text:
Week in review
A mining and exploration retrospect for September 22 to 28, 2012
by Greg Klein
Saskatchewan miners safe after 17-hour ordeal
Widespread relief greeted the news Tuesday evening that 20 miners surfaced safely after 24 hours underground—including 17 hours trapped by a fire.
Smoke spread through PotashCorp's TSX:POT Rocanville Mine in southeastern Saskatchewan as plastic insulation on coiled electrical cable caught fire just before 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. Nine workers made it to surface within minutes but 20 others had to make their way through smoke to refuge stations.
A rescue squad spent nearly 12 hours fighting the fire with water and foam, then waited hours for the mine to cool and ventilate.
All 20 were reported safe at about 6:42 p.m. Tuesday, nearly 17 hours after the fire started and over 24 hours after their shift began. The mine re-opened Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement released Wednesday, President Dave Coles of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union said, "The potash industry has seen more than 50 fatalities in Saskatchewan since its inception in the late 1950s."
Last June a backup operator died at the PotashCorp Allan Mine. Two others died in accidents at Agrium's TSX:AGU Vanscoy Mine in May 2010 and Mosaic's MOS Esterhazy Mine in November 2009.
Reports suggest this week's emergency was handled effectively, with the trapped miners waiting out their vigil safely in four well-provisioned refuge stations. Some of the miners recounted their experience to the Globe and Mail. At press time, however, the cause of the fire hadn't been determined. An internal investigation is underway.
With a market cap of $36.7 billion, PotashCorp says it is the world's largest potash producer, providing about 20% of global capacity.
Unsettling questions about South Africa
Turmoil continues in South Africa, increasing concerns about how far the labour strife will go. After strike-related violence killed 46 people at Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine last August the company settled with employees, most of whom returned to work on September 20. But approximately 75,000 others remain on strike at mines operated by other companies, including Anglo-American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats), AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Villa Main Reef. An additional 20,000 transport workers have joined the walkouts.
Adding to the tension is rivalry among unions and politicians, including President Jacob Zuma and his arch-foe Julius Malema. The latter talks of nationalizing the country's mining sector and has encouraged strikers to make the industry "ungovernable." Zuma counters that the strikes could plunge the country back into recession.
Meanwhile Lonmin's pay raises, ranging from 11% to 22%, haven't pacified the situation. On Wednesday Bloomberg quoted SBG Securities gold analyst David Davis, who says, "Workers are now demanding wage increases according to the 'Lonmin settlement.'" That prompts the despairing question of whether a significant pay hike from one employer can help destabilize poverty-stricken countries.
Riot shuts down Chinese factory city
Last Sunday's riot at one of China's sprawling labour camps might indicate deeper problems within the world's largest consumer of resources. Although details are murky, reports indicate a personal dispute in a Foxconn factory barracks may have lead to security guards beating a worker severely, which then sparked a much bigger confrontation. As of Friday, work was still shut down and the 79,000-person company city was being patrolled by riot-equipped company cops.
As the Sydney Morning Herald explains, "The unrest underscores the social strains of a Chinese export-manufacturing model where thousands of workers, mostly young, work long hours in military-style conditions, sleeping in dormitories and surrounded by security guards."
Foxconn's factory cities came to Western attention in 2010 after a wave of suicides at its 300,000-person complex in Shenzhen, China. The company manufactures electronic components for Apple, Nokia, Dell and Sony.
Guess what—Bre-X has no money
That revelation came out in a Calgary courtroom Thursday as bankruptcy trustee Deloitte & Touche applied to have investors' class action suits dismissed. The infamous gold scam came to light in March 1997, when Bre-X shares plunged faster than a geologist falling from a helicopter.
But University of Calgary Finance Professor Gordon Sick comments on the futility of the lawsuits, asking, "Who else can pay but other shareholders?" As he told the CBC, "Shareholders are essentially suing themselves. The only winner is the lawyer…"
The hearing was adjourned until December 4.
Bean honoured
Gold bugs continue to gain mainstream support. On Tuesday the Financial Post reported Morgan Stanley's top picks for commodity investments. Gold holds the #1 spot due to "interest rates, risk aversion and strong physical market fundamentals." The firm's commodities team likes silver for the same reasons. Among base metals, copper, nickel and, looking further ahead, zinc get good marks. Platinum, however, "lacks safe haven status and has limited investment demand."
But no metal follows gold into second place. Morgan Stanley reserves that honour for soybeans. "U.S. production continues to get slammed and South American harvest results have also been disappointing," the FP states. "Meanwhile demand remains high."
Juniors are the only way to invest in graphite
In an interview published Tuesday by the Gold Report, Industrial Minerals writer Simon Moores points out that Chinese companies and private companies dominate the graphite market. Therefore "juniors are really the only way to participate directly in this market. The non-Chinese major players, like TIMCAL Graphite & Carbon in Canada, are part of larger minerals companies. So when you invest in Imerys, which is the parent company, you're not investing in an exclusively graphite-focused company. Graphite is only a tiny percentage of its business…. Ultimately, your most direct option is to go for the juniors."
Moores sees a bright future for graphite, which he attributes to "layers of demand." The commodity's new uses don't replace older uses, so demand keeps growing. "Electric vehicles should be the catalyst for explosive growth in graphite demand," he adds.
Just what this industry needs
The shortage of skilled mining specialists could reach 50,000 to 100,000 people in the next five years, according to one prediction reported by the Financial Post on Tuesday. Not only that, but the industry needs new types of expertise. The paper quotes Richard Ross, former CEO of Inmet Mining TSX:IMN, who says executive responsibilities are no longer limited to "building and running a mine." They now include "all the issues around that mine, such as sustainability, government relations, business modeling, strategic planning, etc."
To address those issues, Ross is now program director for York University's Global Mining Management studies, a new field for MBA specialization. Additionally Laurentian University has created a School of Mines which will eventually turn out MBAs.
The FP quotes Dave Constable, former VP of FNX Mining (now Quadra FNX Mining TSX:QUX): "You need people with the full integration of skill sets, from capital market and business development to the technical, cultural and environmental aspects of the business."
And if there's anything MBAs don't learn in their theoretical studies, someone can always show them how to do it.
How junior might help the juniors
While industry executives were preparing for the Toronto Resource Investment Conference this week, five minutes of fun called Gangnam Style went viral. The video might have inspired reflection for any CEOs disappointed with offspring pursuing celebrity ambitions instead of the practical world of business. According to a Tuesday Reuters dispatch, Psy's video helped his father's software firm double its share price.


text:
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- Murphy Bed
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Whether you enjoy camping by the lake or in the midst of the forest, this Rockwood Geo Pro travel trailer is perfect for you! You get to choose if you want to sit on the sofa or sleep on the Murphy bed, and you also have a booth dinette for extra seating and sleeping space. The rear full bathroom allows you to wash up after a fun day outdoors without having to use the public facilities, and you can choose to cook inside or outside with the indoor full kitchen and the outdoor grill.
The Forest River Rockwood Geo Pro travel trailer is built to be towed by most "crossover" vehicles and smaller SUVs. Each model includes a WIFI Ranger WIFI Booster to boost your WIFI and give you a secure connection wherever you land, as well as a 12V TV with DVD player to entertain you all along the way. You will also appreciate the outdoor speaker for listening to your favorite broadcasts on the AM/FM stereo with Bluetooth and USB as you party outside in the cool night air.
First Time Travel Trailer OwnersWe are first time travel trailer owners and are so thankful that we found Bobby. We had spent a few weeks looking online and researching the type of trailer we wanted (5th wheel vs pull) and had looked a couple of times at Camping World on Colfax. They would only show us 2 different models priced very differently but when asked why one was more expensive the salesman guy just shrugged and said it ... More » - Stacie
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In 1996, Forest River founder Peter Liegl had a vision. He foresaw an RV company dedicated to helping people experience the joy of the outdoors by building better recreational vehicles. Today, we have grown to become one of the largest RV manufacturers in North America, producing class A and C motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, camping trailers and destination trailers. From the new family just starting out in the world of RVing to the experienced full-timer, we offer something for everyone.
Forest River RV is a division of Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, which produces recreational vehicles, pontoons, park models, buses, cargo trailers and commercial trucks. The diversity of Forest River, Inc., enables us to approach the RV industry with a unique perspective, incorporating lessons learned at each one of our divisions. Operating with openness across a wide range of products is what makes us stand apart from the competition. At Forest River, Inc., quality and dependability are a necessity in everything we make.
Airstream of Colorado is not responsible for any misprints, typos, or errors found in our website pages. Any price listed excludes sales tax, registration tags, and delivery fees. Manufacturer-provided pictures, specifications and features may be used as needed. Inventory shown may be only a partial listing of the entire inventory. Please contact us at 303-274-9009 for availability as our inventory changes rapidly. All calculated payments are an estimate only and do not constitute a commitment that financing or a specific interest rate or term is available.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We've seen a lot of videos made by LeMons teams about their racing experience, but this one may be the best yet. It's the story of Team First Blood's adventures at LeMons Detroit-ish 2008.
The music selection could have been a bit more creative, and the editing is on the hyperkinetic side, but those are just quibbles; this film follows Team First Blood from initial purchase, through the entire build, onto the race track… and then right to the People's Curse. Yes, this is the only team in 24 Hours Of LeMons History to win the People's Curse and the People's Choice!
Remember, the next LeMons race is just two weeks from today. See you there!


text: Geoff Adams is editor of Country News, the biggest circulating rural paper in northern Victoria. Geoff has always lived in the country and started his career at the Kyabram Free Press. He enjoys his Country News role, which allows him to get out and meet farmers regularly and also to help shape the coverage for the region. Geoff dabbles in photography (he works on the principle that if you take enough photos you are bound to get a good one) and enjoys bushwalking. Geoff has held a number of other positions with the Country News sister paper, The Shepparton News, and is currently the assistant editor.


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Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 5524
Location: Ontario
Posted: Sat 08 Dec 2012, 17:16
Post subject:
I made a special right click pet package for the latest Fatdog64-610
Some observations
It is the practice in recent Puppies to make the 'OpenWith' folder
and the 'SendTo' folder the same by making a link between the two.
I found that I had to put my right click menu items in the 'SendTo' folder
rather than in the 'OpenWith' folder.
Playing sound worked well but I couldn't record sound
I added in
and linked it to yaf-splash to
be consistent with recent puppies
gtkdialog2 isn't being used anymore so it can be removed
Most other puppies are making gtkdialog a link back to gtkdialog4
A defaultaudioplayer needs to be set
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Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 2820
Location: South Australia :-(
Posted: Sat 08 Dec 2012, 18:03
Post subject:
Thanks Don570 I did the same last night with some help from CatDude.
I have noticed a few applications that do not work because they don't exist in Fatdog, ePDFview is one of them. It can easily be converted to evince.
The missing apps don't seem to cause any problems.
The other strange occurrence was the permissions in the /usr/share/apps directory needed to be changed as all of the icons for each app were the same. A "chmod -R 755 *" fixed it.
don570 wrote:
I made a special right click pet package for the latest Fatdog64-610
Some observations
It is the practice in recent Puppies to make the 'OpenWith' folder
and the 'SendTo' folder the same by making a link between the two.
I found that I had to put my right click menu items in the 'SendTo' folder
rather than in the 'OpenWith' folder.
Playing sound worked well but I couldn't record sound
I added in
and linked it to yaf-splash to
be consistent with recent puppies
gtkdialog2 isn't being used anymore so it can be removed
Most other puppies are making gtkdialog a link back to gtkdialog4
A defaultaudioplayer needs to be set
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Joined: 11 Nov 2005
Posts: 1552
Location: florida
Posted: Sat 08 Dec 2012, 18:39
Post subject:
Suggestion: unless there is some big advantage to KMS which I am missing, wouldn't it be better to do the initial boot with nomodeset to have a better chance of getting to some kind of desktop or to xorgwizard?
It would break a lot more than it fixed. A lot of cards won't work without KMS, unless you use vesa. Vesa is a bad option, no 2D or 3D acceleration. Unfortunately there's no prefect solution.
So what will a newbie do if they get a 100% black screen? Track down the FAQs to find the right boot option? Or walk away?
Some will walk away. If you can't enter a boot option, you probably can't deal with the xorgwizard ether. And even if you did, there's a good chance they'll end up using the vesa driver, at that point they would probably walk away as well. I think the black screen problem will be a small minority. I've tried on many different computers, haven't saw it yet. I think the biggest chance for failure is with Nvidia and computers with dual graphic cards.
4) gtkdialog2 isn't being used anymore so it can be removed
5) Most other puppies are making gtkdialog a link back to gtkdialog4
6) A defaultaudioplayer needs to be set
Thanks for that.
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Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 3475
Location: The Blue Marble
Posted: Sat 08 Dec 2012, 20:44
Post subject:
prehistoric wrote:
Just a query on my part: did you understand that when I used 'nomodeset' to prevent loading of the KMS module the video configured correctly automatically? In that sense I couldn't test the xorgwizard-new, because it never changed anything.
Disabling KMS means two things:
a) disabling the framebuffer console (=that is, you get your old text console)
b) disabling Xorg video drivers that rely on KMS (you can still use other drivers that don't use KMS)
The new xorgwizard (you are right it is named just "xorgwizard" to replace the old one) can be used to set the Xorg display resolution, whether or not KMS is enabled, with one exception: it won't work on proprietary drivers.
gcmartin wrote:
Would FATDOG benefit from using Shinobar's FirstRUN on its initial boot? If the developers are opposed, could it be a boot option?
Or you could do a remaster ...
don570 wrote:
1) It is the practice in recent Puppies to make the 'OpenWith' folder
and the 'SendTo' folder the same by making a link between the two.
ROX-Filer made the switch from "OpenWith" to "SendTo" quite a while ago, and we decided to adopt it (we prefer to run unpatched versions of the applications when possible). I considered to have the OpenWith symlinked to SendTo, but decided against it because it would only create confusions. Leaving backward compatibility is always difficult decision, but sometimes it needs to be taken in order to move forward.
Please note in Fatdog the main SendTo folder is located in "/etc/xdg/rox.sourceforge.net/SendTo". If you install the right-click here, it will be accessible for all users. If you install to "/root/.config/xdg/rox.sourceforge.net/SendTo" it will only be available to - well - root
Same comment with MIME-types too.
2) Playing sound worked well but I couldn't record sound
You mean recording doesn't work, or there isn't any tool to record sound? If it's the latter, I can't find the tool too
There is a terminal app called "arecord" that can do it, but yeah I should write a GUI for that.
EDIT: I see you already have baconrecorder for that. Do you the source so we can compile it for Fatdog64?
Fatdog64 forum links:
Latest version
Contributed packages
ISO builder
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Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: GB
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 04:31
Post subject:
A bit behind schedule, but as promised, some tests with the 754 ECS/SiS Mirage. Good news is that it booted up into correct video without any cheat codes, not the expected result. Not such good news with on-board video OFF and a Radeon HD5450 PCI-e card substituted. It black-screen without boot codes, so I used the oldest subterfuge : pfix=ram vga=normal screen=800x600. From the black screen it was possible to return to prompt with CTRL-ALT-BKSPCE and run xorgwixard. However it wasn't possible to choose any suitable monitor and screen res. to obtain a picture. More success with the F2 suggestion using nomodeset which immediately booted into a useable combo. But there was more bad news lurking with this and an nV card both of which have (had - gave the nV card back to its owner) hdmi outputs. Even the presence of hdmi adversely interferes with sound card selection. Having been detected, it wasn't possible to run on-board sound nor an add-on sound card, neither of which appear in the <dmesg> or <lspci> o.p. This was disappointing. Not inclined to push this line of HW so respectfully decline any offers on that score. Cannot see what tone-deaf music-lover of any genre enjoys listening to their choice through the speakers of a monitor or TV, not even a 105" plasma monitor - they all contain cr*p speakers. Indeed, I cannot understand why anyone wants to listen to digital sound which has so much content missing. Obviously, our dud politicians want to sell the bandwidth of analogue radio for their perverted reasons, but we've come to anticipate their antics. Perhaps when quantum computing is available we'll be able to adopt a digital sound system with infinite bit-rate? Uh, call it pseudo-analogue?
But the scan time for wireless still needs to be doubled or adjusted in some way because the first attempt usually fails.
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Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: GB
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 07:27
Post subject:
OK - now I'm back in 64-bit land, let's pretend I'm Sage2 (yes, I know about the men in white coats).
FD610 really is quite amazing and I'm sure I missed a load of advice whilst I was away working in 32-bit. However, I am now in the Radeon with HDMI and Control Panel
selecting this as sound vehicle; it tells that I should reboot to receive sound over HDMI, but I'm running off a liveCD with no HD,
ipso facto
, there will be no saved data. Yes, of course I can plug something in and save a file but how to activate sound-over-HDMI without that? I ask on behalf of those confronting this paradox as I will not be using it permanently.
I think it's been asked before and the answer was in the negative(?) but is it now possible to introduce one-click?
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Joined: 11 Nov 2005
Posts: 1552
Location: florida
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 09:17
Post subject:
how to activate sound-over-HDMI without that?
You have to boot with radeon.audio=1 on the kernel line, if you don't want to make a savefile. They disabled audio over hdmi for radeon because it causes problems with some cards.
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Joined: 23 Oct 2007
Posts: 1748
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 09:30
Post subject:
Out of habit, I also started by adding pfix=ram, which did not work. On Fatdog the equivalent is savefile=none.
If the problems center on nVidia graphics that is still a fairly large part of the market for computer graphics. So far, I have tested a motherboard with integrated nVidia graphics with and without an ATI Radeon 5450 card.
My next test will go the other way, a motherboard with integrated ATI graphics with and without an nVidia graphics card. I''m guessing that mixing video from different manufacturers is more likely to cause problems.
With luck, I'll be able to run this test today.
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Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: GB
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 10:45
Post subject:
Hey - you guys are really on the ball; very grateful for your quick feedback whilst I've got all this stuff cooking.
They disabled audio over hdmi for radeon because it causes problems with some cards.
Oh no! what else is next to confront?!
pfix=ram, which did not work
Huh! Works for me, but I'll check out the 'none' option, too.
Many, many moons ago I seem to remember d/l-ing an extremely long list of cheat codes from either Tom's or Klaus' websites. Even printed it out. Several moves later, many OS and HD changes, no idea where it went but it's got to be up on the Interweb somewhere? Would I be correct in assuming that these are immutable and refer directly only to the kernel? Probably been added to by now?
Went off for a cuppa and my TV switched itself off because there was no default screensaver! I know how to set one up, but a default would be useful?
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Joined: 23 Oct 2007
Posts: 1748
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 12:13
Post subject:
First, the good news: fatdog correctly configures the ATI integrated graphics automatically on that
motherboard with integrated ATI graphics and no off-board video. It also handles the off-board nVidia graphics card, an
Asus EN 8400gs
Now, the bad news: if configuration did not happen automatically, dropping back to nomodeset and pfix=vesa doesn't seem to leave a path to get to a good video set up.
I've also discovered that both vesa and the frame buffer tend to put the bottom of the frame off the screen, compared to puppy, though I can manually adjust the monitor to see enough to type commands. Going to the big fonts on the text console made this especially obvious. This is probably special to my monitor.
An incidental finding was that trying to mount a flash drive and install those pets using the text console was a real pain. That machine has a many usb ports and a multi-type flash card reader which makes it hard to find the particular flash device I want. Booting into a vesa console would make sense just to mount the flash drive when the desktop is working. You can then copy the pets to /root, where they will be easy to find when you leave the X-window system.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck going from vesa to anything else. If you don't get video set up on the first try you have a problem that will likely result in a call for help.
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Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: GB
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 12:19
Post subject:
You have to boot with radeon.audio=1
Did that but the machine remained silent. Something else? [ Picture is fantastic, though!]
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Joined: 11 Nov 2005
Posts: 1552
Location: florida
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 13:06
Post subject:
Did that but the machine remained silent. Something else?
After booting with radeon.audio=1 (from the liveCD that would be fatdog radeon.audio=1), then run the multiple sound card wizard to select the hdmi "card", then open alsa mixer and un-mute it.
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Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 255
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 13:45
Post subject:
Sage , kirk is right : you have to un-mute it every time you boot from alsa mixer if you don't use save-file. I had the same issue at first...
Made some tests with downloaded Fatdog 610 ..So far , as in Fatdog 600 , Display Properties from Control Panel/Desktop doesn't work with Mesa so I think I will get catalyst pet again...
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Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 5547
Location: GB
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 14:24
Post subject:
un-mute it every time
Did that! No sound.
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Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 255
Posted: Sun 09 Dec 2012, 17:13
Post subject:
After switching the soundcard , I restarted the Xserver from " Menu/ Shutdown / Restart Xserver , then I opened Alsa Mixer and un-muted the channel. Worked for me.. If this doesn't work , after swiching the soundcard to hdmi try to remaster the CD ( on a rewritable media for instance ...) . In both cases it worked for my case ( Radeon 5770).
I'm now on 610 version , and I can say I noticed a better experience with wpagui, lxpanel , Firefox , sound and Mesa than in 600 version. Nice touch with the Menu button from lxpanel pet , now I will keep it the way it is
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Blue Bell, PA
Exess/surplus lines executive with 35+ years' experience offers expert witness/consulting services to carriers and policy holders in bad faith, coverage, general/professional liability, claims handling and long-term exposures cases.
Leatzow & Associates, Inc.
Jim Leatzow
Nationwide, US
As a national claims handler/adjuster for over two decades, I have the experience & have qualified as a Bad Faith Expert nationally in state & federal courts Over 500+ retention's since 2005 44 yrs in the industry 30 yrs National Property / Casualty Agency Owner 23 yrs National Underwriting Managing General Agent (MGA) 23 yrs National Brokerage Wholesaler 20 yrs National claims adjusting Third Party Administrator (TPA) Licensed in all states for 20+ years 50% Plaintiff & 50% Defense 100+ depositions Testified in all 11 federal districts Rule 26 Report expertise Very affordable / Minimum retainer No charge for travel-time nationally
Expert ListingsRobert Hughes Associates, Inc.
John Oakley
Richardson, TX
Founded in 1979, independent insurance, risk management and actuarial consultants. Experts in Property/Casualty and Life/Health, Lloyds of London, Bad Faith, and Coverage. See our website for our wide range of insurance backgrounds and experience.
Law Office of Mitchell L. Lathrop
Mitchell Lathrop
San Diego, CA
Mitchell L. Lathrop is an expert on insurance and reinsurance, as well as lawyers professional responsibility. He is a former Presiding Referee of the California State Bar Court. He has over 45 years in insurance matters throughout the United States. He has qualified as an expert in both state and federal courts.
Steven Plitt
Insurance Bad Faith Claim Handling Expert Sserving Clients Nationwide
Phoenix, AZ
For 34 years Mr. Plitt has represented policyholders/insureds in litigation and trial as well as representing insurance companies in coverage and bad faith matters. During his career he has reviewed thousands of claim files from more than 100 insurance companies. Mr. Plitt is a nationally recognized expert witness in insurance claim handling and bad faith cases and has been retained as an expert in hundreds of cases nationally. He has qualified in both state and Federal Courts as a claims handling and insurance expert. He has been cited by the Supreme Courts in 32 states, the Intermediate Appellate Courts in 23 states, 10 of the Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, 54 Federal District Courts, the Federal Court of Claims and Federal Bankruptcy Court. Mr. Plitt has been cited in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Fisher Consulting Group Inc.
Frederick Fisher
El Segundo, CA
Mr. Fisher has 40 years experience in Professional Liability claims Brokerage Underwriting and loss control. Fisher Consulting Group consults on Loss Control provides Expert Witness Work and Coverage Management and Review.
Gerry H. Goldsholle
Gerry H. Goldsholle
Mill Valley, CA
Retired insurance CEO works with companies, claimants and counsel on life, annuities, health/disability, viatical/life settlement and reinsurance matters -- marketing, sales, products, practices and regulation. Former chair ABA and state bar insurance committees.
Ringwood Consulting Group, Inc.
Frank Seigel, CPCU
Hackettstown, NJ
Ringwood Consulting Group provides Litigation Support, Early case review / assessment and Expert Witnesses in Property, Casualty, Life and Health, specializing in: Agent/Broker Responsibilities/Standards of Care, Agent/Company Relations, Errors & Omissions, Coverage Disputes, Contractual Disputes, Private Arbitration, Excess & Surplus Lines, Insurance Underwriting, and Program Administration.
Paul F. Amoruso, CPCU
Insurance Expert
Mattapoisett, MA
With 42 years of experience working for several major insurance carriers as a Senior Vice President of Claims and Operations, I am uniquely qualified to assist either Plaintiff or Defense on insurance related issues.
Susman Insurance Agency
Karl Susman, CIC, LUTCF, API, CFS
Los Angeles, CA
Insurance Agency Expert for Standard of Care as well as Best Practices for both Independent Insurance Agencies and Exclusive or Captive Insurance Agencies. Actively engaged in the insurance business as an insurance agent and broker for over 26 years. Licensed in many states and willing to travel. Expert Witness work is an even split between Plaintiff and Dependent.
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Norman Katz
Tustin, CA
Natl banking, financial services, insurance & real estate consulting/expert witness group. Expertise in: Claims handling, Coverage, Damages, Agent/broker duties etc. Life, Health & Disability, Property & Casualty, E&O, D&O, Surety, Fidelity Bonds
David Mitchell MBA, MA.HR, CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Surprise, AZ
Standard of Care - Dave Mitchell has worked on over forty cases as a consultant and/or expert witness and holds all of the insurance licenses in AZ and several other states. He has two advanced degrees, is an adjunct professor (twelve years in Human Resources, and currently he is an adjunct professor in insurance). For a number of years David has taught continuing education in insurance. He has won several awards in the insurance industry. Mr. Mitchell holds two professional designations in HR and one in insurance. In addition, he is a reviewer of insurance licensure exams and he is published. His CV and a list of cases is available upon request,
David L. Stegall, CPCU, ARM, ARe, RPA
Risk Consulting & Expert Services
Birmingham, AL
Mr. Stegall has worked on eight cases in the past 18 months dealing with the usual & customary practices within the industry. He has over 35 years of insurance, reinsurance and risk management experience. He has worked as an underwriter, a retail agent, a wholesale broker, a reinsurance intermediary, as a consultant and as an expert witness.
JM Posner, Inc.
Jeffrey M. Posner, Insurance Expert
Coral Springs, FL
Mr. Posner has more than 35 years of experience in the Insurance, Brokerage, and Risk Management fields. He is qualified to testify on behalf of Policyholders, Insurers and Brokers on a broad range of issues.
Miller Claims Service
Richard Miller
Walnut Creek, CA
Thirty years of experience in all aspects of casualty claims handling. Over twenty years of experience as an expert witness in the field. AIC Certificate. California Adjuster License 2D53173.
CMR Consulting Corporation
Chantal M. Roberts, CPCU, AIC, RPA
Olathe, KS
I am dedicated to providing trustworthy, valuable assistance in order to give my clients a clear understanding of claims standards and practices. As an expert witness, I strive to turn this complex topic into an easy to understand concept.
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I know that claims aren't easy which is why I strive for honest, clear communications with my clients. I know you want to know the strengths and weaknesses of your case. It's not always the witnesses who spend the most time in court who deserve your trust. Instead, it's those who have a proven ability to produce great results.
Snoaspen Insurance Group, Inc.
Paul W. Burkett J.D., CPCU, CIC, CRM, ARM, & ALCM
Reno, NV
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OTTAWA — They blinked.
Budget 2012, which has been trumpeted for weeks by Conservative insiders as a "transformative" document that would set the country on a new path toward smaller government, landed with a whimper rather than a bang Thursday, delivering the usual gewgaws, modest spending cuts and precious little that will excite small-c conservatives.
Oh, and the penny's on the way out. Ho hum.
Indeed, this budget is not substantially different, either in content or tone, from any of the Harper government's previous six, except for the limited spending reductions. It may as well have come from a Chretien-Martin Liberal government, for all the red meat it throws to the Conservative base. A majority of Conservative MPs had been pushing for a radical overhaul of government operations and substantial reductions in spending that would have allowed them to campaign on a balanced budget in 2015. Clearly, with the Prime Minister's Office on the defensive politically after two months of missteps and scandal, the hawks were overruled.
Finance previously had said spending cuts would fall in a range between $4 billion and $8 billion, on operating spending of about $75 billion. It delivered cuts at the low end of that range, of $5.2 billion. Tellingly, rather than trumpet the extent of the cuts, the government was at pains to emphasize their modesty.
"We have no need to resort to the drastic cuts being forced upon some other developed countries today," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told the House of Commons. "We have no need to undertake the radical austerity measures imposed by the federal government in the 1990s." No need, indeed. Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to decline to 28.5 per cent by 2016-17, which will push it back to where it was before the recession of 2009, but no further.
The books aren't to be balanced, meantime, until fiscal year 2015-16, a year later than fiscal hawks had hoped. That's assuming continuing global economic growth between now and then, which is not a given.
The government expects to reduce the number of federal civil servants by 19,200, or 4.8 per cent, over three years, including through attrition. Again, this is a modest reduction, given that the federal civil service has grown at three times the rate of population growth over the past decade. Expectations had been for job cuts of up to 100,000.
Of the big-ticket items previously flagged by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his famous "blueprint" speech in Davos, changes to the Old Age Security program were the most controversial. As expected, the age of eligibility for OAS will indeed rise to 67 from the current 65, but in a gradual process that won't begin until 2023. No one currently over the age of 54 will be affected. That neatly allows the Tories to avoid rankling the biggest bulge of retired or soon-to-retire baby boomers. It also means, of course, that the measure may be overturned by a future Liberal or New Democratic government.
Red-meat Conservatives who'd been eagerly anticipating the Tories enthusiastically laying waste to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, that nest of elitist, latte-sipping eastern liberals, will need to look elsewhere than in this budget for satisfaction. Though the national broadcaster's budget is indeed being trimmed by $115 million (on a total budget of about $1 billion), how it's to be done remains a mystery. The Canada Council, the National Gallery and national museums, meantime, will not see their budgets cut at all.
There's a grab bag of measures intended to improve conditions on aboriginal reserves, including a promise to introduce a First Nations Educations Act. There's a commitment to "build on steps already taken" to enable "interested First Nations to assume greater control over their reserve lands, resources and environment," which in practice, means moving beyond the strictures of the outdated and racist Indian Act.
But there is no mention of the Act itself, let alone of abolishing or moving beyond it. Reform to allow private property on reserves, which one might imagine would be dear to Conservative hearts, is relegated to a single timid line: The government intends to "explore with interested First Nations the option of moving forward with legislation that would allow for this." Now there's a clarion cry.
Resource development, we were led to expect in the weeks leading up to the budget, would be dramatically overhauled, forever changing how big-ticket mining and energy projects are approved. As expected, the budget promises that reviews for major projects will be made more timely; duplication will be reduced; consultations with Aboriginal Peoples will be enhanced, all while strengthening environmental protection. How, precisely is all this to occur? To be determined.
Immigration measures in the budget — principally a commitment to more closely match immigrants with the skills required by Canadian employers — are intriguing. But here again, just as with a proffered "marketization" of research and development spending, most of these measures were announced by the relevant minister weeks ago, and in greater detail.
Government insiders have sought for weeks to portray Budget 2012 as a revolutionary template for change, one that would allow the Tories to at last put their definitive stamp on the country. On its face, it is anything but.
This is a cautious, middle-of-the-road plan designed neither to excite nor to offend. It reads as though the Conservatives still had a minority government.


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Go Birding
Prospect Park
© Parks Dept. Pinckney
Nesting** Spring Migration*** Fall Migration*** Winter**(no star = birding is not very productive, * = somewhat productive, ** = productive, *** = very productive)
In 1865, several years after landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux completed Central Park in Manhattan, they were commissioned to design Prospect Park. They created a 526-acre public park, considered to be one of their finest works, with rolling meadows, rugged woodlands, and an artificial system of waterways. In 1980, the New York City Landmarks Commission granted Prospect Park scenic landmark status, and in 1998 National Audubon designated it an Important Bird Area in New York State.
© Parks Dept. Pinckney
The City of New York/Parks and Recreation manages Prospect Park in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy and preservation organization. They launched a long-term reforestation project to revitalize and stabilize the extensive woodlands which, combined with Prospect Lake, cover half the Park. Thousands of cubic yards of new topsoil have been added, and thousands of native species of herbs, shrubs, and trees have been planted. The Alliance also restored the Boathouse, a land marked terra-cotta clad pavilion, where Audubon New York, the state office of National Audubon, and the Alliance operate an environmental education center.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
© D. Speiser
Prospect Park is a migration hot spot. In spring the number of bird species on a peak day can approach 100, including five species of vireo, Eastern Bluebird, numerous warblers (possibly 35 species yearly), Vesper Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, Orchard Oriole, and Baltimore Oriole. Early in migration, look for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and, later in migration, look for Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos.
© Parks Dept. Pinckney
The Park also offers good birding during winter. Sightings are enhanced when feeders are up on Breeze Hill and when open water occurs in Prospect Lake. Raptors occasionally come through and sometimes stay; rare owls may roost some seasons. The Christmas Bird Count, conducted by the Brooklyn Bird Club, has occasionally recorded more than 60 species in Prospect Park, almost half of the number counted in the entire borough! (The Christmas Bird Count is a long-time tradition in New York City. It has been held in Brooklyn since 1903, in the Bronx since 1902, and in Manhattan since 1900.)
© Parks Dept.
Nesting season offers rewards as well. Nesting species in Prospect Park include Green Heron, Wood Duck, Red-tailed Hawk (for the past decade), White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Wood Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Yellow Warbler, Orchard Oriole, and Baltimore Oriole. Periodically, The Brooklyn Bird Club collects nesting data during the month of June.
Some of the Park's best birding locations are found in the woodland areas: The Vale of Cashmere, the Midwood, the Ravine, and Lookout Hill. Other prime sites include the Peninsula, which overlooks Prospect Lake, the Lullwater, and Long Meadow. These habitats attract a wide diversity of birds. A total of 275 species has been recorded in Prospect Park since 1905.
© Parks Dept.
People visit Prospect Park for recreation and cultural events as well as for birding. There are tennis courts, ball fields, bridle paths, a wildlife center/zoo(entrance fee), a soon-to-be new ice skating rink (opening in summer 2013), the 9th Street bandshell, carousel and parade grounds. In addition to the Boathouse, notable buildings and architectural structures in Prospect Park include the Grecian Shelter, the Tennis House (currently off limits, used for Parks Department operations), the Picnic House, Litchfield Villa (Prospect Park Alliance's location and meeting place for the Brooklyn Bird Club), and Lefferts Homestead.
Click here for a very detailed map of Prospect Park.
Start Your Birding Walk Here -
The Vale of Cashmere, The Midwood, Long Meadow, and Lookout Hill
© Parks Dept.
Your birding adventure starts at the Park's main entrance (at its northernmost tip), which is at Grand Army Plaza, opposite the Memorial Arch. (There is a farmer's market here every Saturday morning--even in winter.) Follow the footpath on the left toward the Park's eastern side and go south past the Rose Garden to the Vale of Cashmere. Dense ornamental shrubbery in this area provides excellent bird habitat. Continue south across Nellie's Lawn, checking for ground-feeding birds as you go, to the East Drive. Walk south and down the hill alongside East Drive through Battle Pass, where, in 1776, the Americans vainly tried to hold off the advancing British troops in the Battle of Long Island. At the bottom of the hill, you will arrive at the rear of the Wildlife Center/Zoo and near a large compost mulch area at the zoo's north end. Turn right (west) and cross East Drive and enter the Midwood. This is a particularly rich area for thrushes and warblers in the spring. First work the trail at the bottom of the ridge (part of the Harbor Hill terminal moraine that stretches along northern Long Island), and then work back toward the north. Climb the ridge, cross over Boulder Bridge, walk into the Ravine and turn right. Follow the footpath westward to Long Meadow. Turn left and walk past the Pools (also known as Upper and Lower Pools), checking it for Great Egret, Yellowed-crowned Night-Heron, and an occasional Wood Duck. Continue southwest, checking the ball fields for ground-feeding birds, such as Killdeer (rare), Northern Flicker, American Robin, and various sparrows, and scanning the sky for raptors. Go past the rear of the Friends (Quaker) Cemetery and walk southeast along the bridle path to Center Drive. In spring and fall these areas can be rich warbler habitats.
Common Yellowthroat
by Francois Portmann
Cross Center Drive and ascend Lookout Hill, the highest point in the Park. Its prominence serves as a beacon for spring and fall migrants. On a good spring "wave day," 25 species of warbler have been seen here. Covering Lookout Hill takes time. It is best to start from the top, then circle the hill along the lower paths several times, and return to the top. This can take a whole morning if there is a "fallout" of migrants. An alternative approach leads to the base of Lookout Hill from the Park entrance at 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest.
The Peninsula and the Lullwater
Proceed down the south side of Lookout Hill, investigating its wooded slope, particularly the dense thickets above the Well House, for Carolina Wren and various warblers, including late fall Orange-crowned Warbler (infrequent). Also check the forest immediately to the south of the Maryland Monument (commemorating the Maryland Four Hundred who faced the British Army and protected George Washington's retreat). Then proceed down the hill and cross the road and meadow onto the Peninsula. Bird this area thoroughly and proceed to the "Thumb." From the rustic, log-braced shelter check the water and Duck Island, directly across from the shelter, for roosting herons or raptors and interesting ducks, such as Wood Duck, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, and Bufflehead. (The other islands--Three Sisters and West Island--are also important roosting and nesting areas.) Work back along the north edge of the Peninsula, past the Phragmites thickets, to a footpath that leads under the Terrace Bridge. Black-crowned Night-Heron often roost in this area.
© Parks Dept. Pinckney
Proceed along the footpath under the bridge and along the Lullwater, a stretch of stream that widens and narrows. Green Heron often nest here, and a variety of waterfowl, such as Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Moorhen (rare), and American Coot, may be found here. In winter, there are feeding stations along the trails on both sides of the Lullwater that attract Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, House Finch, and American Goldfinch. Proceed along the Lullwater trail to the Lullwater Bridge at the Boathouse. Cross the bridge, checking the surrounding trees as well as the water. Baltimore and Orchard Orioles have nested in the trees above the bridge; Barn Swallows in crevices beneath; and Green Herons in trees closeby. From here, walk behind the Boathouse and bear right to return to East Drive. Walk past the Zoo and retrace your steps to Grand Army Plaza. Or, cross Flatbush Avenue and walk up Eastern Parkway past the public library to the main entrance of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. (To enter the Botanic Garden at Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue, exit the Park just past Lefferts Homestead and the Carousel and cross Flatbush Avenue.)
Downy Woodpecker
by D. Speiser
An alternate route, particularly recommended in the fall, starts at the south end of Prospect Park at the Wollman Memorial Rink parking lot (under construction). Facing Prospect Lake, bear left around the south side of the Lake, keeping it on your right. When you reach the northeast side, go to the Peninsula, and then work the watercourse northward along the Lullwater. Instead of crossing the Lullwater Bridge, follow the edge of the Lullwater to Lily Pond (formerly known as Pagoda Pond), and on to Center Drive at the Nethermead Arches. Bear right along Center Drive to a footpath that takes you into the Midwood. Follow this trail north, through the Midwood, back to Park Drive East at the Zoo. Walk the drive south back to the parking lot at the skating rink.
In fall, check the Long Meadow from the west side of the ridge, particularly for migrating hawks. For large fallouts of flickers and robins, check the Long Meadow, the ballfields, and Nethermead (the smaller meadow on the other side of Quaker Hill) in early morning. Killdeer, Common Snipe, and Eastern Meadowlark have also been seen in these areas very early, before the influx of dog walkers and their exuberant charges.
Special Notes
© Parks Dept. Pinckney
Because of the reforestation project, some areas along the glacial ridge are fenced off, limiting ability to cross the Park and the ridge. A walkway, known as "Rocky Pass," allows access through the restoration area. It starts at the beginning of the ravine and ends at the Nethermead Arches. The fencing became permanent in 2000 to protect native plantings, but it does not obstruct birders from reaching the important sites.
The Prospect Park Alliance has published A Guide to Nature in Prospect Park and a map of the Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden that can be purchased at the Litchfield Villa, 95 Prospect Park West (in the Park at 5th Street), Brooklyn, NY 11215, at Lefferts Homestead, or at Wollman Memorial Rink.
The Brooklyn Bird Club, a private non-profit organization founded in 1909, publishes a checklist and Map for Birdwatchers for Prospect Park. It provides a number of other resources for birders as well, including a newsletter, The Clapper Rail. There is an active blog posting the latest news and bird reports.
When to Go
In spring, April 15 to May 31 is good for songbirds, the peak for warblers being May 5-20. Sunrise until 10am and then again from 3pm until sunset are the best times of the day.
In summer, breeding and non-breeding species can be seen from July 1 to August 15. Dragonflies (15+ species) and butterflies (25+ species, especially prevalent at the buddleia bushes in Butterfly Meadow atop Lookout Hill) can be seen from July 1 to August 31. In addition to the birds and insects, mammals take to the air as well. At the Lake, Nethermead, The Pools, Lookout Hill, and Long Meadow, there are several species of bats, including little brown, big brown, red, hoary (rare), and silver-haired, that are present and can sometimes be seen at dusk from July 1 to September 30.
In fall, warblers can be seen August 15-September 30, peaking August 31-September 10; other songbirds September 1-30, peaking around September 15; sparrows September 15-October 30, peaking October 7-15; and raptors October 1-November 30. Any time of day is fine for fall birding.
In winter, waterfowl can be expected between September 1 and April 30 and raptors (Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, and Red-shouldered Hawks, American Kestrel, and Merlin) from November 1 to March 31, at any time of day.
Optimal Weather Conditions
Large fallouts of spring migrants occur on a clear day with west or southwest winds, when the mornings are cool (high 50s to low 60s) and midday temperatures rise to 65-75, after a period of rain.
In fall, birding is best on a day with northwest winds, especially at the beginning of a cold snap.
© Parks Dept. Avila
Personal Safety
It is advisable to bird in Prospect Park with a companion, particularly in secluded wooded areas.
Click here for a google map to the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park. Once on the map, click directions and type in your starting point. Also select your choice of driving directions or public transportation.
Subway: From Manhattan, take the Brooklyn-bound #2 or 3 subway train to the Grand Army Plaza stop. From the subway exit, walk 300 yards to the Park's Main Entrance and follow the suggested route above.
Or take the Brooklyn-bound F subway train to the 15th Street/Prospect Park or 7th Avenue stops (the latter is one block west of the park).
Or take the Brooklyn-bound D or Q subway train to the Seventh Avenue stop (near Grand Army Plaza) or the Prospect Park stop (near the Zoo) or the Parkside Avenue stop (near the Lake).
Or take the C subway train to the Franklin Avenue stop, transfer to the Shuttle (S) and take it to the end at Prospect Park.
Resource Persons for Prospect Park Birding:
2012- Peter Dorosh, President, Brooklyn Bird Club and editor of Brooklyn Bird Club's The Clapper Rail; Peter Joost, NYC Audubon Board of Directors, and teacher, St. Bernard's School
2001- Robert Gochfeld, editor of Brooklyn Bird Club's The Clapper Rail; Paul Keim, President, Brooklyn Bird Club; and John C. and Mary Yrizarry, Sterling Forest League of Naturalists


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Mr. Daniel C. Kane was a 1954 graduate of St. Bonaventure University. He was a native of Olean, New York and a graduate of Olean High School. He was enrolled in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at St. Bonaventure and was commissioned his senior year (1951) to serve in Korea as a Field Artillery Officer. He obtained his degree after the war, when he was able to return and complete his area of study in Science.
He was trained as a Field Artillery Officer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was sent to Korea to serve in the 77th Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division. He served in A Battery and C Battery of the 77th Field Artillery. Largely as the result of his being from a Catholic University, as a young, white officer, he was sent to a primarily black unit to serve as their leader. The Army had only recently integrated and officers able to adapt to this fairly new aspect of the U.S. Army were chosen to serve in these positions. There was still a great deal of animosity, particularly among Southern soldiers and black soldiers. In Korea, he was attached to a Republic of Korea (ROK) unit and served primarily as a forward observer.
He went on to serve with distinction as a Forward Observer and junior officer during critical times in the fighting in Korea. His unit was recognized for bravery in a heated engagement with the North Koreans and Chinese, where a heavy artillery barrage was used to destroy a North Korean Tank Division offensive. His unit was awarded citations for bravery in this engagement. During October through November of 1951, he was located on Hill 395 and was involved in a heated engagement with the enemy for surrounding hills where he called in artillery fires. From December 12-23, 1951, he was involved in a fierce battle between U.S. and ROK forces and the Chinese for Hill 37 and Hill 38. Second Lieutenant Kane was located on Hill 38. One of the most notable engagements occurred on December 18, 1951 that lasted 13 hours. It was stated that the Chinese threw everything they had at his unit. Due to his duty position as Forward Observer, Second Lieutenant Kane was positioned ahead of his unit. He was captured for a brief period of time during the attack as his position was overrun. His strong will and perseverance contributed to his successful escape and evasion from the enemy until he was able to rejoin his unit.
He was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant and returned from Korea. He separated from the Army and continued on with a very successful and prosperous life in Corning, New York. Mr. Kane became a very active member in his community. He served in numerous organizations to include the Holy Name Society, Boy Scouts of America, and as the Democratic City Chairman of Corning, New York. He was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion where he served as a Commander and Post Commander. The John P. Eaton Post dedicated a flagpole to his memory in 1971 in the City of Corning. Mr. Kane died on February 8, 1971 at the age of 43 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mr. J. Willard Taylor was born in Olean, New York January 31, 1935. As a young boy and into his teens, Mr. Taylor worked at his family's manufacturing plant where he acquired and internalized skills that would benefit him during his years as an Army officer and later on as a successful businessman. Upon graduating from Olean High School, he enrolled at St. Bonaventure University. Growing up during the years of World War II instilled a strong sense of patriotism and he was drawn to the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at the university. As a cadet, Mr. Taylor also enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and was a member of a local anti-aircraft artillery unit.
Mr. Taylor received his commission and took his oath on January 31, 1957 as a Finance Officer. Lieutenant Taylor began his military career in a field that was implementing many new procedures and techniques. He attended the United States Army Instructor Trainer Course at Hempstead, Long Island and completed the Finance Officer Basic Course in the newly organized Financial Management and Integrated Accounting program at Ft. Jay, Governor's Island, New York. As a young officer, he helped institute new procedures outlined at the Finance School for both the Post level and the First Army Comptroller level. He served as an Accounting Officer, Training Officer, and Company Commander; being promoted to Captain in 1965. He transferred to Inactive Reserve Status in 1967 and undertook new business opportunities in civilian life.
While pursuing his graduate studies in Secondary Education, Mr. Taylor became licensed in many areas to include insurance and real estate. He taught in the Buffalo area for a number of years and then moved on to his specialty, banking and investments. He served as a director of a National Bank for 13 years and also served as a regional director with the National Association of Investors.
J. Willard Taylor has been a driving force in forging a supportive and lasting relationship between the St. Bonaventure Army ROTC program and the American Legion. He has been a very active member of the Charles Harbel Post #892 in Allegany since the 1980s. He served initially in an administrative capacity and then joined a committee as the ROTC Liaison Officer from Cattaraugus County to the 8th District. This district encompasses the eight counties of western New York. Mr. Taylor has worked to energize the local posts to become involved with the ROTC programs to provide logistical support as well as improving the relationship between our veterans and our future officers. He joined with those at the state level and is increasing the awareness of veteran's benefits and affairs. Mr. Taylor is concerned for the well-being of our cadets in every way. One of the many examples is a program for our Color Guard in which he gains support from the local American Legion posts to purchase new jump boots for the cadets who participate in Color Guard. His contributions, enthusiasm, and mentorship have been a cornerstone to the Army ROTC program's success and it is greatly appreciated by the cadre and cadets.
Mr. Taylor is a retired private investor, continuing his formal education here at St. Bonaventure University and volunteering his time in local service organizations.
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After a great conversation on Twitter and lots of (sometimes lyrical) encouragement, I've decided to make filing and following up on some Freedom of Access requests a regular part of this blog.
I therefore declare today to be the first FOAA Friday.
The idea is to request specific information that isn't otherwise available and that could be relevant to Maine politics and policy on a semi-regular basis, while also using the whole thing as an exercise to examine the Freedom of Access process itself.
For the first request, I've decided to do some digging into an area that holds a special interest for me: post-secondary education funding and Maine's student debt burden.
For years, I've written about how the debt burden Maine places on its students has steadily increased, to the point where we're now first in the nation. The Opportunity Maine Program, which began as a citizen initiative six years ago but was passed directly into law by the legislature before it could go to referendum, is meant to address some of this problem. The idea is that students who go to a Maine institute of higher learning and then stay in the state can have the full cost of their loan payments reimbursed through tax credits.
Here's what I wrote at the time of the program's implementation:
Any post-secondary education policy wonk will tell you that back-end tax credits, while politically popular, do little to increase access to college. By presenting the Opportunity Maine tax credits as a contract and a guarantee, however, the drafters of this legislation have created a system that may make it easier at the front-end as well and increase both access to education and the retention of skilled graduates without high burdens of debt. I hope they're studying the results closely to see how it works.
To my knowledge, in the five years since implementation, there hasn't been that kind of public examination. To that end, here's the Freedom of Access request I submitted this morning to David Bauer at Maine Revenue Services regarding the use of the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit:
Hi David,
I write the Tipping Point blog at the Bangor Daily News.
I'd like to make a request under the Freedom of Access Act for an electronic copy of the following information:
1. The number of students in repayment that have applied for of the Opportunity Maine tax credit and the number whose applications were approved in each of the years it has been offered
2. The total amount of loan reimbursements that have been paid through the Opportunity Maine tax credit in each of the years it has been offered
3. The number of successful applicants for the Opportunity Maine tax credit whose employers made eligible education loan payments on their behalf in each of the years it has been offered
I request a waiver of any fees as I believe this request is in the public interest and is not undertaken for commercial reasons (in compliance with 1 M.R.S.A. § 408 (6)). I may publish some or all of the information resulting from this request.
If you have any questions about or suggestions for modifying this request in order to better obtain information about the Opportunity Maine program, please feel free to contact me at this email address or at [phone number].
Thank you,
This won't answer all the potential questions about the effect of the program, but it should put us on the right track.
If you're ever wondering who to send a FOAA request to for a specific state department, there's a handy contact list here. You can find information on how to formulate a request here.
Here's the note I received back from David just a few hours later:
Hey Mike – got your e-mail, expect to get a formal response from me next week.
David E. Bauer, Esq.
Tax Policy Analyst
Maine Revenue Services
According to Maine law, the government agency has to respond to the request "within a reasonable period of time" and must respond within five working days if they deny all or part of the request. Usually, for a request like this, a response is forthcoming in just a few days. I'll post updates here as I learn more.


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Rojas to stay with Victory despite lure of overseas clubs
MOST of the talk during the January transfer window might be about who is going, but who is staying is even more important for some A-League clubs.
And heading that list is exciting Melbourne Victory winger Marco Rojas.
The 21-year-old New Zealand international has emerged as one of the keys to the Victory's prospects this season, especially with the news influential midfielder Gui Finkler will miss up to eight months after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Western Sydney on Tuesday.
Rojas, whose contract is due to expire in April, said he wasn't interested in a move abroad.
"I'm going to be here until the end of the season. I started the season and I want to be here until the end," he said.
"Last season was disappointing and this season's been going all right so far.
"I want to make a proper impact before I think about going anywhere else."
Rojas, whose father also acts as his agent, said money was not an issue in deciding his next move.
"I'm not really worried about the money, it will be about developing my football first and then the money is a bonus," he said.
The good news has continued at Western Sydney with Adam D'Apuzzo and Shannon Cole re-signing with the club for the 2013/14 season.
D'Apuzzo, 26, said he was thrilled to be staying at the club which has defied all expectations to be in third place half-way through its debut season.
"There is fantastic morale among the team and to be part of a group of players that are such good personalities and humble at the same time is amazing," he said.


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Where's Amazon Going With Music, Movies and TV Shows? Ask Media Boss Bill Carr.
It's no secret that Amazon has very big ambitions when it comes to digital media. But the company doesn't ever say much about them, save for the occasional Jeff Bezos product rollout.
But here's the guy to ask: Bill Carr, who heads up Amazon's digital music and digital video groups, which now include Amazon Studios, the unit that is going to make original movies and TV shows for the e-commerce giant.
Carr doesn't talk much, but last week I got the chance to sit down with him at Amazon's Seattle headquarters. Amazon is as tight-lipped as Apple when it comes to new product discussions — or lots of other stuff you and I would like hear about — so I didn't even bother asking him about Amazon's new TV box. (Still: Count on it.)
But if you read between the lines, you should at least be able to get a sense of what Amazon is thinking as it contemplates beefing up its music offerings, and as it goes head to head with Netflix (and everyone else) in digital video. Here's an edited version of our chat:
Peter Kafka: A couple years ago, Amazon and Google and Apple were all racing to develop music-locker services. But we don't hear much about them anymore. How is Amazon's locker working?
Bill Carr: The fundamental things about cloud music storage that works for all consumers is that it backs up everything, it's in a safe place. I can access it from all of my devices, it's simple. I don't have to think about it. People don't want to manage their music, they want to enjoy their music. Every consumer likes that.
What may have more limited appeal is how many consumers want to pay $25 a year to do that for all of their music.
Are you surprised about the take-up rates for the $25 a year option?
No. I don't find that surprising.
The locker services seem like part of a larger trend where big platform companies like you, Apple, Google, are trying to get people to move their media into your own clouds, and end up committing to one ecosystem or another.
It may be that other companies think about it that way, because their goal is that you only use their devices. But that's not our goal. Our goal is to free you up to use whatever device you want. Which is why we support any kind of PC, any kind of Mac, iOS devices, Android.
Our goal is to be ubiquitous on any device people might want to use. It's a big investment for us to make all those apps avilable. But our goal is not to lock you into any one ecosystem.
Do you think you can keep doing that? It seems like we're moving back toward a walled-garden world.
I can't speak to other people, and what decisions they may make that may prohibit us from enabling our app. But we'll work very hard on behalf of our customers to make sure our app is available on the devices they use.
You first started selling MP3s in 2007, and for a while it seemed like you weren't making any headway against iTunes, which dominates the business. But now, at least according to NPD, you have 22 percent of the download market. What changed?
We don't release any details about where we stand. But what I can say is that we have seen customer growth in our service every year. We have year-over-year growth in sales and in customers. And the way we've accomplished that is by building more solutions for customers.
Is your locker service helping sell more music? Are Kindle Fires helping you sell more music?
There's no doubt that with the trend toward connected devices, mobile devices, our customers are realizing that it is super convenient to buy once and play it anywhere, and make it available on any of their devices. That's working, and driving more sales.
Now it seems like there's a move away from music sales and toward access — either from subscription services like Spotify, or free Internet radio like Pandora. You guys don't offer anything like either one of those, but there are reports you are considering them. Should we expect an Amazon version?
We don't speculate on what we might do in the future. But we're also listening to our customers about other ways they'd like to enjoy their music. We'll always look for the next innovation.
But you're not philosophically opposed to subscription or ad-supported music?
Not at all. As a company, if we constrained ourselves to certain definitions, then we wouldn't have gone nearly as far for our customers.
What about the idea of bundling music into Amazon Prime, like you do with video? Right now, there's no connection between Amazon Prime and music.
We're always thinking about distinctive experiences — how can we provide something for our customers that's going to solve important problems for them? We're always thinking about those things.
When it comes to video and Prime, it seems like your approach to your subscription service has changed. From the outside, it looked like, initially, you simply wanted to build up a catalog, and you weren't very picky. More recently, it looks like you're focusing on specific titles and catalogs.
The part I would disagree with is that we've never been thoughtful, or cared about the content. We have reams of data, based on years of being in both the transaction video business and the DVD/Blu-ray business, to know what our customers want to watch. And we've used that information to help bring them the right videos.
I think what has changed is — yeah, obviously, we have been increasing our investment over the last two years that we've been in this business. And I think it's fair to say that increasingly you'll see more and more content on Amazon that's exclusive.
Why does exclusivity matter?
I think it's very important for our customers. In some cases, it's the only way to get some of the best shows. If we want those shows, in many cases the way that business shakes out is you can either have it exclusively, or not have it. More importantly, we are looking at what our customers like, and we want to have a set of movies and TV shows that are only on Amazon.
Why does that matter?
For the same reason that you can only see "30 Rock" on NBC, or "House of Cards" on Netflix, or "Girls" on HBO. It gives users a reason to tune in and try our service.
Are people watching many videos via Prime? Again, from the outside, it seems like there's not a lot of use. There was a Sandvine study that showed Amazon very far behind Netflix last fall, and people I talk to who sell you programming don't think you have a a lot of viewers.
We don't disclose the details. But I would say we've seen strong triple-digit growth in terms of rate of use. We're very pleased.
In the investor letter he published last week, Reed Hastings set up Netflix as a direct competitor with HBO. Do you also think Amazon is competing with them?
HBO's a wonderful company, and has been a great partner to us. Our customers love HBO programming. I can't speak to Reed's strategy. But we're building … I don't think there is a another service like ours. It's not like HBO. There's at least three, four different ways to get movies and TV shows that you want on Amazon.
Hastings said he's competing with HBO for customers' time and money, but also now for content. Are you seeing that conflict coming with Amazon?
My ambition is to make sure that we create something that is its own service, that is not like HBO, Netflix or any other service, with its own unique value proposition. A lot of companies have a competitor focus. We have a customer focus.
Like Netflix, you are producing your own original programming. Earlier this month, you put up 14 TV pilots and asked people to vote on them. Why are you getting into originals, and why are you doing it that way?
The primary reason is because we're committed to the idea of reinvention, and that we think that there's great value for our customers if we get this right. And the reinvention is, "How do we get a lot more feedback from our customers early in the process? How do we remove gatekeepers from the process, so that great ideas can come from anywhere in the world, and get made into movies and TV shows? And how do we create a collaborative environment, where different creators can work in an open environment, to produce more exciting ideas and exciting stories that customers want to hear?"
So you think there's video out there that could be made, and should be made, but isn't, because of the way the existing production process works?
A simple example of that is what we've done in books, where we've created an open platform for any author to submit their books, through Kindle Direct Publishing. That removes gatekeepers from the process, and opens up all kinds of possibilities for people to become authors. So, why can't there be great possibilities for people who have great stories to tell, whether it's a script or screenplay?
It's a journey for us. We're flexible on the tactics of how we get there, but firm on the strategy.
If you look at the pilots you put out this month, it seems you've used a fairly traditional approach, and are working with lots of established talent. Only one of the 14 pilots — "Those Who Can't" — came in over the transom. And even in that case, those guys were fairly established. Will that change?
Just the fact that that show came in from an online submission — I would consider that to be remarkable. That possiblity doesn't exist in the traditional system today. And the idea that we've put all 14 pilots out for free, for anyone to watch, with the explicit ask for customers to give us feedback — I think both of those things are remarkable.
Are you surprised by any of the feedback you're getting on the shows so far?
The point isn't what I think about it. I didn't spend a lot of time forming my opinions about it. I have shows that I prefer, but my views don't represent the views of all of my customers. It really isn't what I think about the shows, it's what my customers think.
Do you think the comments you're getting on the shows will be useful?
I think we're getting really insightful information on all of the shows. How accurate it is is something we'll discover over time. Because there has to be a feedback loop, and you have to see what happens in the real world.
This is a multiyear process. If you're focused on reinvention, it requires you to experiment and collect data. And then try new experiments.


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The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) is launching a campaign to gain inclusion of Kiteboard Racing as an event on the Olympic Sailing program for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.
Already the campaign is carrying a lot of momentum. Personalities such as Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson (GBR), double Olympic Medalist Michael Gebhardt (USA), 9x Kiteboarding World Champion Kristin Boese (GER), Neil Pryde (NZL) and many more are supporting the effort with full force.
Neil Pryde, a world leader in the marine and adventure sports market states: "Kiteboarding today represents the cutting edge of sailing. This is a sport that combines athletic ability with equipment skills and it is easily accessible to participants world-wide. The Olympic Games stand at the pinnacle of sailing and it is therefore logical and natural that Kiteboarding has a place in Olympic Yachting."
Sir Richard Branson, who recently hosted the first annual "Kite-Jam" on his private Necker Island, added, that "Kiteboarding is a fun and spectacular sport that I think would make a tremendously exciting addition to the Olympic Games".
Kiteboarding can be found on every beach worldwide and is practiced by hundreds of thousands of people of all age.
Distribution networks exist even in the most remote parts of the world, making Kiteboarding a truly universal sport enabling especially emerging countries to take part in the Olympic Games at reasonable costs.
Men, Women and youth compete on exactly the same equipment of their choice. This greatly simplifies the pathway to the Olympic Games.
No need for special junior and youth classes – enabling national sailing programs to invest in the future with confidence.
For more information about the Olympic campaign please see the IKA Olympic micro site: https://olympia.internationalkiteboarding.org, which contains the full Olympic Campaign paper (pdf), a strategy paper for the Olympic Sailing competition (pdf), a list of all current Olympic Ambassadors, the first episode of the Olympic Campaign video and press pictures.


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Friday, February 3, 2012
11 comments:
- Adam said...
Professor Wolff,
You've made me curious about your opinions regarding Buddhism. It has struck me as the least ridiculous of the above mentioned religions, and there are a number of philosophers who take it seriously as philosophy. May I ask what you think?
- February 3, 2012 at 11:21 AM
- Robert Paul Wolff said...
To be brutally honest, I know very little about Buddhism. I threw it in to be syncretic, but I am aware that it might not fit Hobbes' matrix. Insofar as I know anything, it seems a more benign collection of "tales publicly allowed." However, I am happy to step aside and welcome to this blog anyone who wishes to write knowledgeably about Buddhism.
- February 3, 2012 at 11:32 AM
- Don Schneier said...
The superstition that I'd like to see thoroughly debunked this year is the still prevalent belief that the 'invisible hand of the marketplace' is a dispenser of divine justice, following from which is the equally still prevalent belief that the possession, or lack thereof, of wealth is a reflection of moral worth. Unfortunately, the general public is unaware that that bit of fluff was just a passing whimsy from an associate of the most rigorous of Empiricists.
- February 3, 2012 at 1:17 PM
- David Goldman said...
I'm no Hobbes scholar, so this might be wildly off-base—but is it possible that "publicly allowed" should be cashed out in terms of what's considered socially acceptable to express or avow publicly?
In which case we can hang onto the useful distinction today. Scientology seems pretty clearly to be a superstition (try telling your friends and officemates that you've converted), and in some social circles Mormonism might be in the same boat.
- February 3, 2012 at 4:43 PM
- John S. Wilkins said...
Joseph Smith's literal interpretation of the Old Testament led him to think that "elohim" there, which is plural but used as a name for God, really did mean the plural. As a result he was not a monotheist. Ironically, modern scholarship indicates that he was right to do so as a matter of etymology, and that the older parts of the Old Testament were in fact henotheist, not monotheist, and the change in meaning was due to retrospective interpretation by later exclusive monotheists.
In a way that makes Mormonism a more "authentic" religion than Christianity, more like Hinduism; it is certainly more amenable in character to ancient west semitic religions than Christianity is.
- February 3, 2012 at 5:51 PM
- Robert Paul Wolff said...
David, in the world in which Hobbes was writing, I think it is pretty clearly that "publicly allowed" means "allowed by law" [without running the risk of being executed.] This is the period of the English Civil War, after all. Once we get into "socially acceptable," in contemporary America, the standards are very, very slippery, and wildly variable by community, but all are protected by the First Amendment.
- February 4, 2012 at 9:51 AM
- Robert Paul Wolff said...
John, I rather like that bit of exegesis. Wouldn't it be fun to see a rip-roaring theological debate, full-bore, among Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich? I would pay to see that one!
- February 4, 2012 at 9:52 AM
- GTChristie said...
A rip-roaring theological debate among politicians is something I would pay not to see.
As long as nobody tries to pass a law telling me what to eat on Friday, where to be on Sunday, or what I can do in the bedroom, I don't care what a politician's religion is. Anything that makes someone an ethical person is acceptable to me, even if it's voodoo. I don't care how anyone gets to goodness ... as long as it's goodness they get to. Just don't ask me to believe in the voodoo itself, which does not belong in the political arena.
- February 5, 2012 at 5:33 AM
- Robert Paul Wolff said...
I share your sentiments, GT. My desire to see such a debate is simply a sort of intellectualized version of the illicit attractions of mud-wrestling.
- February 5, 2012 at 7:25 AM
- heydave said...
Mind you, if it's good mud wrestling, energetically engaged...
- February 5, 2012 at 12:05 PM
- skholiast said...
A while ago I wrote a short take on some aspects of Mormon theology, which some might find interesting. I'm not sure how pertinent it would be to the American "political conversation," but then... what conversation? Is there a conversation?
- February 5, 2012 at 3:57 PM


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|"Are you a wizard or not?"
The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is a conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.
- "But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking. For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her. She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger — but the swelling didn't stop. Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched too tightly for speech — next second, several buttons had just burst from her tweed jacket and pinged off the walls — she was inflating like a monstrous balloon, her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband, each of her fingers blowing up like a salami…"
- —Description.[src]
This incident took place in August, 1993, when Marjorie "Marge" Dursley, the sister of Harry Potter's uncle, Vernon Dursley, visited the Dursley family at Privet Drive, in Little Whinging.
Marge's insults to the memory of both Harry Potter's parents, James and Lily Potter, got the thirteen-year-old wizard upset and he lost control of his magic, and unintentionally made his aunt magically blow up like a balloon and float about the room. Harry, then, grabbed his trunk and left the house in a fit of rage, heading to the Leaky Cauldron, in wizarding London.
Background information
- Vernon Dursley: "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten."
- Harry Potter: "Aunt Marge? Sh—she's not coming here, is she?"
- Vernon Dursley: "Marge'll be here for a week, and while we're on the subject, we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her."
- — Harry Potter and Vernon Dursley discuss Marge's visit.[src]
In the summer of 1993, Marge arranged with her brother so that she could spend a week at Little Whinging, where he and his family lived. She arrived on 31 July, Harry Potter's birthday. Once there, she hugged her nephew, Dudley, and kissed her sister-in-law, Petunia, while thrusting her suitcase into Harry and voicing her views that violent punishment should be applied in the case of hopeless delinquents, as she saw him.[1]
On the third day of her visit, 2 August, Marge rudely insulted Harry's mother over lunch, while going on about "the way the boy's turned out": "If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup —". At that moment, Harry lost control of his magic and the wineglass that Marge was holding exploded in her hand, sending shards of glass flying in every direction. Marge oblivious to what had happened, dismissed this on account of her "very firm grip", having squeezed the glass too hard. Remembering the Ministry of Magic warning about using magic outside school sent to him the previous year, Harry skipped desert and left the table.[1]
The incident
- Marjorie Dursley: "Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) —"
- Harry Potter: "They didn't die in a car crash!"
- Marjorie Dursley: "They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives! You are an insolent, ungrateful little —"
- — Harry Potter and Marge Dursley's heated exchange.[src]
Over dessert, on the last day of Marge's visit, 6 August, Marge proceeded to make rude, biased remarks about Harry's parents yet again; this time, she said Lily Potter was a "bad egg" who had ran off with a "wastrel", and James Potter a "no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger", while implying that they had managed to get themselves killed in a car crash while drunk.[1]
Harry, who had adopted the strategy of trying to remember excerpts from his copy of Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare, had had enough. He rose to his feet and, shaking all over as he had never felt angrier in his life, contradicted her saying she was wrong. Marge, swelling with fury, started screaming at him but suddenly stop speaking. She started to swell, her mouth stretched too tightly to speak. As she started floating towards the ceiling like a monstruous balloon, several buttons burst from her tweed jacket and her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband. As she floated there, entirely round, with only her hands and feet sticking out, Vernon, her brother, tried to grab her and pull her down, only to get lifted from the floor himself. Ripper, Marge's bulldog, leapt forward, biting on Vernon's leg.[1]
Harry, however, tore from the dining room and seized his trunk that had been stored in the cupboard under the stairs. He grabbed his things from his bedroom, and left the house, Vernon yelling at him with a bloody leg to come back and put Marge right.[1]
- "Well, Harry, you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what matters. Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then… You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."
- —Cornelius Fudge meets Harry Potter at the Leaky Cauldron.[src]
The incident led to Harry Potter running away from Privet Drive and coming across a mysterious black dog that stared at him. Harry, however, managed to board the Knight Bus, and got off safely at the Leaky Cauldron, where he spent the rest of the summer holidays.[2]
According to Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were duly dispatched to Privet Drive, and successfully punctured and modified her memory so that she had no recollection of the event.[2]
Behind the scenes
- In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when Marge inflates like a balloon, she floats out of 4 Privet Drive and into the night sky through the open door of the conservatory. Later in the film, Fudge says she was found circling a chimney in Sheffield by the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, which directly contradicts the events as told in the novel.
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Pottermore
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Chapter 2 (Aunt Marge's Big Mistake)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Chapter 3 (The Knight Bus)


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APS Excellence in Physics Education Award
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The Open Source Physics Project is supported by NSF DUE-0442581.
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