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LAS VEGAS >> Floyd Mayweather Jr. admitted this week what many have long suspected — that he hand picks every opponent who enters the ring with him.
He also decides how much they get paid and what the contract details will be. So Robert Guerrero was somewhat prepared when Mayweather picked him to be the opponent for his first fight in a year Saturday night at the MGM Grand hotel.
What he wasn't prepared for was what Mayweather's camp insisted on putting in the contract.
"He asked for a rematch clause. That was the very first thing," Guerrero said. "It just shows me where his head is at."
Where Mayweather's head is at has, of course, been the topic of many conversations over the years. When he fought last May against Miguel Cotto the worry among his fans was that he would be distracted by an upcoming jail sentence, though that turned out to be unfounded.
Talk to Mayweather now, and his head seems to be fine. So, too, are his reflexes at the age of 36, at least judged by a sparring session last week where he practiced landing right hand leads against a fighter mimicking Guerrero's southpaw style.
He has to lose sometime because nearly every fighter not named Rocky Marciano lost at some point in their career. But Mayweather has a new six-fight television deal that should cement his status as the world's highest paid athlete, and he doesn't seem terribly concerned about a loss or a possible rematch of their welterweight title fight.
"I've done this my whole life," Mayweather said. "This is what I love to do."
Though Mayweather sees Guerrero as just the latest opponent for yet another huge payday, Guerrero sees things quite differently. He believes he is the fighter who will be the first to beat Mayweather, and he's eager to earn both the recognition and the money that would come with such a win.
At the final pre-fight press conference Wednesday he said Mayweather made a mistake by picking him as an opponent.
"They talk about this as Floyd Mayweather's home," Guerrero said. "Well, this is a home invasion."
Oddsmakers don't share Guerrero's confidence, making the former champion in three weight classes a decided underdog in the biggest fight of his career. But the once-beaten (31-1-1) fighter from Gilroy, Calif., said he's been underestimated his entire career.
"The only thing that means something is what you do in that ring," he said. "I just can't wait to get in that ring."
Both fighters were on their best behavior at their final press conference, though their fathers almost mixed it up. Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Reuben Guerrero — who both train their sons — exchanged words after Reuben Guerrero went into a rant about Mayweather being a woman beater for the altercation with the mother of his children that got him jailed for 70 days last year.
There is an undercurrent of hostility between the fighters, too, with Mayweather suggesting Guerrero — who talks openly about his faith — is a hypocrite for getting busted in a New York gun charge while promoting the fight. Mayweather also said that Guerrero used his wife's fight with leukemia — she is now healthy — to gain fans and sympathy for himself.
"It's laughable," Guerrero said. "I don't need sympathy, I come to fight. Sympathy doesn't win fights."
Though Mayweather is unbeaten in 43 fights and has been a pay-per-view star since his 2007 win over Oscar De La Hoya, he has been fighting professionally for 17 years and is getting to an age that historically fighters have had trouble with. The fact he's fought only four times since beating Ricky Hatton more than five years ago and has not fought in a year leads some in boxing to believe he may have as much trouble with ring rust as he has with Guerrero.
There are signs, too, that perhaps his appeal is fading, though Mayweather would argue that his fan base is bigger than ever. Seats are still readily available for the fight at the MGM arena, and the All Access shows promoting the fight on Showtime have generated little buzz.
A documentary on Mayweather's life that aired last Saturday in primetime on Showtime's sister network, CBS, also drew miserable ratings.
Still, Mayweather — who acts as his own promoter — insists the promotion is going well and people will tune in at home, even at a suggested retail price of $69.95. Mayweather's win over Cotto last May drew 1.5 million pay-per-view buys, his biggest sales since he and De La Hoya combined for a record 2.5 million.
"I think everything is playing out like it should play out," Mayweather said. "I'm ready to go out there and perform.


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The registration number for 1&1 Ionos Uk Holdings Limited is 05763397 in Great Britain.
The status of 1&1 Ionos Uk Holdings Limited as it currently stands according to Companies House is: Active.
The accounts for 1&1 Ionos Uk Holdings Limited are due on 31/12/2020.
The detailed company information for 1&1 Ionos Uk Holdings Limited can be viewed below.
Updated: Thu Oct 01, 2020 5:08am
Company Name: 1&1 Ionos Uk Holdings Limited
Company Number: 05763397
Registered Address:
Company Status: Active
Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Category: Private Limited Company
Incorporation Date: 30/03/2006
Accounts Ref Day: 31
Accounts Ref Month: 12
Accounts Last Update: 31/12/2018
Accounts Next Due Date: 31/12/2020
Accounts Category: Full
Returns Next Due Date: 13/04/2021
Returns Last Update: 30/03/2020
Data sourced from the Companies House API, using the Open Government License v2.
Website brought to you free, courtsey of Lazy Badger.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Cuba's President Raul Castro, right, and brother Fidel Castro attend the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)


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My Ride - 2001 Porsche Carrera 4 Cabriolet
Born in New Orleans, Mike Zuehlke moved to the Bay Area when he was 12. Now 51, he works in construction management for a residential building company. He has been married to his wife, Kimberly, for 20 years, and has a talented teenaged son, Jon.
"Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" is the best sentiment to describe the years I spent yearning to own a Porsche.
The father of a childhood friend owned a Porsche dealership in the Bay Area, which fueled my desire. I spent a great deal of time looking at, researching and admiring these beautiful automobiles. Rarely did I ever get to drive one, but the few times I did stuck with me.
On Fat Tuesday in 2001, my friend Karl showed up at my house in his brand-new Porsche Carrera 4 cabriolet. He tossed me the keys, and off we went down Highway 101 at a faster-than-recommended speed. That event energized my quest to own a Porsche, but it was 10 years before my dream finally came true.
Although I didn't use a computer much, I learned how to search every dealership, car website and individual who might have a Porsche in my price range. With a young son it was very hard to justify such a purchase, but my quest continued. Several opportunities came up, but they just weren't quite right. I threatened many times to give up on my search, but, alas, I could not let my dreams end.
Two years later my wife, Kimberly, took a writing class with Karl, and although I didn't know it then, that class (and Karl's resulting novel) would get me a Porsche because he decided he was in the market for a newer one. I wanted to buy his 2001 Porsche Carrera 4 cabriolet, and I finally got the chance when Karl bought a new 2012 Turbo S.
It was déjÀ vu all over again when Karl arrived at our house and tossed me the keys. He still had a great fondness for his original Porsche. After some thinking and a few discussions, we made a deal: the car had to be garaged, and in order to put the car in the garage, I had to move years of accumulated articles.
Six hours later (nothing like a Porsche to motivate you!), I had a space for the car. The garage project continued, and a loft was built for other items, including the car's removable hard top. I get the best of both worlds with the car. The summers can be spent with the rag top up or down, and in the winter the hard top turns it into a coupe.
Once I brought the car home, I spent hours detailing the car inside and out. It is the car of my dreams, and every time I open the garage door I think to myself, "Is this really my car?"
It is a surreal experience, comparable only to staring into the eyes of the one you love and knowing they are looking back with the same passion. And again, you have to ask, "Is this real?" But the best part is, the answer is, "Yes!"
I use any excuse I can find to engage the tiptronic transmission and all-wheel drive, whether it is just a short trip to the grocery store or a longer ride over Highway 92 and along the coast. It gives me the feeling of being a World War II fighter pilot. But it wasn't until I drove away with the top down and the wind in my face that I finally knew I had arrived.
Submissions to My Ride are closed until June 1, 2012. We'll be happy to hear more about why you drive what you drive after that date. To reach the Cars editor, e-mail email@example.com.


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Alessandro Del Piero … a pleasure to watch. 1 Marco Rojas
Melbourne Victory
Like fellow Kiwi Shane Smeltz before him, Rojas will carry off the Johnny Warren Medal to the great embarrassment of the Aussies, with a consistently brilliant display so far this season. Enjoy watching him, won't you, because he'll be gone next year in a big-money deal to higher levels of the game. Rojas's talent was evident when he first burst onto the A-League scene and this season he has a well-drilled Victory team around him with players capable of releasing him into space behind defences, where he most loves to be. Ange Postecoglou has freed Rojas of his defensive responsibilities, allowing him to spend the majority of the game in position to race in behind. His ability to execute the final pass, the last piece of the jigsaw, is now in place. Any team facing the Victory know they need to restrict the likes of Marcos Flores and Archie Thompson, but its Rojas they most fear. The young Kiwi with his tail up, racing towards goal, is a magnificent sight to witness.
Daniel McBreen
Central Coast Mariners
McBreen's tremendous season continues. His goals are so important to the title aspirations of the Mariners. The worry for the fans was they may dry up, but this striker has other ideas. His finishing has been mostly lethal, with critical goals to salvage points or go ahead in games, and most impressive has been his overall contribution. Formerly known as a bustling No.9, able to hold the ball up with his back to goal, McBreen has expanded his game considerably and become a much more rounded footballer. Moving back into midfield to exchange regularly with his No.10, it is his ability to turn in between the lines, where space and time is at its most limited, that signals a player in wonderful form with a growing understanding of the game around him. This season, the goal looks 10 times the size for a player high on confidence enjoying the best form of his career.
Del Piero
Sydney FC
What can you say about a player who has attracted so many column inches and plaudits already except that, in a badly faltering team, he has been a pleasure to watch. It's difficult to describe how challenging it must be for ADP to walk straight from a career at the very highest level into a team that has been in chaos, with three different coaches so far and a different set of teammates every week. Throw in the immense pressure back in Italy to protect his extraordinary legacy and the weight of Sydney on his back, and you get the picture as to why this guy is such a champion. Even in the midst of dismal performances at times, Del Piero's touches and vision have been beautiful. His sheer competitiveness, professionalism and desire to win is a model for kids to follow, and his free-kick against the Jets will live long in the memory, as will his passing range with either foot. Though he is unable to display his full range under current circumstances, the fraction we've seen has been worth the price of admission every time.
Billy Celeski
Melbourne Victory
One of the most important, and difficult, positions in football is the No.6, tasked with managing the game and bringing the ball from back to front and side to side. This position requires intelligent players who understand the entire game, know how their team moves and where their teammates will be ahead of time, and Billy Celeski is the standout thus far. Demonstrating an ability to link back to front, he has also moved into attack and shown a capability to play passes between defenders, the most valuable skill for a midfield player. Composed and secure with the ball, Celeski just shades teammate Mark Milligan in the position, with an honourable mention for the Mariners' John Hutchinson, who runs the league leader's midfield. Celeski's work provides the platform for Marcos Flores and the speedsters to excel, and it's great to see a talented player mature into a quality professional.
Dario Vidosic
Adelaide United
Time for this talent to become a regular, first-team Socceroo. Holding Vidosic back was only his inconsistency over the past few years, as he dealt with the disappointment of returning from the Bundesliga. But he now knows the A-League has reinvigorated his career, and it shows in his play. Aggressive, skilled, and always wanting the ball, Vidosic's form has been the primary factor in Adelaide's rise this year and complemented the outstanding but inconsistent performances of the three imports, Marcelo Carrusca, Jeronimo Neumann and Fabio Ferreira. Vidosic has now worked out how to impose himself on a game, something that usually comes with maturity and experience. Goals, free-kicks, solo runs, final passes and joining lightning counter-attacks with his speed, the young man has it all and the limit to how far he can go is imposed only by himself. If he continues to perform, Brazil 2014 beckons.
Shinji Ono
A master footballer, period. Understanding, touch, technical quality on both sides of his body, a strong mentality and a wonderful ambassador for Japanese football and culture, Ono is a brilliant addition to the league. The A-League needs creators, players who are technically accomplished to show our kids how the ball should be massaged. And every time Shinji Ono plays, a boy and girl somewhere are inspired to become a better player. The control and volley against the Victory was the sort of artistry it costs millions of dollars to see from players usually at the highest levels of the game, a treat for Wanderers and neutral fans alike. There is always risk attached with marquee players, but the Wanderers got this one absolutely spot-on. For his quality, and his admirable character, Ono is a gem.
Youssouf Hersi
Speed, awareness and tactical discipline make Hersi one of the standouts of the season. Mind you, the former Dutch under-21 international has some close competition in the irrepressible Archie Thompson, but Hersi has impressed with his ability to match his individual skills and a willingness to take players on with a capacity to perform razor-sharp ambushes on opponents and spring the counter-attack. Watching Hersi retreat to allow opponents to play out and then choosing his moment to race headlong at a hapless central defender trying to work out where the next pass should go, has been an absolute hoot. I don't think I've ever enjoyed seeing a player move without the ball quite so much, but when he wins it back, he becomes an extreme threat to any side. Hersi has been a critical component of the Wanderer's success this season and Tony Popovic will be toasting with a glass of red that he was able to rehabilitate a player with immense quality who was drifting from club to club, unable to settle. The fans love him, and rightly so, a superb addition to the A-League.
Ante Covic
The statistics say it all. Most shots stopped this season. Ante Covic has had a magnificent two seasons, in fact. Last year, he saved a woeful Melbourne Victory from humiliation virtually every week; how enjoyable it must be for him to play behind a well-organised defence this year. Not so well organised that his services haven't been absolutely critical to their success, mind you, because a predominantly counter-attacking style of play has led to a high number of shots and saves, at which he has excelled. A quality keeper is fundamental to success and Covic is in good company with Adelaide's brilliant Eugene Galekovic and the Mariners' bold Matty Ryan, but for his importance in what's been achieved so far, Ante gets the nod.
Guilherme Finkler
Melbourne Victory
When in doubt, put your trust in a South American to provide creative quality, and Finkler has, prior to his recent injury, delivered with panache. As an attacking midfielder, his brief is to create and score, and the league's leading assistant of goals brought class to perfectly complement the wonderful Marcos Flores, who is just now competing with his Brazilian teammate for the creative mantle. Finkler was vital to Victory's development in the first half of the season, and Flores will be in the second, but this Sao Paulo native was so good in the final third, the most difficult part of the field to excel, that he could have had another 10 goals and a bagful of assists. Every game he would get into phenomenal goal-scoring positions, and play others into great positions, such that his effectiveness is as high as anyone in the league. The sooner Finkler gets back on the field the better.
Connor Chapman
Newcastle Jets
I cannot finish any list without giving this kid a rap. The former Australian youth international and captain has been magnificent since becoming a regular starter for the Jets and is proof that outstanding players can be developed in this country. I believe we are watching a future Australian captain mature before our eyes. Excellent positional sense, superb passing range more usually seen in a No.6, enough speed to deal with the fastest attackers and a strong mentality and assured demeanour, Chapman has been a revelation in an extremely young back line and looks as though he's played for a decade. Along with the superb Craig Goodwin, James Virgili and the Mariners' Trent Sainsbury, the immensely promising Aaron Calver and plenty of others, Connor represents the future and I thoroughly enjoy watching a young man play with such technical bravery and confidence. The young brigade is a huge positive for Australian football.
The original release of this article first appeared on the website of Hangzhou Night Net.


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Best Practice Awards
An opportunity for your Community Board to showcase a project or initiative and a chance to win the Supreme Best Practice Award.
Entries have been received from:
Cambridge Community Board
Hanmer Springs Community Board
Inglewood Community Board
Te Awamutu Community Board
Wanganui Rural Community Board
Raglan Community Board
Petone Community Board
Waipuna/Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board
Martinborough Community Board
What are the Awards?
• the Community Boards Executive Committee Best Practice Awards recognise excellence in the implementation of projects and initiatives in local governance
• these awards are offered by the New Zealand Community Board Executive Committee (CBEC)
• prizes will be presented to the winners along with a runner up of each category (see below)
• a supreme winner will be chosen by CBEC from the winners of the individual categories
The objectives of the Awards are
• recognition of significant contributions made by Community Boards to the process of achieving excellence in local governance
• development of the Award's scheme as a learning tool for quality improvements in the functioning of Community Boards
• fostering the exchange of the best practice and innovative ideas.
Outstanding contribution award - AWARDED TO CHARELLE STEVENSON, RANGATAIKI COMMUNITY BOARD
The Community Board Executive Committee has agreed that a new award for individual community board members will be bestowed at the 2019 conference in New Plymouth. The award will be given to individual community board members who have been judged to have made an outstanding contribution to their community board and their communities. The award replaces the long service award that was given out at previous conferences.
Nominations must be made by a community board member and seconded by a member of the same community board as that to which individual being nominated belongs. Supporting information must be less than 50 words. Click here to down load the nomination form. Forms need to be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com by 15 February 2019.
Best Practice Awards
CategoriesThe Community Boards Executive Committee (CBEC) Best Practice Awards are designed to reflect the diversity of the work community boards undertake for their communities. The categories for the 2019 Best Practice Awards are set out below.
Leadership - WINNER: WANGANUI RURAL COMMUNITY BOARDThe judges are looking for a community board which has, exercising its leadership mandate, made an improvement to its community. This could involve: • a successful advocacy campaign resulting in beneficial change;
• partnering with one or more agency to improve local services; or
• utilising an innovative communication approach.
Enhancing Communities - WINNER: CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY BOARDThe judges are looking for a project, programme or initiative which has been funded, commissioned and/or led by a community board which has enhanced the quality of life and/or environment of their community. Projects which have, for example:
• contributed to harmonious relationships and stronger community networks;
• developed local or neighbourhood amenities; or
• strengthened an understanding of the history heritage and story of that community.
Engaging Communities - WINNER: HALSWELL-HORNBY-RICCARTON COMMUNITY BOARDThe judges are looking for a project or initiative in which a community board has taken an innovative approach to consultation and engagement. This can involve:
• initiatives taken to promote community feedback on a consultation exercise, such as an annual plan, long term plan or a specific community board initiative;
• methods taken for engaging with local organisations, such as Maori organisations, business associations and community organisations; or
• initiatives in which a board has successfully increased the participation of groups within their communities that have traditionally been under-represented in local affairs, such as young people and new residents.
Overall winnersIn addition to being recognised as a category winner there are two other prizes; the Peoples' Choice and the Supreme Winners.
Peoples' Choice Winner - WINNER: BAY OF ISLANDS /WHANGAPAROA
The People's Choice award is determined by conference participants who will have the opportunity to vote for the project of their choice at the conference. All finalists will be eligible for the Peoples' Choice award and the results will be announced at the conference dinner.
Supreme Winner - WINNER: CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY BOARD
The Supreme Winner will be selected by the judging panel from amongst the category award winners. It will reflect the project that the judges have determined as the most innovative and having resulted in the greatest community value. We thank EquiP for sponsoring this Award.
The community board that wins the Supreme award will be offered the opportunity to have their winning entry made into a webinar by the EquiP team. The objective of the webinar is to celebrate best practice and provide a learning resource to community boards throughout New Zealand.
How to enter• You can submit as many entries as you wish, however, each entry should relate to a single category only and specifically address the purpose of that category. The judges may transfer entries into a different category if they feel this is appropriate.
• Applications must be on the 2019 CBEC Best Practice Awards application form. Additional information, such as photos or a PowerPoint presentation, can be attached.
• Each application should include all the relevant information relating to your application.
What information to provideIn addition to the information required in the 2019 CBEC Best Practice Awards application form, you can also include:
• information on the length of time over which the initiative occurred;
• a list of the different organisations involved in the initiative (for example, government agencies, community organisations, businesses, individuals) and how their participation was achieved;
• a brief estimation of the initiative's cost, how it was financed, such as rates or grants, and how costs were managed;
• a brief explanation of the benefits resulting from the project; and
• information on lessons learned, including barriers encountered, what would be done differently next time, and how the initiative might be useful to other community boards.
Send your entry toLocal Government New Zealand: email@example.com
Closing date for entriesFriday 8 March 2019 at 5.00pm. No late entries will be accepted.
Judging processAll applications will be reviewed by the Conference Judging Panel.
Announcement of the winnersThe Awards will be announced and presented at the Conference Dinner on Friday 12 April 2019 and in order to promote best practice in the functioning of community boards and to foster the exchange of best practice and innovation, winning entries will be featured on the LGNZ website.
Please Note: By entering the awards you are agreeing to the publication of your entry.


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2118 - Energy Center Operations
- Course Delivery: On Demand
- Duration: 4
The objective of this module is to review, for the benefit of relay personnel, the responsibilities of the power system operators and the activities that take place in the energy control center. The operation of protection schemes is of vital importance to the correct functioning of the power system. Complete cooperation between power system operators and relay personnel is essential, and communication must be maintained in both directions. After study of this course and the associated workbook, participants should be able to understand the following overall concepts and apply them to their day-to-day work activities. They will also be able to answer related test questions on these subjects: The overall objectives of the power system operator, Clearance procedures, i.e. isolation of equipment, Frequency control: economic load dispatch, Daily load forecast, Daily generation schedule, including spinning reserve, System overload, falling frequency, load shedding, Inter-ties to neighbouring utilities, power interchange, Generation unit characteristics, i.e. type of prime mover, Incremental cost of generation, Rate of start-up and load change availability, Frequency control by AGC (automatic generation control), Turbine governor droop characteristic, Generator load angle, Control of excitation, reactive power, Transmission line impedance characteristics, Effect of conductor resistance, i.e. heating, Shunt capacitance, charging current, Ferranti effect, Special switching procedure on long lines, Inductive voltage drop along transmission lines, Shunt capacitors and shunt reactors, Power angle across transmission lines, Effect of transmission line voltage on power transfer, Power transfer distribution through a complex network, Power angle limit for stability, System operator actions to improve system stability, Effect of equipment outages on system operation, Planned outages, system operation precautions, Forced outages; states of 'alert' and 'emergency', System separation, i.e. islanding, Energy center communications, Energy center information presentation.
If you are taking this course for NERC credit, the following credits will be reported.
NERC CE HOURS: CE HOURS = 4.00 OPS Topics=4.00 Standards=0.00 Simulation=0.00 EO=4.00
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives:
- Trainees will be able to describe the principles that govern system operation.
- Trainees will be able to describe the responsibilities of system operators and load dispatchers.
- Trainees will be able to describe the limitations imposed on system operators by the actual operating conditions of the system's generating plant.
- Trainees will be able to explain the limitations imposed on system operators by the transmission network, including load transfer, stability and voltage control constraints.
- Trainees will be able to describe what is meant by 'normal operation'.
- Trainees will be able to describe the effects of abnormal operating conditions.
- Trainees will be able to explain actions the system operator, with the help of others, can take to minimize the potential for major outages and system separation when the system is operating in an abnormal state.
Topics Covered
End of Course Instructions
Congratulations on completing the course! Your credits earned on completion of this program will be reported to RCEP.net within 30 days of completion. Once we report your completion at RCEP.net, you will receive a certificate of completion provided by RCEP on the email address you have provided at the time of enrollment. Please keep the certificate for your record. You may be required to submit this certificate to the state to record your PDH or present it in case if you are audited. If you have any questions or concerns please contact customer service at http://www.360trainingsupport.com
Why Choose 360training.com?
- Fast and easy courses completion
- Get an education faster than at traditional colleges!
- 100% online - No classroom attendance required.
- Online customer support
- Over 500,000+ certified nationwide.


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We received the following from Summit Entertainment:
"In light of recent events, and in case of future occurrences, we have created an e-mail address (firstname.lastname@example.com) for all fans to submit any links they see hosting leaked content from THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN. If we need additional information, we will contact the individual directly."
The leaks of this week surpassed what happened last year. Last year an individual hacked into the server where official studio stills were kept, shared them with friends, and they were eventually posted online. This person, after a year of court maneuvers, was eventually tracked down to her home in Sweden and was successfully prosecuted.
There was also similar action taken against the person who put the Wolverine footage online. Note he didn't steal it, he just got caught distributing it and that is enough for prosecution in a federal case. Copyright violation is a federal offense!
For the above reasons, and the fact that we just think it's wrong to steal raw footage and distribute things that aren't yours, we aren't posting any leaked footage. Please as always keep this type of info out of links in blog comments, or those comments will be deleted. Also if you are lucky enough to get a copy of the official guide early, please don't disclose what's in it (we have seen a couple of mentions online). It's like forcing someone to look a their Christmas present early whether they want to or not.


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|Polar Bear Swimming by farlane
Enter Jenna
As swimmers, we like to challenge ourselves to go a little bit further or a little bit faster every time we hop into the water. While at times, we do enjoy a leisurely swim or snorkel, there are also times when we feel as though pushing ourselves to our outermost abilities is a must. For those swimmers who are looking for a way to spice up their swimming, here are a few challenges that just may be right up their alley:
Note: While entertaining, we don't necessarily recommend that all swimmers, even those with advanced skills attempt any of the following without proper training and preparation:
Swimming the English Channel (La Manche)If you are looking for a challenge, then by all means try to swim the English Channel. The swim is a 21 mile swim in cold water with strong currents which are bound to move you over and double your distance. The best days for swimming the Channel are in the summer, but even then the water is only 60 degrees, and those that keep records of the swim only certify swimmers that do not wear wetsuits. On top of combating strong currents and chilly waters, swimmers will also have to keep an eye out for boats and jellyfish – neither of which are too fun to encounter.
|English Channel Swimming Association
However, there are people certified to help you out if you so choose to cross the Channel. Certified pilots will help you stay on course and help you avoid jelly fish and boats so that you can experience the safest and most efficient swim. They will also give you food and water, and help you if you should run into an emergency situation. Either way, you will be in for one heck of a swim. Swimming the Channel is by no means an easy feat. In fact, more people have climbed Everest than swam the La Manche.
Polar Bear PlungeIf you live somewhere that gets cold in the winter, or is just near a body of water that stays pretty chilly all year long, then you have probably heard of the Polar Bear Plunge. These events are usually held on or around New Year's day and require swimmers to strip down to their swimsuits in chilly temps to jump into frigid waters. While this may not be a great swimming challenge, it is definitely a water challenge in and of itself that will be sure to shock your system. The largest plunge in the U.S., called Plungapalooza, is held in Maryland at the Sandy Point State Park every year.
While many Polar Bear Plunge veterans claim that the event cleanses them and boosts their mood, many doctors forewarn plungers of the dangers of jumping in to ice cold water because of the shock it can have on the body. (Note from Swimator Blog: It is much better to take it nice and slow when getting in and make sure to do some test runs before the actual event, so your body gets slowly used to the extreme temperatures).
Swimming the Cook StraitAlthough not as long as the English Channel, swimming Cook Strait in New Zealand is just as daunting. This 19 mile swim is between the North and South island of New Zealand in waters that are teeming with marine life, and is considered one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world. In addition to giant squid, Cook Strait is home to numerous species of dolphins, fur seals, and whales, including Orcas. However, it isn't the marine life that you have to worry about.
|Cook Strait extreme swimming conditions
The Strait often has strong winds, large swells, and rough waters, and it is also right in the path of the roaring forties. The Strait also has strong currents which are often undetectable due to lack of tidal height change. Only 65 people have successful swam the Cook Strait, so you can imagine it is not for the faint-hearted.
So if you are in shape, undergone the proper training and looking for a challenge, consider one of the aforementioned. A few other honorable mentions include Catalina Channel and the swim around Manhattan Island. You could even attempt the Triple Crown of Open Water if you feel up to it.
From Swimator Blog: There are literally thousands of opportunities out there to get your extreme swimming bug out of your system. The above mentioned events are just a few of the most challenging examples. However, I will stress it one more time. If you are thinking about taking part in any of the plentiful extreme swimming events around the world, please do make sure you have a proper training plan starting many months prior to the event. As with marathons in running, swimming in extreme conditions in open water is becoming more accessible and more interesting for swimmers from all over the world, however, it could cause serious injuries if not taken seriously. So, don't be foolish, get your swimming technique sorted, then build up some endurance and rough/cold water conditions tolerance before becoming an extreme swimming junkie :). All the best to the New Year, may all swimming dreams and attempts come true.
This is a guest post by Jenna, a journalism student at Saint Louis University. Upon graduation, she hopes to travel the world while producing compelling content for the masses. When she isn't writing, you can find Jenna with her nose in a book, or her headphones in to block out the rest of the world.
Get more tips to improve your swimming by joining our growing Swimator Facebook community or following us on Twitter @360swim.


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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving week/weekend. It was more like a holiday week here. Patrick had the week off and his parents came down for a visit. It was fabulous to have them here in our home.
I wanted to share another PL week that is now done. It has been done for a while now, but haven't had a chance to share it yet.
Instead of doing a normal week I filled it, and an insert, with a very full and fun day. My brother got married this past June and we had an Open House at my parents house to celebrate with all our friends and family. So I had a ton of pictures from that particular day but not very many from the week of. I love how it turned out !! Seriously. In Love. Anyways, sorry. I will get on with the sharing now.
Here is the first page :
The title card. I wanted to make a big point about this being the open house so I used the big letters and put the date at the bottom.
Pictures :
This was the party scene in my parents back yard the night of the party. I love this shot because you can get the whole picture of how the party looked.
Party Decor.
Here is a look at the journaling cards :
The card on the left hand side is one of the foldable journaling cards. I needed a bigger space to tell the whole story of what happened that week.
The card on the right hand side is a simple one. I wanted to include a card about the colors that we used for the party.
A simple journaling card and a picture finishes off the first page.
I had so many pictures that I included one insert. Here is a look at the first page.
Journaling cards:
The first journaling card I added the letters down at the bottom. The quote bubble came from my Studio Calico kit. I simply added the bubble and then worked out where to put my journaling. Printed it and then added my embellishments.
The right side. I used some patteren paper, I forget where I got that, and added the word "Photo" from Ali Edwards. The pink letters are from October Afternoon. The arrow is from Studio Calico. I wanted to make a point to have people notice the photo of the kids at our homemade photo booth.
Here is a look at the other side. Icluded are more pictures from the photo booth, and people.
Here is a closer look at the journaling cards.
The card on the right is from Becky Higgins Blog. Under Free Stuff. Here is the link. Look under Project Life. Although I colored the card to fit my needs. Also added the heart from Studio Calico.
Here is the last page of this week/day.
Pictures :
Tiki Torches.
Chocolate fountain. Well, more like a Chocolate blob fountain. But boy was it tasty.
For this picture I used photoshop to put my text on and then added this Arrow brush from Ali Edwards. Find it here. I then took the arrow and moved it onto another layer, which I turned black. That what when I printed it out the arrow was white. Once printed out, I just cut out the white arrow and attached with the Tim Holtz tiny attacher. I love the look of it.
More Decor.
A look at the journaling cards.
The wooden people are from Studio Calico.
Sorry for the brief post today. I need to play catch up from our week staycation !! As always, If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Take care now. Until next time.


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How To Install Webmin on Ubuntu 16.04
Sep, 16
How To Install Webmin on Ubuntu 16.04 How To Install Webmin on Ubuntu 16.04? Webmin is a web-based system administration tool for Unix-like systems. It provides an easy alternative to command line system administration and can be used to manage various aspects of a system, such as users and services, through the use of the provided Webmin modules. If you want to manage your own Dedicated Server or VPS Server but you are uncomfortable with the command line, Webmin is a good tool to help you get...


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Hydro's design engineers work closely with industrial designers, engineers and architects. Bicycles, battery boxes, vacuum cleaners, window frames and cars start their journey in the collective minds of you and our experts.
Hydro's design engineers are our specialist advisors. They work closely with our customers to ensure that the drawings and designs are turned into products that can easily be mass produced in a safe and sustainable way, while being cost effective. We have design engineers in most of our plants and locations.
Updated: March 01, 2019


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Rishita Bansal
L10n, QA, online privacy
O Moziljanu
I am a computer engineering student studying at Cummins college. I am passionate for coding. I like learning new things and sharing my knowledge with everyone. I like to help Mozilla in it's mission.
My Website: rishitabansal.wordpress.com
Veščine.c, .css2 css3 html php, c++ html css jquery, core java
JezikiAngleščina, Hindujščina, Maratščina
Spletna stran
Umesh Agarwal
Active WoMoz from Pune.
Shagufta Gurmukhdas
Rishita is a very active mozillian and has been extremely enthusiastic since the very first day. She is the club lead of her college,a regular attendee of meets and discussions and also takes initiatives to organize events on her own, with help from other community members, if needed. She is a part of the WoMoz project and has also been working on getting the students from the rural areas educated about technology. She is an open source enthusiast, advocates for Mozilla and deserves this vouch.
Prathamesh Chavan
Rishita is an active Mozillian and has been actively contribution in L10n and Mozilla QA.
Her Profile links : Locamotion : https://mozilla.locamotion.org/user/rishita/ Bugzilla : email@example.com
She is very hard working and has been a speaker in many Mozilla events which were organized by her. One of her blog posts : http://rishitabansal.simplesite.com/422179099
I am happy to vouch for her.


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In 7 Ways to Be Her Hero, Doug Fields discussed how men can improve their marriage and they can become their wife's personal hero. This book is primary written towards men but women could still benefit from reading this book. Doug Fields opened up about his own personal failures and frustrations in loving his wife completely like Christ loves her. The first chapter, he looked into what is breaking and hurting our marriages. He also explored the meaning behind Ecclesiastes 2:11 and this verse basically means Solomon was pursuing after everything he wanted to do and he realized, he was chasing things like the wind. And in the second chapter he revealed what scripture verses relate to marriage and how God is strongly for marriage. The rest of the book was divided into the actual seven ways to be your wife's hero and they had a part A and a part B. Part B of the seven chapters was designed to address if your wife had a big problem in that category. Some of the chapters included: "Don't Say Everything You Think", "Say What is Powerful", "Go Big with Small Things", "Be Liberal with Touch… but Not That Way!", "Shepherd Your Wife's Heart", and much more.
I would recommend this life changing book to all men. This book is especially helpful to all of the husbands that are striving to become the best husband that they can be. I will admit that I'm not married yet and I read this book in order to prepare for my future marriage whenever that may occur. Doug Fields did an excellent job in describing how men are born to chase after something and most of us have a problem with chasing after work too much. I liked how he stressed that it is important to work but we also must make time for our wife and kids. I really enjoyed the "One Heart Principle" that Doug discussed and how it is critical to remember that we must live as one with our spouse. I appreciated that Doug Fields wrote in a way that men could connect with the content and it was very relatable. If you're looking for a book to help you to improve your marriage, then read this one!
"I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program."
If you would like to purchase a copy of 7 Ways to Be Her Hero, check it out on Amazon.com:


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Do you have scalp and/or nail psoriasis? If so, how do you manage it?
Psoriasis is something that many of us try to hide, but psoriasis on the nails or scalp can be much harder to conceal. I can feel self-conscious when my nails are showing pits and cracks or my scalp is leaving a trail of flakes. I felt much more comfortable in public when my psoriasis was more suppressed, but not now.
I don't know what happened, really. My skin is still doing acceptably well with my vitamins, medications, bleach baths, and ointments. But a few weeks ago I noticed my whole body became quite itchy — I can't remember a time when my scalp felt that irritated! With the changing of the seasons, I attributed the itchiness to allergies. A few weeks later, after the itchiness calmed down, my scalp began flaking like it hasn't in years. I found flakes piling up on my computer, pillow, desk, black car seats, dark clothing, etc. I know my scalp is getting worse when my family and friends periodically walk behind me to brush flakes off my shoulders.
I can't say my nails became itchy, but they have become pitted like they were when I was a child. I have vague memories of taking sharp objects, like the end of a mechanical pencil or nail clipper file, and trying to scrape out the pits, hoping that would help remove them. Like a bad habit returned, I unconsciously started scraping my nails again, along with turning my thumbs into my hands so as to hide them from view. I know the nail psoriasis is bothering me when I start those old behaviors. Moreover, I noticed a few nails that chip or fissure down to the cuticle. Ouch! Those hurt, and a couple bled.
How do I feel about the new break out? In chat-speak, "sigh." Just weeks ago, I celebrated clear skin, including having scalp and nail psoriasis under control. That's psoriasis. Something can change, such as the weather or medication effectiveness, and psoriasis may improve or worsen.
For now, I am putting some extra topicals on my scalp and letting the nail psoriasis go. I will see my dermatologist in a couple of weeks so I'll ask her if we need to make any changes or adjustments. Until then, unless I can put on a cap and wear gloves, I will need to manage the social aspect better internally. If I can't hide it, then I need to find a way to stop feeling so self-conscious about it!
Lastly, since I am from the Bay Area, Go San Francisco Giants!
Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.


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Rich developed economies remain the most important markets for U.S. goods and services. The European Union is America's largest trading partner, and the volume of this bilateral trade is the largest in the world—worth nearly $1 trillion a year. Trade with Japan accounts for another $200 billion annually.
U.S. exporters and multinational companies in general are eager to find new sources of growth and are looking at opportunities offered by rapidly developing emerging economies.
After the 2008 financial crisis, the Detroit giant General Motors was saved—to a certain extent—by overseas markets. The Chinese market, now the world's largest in terms of unit sales, buoyed GM when sales in the United States declined.
Since then, GM has become highly profitable once again and has reclaimed the top spot among the world's largest automakers. It now sells more vehicles in China than in its home market—and by a widening margin. Even though its U.S. sales in early 2013 were the strongest in five years, GM sold 22% more vehicles in China than it did in the United States, or 800,000 cars and trucks.
China's economic growth has greatly enriched its consumers, who before market reforms had been implemented, subsisted literally from hand to mouth. Per capita disposable income measured just $300 a year in 1990, increasing tenfold over the past two decades.
Official statistics understate the true amounts. Given China's high savings rate and underreporting of incomes, the actual consumer power is much greater. McKinsey & Co. estimates that by 2020 the number of Chinese households owning a car and spending money on at least some luxury items will grow to 167 million households, comprising 400 million people—higher than the entire population of the United States.
Affluent consumers, moreover, will number 60 million by the end of the decade. With rising income levels comes demand for better-quality products and services, which invariably benefits U.S. companies. At the same time, modern urban lifestyles go hand in hand with fast food, which American companies do best.
As a result, China has emerged as a crucial growth market for major U.S. restaurant chains. Louisville, Ky.-based KFC dominates China's fast-food business with its 4,000 restaurants. Over the past two years, McDonald's implemented a major expansion program there, opening 700 new restaurants.
Apple, just like GM, had the best quarter ever in China from January to March 2013. China still trails the Americas and Western Europe as the largest market for iPhones and iPads. But with sales growth of 10% a year or more and a boundless pool of consumers, it is likely to catch up in the next couple of years.
The Other BRICs
China is part of the BRIC group of major emerging economies, along with Brazil, Russia and India. What those countries have in common is not only strong growth rates but also large and underserved populations, which translate into vast consumer markets.
Starting from a low base, those four countries have been moving up the learning curve, as far as buying power and consumer sophistication are concerned. They are gradually shifting to domestic consumption as a driving force of economic growth.
In India, disposable personal incomes have been rising by an average of 6.8% over the past five years, while personal consumption expenditures expanded by 7% annually. Russia and Brazil also experienced a major boost in consumption over the same time period, with a large inflow of increasingly more expensive consumer imports.
From the point of view of major U.S. consumer goods and services companies, revenues from their international operations have been growing, even as demand in Western Europe and Japan has weakened. Overall, for companies that make up the S&P 500 stock market index, international sales have risen from less than a-third of the total to around one-half since the start of the century.
Apple is a case in point. Some 56% of its sales comes from outside its home market. Not surprisingly, when articles began to appear in the Chinese press that were sharply critical of Apple and its iPhone warranty policies in China, CEO Tim Cook rushed to remedy the situation.
Emerging Strength
Sales growth in emerging markets has been a major factor driving Wall Street stock market indices to record highs in the first half of 2013. And while analysts debate how long the latest uptick will last, there appears to be plenty of rosy prospects abroad for U.S. companies.
China's economic growth has averaged close to 10% a year since 2001, slowing down only briefly in the 2008-2009 period due to the global financial crisis. The government in Beijing has worked to maintain rapid growth rates by financing various public works and infrastructure projects.
China now has super-modern highways, high-speed railways and gleaming new air terminals, along with some recently constructed cities that are in need of residents. But while, some government-financed projects were wasteful, and over-investment was rampant, U.S. heavy-equipment manufacturers and engineering companies have been major beneficiaries of such investment projects.
Other emerging nations also have been investing heavily, building infrastructure and, in many cases, upgrading their facilities for agricultural and commodity production and transportation in order to take advantage of rising food and commodity prices.
Now, both the rapid investment-driven development phase and the cyclical upswing in investment among BRICs could be coming down from its peak. China's economic growth is expected to moderate to 7% a year over the next decade, for example.
A new wave of developing nations, though, has now moved to the forefront. This next group is known by the acronym TIMPs and is comprised of Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico and the Philippines.
It's true that the TIMPs may not show the same consistent growth year after year as China has done over the past three decades. Still, they are major emerging economies and, moreover, they start from a higher base of development than both China and India.
Their consumers are generally richer, as well. And, while not as populous as the two biggest BRICs, which account for more than one-third of the world's total population, the TIMPs represent a sizeable consumer market of more than half a billion people on a combined basis.
The Next Wave
The ability to win market share in foreign markets is influenced by a variety of historical, cultural and political factors. U.S.-based companies, by and large, been welcome in China. As a result, the two economies have become so close that economists have coined a new word, Chimerica, to denote the crucial axis of the global economic system. The two economies are completely dependent upon one another.
In this environment, GM, like Germany's Volkswagen, has emerged as one of China's largest automakers. Japanese companies, on the other hand, have lagged behind in China, despite their geographical proximity. (More recently, Japanese exporters were dealt a further blow when Chinese consumers boycotted Japanese products in response to rising tensions between the two countries over a territorial dispute in the East China Sea.)
In India, on the other hand, a smaller Japanese automaker, Suzuki, stole a march on the rest of the field. It was one of the first foreign players to focus on India, and its strategy paid off when the Indian market took off. (Its local subsidiary, Maruti Suziki, maintains a 35% share of the extremely promising Indian motor vehicles market.)
The emergence of the TIMPs should benefit U.S. companies. The United States has a long-standing connection to Mexico and the Philippines, and Mexico provides by far the largest number of legal immigrants to the United States, while the Philippines is in fourth place. American-educated expats tend to be extremely valuable for cracking foreign markets and managing local operations.
Turkey, meanwhile, is a member of NATO and the closest U.S. ally in the Muslim world. Turkey's application to join the European Union has long been cold-shouldered by Brussels, and in recent years Turkey, thanks in a large measure to its robust economy, has been steering an independent course, diversifying away from Europe. This means excellent opportunities for U.S. companies in the Turkish markets.
As for other markets, Africa has enormous pent-up demand, and its transportation, industrial and human infrastructure needs are enormous. Those needs have been neglected in recent years as foreign aid and soft loans dried up.
However, if African economies, buoyed initially by higher commodity prices, start to pick up steam, and if endemic local corruption can be better controlled, there will be funds for large-scale investment projects. At the same time, according to forecasts by the African Development Bank, the consumer market in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, is expected to triple by 2030,when it could reach $2 trillion.
In Africa, Asian companies are ahead of some of their global competitors. China is rapidly moving up along the technology curve, starting to make and export more sophisticated products with higher value-added content, so U.S. multinationals are likely to pay close attention to such developments as they move to compete and establish a presence in this promising area.


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A conversation with Giro race director Angelo Zomegnan
Angelo Zomegnan works in a 20-by-10-foot office with a courtyard view from the third floor of the RCS headquarters, an Italian media conglomerate that occupies the entire block between Via San Marco and Via Solferino in central Milan. Angelo Zomegnan behind stacks of documents stacked on the meeting desk…
Angelo Zomegnan works in a 20-by-10-foot office with a courtyard view from the third floor of the RCS headquarters, an Italian media conglomerate that occupies the entire block between Via San Marco and Via Solferino in central Milan.
His space is unassuming. There's a basic PC monitor placed next to the room's only window. A replica of the first Italian flag, a map of Italy dotted with dozens of pushpins, and a sketch of Marco Pantani adorn the wall behind his desk chair. Scattered in-between are a hodgepodge of photos and certificates marking the history of his career.
When Zomegnan was 18 years old, he decided to make it his job to send the race results of his best childhood friend to the local newspapers in La Brianza (Lombardy near Lake Como). He explains, "this man was my dear friend, the kind of friend who you can spend Christmas with his family. I wanted to show people that he was a strong cyclist. That's what started my career as a journalist."
In 1979, he was hired as a stringer by La Gazzetta dello Sport (an RCS company) but was required to prove himself as a futball reporter for two years before his boss, Gino Palumbo, allowed him to follow his passion of ciclismo. Zomegnan remembers, "at that time, I could never have imagined that I would become the director of the Giro d' Italia."
Over the years, he steadily worked his way up the ranks, covering the Olympics, the Worlds, the Classics, the Tour de France, and the Giro before he was tapped by the RCS to run the Giro in 2004.
Perhaps the most telling fixture in Zomegnan's office hangs above his computer — it's the jersey Italian football star Roberto Baggio wore during the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil, where the Brazilians won the title after Baggio missed the final penalty kick. Zomegnan explains, "I specifically asked him for that jersey because it serves as a reminder that even the greatest champion can make a mistake in important moments."
Three days before the start of the 2011 Giro, the 56-year-old Zomegnan let us into his world for the better part of an afternoon. Between a flurry of office phone calls, emails, and signature requests, he responded to all of our interview questions. He never rushed, he drew diagrams and maps, he fidgeted with a paperclip, he pounded the desk lightly with his palms, and he raised and lowered his voice in rhythmic Italian flare to ensure that his point was delivered with impact.
VeloNews: Let's start with the proposed 2012 Washington, D.C. start. What happened?
Angelo Zomegnan: I still consider starting the Giro in D.C. a good idea and good ideas like this will not die in my mind as long as I am the race director. It was simply too big a logistical operation and we were not ready in 2012. I think that one day we can start the race in D.C. As you know, we alternate international starts for the Giro every other year so that makes 2014 the next opportunity to consider another D.C. project.
VN: I think that many cycling enthusiasts struggle to understand the difference between the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. Can you explain how the Giro is different from the Tour? Why should we pay attention to the Giro?
AZ: Yes, I can tell you that. The Tour de France is the biggest — the Giro d'Italia is the best. I will explain why.
My philosophy is that I think of the Tour de France as a teacher. I have a good team and enthusiastic marketing manager. We've studied and learned many things from the Tour. Initially the thinking was, "If we push hard, maybe in ten years we could arrive to be on a similar scale." But why? If we follow the Tour de France model, then no matter what, we will always be thought of as "the second grand tour." So we made a decision to do something special, something that nobody else did before: we decided to be different.
VN: The U.S. has followed a multi-stage format similar to the Tour de France for several marquee races. Is that a mistake?
AZ: The American system is based on power, speed, and contact. If you do a race from Sonoma to San Francisco and in the first 75 percent of the race, if you do not have power, speed, or contact — you have nothing. In my opinion, the point-to-point stage system is not the best way to showcase cycling to the American people.
It was the same mistake they made with the Red Zinger Classic, the Coors Classic, Tour DuPont, Tour de Minnesota, and the Tour of Virginia. And right now, I hope that my dear friend Andrew Messick is not falling into the same mistake with the Tour of California — only to close down in two or three years. The mentality over there is different. You have to do something that the people can see many times in a downtown area.
If you are a young American boy on the finish line of an American stage race and you see this: a small group of five sprinters arrives first, the sprint winner goes to the podium. Five minutes after, the group with the jersey leader crosses the line, and he goes to the podium. Well, the young boy does not understand why there are two winners in the same race, with the same finish line. You have to build the mentality, the culture — you have to go into the schools and explain to the U.S. children what cycling is.
VN: Back to Italy. Please walk me through this "being different" process for planning the Giro.
AZ: First, we put the psychology of the cyclist in front of the sport of cycling. We looked at how their attitude is shaped when races become too predictable. Consider the Milano San Remo. After an athlete rides it 4 or 5 times, it becomes routine. You have to eat at six in the morning, you have to arrive 7:30, you start at 9:30, you can go at 40-kilometers-an-hour until Tortona, then you attack — it becomes too easy. For the Giro, we do not want a cyclist's attitude to stagnate. If you don't change the race design, if you don't understand the psychology of the professional cyclist, then you run the risk of proposing boring races.
Second, we put "art" into the stages every day. If you watch the Tour de France, I'm sure you'll see that on the flat days for sprinters they always move at 45-, 47-, 50-kilometers-per-hour for the first two hours. After, you have a small group of five to12 people who make a break. They manage the gap for a certain time, the peloton runs them down, and then there is a sprint at five kilometers before the finish. Television viewers could watch for two hours and nothing happens. It is boring. Why not put something at 10 kilometers before the finish? Why not give the opportunity for the people who attack to win the stage or make the group work before 100 kilometers.
Third, we have to defend the contact between the riders and the people. In NASCAR, you can't touch the drivers, in the NBA you can't touch — you are too far away. We are lucky because we are not so big. The Giro caravan is only 2,000 people, the Tour de France is bigger. Because of this smaller size, we can start every stage downtown. If we grow to the point where we have to start and finish in commercial centers outside of towns, then the romanticism of the race is lost. The spectators no longer have the opportunity to watch and touch the cyclists. We must create the opportunity to put the champions in the middle of the people. Last year, we had 10.5 million people watching the race in-person. Can you tell me how may Pasadena stadiums full of people that is? Maybe five stadiums full every day of the Giro? It's a lot of people.
VN: About this year's Giro; has putting "art" into the stages everyday simply served to create one of most difficult routes in recent memory?
AZ: This is not true. There is a difference between the thinking of this year's route and some of the other Giros. I will explain. This year all of the mountain stages terminate at a summit. We did this because the athlete must adopt a different attitude to be a protagonist in the race. You can't bluff — you have to ride. For example, let's look at a 2011 Tour de France's second mountain stage (Zomegnan pulls a map of the Tour's ninth stage). It is a mountain stage this one? Can you explain to me where the mountain is? Okay, okay, there are mountains. Yes, there are some mountains — but the final summit is 54 kilometers before the finish.
Again, I always try to do something different. Last year, we proposed the strade bianche (white gravel roads) in Montalcino. It was extremely difficult to run the race over those roads. We were lucky because there was some rain and it turned out to be tremendous for both the cyclists and the spectators. In 2005, we ran the Colle delle Finestre and I included it again this year as the penultimate stage because there are not only mountains — there are strade bianche too. And you have to propose stages like this because it gives the people something to look forward to, something for the race to build up to.
VN: When I look at the route sheet, my eyes go straight to the triple mountain stages 13, 14 (Zoncolan Stage), and 15 — they are like three Tour de France queen stages in a row. What is the thinking behind this design?
AZ: You're just looking at the mountain stages. But this year is the 150th celebration of the unification of Italy and there are many things you can't see on the race map that were involved in the race design. We start in Torino because it is Italy's first capital. On stage two, we arrive in Parma because every year, on the second Sunday of May, Italy celebrates "the day of the bicycle." Parma is a town with a significant network of bicycle lanes. Stage three starts in Reggio Emilia because it's where the first flag of Italy came from. Every stage tells a story.
Okay, now why the mountains? You know that the mountains will put everyone in their place. The spectators are waiting to see someone and something that they are not able to do. Something that their banker or university teacher can't do — something that only the gifted cycling champions can do.
Let's talk about the Zoncolan mountain stage and how we are making different decisions that are not common in cycling. The Zoncolan is a tremendous mountain. There are two principle routes or sides to the top. The Giro used to avoid what I call, "the true Zoncolan side" because there is a narrow bottleneck at 1.2 kilometers and if a car stalls there, and then the race is finished. Before I was the race director everyone said, "We will only do the traditional Zoncolan route." But I told them, "no, the side with the bottleneck is a stronger climb and unlike the other side, all of the spectators can see the climb from the top — it's like a stadium." So what did we do? We came up with a plan for a mass pit-stop in Ovaro, where a team mechanic or director transfers from the team car to a motorcycle prior to the mountain. Now there are no more problems with a broken car creating a roadblock. We did this for the first time three years ago, again last year, and will do it this year too (stage 14). The Zoncolan is like our Maracanã (the football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Last year, in Italy we had a 37-percent television viewership share during this stage — on Sunday with football matches. It is something special.
VN: Are mountain stages like this a test, maybe encouragement, for doping?
AZ: No. The doping is a problem for me, the police, the fans, everyone. Doping is not a problem of resistance; it is a problem of speed. The great cyclists — the clean cyclists, they will really need to pay attention during these stages. A clean cyclist's performance curve will begin to fall-off significantly by this time, two weeks into the race. I'm happy to see this trend — the performance fall-off curve. A doping cyclist will not have this fall-off. Their levels will remain constant and every day this delta will grow between the true cyclist and a doping cyclist.
VN: Are you taking any extra precautions or controls this year to check for this 'fall-off" curve?
AZ: Last year, the Giro d'Italia had the most controls before during and after in the history of all of the races, including the Tour de France. This year, we are not only working on the number of controls, but also working with the UCI on the target using the athlete's biological passports.
VN: Final question, who do you expect to see on top of the podium in Milan?
AZ: (He pulls out a piece of paper and draws a podium) I hope that the names on top of the podium's first second and third spots are: (He writes, "Honest, Honest, and Honest" above each spot on the podium diagram). The Giro d'Italia is no longer in the position where it needs a big name to be a big race. It used to be the champion that made the Giro — now the Giro will make the champion. (Again, Zomegnan points his finger to each position on his podium diagram) Honest, honest, and honest — for me, the name is all the same.


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At last, the pristine and sacred names of Michael Vick and Ron Mexico can be cleared, no longer to be sullied with such filthy innuendo: It turns out that everybody's favorite HSV Type 2 carrier didn't have marijuana with him on a planet last week after all.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen — who must be ecstatic that his career has progressed to the point that he's filing breaking news briefs about whether or not a 26-year-old man had some pot on him — reported yesterday that no marijuana was found in Vick's famous water bottle and that he will be "exonerated on all charges." This begs the question, of course: Why was Vick so damned concerned about giving up the water bottle in the first place? Does he disagree with our nation's policy concerning beverages on planes? Was he just extremely thirsty?
The world might never know, but at least we can breathe easier knowing that Michael Vick has nothing to do with the demon weed. Let's just focus on what's on the field, people; in that regard, Vick is without reproach. Totally.
Vick Will Be Exonerated For Miami Incident [ESPN]
If You Can't Stash Your Pot In A Water Bottle And Get On A Plane, The Terrorists Have Already Won [Deadspin


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Watch CBSN Live
The Duke of Cambridge is the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales and has been in the public eye ever since he was born.
Britain's Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, poses by an air ambulance as he begins his new job with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) at Cambridge Airport on July 13, 2015.
The former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot will work as a co-pilot transporting patients to hospital from emergencies ranging from road accidents to heart attacks.
Credit: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince George of Cambridge walk past crowds as they leave the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate after the christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in King's Lynn, England, July 5, 2015.
Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge holds Prince George as he and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge look at the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, July 2, 2014.
Credit: John Stillwell/WPA Pool/Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital in London, May 2, 2015. The Duchess delivered a daughter at 8:34am, weighing 8 lbs 3 oz,who will be fourth in line to the throne.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge holds Prince George of Cambridge as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge gives him a toy bilby during a visit to the Bilby Enclosure at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, April 20, 2014.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, the first official trip overseas with their son, Prince George of Cambridge.
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince William poses for pictures with his wife, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, as they leave the King Edward VII hospital in London on Dec. 6, 2012.
Credit: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry leave after they attended "A Night of Heroes", the annual Sun Military Awards, to honor members of the British armed forces in London on Dec. 19, 2011.
Credit: Arthur Edwards/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge mingles with David Beckham during a private reception at the British Consul-General's residence in Los Angeles, July 8, 2011.
Credit: Getty Images
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, celebrate during Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Velodrome in London, August 2, 2012.
Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Prince William hugs his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, after competing against her team in a dragon boat race at Dalvay-by-the-Sea on Prince Edward Island as part of their royal tour of Canada, July 4, 2011.
Credit: Robert F. Bukaty/AP
As bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem, left, covers her ears, Britain's Prince William kisses his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding in London, April, 29, 2011.
Credit: Matt Dunham/AP
Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton pose for the media at St. James's Palace in London, after they announced their engagement, November 16, 2010. The couple plan to marry in 2011.
Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrives at the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 8, 2011.
Credit: Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press/AP
Prince William is seen aboard a boat during a training session at Britannia Royal Naval college, in Dartmouth, south west England, June 3, 2008.
The prince began a two-month attachment with the Royal Navy. He is an officer in the army but is also training with other parts of the British military, of which he will be commander-in-chief when he becomes king.
Credit: Chris Ison/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, sits at the controls of a Sea King helicopter on March 31, 2011.
Credit: John Stillwell/Getty Images
TRH Prince William and Prince Harry pose in front of a Griffin helicopter during a photo call at RAF Shawbury in Shawbury, England, June 18, 2009.
Both the Princes are currently on their military helicopter training courses at RAF Shawbury. The base is home of the Defense Helicopter Flying School. Prince William's course will remain at Shawbury until 2010 while Prince Harry will remain at the base until Autumn 2009.
Credit: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William, the Centrepoint and Mountain Rescue patron walks with a group of homeless young people helped by Centrepoint on a fell walk in Cumbria, England, July 24, 2009. They also raised a London 2012 flag to mark three years until the start of the Olympics.
Credit: John Giles/WPA Pool, Getty Images
HRH Prince William attends the Christmas Day Church Service at St Mary's Church sporting a beard for the first time in public in Sandringham, England, December 25, 2008. The beard disappeared a month later.
HRH Prince William, Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall stand in front of the original Chipmonk aircraft Prince Charles flew when he was training at RAF Cranwell, on the day of Prince William's RAF graduation ceremony in Cranwell, England, April 11, 2008.
Prince William completed a three month 'fasttrack' training course at the base and will move on to do a similar course with the Navy.
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images, Chris Jackson
Prince William walks across the tarmac on his way to fly a Grob 115E light aircraft, known as the Tutor, while training at airbase RAF Cranwell, near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, January 17, 2008.
The prince, an army officer with the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, is two weeks into a four-month attachment with the RAF to help William, 25, come to grips with the service's ethos, traditions and military role.
The prince's father, Prince Charles, completed his flying training course at RAF Cranwell from March to August in 1971 and graduated that year as a Flight Lieutenant.
Credit: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Their Royal Highnesses Prince William (L) and Prince Harry (R) speak on stage with Sir Elton John (far L) at the piano at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London, July 1, 2007.
The Concert falls on the date that would have been the late princess's 46th birthday and marks 10 years since her death with an event headed by Princes William and Harry to celebrate her life.
Kate Middleton and Prince William on the day of their graduation ceremony at St. Andrew's University in St Andrew's in Scotland, June 23, 2005.
Credit: Middleton Family/Clarence House via GettyImages
Prince William and his father, Prince Charles, leave William's graduation ceremony in St Andrews, Scotland, June 23, 2005.
The Prince, who earned a 2:1 class Ma in Geography, will lose the special protection set up to prevent the media from trailing him whilst he was in full-time education.
William will be conducting his first solo official engagements in New Zealand which will include ceremonies marking the anniversary of the end of World War II.
Credit: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images
Prince Charles poses with his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry during the royal family's ski break at Klosters in Switzerland, March 31, 2005.
Prince William pauses in St Salvator's Quad at St. Andrews University where he is a student, November 15, 2004. The Prince is in the last year of his four-year course at the Scottish university.
Credit: David Cheskin/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William pauses to talk to a friend at St Andrews University, Scotland in the final year of his four-year course, November 15, 2004.
Credit: David Cheskin, David Chesking/Getty Images
Prince William varnishes the outside of the local radio station in the village of Tortel, Southern Chile during his Raleigh International expedition, December 2000.
Credit: Toby Melville/AFP/Getty Images
A London office worker licks a first class stamp carrying a picture of Prince William June 18, 2003 in London. Royal Mail issued a new set of stamps portraying the Prince ahead of his 21st birthday on June 21. Prince William is the first Royal in history to have a set of stamps issued celebrating a 21st birthday.
Credit: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
Prince William blows out the candles on a birthday cake during a visit to the Anglesey Food Fair in north Wales on June 19, 2003. The Prince, will turn 21 on June 21.
Credit: Ian Hodgson/AFP/Getty Images
Prince Charles and his sons William, right, and Harry, left, appear at a photocall in the Swiss village of Klosters at the start of his annual sking holiday in the Swiss Alps, March 29, 2002.
Credit: Julian Herbert/Getty Images
(L to R) Britain's Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Prince William battle it out on the polo field in the Chakravarty Cup at Beaufort Polo Club, England, June 8, 2002.
Credit: Mike Finn/Getty Images
A picture taken in December 2000 shows Prince William looking at the Andes as he crosses walkways linking buildings in the village of Tortel, Southern Chile during his Raleigh International expedition.
Prince William during a photocall at Highgrove, Prince Charles' residence near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, on September 19, 2000.
Credit: Adrain Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Prince Charles (C) talks with Prince William (L) while Prince Harry looks on during the Royal tour's official photo opportunity in Whistler, Canada March 26, 1998.
Credit: Kim Stallknecht/AFP/Getty Images
(L to R) Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, her two sons Princes Harry and William, and her former husband Prince Charles arrive into Westminster Abbey in London to attend the funeral ceremony of Diana, Princess of Wales, September 5, 1997.
Credit: Johnny Eggit/AFP/Getty Images
A bearer party of Welsh Guards carry the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales, into the Westminster Abbey in London followed by (L to R) Diana's former husband Prince Charles, their son Harry, her brother Earl Spencer, her other son William and the Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, September 6, 1997.
Credit: Johnny Eggitt/AFP/Getty Images
The Prince of Wales and his sons Prince William, 15, and Harry, 12, take an early morning walk along the banks of the River Dee on the Balmoral Estate, August 12, 1997.
Credit: Chris Bacon/AFP/Getty Images
Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles watch the parade march past as part of the commemorations of V-J Day in London, August 19, 1995.
Prince William, seated, flanked by his estranged parents the Prince and Princess of Wales and accompanied by his younger brother Prince Harry, signs the traditional entrance book at Eton College, west of London, for his first day at the school on September 6, 1995.
Credit: AP
Diana, Princess of Wales, enjoys a boat ride on the Maid of Mist in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada with her sons Prince Harry, 7, and Prince William, 9, in October 1991.
Diana, Princess of Wales, smiles as she sits with her sons, Princes Harry, front, and William, on the steps of the Royal Palace on the island of Majorca, Spain, August 9, 1987.
Credit: John Redman/AP
The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, pose for a family portrait with their sons, Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, at the Kensington Palace in London, October 6, 1984.
Prince Harry was born on September 15, 1984. Prince William was born June 21, 1982.
Hand-in-hand with Royal nanny Barbara Barnes, Prince William, elder son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, leaves St. Mary's Hospital in London after visiting his new-born baby brother, Prince Henry, September 16, 1984. The newborn prince will be third in line of succession to the British Throne - after Prince William - and their father, Prince Charles.
Credit: Joseph Schaber/AP
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana take home their newborn son Prince William, as they leave St. Mary's Hospital in London, June 22, 1982. Princess Diana's caftan-like outfit hid the post-childbirth tummy bump that is normal for any new mom. In contrast, the former Kate Middleton, in her first public appearance on July 23, 2013, after giving birth, wore a dress that did not camouflage her belly, and many women applauded her choice.
Britain's Prince Charles (L) and Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, on their wedding day at St Paul's Cathedral in London, July 29, 1981.
Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images


text:
William Grigg
Pro Libertate
November 8, 2012
Ogden Police Officer Jared Francom was fatally shot during a raid on the home of Matthew David Stewart last January 4. Francom was part of a twelve-man SWAT team attached to the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, a federally subsidized counter-narcotics squad.
A few weeks earlier, a woman named Stacy Wilson who had broken up with Stewart called the Strike Force snitch line to report that Stewart was cultivating marijuana on his property. After three attempts to conduct a "knock and talk" search of the home, the Strike Force obtained a warrant for a nighttime paramilitary raid – despite the fact that they didn't even bother to do a background check on the accuser.
In familiar fashion, the SWAT team knocked on the front door, shouted "Search warrant!" and immediately broke into the home with a battering ram. Stewart barricaded himself in a room and began shooting. Francom was shot six times, although it's possible he was hit by "friendly fire." Five other officers were wounded, as was Stewart, who was arrested in a shed outside his home. He has been charged with one count of aggravated murder and seven counts of attempted aggravated murder. The state intends to seek the death penalty.
A search of the home turned up a handful of marijuana plants. Stewart, a veteran, insists that he used marijuana to treat a variety of physical and psychological conditions that are the residue of his time in the military. He also maintains that he didn't know that the armed invaders – some of whom had long hair intended to make them look like gang-bangers — were police officers.
This is a potentially significant detail.
In early September, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill determined that a man named Priest Jemelle Mitchell was justified in killing an intruder named Brandon Saunders – despite the fact that Saunders was unarmed. Infuriated to learn that Mitchell was involved with his ex-wife, Saunders broke down the door of her apartment. Mitchell responded by fatally shooting Saunders.
After reviewing the evidence, Gill concluded that the act of kicking in the door constituted trespassing with intent to commit an act of violence, and Mitchell was justified in believing that he faced "imminent peril and threat of injury."
If this is true of a situation in which an unarmed, jealous ex-husband threatens a man who was in his ex-wife's apartment, how would the same standard not apply to a man confronting six heavily armed strangers who had broken down his door in a nighttime raid?
The men who barged into Stewart's home insist that they identified themselves as police. But the same was true of the people who raided the Sandy, Utah residence of Clayton Green in early October. In that case, however, the assailants were private sector criminals posing as their state-licensed counterparts.
Mr. Green was greeted at his door by a man wearing police garb, displaying a badge, and demanding access to their home. A few seconds later, Green and his wife were thrown to the floor and handcuffed with zip ties. They were held gunpoint while burglars ransacked the home. Although the Sandy Police Department admits that this incident was not an isolated case, they refuse to say how frequently this kind of thing happens in Utah.
A few days after the incident at the Green family's home, another armed raid was carried out against an elderly couple in Salt Lake City. Michael and Teresa Ryan were terrorized by an armed gang that busted down their front door and held them at gunpoint. This time, it was the police – specifically, a federally supervised joint narcotics task force – who committed this act of terrorism.
According to Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank, the only problem with the second raid was that it took place at the wrong address. Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Frank Smith, whose agency participated in the assault, blithely explained that "law enforcement, unfortunately, is not a perfect science."
Todd Blair of Roy, Utah was another victim of the imperfect "science" of paramilitary drug enforcement.
At about 10 PM on September 16, 2010, Blair was in the basement of his home when he heard footsteps and the voices of strangers at the back door. Apparently thinking that he was being robbed, Blair grabbed a golf club and went upstairs to confront the trespassers – who were agents of the same Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force that would invade Michael Stewart's home roughly a year and a half later.
The no-knock raid at Blair's home was carried out on the basis of a single, anonymous tip that he was selling meth and heroin. After gunning down Blair, the officers were able to scour up less than half an ounce of marijuana.
Following the standard perfunctory and predictable official review, the fatal shooting of Blair by Sgt. Troy Burnett was ruled a "justifiable" use of force by Weber County Attorney Dee Smith – the same official who is now determined to execute Matthew Stewart.
The institutional response to the needless violent death of Todd Blair was the equivalent of a "sucks to be you" shrug. This was decidedly not the case after the death of Officer Francom.
"We have lost and brother and will grieve this loss knowing that officer Francom laid down his life for his friends and community," lamented Weber County Sheriff Terry Thompson during a press conference following the shooting. He also praised "all of our heroes in the public safety family who have stepped up this day to the task of caring for our wounded warriors."
That expression shouldn't be dismissed as a specimen of melodramatic rhetoric: Like nearly everybody in their profession, Sheriff Thompson and the members of the Strike Force see themselves as waging war on the population they supposedly serve – and they demand the unqualified support and admiration of that same population.
Carrying out its duty as a state-aligned media organ, the Deseret News used the death of Jared Francom as an excuse to lecture Mundanes about what we are to consider the peril-forged bond of shared by our uniformed overlords:
"When the shots were fired in a Wednesday night drug raid, killing one officer and wounding five others, the shots may as well have been fired at all of Weber County law enforcement. Those shots also may as well have been fired at all of Utah law enforcement and police officers in this country — such is the solidarity, such is the bond. The men who work the streets, those who moved on to desk jobs, the women on patrol or the detectives who work sex crimes come from one family. And you don't understand unless you've been there."
Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL described Francom's death as "a startling example of the dangers drug enforcement officers face." Naturally, it didn't describe that fatal paramilitary raid – or the one that resulted in the murder of Todd Blair – as a "startling example" of the dangers drug enforcement officers pose to the public.
The Sunday following the shooting, the entire Ogden Police Department was allowed to take the day off – with pay – in order to deal with its collective bereavement. Utah Governor Gary Herbert ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. The following month, the Utah Legislature held a brief ceremony to honor Francom. During the ceremony, Representative Brad Dee, who represents Ogden, praised Francom for answering the call "to step between good and evil."
Francom's funeral at Ogden's Dee Events Center was attended by 4,000 people, including hundreds of police officers, Governor Herbert, and Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee.
In his remarks at the event, Troy Combs, who was Bishop of Francom's Mormon congregation, recalled that the officer had grown his hair long as part of his undercover work. In addition to being a police officer, Francom was a Sunday School teacher, Bishop Combs related, and for the kids the experience was like "being taught by Jesus." This assumes, of course, that the Savior's day job involved kicking down doors and terrorizing people for consuming substances of which the government disapproves.
"Jared's was a tragic death," continued Bishop Combs. "He was murdered in the line of duty. But he did it serving and protecting."
The first of those statements is an indisputable fact: Jared Francom was an irreplaceable individual – a husband and father – who died in a needless and preventable episode of violence. The second statement is morally unsupportable: Michael Stewart was defending his home against armed strangers he may not have recognized as police officers, and who in any case were not acting as peace officers. The third statement is unambiguously false: The actions of Francom and his comrades at Matthew Stewart's home had nothing to do with protecting the rights of anybody.
Through his work with a paramilitary unit enforcing drug prohibition, Jared Francom "protected and served" the public in exactly the same sense that 19th Century Deputy U.S. Marshal James Batchelder did in his work enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act.
In early 1854, a young man named Anthony Burns escaped the custody of a Virginia man named Charles Settle, who claimed to "own" him. After Burns had settled down and found gainful work, an informant recognized him as an escaped slave and contacted the authorities. Batchelder was sent to Boston for the purpose of returning Burns to his previous condition of servitude.(Interestingly, this process was called "rendition.") The marshal quickly located Burns and – after using the pretext of a bogus robbery investigation to place him under arrest — locked him in the federal courthouse.
News of this abduction provoked an immediate response from local abolitionists, who organized an armed posse to liberate Burns from his captors. In the ensuing skirmish, Batchelder was fatally shot, but the police retained custody of Burns.
Wanting to avoid further bloodshed, Burns – a devout Christian – asked his supporters not to attempt another rescue. A few days later, Burns was escorted to a ship bound for Virginia. The rendition took place under the watchful eyes of 1,600-man military contingent sent by President Franklin Pierce to deter any further efforts to liberate Burns.
Like Jared Francom, James Batchelder died in the line of duty. Both of their names are inscribed in the "Officer Down Memorial Page."
"To have faced a mob as a law officer, especially in the days of only the gun and the badge — and little else — is the very core of bravery no matter the circumstances," declares a tribute posted in honor of the slave-catcher. "To have taken a bullet in the name of the law deems one a hero among heroes. Long live such bravery and honor."
Apart from those who belong to the Sanctified Brotherhood of Official Coercion, is there anybody today who would regard James Batchelder as a "hero," and consider his death a noble "sacrifice"?
Anyone burdened with a conscience should recognize that dying in an effort to enslave another human being is ignominious, rather than honorable. Although few police officers are aware of Batchelder's "sacrifice," they routinely celebrate the purported valor of officers who meet their mortal end while employing violence to enforce government policies rooted in a denial of self-ownership.
Drug prohibition is a subset of slavery – in both its philosophical premise (the denial of individual self-ownership) and its role in creating a huge and growing population of people in chains. A hundred years from now, assuming that Jesus tarries and Americans rediscover rational thinking, drug enforcement officers will be seen for what they genuinely are: The heirs and successors to 19th Century slave-catchers.
Mr. Grigg's article first appeared on his blog site Pro Libertate.
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- Price$86,000
161 Atrium Ave Unit 161, Fairhope
It's not just a neighborhood...it's a lifestyle! With its fruit tree orchards, stocked ponds, bike paths and sidewalks, tree lined streets and resort style pool you get the solitude and peacefulness of the country, with the convenience of being close to everything... schools (adjacent to St. Michael's Catholic High School), shopping and physicians. The Verandas offers fiber optics to the home with AT&T U-verse and internet up to 1 GB. This CUSTOM HOME ONLY neighborhood will be Fairhopes most sought after new address.
Essential Information
- Price$86,000
- Acres0.00
- TypeLand & Lots
- Sub-TypeResidential Lots, Lot
- StatusActive
- AmenitiesPool - Outdoor
- UtilitiesBaldwin Co Sewer Service, Gas-Natural, Underground Utilities, Water-City, Fairhope Utilities, Riviera Utilities
- ViewNone
- Boat FacilitiesNone, No Waterfront
- WaterfrontNo Waterfront
School Information
- ElementaryFairhope Elementary
- MiddleFairhope Middle
- HighFairhope High
Listing Details
- Listing OfficeWise Living Real Estate, Llc
Community Information
- Address161 Atrium Ave Unit 161
- AreaFairhope 8
- SubdivisionThe Verandas
- CityFairhope
- CountyBaldwin
- StateAlabama
- Zip Code36532
- Lot Description98x140, Less than 1 acre
Additional Information
- HOA Fees800.00
- HOA Fees Freq.Annually
The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes from the Baldwin County Association Of REALTORS®. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Listing information last updated on September 29th, 2020 at 3:15am CDT.