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"After mourning and feeling sympathy for the families, taking a step back as a Batman fan and historian, I'm concerned that this will taint what I consider to be an American treasure of not only popular culture but of mythology," he says. "I don't want it to be the second line of the Wikipedia entry, like Watergate is to Nixon."
The role that Batman fiction might have played in motivating alleged attacker James Holmes in the theater shooting remains unclear nearly a week after the massacre that killed 12 and injured 58. Although investigators reportedly found a Batman mask inside Holmes' booby-trapped apartment, any connection to the storied comic character could be simple coincidence.
Or it could be a chilling aspect of the murderous plot.
Schumer and other Batman devotees caution against drawing premature parallels between the massacre and the ever-evolving history of Batman, a flawed human superhero who has been rooted in reality since his pulpy inception in 1939.
"There are so many things that we don't know about (Holmes)," said Travis Langley, author of "Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight" and a professor of psychology at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. "The degree that he might be lost in fantasy, we don't know. I think it's safe to assume he had some kind of need for others to notice him."
Reports surfaced after the shooting that Holmes, his hair dyed a reddish-orange, had told arresting officers he was Batman's rival, the Joker. Authorities declined to confirm that, but fans were quick to note that the Joker's hair is actually green and that the dazed 24-year-old sitting in court Monday hardly recalled Batman's arch-nemesis.
"Clearly, we are influenced by popular culture," said Langley. "The tricky part is quantifying it. There are millions upon millions of influences on us all the time. Our culture is one of those influences, but we don't know to what degree. Even if it turns out that Holmes is preoccupied with Batman and the Joker, there are so many other variables involved."
Still, questions persist about possible parallels. Why did the mass murderer target a midnight screening of director Christopher Nolan's final installment in his Batman trilogy? Why would anyone claim to be the Clown Prince of Crime? What's appealing about such an appalling villain?
"The Joker imposes his face on the world, so he can feel like it makes more sense to him," said Langely. "He tries to show the world it's as ugly as he is — and he's always been doing that to make himself feel bigger in the world. That could appeal to individuals who want the world to fit around them. For the majority of fans, they don't have that motivation.""
The Joker has been captivating audiences since he was established as the murderous yin to the Batman's yang in 1940 by DC Comics writers Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and artist Jerry Robinson. Langley believes the lack of motivation and a definitive backstory for the Joker, whose schemes range from mutating smiley Joker fish to murdering Robin, makes him more interesting.
A less severe Joker was pranking Batman in the comics of the '60s, while an over-the-top Cesar Romero was playing him on the "Batman" TV series starring Adam West. The comic book character returned to his homicidal roots in the '70s and has since been portrayed on film as an out-of-control terror by both Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for the role in 2008.
Bat-mania is about more than just fantasy, though. It's a big business spanning comics, film, TV, video games, merchandise and live events. Gene Del Vecchio, an entertainment research consultant and author of "Creating Blockbusters: How to Generate and Market Hit Entertainment for TV, Movies, Video Games and Books," doubts the massacre will impact the brand, noting that it's a "trivial issue in the face of such tragedy."
"There is apt to be little or no monetary effect on the Batman franchise," said Del Vecchio. "People go to movies, play with toys, buy soundtracks and read comics in order to escape. Escapism is such a powerful human desire that it won't be affected by the recent event."
However, the shooting might affect the tone of the franchise moving forward, especially considering Dark Knight tales have often mirrored what's happening in our world, whether Batman is taking down Nazi saboteurs in the comics or dealing with terrorism post-9/11 on film.
"I suspect the stories were heading in an even darker direction," said Langley. "They are going to recognize that the public are looking at it differently now and might be ready for something brighter and more heroic."
Since Frank Miller's seminal 1986 comic series "The Dark Knight Returns," which bleakly painted an aging Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to rescue a doomed Gotham, and Alan Moore's 1988 Joker-focused "The Killing Joke," the franchise has mostly veered away from the "KA-POW!" campiness of yesteryear toward the grittiness associated with the modern Batman.
Tim Burton's big-screen "Batman" introduced a brooding Caped Crusader to the masses in 1989, paving the way for the '90s deco-style Batman animated TV series featuring gangsters and femme fatales, as well as Rocksteady Studios' moody 2009 video game "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and its 2011 sequel "Arkham City," starring a diseased Joker on the brink of death.
"I think that change reflects popular taste," said Vasilis Pozios, a Batfan and Detroit psychiatrist specializing in risk assessment. "Batman has been around for almost 75 years now. There are many adult fans, and they have much more mature tastes now. We've seen that with the Nolan trilogy, which deals with very sophisticated and psychological ideas."
H. Eric Bender, a San Francisco psychiatrist who presented the panel "Detecting Deviants in the Dark Night: Profiling Gotham City's Serial Killers" with Pozios at San Diego's Comic-Con last year, said because mass shootings are so rare, it's nearly impossible to know what motivates killers and what impact — if any — the fiction they consume has on their psyche.
Schumer, the comic book historian and author of "The Silver Age of Comic Book Art," isn't interested in that. Like some relatives of massacre victims, Schumer refuses to even utter Holmes' name so as to not feed the suspect's perceived need for attention.
What's more, the author of "The Silver Age of Comic Book Art" is determined not to refer to the real-world tragedy in his future writings and lectures about the World's Greatest Detective because "to give any credence to what he did by analyzing it is enabling it and making us co-conspirators."
Schumer knows that the Batman will, as usual, prevail.
"Hopefully, the greatness and timelessness of the Batman mythology will conquer this particular tragedy," said Schumer, who lives in Westport, Conn. "I'll do my best in my corner of the universe to ensure that the focus of Batman is always on Batman and not what happened in Colorado."


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Not sure if this is a ghost or not
Uploaded by
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- Owner: luckystar1625 (View all images and albums)
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Too5 two diffferent pictures in a Texas grave yard the same day we recorded the walk away evp. I took the pictures back to back and then i put them on my desktop togther and took pic with my cell. It was taken Oct 15 2010 at noon time. Would love to know if this is anything real or not.

subset: commoncrawl


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Predators' Rinne savors Vezina finalist nod
ANAHEIM -- Pekka Rinne's star turn in goal for the Nashville Predators was recognized Friday when the Finnish netminder was selected as one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the league's best goalie.
[caption id="attachment_63269" align="alignright" width="100" caption="Rinne"][/caption]
Rinne, an eighth-round pick of the Predators in 2004, went 33-22-9 with six shutouts while recording a career-best 2.12 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. His goals against ranked third in the league and his save percentage was second best behind Boston's Tim Thomas, who is another Vezina finalist.
Vancouver's Roberto Luongo is the third finalist for the award, which is voted on by the NHL's general managers. Rinne said he learned of the news when notified by the Predators' public relations staff.
"I was obviously pretty happy," Rinne said. "Great news."
There was some consideration around the league that Rinne should be a candidate for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player as he was the backbone for a Predators team that ranked 21st in scoring and had no player with more than 50 points.
Nashville coach Barry Trotz has consistently referred to Rinne as his best player, which is high praise considering he has star defenseman Shea Weber.
"Well deserved," Trotz said. "I see him on a nightly basis. He's been our MVP. He's been outstanding. He's been consistent. I'm so glad for him.
"I truly believe he's, in my mind, the best goaltender in the National Hockey League and it's not taking anything away from any other candidates. Selfishly I see him every night and I know how good he is."
Rinne said he was happy to get recognized by the general managers across the league after being passed over by all of them until he was finally selected with the 258th pick overall.
"Probably after the season and during the summer, you realize it's a pretty big deal," he said. "But right now, I'm just honored."
At the moment, Rinne is looking to get his game back after the Ducks scored six times and knocked him out in the third period of a Game 4 victory. Rinne said he tried to forget about that game as quickly as he could.
"I just tried right away after the game," he said. "There's a lot of things you can control on the ice. Some things you can't. You can't get too low after a game like that. You play against a good team and they were just able to execute their scoring chances.
"It wasn't a game where we were just terrible. I guess you have to give a little bit of credit to their team too. Obviously we have to do a better job, myself included for sure."
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Texas Tech has spent months seeking a broadcast partner for its third-tier sports programming and assessing how much and what type of Red Raiders programming to produce and distribute. Last year, as the University of Texas was making headlines with the Longhorn Network, Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said other universities had the opportunity to form networks of their own, be it digitally over the internet or through television.
In September, Hocutt said Tech was researching its third-tier programming options "as we speak."
Last week, Hocutt discussed how Tech's plans are coming along.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
A-J: Can you update us on what's new regarding Texas Tech's plans for its third-tier programming?
Hocutt: We continue to work through the process and have had numerous conversations with Learfield Communications, who is our media rights partner, as well as a number of distribution outlets that are interested in the content, and it remains our goal to have our plan in place by the beginning of the new academic year, so fall of 2012. That being said, it's hard to anticipate the challenges, the issues, the opportunities that are in front of us. But at the same time, I remain optimistic we are in a position that we will be able to capitalize on the third-tier content that we produce.
A-J: What are the odds of having something in place by fall?
Hocutt: I believe very good. I remain optimistic. There are certain elements that have got to be worked through, which I'm not at liberty to go into detail on at this time. It would be our goal to broadly distribute the content that we're able to beginning with the next academic year. I'm optimistic.
A-J: What form might it take?
Hocutt: There are a number of platforms. There are a number of opportunities to create a permanent home for your third-tier content. There's the dedicated 24-7 channel, which requires significant production in content, or there's the opportunity of working to secure a block of hours on an outlet that would then air your content.
At the current time, it looks like the most feasible option and approach for us would be to secure 'x' number of block hours over the course of a given year that we could take our one football game, five or six basketball games, five or six baseball games ... (lists numerous other sports) ... to distribute within this certain block of hours. That looks like the appropriate approach for us, given the information we have at this time and the conversations we've had this time.
We would be, in a 24-7 channel, occupying x-hundred number of hours over the course of a given year. When that content is being aired, it would be branded as 'Texas Tech Athletic Productions,' 'Texas Tech Athletic Channel' or however we determined to brand it at that particular time.
A-J: What would be the biggest obstacle to a 24-7 Texas Tech channel?
Hocutt: I think the content, when you look at the hours that are required to produce, that the viewership is going to have an interest in and the costs associated. The production costs associated with that approach are much more significant. Maybe that is phase two down the road, but right now it seems like the block programming approach is the better approach for us.
A-J: Have you had conversations with universities outside the Big 12 who are taking the approach you describe?
Hocutt: Keep in mind that we are unique in the Big 12 Conference when it comes to controlling third-tier rights. In most other leagues, third-tier rights are retained by the conference, so we're unique as a league in that regard.
A-J: With that being the case, is this venture sort of the great unknown?
Hocutt: It's new territory for us, and I think it's a tremendous opportunity. It's an opportunity for us to really distribute content with sports other than football that maybe don't get the distribution they deserve. That being said, the digital opportunities over TexasTech.com and what we can produce and distribute there are endless. It is a new territory for us, but at the same time it's a tremendous opportunity for us to provide more exposure and branding for our programs and our teams.
I would just keep in mind that 12 years ago Texas Tech was a leader in the country when it came to production of content. When the United Spirit Arena was built, we built a studio in the United Spirit Arena to produce and produce content, and so we have been a leader.
We have not kept our technology up to date, and technology has changed so quickly we are in a position that we're going to be required to make a significant investment in technology to upgrade from standard definition to high definition in the control room. But we have a footprint for success that has existed for quite some time, and we've got talented individuals operating our equipment and producing our content.
Will there be an additional staff investment? Possibly, not certain. But we have a very talented staff and group in place now that will allow us to get this initiative launched as we move forward. A lot is depending, too, on the amount of content that we are going to produce. That's still an unknown.
A-J: What's the timeline? What are key dates that must be met to launch by fall?
Hocutt: That depends upon what partnerships we may form. We're prepared to go digitally over our own web site today. We can take everything that we're producing and we can create our channel, expand our own channel, through TexasTech.com today. That's available worldwide. Our goal is to find a broadcast partner to allow us to reach a television audience in this five-state region that we focus on.
A-J: Those five states being?
Hocutt: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas.
A-J: What will be the cost of the needed technology upgrades you referenced?
Hocutt: The upgrade to high definition equipment and production is a seven-figure investment, so it's significant. I would anticipate it being $1.2 to 1.4 (million).
A-J: You would pay for that in what way?
Hocutt: Athletic department revenues. We would have to make the investment out of the athletic department budget.
A-J: Would this venture entail creating new jobs or hiring additional staff?
Hocutt: I think that would have to be worked through. We're fortunate in that what separates us from maybe some other schools is we can produce everything in house. We have the staff to produce basketball games, baseball games, softball games here already (compared to) other programs that maybe have to bring in a production truck or a producer. We have that in house. Those are some expenses that are already absorbed in our annual operating budget. It comes back to how many shows are we going to produce, how many hours are we going to try to fill?
(Hocutt notes that last weekend, Tech's softball team was playing in Lawrence, Kan., its baseball team was hosting a home series, its track teams were at the Penn Relays and its golf teams were at the Big 12 championships in Lawrence, Kan., and Trinity, respectively.)
To get footage of all those sporting events, it takes a number of production crews out getting that footage. The unknown is how many hours are we going to try to produce and how many events. But it is a great opportunity to allow Texas Tech fans across the country to stay connected. It's a great opportunity for parents of our student-athletes to watch them during the year, and it's a great tool for recruiting, for recruits to be able to tune in and watch our programs grow and succeed.
A-J: With how many potential partners have you had discussions?
Hocutt: We've had numerous conversations. There have been five or six different partners that have expressed interest, all looking a little different in what they have to offer, all presenting unique opportunities in one way or another. Live sporting content has continued to increase in value, and that's what we have. That's what we control with our third-tier rights is live programming content, which does have value.
A-J: So you are expecting a revenue stream from a third-tier programming agreement?
Hocutt: Do we project a certain amount of revenue? Yes. What that amount of revenue is is still to be determined. We're not that far along in the process where we've engaged in those conversations, but the content does have value.
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Public Information Notice: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2010 Article IV Consultation with Benin
June 21, 2010
Public Information Notices (PINs) form part of the IMF's efforts to promote transparency of the IMF's views and analysis of economic developments and policies. With the consent of the country (or countries) concerned, PINs are issued after Executive Board discussions of Article IV consultations with member countries, of its surveillance of developments at the regional level, of post-program monitoring, and of ex post assessments of member countries with longer-term program engagements. PINs are also issued after Executive Board discussions of general policy matters, unless otherwise decided by the Executive Board in a particular case.
June 21, 2010
On June 14, 2010, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Benin.1
Following a period of strengthening growth in Benin, the global economic crisis halved real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Benin in 2009. Weaker demand for exports, a decline in cotton prices and lower inflows of foreign direct investments reduced real GDP growth to 2.7 percent in 2009, compared with 5 percent in 2008. The deceleration was aggravated by the decline in cotton production and floods in the south, while non-cotton agriculture production and transportation continued to grow, as domestic demand was supported by the fiscal stimulus. Inflation declined to an average 2.2 percent in 2009, from 8.0 percent in 2008, reflecting a good harvest and the decline in international food and fuel prices. A sharp decline in transit trade and weaker cotton exports widened the current account deficit excluding grants to 10.8 percent of GDP in 2009. These developments accompanied by a decline in foreign direct investments turned the overall balance of payments into a deficit of 1.6 percent in 2009, from a surplus of 1.6 percent the previous year. The real effective exchange rate in December 2009.appreciated by 1.1 percent year–on–year.
Supported by higher liquidity, broad money expanded at a slightly higher rate than nominal GDP. Following the reduction in reserve requirements from 15 to 9 percent in June 2009, banks increased credit to the private sector by 11 percent at end-2009 despite an increase in government borrowing. At the same time, commercial banks' asset quality improved, the ratio of nonperforming loans declining from 6.5 percent in 2008 to 5.7 percent in 2009. Four banks, however, continue to have negative capital and further corrective actions are needed to ensure that all banks comply with prudential regulations.
Against the backdrop of lower customs collections, the authorities sought to provide a strong fiscal stimulus in the first half of 2009, but were forced to tighten policies thereafter due to financing constraints. Revenue collections declined by 1 percent of GDP in 2009, as a consequence of the deceleration of import growth and the increase in exemptions that led to a 7 percent decline in customs receipts. During the first half of the year, expenditures increased strongly as a result of large awards of bonuses to civil servants and a surge in investment spending. Despite efforts to redress the situation during the second half of the year, the overall fiscal deficit (excluding grants) more than doubled from 3.5 percent of GDP in 2008 to 7.3 percent of GDP in 2009. The deficit was financed through additional external donor support, domestic borrowing, and a carryover of expenditure commitments to 2010.
The implementation of structural reforms is moving forward, albeit with some delays. The authorities have recently privatized key public enterprises, including awarding the concession of the container terminal of the Port of Cotonou to a private operator. The sale of a majority stake in Benin Telecom has been launched and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010. The electricity company is being restructured ahead of its privatization scheduled for end-2011. Tax and customs administration and public finance management are being strengthened.
Benin's short-term prospects remain relatively weak. Real GDP growth is expected to grow by 3.2 percent in 2010, based on a moderate fiscal stimulus to support economic activity. Inflation should remain below 3 percent—the convergence criterion set by the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The authorities are committed to pursuing a more prudent fiscal policy in 2010, which will bring about a moderate adjustment in the overall fiscal deficit to 5.9 percent of GDP. The public wage bill will need to be limited in order to leave adequate fiscal space for priority social and investment spending. This will be facilitated by the structural reform agenda, including further measures to strengthen revenue collection and public financial management. Efforts to further improve external competitiveness and the business climate are continuing, including improving infrastructure, strengthening customs administration, and modernizing the public administration; and second generation reforms aimed at improving land registration, property rights and the financial and judiciary systems.
Executive Board Assessment
Executive Directors noted that Benin's economy has been hit by the global crisis, leading to sharply lower growth and a large overall fiscal deficit in 2009. Directors also pointed to the adverse impact on Benin's economic performance of the large expansion in the public wage bill and uneven progress on structural reforms. Looking ahead, the key challenges are to contain the impact of the crisis in the short run, while reducing fiscal and external imbalances and boosting sustainable growth and poverty reduction over the medium term. Directors encouraged the authorities to build the necessary support among key stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of their reform program, particularly in the critical fiscal and structural areas.
Directors noted that growth is likely to remain weak in 2010. While there may be some scope for fiscal policy to support the incipient recovery, they stressed that a prudent implementation of the 2010 budget in line with the Extended Credit Facility-supported program will be essential. Over the medium term, considerable adjustment is needed to preserve fiscal and debt sustainability. In particular, the growth of the wage bill needs to be contained, with a view to safeguarding fiscal space for priority spending, reducing distortions in the labor market, and improving external competitiveness. Directors encouraged the authorities to resist spending pressures in the run up to the 2011 elections. They underscored that undertaking the long-delayed comprehensive reform of the civil service is critical to increased efficiency in public service delivery and keeping expenditures in line with fiscal sustainability.
Directors were encouraged by the authorities' commitment to improve tax and customs administration and broaden the tax base. They noted the delays in public financial management reforms, and called on the authorities to step up their reform efforts to improve expenditure administration, including the implementation of the new public procurement code.
Directors underscored the need to reach higher sustainable growth by implementing the authorities' structural reform agenda, which will help make progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. Ambitious reforms will also reduce Benin's vulnerability to external shocks, improve the business environment, and reverse the recent erosion of Benin's external competitiveness.
Directors welcomed the progress made in privatizing the cotton and public utility sectors. They encouraged the authorities to proceed with the planned privatization of Benin Telecom and with the implementation of a regulatory framework for the electricity sector. Directors commended the authorities' intention to save the privatization proceeds and use them, after consultation with Fund staff, to finance projects with a high social rate of return. Second generation reforms to improve land registration, property rights, and the financial and judiciary systems will also be essential to improve the business environment.
Directors encouraged the authorities to continue to enhance banking supervision and improve compliance with prudential ratios, while strengthening the application of the regulatory framework of the microfinance sector. They looked forward to the upcoming Financial Sector Assessment Program review, which should help the authorities further strengthen their supervisory framework.
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
(Annual changes in percent) | ||||
Income and prices |
Real GDP |
4.6 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
Consumer prices (average) |
1.3 | 8.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
Real effective exchange rate (minus=depreciation) |
0.8 | 5.0 | 1.1 | … |
(Change in percent of beginning-of-period broad money) | ||||
Money and credit |
Net foreign assets |
18.6 | 3.3 | -0.9 | 2.3 |
Broad money |
17.7 | 28.8 | 6.2 | 5.4 |
Credit to the nongovernment sector |
13.0 | 13.0 | 5.70 | 3.6 |
Net credit to central government |
-14.4 | 11.4 | 6.6 | -0.4 |
(In percent of GDP) | ||||
Investment and saving |
Gross domestic investment |
21.4 | 20.8 | 24.8 | 25.1 |
Gross national savings |
11.3 | 12.8 | 16.3 | 17.2 |
External sector |
Current account balance (excl. grants) |
-10.8 | -9.0 | -10.8 | -9.7 |
Overall balance of payments |
3.2 | 1.6 | -1.6 | -0.1 |
Central government balance |
Central government revenue |
20.6 | 19.4 | 18.4 | 20.6 |
Total expenditure and net lending |
23.4 | 22.9 | 25.7 | 26.5 |
Primary fiscal balance |
-1.2 | -3.1 | -6.8 | -5.1 |
Overall fiscal balance 1/ |
-2.8 | -3.5 | -7.3 | -5.9 |
1/Payment order basis |
Benin: Selected Economic Indicators
1 Under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country's economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country's authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm. |
Public Affairs | Media Relations | |||
E-mail: | email@example.com | E-mail: | firstname.lastname@example.com | |
Fax: | 202-623-6220 | Phone: | 202-623-7100 |


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NPR's Scott Simon reports on a moment of grace in this nasty campaign season.
Libertarian VP Pick Outlines Platform, To Draw Voters Away From Major-Party Nominees
NPR's Scott Simon asks the Libertarian vice presidential candidate to lay out the positions of his party on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.
July Jobs Report Reflects Strong Numbers, Defying Expectations
A stronger than expected jobs report from the Labor Department on Friday showed that employers added 255,000 jobs to payrolls in July. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent.
Philadelphia To Its Residents: Don't Swim In Dumpsters
No, really, the mayor's office actually sent out a press release saying the city is cracking down on block parties that use a dumpster as a pool.
NIH Plans To End Moratorium On Funding Controversial Chimera Research
The National Institutes of Health is proposing to permit funding for the controversial experiments, which involve scientists using human stem cells to create embryos that are part human, part animal.
Doctor Says Syrian Town Is Starving For Food, Medical Care
Dozens of people have starved to death in the besieged town of Madaya, where aid workers can't manage to get food or supplies. Renee Montagne talks with Syrian American Medical Society's Ammar Ghanem.
For Mont. Fire Evacuees, Forest Thinning Didn't Happen Soon Enough
Firefighters call the Roaring Lion Fire one of the worst they've ever seen. A common refrain among evacuees: The Forest Service should more aggressively thin forests to prevent fires and create jobs.
Shipping Industry Officials Fight Pay Raise For Great Lakes Freighter Pilots
The Coast Guard recommended a 58 percent salary hike for ship pilots on the Great Lakes. Shipping companies and associations are suing, saying the hike could push freighters to carry cargo elsewhere.
Olympic Women's Team Captain Calls Rugby 7s 'A Perfect Game For America'
You may not know about Rugby Sevens, but you will. This shorter, faster version of the sport is making its Olympic debut 92 years after rugby — the longer 15s version — was last in the Olympics. And women's rugby is making its first appearance ever.
Rio's Opening Ceremony Aims To Cast Troubled Games In New Light
The troubled Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will have their opening ceremony on Friday. We get a sneak preview of how the country will be showcasing its unique culture and heritage.
Cybersecurity Conference Includes 'Hackers For Hillary' Fundraiser
A Hillary Clinton fundraiser will take place at BlackHat in Las Vegas. Cybersecurity experts there say they support her over Donald Trump despite all the controversy over her email server.
Turkish Officials Visit Washington To Press For Cleric's Extradition
Turkish lawmakers want the U.S. to extradite a cleric they accuse of backing a failed coup. But the process is far from easy and depends on international politics as much as courts.
Lawyers For Sept. 11 Plotters Try To Save Defendants From Death Penalty
Defense attorneys in the military commissions of the alleged 9/11 plotters are throwing up roadblock after roadblock to increase the chances of saving their clients from the death penalty. The government could make the case go a lot quicker, they say, if prosecutors took that danger off the table.
Donald Trump Declines To Endorse Ryan, McCain Ahead Of Their Primaries
Steve Inskeep talks with NPR congressional reporter Susan Davis about Donald Trump's unwillingness to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain in their primaries next week. Echoing Ryan's words when Trump clinched the GOP presidential nomination, Trump said of endorsing Ryan, "I'm not there yet."
Anti-EU Forces In Austria Push For Exit Referendum
Brexit has encouraged pro-exit movements across Europe. In Austria, only 51 percent of the people tell pollsters they want to stay in the European Union, and a new party has formed with a single goal: get out.


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Subject: | You are correct, sort of |
Author: | Miranda (guest, 188.8.131.52) |
Date: | March 14, 2004 at 10:50:04 PM |
Reply to: | Re: Having a lot of difficulty finding the meaning of my last name by Macke |
Mike C has developed another site specifically devoted to surnames: http://surnames.behindthename.com/However, people are allowed to post questions regarding their surname origins here as well. BtS is small, and isn't updated as often as BtN is; additionally, the message board isn't as active. So people might find asking about the origins of their surname is easier here, and they might receive a response faster too.
Because this message is archived you cannot respond to it. |
Messages in this thread: |


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Over 20 quilt patterns and stories to warm your heart and benefit Project Linus. Read More »
Home / Tag Archives: quilting
Book Review: Pretty in Patchwork Holidays by John Q. Adams
30+ seasonal patchwork quilting projects to piece, stitch, and love. Read More »
Book Review: Stash Happy Applique: 25 Fresh Projects for Fabric Lovers by Cynthia Shaffer
Get crafty with your stash and get Stash Happy! Read More »
Book Review: Creative Quilting with Beads by Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader
All the basics of quilting, with practical projects and inspirational ones as well. Read More »
Book Review: Stash Happy Patchwork by Cynthia Shaffer
25 sewing projects for fabric lovers. Read More »
Book Review: Two From One Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam & Nicky Lintott
If you're a patchworker or quilter who uses jelly rolls, wouldn't you love to get two quilts out of each one? Well, this book will show you how. Read More »
The Creative Energy of Quilts
Contemporary quilts show more creative energy than contemporary paintings. Read More »


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It is nice to see pictures of some of my favorite fashion law blogger folks at the recently completed Fordham Law Institute's "Law and the Little Black Dress" event. Kenya Wiley, my Georgetown Law buddy and former moot court team mate, makes an appearance and of course when she entered, the whole room lit up!! Look at that BIG bright smile! Wiley is also the owner of an innovative blog portal Fashion Cloture. Fashion Cloture is literally where I go for all things Fashion Politics. Another Fashion law folk making an appearance is Mohammed Shariff, (also an attorney) and a blogger who owns Fame Appeal. I also love seeing pictures of Susan Scafidi, the brain behind the first ever Fashion Law Institute in the country, at these events. She is always so happy and you can tell she is really living her dream and doing what she loves to do, Fashion Law.
Enjoy a few pictures below, read a brief excerpt of Shariff's experience at the event and head to his blog for the full scoop.
You can visit the school's web page for a rather extensive collection of event photos.
-Photos Fordham's Fashion Law Institute
"An evening at Louis Vuitton headquarters in NYC, Michael Pantalony Esq, protector of Intellectual Property of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesey Fashion Group (LVMH) stated "If you come close to copying the (Louis Vuitton) Mark you will hear from LV," keynote speaker @Fordham Fashion Law Institute's CLE Mr. Pantaloney took current copyright protection to the butchering block.The sheer number of companies that he must sue can easily make an observer forget LVMH's market strength. On the other hand, it serves as a reminder that LVMH still needs to protect itself. Everyone is copying LV and their companies (such as Givenchy and Marc Jacob); we see the infamous Forever 21 rip-offs, knock off skirts by Zara, counterfeit dresses by Bloomsbury, and numerous look a likes by Bebe. These are perfect examples (see below) of how lower-end fashion houses freely create infringing reproductions due to inadequate fashion design protection. Afterwards, IP litigator Jonathan Moskin Esq., went through an in depth analysis of Aesthetic Functionality and the potential significance of its reemergence in the protection of fashion. you can download the pdf here. . ." – Fame Appeal has the full story.


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North has been the subject of an e-mail rumor that during the Iran-Contra hearings, he told a Senate committee (including Al Gore) that he had installed a $60,000 security system at his home to protect his family from Osama bin Laden. The rumor is untrue: North did accept a home security system as a gift and discussed it with a Senate committee, but Osama bin Laden was not mentioned and Al Gore was not part of the committee… North is a favorite among conspiracy buffs, who maintain that his operation took guns to Central America and brought back cocaine during the 1980s.
Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.


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It's Showtime 55 Set to Air LIVE on HDnet on January 28
- Written by Dave Walsh
It's Showtime is easily one of the world's top kickboxing promotions, putting on some of the best fights within the past few years and having some of the greatest fighters alive today under contract. So when HDnet's schedule finally dropped for the next few weeks, something stood out, and that something was on January 28th that HDnet will be airing It's Showtime 55 absolutely live.
This means that Badr Hari vs. Gokhan Saki will be airing live in the United States at 3pm Eastern time on Saturday, January 28th. On top of that, the It's Showtime Heavyweight Title is on the line between Champion Hesdy Gerges and challenger Daniel Ghita. This also includes Errol Zimmerman vs. Rico Verhoeven, Harut Grigorian vs. Chris Ngimbi, Murat Direcki vs. Robin Van Roosmalen and hopefully more. For some reason Melvin Manhoef vs. Tyrone Spong is on the undercard, but we've reached out to It's Showtime and HDnet to see if there is any way for fans to be able to see one of the fights on the card that is going to provide fireworks, without a doubt.


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There are four primary polyphenols in green tea and they are often collectively referred to as catechins. Powerful antioxidants, catechins have been shown in recent studies to fight viruses, slow aging, and have a beneficial effect on health. Clinical tests have shown that green tea catechins destroy free radicals and have far-reaching positive effects on the entire body. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules and fragments of molecules that can damage the body at the cellular level leaving the body susceptible to cancer, heart disease and other degenerative diseases.
Japanese green tea contains catechins that are beneficial to health.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant found in green tea, is at least 100 more times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells and DNA from damage believed to be linked to cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. This antioxidant has twice the benefits of resveratrol, found in red wine.
Green tea antioxidants lowers cholesterol.
high blood pressure.
Drinking green
tea represses angiotensin II which leads
to high blood pressure.
blood sugar.
Green tea polyphenols and
polysaccharides are effective in lowering
blood sugar.
There have been many studies
that have shown that green tea catechins
are effective at preventing cancer.
Green tea benefits the immune system because of its high concentrations of polyphenols and flavenoids.
High grade green teas contain more polyphenols than ordinary teas. They are also delicious! Unfermented green tea leaves are the least processed form of tea. Drinking green tea from 100% quality tea leaves is the most natural way to obtain these health benefits.
For information on how green tea benefits weight control please click here.
Japanese green tea is delicious and has many health benefits!


text: Tell Us Your Favorite Final Fantasy MusicKirk Hamilton1/17/13 8:00pmFiled to: Show UsFinal FantasyKotakumelodicTeam tifaTop1.2K2EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Last week, we asked you all to tell us your favorite Zelda music. The ensuing playlist was outstanding. This week, I thought I'd keep the idea going with another storied video game series: Final Fantasy. Between the lackluster preview event for Lightning Returns and the bizarre new Final Fantasy mobile game, it's easy to forget that the venerable series still has a lot of lingering goodwill. I know this is basically an impossible question, but if you had to pick one (only one!) piece of Final Fantasy music as your favorite, what would it be? Advertisement Advertisement Show us what you've got: Pick your favorite track, embed it using the "Add Video" in the comments, and write a little bit about why you like it. Looking forward to how many people choose Aeris' Theme.Reply1216 repliesLeave a reply


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Where's my MBTA Bus? Version 2.1
Developed by Alex Grinman
"Where's my MBTA Bus?" is an app for Massachusetts transit riders who want to know exactly where their bus is and when it will arrive. It can help riders decide if they need to rush or can restfully finish their morning coffee.
- Universal app; supports iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch
- Real-time arrival predictions for ALL MBTA bus stops
- Real-time bus locations for ALL MBTA routes
- View official MBTA Alerts
- Guided navigation to help riders find their stops
- View entire route path with all stops on the map
- Save stops as Favorites to ensure quick access at any time
- Quick access to predictions for the last viewed stop
- Automatic refreshing of predictions and bus locations
This app relies on MBTA partnership with NextBus inc, to provide real-time bus arrival predictions. Data is provided by NextBus using MBTA raw data. Using their special formula, NextBus is able to provide not only bus locations, but arrival predictions for every single bus stop. The app provides a pre-filled template to report problems, letting riders send feedback and improve the accuracy of predictions.
This App requires an Internet connection (3G or WiFi) to get access to real-time data.


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Topic: Plasma surface treatment. Bonding of tailored blanks. Layer bonding. Secure adhesion. Pretreatment for structural reinforcement.
Bonding of tailored blanks – secure adhesion, structural reinforcement, lighter components
Tailored blanks are metal panels made of layers of different material grades in varying thicknesses and strengths. They are supplied as semi-finished products for manufacturing car exterior parts. These tailored metal panels are selectively reinforced by additional material layers at points or areas which will be exposed to high stress loads in service. Their structural strength can be improved still further by the use of special reinforcing adhesives.
In this process step, Openair® Plasma pretreatment assures secure adhesion of the material layers. This combination provides distinct advantages in terms of low weight of the components plus increased crash safety.
Partners & Testimonials
Federal Ministry of Education and Resarch, GermanyJoint Project EFFICOAT


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© 2017 Jaga Heating Products (UK) Ltd | Privacy Policy
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Cookies & Your Privacy
We make use of cookies on this website to store small snippets of information on your computer.
This information is used to provide both a superior experience and also provide us with anonymous information about how visitors use our website.


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Tender and sweet Scallop Sushi! These butterflied scallops are placed on top of sushi rice and garnished with spicy mayo and yuzu tobiko.
Our family loves sushi. Among many different kinds of sushi, one of our children's favorites is Scallop Sushi. Not only do scallops taste good, but the best part is that farmed scallops are considered sustainable/eco-friendly choice.
When the scallop sashimi is really good quality, the flesh is slightly firm but tender, and the flavor is sweet with a clean finish.
My online sashimi store, Fish for Sushi, sells pre-butterflied scallops to make the preparation very easy. These scallops are very good quality; they are farmed in Mutsu Bay in Japan where the culture of scallops is prosperous.
One of the reasons why I started my online sashimi store is that I wanted to share high quality sashimi/sushi-grade fish with other sushi/sashimi lovers (shipped anywhere in the contiguous U.S.).
To enjoy scallop sushi at home, all you need to do is to defrost the scallop, make sushi rice, and make nigiri sushi topped with the scallop. How easy is that! These will make a great appetizer for your next party. Enjoy!
Don't want to miss a recipe? Sign up for the FREE Just One Cookbook newsletter delivered to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates. Thank you so much for reading, and till next time!
- 2 sushi-grade scallops (or buy pre-butterflied scallop from Fish for Sushi)
- About ⅓ cup sushi rice (see How To Make Sushi Rice)
- Wasabi (optional)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp. rice vinegar
- 2 tsp. yuzu-flavored tobiko (or buy masago from Fish for Sushi)
- 2 tsp. Spicy Mayo (see How To Make Spicy Mayo)
- 2 chives
- Cut off the muscle from scallops.
- Butterfly the scallops.
- Moisten your hands with tezu (vinegar dipping hand) and pick up a tablespoon-sized ball of sushi rice. Gently squeeze the rice in your right hand to form a rectangular block with rounded edges and slides. Apply some pressure to the rice while forming it into a sturdy base for the scallops.
- Garnish each formed piece of rice with a small bit of wasabi (if you like) and top it off with a scallop. Add tobiko and spicy mayo to each piece of scallop and decorate with chive.
If you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #justonecookbook — We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!


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Featured Doctors
Click on any of the Doctors to view their Profile. Move your mouse over the carousel to pause its position.- Martin Fox, MD & AssociatesPlastic SurgeryLouisville, KY502-895-5850
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What makes us different?First, when you schedule your consultation, you'll meet face to face with a doctor, not an assistant. Second, we perform most of our procedures in a private surgery suite right here in our office. Third, we are innovators in cosmetic surgery. We were the first in Kentucky to use the CO2 Laser for skin resurfacing and the first to use botox for cosmetic purposes.
View our Before and After photos you'll see why Waldman Plastic Surgery Center has a patient satisfaction record that's second to none.
Most of the procedures performed at Waldman Plastic Surgery Center are done in the comfort and privacy of our state of the art facility under a "twilight" anesthetic. As an extra margin of safety we are located adjacent to Samaritan Hospital and overnight and extended stays for our out of town patients are available for a very nominal cost.Most Popular Procedures: Body Lift, Breast Augmentation (Breast Implants), Face Lift Surgery (Rhytidectomy), Liposculpture (Liposuction Surgery), Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
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- Waldman Plastic Surgery Center, MD


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Reviewed May 1997
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As a woodland owner, you may hear foresters use unfamiliar terms or see new terms in your forest management plan or timber sale contract. Forestry is a specialized field with its own terms and abbreviations. This guide defines many of the words commonly used in forestry and woodland management.
Free technical advice is available through the Missouri Department of Conservation and your local MU Extension center.


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You are hereCornwall
Altarnun Holy Well
A holy well can be found at Altarnun dedicated to Saint Non (also known as Nonna or Nonnita), along with a nearby church. As with many ancient wells, this one is reputed to have healing properties, this time madness.
Bodmin means the house of the monks, and this was an ecclesiastical town until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.
The original monastery dedicated to St Petroc was founded in the 6th Century. St Petroc's bones are believed to be kept in an ivory casket in the crypt of St Petroc's Church. Read More »
Bolster and St Agnes
In the time of giants in the Penwith area of Cornwall, there lived a particularly troublesome giant called Bolster, who was of such enormous stature that he could stand with one foot on Carn Brae, and the other on the beacon near St Agnes, a distance of 6 miles. Read More »
Braddock Down
On 19th January 1643 Sir Ralph Hopton's Royalist forces camped at Boconnoc were surprised to discover a Parliamentarian army under the command of Lord Ruthin deployed on Braddock Down. Ruthin ordered an attack rather than waiting for the reinforcements under the Earl of Stamford to arrive from Liskeard. Hopton's forces won the battle securing Cornwall for the Royalists. Read More »
Carn Brea
Carn Brea was occupied from 3,900BC, and was protected from attack by stone ramparts. Archaeological evidence shows the settlement was attacked and burned down at some point in its history. Hoards of Celtic coins have also been found on the hill during excavation. Read More »
Carn Euny
The remains of this Iron Age village dating from around 200BC, houses a 66-foot long fogou. A fogou is an underground passage, completed in stone and covered with earth. They date from the Iron Age period to the Roman occupation.
There is some speculation as to their purpose. Whether they are storage facilities, safe havens from attackers or channels for earth currents is debatable. Read More »
The Giant of Carn Galva
This tale tells of a gentle giant who lived in Cornwall, the land of giants, and a place where they were thought responsible for many of the natural landscape features. The story appears in Traditional and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall by W. Botrell 1870. Read More »
Carn Gluze Long Barrow
Carn Gluze Long Barrow is a developed site that has seen burials over a long period of time. Early in the history of the barrow a deep shaft was built in the centre of the monument with steps leading down into it, its purpose is unclear although theories of ritual usage have been expounded. Read More »
Castle Dore and the Tristan Stone
Castle Dore is an Iron age hillfort dating from around 200BC. It was possibly home to Cunomonus a local king who had a son called Drustanus. The castle is also associated with the legend of Tristan and Isolde. Read More »
Chapel Porth
The giant Bolster is said to have terrorised the area until he fell in love with St Agnes. She asked him to prove his love to her by filling a hole in the cliffs at Chapel Porth with his blood.
This was deemed an easy task by the giant but the hole led to the sea, and the giant duly poured his lifeblood into the hole and died of blood loss. Read More »
Cherry of Zennor
The following story complete with footnotes was entitled 'The Adventure of Cherry of Zennor (1)' and appeared in 'English Fairy and Other Folk Tales' by Edwin Sidney Hartland [1890] Read More »
Chun Quoit
Chun Quoit is one of the most recognisable of the Bronze Age burial cairns in the Penwith area.
Directions: On a footpath from a minor road off the B3306.
The Giant Comoran
Cormoran was the name given to the giant who is said to have built and lived on St Michael's Mount, he was killed by Jack the giant slayer. Read More »
Dando and The Wild Hunt
There are many tales to explain the origin of the spectral wild hunt, this one is from the Parish of St Germans in Cornwall. It explains how a priest with low morals became a demon huntsman.
In the medieval period the priest of the parish of St Germans was called Dando. Dando was not a figure of priestly virtue but abused his powers to enjoy earthly delights. Read More »
Deadmans' Cove
The cove is said to be haunted by a figure in dark clothing. It is difficult to ascertain whether this is connected in any way to the name of the place, but there was a sighting of the figure in the 1970s.
Directions: The cove can be reached off the B3301, on the Cornwall coastal path.
Dolphin Inn, Penzance
The Dolphin Inn in Penzance has a long and interesting history, reputedly including amongst its visitors Sir Walter Raleigh and Judge Jeffries .
Judge Jeffries the notorious "Hanging Judge" is said to have held court in the dinning room, after the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion. Read More »
Dorothy Dinglett
Although this tale is very old, dating from 1665, the year of the great plague, and the year before the Great Fire of London, it is interesting because the person who performed the alleged exorcism recorded the events, and there were a number of witnesses. Although the exorcism was said to be a success her spirit is still said to wander in the local environs. Read More »
Dorothy Durant, Ghost of Botathen
There is an old story concerning the ghost of Dorothy Durant who was said to haunt a field at Botathen (Botathan, Botaden)in the 17th century. The following account appeared in The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain (1897) by John Ingram who in turn took it from the History of Cornwall by Hitchins and Drew (1824). Read More »
Dozmary Pool
Dozmary Pool is associated with many legends. It is suspected of being the body of water into which Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur after King Arthur was mortally wounded. The pool is also said to be a haunt of the Lady of the Lake, guardian of Excalibur. It is also said to be bottomless and to have a tunnel connecting it to the sea. Read More »
Ezekiel Grosse, Rosewarne
The following story concerning Ezekiel Grosse was published in Robert Hunt's 1864 'Popular Romances of the West of England' and again in 'English Fairy and Other Folk Tales' by Edwin Sidney Hartland [1890]. Read More »
There is a tradition at Forrabury, that the sound of ghostly bells can be heard coming from the waves, especially on stormy nights.
It is said that many years ago new bells were being transported over sea for the local church. The captain of the boat used profane language, at which a violent storm broke out and the ship was lost with all hands. Read More »
The Helston Flurry Dance
8th May - The Helston Flurry Dance takes place, where Helstonians take part in a pagan ritual processional dance through the town in a custom that pre-dates Christianity and probably dates back to Celtic times. The dance takes place each eighth of May unless it falls on a Sunday or Monday and was probably originally a fertility or Spring festival. Read More »
The Hurlers
The Hurlers are three stone circles situated on moorland to the Northwest of Minions. The circles are aligned Southwest to Northeast and consist of low granite blocks of varying shapes and sizes. They date back to the Bronze Age period. According to legend they are reputed to be the petrified remains of men who were hurling on the Sabbath. Read More »
The Jamaica Inn, Bolventor
The Jamaica Inn is supposedly haunted by two different ghosts. A ghostly sailor is reputed to sit on a wall outside the Inn. The sightings have always been in the same location. The second ghost is that of a man wearing a tricorn hat and a long coat. The apparition was seen by a pair of eye witnesses in 1970 whilst staying overnight in the inn. Read More »
Jan Tregeagle
The legend of the torments of Jan Tregeagle stretch from the bleak moors of Bodmin, to the lonely beaches of Land's End. He has been identified by some as a forgotten Celtic god who still haunts the landscape. Read More »


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What's On
Pop in Service
26/02/2013 @ 10:00am
If there's something on your mind that you want to talk about, or if you need some guidance on the best place to get help for a specific problem, come in and talk to us, Monday-Friday between 10am and 8pm. The service is free & confidential
read moreKeeping Well Course
26/02/2013 @ 1:00pm
Keeping Well Course for Salford Carers, for more information or to book a place call 0161 833 0217
read moreLegal Advice Surgery
26/02/2013 @ 6:00pm
Drop in service offering support and advice on legal problems. No appointment necessary. The legal surgery operates every 2nd and 4th tuesday of the month at the LGF.
read moreQueer Quiz-tory' - LGBT History Quiz
26/02/2013 @ 7:00pm
History lessons were never as fun as this and there'll be prizes galore as well as answers that will surprise and possibly shock!
read moreStepping Stones
26/02/2013 @ 7:30pm
Stereotypes and Media Representations: How are LB women portrayed in the media? Do we create our own stereotypes?
read moreHistory Month Closing with Bingo!
26/02/2013 @ 8:00pm
Join Stockport's LGBT Group 'PLUS' for a celebration of LGBT History Month with a free bingo with prizes!
read more


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The American Red Cross issued the following statement in the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornado:
Our thoughts and concerns go to everyone in Oklahoma following this horrific tornado.
The American Red Cross has one shelter open in Moore and is working on locating others; we continue to operate three shelters that were opened Sunday in the Oklahoma City area following the storms on Sunday. .
Red Cross volunteers are out tonight with food and supplies supporting first responders.
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Even to his closest friends, George David of United Technologies Corp. (UTX ) comes off as a study in contrasts. He will speak passionately about the problem of the country's growing income gap between rich and poor before a crowd of factory workers at UTC's Carrier air conditioner plant in Collierville, Tenn. -- though he himself took home a pay packet worth $70 million last year. When one man raises his hand to ask bluntly about local jobs,
David launches into a monologue about relative labor values in a global economy. Before anyone can write off their leader as heartless, David's eyes tear up while recalling Yuzuru Ito, the late quality guru who helped him formulate his guiding principles of leadership. Then again, while touring the plant, he has barely a glance for the crowd of beaming employees -- many of whom have never met him or anyone else from headquarters before. Perhaps the raised eyebrows of one line worker as the boss swings by his station says it all: Who is this guy?
Getting a handle on George David isn't easy. An ardent student of both history and management, he has the air of an academic and talks like some modern-day Plato in a production plant. But David, 62, is more than just a head-in-the-clouds theorist. He has transformed his old-line industrial conglomerate into a $31 billion powerhouse of productivity with relentless attention to detail. He has taken what are essentially commodity products such as elevators and air conditioners and, thanks to constant innovation and superior technology, turned them into high-margin businesses that dominate from Boston to Beijing. He pontificates on abstruse historical and macroeconomic issues one minute and obsesses over a tiny improvement in the farthest corner of the UTC empire the next. And while he can terminate thousands of workers at a stroke in the name of efficiency, he also has crafted one of the most progressive employee education programs in the world -- even extending benefits to laid-off workers.
Together, these disparate impulses have yielded big results. In David's decade at the helm, in fact, this philosopher king of manufacturing has more than quadrupled earnings per share and outperformed even the mythic General Electric Co. (GE ) in returns to investors. UTC's total returns have risen about 600% in the past 10 years, vs. roughly 400% for GE. Operating margins have expanded from 6% to 14%. From a steady 3% profit growth when he became chief executive in 1994, UTC today more often delivers double-digit earnings. In the first six months of this year, net income grew 25%, to $1.4 billion, while sales increased 26%, to $18.3 billion, in part because of tax settlements and the $1 billion acquisition last year of building-security giant Chubb PLC. (UTX ) But strip all that out, and underlying growth was still 9% in the first half. Unglamorous though it might be, Hartford-based UTC has been among the top five performers in the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrial average for the past three years. Yet David has won little fame for his achievements, unlike former GE chief Jack Welch or even former Honeywell International Inc. (HON ) CEO Lawrence A. Bossidy, who says with a laugh: "Maybe he's just humbler than us."
David has racked up these results despite his penchant for controversial investments that don't directly benefit the bottom line, at least not within any normal time horizon. His Employee Scholar Program costs a cool $60 million a year, and workers don't even have to tie their studies to the job. Anything goes, from medieval poetry to medical training, with UTC picking up the tab, including the cost of books and time off. David also likes to move early -- very early -- to fund new technologies, such as fuel cells. Such efforts drain millions from the bottom line each year. Yet David believes these initiatives are the seed corn that will grow into businesses that can sustain the company long after he has left office. Ari Bousbib, who heads up UTC's Otis Elevator Co. (UTX ) unit, argues that such investments are better suited to venture-capital companies than manufacturing conglomerates, but, he says, "George looks at a 20- to 50-year time frame."
Proud to lead a conglomerate
David also has embraced a corporate structure that many had written off, the industrial conglomerate. UTC's widely varied corporate offspring include Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace systems, Sikorsky helicopters, and the recently acquired Chubb. These units derive little of their identity from UTC. While being called the head of a conglomerate may drive GE's Jeffrey R. Immelt crazy (he prefers "multi-business growth company"), it makes George David proud. In his view, "balance works." His company is just as diverse when it comes to geography. UTC's operations span the globe, with some 2,000 offices outside the U.S.
What ties it all together is that each of UTC's businesses involve basic manufacturing -- operations that are susceptible to quality improvements, efficiency improvements, and technological improvements. The ability to continually wring out incremental gains in those areas -- David calls them "process disciplines" -- is UTC's greatest strength.
When asked how much new technology has contributed to the productivity revolution at UTC, David puts his thumb and index finger together in a circle and says, "zero." He adds that technology has been critical to product innovation and improved communications, but the bulk of gains in the plant comes from better processes, not better machines. Says David: "It's mostly a mindset."
That focus on process is one reason the company shuns financing and other businesses to which those skills don't apply, as well as businesses that simply have no pricing power. The focus on continuous improvement allows UTC to extract gains, even when times are tough. Marvels Steve DeFrancisis of investor Mellon Private Wealth Management Group (MELL ): "They went through the whole downturn without missing a beat."
As the patrician leader steps into his second decade in charge, the challenge is how to make the beat go on. He has no plans to leave the job for at least several more years (though he says the board reviews succession plans at every meeting), and he has set lofty goals for the rest of his tenure. Foremost among them is to push UTC's operating margins as high as 20%. It's a high bar, but David insists that UTC has a long way to run in boosting productivity. For one thing, few plants have yet to fully streamline, says Tesfaye Aklilu, vice-president of quality and manufacturing. "We are in the early stages of our lean journey." Acquisitions will also help. Take Chubb. Not only do its security and fire-alarm systems fit nicely with a company that sells elevators, heating, and air conditioning, but its 5% margins give UTC room to improve. And David says a constant influx of new technology from UTC's labs will increase the efficiency of products and manufacturing techniques.
Don't forget about divestitures
No revolution lasts forever, and U.S. executives are starting to wonder whether the productivity boom has run its course. There are many who fear that the unrelenting focus on slashing costs and making fewer people do more has extracted a toll on innovation. David doesn't buy that, noting that UTC spends more than $2.5 billion a year on research and development, spawning more than 350 patents a year since 1990 and industry-altering products such as Gen2 elevators, which operate without steel cables, or fuel cells that convert waste heat to air conditioning.
David says he'll continue to look for both acquisitions and divestitures as a way to drive growth. Such moves have helped triple UTC's book value over the past decade. What he gets rid of is just as important as what he buys. He says that dumping UT Automotive on Lear Corp. (LEA ) for $2.3 billion in May, 1999, was "the happiest day of my life." The reason: Auto makers put such a squeeze on suppliers that it was impossible to make decent margins. A few weeks later, UTC picked up aerospace and industrial systems giant Sundstrand Corp. for $4.3 billion, merging it with existing operations to become Hamilton Sundstrand. That unit has been a home run, winning almost every major system it could bid on in Boeing Co.'s (BA ) 7E7, with orders totaling $6 billion. In 2000, David was within a hair of acquiring Honeywell International for about $40 billion in stock before GE's Jack Welch jumped in to grab it -- though Welch later lost it when the European Union's competition commissioner Mario Monti nixed the deal. David also has beefed up Carrier Corp. and Otis with a series of smaller acquisitions that give them a stronger presence in key markets, as well as reach into new technologies.
Still, life hasn't been easy lately in David's Republic. In a world that is fast converting even sophisticated technologies into ho-hum commodities, UTC's unrelenting push to improve quality is a matter of survival. Alarm systems and air conditioners don't exactly have high barriers to entry. China and Russia are becoming competitors as well as customers. High domestic wages and greater efficiencies have resulted in 52 plant closings since 1996 -- and it's far from done. UTC plans to cut an additional 2,800 from its 203,000-strong global workforce and cut manufacturing space by 6.3 million square feet through next year. That's on top of 36,000 employees who have lost their jobs since 1999.
Then there is the protracted hand-wringing over UTC's two aerospace operations. David admits to being thrown off guard last February by the U.S. Army's cancellation of the $39 billion Comanche helicopter program with Sikorsky and partner Boeing. Black Hawk orders should fill the gap but, even so, some 700 jobs could be lost. Sikorsky is also locked in a fierce battle against Europe's Agusta-Westland to hold on to its contract to make the Presidential helicopters, known as Marine One. There's more than prestige at stake. With all the after-market support and sophisticated technology on the 27 or so helicopters that would be ordered, David says "you almost can't put a value on it."
But he is so confident of the lightweight state-of-the-art machine UTC has put forward, the VH-92, that he refuses to contemplate the possibility of losing the contract. He half-jokes that he'll step out of a plane if it happens -- after the head of Sikorsky steps out first. "It's win or drop dead," glowers David over a can of Diet Coke and chocolate truffles in the company's corporate jet. "We've flown the President for 47 years!"
An illustrious history, however, hardly guarantees success. Witness the shrinking heft of engine maker Pratt & Whitney (UTX ), which makes up almost a quarter of UTC's sales and slightly more of its operating profits. Pratt has already lost the coveted bid to outfit Boeing's planned 7E7 Dreamliner airplane, which went to General Electric and Rolls-Royce in April. And it's not just the Boeing contract. The once dominant jet-engine unit has seen rivals grab the bulk of new commercial business in recent years. That worries some analysts as Pratt's shrinking installed base of large engines will mean lower service and spare parts sales in years to come. The problem? In large part, an unwillingness on David's part to give in on price.
Basically, he's willing to cede some commercial business to focus on lucrative defense contracts -- even if it means shrinking the business. Pratt President Louis R. Chênevert says that if he were doing the Boeing bid all over again he wouldn't change anything because, in the end, the deal had to be good for shareholders as well as the customer. Still, it's not all bad news. Pratt is the undisputed leader in military engines and is pushing for more sales in the regional jet market. And Korean Air's recent $500 million order for Pratt engines on its 777 and 747 planes shows the company isn't dead in the widebody market.
As business ebbs and flows, it's workers who often pay a dreadful price. But David doesn't lose any sleep over workers caught in the realities of a global economy. He is achingly blunt about the need for employees to control their destinies in everything from health care to job security. But, perhaps more than any other leader in Corporate America today, he is also deeply committed to giving them the tools to do this. His eight-year-old Employee Scholar Program gives workers up to three paid hours off a week to study and pays up front for the entire cost of books, tuition, and fees for any education program -- except, perhaps, the kind found on matchbook covers or pricey pilot training. The program covers every employee, from the veteran elevator technician in Zimbabwe to a fresh-scrubbed office assistant in Tyler, Tex., with some education benefits even extending to laid-off workers. And, for each degree earned, employees get up to $10,000 in UTC stock or options.
That commitment has helped a relatively low-profile company draw some of the best in business. What's more, once workers bag the degree, and take home the stock, they tend to stay. Retention among employee scholars is about 20% higher than for regular U.S. workers (UTC doesn't track international rates). Though it's hard to measure, execs also believe that the program has reduced overall turnover by several percentage points -- a boon to the bottom line. The program is so generous that it has some benefits experts shaking their heads. "It's doing justice to the world but it's not doing justice to UTC," says E. Faith Ivery, president of consultant Educational Advisory Services. She argues that UTC isn't giving its workers an incentive to spend money wisely and doesn't adequately track the returns. David responds that an educated worker is a better worker.
The cerebral approach
Still, nobody disputes the buzz it generates within UTC. Lance Bartosz, a 30-year-old engineering manager at Hamilton Sundstrand, joined the company after learning about the program from a friend. So far, he has completed an MBA and is now getting a master's degree in engineering. "This made me feel a stronger allegiance to UTC." Ditto for Felice Gray-Kemp, tax manager of Sikorsky's finance unit, who recently got her master of law degree and is contemplating an MBA: "Without knowing me, they were willing to invest in me." Given that roughly 15% of the company's U.S. workforce is enrolled in the program, it would be hard to know them all.
Such initiatives typify David's quirky and somewhat cerebral approach to running a modern-day conglomerate. Although he seems to have a hard time connecting with the common man -- a back slap from David probably means you have food lodged in your throat -- he fervently believes that everyone should have the chance to try to better themselves. "America is all about opportunity," says David, whose Horatio Alger instincts stretch back to his days growing up in Pennsylvania where his father, Charles David, was one of America's first Rhodes Scholars in 1908 and served as a professor at Bryn Mawr College. He was 57 and a well-established historian when his second son, George, was born in 1942. "Without an education, my father would have been a farmer like his father," he says. That's clearly a disturbing thought for a man who points to the 19th century scholar Sir Richard Francis Burton as his boyhood hero.
Farming, after all, was never to be the fate of George David. After studying physical sciences at Harvard University -- an experience that left him feeling largely unmoved because, he says, he was too immature to handle the permissive, impersonal atmosphere -- he married his high school sweetheart, Barbara, and pursued an MBA at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business Administration. "It was like a light switch went on," says David, who graduated first in his class. He became a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group before going to work for client Otis Elevator as executive assistant to its erudite French-born leader, Hubert Faure, in 1975. As Faure recalls, "he was very remarkable in his analytical mind but, like a lot of bright young men, he was also brash and over-confident."
That confidence soon plummeted when, three months into the job, David found himself on the front line of a hostile takeover bid by aerospace giant UTC. "I was overtitled, overpaid, and underexperienced," says David. "I felt sure I would be fired." That period of uncertainty gave the young father of two his first taste of the anxiety of possible unemployment and helped cement his view that companies should help workers foster the skills to stay employable -- even if they can't guarantee them a job for life.
Instead of being fired when Otis sold out, David was sent to manage the company's operations in then-hyperinflationary South America. He quickly developed a reputation for financial discipline (i.e. cost-cutting), a fixation on details, and intensely demanding leadership. As Carrier President Geraud Darnis explains, "George has always had a way of instilling a sense of humility. He always asks a question you can't answer...and leaves you with a big silence."
Finding his quality guru
David honed his taste for world travel, running both Otis' Latin American and Japanese operations in Sao Paulo and Tokyo before becoming Otis president in 1986. Six years later, he became president and chief operating officer of UTC -- an elevator guy in a company where aerospace reigned supreme. He soon learned to navigate the old boys' club and grasp the minutiae of UTC's sophisticated aerospace products. He also closed plants and laid off more than 20,000 workers in his first year. By 1994, he was chief executive and, three years later, added the title of chairman.
One of his first tasks as president was to persuade a diminutive 64-year-old Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (MC ) retiree named Yuzuru Ito to move to a Hartford suburb to work on improving the productivity of UTC's businesses. David first encountered Ito in 1989, after he was brought in by the unit's Japanese joint venture partner, Matsushita Industrial, to try and figure out why Otis' fancy new Elevonic 401 elevators were such clunkers. Their callback rates -- the number of times per year a building owner has to call mechanics for service -- were as high as 40 per unit a year, vs. an average of 0.5 for rival Mitsubishi Electric. When Otis dispatched a team of U.S. engineers to get the machines working, their Japanese partners hauled them into the boardroom to analyze the cause of the problem -- even as some elevators were shut down and literally burning. Later, with Ito in charge, the work they did changed the fundamental design of the elevator line worldwide.
David leaned on Ito, first as a consultant and then as a full-time adviser, to make the techniques he used to analyze the elevators adaptable and accessible to every person in the plant. The program evolved and became known as ACE, or Achieving Competitive Excellence. Instead of the complex formulas and training schedules involved with, say, Six Sigma -- where the process of becoming a master black belt can generate more sweat and angst than pursuing an actual master's degree -- "ACE pilots" are production line workers who learn the quality process in a matter of days. They learn to pinpoint problems ranging from fundamental design flaws such as misplaced bolts to a co-worker's fatigue from staying up with a newborn all night.
One recent result: more logical placement of elevator parts -- using special boxes instead of loose bags -- that trims $300 off the cost of each elevator and will lead to $26.4 million in savings worldwide this year. More important, the factory floor was reconfigured so that the production process was compact -- requiring fewer steps, less reaching, and easier access to parts -- as well as more intuitive. There are even taped outlines on floors and surfaces, much like the outlines of bodies at crime sites, to show exactly where each widget should go. This is the "5-S" strategy -- sort, straighten, standardize, sustain, and shine.
Putting philosophy to work
Thanks to quality-improvement techniques borrowed from the Japanese, David was off and running in his drive to achieve maximum efficiency. By consolidating thousands of suppliers and streamlining the purchasing process, he trimmed almost $1 billion in annual costs for general procurement -- everything from pens to airline tickets -- in the first few years. To keep the ball rolling, in 2001 David put each unit president in charge of streamlining the supply chain for a particular area such as office supplies or travel. But cost-cutting is just one part of the equation. With ACE, says Kent L. Brittan, supply management vice-president, "we can come to market three times faster, with one-third the inventory, and at least 20% less cost."
David was careful to extend the teachings all the way down through the organization. In 1998, he launched an "Ito University" where anyone -- not just a bunch of bright young management wannabes -- can analyze and share UTC case studies in quality. Lecturers are as likely to be accomplished production line workers as ambitious suit-clad execs. And ACE bulletin boards, documenting every inch of accomplishment on a particular site, became staples in UTC plants.
Of course, a revolution always looks especially vivid to those who are leading it. Down in the trenches, there have been more than a few glitches. Take Carrier's plant in Tyler, Tex. Almost three years ago, David made a visit -- because, as he puts it in a true spirit of noblesse oblige, "my advisers thought it would be good to go out and comfort our people after September 11." What he encountered was a cluttered and somewhat dingy operation almost choking on its own dust. With the exception of a possible takeout menu or two, there were few signs of Japanese-inspired innovation in evidence.
Forget about comforting the stricken. David was livid. When he discovered that senior management at the operation -- and their superiors back at headquarters -- had essentially pooh-poohed ACE in favor of just churning out more air conditioners and heating units, he fired the plant managers. Heck, he even sent the head of Carrier packing, though he prefers to couch that as an amicable parting. In a visit more than two years later, it was clear that the message was starting to sink in. Dusty air and chaotic interiors were vanishing in favor of compact U-shaped assembly lines and brightly lit open spaces. "I could see," David later joked.
A typical result: Square-footage reductions in one area of 50% and 71% more production with 8% fewer employees than on the previous regular conveyor line. David Dickey, the plant's buoyant general manager, also pointed to an almost 20% rise in sales and profits over the past two years. Add to that a dramatic reduction in lost work days, as well as fewer customer complaints and more product innovation. But if Dickey was expecting a high-five from the boss, he didn't get it. After poring through documents and prowling through the plant, the chairman did concede that there had been progress -- though he added that the level of product failures in the field was still far too high.
That intense focus on the inside of his company may be part of the reason why David has retained such a low profile. He may not be a celebrity CEO, but he has been richly rewarded for his record in leading UTC. The stock options he got upon being named chief executive gave him an unusually high $70 million-plus payday last year, thanks to the rise in the stock over his tenure. He's more accustomed to payouts in the single-digit millions, though he did net $16.8 million this summer when he sold more shares nearing expiration.
Such riches might cause embarrassment to average mortals but not to UTC's philosopher king. The impression that he gives while munching on goat cheese salad in the corporate jet isn't so much one of entitlement as much as a firm belief that material excess is a fitting reward for those who toil among Corporate America's ruling elite. Yes, he has the $25 million townhouse in Manhattan and the yacht that competed in the Admiral's Cup. He also divorced his wife of three decades back in 1997. Five years later, he married Countess Marie Douglas, then 30 and a descendant of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Baden. They met when she was an asset manager at Lazard LLC, investing in UTC stock. Together, they share a love of art and have become fixtures on the charity circuit.
What David craves most, perhaps, is to believe that he is making a real difference. Even if creating the planet's most educated workforce or its most successful conglomerate prove to be elusive goals for a man mired in the realities of modern manufacturing, David will continue to try his best. It's what he believes every leader who wants to make history is destined to do.
By Diane Brady


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RiT Technologies Announces Agreement for Private Placement of Ordinary Shares
Company to Receive Gross Proceeds of $7.1M
Jun 21, 2004, 01:00 ET from RiT Technologies
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RiT Technologies (Nasdaq: RITT), the pioneer of intelligent physical layer solutions, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement for the private placement of the Company's ordinary shares with institutional and private investors. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain conditions, including shareholder approval and the approval of the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the State of Israel. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will issue 5,081,986 of its ordinary shares at an aggregate purchase price of $7.1 million or $1.40 per ordinary share. The company will also issue to the investors warrants to purchase up to 1,270,496 ordinary shares at an exercise price of $1.75 per share. The warrants are exercisable for five years from the date of the closing. The proceeds of the private placement will be used for general corporate purposes. The securities offered in the private placement will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration, or an applicable exemption from registration, under the Act. The Company has agreed to file a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission covering the resale of the ordinary shares to be issued at the closing and the ordinary shares issuable pursuant to the warrants, subject to certain terms and conditions. About RiT Technologies RiT Technologies pioneered the development of intelligent physical layer solutions, designed to provide superior control, utilization and maintenance of networks. RiT's innovative solutions help customers capitalize on network investments and reduce cost of ownership. RiT's Enterprise Solutions include PatchView(TM) for full web-based management, planning and troubleshooting of network physical layer connectivity, and SMART Cabling(TM) System components for single-source, end- to-end structured cabling solutions. PairView(TM) and PairQ(TM) Carrier Solutions help telcos capitalize on outside plant investments by giving them reliable, mass-verified and qualified infrastructure and connectivity databases. With a global sales network spanning 60 countries, RiT's key customers include major financial institutions, corporations and global telecommunications companies such as: Deutsche Telekom, Alcatel, TELMEX, TELENOR, The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), ING Barings, INVESCO, DIAGEO, Daewoo, and Reuters. RiT is a member of the RAD group, a world leader in communications solutions. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.rittech.com Safe Harbor statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the impact of competitive products and pricing, product demand and market acceptance, new product development, reliance on key strategic alliances, availability of raw materials, the regulatory environment, fluctuations in operating results and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities Exchange Commission. This press release is available at http://www.rittech.com/ and http://www.portfoliopr.com/ COMPANY Simona Green CONTACT: VP Finance +972-3-766-4249 email@example.com PORTFOLIO PR Paul Holm / Jerry Cahn CONTACT: 212-736-9224 email@example.com / email@example.com
SOURCE RiT Technologies


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Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Buttercup Squash Oat Muffins
Featured Ingredient: Buttercup Squash
Sweet Dumpling. Gold Nugget. Buttercup. Sounds more like aliases on a naughty chat room than what's for dinner. But at the risk of bruising zucchini's ego, you should make these mighty gourds and other winter squash your go-to vegetable this winter. The various guises of winter squash are a cinch to store, versatile in the kitchen and their nutritional benefits are often great.
Those with a bright orange flesh such as buttercup are a storehouse for beta-carotene, an antioxidant that can be converted to vitamin A in the body to boost immune health. So loading up on winter squash can help keep the sniffles at bay. Vitamin C, potassium and fiber are other nutritional perks. And you get this nutritional goldmine for only about 60 calories per cup keeping the needle on the scale going in the direction you want.
With a sweet flesh, buttercup squash is a natural for incorporating into baked goods as a way to sack some of the fat.
You really do need to try out these whole-grain muffins. They are supper moist and heavenly flavored. To make the squash puree, I just cut the buttercup into chunks, sliced off the skin and steamed the flesh on the stove top until very tender and then mashed it with potato masher. You could probably also roast it until tender. Butternut or acorn squash would also work in this recipe. I'm becoming increasingly smitten with the flavorful, low glycemic palm sugar from Navitas Naturals, but you could use other sugar here as well.
I came across a really great printer function that you will find a tab for from now on below my recipes. Just click on it and you can easily customize the page to what you want printed.
Anyone else have much experience baking with winter squash?
Buttercup Oat Muffins
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp all spice
¼ tsp salt
1.5 cup buttercup puree (yield from about ½ of a medium sized buttecup squash)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
½ cup palm sugar or sugar of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
½ cup walnut pieces
2 Tbsp oats
2 Tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and salt. In a separate bowl, combine squash, vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla and ginger. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in walnuts. Divide muffins among 12 prepared muffin cups.
Combine oats, sugar and oil in a small bowl. Divide mixture among the tops of muffin batter. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool before unmolding. Because they are so moist, it's best to store them in the fridge.
8 comments:
These sound delicious. :)
I love pureeing winter squash and making baked pumpkin puddings - they're like pumpkin pies without the crust (since the filling is my favorite part anyways!) I almost always use other richer winter squash instead of (often watery) pumpkin - and sometimes sweet potatoes too.
I'm enjoying the local Mexican "calabazas" but I'm not sure what they're all called in English since all the squashes are calabazas here. Today I made a delicious curry with one. :)
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Finland's only church burns
Members of Zion Lutheran Church in Finland gathered Sunday to worship at the Clair Nelson Community Center after fire destroyed their church Saturday night.
The Duluth News Tribune reports a lightning strike appears to have started the destructive blaze, according to Finland Fire Chief Pete Walsh. A fire marshal continues to investigate the fire, but based on what neighbors saw and heard, Walsh said, "We're very comfortable believing this was the result of lightning."
Members of the Finland Volunteer Fire Department received their first report of the fire about 9 p.m. Saturday and arrived on the scene to find the church's kitchen area in flames.
The fire quickly spread throughout the upper levels of the building.
Firefighting reinforcements from neighboring communities were called including Silver Bay, Two Harbors, Lutsen and Schroeder.
Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading to a nearby parsonage, but Walsh said the church was a total loss.
The Zion church building dates to 1957 and was the only traditional house of worship in Finland.
As the only church venue in the community, Zion handled numerous ceremonies, including baptisms, marriages and funerals.
(Photo courtesy the Duluth News Tribune.)


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Having a decent sized yard filled with decent sized trees and a decent garden means….
I put out 21 bags of yard waste last week for the free city pick-up.
My leaves haven't even turned and fallen yet….could be another 21 on the next pick-up.
Happy WW!
or if you prefer…


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Name your England World Cup squad gatecrashers
Anyone for Zamora?… Repeat, anyone for Zamora?
With the season hotting up to around Excitement Factor 8, or, at a push, 9, the England team magnifying glass will surely be focusing on names that might yet force themselves into the squad for the World Cup.
It's not been a great few months for the likes of Glen Johnson, Theo Walcott, Wes Brown, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Aaron Lennon and the like. Add the fact that players such as Michael Carrick and Emile Heskey haven't exactly had the most fruitful seasons either, and all of a sudden there might be a fair few spots up for grabs.
A few names floating around, rumoured to be possible gatecrashers, have included Leighton Baines, Tom Huddlestone, Roger Johnson, and even Bobby Zamora.
But who would YOU like to see forcing their way into the squad come the summer? Let us know with a comment.