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Red Wings add Brewer as 'coach concierge'by Dan Rosen
One of the Detroit Red Wings' new assistant coaches found his niche in hockey by chance seven years ago when as a business student at the University of New Brunswick, he made a motivational video to celebrate the school's 2007 CIS University Cup championship.
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews talking about overcoming obstacles and getting close to winning the Stanley Cup last season:
"I don't know if at the start of the season, winning the Cup last year, if anyone picked Chicago to win again, especially with the long regular season, the traveling, the Olympic schedule, the amount of guys we had at the Olympics. All those things say we're not supposed to win again, but once we got [to the Stanley Cup Playoffs] that's what we expected of ourselves. We overcame all those things and we were very, very close again. We'd like to think that if we overcame L.A. we might have had the same fate as L.A. did against New York. I think it is reassuring that you can go through all the stuff we had to go through and have that belief in ourselves that we still can win after having won a championship last year. Hopefully we can be much more prepared for the playoffs next year."
Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz talking about how his views on line combinations and defense pairs can quickly change:
"I've been doing this a long time and I always say you're playing fantasy hockey in the summer. Here are your lines in July, and then you look at them [during the season] and say, 'What was I thinking?' On paper it looks like it will work, but then you have to go on the ice. I had some weird combinations in Nashville. A player like Joel Ward, I probably thought he was a third- or fourth-line guy, but he played on my No. 1 line a few years back with Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont. They were a good line, and never in July would I have thought of that."
Andrew Brewer was hired by Mike Babcock in late July. He's 28 years old.
"So, I've kind of given up on guessing what I'm going to be doing in five or 10 years," Brewer said during a recent phone interview.
Brewer never played at a high level. He was, as he said, usually the last guy cut from the team. His father, Perley, was a goalie coach in the American Hockey League, but Brewer said he would have had to become a fighter if he wanted to continue playing beyond the age of 16.
"I had no desire to do that, so I kind of gave it up," Brewer said.
But Brewer, who said he has always admired coaches more than players because of his father, made a video for a school project that has led him down a career path that was once just a pipe dream and into a relationship with Babcock that has to be one of the most unique in the NHL.
Brewer was hired as an assistant coach even though his job responsibilities are more as a video coach/manager of the coaching staff. He calls himself a "coach concierge," and said it's his job to make sure Babcock and fellow assistants Tony Granato, Jim Hiller and goalie coach Jim Bedard have everything they need to be better coaches.
Babcock referred to Brewer as the Red Wings' "director of coaching."
"He ran our Olympic staff," Babcock said. "He's got a real good mind. I think he's going to be excellent for us. He's already been all over me about a few things and that's great. You want people to come in and make you better."
Brewer and Babcock met through Hockey Canada in preparation for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Babcock was Canada's head coach, Brewer was Canada's manager and video coach, a position he took in 2011 after three years working as an assistant coach at the University of New Brunswick.
Brewer's preparation prior to the Olympics helped Babcock and assistants Claude Julien, Ken Hitchcock, Lindy Ruff and Ralph Krueger guide Canada to a second straight gold-medal performance.
"We pre-scouted every other country. We pre-scouted every lineup. We knew who the fourth line right-winger was for everybody," Brewer said. "While all the coaches were working with their NHL teams on a full-time basis, it was my full-time job to prepare for the Olympics. I had a guy working with me and we worked on preparing as much information as possible so when our coaches arrived in Sochi they would have every piece of information, whatever they needed to do the best job coaching. We may have only used five percent of it, but I didn't want to be in Sochi and have coach ask for some information and not have it. So we went overboard. It's better to have too much and not use it than scramble at the last minute."
As Babcock mentioned, Brewer has already been in his ear about doing more for the Red Wings, including analytics.
Where will Martin Brodeur end up -- A) Devils front office; B) Devils backup; C) Different organization? -- @ConiglioHockey
I'm going with C for now, but eventually A. I'm expecting Brodeur to find an opening at some point during training camp or early in the regular season because of injury.
Who is going to be the Anaheim Ducks No. 1 goalie to start the season, John Gibson or Fredrik Andersen? -- @BrentFoote
It's a hard question to answer because there is no clear front-runner as of right now. I want to say Gibson only because he's been the better prospect, but Andersen played more last season and had excellent numbers (28 games, 20 wins, .923 save percentage, 2.29 goals-against average).
Is Tyler Bozak a real No. 1 center for the Toronto Maple Leafs? If not, could the Leafs trade for one? -- @SweepingTornado
I think Bozak is a solid player, but I don't think he's best-used as a No. 1 center on a team that wants to be a contender. I also don't think the so-called chemistry he has with Phil Kessel has as much to do with Kessel's outstanding numbers in the past three seasons (94 goals, 214 points in 212 games) as Kessel's talent. Bozak is a good center for Kessel, but if the Maple Leafs had any other No. 1 center on any other team I would say Kessel puts up similar, if not better numbers. Kessel is that good and players like him can adapt and play with almost anybody, particularly good centermen.
Do you think Mike Babcock signs an extension with the Red Wings now that Ken Holland signed a new deal? -- @3rdShiftHockey
I do think Babcock will ultimately sign an extension because he's happy in Detroit, has a strong working relationship with Holland, sees a bright future with some of the team's younger players (Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco, etc.), and is excited about the new arena district in downtown that could be ready by 2017. He deserves to be either the highest-paid coach in the League or at least on par with the highest-paid coaches. The Red Wings can provide that type of contract for him.
Will the Pittsburgh Penguins defensemen be better or worse than last year? -- @jacko1616
Pittsburgh was 10th in goals-against (2.49) and in shots-against (28.8) last season, but I think the defense can be better even without Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen.
Which first year head coach as the toughest road ahead? Which, if any, wins the Stanley Cup first? -- @abrown047
Six teams have new coaches, but three are first-year NHL coaches: Willie Desjardins (Vancouver Canucks), Bill Peters (Carolina Hurricanes) and Mike Johnston (Pittsburgh Penguins). Of those first-year coaches, Peters will have the toughest road and Johnston has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup first.
If you have a question you want answered in Over the Boards, send it in a tweet to @drosennhl. The Mailbag will be a weekly feature here.
Babcock said earlier this summer the Red Wings would eventually have to hire someone to be responsible for analytics. Though Brewer isn't an analytics guru, per se, he said he does dabble in the modern statistics and will be able to provide the coaching staff with that type of information.
"At the end of the day video is the same as analytics, it's information you provide to coaches to help them make better decisions with players to help the players improve," Brewer said. "I think that's part of my job. My job isn't just strictly doing video, it's bringing any information I can to make the coaching staff better, which in turn makes the team better. Whether that's information to our players, analytical evaluation of our team, or if it's evaluation of other teams, shootouts, things like that. It's whatever I need to do to help improve our coaching staff."
Brewer first started improving the staff at UNB in 2009. By sheer chance Brewer's now wife, Patricia, was a student working in gameday operations at the school in 2007 and was able to show her boss the video Brewer made to celebrate UNB's University Cup championship.
Patricia's boss liked Brewer's creation so much he decided to play it at the team's ring ceremony, where UNB coach Gardiner MacDougall saw it and first gained an appreciation for Brewer's talent.
"After that he gave me a call and asked if I would do a video for him," Brewer said. "So I did that video. Then he wanted to get into video analysis and asked if I would do that. So I became a video coach. Halfway through the season it became more and I started going on the ice for practice and started doing more, so I became an assistant coach. I just kept on saying yes to whatever he asked me to do."
Brewer worked under MacDougall for three seasons, helping UNB win two more national championships (2009 and 2011). He saw a job opening to be a video coach for Hockey Canada in 2011, applied and was selected for the job out of approximately 250 applicants.
Brewer contributed to the coaching staffs at three IIHF World Junior Championship tournaments, three World Championship tournaments and other international events, but his main priority was helping Babcock and Co. bring home another Olympic gold medal.
Now he gets to ply his trade in the NHL, seven years after making the video that changed his life.
"At the Olympics I was the sixth guy on the coaching staff, but I was still part of the coaching staff," Brewer said. "Mike, especially, treated me as part of it. He wanted it to be recognition that it's not just doing the video side of it. I think that's kind of the idea on my title with Detroit, but I understand my place. I'm the low man on the totem pole and more than happy. If it means getting the laundry every day, I'll do whatever I can to stay in the League."
Carolina eyeing Murphy, Lindholm for first PP unit
Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters is hoping the continued development of center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Ryan Murphy will help the team improve what was a woeful power play last season. The Hurricanes were 28th on the man advantage at 14.6 percent.
"That's an issue," Peters said. "We've gotta get it going better."
Lindholm and Murphy played regularly on the power play last season, but both were rookies and didn't play a full season. Lindholm played 58 games and Murphy in 48. They combined for 10 points on the power play, with Lindholm contributing four goals and three assists.
Peters said the Hurricanes didn't make any major acquisitions this summer with the idea that Lindholm and Murphy would be able to take a step forward in their careers.
"As I was preparing for my interviews with Carolina, everyone throughout hockey spoke very highly of Elias Lindholm," Peters said. "I don't know him as well as others do, but his comparables were very good. I've seen Ryan Murphy play for three years going back to when he was in Kitchener as a junior. I know what he's capable of. I know he's a puck mover. I know he's got very good vision on the power play. He's a guy I think is going to be able to help our power play, if it's not the first unit it will be the second unit."
Peters said the first unit could consist of Lindholm, Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, Alexander Semin and either Murphy or Justin Faulk. Jordan Staal, Jiri Tlusty, Nathan Gerbe, Chris Terry and either Murphy or Faulk should make up the second unit.
Trotz talks 'D' pairs, Orlov no lock, forget the Pittsburgh combination
In discussing his possible defense pairs, Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz stated the obvious in saying Brooks Orpik, Karl Alzner, John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Mike Green are the locks to be in the top-six. Trotz curiously did not include Dmitry Orlov, who paired with Green last season to form what was arguably the Capitals' most consistent defense pair, at least based on possession metrics such as Corsi and Fenwick.
Orlov, who starts a two-year, $4 million contract this season, had 11 points in 54 games in 2013-14. He and Green had a 56-percent Corsi-for rating when they were on the ice together in 5-on-5 situations, according to stats.hockeyanalysis.com.
Trotz, though, included Orlov in the conversation with John Erskine, Jack Hillen, Steve Olesky, Nate Schmidt and Cameron Schilling.
"I'm probably thinking of a Niskanen-Alzner pair and either Carlson or Green with Orpik, or a combination of those five rotating a bit," Trotz said. "In the six-seven hole, we've got Erskine and Hillen, who are more veteran, and some young guys coming up like Orlov and Olesky, Schilling and Schmidt. They all will vie for it. I really think there is going to be a lot of competition for the six through eight spots."
Even though Niskanen and Orpik were teammates with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the past three-plus seasons, they rarely were paired together. Todd Reirden, who ran the Penguins' blue line under former coach Dan Bylsma, is now an assistant coach under Trotz in Washington.
"I've got a lot of respect for Todd, and they never played them together so obviously they either had and didn't like it, or that it just wasn't the right mix," Trotz said.


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Dia De Los Muertos Monster High Skelita Mega Bloks Minifig
back when they were first released. Beyond the difference in dollies and minifigs, I think the minifig aesthetic works better for these ladies. Their heads aren't as proportionally huge and their limbs aren't as proportionally stick-thin in minifig form. To me the minifigs look a lot better.
I've previously posted about the Monster High Mega Bloks Spectra Vondergeist and Venus McFlytrap from Series 1. I didn't pick up any from Series 2, although I was pretty tempted by a couple of them. Now that I have Skelita and another I picked up from Series 3 (to be blogged at a later date) I may have to just admit I collect little dollies and get a bunch more. Here's hoping the line continues and has a long and fruitful run! Viva la dollies!
4 comments:
I love the Megabloks Monster Highs. I bought almost every character in at least one version up until series 2, but never did get any of the third series.ReplyDelete
I only saw Series 2 once and missed out on Operetta, so I hope they pop up somewhere again so I can add her to my meager cherry-picked collection.ReplyDelete
I may have to have one of these for my desk nowReplyDelete
Nice. There need be no shame or deterrence in dolls, but I can understand the aesthetic differences, which I used to share.ReplyDelete
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subset: commoncrawl


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Here in the US we're getting ready for our big Turkey Day – Thanksgiving. I have a lot to give thanks for this year. I appreciate all of you who offered support and encouragement throughout the year, and I am certainly thankful for my dedicated team and delightful clients.
I especially enjoy Thanksgiving as a time to get together with friends and family and share a meal we've all contributed to. Our tradition is that everyone makes their own specialty for all to enjoy. It is always the variety of foods and spices that makes the meal great. As always, it's the people who make the moment memorable!
I would like to thank you for reading this blog and supporting Champion Assistants. My sincere thanks and wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Filed under: virtual assistant | Tagged: Champion Assistant, Champion Assistants thanksgiving, happy thanksgiving, seattle virtual assistant, small business, small business VA, small business virtual assistant, strategic VA, strategic virtual assistant, succeed in a recession, techie VA, technology virtual assistant, thanksgiving tradition, Washington VA, washington virtual assistant | Leave a comment »


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Greensky brought their innovative brand of rock-infused bluegrass to the vaunted Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, recently and drove a shoulder-to-shoulder, standing-room-only crowd into a frenzied state of hard-pickin' heaven.
Playing Red Rocks is considered a major milestone for many bands. If you're headlining there, you've arrived. But Greensky did more than show up. They proved why they're one of America's most talked about bluegrass acts that's garnered legions of followers in the past decade.
Greensky Bluegrass was founded in 2004 with three members. That would be Michael Bont on Banjo, Dave Bruzza on guitar and Paul Hoffman on mandoline. Hoffman also provides the silky vocals for the group and writes songs. They later expanded to a five-man set when they brought in Michael Devol, a classical cellist, as bass player and Anders Beck playing an amazing dobro.
A big milestone for the bluegrass quintet came in 2006 when the band won first place at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival competition. The event is held in Telluride, Colorado, and is sponsored by Planet Bluegrass.
The band released their first album in 2004. It was called Less Than Supper. The follow-up album was Tuesday Letter produced by Tim Carbone, a member of the highly Railroad Earth. Greensky's third at latest album is Shouted, Written Down & Quoted released in 2016. That effort was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos.
Part of the reason for this group's success is its deep bench. The vocals of Paul Hoffman and his nuanced songwriting have touched a chord with a key audience demographic. Another factor is the amazingly emotive play of Anders Beck on the dobro. Beck is something of a latecomer to the band. He joined seven years after the band originally formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the mid-2000s. But today fans of Greensky could not imagine this group without the iconic style Beck brings to the music. It's as if he completed a certain "sound" the boys had been looking for from the beginning.
The audience continues to grow for Greensky, largely due to word-of-mouth promotion engendered by enthusiastic fans.


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Minister of Interior, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd); Permanent Secretary, Bassey Okon Akpanyung, and participants
The Minister of Interior, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) has said that the conflict between pastoralists and sedentary farmers poses grave implication to Nigeria's internal security, and requires a complex approach to tackle.
The Minister, who stated this at the opening of the Strategic Stakeholders Meeting on the Pastoralists/Sedentary Farmer Conflict in Nigeria held in Abuja, stressed that the meeting was expected to come up with strategies for solving this conflict that threatens the country's unity.
He said that the primary objective of the meeting was to arrive at a common understanding of the problems underlying the conflict and to harness institutional memory of past policy interventions from various stakeholders with a view to coming up with informed solution to it.
The Minister further stated that another objective of the meeting "is deciding on the membership and format for a subsequent open all-stakeholders' meeting over the conflict", adding that the membership would comprise the ethnic, religious, geopolitical, civil societies and other actors directly involved in the conflict in order to arrive at a lasting solution.
He added that a further objective of the meeting "is to identify any laws and regulations that impact on the conflict", which will then inform the design of a definitive policy intervention that will lead to an abatement of the conflict.
According to him, the conflict mostly happens in the Niger-Benue River Basin because of its rich pasture and water resources where pastoralists converge seasonally to graze their cattle.
General Dambazau added that the conflict has however spread beyond the Niger-Benue River trough to the south-eastern and western Nigeria where violence and opportunistic criminal angles to the conflict, such as cattle-rustling, armed robbery and kidnapping, have been added to the mix, resulting to loss of life, dislocation of people and communities, and disruption of socio-economic activity, as well as posing a threat to the integrity and peaceful coexistence of the Nigerian State.
He stated that there had been recent reports that the Boko Haram terrorists were taking advantage of the situation to further their agenda.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Bassey Okon Akpanyung, bemoaned the many lives lost to the conflict, saying that the conflict claims the lives of both the principal actors and innocent standers-by who get caught in the cross-fire.
He stated that the meeting is a brainstorming session to identify the principal cause, main actors and the narratives of the conflict, as well as take a look at its dynamism over the years.
The meeting had participants drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.
Minister of Interior, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd); Permanent Secretary, Bassey Okon Akpanyung
Minister of Interior, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd); Comptroller-General of Immigration, Martin Kure Abeshi


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William and Chandra Vandry sponsor annual fitness and self defense clinic for TSBVI legally blind students. The Vandry's have worked with the legally blind TSBVI for its fifth year.
Vandry Hope Foundation volunteers: Markus Lagmannnson, Jim Hagel, Will Jackson, Jay Gordon, Justin Toler and Susan and Karen for event planning and photographs.


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Job Description
Job description
Creative Personnel are growing and are currently looking to appoint talented Junior Recruitment Consultants to join our Digital, Games and Technology teams.
You don't need any previous recruitment experience for this role, just a strong work ethic, the desire to progress professionally, and an outgoing & sociable personality.
This is a rare opportunity to develop a career that supports and rewards entrepreneurial thinking and gives you the opportunity to progress.
Desired skills/qualities:
- Highly ambitious with the desire to succeed
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- Resilient and robust when facing challenges
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- Highly competitive
- Relationship builder and professional net-worker, always hunting for opportunities
- Goal and action orientated
- You will have a minimum of 6+ months (current) office experience and/or sales/telesales experience
Full training and a personal career plan will be provided for the right individuals. After qualifying, your earnings are also uncapped, so this really is an opportunity to 'get out what you put in' with regards to financial reward, as well as achieving professional credibility and recognition.
Here's a matrix of what you can earn at Creative Personnel...
Sales/month Annual OTE
2 sales = £45,589
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4 sales = £97,087
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· Digital Media & Social
· Games
· Audio Visual
· Web Technology
· An established business since 1999, London/City based with offices in India too.
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Call Martine Sullivan on 0203 371 8700 for an informal chat and to find out more about this fantastic opportunity!


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Ditched 4 Murder
- $5.99
- $5.99
Publisher Description
She's handling a bridezilla—and hunting a killer . . .
Moving from Minnesota to Arizona was a big change for Sophie "Phee" Kimball. She's much closer to her mother's retirement community now—which can drive her a little crazy, but at least her mom, Harriet, has her book club and her chiweenie dog, Streetman, to keep her company. And now there's even more activity, with Aunt Ina's upcoming wedding. The seventy-four-year-old bride has roped Phee into working on the tent, the pastries, and even her headpiece in preparation for the ceremony. But it's Harriet who really gets demanding when a dead body turns up yards from her front door.
Aunt Ina's fiancé is acquainted with the victim—a local millionaire restaurateur murdered at the golf course. Working for a private investigator, Phee is drawn into the case—not just professionally but personally, since Harriet is in a panic about her safety. With a killer on the loose, Phee vows to figure out the plot—that is, if her side job as a wedding planner doesn't kill her first . . .
Praise for J.C. Eaton
"Sophie 'Phee' Kimball has a lot on her plate in this captivating whodunit, but this feisty, take-charge heroine is definitely up for the challenge. Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy."
—Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries


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The Moundridge girls have earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 2A State Tournament after stifling South Central 41-24 Saturday night in the sub-state finals at Inman.
The 21-2 Wildcats will play at 8:15 p.m. Thursday in the first round at Manhattan's Bramlage Coliseum. Their opponent will be 19-4 Chase County.
A victory and the Wildcats would play the winner of 21-2 Valley Falls and 19-4 Hill City. That game would be at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Central Plains (22-1) is the No. 1 seed and plays Wabaunsee (15-8) in its first-round game, with the winner to play either Pittsburg Colgan (20-2) or Meade (19-3).


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Witten's Christmas Letter for 1985
Well, technology has at last caught up with us! Having finally discovered the Xerox machine we have realized how much time could be saved by writing Christmas letters the yuppie way, using computer and copier. If you are accustomed to receiving a traditional hand-crafted letter from us this time of year, our apologies -- it was inevitable that we'd eventually move into the 2Oth century. And console yourself with the thought that countless others will receive this missive who would otherwise have had to put up with ignorance of the Wittens doings for a whole nother year! You will be interested to hear that despite our new and trendy approach to letter-writing, we still do not have one of those awful telly things, although we have succumbed to car and telephone [(4O3) 289-5371 -- give us a call to prove it!].
As we write this in the midst of addressing Christmas cards early in November the weather has decided to play along and put us in the Christmas spirit. Yes, it's snowing. What's more the ski season opened a couple of weeks ago, some six weeks early. Ian has bought new skis already, and this afternoon spent a snowy couple of hours with the girls, six skis, six poles, a toboggan, and innumerable gloves and hats in a park round the corner. Imagine -- soft sugary white stuff, powdery, sparkling in the sun. The kids were great -- it was a lot of fun. However, early winter is a bit of a shock to us as we'd planned to miss the cold this year (as you will see if you make it to the end of this letter).
Now for the year. A run-down.
At Easter Pam's work with her Downs Syndrome pupil came to an exciting and rewarding conclusion when Heather was assessed by the local school board as being able to integrate in a standard kindergarten. Thus she became one of very few mentally handicapped children in Calgary to be allowed a chance -- even at the elementary (primary) level -- to share her education with able-bodied kids. That was a very emotional time for everyone involved.
From a year of one-to-one teaching Pam then went on to be temporary teacher/Director of a nursery school, teaching 40 children aged 3-4 in three groups during the week while the regular "boss" was on maternity leave. Three months of having a full-time working mother was an interesting experience for us all and we came out pretty well unscathed despite eating a lot of take-out pizzas!
At the end of June everything happened! Pam finished work. Anna finished school. Ian finished his 3-year sentence as Head of Department. Emily our cat finished living with us and went to stay with friends for a year. And to cap it all, just as visitors arrived from England (they were literally walking up the drive) Nikki nearly finished her knee by tearing it on the car-door ashtray. What a welcome for Ailsa, Lynne and Steve Matheson (ex Wivenhoe) -- not exactly the red carpet, but ... Anyway a quick trip to the hospital for Nikki, and a quick couple of brandies for the grown-ups, and a quick 7 stitches, fixed all that. And we settled down for an excellent week with the Mathesons, who did a terrific job of entertaining our girls while Pam packed up in preparation for Ian's hard-earned sabbatical. We talked a lot of old times and old friends. 'Course nostalgia ain't what it used to be, but we enjoyed it anyway. And we had some memorable events -- like a trip to what seemed the North Pole in a beautiful cirque near the top of a mountain, in late Spring snow and a vicious, cutting wind. And warming up afterwards, cooking juicy steaks on a blazing campfire, and sitting close by it to eat in a gentle swirl of snow. Smells of woodsmoke, chilly red wine, fabulous meat, coffee.
Then we all flew to Graz, Austria, where Ian was involved in a (non-stressful!) project at the University. It was a lovely, relaxed summer. We'd recommend Graz as a holiday spot (or even for work) to anyone. Warm weather, Excellent scenery. History, castles, and the European tradition of eating delicious food and drink at inexpensive restaurants. Close enough to Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Italy for the occasional foray. But not in the least bit touristy. Although it's an area where many people wear traditional costume every day, it has yet to be discovered by tourists. We rarely heard English spoken except by ourselves, when our German wasn't up to the occasion. Our apartment was a garret on the main road to Yugoslavia, six stories above the main station and the graveyard (and no elevator). But we didn't need to spend much time in it. We did a lot of swimming, mooching, discovering castles, descending into caves, and sampling the local wine and cuisine.
The Great Austrian Wine Scandal came to light while we were there and it was a little disconcerting to walk into the local store one day and find the booze section almost empty! (We weren't following the news -- it was all in German!) However we found a local dry wine which was very much to our taste and hadn't been sweetened with anti-freeze; also the beer was very good. Of course we ate a lot of Tortes, Kuechen, and Viennese cream cakes, invariably preceded by dumplings. We discovered some amazing and unexpected desserts. Like Germknudel, which is delicious and a big favourite of Anna's, though we know you're thinking it sounds more like an infection than a confection (Germ means yeast I believe). Or Salzburger nockerl, a dessert souffle about the size of a rugby ball (although you do have to share it between two). And the icecreams were fantastic -- big bowlsfull stuffed with fresh strawberries, bananas, lashings of cream, chocolate sauce.
Much of our weekend time we spent hiking in the mountains. They were lush and lovely and full of wild cyclamen -- beautiful in a quiet, gentle way; quite unlike our own stunning Rockies. For starters there were no bears -- though we did see adders. But we found the mountains in angry moods too. Once we were all high up at a cirque, sitting beside a lake having lunch, when CRACK the thunder started right over our heads, preceded by the tense air and little ripping sounds you hear when lightning is ever so close, and rumbling interminably round our little valley. Then the hail, making the lake instantly white, vicious little balls thudding into our bare arms and legs. We hid in the bushes for what seemed like ages. But although it had eased off a bit, the storm suddenly got fiercer again. We were all scared of the lightning -- it was ever so close -- when eventually Nikki broke up and cried. So we picked up the kids and ran with legs freezing and stinging for ten minutes back to the alpine Gasthaus, for well-deserved hot chocolate. There were lots of electric storms in Graz this summer, though we didn't get caught out in any others. Most of our hiking was exceptionally peaceful. Lush alpine valleys, full of contented cows tinkling gently as they grazed. Quiet open woods. Cascading, rushing torrents, deep and narrow gorges with wooden bridges and ladders clinging to the bare rock. (Another memory is our Austrian host suddenly plunging into a deep pool for a swim. Of course we followed. I suppose "refreshing" is the nice word. "You're crazy," we said. "Thank you," he said politely.) And JausenStations. Jausen is like afternoon tea, except that you have beer, cheese, and sausages; not dainty cakes and cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off. And almost every walk ends up with a JausenStation at the turning point, be it at the top of a mountain or beside a sparkling lake. We took to Jausen like ducks to water.
We had visitors in Graz, too. The Brosters, old friends from Wivenhoe like the Mathesons, took advantage of our convenient location on the main road between Dover and Yugoslavia and dropped in for a few days. With them we swam in lakes and visited zoos, and Pam had an introduction to nudism as a way of life (she liked it but not in the snow at 20 below, thanks very much).
And the highlight of our trip was a week in Prague. The whole family took the train from Vienna, to stay with a Czech family we had met in Calgary in 1969! It was a magic time. Prague is a dreamlike, mysterious city with fantastic, precisely-sculpted fairytale spires that cannot possibly be real. The main bridge across the Vitava (but there are uncountable other bridges) is equipped with sculptures every few yards, on each side. And it is for pedestrians only (hooray!). Prague castle contains a cathedral, unbelievably ornate, and tiny little houses actually built into the castle walls. Truly an amazing city, steeped in history. We wanted to go to the theatre, but this presented a bit of a challenge since our Czech is quite rusty (!). Undeterred, we went to a mime show which riveted the whole family to their seats. Anna caused quite a stir by announcing in a loud stage whisper that she did mime too, at school, in French! It's always surprising how many people understand English. And we all went to a concert in a church. We were surprised that our hosts wanted to get there so early, until we arrived with 20 minutes to go and found the place packed. They were sitting in the aisles, on the floor, even in the confessional booth! Standing room only. It seems the people are hungry for music.
Even though it holds all these marvels, Prague's best part was the house where we were staying. We were treated to hospitality quite unlike anything we're used to. The kids were made a great fuss of and spoiled terribly. We all got on really well with our hosts and their grown-up children, and talked of many things both light and serious. It was a week we won't forget.
But the people of Prague are not carefree and gay. The city is beautiful, but the system is difficult to live with. Nowhere is this more obvious to the tourist than when shopping. Shops and shop assistants do not seem to be there to help you, but treat you as an unfortunate intrusion into their day. And goods are desperately lacking. We looked for a while for hiking boots for Ian, who needed a new pair, and everyone knows Czechoslovakia makes good footwear. Well, we looked and looked and looked. All the shoe stores seemed to have one style of boot which was not very attractive, but no other. Eventually we cracked and decided to try on a pair, since there was clearly going to be nothing else. So we joined the line-up (line-ups are everywhere). Eventually we reached the short-tempered salesgirl, only to discover that the boots were available in one size only -- for giants! So much for buying boots. To make up for this, though, we did see some wonderful clarinets in a second-hand music store, and brought one home. While trying them out Ian was enlisted by another customer to try out saxophones for her -- could this be the beginning of a new career?
So arriving back in Vienna, to thronging, happy streets with open-air cafes full of chattering and laughter was quite an event for us. And soon Pam and the kids were winging their way back to Calgary, in time to start school at the beginning of September; while Ian drove back to Graz for another month there. While it rained and snowed in Alberta he had a week in the sunshine of Crete. It wasn't supposed to be a week, just a couple of days to give seminars at the University and at a research institute there, but you can't get a flight for less than a week so he had no choice but to kick his heels on Mediterranean beaches for the rest of the time. And then at the beginning of October he returned to Calgary, leaving nothing in Graz but memories.
But soon we're off again. Mid-December we fly to New Zealand via Disneyland for a few hours. The hours are in Disneyland, not NZ; we'll be there for some months. First a week camping at the Bay of Islands. Then Christmas in Dargaville (get out your Atlas, please) about halfway between Auckland and the Far North, with Ian's multitudinous relatives. Then New Year with Pam's brother in Wellington. Then to Christchurch, to work at the University of Canterbury there. (Yes, the mailman knows about it, just address letters, parcels etc to c/o Dr John Andreae, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 1, New Zealand.) Near the end of March we all go to Sydney, Australia to see Phil McCrea -- another old Wivenhoe crony -- for Easter. Then Pam and kids return home, with a few days holiday in Fiji, while Ian returns to Christchurch to sweat out another month there. Then ... wait for it ... Ian to Sydney, then Hong Kong. Meanwhile Pam to Vancouver, then Hong Kong. Rapturous reunion in Hong Kong then one month in China, spending most of the time at Wuhan (told you to get the Atlas out), then Nanjing, then Beijing (Peking to non-cognoscenti), and back to Calgary via HK again. And the kids? -- glad you asked. They stay in Calgary. Ian's parents fly out from Northern Ireland in April to experience the joy of looking after two little monkeys for five weeks. And by the way -- its still not too late to buy shares in Air Canada.
In our next issue -- "... did it really happen that way?" -- on the newsstands Christmas 1986. Don't forget to request your free copy by sending us at least a card. You can also renew your subscription by phone!
Lots of love and Christmas greetings,
Pam, Ian, Anna, Nikki


text:
A runty Slayer T-shirt is adrift in a lake of beige, blue and gray suits. It floats down through clumps of swollen shoulder pads, finally settling into a bank of black tops.
The Slayer shirt is attached to the torso of skinny, long-haired Etienne. (His friends call him ET.) The 16-year-old West Mesa student usually spends his free time skateboarding and drumming, but today he's meeting some friends at the Taylor Ranch Community Center.
There are about 20 teenagers clustered at the back of the long hall he's entered. In the front, the city's Committee of the Whole meeting is about to commence—an event whose agenda promises such exciting items as public transit policy and solid waste management.
But ET and his buddies didn't wander into this meeting by mistake. This is their last chance to speak directly to the City Council during a public comment period. They've come to urge the councilors to support a proposed youth-run arts space, to be housed in the old Ice House building Downtown. If approved, the project would be modeled after Santa Fe's successful Warehouse 21 program. It's unclear if the teens in the room are aware that the project is unpopular with some of the Council members, or if they know its funding has been threatened—but there's urgency in the mere fact of their unusual presence. They can sense that time is running out.
It's late afternoon and many of the councilors seem sluggish from large lunches and a rush hour commute. The kids, however, are surprisingly attentive, quietly soaking in the spectacle, gnawing on cookies and fruit from a snack table. They wait for the meeting to begin, their turn to speak.
Behind ET is a hedge of oversized T-shirts and jerseys, filled by John, Matthew and Sidney from West Mesa High School and John Adams Middle School. They're into hip-hop and basketball. Sidney says he's been to the city's "Dance, Dance, Dance, It's a Teen Thing" night a few times but it wasn't for him. Too many fights, too much drama. Sidney and Matthew are here to tell the Council that the "Warehouse 21 project" is a good idea.
Further up front, there's Andre, age 14 (15 by the end of the month, he's quick to add). He's neat as a pin, wearing a green-
Andre says traditional community centers don't cut it. The way he sees it, they're designed by adults—without input from younger members of the community—and subsequently lack the resources young people really want.
He gives the example of playgrounds: In his experience, they're not common fixtures at community centers, and when he does find one, it's "basically one big exercise machine." The playgrounds go unused.
"I also noticed that, in many of those [community centers], the youth activities were frequently being cut and switched out for senior projects," he tells me. A type A personality, he's first on the list to speak to the committee.
Not far behind him is Josh, 17, an athletic redhead from West Mesa. He first heard about the idea for the teen-run arts center while working for the state in a summer youth program. He likes the idea because "anything to keep the youth off the streets and out of gangs would be better than not having anything."
When asked if he's been pressured to join gangs or to use drugs and alcohol, he shakes his head. "Me in particular? No. I'm too big," he laughs. "But my brothers ...," he motions to a row of teenagers sitting behind him, all of different ages and ethnicities. He's worried about his friends.
A few other kids mention what they'd like to see at the proposed center. They talk about music, dance classes, theater, sports, a computer lab ... programs their own schools used to provide as part of their curricula, but have cut.
Kasey, 14, just wants to have fun outside of school without the party element. When she's called to the podium, the St. Pius X student says, "I hear all the time coming from kids and friends, 'What are you gonna do tonight?' And, yeah, there are parties all over, but what if you want to go to a safe place and just be involved with your friends? If you don't want to go to parties and you want to be safe and have fun, you want to have activities that are things you want to do."
Keefe Ricks, executive director of the nonprofit youth group Prime Time for Kids, heads to the podium to speak.
"I can't stress enough what it would be like for kids to have a place they could feel a part of," he says, "that they can have input on, and also be a part of the planning piece of this."
A UNM student from Lubbock, Texas, says he's "living proof" that youth-run arts centers work. Other "Warehouse 21" testimonies follow. They come from a wide spectrum of young people who, under normal circumstances, might think they have nothing in common. But today, they're all on the same page. They need the adults to listen. They need this space to happen.


text:
A replica mini WBC Championship belt that features a green leather strap
that has been crafted by Cleto Reyes in ferrari leather and has a gold
plated centre medallion. Comes complete with certificate of
authenticity. A great collectors item
WBC Championship Belt
Mini Replica
Official WBC Memorabillia
Approx length - 41cms
4th generation with 2 side panels
Be aware of low quality counterfeit products. This belt will come with a
certificate of authenticity.


text:
Good bits and not such good bits.
Very best news - Stella laid for the first time, bless her so three eggs in skylon this evening. Full scale egg production swings in - but then..........Harriet "Pigsy" McEllis has decided that she wants to go broody!
Went down the garden this evening only to find Harriet not in the shed roosting on the perch with Stella and Ruby but happily sitting outside in skylon on the three eggs. For the record she was unceremoniously removed and put back into the shed and on the perch. Needless to say any more of this broodiness nonsense and she will not be making us happy.
Let's see what the weekend brings


text:
Contracts & Enforcement Officer
- Recruiter
- Hays
- Location
- West London
- Salary
- £10 - £18.30 per hour
- Posted
- 12 Oct 2018
- Closes
- 09 Nov 2018
- Ref
- 3445273
- Contact
- Laura Costa
- Sector
- Environmental Services
- Function
- Inspector
- Job Type
- Temporary
Contracts and Enforcement Officer required in Central London for a public sector organisation.
Your new company
This Central London based public sector organisation is currently looking to recruit a Contracts and Enforcement Officer to join their Enforcement team.
Reporting to the Contracts and Enforcement Area Manager.
Your new role
As a Contracts and Enforcement Officer it is your responsibility to ensure by way of enforcement or persuasion, that the streets and other open land in the Borough are kept in a clean condition at all times, and are free from litter, staining, dumped waste, graffiti, and fly-posting. You are also responsible for ensuring that all highways in the Borough are free from obstructions of all kinds, including unlicensed tables and chairs, builders' materials, protruding and unsafe scaffolding, unlit skips, abandoned bicycles and A-boards (where policy dictates). The Enforcement Team are also responsible for monitoring and supervising the performance of the borough's recycling, refuse collection and street cleansing contractor, ensuring that all the requirements of the partnership contract and service specifications are met and the highest practicable standards of performance are attained by refuse and street cleansing operatives. Additional responsibilities of this role include:
* To detect and examine waste and litter placed unlawfully on the street or on open land, with a view to identifying the person and/or company responsible and taking appropriate enforcement action against them, and ensuring that the waste and litter is cleared away promptly
* To inspect and report on gullies, litterbins, paladin bins, and skips and to resolve problems encountered.
* To detect graffiti, fly-posting and unauthorised advertising with a view to identifying the person and/or company responsible and taking appropriate enforcement action against them, and removing the graffiti, fly-posting, and advertising either personally or by referring the matter to a suitable contractor.
* Carry out monthly Health, Safety and Welfare inspections of the demised premises in partnership with contract staff to assess compliance with health and safety standards, making recommendations for improvement and detailing any hazards.
* To detect the unlicensed erection of hoardings or scaffolding around building sites, and to detect the unlicensed depositing of skips or builders' materials on the highway; and to detect any breach of the conditions placed on any licences for such matters; all with a view to identifying the person and company responsible and taking appropriate enforcement action against them, and ensuring the removal or licensing of any unlicensed objects.
* To detect abandoned vehicles, bicycles, or other objects on the highway and to take such steps as may be necessary in law to ensure that they are removed
* To detect offences relating to dogs, including dog fouling, dogs without leads, and multiple dog-walking, with a view to identifying the dog owner giving such advice, or taking such enforcement action against them as may be appropriate.
* To detect unlawful street trading - including at Notting Hill Carnival, on Portobello and Golborne Markets, and at special events - and to detect any breach of relevant legislation or of the organisation's conditions for trading by a licensed street trader, giving such advice, or taking such enforcement action, as may be appropriate.
What you'll need to succeed
To be the successful candidate you will have detailed knowledge and understanding of the Criminal Justice System and be trained to carry out PACE interviews. You will have working knowledge of relevant legislation and powers (i.e. Environmental Protection Act 1990, Control of Pollution Act 1974, Highways Act 1980) and have a positive, motivated, 'can-do' approach to work.
You will hold a full UK driving license and be willing to work shift patterns including weekends and nights.
What you'll get in return
Competitive Market hourly rate
Long-term contract
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk


text:
This is a digital copy of the 1926 publication "Fashion Service" published quarterly by the Woman's Institute.
This is an incredibly hard to find book that features stunning fashions from the 1920's (including jaw dropping bathing suits!), and several articles on how to sew the dresses featured. There are no actual sewing patterns for the dresses included but there are several descriptive tutorials that one could copy with great results.
An experienced seamstress would be able to take the instructions given and tailor the dresses and lingerie shown. This book does actually feature a sewing pattern for a "Belting Ribbon Hat".
The book is 52 color and black and white pages of articles, lovely drawings, instruction and embellishment lessons for sewing beautiful clothing.
Articles by Mary Brooks Picken
Millinery Instruction by Mary Mahon
Illustrations by Alice Seipp
How to Make Your Fall Clothes
Fabric and Colors for Summer,
From the Paris Openings,
Summer in terms of Lace and Voile,
Variety in Jumper Dresses,
Gowns for the larger figure,
For wear a the summer resort,
Cotton Frocks for Children,
Undergarments to Assist in Styling,
and many more articles and dress sewing tutorials.


text:
You are about to enter a website that may contain content of an adult nature.
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text:
Sesizarea organelor de urmărire penală prin plângere prealabilă. Aspecte din practica judiciară
Being regulated in both Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code,
prerequisite complaint has a mixed legal nature being a condition for applying
the punishment and also a condition to exert the procedure. Prerequisite
complaint means that the victim (excepting the case when the victim is a minor
under the age of 14 or a legally prohibited person, in which case the prerequisite
complaint will be made by their legal at large- parents, tutors, curators etc.,
although they don't have the obligation to do so, as the state could also promote
public liability (art. 131 paragraph 5 Criminal Code) announce the judicial
authority of the state about the committed crime and the prejudice she has


text:
Husband: Mark BARNUM 1
Born: 2 AUG 1952 at: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1 Married: 6 JUN 1970 at: Denver, Denver, Colorado 1 Died: at: Father:Edward Marshall BARNUM Mother:Betty Jane COON Other Spouses: Susan Marie POND Ada Choi-Fung CHOY NOTES
Wife: Susan Elise COPLAND 1
Born: 6 JUN 1952 at: California Died: at: Father:Hodnett James COPLAND Mother:Eva UNKNOWN Other Spouses: Nick MEIS Charles DEWEY
Name: Heather Elise BARNUM 1 Born: 3 DEC 1970 at: Denver, Denver, Colorado 1 Married: 6 JUL 1999 at: Tennessee 1 Died: at: Spouses: Joshua RABOLD
Name: Jeremiah Mark BARNUM 1 Born: 9 OCT 1973 at: Denver, Denver, Colorado 1 Married: at: Died: at: Spouses: ?
SOURCES 1) Research by Barnum, Mark
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
AncientFaces - Family History Photos
©1998-2011. The format of this website and all original statements and narrative included on it are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Factual information may be freely quoted for use in private genealogical research when accompanied by a full source citation, including the date of acquisition. Click here to view the format of a citation for an Internet resource. The publication of large extracts from this site in any form requires prior written consent.


text:
Fracking: What is it Costing Us? – Pt. II
by Daniel Quandt
Fracking, a source of national controversy, has been widely publicized, and often vilified. Despite its frequent presence in the national news, it is argued that fracking should not lie solely in the domain of federal regulation.
Instead, local communities are trying to take the lead in restricting the practice.
In this three part series, the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review will explore the controversy surrounding hydraulic fracturing, a practice more commonly known as "fracking." Part I provides an overview of the history of fracking, and the process involved in the technique. Part II addresses statutory regulation of the practice, at the federal, state, and local levels. Part III delves into the controversy, analyzing the legal challenges to fracking brought in In the Matter of Wallach v. Town of Dryden and Robinson Township v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Part II: Regulation of Fracking
Federal Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing
Federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing to date has been minimal. There is no regulation of hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act, no disclosure requirement for the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, and there have been few major federal studies to determine the safety of hydraulic fracturing.
The Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974, gave the EPA authority to set maximum acceptable levels of contaminants in public water systems.[1] One provision of the act authorizes the EPA to regulate injection wells, in order to protect underground sources of drinking water.[2] However, in 2005, Congress amended the act to specifically exclude hydraulic fracturing from EPA regulation.[3] This change, commonly known as the "Halliburton loophole," was part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which also exempted hydraulic fracturing fluids from regulations under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.[4] These exemptions have been strongly criticized and there have been a number of proposed bills which would remove the exemptions and add further restrictions on hydraulic fracturing.[5] However, to date, none of these proposals have made it through Congress and hydraulic fracturing remains exempt from many significant environmental regulations.[6]
Additionally, there is no federal law requiring disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids.[7] The industry has created a disclosure database, but participation is voluntary and not all chemicals are fully disclosed.[8]
"… there is no federal law requiring disclosure of the chemicals used in fracking fluids."
The EPA has reviewed the safety of hydraulic fracturing on a number of occasions but most investigations have been incomplete and of limited scope.[9] In fact, the EPA's major 2004 study of the process involved no independent research, but merely the review of state agency reports.[10] The EPA is currently conducting a comprehensive study of hydraulic fracturing, but, to date, federal research on the safety of hydraulic fracturing has been minimal.[11]
The statutory exemptions for hydraulic fracturing and the lack of congressional or regulatory action on the issue mean that hydraulic fracturing faces less federal scrutiny than many other areas of environmental law.
State Bans on Hydraulic Fracturing
In the absence of strict federal regulation, some states have begun to take action with regard to hydraulic fracturing. To date, four states have banned hydraulic fracturing or placed moratoria on the process.[12] However, in each case, the local conditions and the nature of the ban have created a somewhat unique situation in the state.
Vermont is the only state to adopt an outright ban of hydraulic fracturing.[13] Passed on May 16, 2012, the ban specifically cites the fact that hydraulic fracturing uses potentially dangerous chemicals and that these chemicals could contaminate drinking water supplies.[14] For that reason, the legislature adopted a complete ban on hydraulic fracturing.[15] Unlike other moratoria, this ban does not have a set end date, but remains in effect until repealed.[16] While the legislature did anticipate a possible future repeal and regulation of hydraulic fracturing, it noted that repeal should only happen if the state determined that hydraulic fracturing could be conducted without risk to groundwater.[17]
"Vermont is the only state to adopt an outright fracking ban… its ban specifically cites the fact that fracking fluid uses potentially dangerous chemicals that could contaminate drinking water supplies."
While Vermont's ban on hydraulic fracturing is the most extensive, it has very little practical impact. So far, no deep earth natural gas deposits have yet been discovered in the state, so it is highly unlikely that any hydraulic fracturing would occur even if the ban were not in place.[18]
In 2012, the New Jersey state legislature proposed an outright ban on hydraulic fracturing but, faced with strong opposition from Governor Christie, the legislature compromised with a one year moratorium that expired in 2013.[19] Since the expiration, the legislature has subsequently attempted to pass permanent bans but has been unable to overcome Governor Christie's opposition.[20] In 2012, the legislature passed a bill that would have banned the treatment, discharge, disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing waste in New Jersey, but that bill was also vetoed by the governor.[21] That ban would have been particularly significant because New Jersey companies process and dispose of hydraulic fracturing wastewater from drilling sites in neighboring Pennsylvania.[22]
"In 2012, the New Jersey state legislature proposed an outright ban on fracking, but, faced with strong opposition from Governor Christie, the legislature compromised… the legislature has subsequently attempted to pass permanent bans but has been unable to overcome Governor Christie's opposition."
Unlike Vermont, New Jersey does have some potential gas reserves that could be candidates for hydraulic fracturing.[23] However, the drilling opportunities are limited and as of yet, no hydraulic fracturing has been conducted in the state.[24] Nevertheless, the legislature continues to debate measure to permanently ban the process.[25]
North Carolina never banned hydraulic fracturing directly, but oil and gas laws in the state dating back to 1945 have kept the process from being utilized in the state.[26] In 2012, the state legislature overrode the governor's veto and passed a law to legalize and regulate hydraulic fracturing in the state.[27] The law placed a moratorium on the practice until 2015 to allow time to fully develop a regulatory scheme. Attempts to shorten this moratorium have failed, and the state is expected to begin allowing hydraulic fracturing next year.[28] While the state is not particularly rich in shale gas, it does have significantly more reserves than either Vermont or New Jersey, and hydraulic fracturing is expected to begin once the moratorium ends.[29]
"North Carolina is expected to begin allowing fracking in 2015… the state has significantly more reserves than either Vermont or New Jersey."
The fourth state to adopt a ban or moratorium on hydraulic fracturing is New York, in a case that is significantly different from the other three.[30] Unlike North Carolina, whose hydraulic fracturing ban was the result of old laws passed before the process was even developed, New York's moratorium was passed in 2010.[31] And unlike New Jersey and Vermont, which have minimal shale gas reserves, New York has extensive reserves, particularly in the southern tier of the state, along the Pennsylvania border.[32]
The New York moratorium anticipated a short term prohibition of hydraulic fracturing to allow for further study, but subsequent inaction by the governor's office has kept the moratorium in place indefinitely.[33] In 2012, Governor Cuomo put forward a proposal to lift the moratorium, but only in an extremely limited manner.[34] Under the proposal, hydraulic fracturing would be limited to just five counties along the Pennsylvania border where the shale formation is deeper and the risk of groundwater contamination would be lower.[35] The practice would also be banned in Catskill Park and in local aquifers.[36] But perhaps most importantly, hydraulic fracturing would only be allowed in communities which do not oppose the process, and local hydraulic fracturing bans would be respected.[37] The plan has not yet been implemented and it is unclear when, and under what circumstances, the moratorium will be lifted.[38]
"Under the New York proposal, fracking would only be allowed in communities which do not oppose the process, and local fracking bans would be respected."
While Maryland does not have a legislative ban on hydraulic fracturing, Governor Martin O'Malley has placed a hold on all drilling applications until a three year study on the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing can be completed.[39] The result is a de facto moratorium and it is unclear whether hydraulic fracturing will eventually be permitted in the state.[40]
Other states have taken steps to regulate hydraulic fracturing which fall short of complete bans or moratoria. In 2013, the California legislature passed a bill requiring permits for hydraulic fracturing, disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, testing of nearby water wells, and a study on the environmental impacts of the process.[41] The law, which goes into effect in 2015, is the most extensive state regulation of hydraulic fracturing to date and a compromise between the largely unregulated operations in most states and the outright bans in others.[42]
While less extensive than California's law, in 2010 the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission implemented rules requiring disclosure of the chemicals found in hydraulic fracturing fluids.[43]
Local Bans on Hydraulic Fracturing
In addition to state bans and moratoria on hydraulic fracturing, numerous municipalities have passed their own restrictions on hydraulic fracturing. To date, 412 municipalities have adopted some type of restriction on hydraulic fracturing.[44] Most, but not all, of these restrictions are outright bans or moratoria.[45] Local bans have been passed in twenty different states, including: California (12), Colorado (10), Hawaii (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (1), Iowa (1), Maryland (4), Michigan (18), Minnesota (2), New Jersey (32) New Mexico (3), New York (207), North Carolina (27), Ohio (37), Pennsylvania (17), Texas (4), Virginia (9), West Virginia (4), Wisconsin (5), and Wyoming (1).[46]
Figure 1: Map of State and Local Hydraulic Fracturing Restrictions [51]
Though the bans are more common in some states than others—Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania account for 131 of the 412 local bans—New York once again takes hydraulic fracturing restrictions to another level.[48] Over half of the total bans in the entire nation are from New York, where the cause has gained significant local support and momentum.[49] While some municipalities have voiced their support for hydraulic fracturing, bans are far more common in New York than anywhere else in the country.[50] Because the statewide moratorium is still in place, the local restrictions have very little practical impact, but they do send a message of opposition and help ensure that hydraulic fracturing cannot begin in these communities if the state moratorium were to be lifted.
Figure 2: New York Municipal Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracturing[52]
Part III will analyze the legal challenges to fracking brought in In the Matter of Wallach v. Town of Dryden and Robinson Township v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[1] Angela C. Cupas, The Not-So-Safe Drinking Water Act: Why We Must Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing at the Federal Level, 33 Wm. & Mary Envtl. L. & Pol'y Rev. 605-09 (2009).
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] Id.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] Id.
[11] EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources, United States Environmental Protection Agency, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy.
[12] Local Actions Against Fracking, Food & Water Watch, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/fracking/fracking-action-center/local-action-documents/.
[13] Bans on Horizontal Fracking, Greenly & Stone, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.greeleyandstone.com/images/Bans_on_Horizontal_Fracking.pdf.
[14] Id.
[15] Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 29, § 571 (West)
[16] Id.
[17] Id.
[18] Bans on Horizontal Fracking, supra note 50.
[19] Id.
[20] Seth Augenstein, Fracking moratorium comes to an end in New Jersey, NJ.com, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/fracking_moratorium_comes_to_a.html.
[21] Id.
[22] Id.
[23] Bans on Horizontal Fracking, supra note 50.
[24] Id.
[25] Augenstein, supra note 57.
[26] Nathan B. Atkinson and Mary Kathryn King, The State of Hydraulic Fracturing in North Carolina, JDSupra Busines Advisor, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm), http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-state-of-hydraulic-fracturing-in-nor-94206/.
[27] Id.
[28] Id.
[29] Id.
[30] Mireya Navarro, N.Y. Assembly Approves Fracking Moratorium, The New York Times, November 30, 2010, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/n-y-assembly-approves-fracking-moratorium/?_php=true&_type=blogs&scp=1&sq=approves%20fracking%20moratorium&st=Search&_r=0.
[31] Id.
[32] Id.
[33] Mireya Navarro, New York State Pans Health Review as it Weighs Gas Drilling, The New York Times, September 20, 2012, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/nyregion/new-york-states-decision-on-hydrofracking-will-await-health-review.html?_r=0.
[34] Danny Hakim, Cuomo Proposal Would Restrict Gas Drilling to a Struggling Area, The New York Times, June 13, 2012, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/nyregion/hydrofracking-under-cuomo-plan-would-be-restricted-to-a-few-counties.html.
[35] Id.
[36] Id.
[37] Id.
[38] Id.
[39] Tim Wheeler, Greens urge 'fracking' ban in Maryland, The Baltimore Sun, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bal-bmg-legislative-fracking-ban-in-maryland-proposed-20120912,0,6855106.story
[40] Id.
[41] Laura Olson and Don Thompson, California Lawmakers Approve Fracking Bill, NBC Bay Area, September 12, 2013, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/California-Lawmakers-Approve-Fracking-Bill–223542121.html.
[42] Id.
[43] David O. Williams, Wyoming oil and gas regulators approve new rules for frack fluid disclosure, The Colorado Independent, June 8, 2010, (retrieved online April 28, 2014, 2:00 pm) http://www.coloradoindependent.com/55018/wyoming-oil-and-gas-regulators-approve-new-rules-for-frack-fluid-disclosure.
[44] Local Actions Against Fracking, supra note 49.
[45] Id.
[46] Id.
[47] Id.
[48] Id.
[49] Id.
[50] Id.
[51] Id.
[52] Id.


text:
Report warns cells may violate UN guidelines
The Office of Police Integrity (OPI) is warning some Victorian police station cells breach international human rights principles.
The United Nations produces guidelines relating to prisoners' access to natural light, floor space, heating and ventilation.
In a report tabled in State Parliament today, the OPI says some older cells are incompatible with the minimum standards.
The report notes Victoria Police is addressing the problems.
Topics: human, police, rights, sale-3850, ballarat-3350, bendigo-3550, horsham-3400, mildura-3500, wodonga-3690


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Some of the top thinkers in the creative aging movement (aka "third age," "sage-ing," "encore career," etc. ) are hosting an online summit, March 3-5. And it's free!
Mental calisthenics! I'm always up for new ideas.
Mental calisthenics! I'm always up for new ideas.
Wendy Lustbader, author of a book I love, Life Gets Better, is among the participants. She's a terrific speaker, so I'm sure it will be worth registering, just for her session. (March 4, 3 p.m.) See my previous blog about her. Marc Freedman, a pioneer in the notion of "encore careers" after retirement and founder of encore.org, is a guru of this movement. He talks at 4 p.m. March 4. For a taste of what that movement is about go here.
Below are some highlights from the schedule, East Coast time. (There's a drop-down to enter your timezone above the schedule.)
March 3, 1 p.m.: The Art of Aging, hosted by a noted artist/sculptor couple.
March 3, 2p.m.: Images of Aging in Film
March 3, 2p.m.: Images of Aging in Film
March 4, 1 p.m.: Why Consciousness Matters in the 3rd Phase of Life
March 4, 3 p.m.: Life Gets Better, the Unexpected Pleasures of Growing Older (Wendy Lustbader)
March 4, 4 p.m.: Inventing the Encore Years (Marc Freedman)
And here's how you register: Transforming Aging Summit
After you enter your name and email address, it takes you to a page where you can pay for access if you want to tune in after the 48-hour free broadcast period. If you don't want to pay, just click out of that page (there doesn't seem to be a "next" to get out of it.) But it works! I got an email that I'm in, with more instructions on listening by phone or internet.


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Sun Protection Tips for Athletes and Weekend Warriors
Exercising outside makes you feel good, physically and mentally. But extended time outdoors makes you vulnerable to the cumulative damage caused by the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can lead to skin cancer. So if you compete in team sports or just love to walk, run, swim, or play golf or tennis outside, it's important to make sun protection a daily habit.
And keep in mind that the dangerous days aren't just the ones that are hot and sunny. Up to 80 percent of UV rays can penetrate clouds. You can really get burned on those overcast days when you're not thinking about the sun.
The Skin Cancer Foundation offers these sun safety tips for athletes or anyone who has an active, outdoor lifestyle:
- Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM. Schedule training, practices and games for the early morning or late afternoon when possible. If you must work out or play at midday, take extra precautions to protect yourself, including those below, as well as plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
- Do not burn. The risk of melanoma doubles if you've had more than five sunburns over the course of a lifetime.
- Cover up what you can. Clothing can be your most effective form of sun protection, so make the most of it with tightly woven or knit, dark- or bright-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense. Manufacturers offer special UV-absorbing clothing from swimsuits and rash guards to hats, long-sleeve shirts and pants. Many are designed for athletes or workouts and are often labeled with a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) rating. Look for a UPF of 30 or higher, which means it will allow just 1/30th of the sun's UV radiation to penetrate the fabric. Include a broad-brimmed hat if possible. If a billed cap is the only type that will stay on while you run, for example, don't forget to apply sunscreen to your ears and back of the neck. And UV-blocking sunglasses will protect your eyes and help you avoid squinting.
- For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to all exposed areas 30 minutes before going outside. Water-resistant and sensitive-skin formulas for the face may drip and sting less.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating. Sunscreen sticks often come in small sizes you can keep in a pocket to reapply often while you're active. Be careful to cover exposed spots that are easy to miss, such as your hands, ears, back of your neck and lips. (Look for a lip balm with an SPF of at least 15.)
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) make you extra-sensitive to the sun. If you use such medications for your aches and pains, be vigilant about protecting your skin.
Published on August 5, 2016


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Safe and Reliable Power Systems for Healthcare
With patient lives on the line, every medical device used in the care setting must be carefully engineered for utmost safety, connectivity, reliability, security and quality. Inventus Power ensures that the systems running these critical devices not only perform exceptionally well but also meet the industry's unique requirements and regulations. Over the course of nearly 60 years of engineering innovation, we've set a new standard for OEMs and contract manufacturers — providing a portfolio of battery packs and chargers to power supplies that address ever-increasing demands for efficiency, portability and miniaturization.
We have a strong track record working with a wide range of medical devices and care environments to support:
- Ventricular assist devices
- Oxygen concentrators
- Defibrillators
- Injection and infusion pumps
- Patient monitors and multi-parameter monitors
- Workstation on wheels/computer carts with U1LiFe Series Batteries (U1-40, U1-45, U1-50)
- Handheld orthopedic power tools and surgical devices
- PAPP/CPAP devices
- Neurostimulation devices
- Portable imaging, diagnostic instrumentation, and surgical instruments
The Inventus Power Advantage:
- Our market diversity gives you several advantages: One, our work in high-volume commercial (B2C) and industrial (B2B) markets results in efficiencies of scale that can be passed on to you. Moreover, the IP we've developed through patented technologies for the consumer, commercial and military & government sectors can be leveraged to benefit medical solutions.
- Our accredited test labs in the U.S. and China work with OEMs and contract manufacturers to design, test and certify all types of power systems. This helps you comply with internal milestones and record-keeping mandates, including:
- ISO 13485 and UL 60601
- Design History Files (DHF) and Device History Records (DHR) FDA quality records
- Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA) design process risk mitigation
- Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA) manufacturing process risk mitigation
- Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and quality assurance checklists
- Continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and just-in-time product delivery
From small cordless surgical tools to large portable X-ray systems, we can help ensure the power system in your medical device is designed to meet all of your customers' expectations for safety, quality, reliability and efficiency. Contact us to learn more about our how our power systems expertise sets medical device innovation into motion.


text:
The "MO-WAK" Rig
The "MO-WAK" Rig
Here is the one! Numeral uno! The cat's meow!..... The rig that will definitely make the difference between catching fish and not catching any at all. I simply call it the "Mo-Wak" rig because it's really two different rigs (which are the Mo-Jo & Wacky rig) put into one.
First, let me explain what these two rigs are and their presentations. 1. The "Mo-Jo" rig (or also known by some anglers as the "Mo-Jo Magic" rig) which is rigged by either using a 1 to 2 foot leader with a swivel, hook, and a light weight. This rig can be also rigged without a swivel, using a pegged weight to allow it to slide up and down for what ever leader size you wish. This is a rig that has been used by some of the top pros for years but has been a well kept secret because of how well this rig really works at catching bass. I would even go as far to say that 80% of my former bass fishing school students have never even heard of this rig, so the Mo-Jo may be a new rig for you as well.
The Mo-Jo rig can be used just about any place under certain conditions that will allow you to use it. When I rig a Mo-Jo, I usually use the lightest weight I can get away with due to the conditions where I choose to fish it. First I will grab a 3/16th oz. slip weight and put it on my line (always put it on the line point first!); next, I will usually tie on a 1/0 or 2/0 worm hook to the end of my line. Next I will grab a tooth pick (or you can use a rubber peg made by some of the different companies, but a tooth pick is much cheaper!) and peg my weight.
After this is done I will choose my bait to what I feel the bass would want under the many different conditions and environments that I will fish the rig. I found that some of these following baits are very effective on the Mo-Jo rig: (Yamamoto's) Senkos, (Zoom) Centipedes (or also known as French Fries), (Yamamoto's) Twin Tailed Hula Grubs, Lizards, Worms, and there are of course, many more. (Yamamoto's Senkos are probably my favorite!) Now, to complete this rig I will choose one of these baits and Texas rig it on the hook, and then I will slide the "pegged" weight up the line to what ever leader size I wish. That's it! We have just rigged a Mo-Jo rig (-:
Now, cast it to where you think the fish are, let it slowly drop to the bottom, and periodically slowly lift the tip of your rod, and let it fall again and reel up the slack in your line. The slower you work this rig the better! If the wind starts to pick up when fishing this rig you can do one of two different things which are; use a heavier weight or face the boat into the wind and cast straight in front of the boat. These two changes will keep some of the slack (or bow) out of your line.
The next rig mentioned is the well known "Wacky Rig" made very popular with the (Yamamoto) Senkos. The difference between the Wacky rig and the Mo-Jo rig is quite simple. The Wacky rig is usually used without using any weight, and instead of Texas rigging the Senko, you insert the bait into the middle of the hook, thus causing a dangling of plastic on both sides of the hook when working it. This rig can be deadly in itself and many anglers have been using this rig in recent years with much success, but again like any presentation you can find a flaw. Without any weight added with windy conditions makes this a very tough rig to work. Sometimes a Senko can be very effective just Texas rigging the bait without any added weight, but again the wind can be somewhat of a deterrent. This technique can also be used just about anywhere you can find fish with great success.
Now, between these two different rigs the best is yet to come. Here are a couple of short stories that I have encountered in the past couple of years with some of my students, pros, and a couple of charters.
About two years ago I had two students from Nevada that fish club tournaments. Both of them were fairly new at bass fishing and wanted to learn how to catch bass during the conditions where the bass seem to shut right down (boy does this happen a lot!), anyway, the second day of the school sure enough we encountered these same conditions on Lake Champlain (which is usually where I teach) and found that a good variety of different baits and presentations weren't doing the job. Normally when you have a lake shut down the best technique one can use would be about the slowest presentation one can muster. Well, we tried the Mo-Jo rig without much success, then we went to the Wacky Rig which we had a couple of short strikes, but as soon as we went to the Wacky Rig the wind started to pick up a bit and I knew we needed some weight to fish this rig consistently. Now, about mid day with a couple of fish caught between my students and myself I started getting a bit frustrated like most of us do under these conditions right? Anyway, after taking three steps back and a deep breath I starting thinking of a way to catch these stubborn fish so that's when I can up with the Idea of joining these two rigs together. So, I took a Mo-Jo rig, and instead of Texas rigging the bait, I took a Senko and Wacky rigged it on the Mo-Jo and made a cast. A couple of minutes after it settled to the bottom, a fish just about ripped the rod out of my hand and literally hooked itself, and guess what? To our surprise about a 3 1/2 lb. smallmouth bass boated on the first cast. A few minutes after I released the fish Ron, (one of my students) screamed YEAH! I got one on, and before he even got it in the boat, Fred (the other student) yelled "It Works!"
Long story short, we caught several fish in a short time it the same area where we were getting the short strikes. So, wanting to be sure about this modification I went to from these two different rigs we went to another place and the same thing happened... yep!, we caught several fish there as well, and for the remainder of the class period we caught plenty of fish for the day. This started me thinking about how to refer to this modification of the two rigs which I came up with the "MO-WAK" rig.
Since I have been using and teaching this new rig, all my clients and students have been amazed on how well it actually works and plan to keep a rod rigged with it always on deck.
Later on in the season, I had a well known pro that was going to be fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament out of Plattsburg, NY and needed some help, so having a 3-day open slot in the school well before the cut off period and he enrolled. We went out for a three days and fished different parts of the lake to get him somewhat comfortable with different areas to fish, and guess what? He was one of these "Drop Shot" fanatics that caught numbers more than the quality for weight. The same time he was using the Drop Shot rig, I used my "Mo-Wak" rig and my fish averaged at least a pound (if not more) that each of his fish.
Don't think for a moment that the "Mo-Wak" rig is just a geographical location technique that works just for us "Frozen Brains" up here in the North East, because since I have started using this rig, I have taught students on Lake Anna, Va., Shasta Lake, Ca., Lake Norman, NC., Don Pedro, Ca., Sam Rayburn, TX., St. Johns River, FL., Santee Cooper, SC., Lake Lanier, GA., Kerr Reservoir, NC., Candlewood, CONN., and a few other places with GREAT SUCCESS!
One question that I get from students that I forgot to mention about the "Mo-Wak" rig is how to work this rig in grass or vegetation? The answer is quite simply by using a hook with a little wire weed guard on it...
I really suggest that you give it a try and see for yourselves. I think that you just may become addicted to the "Mo-Wak" rig and will be using it for years to come...... If you have any questions about the "Mo-Wak" rig, or wish to enroll in my 3-day bass fishing school at your home lake or mine, or just wish to charter a day of bass fishing you can call me at: Phone (518) 597-4240 or visit my website at www.capital.net/~rlbrown or email me at rlbrown&capital.net .
Until next time, take care and God bless you always!
"The Bass Coach" - Roger Lee Brown
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text: Some of the explosives appeared to have been placed inside a parked vehicle [Asad Hashim/Al Jazeera]Twin bomb attacks have rocked Pakistan's capital Islamabad, killing one person and injuring two others, officials have said. The first blast took place around 2am on Saturday at Super Market, an upmarket shopping area close to the city centre in an area known as F6. The second occurred about half an hour later in the parking area of a car dealership in another market in an area known as G-9. "It is not yet clear whether a suicide bomber was involved or not... both of the injured were watchmen," Chaudhry Hafiz Hussain, a senior police official, told the AFP news agency. Al Jazeera's Asad Hashim, reporting from Islamabad, said the blast crater at the Super Market site was about 0.5m across, with debris from the explosion hitting several nearby shops. "Rescue officials at the site said that one person from the scene had been taken into police custody and that a man had suffered injuries to his legs," Hashim reported. Damage more extensive "The G9 market blast damage was much more extensive, with the explosives appearing to have been placed inside a parked vehicle. Police said there were no casualties from that explosion. "The blast debris also hit several shops in the area and the car in which the explosives were laid was completely destroyed," our reporter said. The police bomb disposal squad was investigating both incidents. The attacks were the first to strike the capital since an explosion tore through a fruit and vegetable market in April, killing at least 22 people. Security in the Pakistani capital has been put on high alert, with the interior minister announcing last week that paramilitary troops would be assisting civilian police with law enforcement. Saturday's incident came after three days of air strikes by the Pakistani military against Taliban hideouts which killed at least 75 people, according to a security official. A month-long ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban expired last month. SOURCE: Al Jazeera and agencies Humanitarian crises Asia Pakistan


text: This is a tale of two Natalie's who love texture and the abundance of interest that it can create. Natalie, the bride, found our shop and came in to talk to Natalie, the florista. Instantly, they connected over a shared love of all things organic – berries, fruits, foliage, thorns, herbs, vines – they loved it all! From the velvety smooth to the painfully thorny, they were simpatico in their desire to amp up the interest for Natalie's November wedding at a vineyard in Virginia. A few petally sahara o'neal roses served to contrast the texture and bring in a touch of soft "bridal" beauty. The real showstoppers are the thistle, viburnum berry, artichokes, cotton, and brunia berry. Even if you aren't thinking of going to this texture extreme, there's so much that's possible if you can think beyond the perfect petals and embrace a little of the wild and unexpected that's out there in the exciting world of flowers.


text:
We aim to bring CSOs, Individuals, Societies Together
Inspired by the banyan
"A Board Member should work in a cohesive way and must honour their commitment" says Rupande Padaki, Trustee, India Cares Foundation. India Cares Foundation is a 'Friend to the Civil Society Organisations – CSOs/ NGOs .' As a friend, the organization plays the role of a facilitator, help the CSOs communicate their cause, raise funds effectively and connect individuals who wish to engage with the sector.
Ms. Rupande, a Post Doctoral degree holder in Organizational Psychology, is not just a trustee, but an active participant at the operations and functioning of India Cares Foundation. From defining ...