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Ending free banking won't stop the mis-selling
Banks claim that charging customers for current accounts will help avoid future mis-selling scandals. Really?
by Victoria Bischoff on Aug 21, 2012 at 12:45Follow @VBischoff
The way to avoid future banking scandals is to charge customers for current accounts, say the banks.
Yep, according to our high-street lenders, the only way they'll be able to restrain themselves from mis-selling financial products like the now infamous PPI policies is by disposing of the free banking model and introducing a monthly fee for current accounts.
Audacious as this argument is, the banks aren't the first to suggest the 'free banking' model is flawed.
Is 'free banking' a myth?
Consumer groups have long argued that free banking is a myth, as banks simply offset the cost of providing free current accounts with other areas of banking. As a result we end up paying regardless, be it through extortionate overdraft charges, poor mortgage deals or paltry savings rates.
Just today Which? claimed that some customers are paying up to £900 a year in bank charges, while others suffer through lost interest and hefty fees for withdrawing cash abroad.
Earlier this year, meanwhile, Andrew Bailey of the Bank of England warned that free banking is not only a myth but 'a dangerous myth', as by not charging for their core service banks are under increased pressure to cross-sell products where the margins are high and, unfortunately, the customer often gets a poor deal.
What's more, according to FSA chairman Adair Turner, the practice of offering free accounts is also acting as a serious barrier to new entrants in the personal banking sector and, as a result, damaging competition.
Fees: a slap in the public's face?
Although Which? is calling for greater transparency about the true cost of banking, it added that charging for the most basic accounts while the industry continues to be rocked by scandals such as PPI mis-selling, Libor-rate rigging and IT failures would be a slap in the face for people who bailed out the banks.
Furthermore, even if the banks do introduce a fee for banking, this doesn't necessarily mean they will reduce their overdraft charges or suddenly start offering us a better deal on our savings.
In fact, one person in five already pays a monthly fee for their bank account. These customers have what's known as a packaged current account – an account that charges a monthly fee of anything between £6.50 and £40 for added extras such as travel insurance and breakdown cover.
Although, it doesn't bode well that the regulator has been forced to crack down on this market after it emerged many people are being sold expensive current accounts they don't need.
Our banks are greedy. We saw it before the credit crunch and we've seen it time and time again since.
25 comments so far. Why not have your say?
Aug 21, 2012 at 13:07
So, to stop bankers from being dishonest, or, at least being involved in sharp practices we have to pay them- pay them even more than we pay already, on top of the vast amounts they pay themselves of course. As for the bail out funds, I confess I may not have noticed, but how much interest does H.M. Treasury charge bailed out banks for the use of OUR money, which keeps them in the style to which they have become accustomed?
I haven't seen many real interest free loans being offered by banks to customers;- has anyone? And how much of the 24-hour overnight interest earned by banks using OUR money gets returned to the bank's clients, not a lot I suspect. Now doubt someone better informed than I can answer these questions.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 13:19
This is the biggest con ever by the banks. Something tells me if the banks start charging for accounts, they will not adjust their fees in other areas....
So you still pay the same as now, plus whatever they decide to charge.
It beggers belief, to suggest that just by squeezing more money out of our pockets will sort the banking sector out!
The current accounts that have services can be good value for money if you chose correctly. RAC full break down cover alone with my bank, saves me £50 a year alone, then throw in travel and mobile insurance. However I have heard of some people having similar accounts to mine and they dont have a car or travel, so its a total waste.
This is the perfect time for a bank to change tact, and seperate themselves from the rest and steal customers. By offering a truely great banking experience, which would not be hard to do!! But until that day comes we are all stuck between a rock and a hard place....report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 13:36
One should abandon the big banks (I have, except for being stuck with Natwest for business), explore Virgin Money, Aldermore, Metro M& S, Co-op, and any one of the about 600 Credit Unions for banking services.
Market share movement suggests this is happening strongly now, and will be a repeat of the Icelandic bank pattern, where believe it or not, Icelanders actually like their new banks.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 13:53
The free banking as always been a myth. This has always been the position since it was introduced some 30 or more years ago. But if you must regurgitate old information, then please start to educate your readers with the trade off's that need to be actively managed by customers.
As a side issue, people I know are well informed and have deep knowledge with regards to Horse racing, Premiership football and other general topics. However, when it comes to money and financial instruments they just glaze over, for heavens sake why?
Institutions such as Banks and the Government will take the breath off your tongue and that is what they are achieving quite nicely thank you. So we cannot look to these institutions for guidance/education it is just not going to happen and my experience of over 30 years say's as much.
Financial education will no doubt be self taught by those who are interested enough, like previously mentioned sport aficionado's and their chosen subject. Taking care of the pennies will help save our pounds but we need to spot the leaks in our finances so that the breaches can be closed. This again needs education and an eye for detail, so without lecturing too much I will re-emphasise the importance of money to my sons (daughters) and if you do the same we may yet beat these ?? at their own game, perhaps!
Oh! just a though, since the introduction of 'Free Banking' our pay packets gradually migrated to monthly bank payments (I believe this was part of of the trade off at the time). How ironic then if we revert back to weekly collections at the pay office, just to avoid bank charges.
Pennies make pounds!!
report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 13:57
Banksters are only copying the politicians. When caught trading favours with rich donors to their parties, the pols say "Well, if our activities were financed by your taxes, we wouldn't have to go cap in hand to dodgy foreign millionaires, so we will make you cough up to keep us going whether you agree with our policies or not."
The alternative to succumbing to this blackmail is to accept that party politics is a dead duck, stop treating parties like British Leyland in the 1970s and let them go bust if they can only get 1% of the voters to join them.
Banksters are like burglars who offer to leave your gaff off their nocturnal knock-off list if you bung them twenty quid a week. They deserve the same retort as the grafting MPs who are supposed to legislate for our protection, but who depend on 'the strength of our great financial services industries' for handouts.
If you propose to charge me any sort of fee for the simple, ever-cheaper business of computerised money transmission, which is all I need you for, then you will also pay me a competitive rate of interest for the balance I leave in your care. And if you cannot afford that, you are not too big to fail, sunshine.
Like the Conservative Party.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 15:06
Dick Turpin was a lot more honest than bankers who seem to believe, like their politician buddies, that they are so precious, that governments will bail them out.
The banks have been bailed out, much against my wishes, but they do not count.
Unfortunately, it leaves me to conclude that these monsters are getting a very big appetite, never mind the that they require surgery from time to time to reduce their obesity.
Governments should not be bailing out banks, especially when we have genuinely good industries who are going under because the banks will no longer lend to them, and our governments will not lend a helping hand - their should be a law against governments using taxpayers money to bail out their useless buddies in the banking industry.
I understand why they need to charge us for banking, after all, that yacht, or bonus does not come cheap!report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 15:42
In the Northcott Trevelyan reforms in the 1850s, Civil Service pay was raised to make the taking of bribes to live unnecessary. Similarly with judges who are relatively well paid and are provided with good quality private accommodation while on circuit to leave no need for them to accept favours. Before this time, the UK was run like a modern developing country. You always gave a present to an official to expedite matters. The concomitant is that public servants do not undertake work in the private sector which might be a conflict of interest.
I like the present banking system because I just do not buy any of the rip-off financial products on offer and pay no charges. I realise that if everyone was like me free banking would soon come to an end because even the extortionate gross margin on lending that the banks enjoy is insufficient to keep them in Rolls Royce motor cars and mansions in Surrey.
But if it is decided to enforce charges for a basic current account once more there should be a separation of money transmission and custody - basic banking - from all the rip-offs. Charges should reflect actual costs - peanuts - minus the banks' profit in lending on current account balances.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 16:20
Santander offered small companies FREE Banking FOREVER, my company took it up a few years back and it has worked very well for us. They have now written to say that the free banking will now cost £7.50 a month. How can anyone trust what the banks say?report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 16:23
In much of the excitement and extreme views mentioned above it is easy to forget one simple matter. Any individual should be responsible for his/her own actions and not just blame someone else when the individual gets it wrong or does not follow an agreement. If you write cheques without backing funds or exceed an agreed overdraft then it is your own fault and you deserve to be charged. It is simple to have FREE banking whereby in return for keeping a minimum credit balance in the current account, the bank provides cheque book, cash on demand, ATM access, Direct Debit facilities, statements and on-line banking at no extra charge. Any service beyond that attracts an agreement and a fee.
Any Bank is in business to make a profit for the shareholders and is certainly not a charity or public service as some seem to believe.When the bank gets it wrong, as with PPI, then it rightly costs the bank plenty. Packaged accounts are more becoming the norm and provided the services included are what the customer needs or uses then, for a reasonable fee, they can certainly be a good thing. However it is also the customer's fault if he/she agrees to have, and pays for, a packaged account that includes services that would never be used or needed - cannot blame the bank for that.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 18:11
Anthony Tinslay
People are left without funds or deep in debt through the unforeseen and unforeseeable actions of others all the time. Their incomes are lost and their capital destroyed through the actions of third parties. I mentioned being robbed by a solicitor. This man stole the sale proceeds of my house leaving me with a huge bridging loan. The stress of this led to a broken relationship and the loss of my job. Do I blame the bank for wanting its money back and coming after me for it? No. But I do blame them and the debt collectors they employed for harassing me at home and at work for years afterwards. They cost me my job and my relationship. They made me ill so that my future earnings prospects were blighted.
I quite understand that banks are not a charity. You should understand that the banks are run in an extremely anti-social manner. They prey on the weak and helpless. They lie, they cheat, they bully, they blackmail, they drive people to despair and suicide. Their business methods are not just amoral but immoral. Prostitutes, pimps and drug dealers do less harm.
If you think this kind of behaviour is just business and people get into financial trouble only through their own fault; that says a lot more about you than about the banks.
I do have extreme views on banks. I am entirely justified.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 18:16
Jeremy Bosk gets to the heart of the issues; Anthony Tinslay simply scratches the surface and doesn't look beyond his own well-informed dealings with banks. Not everyone who doesn't understand finance deserves to be ripped off.report this
Aug 21, 2012 at 20:23
Jeremy - clearly I have every sympathy for your predicament but you cannot blame the Bank wanting repayment of your debt and taking whatever action it is legally entitled to do. Your problem is with the solicitor you chose and if he was a properly registered solicitor then his Association does, i believe, carry insurance, at no cost to you, to recover misconduct and theft by one of its members. That is apart from whatever conclusion is reached in a court of law. I have also, in business, come across a dishonest solicitor and when struck off the association makes good his legal liabilities caused by his misconduct.
Your last line says it all you have a biased and uncompromising opinion of banks.' rather than, in this case, the legal profession. My own experiances do indeed underline how banks can cause considerable grief and problems but usually it is a result of a combination of several factors - they are not sole villainsreport this
Aug 21, 2012 at 21:37
Anthony Tinslay
The solicitor knocked me down and then the banks kicked me. Again and again and again. Your knowledge of the legal situation regarding dishonest solicitors and banks may be theoretically correct regarding today. I suspect that whatever the law, the banks will always win against the consumer because they have deeper pockets. My main problems were many years ago.
Hitler was a non-smoking vegetarian who cried for a week when his pet canary died. Nobody is all bad. But I have a very biased and uncompromising opinion of him. You will doubtless tell me that Hitler was just misunderstood.
I hope you never learn the hard way just how divorced from reality your views on the banks are.report this
Aug 24, 2012 at 15:58
I am now getting p155ed off with hearing about this charging for banking. No one member of the press or financial experts have mentioned the following.
We use our debt cards to purchase goods there is a fee paid by the shop which is obviously pssed onto the customer. So we are already paying to spend our money and this is what everyone seems to fail to mention.
I for on will not be paying a single penny for ANY bank accountreport this
Aug 24, 2012 at 16:09
@ Dave,
Good mentioned, that side completely slipped my mind!
Then through in the time to cash cheques etc.report this
Aug 24, 2012 at 16:59
Cockney Dave- you are not quite on the mark with your analysis. If you use a Debit Card to purchase goods, there is a small cost to the shop which is absorbed into their profit margin. The cost is usually less than the charge to the shop for accepting a cheque and certainly more reliable for both you and the shop. Same applies to cash as a business depositing cash also faces a Bank charge. Thus you pay the same whatever option of three you use. The Bank prefers you to use a debit card as it is cheaper and quicker to process than either a cheque or cash. Thus the card is provided to you the personal customer FREE.report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 09:33
Just a softening up exercise by the banks to boost their bonus pots. - I get notthing in interst from any of my bank accounts, yet they are earning it on my money. So now they want me to pay even more? - Must have got the idea from student tuition fees. - Once again marlity nad ethics proven to be irrelevant. The banks' moral code being," if it ain't illegal then it's OK"report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 09:39
Anthony T. Which bank do you work for?report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 20:19
We all know that bank accounts are not "free" its all a question of the level of indirection in the charges and the transparency of the charges being made. Anthony T., the card is not "provided to you the personal customer FREE", we pay through the increased price the retailer charges to maintain their margin despite paying the bank to handle cash, debit or credit cards. Only infrequently do we have an explicit "handling charge" which is different for debit and credit cards (which reflects reality) and allow us to make a choice.
The point about PPI mis-selling is that people were not made aware by the bank (or the individual) the true need and costs associated with PPI. This will be repeated for other services even if banks add charges for current accounts.
50% of all current accounts are already "not free" and the real "dishonesty" about charging for current accounts is the fact that whole swathes of cash-based activities (pensions, benefits, etc.) have been moved into current accounts partially because current accounts for those people were "free" (i.e. paid for by everybody). If banks add explicit charges to individuals for basic current accounts, it will only hit those who can't afford it.report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 20:36
In the early days of PPI it was sometimes explicitly stated that if the customer did not take out PPI, they would get no loan. This was done even to customers with large incomes and assets for whom PPI served no purpose. It should have been included in the calculation of APR under the heading of rip off.report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 21:21
ClothKap2 - With BOE base rate at a mere ½% you cannot expect much by way of interest. However you only need to keep a nominal amount in a bank account - just to maintain a credit balance. You could also shop around as there are 'current' accounts' that pay interest although other strings are attached.
Hopalong Cassidy - Easy, NONE. Pensioner for quite a few years but I do maintain a close interest in the financial world which I find fascinating and am constantly amused at the odd things people say about that world. As with everything, one should try to understand all sides rather than blurt out rather silly and unfounded comments as some other contributors do.report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 22:49
The base rate is the rate at which the Bank of England lends to other financial institutions and is set by the Monetary Policy Committee in response to economic conditions. The retail banks usually follow this lead, although they have the freedom not to.
The commercial banks are free to set commercial interest rates at any level they choose. The restraints are that they have to maintain a certain level of liquidity in either deposits with the Bank of England or so called risk free assets such as Gilts and competition from rival banks. Under fractional reserve banking, they lend out multiples of their unencumbered cash ie that not required to be kept for liquidity. Increasing liquidity requirements as has recently been done limits lending more than the interest level offered by the BoE. That is more of a guide to what happens to overnight deposits. Overnight deposits being cash left over after clearing between banks.
If the Boe base rate affected general interest rates significantly, loan rates for consumers would have fallen much lower and be more uniform for the same personal circumstances. I just did an online loan application for £7,500 over five years for a homeowner and was quoted APRs rates from 5.8 per cent to 62.5 per cent.report this
Aug 26, 2012 at 23:08
Just seen this in an Investors Chronicle email:
"Whether it's for reckless lending, a failure to lend, mis-selling or unfair charges, it's easy to shower criticisms on the banks. But if you think their charges are bad, how would you feel about a fund charging a yearly fee of 2.39 per cent - and that's for a performance that has turned a £10,000 investment into £3,800 after five years? Leonora Walters names the culprit".
I don't know if you can access this free so I will tell you the answer, Manek Growth Fund. This was founded after the eponymous Manek, a pharmacist by profession, won a stock market investment competition. He was replaced as a fund manager when things began to go seriously wrong. But performance is still appalling.
So let us celebrate being well paid for greed and incompetence in all sectors of the financial services industry. UCITS, formerly know as unit trusts, have been a rip off since at least the 1960s which as far back as I remember reading criticism of their charges.report this
Aug 27, 2012 at 23:45
Well said Anthony Tinslay - totally agree with your comments.
For my part I actually I think the retail banks perform a good service at a good price for anyone with a little bit of financial nous.report this
Aug 28, 2012 at 17:12
john r - Thank you for your comments - others clearly do not always agree.
In the fascinating and complex financial world and the relationship customer/bank I find many of the comments made very strange and sometimes quite silly. I work on two basic presumptions.
First - any individual should be responsible for his/her own actions. Free independent advice is usually available somewhere even if from just a respected friend. Far too often naivety, coupled with basic inattention to detail and sometimes simple greed are to blame when things go wrong.
Second - A bank is just a commercial organisation seeking to make a profit for the shareholders as well as comfort and reward for the employees and all that implies customer care. A bank is not a charity or public service as some would imply and when things go wrong, as indeed they do, then the bank must act in the best interests of all concernedreport this
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Manchester Rep. Thompson to resign from Ward 2 seatBy GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau
November 28. 2012 2:25PM
CONCORD - Another Democrat elected to the House will resign before taking office.
Robert Thompson, who won one of two Hillsborough County District 9 seats representing Manchester Ward 2, will resign from his position as representative-elect due to residency issues.Thompson lists Sunshine, Fla., as his home on his Facebook page.
Thompson previously served as a state representative from New Hampshire and was one of several dozens same-sex couples who wed Jan. 1, 2010, on the State House steps when the state's gay marriage law went into effect.
Terie Norelli of Portsmouth, the House Democratic leader who is expected to be elected House Speaker on Organization Day Dec. 5, said Wednesday Thompson contacted her and said he had moved to Florida. She said he is in the process of submitting a letter of resignation.
Secretary of State Bill Gardner said Thompson needs to submit a letter saying he is resigning from his position as representative-elect.
Thompson's name will be read among the winners of the general election at Organization Day, and then his resignation will be announced, Gardner said.
A special election for Thompson's replacement will have to be held.
Another special election is likely if Rep.-elect Stacie Laughton, a Nashua Democrat, resigns.
If both Thompson and Laughton resign before new House members are sworn into office, the partisan makeup of the House will be 219 Democrats and 179 Republicans.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Forget navigating the hallways or figuring out which elevator to use. For a visitor to the U.S. Capitol with limited mobility, just approaching a House office building is a barrier-riddled nightmare.
From too-steep curb ramps to uneven grades, the sidewalks of the Capitol complex alone present a host of barriers for visitors with disabilities. Despite bipartisan awareness and agreement to address the problems, funding isn't sufficient for repairing barriers—or even to pay for the inspections necessary to identify them. Congressional contractors aren't required to make sure their plans comply with accessibility regulations before they break ground, so they may be adding more barriers as they work to fix existing ones.
In a report to be released on Thursday, an advance copy of which was provided to National Journal, Congress's Office of Compliance details a host of accessibility barriers on the Capitol campus. Its initial survey of House-side sidewalks revealed 154 barriers, more than half of which pose a safety risk for people with disabilities. Ninety-three percent of curb ramps outside the three House buildings, for example, do not comply with the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, which, among other things, set legal requirements for building accessibility. Many of the barriers identified on the Capitol campus were erected after the ADA passed and after the law was applied to legislative branch buildings in 1995.
The office also took special interest in surveying Capitol restrooms after receiving specific complaints about bathroom accessibility. The OOC inspected one restroom in each of the Senate and House office buildings—none complied with the ADA. In the Cannon House Office Building, the bathroom was not wide enough for easy wheelchair access; in most bathrooms, door handles, soap dispensers, and handrails were not designed or installed for use by those with disabilities.
Though the OOC must assess accessibility biennially, new software made a more specific inspection process possible last year. Because the agency's resources are limited, however, the OOC did not investigate any individual House or Senate offices. It also did not explore the interiors of the Capitol itself or the Library of Congress, even though all those structures legally must comply with the ADA.
Fixing the barriers it did identify would cost $1.4 million, according to the office's estimates. Upgrades include simple solutions, such as installing new bathroom handrails, as well as more complicated fixes, such as regrading curb ramps. The Architect of the Capitol, which would oversee the work, did not provide the OOC with its own cost estimates in time for the report's release.
The Capitol and its campus are not under the jurisdiction of the Justice Department, which enforces ADA compliance. If it were, DOJ could seek civil penalties of up to $100,000 for some violations. Parties filing complaints with the Justice Department could also seek damages, according to Jonathan Mook, a disability lawyer and ADA expert.
But there is no one with executive authority to ensure that the Architect of the Capitol or its contractors comply with the ADA. The OOC has no power to force the AOC to address problems unless a member of the public files an official complaint with the Compliance Office.
Disability-rights advocates put their concerns in stark terms: An estimated one in five Americans is living with a disability. That 20 percent of the taxpaying public deserves access to their representatives in government, they argue.
"The ADA was passed 22 years ago. This is something the rest of the country is held accountable to, and Congress needs to be as well," said United Cerebral Palsy's Kaelan Richards. "I don't think the cost estimates in this were enormous, as compared to other government expenditures. It's a matter of access. When you get down to the bottom of this, this is a constitutional right we're talking about."
Others close to the fight for access to Capitol Hill, however, say the Capitol is far more accessible than it was just 10 years ago. Heavy doors have been replaced with lighter ones and many have automatic openers; ramps and curb cuts were added to sidewalks. More than 260 elevators were modernized to meet ADA standards. The House installed lifts to the speaker's rostrum in 2010.
Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., a quadriplegic and the House's first wheelchair-bound member, first presided over the House when that lift was finished. He applauded efforts in the last decade to make the Capitol accessible.
"Are there some things that still need to be changed, like making sure restrooms are more accessible? Sure. More work still needs to be done," he said. But "I'm very grateful and very pleased with the progress I've seen. It happened too slowly, but we are getting there."
Republicans, Democrats, and the AOC all agree on the importance of future improvements but the legislative budget is tight. Making the Capitol more accessible is no simple task either. Renovating historic buildings is an especially complicated and costly endeavor; celebrated, untouchable facades and wide expanses of marble can send renovation costs skyrocketing.
Read the rest of this article at NationalJournal.com.


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WASHINGTON (AP) - Exit polling suggests voters are intensely
worried about the future of the economy and unhappy with the way
President Barack Obama and Congress have been running things.
According to preliminary exit poll results, a strong vein of
disappointment ran throughout demographic groups, landing heavily
on Democrats.
The survey found that women split their House votes. Men favored
Republican candidates.
The tea party made a splash in its first election. About four
out of 10 voters endorsed the movement. While a majority of voters
said the tea party was not a factor in their House vote.
Six out of 10 independent voters said they disapproved of the
job President Barack Obama is doing.
Voters overall didn't hold a favorable view of either the
Republican or Democratic parties and overwhelmingly, people
surveyed were dissatisfied with the way the federal government is
The economy eclipsed all other issues. Almost everyone surveyed
-- more than 80 percent -- expressed worry about the direction the
economy will take over the next year.
(The preliminary results are from interviews that Edison
Research conducted for The Associated Press and television networks
with more than 12,800 voters nationwide.There is a margin of
sampling error of plus or minus 1 percentage points for the entire
sample, higher for subgroups.)
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Concern is high for the West Nile virus, but there is no vaccine. Concern should be equally high for the looming whooping cough epidemic and seasonal flu. The good news is that there are vaccinations for both. The bad news is that the flu season is supposed to start early and cost more to treat this year. And while immunizations may now be covered at no additional cost, millions of Texans will not get vaccinated. Why not?
When parents bring their kids to get back-to-school immunizations, they should also ask about getting immunized themselves. Immunities can fade over time and adults are actually 100 times more likely than children to die of diseases that vaccines can prevent. While the whooping cough, or pertussis, is usually not fatal for adults, grown-ups are the number one carrier for the disease which can kill children. Texas has already seen 895 cases this year – twice as many as this time last year.
In addition to health concerns, vaccine-preventable diseases are also costly for the economy. About 12 percent of the workforce loses an average of 14 hours of work as a result of the flu each year. And our claims data indicates that the average out-of-pocket cost of treating flu symptoms in Texas is growing – $83 in 2011 compared to $78 the year before. In fact, if all our members who got the flu last year had been immunized instead, they could have helped control rising health care costs by saving nearly $38,000,000.
Other vaccines adults may need include those that protect against measles, mumps, rubella, shingles, pneumonia, HPV as well as hepatitis A and B.
Obviously, immunizations are top of mind in our world these days so we have begun a social media and marketing campaign to spread the word. In addition, we're making a commitment to immunize approximately 27,000 uninsured and underinsured Texas children by the end of 2012. This renewed pledge during National Immunization Month further strengthens our commitment to the Healthy Kids, Healthy Families program – a three-year initiative that pulls together local, state and national resources in an effort to make a significant impact on childhood health and wellness.
My goal in writing this letter is not to brag about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. We've been a contributing member this community for seven decades. My goal today is to ask for your help. Spread the word. Ask your neighbors if they've talked to their doctor about vaccinations – both for the kids and adults. Use the facts and tips below as conversation starters. Ask them if they have called their insurer to find out if immunizations are covered at no additional cost. We're Texans and we take care of our own.
· Every year, more than 50,000 adult deaths per year are attributed to vaccine preventable diseases in the U.S. In addition, the cost of hospitalization due to vaccine-preventable diseases is more than $30 billion each year according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, CMS and HHS.
· If you don't know what shots you were administered as a child, be sure to discuss this with your doctor during your next visit. It may be necessary to repeat some of the vaccines or arrange blood tests to determine your immunity.
· If you plan to travel outside of the country, make an appointment with your physician at least 6 weeks in advance to review and receive recommended vaccinations.
· Caregivers for the elderly and children should be especially vigilant about getting their vaccinations.
· Keep a current copy of immunization records for the entire family at home and take it along to doctor's visits to keep it current.
· The flu costs nearly $21,000 for each of BCBSTX's members who had to be admitted into a hospital in 2011. (Although that number is high, it's still less than the average cost for patients who don't have the benefit of negotiated rates from health insurers.)
· According to the CDC, about 200,000 Americans are hospitalized and 36,000 die each year from complications of the flu.
· The flu shot cannot give you the flu.
· People with lower immunities may not respond as well to the vaccination, but it can prevent the flu in as much as 66 percent of young children and 70 percent of the elderly.
· There are many options available to receive a flu shot. Amongst the best places to get a flu shot is with your in-network primary care physician. While coverage may vary, other options include government department offices, retail pharmacies, retail health clinics, workplaces and schools.
-Dr. Eduardo Sanchez is vice president and chief medical officer for Texas' largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX)


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Let get off to a "interesting" start...You can borrow this 85th anniversary Gucci at Bag,Borrow and Steal for only 80.00 a week and 235.00 a month. Ummmm....anyway.
Well,I'm totally addicted to my Wet N Wild Ultimate Brow Color and Set Duo in Mocha Brownie. I love a strong brow after years of my thin brow syndrome caused by bad waxing and overpluking. It fills in my brows in fabulously and it must be waterproof because it took three cotton balls full of Rimmel Eye Makeup Remover to get it off.
In Beauty News,It was mentioned in the August Edition of Instyle that Loreal will be releaseing a line of their Colour Riche lipsticks called Star Confessions. Each tube will have of the autograph of some of their celebrity spokespersons such as Eva Longoria,Andie McDowell,and Aishwarya Rai, complete with a customized color. They didn't mention Kerry Washington or Beyonce but I hope they have one too.
I'm planning weekly beauty haul of Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisterizer and Cover Girl Tru Blend Whipped Foundation(which was mentioned on Miss Universe last night as matching 97% of complexions). We shall see!
well, off to read my fresh new Allure and W magazine!!


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Richard Jackson Named Director of Multicultural Student Affairs at Mount Union
April 22, 2010
Richard Jackson has been named director of multicultural student affairs at Mount Union College.
Prior to this appointment, Jackson served as the coordinator of multicultural recruitment in the Office of Admission for the College.
Jackson, a native of Spencer, Ohio, graduated from Black River High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Mount Union in 2002.
While a student at Mount Union, Jackson was a member of the varsity basketball team.
He is currently pursuing a master's degree in management.


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When a QB calls a play in the huddle, and the players run the play, but the QB holds the ball and scrambles all the time, the "called play" doesn't ever get ran. [Ben].
When you call a play, and the QB runs the play, the called play gets ran.[Luck].
Ben is a schoolyard QB, and Luck is a pro QB.
Ben can't throw on rhythm, nor the deep ball.
Luck can do both. = success, and a HC job for the OC.


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Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Prelude ($57 #33) (Les 4 Ombres/Ombres a Paupiers Quator) is a neutral eyeshadow-lover's dream. The colors are gorgeous for any time of the year. Unlike most of Chanel's neutral palettes, Prelude has a cool edge. In fact, you can see in the upper left corner a tiny touch of teal sparkle in the soft putty-taupe shade. Who would have thought to add a this touch?
As all Chanel eyeshadow palettes, Prelude comes in the luxurious, familiar palette that will fit within your existing collection. Here is a picture in softer indoor light, where you can see that the sparkle softly recedes:
Four gorgeous colors:
- A light softly shimmering beige highlight (upper right)
- A putty-taupe with teal sparkle (upper left)
- A very soft tan with subtle microsparkle that is mostly white but with multicolored reflects
- A deep brown infused with a plum tone–the deep plum seems far less apparent when worn
Close up in direct sun:
I did some comparison swatches, but all of my other Chanel palettes seem quite warm by comparison, well except for Stupendous which has a more silver/plum tone. For example, here is Prelude next to Chanel Dunes and Chanel Shimmering Dunes:
If you love cooler neutrals, you have found your perfect palette. Also, Prelude seems like a promising palette to mix with some of the Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadows, including Epatant, Ebloui and Illusoire. So mix it up a little! More swatches, applying Prelude dry:
Applied wet:
Applied very quickly on Liz's eye. We didn't have time for mascara or liner, we were running out of time and so we thought one picture that shows the texture applied to the lid would be of assistance:
Overall: Chanel Prelude is highly recommended. Especially if you are cool-toned, you need it. So many neutral, high quality palettes lean warm.
I understand that Prelude is joining Chanel's permanent collection, thankfully.


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City has 121 active tall grass and weeds cases.
Community Development and Planning Director Justin Erickson, in the most recent staff activity report, says The Action Center is currently investigating the following complaints:
• Dilapidated Buildings: 38 active cases
• Derelict Vehicles: 6 active cases
• Junk/Trash: 8 active cases
• Tall Grass/Weeds: 121 active cases
Volunteers will stuff welcome bags for the IFYR contestants and their families beginning around 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 30, upstairs conference center, Mike Jackson, Operations Manager of the Expo Center reports.
The Marine Enforcement Section of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol will participate in Operation Dry Water along with boating enforcement officers nationwide in an effort to educate the public on the dangers of boating under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The mission of Operation Dry Water is to raise public awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence and to reduce the number of deaths on the water related to alcohol consumption.
Oklahoma ranks 13th in the nation for alcohol related vessel collisions. Approximately 500 people die each year.
Every year local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and boating safety partners participate in Operation Dry Water a nationwide three-day heightened BUI enforcement weekend.
This year Operation Dry Water weekend is June 27- 29. "Troopers will be out on the lakes and will be contacting boaters in an effort to keep the waterways safe in Oklahoma" said Capt. Victor Lee of the Marine Enforcement Section. The law in Oklahoma states that the operator of a vessel can be arrested for operating under the influence if their breath or blood alcohol concentration is at or above .08 percente. Passengers can also be arrested for public intoxication if they have been drinking and are causing problems or being belligerent.
There is a 31 percent decrease from 2012 to 2013 in the number of deaths of recreational boaters where alcohol use was the known primary contributing factor. As the boating season gets underway Marine Enforcement officials will work on improving BUI statistics by educating boaters and instilling in them the dangers and consequences of boating under the influence.
For questions regarding boating laws or boating education classes, contact the Marine Enforcement Section at 405-522-1880.
Wildlife Diversity biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation recently teamed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to collect samples of the federally threatened Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi). Biologists were able to sample seven of the 10 established sites along a 300-mile stretch of the South Canadian River from Cheyenne to Calvin over two days. Recent rains across the state created unsafe conditions along the lower portion of the river, suspending sampling efforts at several sites.
The Arkansas River shiner is a slim silver minnow with a small head and rounded snout. A v-shaped mark is usually present at the base of the tail. Maximum length for this shiner is 2 inches. First described in a 1926 survey of the Cimarron River, this fish species has since disappeared from over 80 percent of its historic range.
Matt Fullerton, endangered species biologist for the Wildlife Department, said the species is now almost entirely restricted to the Canadian River in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. The Arkansas River shiner typically spawns in May, June and July, but can spawn into August if adequate flow exists. Spawning appears to coincide with rains providing increased river flow; however, spawning occurs throughout the summer with adequate flow. Eggs drift with the current and develop as they move downstream. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Biologist Daniel Fenner said, "Eggs and larvae need approximately 130 miles of free-flowing river to complete their development process." Throughout the Arkansas River shiner's 18-month life span, individuals move upstream where they eventually spawn to complete the species' life cycle. Habitat destruction and modifications to river flow such as dam construction and water withdraws (ground and surface water) are the principle reasons for the shiner's decline. When eggs reach an impoundment, they will sink to the bottom of the water column, and fry development will cease.
Without adequate flow upstream of these dams, the shiner may not be able to move upstream far enough to successfully reproduce.
To survey Arkansas River shiners and other fish species, biologists used a 4-by-15-foot mesh net, or seine. The lower portions of seines are weighted with a lead line so that fish can't escape underneath the net as it is pushed through the water. When the team reaches the end of the sampling area, one biologist pivots at the water's edge while the other swings toward the bank. The seine is then lifted out of the water, and biologists identify their catch. Fifteen sampling areas were completed at each of the seven sample sites, for a total of 105 seine hauls.
Curtis Tackett, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department, mentioned sampling for Arkansas River shiners was successful at sites with more desirable habitat. Tackett also commented, "In the absence of Arkansas River shiners, other species such as red shiners and sand shiners were abundant." Additional sampling for the Arkansas River shiner will occur in October.
If you have ideas or something of interest for this column, please call me at 214-3922 or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please include your name and a phone number for contact purposes.


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Stripboeken browse by: Shop category:
Artist BannisterBeschikbare series in de webshop categorie "Stripboeken"
Bannister (ook bekend als Nicolas Seigneret) in the COMICLOPEDIA
"Nicolas Seigneret, who uses the pseudonym Bannister, has focused on an artistic career since the age of 17. He attended the Emile Cohl school for a while. He made his debut in the comics field in 2002, starting the series 'Félicité Bonaventure' with Nykko at Soleil Productions. He also..." [ Lees meer ]


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Anytime there's that big of a jump in points, it's gotta be a complete game. Don't see that too often from the Steelers.
i was close to my blowout perdiction i said the steelers will win 35-3 but they won 35-7 great effort today by the whole team and coaches
I just mentioned to a friend how nice it was to relax while watching a game rather than sitting on the edge of my seat cursing.
It's no fun when the rabbit has the gun
^ agreed
what a difference a week makes. against the chiefs they looked like dog doo...this week they looked the best team in the league.
i said in the game thread, THIS is what we should see every week! i'm not saying we should beat every team by 28, but we SHOULD see them play a little more consistent.
like others have said, it was nice to sit through and watch a game where you didn't have to feel tense, nauseous, and frustrated!
now let's get 2 games in a row like this one...DESTROY THE DOO DOO BROWNS!
--- Added 12/5/2011 at 07:12 AM ---
oh, and it was such a beat down that CBS left the game here in raleigh, and went to the skins/jets game.
special thanks to Farrior Fan for providing me with a link to watch the rest of it online!
"Today, I'm officially retiring a Pittsburgh Steeler. And as much as I will miss football, my teammates, coaches and everything about the game, I don't want to play it in any other uniform. The black and gold runs deep in me, and I will remain a Steeler for life."--Hines Ward
These next 4 games should, in theory, be an opportunity for the Steelers to put more games together like they had against the Bengals.
If you can't get on a roll against the Rams and the Browns twice then you're probably doing something wrong. Even with the AFC North being a tough battle on any given week the Steelers should be able to take care of business and not be in such a dog fight every week. That's just not how it usually works out for our team but for anybody else it probably would.
A great game... but in true arians fashion, we scored 0 in a qtr....... the first....
84 is the bomb... i think 89 should be playing more than 88...
85 looked better in this one. but... 82 is still better than 85....
Winning big solves everything.
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In addition to moving about a half dozen trees from city right of way onto our property a number of years ago, we planted several different varieties of trees to prevent deforestation of our yard.
We had read about the vicious emerald ash borer that killed millions of ash trees across the upper northeast of the U.S., spreading into Michigan then hop-scotching into Illinois about seven or eight years ago.
Hundreds or thousands of ash trees have been killed in McHenry County, and the reason there are so many is because the ash tree was seen as the ideal tree to provide shade in the new subdivisions that were sprouting up.
The emerald ash borer took care of that, starving the trees of vital nutrients. Like water and everything that goes in it.
And I'm old enough to remember Dutch elm disease, which pretty much wiped out elm trees in the U.S. on urban and suburban boulevards. And they were stately, large old trees that had to be cut down and destroyed in cities across the country, including in the neighborhood I grew up in.
With those warnings in mind, we weren't about to plant the same single species of trees in our yard, which for nearly 50 years was nothing but lawn. Not a single bush, much less a tree.
As much as we like maple trees and their huge, leafy canopies – and having a yard full of them would have been beautiful – I'm wary of maple trees. Maple trees are everywhere. The McHenry County Conservation District even taps the trees in the late winter/early spring for their maple syrup. In the fall, they brighten the countryside in shades of yellow and red.
They are so magnificent that Canadians emblazoned their national flag with a red maple leaf, which seems a little odd, but then their dollar coin has a loon on it, and it is known affectionately as the loony. The Canadians are a gentle people.
But my fear was the maple tree would be devastated by a bug. Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus, but it is carried from tree to tree by beetles. And the emerald ash borer is another beetle.
We planted willow, oak, maple, birch and flowering crab trees, along with several types of pine trees. One tree had to be cut down this spring, and I don't know what kind of tree it was, but it had white flowers for about a week in the spring and grew to about 30 feet in height.
But it developed a huge crack down the middle of the trunk and had to be cut down before it blew down and caused real damage. These weren't beetles on steroid that cracked the tree, just Mother Nature having her way.
A predecessor to our maple tree – another maple tree – had to be cut down because it was leaning dangerously toward the east, toward our house, and it was cracking, if my memory serves me correctly, and it invariably doesn't. That was a real defeat because it was starting to provide shade on the west side of our fully exposed house.
But we replanted a number of years ago with the oak, maple and birch trees, and I am happy to report, they are all doing well, growing straight and finally providing the much-needed shade we need on the west side of our house where the summer sun burns mercilessly. The willow is growing gracefully in the side yard.
Eight or nine years ago, I made a heat shield for the big picture window on the west side of our house. I found a large piece of cardboard and strengthened it with wood lathes, then covered one side with the shiny side of aluminum foil. The heat deflector fit perfectly into the window, and the aluminum foil bounced the summer sun's rays back out the window, helping keep the house cool.
So far, we haven't had to use the heat shield because of the shade the maple provides, but it's still early, and the sun could travel farther north as summer progresses, taking away the natural shade.
But I'm worried about the oak tree. I read in the paper last week about the state spraying for gypsy moths, and when they are caterpillars, their favorite food is oak leaves. We have a young oak tree. Gypsy moths caterpillars have voracious appetites and can easily strip an oak of its leaves, eventually killing it.
We've already lost two trees to cracks, and now, gypsy moths could be attracted to our single, delectable oak. And then, and it's only a matter of time, a beetle will go after maples, leaving a birch clump that is finicky anyway and the willow. And no shade.
Maybe despair was the reason no trees were planted in our yard for 50 years. Something I'm beginning to come to terms with.
• Dick Peterson, who lives in Woodstock, is a mental-health advocate. He is a freelance writer and a former Northwest Herald Opinion Page editor. He can be contacted at email@example.com.


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(CNN) -- Within the past few days, French combat forces have deployed to the West African state of Mali to halt the advance of militant Islamist fighters toward the capital and to help the Malian army begin to reclaim towns previously occupied by the militants. After intense airstrikes against rebel strongholds, French ground forces are moving north to try to dislodge the fighters.
Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa, a vast and sparsely populated land that is largely desert. But events there are being watched with growing anxiety throughout West Africa, in European capitals and in Washington. Why?
1) Location, location, location
Mali is hardly a regional powerhouse and is "marginal" to the world economy. It does not sit on lakes of oil; it is landlocked and desperately poor. But it is very big -- nearly twice the size of France -- with seven neighbors whose long, poorly guarded borders provide militants with supply (and escape) routes.
Many of these countries - from Algeria in the north to Ivory Coast in the south -- have themselves seen violence, extremism and instability and are ill-equipped to deal with the fallout from Mali imploding.
To the west, Mauritania has its own problems with Islamist militants associated with al Qaeda. Neighboring Niger to the east has, like Mali, seen frequent rebellions by ethnic Tuareg separatists.
To the north, the Algerian government still has its own al Qaeda problems. In the 1990s an Islamist insurgency and its repression claimed at least 100,000 lives. Militant cells remain active in the eastern mountains and in the desert bordering Mali, where troop convoys have been ambushed on several occasions.
Despite lingering animosity toward France because of colonial rule, Algeria has taken the unprecedented step in the past few days of allowing French military overflights to monitor the extremists' movements. That's because, according to analysts, it sees a growing danger of militant groups coalescing. To try to prevent militants infiltrating, Algeria has closed its border with Mali and deployed some 30,000 troops to border regions. Mauritania has also tried to protect its border.
Mali also sits astride some of the most lucrative smuggling routes from Africa to Europe, routes that militants have turned into a cash machine. At one point, drug traffickers from South America were flying aging jets packed with cocaine into a remote desert airstrip in Mali, for shipment to Europe.
So vast and inhospitable are the deserts of North Africa that groups with local knowledge (and a fleet of 4 x 4 vehicles) can make serious money from trafficking, whether in drugs, people or other contraband.
2) Ungoverned space
In Mali and throughout much of West Africa, the lack of state authority is nirvana to extremist and criminal groups. Across a largely Muslim area stretching from the Mediterranean to northern Nigeria, deprivation and corruption are recruiting sergeants for militant Islamist groups: al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Jihad and Unity in West Africa (MUJAO), Ansar Dine and Boko Haram.
The current crisis has been some time in the making. A U.S. diplomatic cable from 2009 quoted a senior Algerian official, Abdelmalek Guenaizia, who complained that "the nexus of arms, drug and contraband smuggling in northern Mali created an enabling environment" for terrorists, who would "use any means available to finance their activities, including corruption and hostage-taking."
Guenaizia warned then that AQIM was increasingly capable. They "use the best explosives, have honed their bomb-making expertise and use sophisticated means to deploy explosives against their targets," he said.
AQIM comprises largely Algerians, Mauritanians and Malians. Experts say its total strength is probably in the hundreds rather than any more. But the fall of Gadhafi opened up a black market arms bazaar across North Africa, and western intelligence agencies believe AQIM may have acquired anti-aircraft missiles along with other heavy weapons, as well as plenty of vehicles, essential in a region of few (and dilapidated) roads.
As jihad became more difficult elsewhere -- from southern Yemen to the tribal territories of Pakistan -- foreign fighters also began appearing in Mali. Reports from the northeastern town of Gao in recent months said Pakistani and Saudi militants had been seen there.
There is the risk that global jihad's center of gravity could shift from South Asia to North Africa.
"We have a responsibility to make sure that al Qaeda does not establish a base for operations in North Africa and Mali," U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters Monday. "While they might not have any immediate plans for attacks in the United States and in Europe, ultimately that still remains their objective."
The current crisis in Mali began in January last year, when a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs (helped by weapons brought from Libya as the Gadhafi regime crumbled) erupted. Mid-ranking officers in Mali's army then launched a coup against a civilian government largely seen as weak and corrupt, and in some instances complicit with the militants for its own financial benefit.
Ansar Dine (Defenders of Islam) seized upon the chaos. The group was formed and led by Iyad ag Ghali, a Tuareg who had become radicalized during time in Saudi Arabia. While the main Tuareg rebel group, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (known by its French acronym, MNLA), did much of the early fighting, Ansar Dine took control of cities such as Timbuktu as government forces fled.
By the spring of last year, Northern Mali had become the "largest territory controlled by Islamic extremists in the world", according to U.S. Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa.
A video released last week by al Sahara Media Foundation, which is affiliated with AQIM, showed that militants had deployed heavy weapons around Timbuktu's airport, including truck-mounted machine guns and rocket-launchers.
And then Ansar Dine made a sudden move south, seizing the town of Konna and threatening the more important city of Mopti and its airport.
Just why is unclear. Some analysts believe they were trying to force the government's hand ahead of talks in neighboring Burkina Faso. But the militants had brought together as many as 300 pickup trucks, according to a French source, and smuggled copious amounts of gasoline in from Algeria. A thrust toward the capital, Bamako, was feasible.
France decided to respond immediately.
"We must stop the rebels' offensive, otherwise the whole of Mali will fall into their hands -- creating a threat for Africa and even for Europe," said the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius.
3) Exporting jihad
The greatest risk of the Mali campaign is that it will actually nurture the very threat that Fabius worries about: serving as a recruiting sergeant for jihadists, to rally the faithful against a "crusader" enemy in Muslim lands. Two jihadist sites -- the Sinam al-Islam Network and al-Minbar Jihadi Media Forum -- have already urged support for fighters in northern Mali, saying, "Rise O servants of Allah, let us set a fire under the feet of the falling French cross."
There is also the danger that extremists among the 5 million Muslims in France, the vast majority of them of North and West African origin, may seek revenge for French intervention. Less than a year ago, French intelligence services moved against militant cells after a young gunman who had traveled to the Pakistani tribal territories shot dead seven people in Toulouse.
President Francois Hollande has already ordered tighter security in public places.
"France is watching individuals who want to go to Afghanistan, Syria and the Sahel," said Interior Minister Manuel Valls. "We're watching those who could return here."
Mali's neighbors could also be drawn in if they support the French intervention. Algeria has gone to great lengths to insulate itself from Mali's turbulence, but Wednesday a militant group known as Qatiba -- led by a veteran Malian jihadist, Mokhtar Belmokhtar -- attacked a gas installation in eastern Algeria and claimed afterward to be holding dozens of foreigners. The group said the attack was in retaliation for Algeria permitting French overflights as part of its operations in Mali.
For the Algerians, the assault on a critical part of its vital gas industry was a major embarrassment.
Security analysts said another group of militants appear to have attacked a Malian town from neighboring Mauritania.
Thirty thousand French citizens live in West Africa; eight are already held by Islamist extremists. Senegal has stepped up security in the capital, Dakar, especially in locations frequented by foreigners. And a former U.S. ambassador in Nigeria, John Campbell, writes on the Council on Foreign Relations website that many Nigerians believe the local group Boko Haram has developed links with AQIM.
"If such links do exist on meaningful terms, it would seem likely that Boko Haram will escalate their attacks in northern Nigeria in solidarity with its Islamic brothers," he writes.
4) The soul of Islam
Twelve years ago, Mali was one of six developing nations invited to attend the G8 summit in Italy, and was seen as a beacon of civilian rule and stability in Africa. After chronic instability in the years after independence, it achieved a peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected president to the next in 2002. (The presidential election set for April 2012 never took place in the aftermath of the coup.) It had a thriving press and lively radio stations. Women had a role in public life. Indeed, in 2011 the prime minister was a woman.
Despite their country's poverty and frequent food shortages, Malians had a reputation for moderation and tolerance, and a rich history as one of the intellectual centers of Islam.
Most Malians are of the Sufi tradition -- a mystical interpretation of Islam that includes a reverence for saints and is despised by puritanical Sunnis.
The city of Timbuktu (sometimes called the city of 333 saints) was a religious and educational center in the 15th and 16th centuries, and its libraries had priceless collections of Islamic documents and books. Its tombs and mosques comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and attracted scholars and tourists from all over the world.
Ansar Dine set about destroying those tombs, insisting they were idolatrous. Throughout the past few months, there have been reports of Malians' shock at seeing public floggings and amputations in areas controlled by militant groups. Radio stations were ordered to stop playing music and instead broadcast verses from the Koran.
UNESCO's secretary general, Irina Bokova, said last July, "The attack on Timbuktu's cultural heritage is an attack against this history and the values it carries -- values of tolerance, exchange and living together, which lie at the heart of Islam. It is an attack against the physical evidence that peace and dialogue is possible."
Mali's glorious musical tradition derived from poets known as griots, highly influential teachers and guides. From this background has blossomed an extraordinary succession of world-class musicians (Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen, kora player Toumani Diabate and the Super Rail Band to name just a few) who have won fans as diverse as Jimmy Page and Ry Cooder.
So as much as it is a military and political battle, the struggle for Mali's future is also cultural and religious. It pits a tolerant Islamic tradition -- which celebrates music and in which women have a public life -- with an ascetic interpretation that bans music, forbids education of girls and destroys ancient tombs and shrines as "idolatrous."
5) A humanitarian crisis
Hundreds of thousands of Malians are now either refugees in camps outside the country or internally displaced. Most are dangerously prone to malnutrition and disease. There are at least 150,000 refugees now in neighboring countries. More than 50,000 live in one camp alone in Mauritania, where Doctors Without Borders has found chronic rates of malnutrition among children. Malaria and diarrhea are killing infants.
"It is hard to say when the refugees will be able to return home, but many have already suffered as a result of this crisis," said Karl Nawezi, head of the non-governmental organization's operations in Mauritania.
"The influx of refugees is far from over," he said. And many families are tempted to leave the relative safety of the camps because they are herders who need to return to their animals.
Additionally, some 200,000 Malians have fled south to escape the Islamists. Even today, they are still arriving in towns like Segou as the battle lines to the north shift in the sands.
"Many are tired, distressed and in need food and water," said Michelet William, Mali director of the British agency Plan. "We fear our already stretched resources will not last long."
Children are being recruited in the hundreds as militant fighters for the promise of food and a small wage.
Without a quick end to fighting and substantial humanitarian aid, a generation of young Malians will remain at grave risk, imperiling the country's future.
6) A test of international will
Mali is now a test bed for the effectiveness of international action against militant Islam in Africa -- action that brings together very different capabilities and cultures and that has an ill-defined goal.
Much depends on how groups like Ansar Dine and others respond to the offensive. If the militants scatter into the desert and Malian troops can reclaim the main towns, partial victory can be claimed. But if they hunker down and mix with civilians -- much as clans in Mogadishu did in 1992 -- France could find itself in an ugly war of occupation and suicide bombings, with insufficient troops (2,500 spread thin over a huge area) to provide security.
This "would raise the political costs of the French bombing campaign, dragging the intervention into urban warfare that neither France, the U.S. nor Algeria would be willing to lead with boots on the ground, and leaving Mali's fractious military exposed," according to Phillippe de Pontet of Eurasia Group.
The United States has made clear it cannot help train the Malian army until a legitimately elected government is in place, but it will provide satellite intelligence and intercepts. France has no viable drone capacity of its own.
The role of the African force and its capabilities are unknown factors. Diplomats expect some 3,300 troops from seven or eight countries belonging to the regional grouping known as ECOWAS (the Economic Community Of West African States) to arrive in Mali over the next week or so. The largest contingent will be from Nigeria, and the force will have a Nigerian commander.
They will need airlift help -- which has been promised by the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany, and in which the United States conceivably could participate -- and are likely to be deployed in a holding role while French and Malian forces push north.
But their ability to work together and fight, should Ansar Dine militants somehow evade the Franco-Malian advance, is very much in question. They have not trained together, and they have different structures and languages. In addition, some contingents will be no more than a token force of 100 men.
This is an ad hoc "coalition of the semi-willing." Some French officials have begun grumbling that other European states are doing too little.
Even if Ansar Dine and other jihadist groups can be broken up, Mali's military and its political institutions have been shredded by the chaos of the past year, and its population is debilitated. The "Tuareg question" remains unsolved, with southerners now even more hostile to Tuareg separatism.
Many MNLA fighters are said to have fled west into Mauritania rather than get caught up in the showdown between the French and the rebels.
The French may profess satisfaction at scattering Ansar Dine, thanks to months of painstakingly compiled intelligence on the group's bases. President Hollande has pledged French forces won't leave until Mali has security, legitimate authorities, an electoral process and no more terrorism.
But these are early days in the campaign dubbed by the French military Operation Serval. The serval is an agile desert cat. But it is also an endangered species.


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ATLANTA - There will be a bowl game for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets may even play for the ACC championship.
Those are unlikely developments for a team that entered November with a losing record.
Tevin Washington passed for three touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Georgia Tech to a 42-24 win over Duke on Saturday, preserving the Yellow Jackets' hopes of playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
Tech (6-5, 5-3 ACC) has won three straight games to become bowl-eligible for the 16th consecutive season. The Yellow Jackets moved one-half game ahead of Miami in the Coastal Division. Miami ends its conference schedule next week against Duke.
Miami, 4-3 in the ACC, would win a tie-breaker with Georgia Tech, thanks to its 42-36 overtime win over the Yellow Jackets on Sept. 22, if each team finishes 5-3 in the league.
Miami, under NCAA investigation, could self-impose its second-straight bowl ban. That decision would send Georgia Tech to the Dec. 1 ACC championship game against Florida State.
"All I know is that the worst we can do is tie for first in the Coastal Division," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, who said "I have no idea" what Miami will decide.
"After the way the season started and everybody kind of wrote it off, I'm proud of these guys for hanging in there and fighting," he said.
Duke (6-5, 3-4) already clinched its first bowl berth since 1994.
Washington threw two scoring passes to Robert Godhigh and one to Zach Laskey.
Duke receiver Conner Vernon became the ACC's all-time leader in yards receiving, passing former Florida State star Peter Warrick's record of 3,517 yards. Vernon, who began the game 35 yards behind Warrick's mark, had five catches for 38 yards.
On the first play of the game, Vernon caught a 2-yard pass from Sean Renfree, giving him receptions in 46 consecutive games, setting another ACC record. North Carolina's Corey Holliday had the old record of 45 games.
Washington, a senior, completed 6 of 10 passes for 102 yards and had 19 carries for 62 yards in his final home game. He matched his career high with the three touchdown passes. He also threw three scoring passes against Western Carolina on Sept. 1, 2011.
"I wanted to make sure we came out with a lot of energy and focus as a senior class," Washington said.
Georgia Tech ran the ball on 72 of its 80 plays in its spread-option attack and had 330 yards rushing with no turnovers. Godhigh had 18 carries for 72 yards, David Sims had 70 yards rushing with a touchdown and Orwin Smith added 67 yards.
"Generally, when you play a team that runs this offense, they're going to make a mistake," said Duke coach David Cutcliffe. "They're going to fumble a snap, they're going to fumble the exchange, they're going to pitch one on the ground. They did not. ... You're not going to shut them down."
Even a rare loose ball worked in Georgia Tech's favor. A third-quarter pass from Washington bounced off receiver Chris Jackson's hands - and into the hands of left tackle Ray Beno, who rambled 9 yards for a first down.
An extra week of practice didn't seem to help Duke's defense. Georgia Tech was successful on 13 of 20 third-down plays and each of its four fourth-down conversions.
"We definitely felt prepared," said Duke defensive end Kenny Anunike, who said the Blue Devils' scout defense couldn't imitate "the speed that Georgia Tech is gonna run it."
Renfree completed 24 of 36 passes for 198 yards with two touchdowns and an interception as Duke took its third straight loss.
The Blue Devils' offense could only watch as Georgia Tech held the ball more than 38 minutes with time-consuming scoring drives of 13, 10, 16, 13, 18 and six plays. Duke was left with less than 22 minutes.
"We had five possessions in the first half," said Duke receiver Desmond Scott. "That's unbelievable. I remember one series they had the ball for at least seven minutes. Sitting on the sideline, you're thinking to yourself we've got to get the ball and score quick."
Washington was again the most prominent quarterback after he played only two possessions in last week's 68-50 win over North Carolina.
Washington set a school and ACC record for career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback when he capped a 13-play drive with his 1-yard scoring run on Georgia Tech's first drive. The rushing touchdown was his 36th. Joshua Nesbitt had the old record of 35 for the Yellow Jackets from 2007-10.
Vad Lee, who played most of last week's game behind Washington, had four carries for 13 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run. He completed 2 of 4 passes for 17 yards.
"Tevin played a great game," Johnson said. "Tevin was more of the hot hand, so we left him in."
Georgia Tech led 28-24 when Washington led an 18-play touchdown drive that lasted 8 minutes, 31 seconds. It was the Yellow Jackets' longest drive by number of plays and time of possession this season.
The only pass of the drive was Washington's 8-yard touchdown toss to Godhigh with about 10 minutes remaining.
On Duke's next possession, linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu's third-down sack of Renfree forced only the Blue Devils' second punt of the game.
Attaochu delivered another key stop on a fake punt by Duke's Will Monday with about 5 minutes remaining.
Renfree, who had a 9-yard scoring run, had touchdown passes of 24 yards to Desmond Scott in the first quarter and 1 yard to Juwan Thompson in the third quarter.
First Quarter
GaT-Washington 1 run (Tanner kick), 6:51.
Duke-Scott 24 pass from Renfree (Martin kick), 2:47.
Second Quarter
GaT-Sims 19 run (Tanner kick), 14:07.
Duke-Renfree 9 run (Martin kick), 12:40.
GaT-Lee 2 run (Tanner kick), 4:34.
Duke-FG Martin 50, 1:00.
Third Quarter
GaT-Laskey 28 pass from Washington (Tanner kick), 9:37.
Duke-Thompson 1 pass from Renfree (Martin kick), 3:48.
Fourth Quarter
GaT-Godhigh 8 pass from Washington (Tanner kick), 10:17.
GaT-Godhigh 27 pass from Washington (Tanner kick), 3:17.
First downs1528
Return Yards927
Time of Possession21:5038:10
RUSHING-Duke, Duncan 6-39, Snead 2-19, Thompson 5-16, Monday 1-4,
Connette 1-2, Renfree 7-(minus 3). Georgia Tech, Laskey 18-72,
Sims 11-70, O.Smith 10-67, Washington 19-62, Godhigh 3-21, Hill 1-14,
Lee 4-13, Greene 1-6, Days 1-5, Je.Moore 1-4, Team 3-(minus 4).
PASSING-Duke, Renfree 24-36-1-198. Georgia Tech,
Washington 6-10-0-102, Lee 2-4-0-17.
RECEIVING-Duke, Scott 10-124, Vernon 5-38, Reeves 3-12,
Thompson 3-10, Crowder 2-10, Blakeney 1-4. Georgia Tech, Laskey 2-40,
Godhigh 2-35, O.Smith 2-30, Beno 1-9, Greene 1-5.


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
Value Line recently initiated coverage of The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX) in its flagship product, The Value Line Investment Survey. The company is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of railroad freight car equipment in North America and Europe. It also makes ocean-going marine barges in North America. Greenbrier also provides wheel services, railcar refurbishment, and leasing, among other services, to the railroad and related transportation industries in North America. Roughly 90% of 2012 sales were generated in the United States. The company was incorporated in Delaware in 1981, and has its principal offices in Lake Oswego, Oregon. As of August 31, 2012, it employed nearly 7,400 people.
The company has three operating segments: Manufacturing; Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts; and Leasing & Services. The Manufacturing group (69% of 2012 sales) produces a broad array of railcar types. These include intermodal double-stack railcars in which containers can be stacked two-high on a single platform. This provides significant operating and capital savings. The division also makes conventional railcars, which can be used to transport forest products, automobiles, perishables, general merchandise, and commodities. Tank cars are produced for the transportation of toxic chemicals, including caustic soda, bio-diesel, and ammonium nitrate, among others. The group delivered 15,000 new railcar units in 2012, compared with 9,400 in the prior year.
The Manufacturing Group has a European division that produces a variety of railcars, including pressurized and non-pressurized tank cars, and coal cars, as well as flat and coil cars for the steel and metal markets. There is also a Marine Vessel Fabrication sub-segment that has a manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon with marine vessel fabrication capabilities. The group produces river and ocean-going barges for transporting merchandise between ports within the United States.
Greenbrier's second-largest segment is Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts (27% of 2012 sales). As the group's name suggests, the division provides services that include the reconditioning of wheels, axles, and roller bearings, along with the refurbishment of heavy rail cars and routine railcar maintenance. The company believes this is the largest independent wheel services, repair, and refurbishment parts network in North America, with 39 locations. There are 12 wheel shops, 23 railcar repair and refurbishment shops, and 4 component parts facilities.
The company's third, and smallest, segment is Leasing & Services (4% of 2012 sales). It offers software and services, including railcar maintenance management, railcar accounting services, fleet management using proprietary software, administration, and marketing. Greenbrier sometimes leases newly built or refurbished railcars to railroads or shippers, and sells the railcars and attached leases to financial institutions. It currently owns or provides management services to roughly 230,000 railcars.
Greenbrier's primary customers include railroads, leasing companies, shippers, carriers, and transportation companies. Its customer base is fairly concentrated. In 2012, its top three customers, TTX Company (TTX), Union Pacific Railroad (UP), and BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) accounted for 53% of total revenues.
In terms of competition, there are currently six major railcar manufacturers in North America. In the marine industry, there are two primary competitors located in the Gulf States. In Europe, there are four competitors who produce railcars, most of which are located in Central and Eastern Europe, where wages are lower and work rules more flexible. There are many competitors for the wheel services, refurbishment, and leasing businesses.
From a risk perspective, the company has a noteworthy amount of indebtedness. As of February 28, 2013, Greenbrier had $478 million of total debt, or nearly 50% of total capital. In addition, as we mentioned above, a significant amount of its revenues are derived from a small number of customers, so the loss or reduction of business from one or more would have a material impact on business.
We think business prospects for Greenbrier are favorable. All three sectors are expected to grow in the coming quarters, thanks to improving economic growth in the United States and rising railcar demand. In addition, management recently announced restructuring initiatives that should improve margins through operational efficiency improvements and cost reductions. It also looks to redeploy some of its capital reserves from non-core businesses into new investment opportunities.
At the time of this article's writing, the author did not have any positions in any of the companies mentioned.


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Socceroos could get raw deal
The East Asian Cup may not be as lucrative as the FFA first thought but they insist it has nothing to do with them seeking to reduce Socceroos' payments for the current qualifying tournament in Hong Kong.
As part of their current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the Socceroos are entitled to $6500 each per match, making the 20-man squad's participation in the four-game competition a costly exercise.
As Australia's involvement in the East Asian Cup was only finalised a few months ago - well after the CBA was put in place in 2010 - Football Federation Australia are negotiating with the Professional Footballers Association to have the qualifiers made exempt from the agreement.
The East Asian Cup finals have never been a big cash cow, with the winner of the 2010 edition only pocketing $US500,000 in prize money and last place getting a meagre $US150,000.
But the FFA was lead to believe by the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) they would receive a share of commercial revenue should they qualify and join Japan, China and South Korea in next year's showpiece.
While figures in the millions of dollars have been reported the FFA insist they never stood to earn any significant sum.
"Initially there were some informal suggestion of some revenue sharing from commercial arrangements but there has never been any formal indication that that was a reality," John Boultbee, the FFA's head of national team's unit told AAP on Thursday.
"Upon making enquiries it seems that is just not the case, so we never really went into for financial reasons.
"We've been having discussions with the PFA about a separate arrangement for this tournament in Hong Kong since October simply because it wasn't on the radar in 2010.
"But speculation that East Asian Cup was ever going to be a big money winner for the FFA is totally unfounded.
"We accepted an invitation to be part of the tournament for the first time and our interests were never financial."
EAFF officials are due meet on Saturday to discuss downgrading the already insignificant prize money and any possible commercial revenue sharing arrangements.
The FFA meanwhile hope to have negotiations with the PFA finalised sometime next week.
Fringe Socceroos Michael Thwaite said the players became aware of the situation a few weeks ago but weren't letting it affect them.
"From the players perspective we need to put our heads down and do the work first and get through the games," he told AAP.
"We can't let that political side of things get to us at all.
"But in saying that, we've had the CBA agreement in since 2010 so we're just letting the executives of the PFA negotiate with the FFA.
"We'll let them work it out and I'm sure they'll get paid, we'll get paid and everyone will be happy."
The Socceroos, fielding largely an A-League squad, have so far beaten Hong Kong 1-0 and drawn with North Korea 1-1.
They face Guam on Friday before their final match against Taiwan on Sunday.
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Poor start won't worry Adams
Ross County manager Derek Adams is naturally aiming for a better start to the Scottish Premiership campaign than usual - but recent experience has shown him there is no need to panic if it fails to materialise.
County open their season against St Johnstone in Dingwall on Sunday, with Adams again having reshaped his squad with 10 new signings, including the likes of former Cliftonville striker Liam Boyce and former Dunfermline winger Joe Cardle.
County have generally struggled in the opening halves of their two seasons in the top flight before some January reinforcements helped them finish strongly to secure fifth and seventh places.
And Adams is relaxed enough about the coming campaign to know there is no need for snap judgements.
Adams said: "Players took a wee bit of time to adjust last season and some who had been here didn't start the season very well. That combined meant we didn't start that well.
"Whoever starts well gets confidence and that puts them on a good run. You always want to do that.
"Partick Thistle got 20 points on board very early last season but they finished in 10th place. It doesn't mean that if you start well you also finish well.
"It's over the course of the season that you are judged, not the start, not the middle, it's throughout the 36 games."
County continued building their squad this week with more new arrivals, as well as the re-signing of Cardiff midfielder Filip Kiss on loan and the return of Graham Carey.
Adams said: "We have always been able to put teams on the park that are exciting.
"We have obviously changed the teams several times and we have had to do that. We have recruited exceptionally well over a period of time.
"There are ones that do well and ones that are good squad players but that's just the nature of the business, not everybody can play.
"You need a good squad and we have got that."
Stuart Kettlewell is missing after a hip operation with his future uncertain until he proves his fitness.
New St Johnstone signing Adam Morgan admits the club's William Hill Scottish Cup triumph was a factor in him joining the club.
The 20-year-old striker joined on loan from Yeovil ahead of Saints' Scottish Premiership opener against Ross County in Dingwall.
Former Liverpool forward Morgan told the club's official website: "The manager was a big influence in me joining the club, and I also watched the Scottish Cup Final, it looked a great day for the club."
Saints have qualified for Europe for two seasons running and Morgan is confident he can contribute to a good season.
Morgan, who played against Hearts for Liverpool in the Europa League, said: "Football is football, if you do things right in any league good things will happen. The SPFL is a strong league this year.
"I hope to do my best for the fans and the team, and ultimately have a successful time here and score some goals".
Murray Davidson (knee) remains on the sidelines for Saints but Steven Anderson could feature after staying on the bench in Slovakia against Spartak Trnava following a hamstring problem.
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Hi All,
We had a discussion many moons ago about atheists and morality and a lot has happened since then. I reached some new conclusions (which I'll withhold for now so I don't poison the water) and at least one other poster here has some new ideas about it.
So, I was wondering what the prevailing opinion is out there on this topic. Do you believe that atheists can be "moral"? Is it impossible for an atheist to be truly moral? Is "morality" something to which adherents have a valid claim? The infamous Dawkins and Harris had a discussion at Oxford about this about a year or so ago that was very good and I would also be interested in what anyone thinks of what was discussed there.
Thanks and all are welcome.
- kk
Views: 1676
This is my distinction between being moral (adhering to The Ten Commandments or The Golden Rule, for example) and ethical, which involves simply looking for the best choice among many.
I've noticed that sources vary on their degree of codification regarding 'morals' and 'ethics' to the point where they are pretty much interchangeable.
Harvard has a great lecture series on Youtube about ethics/morality; it's a long watch, but well worth it. Here's a link to part 1.
Whenever two words are interchangeable, that is less useful than two words with related but distinct meanings.
Agreed. I was just making an observation; no value judgement was intended.
If your claim is that an objective moral code is a myth, then I would tend to be in agreement.
It all depends upon what you mean by "objective," though, doesn't it. You can hold a copy of The Ten Commandments in your hands, as an object. And in that sense, it is objective.
Hey Unseen,
Yea, I think we are in fact in agreement. By "objective" I'm saying that there is no moral framework for which we can guarantee every human being will agree, and no way to prove an outlier wrong. You may be the only one that agrees.
- kk
Hey Obfuskation,
Yes, thats what I mean. My fixation on this issue vis-a-vis deconversion sometimes causes me to assume too much.
- kk
RE: "some impudent individuals" - interestingly, the word, "immoral" (choosing that specifically, so I can't be accused of going off-topic) clearly means, "not moral" - but I discovered that there is no such word as "pudent," from which to be, "not pudent." so whoever that person was, who was "impudent," he (or she) should definitely try to turn his (or her) life around and start being pudent for a change.
The reason I popped in, is to tell you that when that thing with the black text happens, and I've seen it happen a number of times, if, while you still have that 15-minute window to make corrections, you will click on the "HTML" window on the upper right of your toolbar, the present window will be replaced by a window with not only your original text, but the HyperText Markup Language that tells the computer how to project your comment onto the screen. That done, scroll down to where your sentence begins that is all-black, and you will see a line preceding the first word in that sentence - it will begin with this symbol < and end with this one > and between the two will be a line of what to you will be gibberish, but to the TA server, will say a great deal. One of the things you can expect to see, is a 5- or 6-digit number, which describes to the computer, the color it is to use on the text. Delete that entire line, from < to > then hit the HTML button again, hit "Save," and you should be good to go next time that happens.
I'm having a problem with this discussion as well, in that everytime I hit someone's "Reply" button, instead of a window opening, I'm simply taken (against my will) to the top of the page. No matter how many times I try, the result is the same. My only option appears to be what I'm doing now - posting in the window at the beginning of the thread, despite the fact that I can safely assume that my comment will wind up nowhere near your original post about the blackout.
As you were - and if I run across anyone being not pudent, I'll convey your message.
It's a good thing you put in the caveat about not going off-topic, or it would have been off to the education forum for you. :)
hey - lol - kk
Hey Arch,
Yep, I got bumped to the top as well a few times,
- kk


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Charles Hartwell was my husband's GGGrandfather. Tracing his life has been fascinating to say the least. Not only because there are lots of records relating to him but because those records provide significant insights into Charles Hartwell's person including some unflattering information. You'll see this as his story unfolds. We used Civil War Service and Pension applications, Homestead papers, and Vital records as well as maps and historical information about the times to put this all together and begin to "know" Charles Hartwell. Even the handwriting analysis provides clues to his personality. Here then, as we know it is his story:
Charles Warren Hartwell was the first child of Nelson Hartwell and Electa Walter. He was born February 1, 1835 in Linden (Lyndon) Caledonia County, Vermont, mailing address East Haven, Essex County Vermont. The 1840 U.S. census shows the Nelson Hartwell family members as: one free white male under the age of 5, one free white male between the ages of 5 thru 9, one free white male 20 thru 29, one free white female under the age of 5 one free white female 20 thru 29. Total persons = 5. The census also shows that one person (presumably Nelson) is engaged in agriculture. So to line these totals up to people, the one male under 5 would be Harlow, Charles' younger brother, 5 thru 9 would be Charles, female under the age of 5, his sister Isabella, and of course the two adults would be Nelson and Electa. In 1850 Charles was still part of the family and was age 15.
Jump ahead to December 30, 1857. That's the date Charles married Calista A. Langs in Branch County Michigan. The Langs family lived in Gilead, Branch County. Why Charles happened to be there is anybody's guess… although his childhood playmate, Clifton Walter had gone out to that area of Michigan as well. Perhaps he was simply a young man seeking an adventure. The 1860 US Census shows Calista, Charles and Isabella (or Esabella) Hartwell had returned to Vermont and were living in Caledonia, Charles' home town. Baby Isabella was two years old.
By 1870 the Hartwell's had moved back out to Michigan with their two children, and in 1870 were enumerated in Noble, Branch County, Michigan not far from the Langs family home. The data: Charles, age 35, Calista age 30 and George, age 8. Also listed are Eva K Cass, age 6 and Thomas Winters, a Stone Mason age 22 years. Isabella is not listed.
On October 16, 1871 Charles filed a Homestead Application for 160 acres of land in section 26 of Township 31, Range 7W, Antrim County Michigan.
Charles and Calista's story continues in Part II, focusing on acquisition of the Homestead and Charles departure from the family.
FHL microfilm, source batch #M518282, film #930796, Branch County Marriages, 1833-1867
Department of the Interior request for pension, document #25, Hartwell file
Book: Grace Hooper's Pioneer Notes, By Trek and Sail to Grand Traverse Bay. Text written in 1993 by Beulah Hooper King. Published by Fen's Rim Publications, Inc. Elk Rapids, Michigan
U.S. Census, East Haven, Essex County Vermont, 1840-1870; Newark, Caledonia County Vermont, 1860
U.S. Census, State of Michigan, Noble County 1870; Antrim County 1880
Susan J. Edminster, Granite Falls Washington, February 9, 2011. All Rights Reserved


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JMG participates in special Mother's Day project
Borger ISD takes part in the JMG program, also known as The Junior Master Gardener. According to a press release, JMG is growing Good Kids by encouraging them to have a passion for learning, success, and service through s unique gardening education. JMG offers curriculum that covers a broad range of horticulture and environmental education topics. It also helps them develop critical thinking skills and to identify local conservation and environmental concerns for their community. In addition to this organization, ConocoPhillips donated initial funds to help get the greenhouse and outside garden outside started. Two high school students at the time, Alicia Brandon and Mary Taylor Rogers, did an independent project to help the plan in motion. This year the JMG students planted and took care of petunias, which will be handed out to students in first through fourth grade students as a present for Mother's day. The plants will also be distributed to the Borger Nursing Home and Opportunity Center. In being a part of this program, students have increased interest in science and math, they are more enthusiastic about learning and performing and community service out side of the class room, they are willing to try new fruits and vegetables that they grow and study, they appreciate the farmer for all his efforts and have better understandings of the complete process of providing food.


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If anyone questions where you live and why you live there, just point out that Bullitt County is a great community made up of caring people.
On Aug. 20 an unnamed city employee in Shepherdsville decided that a monument was needed to honor the veterans of military services.
Absorbing the entire cost, the anonymous employee took care of everything and the monument was officially dedicated.
Every community is full of caring people. And when the chips are down, you know others will come to offer help.
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