State of the Union Address, saying "Many Americans live on the outskirts of hope – some because of their poverty, and our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity." He later echoed those statements in May of 1964 while visiting Ohio University in Athens.
Today, we're still fighting the war on poverty, but our country took a small step toward progress last week, as my Democratic and Republican Senate colleagues voted to open debate on a bill that would renew unemployment benefits.
We've still got a long way to go. We know that if no compromise is reached, 1.3 million Americans – including more than 52,000 Ohioans who have lost benefits this year already and another 76,000 Ohioans who will lose them by the end of this year – will not regain the assistance that they've been depending on to make ends meet while they look for work.
Far too many Americans are still hurting. We are still emerging from the worst recession since the Great Depression. We've made progress, but there are still nearly 11 million Americans unemployed, and more than 4 million of them have been employed for 27 weeks or more.
When President Bush signed the latest round of emergency assistance into effect, the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent – almost a point-and-a-half lower than it is today. And the long-term unemployment rate is more than double what it's been at any other time Congress has let emergency jobless assistance expire.
We must renew unemployment insurance and provide families the resources they need to continue making ends meet. Helping them to get on their feet will also help the economy grow and create jobs.
These people should be able to focus on finding work – without the added stress of whether they can pay the rent and put food on the table. That's what unemployment benefits do, and that's why I'm calling on my colleagues in the House to bring this legislation up for a vote.
But that's just the first step in bringing our economy back on track. There are three more steps we can take to reduce unemployment by creating jobs, and improve our economy without adding to the budget.
First, with too many Ohioans still unable to find work, we should be doing all that we can to ensure that our workers are qualified to fill Ohio jobs. I've held more than 200 roundtables across Ohio's 88 counties, and many employers have told me that they are having a hard time finding skilled workers.
The Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success or SECTORS Act would help close the skills gap by creating partnerships between educators, industry and workforce training boards to ensure that workers have the right skills to get hired in local, high-tech, good-paying jobs.
It means community colleges – whether it's Cincinnati State, Tri-C, and Zane State – and workforce investment boards, business, and labor are working together to fill local jobs and attract new ones.
Second, we know Ohio workers and business can compete with anyone in the world. But when countries manipulate their currency – to give their exports an unfair price advantage over American-made products – that's not competing; it's cheating. That's why Congress must pass my bipartisan jobs bill to stand up to Chinese cheating by treating currency manipulation as an illegal trade subsidy.
An Economic Policy Institute report found that addressing currency manipulation could create more than 2 million jobs – including between about 95,000 and 200,000 in Ohio alone. The report also found that the U.S. GDP would increase by as much as $285.7 billion or 1.9 percent, and the U.S. budget deficit would decrease by up to $71.4 billion per year. And, our bipartisan jobs bill has no cost to taxpayers.
Finally, we can improve our economy by passing the Farm Bill. Agriculture – and related business, like food processing – is Ohio's leading industry, representing one in seven jobs. As Ohio's first senator to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years, I'm honored to be a farm bill conferee. My goal – and that of my Senate colleagues – is to send a bill that earns broad, bipartisan support to the President.
Ohio is home to approximately 130 companies that use agricultural crops to make new products ranging from natural pet foods to bio-based paint, soy ink, and toner. These companies create jobs – and new markets for our farmers and our manufacturers. The Senate's Farm Bill strengthens bio-based manufacturers and spurs new agricultural innovations. And, the centerpiece of the bill's deficit reduction is based on legislation I introduced with Senator John Thune, my Republican colleague from South Dakota.
As I've met with Ohio farmers, they've told me they don't need or want direct payments. This program, the Ag Risk Coverage or ARC, streamlines the farm safety net, eliminates direct payments and makes farm programs more market oriented. It ensures that production and planting decisions are determined by the market, not the program. The Senate bill would save $24 billion over 10 years, compared to reauthorizing current farm programs. And I hope that we can pass this bill into law in the next couple of weeks.
There are a number of ways to ensure we can live up to LBJ's words of "replacing despair with opportunity." Renewing unemployment benefits, and this three-point plan, will help us to move our economy in the right direction.


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This year I thought I'd experiment by offering advice on fantasy football matchups. So, feel free to put up a comment with your matchup questions on any post (I see all comments in my personal email) and I'll try to respond as soon as I can. (And, feel free to put up some questions if you haven't had your draft yet.)
Just to forewarn you, I sometimes take an unconventional approach to matchups – I'm not afraid to rely on a hunch and less subjective factors. For those worried about this last sentence and the potential for wacky advice, I did win a good league last year so my method has worked at least at times in the past.


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Growing costs for HSBC's laundry list of problemsNovember 5, 2012: 5:32 AM ET
HSBC reported Monday that it turned a profit of $5 billion in the third quarter, a figure held down by the scandal-plagued bank's efforts to absorb a series of fines and penalties.
The London-based firm set aside $800 million to pay fines that may result from the bank's alleged links to drug cartels and terrorist groups. In the second quarter, the bank set aside an initial $700 million for the same purpose.
In July, a U.S. congressional committee issued a report detailing a lack of oversight at HSBC which resulted in thousands of suspicious transactions with clients of dubious repute.
Among other issues, the report noted that in 2007 and 2008, HSBC's Mexico unit shipped $7 billion in cash to the bank's U.S. affiliate, a volume of shipments that law enforcement officials said could reach that size "only if they included illegal drug proceeds."
HSBC Mexico had a number of high-profile clients linked to drug trafficking, the report said, as well as "a huge backlog of accounts marked for closure due to suspicious activity, but whose closures were delayed."
The report also found that HSBC worked extensively with Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank, some owners of which have been linked to terrorism financing, according to a CIA report quoted by the subcommittee. Some evidence suggests Al Rajhi's "key founder" was "an early financial benefactor of al Qaeda," the report said.
Even with $1.5 billion set aside to pay for its alleged indiscretions, more may be needed. In a statement released Monday, chief executive Stuart Gulliver said that U.S. authorities have "substantial discretion" on how to resolve the charges, and that no agreement has been reached.
"Indeed," Gulliver said, "the final amount of the financial penalties could be higher, possibly significantly higher, than the amount accrued." After the report's release, the bank issued a statement acknowledging it had "sometimes failed to meet the standards that regulators and customers expect."
HSBC also earmarked $353 million to compensate customers sold payment protection insurance, bringing the banks total hit for the quarter to $1.15 billion. The bank has been under fire for misleading clients regarding the purchase of certain kinds of insurance that prevented most policyholders from filing a claim.
In addition, the bank is being scrutinized for its alleged role in the Libor rate-rigging scandal. HSBC was subpoenaed in August by New York's attorney general.
Barclays, the first bank to settle with regulators, paid U.K. and U.S. regulators $453 million in penalties for rigging Libor. The bank's CEO resigned in the wake of that announcement.


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|Home :: Hotels :: My Account :: My Basket
Room view of Christ of Havana
Hotel & Street Entertainment
Ambos Mundos Kingsize Bed
Ernest Hemingway Room at Ambos Mundos
Hotel Facade
Roof Garden, Bar and Restaurant
Ernest Hemingway & Fidel Castro
Hotel in Buzzing Part of Old Havana
Room View of Street & Performers
Double Standard Room
Hotel Guests & Passersby
Interior Hall
Hotel Reception & Lobby
Lobby Bar
Obispo Street
Reception of Ambos Mundos
Standard Room Bathroom
Tourist Guide at Ambos Mundos Hotel
Much is made of Ernest Hemingway's predilection for staying at the Hotel Ambos Mundos. He wrote the first few chapters of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' in room 551, which is now maintained as something of a shrine.
The rooms are comfortable and this also applies to the ground floor bar area, with its cosy, squishy modern sofas. The roof terrace has great views of the Plaza de Armas and environs; for the main advantage of staying in the Ambos Mundos is proximity to all the best and most beautiful parts of Old Havana.
Clients can derive a warm philanthropic glow from the fact that since the hotel is run by the Office of the City Historian of Havana through its company called Habaguanex. All its profits are reinvested in the restoration of the city's historical centre.
From 15th June 2014 the Hotel Ambos Mundos will start renovation on their 5th floor. All rooms on this floor (including Ernest Hemingway's museum room) will be closed. The renovation will last for at least 6 months.
© 2014 Nigel Hunt
Not Reviewed By Nigel Yet
24 hour reception
Air conditioning
Breakfast - buffet
Busy street
Car rental desk
Conference halls & rooms
Daily newspapers
Elevators / lifts
Hotel was recently renovated
International cuisine
Laundry & Ironing Service
Lobby bar
Luggage storage
Malecon max 5min walk
Mastercard & Visa (not USA bank issued) accepted
Nightclub nearby
Nursery services
Old building restored
Reception staff speak Spanish, English, French, German, Italian
Safety - uniformed security personnel 24hrs
Shoe cleaning
Shop(s) with basic supplies, souvenirs & gifts
Shops max 2min walk
Taxis desk
Telephone - national & international calls
Tours & tourist information desk
TV room/bar (international channels & videos)
Voltage 110/120
The 49 Ambos Mundos' standard rooms are quite small. Function is the keyword – these are rooms for people who only want to come back to their hotel to shower and change before heading out to the next adventure, for this accommodation is clean and comfortable but not in any way glamorous. The beds and furnishings are modern and the cream-tiled bathrooms are clean. 36 of the standard rooms have matrimonial beds and the other 13 are twin bedded.
© 2014 Nigel Hunt
110 volt outlets
Air conditioning
Baby's cot (on request)
Balcony (subject to availability)
Bathroom (ensuite)
Double bed
Hot & cold water
In-room safe
Iron & ironing board
King size bed
Minibar / Fridge
Room service
Satellite TV
Twin beds
The 3 Junior Suites at the Ambos Mundos are the results of a very unsuccessful partitioning of what were previously attractive corner rooms. Now in each 'suite' a single forlorn day bed and a jumble of inappropriate ceramic interior embellishments are placed behind a looming wooden screen in a fruitless attempt to create an adequate seating area set apart from the bedroom. The bathrooms are larger than those of standard rooms and the views of the Palace of the Captains General and the port are good, but it is Cubaism's opinion that these suites really don't deserve their classification as such.
© 2014 Nigel Hunt
110 volt outlets
Air conditioning
Baby's cot (on request)
Balcony (subject to availability)
Bathroom (ensuite)
Hot & cold water
In-room safe
Iron & ironing board
King size bed
Minibar / Fridge
Room service
Satellite TV
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For the second year in a row, bad weather has thwarted High River's Guy Weadick Days festival.
The four-day event offering chuckwagon races, a rodeo and a cabaret, was set to start Thursday but organizers decided Wednesday to postpone it after heavy rainfall rendered the chuckwagon track unusable.
"It's just still pouring down there. There's no way things would dry up soon enough," said Ralph Nelson, vice-president of the High River Agricultural Society, who hosts the event. The festival has been rescheduled for July 17-20.
The event was due to take place on June 20 last year, but was cancelled when flash floods hit the town that same day.
Nelson said a combination of factors, including racetrack safety, attendance and the logistics of moving events led organizers to their decision.
"We certainly didn't make the decision lightly, it affects a lot of people, but we didn't have much of a choice," he said. Scrapping the festival had not been an option, he said.
Tammy Kristiansen, spokeswoman for the World Professional Chuckwagon Association of which several drivers were slated to participate, said racing on a wet track can be dangerous.
"There's a seal on the track now, if they break through the track, it can cause injuries to the horses," she said. WPCA drivers will still attend a flood commemoration barbecue in Rotary Park Friday, she said.
Local reinsman Jason Glass, 43, said he wished the decision to postpone the event had been left until the very last minute.
"There's a lot of work that's been put toward this weekend … so it's really too bad that this is happening," he said.
Nelson said the Agricultural Society was expecting a big turnout, with 5,000 tickets purchased for Saturday's events — a nearly sold-out crowd.
Earlier in the day, High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass said the flood's one-year anniversary coupled with rainstorms has led to a tense mood in town.
"With the weather we're having this week, it's got people's emotions high and the memories returning," he said.
"Having events like this help us get past this."
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