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Monday, February 11, 2013
Veal Preah Man open to public
Now that Royal funeral is over and done, the grounds of Veal Preah Man (a.k.a. Veal Preah Meru), the funerary complex of the late King Father Sihanouk, is open to the public for the first time since it was constructed. The entire complex except the interior of the central crematorium was open today. I don't know how long it will remain open or the hours, but today the guard there told me that it would be open for at least the immediate future.
This entire complex was constructed specifically and exclusively for the funeral of the late King Father Sihanouk. Similar crematoriums were built for previous Kings of Cambodia (including Sihanouk's father King Suramarith in 1960) on this same spot, and then dismantled sometime after the funeral, leaving an open park. I don't know when or if this complex will be similarly dismantled, but assume it will. There was some talk before the funeral that it would be left in place, but it does not appear to be built to last. Much of the construction is just painted plasterboard and in my inexpert opinion wouldn't last long in the rain. If you want to see Veal Preah Man close up and in all its splendor, I think you should visit fairly soon.
If you happen to be touring Cambodia right now, or have any interest in Cambodian culture or history, this is a absolutely unique opportunity to see a fleeting bit of living Cambodia history.
It is located in on Sothearos Blvd between streets 178 and 184 in Veal Preah Man Park, next to the Royal Palace and in front of the National Museum
The Cambodia Daily: In Pictures, Cambodia Prepares for King Father's Cremation
LTO: Funeral of Sihanouk: Final Touches
LTO: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 4, cremation
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Cambodia's other New Year
Chinese New Year (Tet) at Wat Phnom is always an amazing experience. I continue to be surprised that so few (if any) foreigners/tourists come to see the scene at midnight. This year I saw 3 besides myself. I've done photo essays of Chinese New Year at Wat Phnom the past couple of years and so won't burden the reader with yet more photos of the coming of the year. (See Greeting the Dragon at Wat Phnom - 2012 and It's New Year again - 2011.) But I couldn't resist taking a couple of short shaky videos with my iPad, and managed to capture the clamorous scene at midnight.
A few points of note: This was the end of the year of the Dragon (Naga on the Khmer calendar) and the beginning of the year of the Snake, the Water Snake to be specific... The crowd at Wat Phnom was about the same size as last year - a good crowd but still a bit smaller than the crowds of 5-10 years ago... Unlike last year, there were more beggars lining the steps up the hill this year, including a couple of dozen young children. Many people brought stacks of small bills especially for the beggars... Midnight seemed to arrive a little late this year. As I was filming I could hear people in the crowd muttering "midnight already." The clock on my iPad concurred. Yet the gong was not sounding. About a minute later the bell clanged, people cheered and the New Year was officially in... Lastly, in the videos notice the motorcycle helmets and aluminum foil gloves that people were wearing to try to protect against incense burns. People have been wearing helmets for the last year or two, but the foil gloves are, to my memory, a new innovation this year. Check out 1:00 in the second video - midnight, the moment New Year arrives - to see why such protective gear is necessary.
The first video is about 15 minutes before midnight. The second video from 11:59PM to 12:03AM and captures the moment New Year enters.
Chinese New Year, 2013. About 15-20 minutes before midnight at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh. Note people wearing motorcycle helmets and foil gloves to protect against incense burns.
Chinese New Year, 2013. Midnight at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh.
See 1:00 for the moment the New Year gong sounded.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Death of Sihanouk: 118 days of links
The Cambodia Daily, October 16, 2012
'King Father Norodom Sihanouk Dies at 89'
The Cambodia Daily also published a sensitive and informed obituary online the morning of Oct 15 within hours of Sihanouk's death, ('The Cambodia Daily: King Father Norodom Sihanouk Dies at 89'.)
NYT: Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian Leader Through Shifting Allegiances, Dies at 89, Oct 14
VOA: Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk Dies, Oct 14
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Norodom Sihanouk Dies at 89 by Michelle Vachon, Oct 15
Time: Cambodia's Mercurial Former King, Norodom Sihanouk, Dies at 89, Oct 15
Blue lady blog: Death of King Sihanouk makes world headlines, Oct 15
LTO Cambodia blog: King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Oct 15
VOA: Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk Dies, Oct 15
Xinhuanet: Cambodian former King Norodom Sihanouk dies at age of 90, Oct 15
WSJ: Cambodian King Left Mixed Legacy, Oct 15
BBC: Cambodia former king Norodom Sihanouk dies aged 89, Oct 15
AFP: Cambodia's ex-king Norodom Sihanouk dies in Beijing, Oct 15
AFP: China offers condolences for 'great friend' Sihanouk, Oct 15
SMH: Cambodia's political chameleon Sihanouk dies, Oct 15
John Vink: King Sihanouk Dies..., Oct 15
VOA: Cambodia Mourns Former King Who Shaped Decades of History, by Irwin Loy, Oct 15
VOA: Cambodia's Former King Leaves Mixed Legacy, Oct 15
VOA: Cambodian-Americans Mourn Death of Former King Sihanouk, Oct 15
VOA: China Considered Cambodian King Key Ally, Oct 15
Death of a survivor: Norodom Sihanouk by Milton Osborne, Oct 15
The Death of Cambodia's Nimble Prince by James Pringle, Oct 15
The Guardian: King Norodom Sihanouk obituary by Martin Woollacott, Oct 15
BBC: Cambodia former king Norodom Sihanouk dies aged 89 by Guy Delauney, Oct 15
The Bloodied Legacy of Cambodia's Chameleon King by Mark McDonald, Oct 15
The New Yorker: The Fantasy of King Sihanouk by Philip Gourevitch, Oct 15
Cambodia Herald: King, Hun Sen head to Beijing to receive Sihanouk's body, Oct 15
VOA: Cambodians Mourn Revered ex-King Sihanouk, Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: Condolences for King Sihanouk Arrive From Home and Abroad, Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: Nation Mourns King Father's Death, Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: Young and Old Mark Passing of 'The Last King', Oct 16
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Communicated Through His Website Until the Very End, Oct 16
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk, Twitter, First Reactions, Oct 16
Cambodia braces for biggest royal funeral in half a century (Funeral of King Suramarith), Oct 16
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 2, Oct 17
VOA: Former Cambodian King's Body Arrives in Phnom Penh, Oct 17
CNN: Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk dies at 89, Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: Norodom Sihanouk—The End of an Era, by Michelle Vachon Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: 100,000 Expected to Welcome King Father's Body, Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: On the Eve of King's Return, Unity at the Royal Palace, Oct 17
The Cambodia Daily: Tributes Pour In Praising Life, Legacy of Late King Father, Oct 17
RFA: Whither Cambodia's Monarchy?, by Parameswaran Ponnudurai, Oct 17
Beginning of first mourning period, Sihanouk's remains returned from China
The Economist: Norodom Sihanouk, Oct 18
The Economist: Cambodia after Sihanouk: Dancing off the stage?, Oct 18
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 3, Return, Oct 18
The Cambodia Daily: The King Father Remembered—in Pictures, Oct 18
The Cambodia Daily: Tradition, Splendor for King Father's Funeral, Oct 19
The Cambodia Daily: One Million Line the Streets in Final Farewell to King Father, Oct 19
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 4, Mourners, Oct 19
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 6, Monks, Oct 20
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 7, Palace, Oct 21
The Cambodia Daily: Sam Rainsy Seeks Return To Bid King Father Norodom Sihanouk Farewell, Oct21
Sihanouk in the Moon
VOA Khmer: What Cambodians think about tonight moon on our Facebook Page, Oct 21
LTO Cambodia blog: Sihanouk in the Moon, Oct 22
CTN News (video, See 9:47): Face SM Norodom Sihanouk in the Moon, Oct 22
Au Cambodge, on voit le roi-père Sihanouk dans la lune, Oct 23
Au Cambodge, on voit le roi-père Sihanouk dans la lune, Oct 23
The Cambodia Daily: Monks Stage Mass Prayer at Palace for Late King Father, Oct 22
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 9, Prayer, Oct 23
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 9, Prayer, Oct 23
The Cambodia Daily: King, Queen Mother Join Crowds at Royal Palace, Oct 24
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 11, Waiting, Oct 25
The Independent: Trail of the unexpected: Cambodia - for king and country, Oct 26
Soma Norodom's blog: My Most Controversial column, We Should Be United, Oct 26
LTO Cambodia blog: Sihanouk Photos, Oct 28
A cremation fit for a King, Oct 30
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 16, Oct 30
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Likely to Be Cremated by February, Oct 30
LTO Cambodia blog: Mourners, Monks and Nuns, Oct 31
The Cambodia Daily: Remembering the King, Norodom Sihanouk, Nov 1
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 11, Waiting, Oct 25
The Independent: Trail of the unexpected: Cambodia - for king and country, Oct 26
Soma Norodom's blog: My Most Controversial column, We Should Be United, Oct 26
LTO Cambodia blog: Sihanouk Photos, Oct 28
A cremation fit for a King, Oct 30
LTO Cambodia blog: Death of Sihanouk: Day 16, Oct 30
The Cambodia Daily: King Father Likely to Be Cremated by February, Oct 30
LTO Cambodia blog: Mourners, Monks and Nuns, Oct 31
The Cambodia Daily: Remembering the King, Norodom Sihanouk, Nov 1
An Ode to Norodom Sihanouk—A Rock Star King by Kevin Barrington
The Cambodia Daily: King Father's Body to Be Cremated on February 4, Nov 27
The Cambodia Daily: City Quiet as Water Festival Canceled, Nov 27
China Daily: Former Cambodian king Sihanouk to be cremated, Nov 27
Foreign Dignitaries to attend funeral, Jan 15
Travelfish: King Father's funeral: What to expect, Jan 16
The Cambodia Daily: Late King Sihanouk's Cremation Site Will Cost $5 Million, Jan 17
Procession route announcement (Khmer), Jan 17
K440: Royal Funeral Procession Route and Times, Jan 18
Living in Phnom Penh blog: Preparations underway for funeral of late Cambodian King Father Sihanouk, Jan 21
John Vink: Funeral Rehearsal Take #2, Jan 26
Bangkok Post: Yingluck to attend Sihanouk cremation, Jan 28
The Cambodia Daily: City Quiet as Water Festival Canceled, Nov 27
China Daily: Former Cambodian king Sihanouk to be cremated, Nov 27
Foreign Dignitaries to attend funeral, Jan 15
Travelfish: King Father's funeral: What to expect, Jan 16
The Cambodia Daily: Late King Sihanouk's Cremation Site Will Cost $5 Million, Jan 17
Procession route announcement (Khmer), Jan 17
K440: Royal Funeral Procession Route and Times, Jan 18
Living in Phnom Penh blog: Preparations underway for funeral of late Cambodian King Father Sihanouk, Jan 21
John Vink: Funeral Rehearsal Take #2, Jan 26
Bangkok Post: Yingluck to attend Sihanouk cremation, Jan 28
The Cambodia Daily: Gun Salute Tested Before King Father's Funeral, Jan 28
The Cambodia Daily: Final Preparations Put in Place for Sihanouk's Cremation, Jan 28
New Mandala: Norodom Sihanouk's wonderful, horrible life, An interview with Milton Osbourne, part 1 by Susan Cunningham, Jan 30
New Mandala: Sihanouk's Revenge, An interview with Milton Osbourne, part 2 by Susan Cunningham
AFP: Cambodia pardons 400 prisoners for funeral of ex-king, Jan 30
The Cambodia Daily: Final Preparations Put in Place for Sihanouk's Cremation, Jan 28
New Mandala: Norodom Sihanouk's wonderful, horrible life, An interview with Milton Osbourne, part 1 by Susan Cunningham, Jan 30
New Mandala: Sihanouk's Revenge, An interview with Milton Osbourne, part 2 by Susan Cunningham
AFP: Cambodia pardons 400 prisoners for funeral of ex-king, Jan 30
VOA: Cambodia Prepares for Former King's Cremation, Jan 31,
The Cambodia Daily: In Pictures, Cambodia Prepares for King Father's Cremation, Jan 31
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Final Touches, Jan 31
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral schedule for Day 1, Jan 31
Funeral of Sihanouk: Procession
VOA: Cambodians Mourn Late King in Funeral Procession, Feb 1
The Cambodia Daily: In Pictures, a Funeral Fit for a King, Feb 1
The Cambodia Daily: Cambodian Officials Prepare Funeral Ceremony Fit for a King, Feb 1
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 1, Procession, Feb 1
John Vink blog: King Norodom Sihanouk Funeral, Day 1, Feb 1
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 2, Feb 1
AP: Sihanouk: Cambodia's last true king, Feb 2
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 2, Feb 2
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 3, Feb 2
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 4, Feb 2
Telegraph: Strongman Hun Sen faces rising dissent over human rights as country mourns King, Feb 2
The Cambodia Daily: The Final Journey of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 3
The Cambodia Daily: A Generation Says Farewell to Their King, Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 3
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral schedule for tomorrow, day 4, cremation, Feb 3
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 3, Feb 3
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 5, Feb 3
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 6, Feb 3
China Daily: China's top advisor arrives for Sihanouk's funeral, Feb 3
Funeral of Sihanouk: Cremation
VOA: Thousands Attend Cremation of Former Cambodian King, Feb 4
Global Post: Cambodia: Sihanouk's love affair with North Korea, Feb 4
The Cambodia Daily: Thai Spy Freed; 412 Prisoners to Be Released on Monday, Feb 4
The Cambodia Daily: Thousands Line Up to Pay Final Respects, Feb 4
AP: Cambodia Mourns as 'King-Father' Sihanouk Cremated, Feb 4
BBC: Cambodia cremates former King Sihanouk, Feb 4
BBC: In pictures: Cambodia mourns King Sihanouk, Feb 4
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 4, cremation, Feb 4
Global Post: Cambodia sends off King Father Sihanouk in fiery ceremony by Faine Greenwood, Feb 4
Chasing Trade Winds blog: "getting past the barriers", Feb 4
Chasing Trade Winds blog: Thousands gathered..., Feb 4
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 7, Feb 4
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 8, Feb 4
Norodom Sihanouk - Final Goodbyes, Feb 4
VOA: Cremation of Former King Sihanouk Takes Place in Cambodia, Feb 4
Cambodia Herald: Key dates during Sihanouk's lifetime, Feb 4
ThaRum (blog): News in videos: final farewell to Cambodia's King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 4
Present at Sihanouk's Fire, by James Pringle, Feb 5
Ashes of Cambodia's revered ex-king lowered into river, Feb 5
ANN: Cambodia farewells former king Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 5
SEA Globe: Like father, unlike son, Feb 5
SEA Globe: Long live the king, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: A Nation Bids Farewell to Its Beloved King Father, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: 110 Days of Remembering Norodom Sihanouk, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: Police Chief Hits Military Police Officers at Cremation Site, Feb 5
The Cambodia Daily: Mourners Rush to Buy King Father Mementos, Feb 5
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 5, ashes, Feb 5
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 9, Feb 5
VOA: Sihanouk Remains Collected, Dispersed, Feb 5
Telegraph: Cambodian King Sihanouk's ashes scattered on Mekong (video), Feb 5
VOA: Sihanouk's Cremains Cast to the Rivers of Cambodia, Feb 6
Soma Norodom's Blog: Letter to Our Beloved King Father, Feb 6
Cambodia's king is dead, long live the Prime Minister, Feb 6
Irwin Loy: Photos: A royal funeral in Cambodia, Feb 6
LTO Cambodia blog: The Kantha Bopha Memorial, Feb 6
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 10, Feb 6
The Diplomat: Cambodian King Sihanouk's Final Journey by Luke Hunt, Feb 6
AFP: Cambodia's king is dead, long live the PM, Feb 6
The Economist: Loyal to the end, Feb 6
VOA: Monks Take Center Stage as Sihanouk Rituals Continue, Feb 7
Cambodia ends lavish funeral for ex-king Sihanouk, Feb 7
China Daily: Funeral of Sihanouk ends, remains placed in palace, Feb 7
LTO Cambodia blog: Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 7, the end, Feb 7
John Vink blog: King N. Sihanouk Funeral, Last Days 11, Feb 7
The Cambodia Daily: France Pushes Hun Sen on Human Rights Record, Feb 7
VOA: Sihanouk's Golden Urn Returned to Royal Palace, Feb 8
Sihanouk's ashes enter the Royal Palace, Feb 8
Mouthful (blog): "In the West we seem to have forgotten how lengthy grief...", Feb 8
Binay back from Cambodia Sihanouk cremation rites, Feb 9
VOA: National Grieving Shows Importance of Monarchy: Analyst, Feb 9
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 7, the end
This morning urns containing the ashes of the late King Father Sihanouk were returned from the Veal Preah Man crematorium to the Royal Palace via an elaborate procession, the King and Queen Mother in attendance, the ashes borne by a the same Hang Bird hearse that carried the King Father's coffin when he was returned from China 3 months ago. Though there have been reports that the ashes are to be placed in the 'Kantha Bopha Stupa' at the Silver Pagoda per the late King Father's wishes, this has not yet been confirmed. The procession of the ashes to the Palace was the final public act of the funeral, effectively bringing to a close the week long funeral and mourning period.
By midday, most of the streets in the Palace area that had been shut for several days were reopened or at least partially opened with most of the orange and white barricades removed. (Sothearos Blvd in front of the Palace remained closed, but has been for almost a year now, somewhat inexplicably and unrelated to the death of the King Father.) Motor traffic flowed freely on Sisowath Quay, Street 240, Street 214 and Street 19 and though the roads around Veal Preah Man were still mostly blocked to motor traffic, pedestrians were able to move unimpeded through the area.
All of the offering tables in front of the Royal Palace are now gone, only a line of incense bowls filled with spent joss sticks remain. By late afternoon workers were collecting the piles of dead offering flowers from the front of the Palace into hand carts and hauling them away, leaving a trail of rotting brown lotus buds and stems along Sothearos. The Palace guards were out of their dress whites and back in khaki. Black ribbons, funerary pendents and Sihanouk posters will still on sale from street vendors, but the number of vendors was less than half of the day before. A few mourners linger in the area, but the crowds are gone, back to ordinary life, many presumably returning to the countryside from whence they came. At 5PM a couple of dozen mourners still stood at front (east) gate of Veal Preah Man, and perhaps a dozen more at the north gate. When I passed around sunset, the Palace park, which has been the center of mourning activity for the last 3+ months, was all but empty of mourners, only two old ladies quietly paying their final respects.
The funeral complete, table talk is now turning quickly to Chinese New Year, Cambodia's most popular unofficial holiday, coming up on the 10th.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Kantha Bopha Memorial
HRH Princess Kantha Bopha Memorial Sanctuary at the Silver Pagoda (next to the Royal Palace)
The late King Father Sihanouk was cremated two days ago. Yesterday the ashes were collected from the crematorium (Veal Preah Man) and most were taken by royal barge to Chaktomuk and scattered to the Mekong River. Some of the ashes will be taken back to the Royal Palace to be placed in a 'Diamond Urn' and kept there. AFP reported that an unnamed Palace official said "the royal urn containing the King-Father's remains will be kept in the Kantha Bopha stupa," which would make a very touching final resting place for the late King Father.
Princess Kantha Bopha was the beloved daughter of King Sihanouk and Princess Sisowath Pongsanmoni, born in 1948 when Sihanouk was a young King and Cambodia still under French colonial rule. She died of leukemia in 1952 at the age of 3 (or 4). It is said that King Sihanouk was inconsolably grief stricken, even carrying the urn containing her ashes when traveling abroad. In 1960 Sihanouk erected a memorial sanctuary to the Princess (pictured above) on the grounds of Wat Preah Keo Morokat (the 'Silver Pagoda') next to the Royal Palace, the sanctuary set amongst the stupas of Cambodian Kings.
The sanctuary is referred to as the 'Kantha Bopha Memorial Sanctuary' in Julio Jeldres' authoritative 'The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh' (1999.) I'm not sure if this is also the said "Kantha Bopha stupa" of the AFP article, but am unaware of any other structure on the Palace/Pagoda grounds of that name.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 5, ashes
Sunset on the Palace
The 'Four Faces' crowning the spire of the Throne Hall
The 'Four Faces' crowning the spire of the Throne Hall
at the Royal Palace. Sunset, February 5, 2013
The late King Father Norodom Sihanouk was cremated yesterday evening at the Veal Preah Man (Meru) next to the Royal Palace. This morning the ashes of the pyre were collected from the crematorium and transported by procession to the the royal funerary barge docked near the Preah Ong Dong Ar Temple in front of the Royal Palace area on the Tonle Sap River. The barge, pulled by a tug boat, ferried the ashes and attendees a short distance to the confluence of the Mekong River, the 'Chaktomuk,' literally translated, the 'Four Faces' of the Mekong, where most of the ashes were lowered to the river in sacks, scattered to the waters.
With the ashes gone, the tiered Royal parasol that crowned Veal Preah Man (Meru) was removed, and stood conspicuous in its absence today. The remaining ashes will be returned to the Palace and ultimately the 'Silver Pagoda' where, according to AFP, they will be placed in the "Kantha Bopha stupa," King Sihanouk's beloved daughter, Kantha Bopha, who died as a child.
The Chaktomuk, literally translated the 'Four Faces,' is the riverine crossroads in the heart of Cambodia where the Mekong River and its tributary the Tonle Sap meet and connect Phnom Penh to the 'four corners' of Cambodia - the old Angkorian capital to the west, Laos to the north and the South China Sea to the south and east, loosely quartering into the four cardinal point. When the Khmer capital moved from Angkor to the banks of the confluence of the Mekong in the 15th century, the area was known as 'Chaktomuk,' only later becoming 'Phnom Penh.' This move also reflected a fundamental shift in the nature of the Khmer empire, from an agrarian society to a trade based society, harkening back to the old empire of Funan.
The Four Faces is also a theme echoed throughout Khmer art and architecture. The spire of Throne Hall of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is crowned by Four Faces, the design of which is said to have received inspiration from the Four Face monuments of Bayon temple at Angkor. Today, Sihanouk was laid to final rest at the Chaktomuk, the Four Faces, at the geographic and spiritual heart of post-Angkorian Cambodia.
Spires of the Throne Hall of the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh (2011). The Palace sits on Sothearos Blvd. about 100 meters off river, overlooking the Chaktomuk.
'Four faces' at Angkor, Bayon, Angkor Thom, Siem Reap province, circa 13th century AD.
Map of the area around the confluence of the Mekong River, Chaktomuk, Cambodia
Map of the area around the confluence of the Mekong River, Chaktomuk, Cambodia
Veal Preah Man with tiered-parasol removed. Feruary 5, 2013, 5:00PM.
Royal funerary barge, its duty discharged, being tugged into port. The Chaktomuk ('Four Faces' of the Mekong River) in the background.)
Empty, barricaded street in front of the Royal Palace. Most of the area remained closed to the public today, though the police seemed a bit looser in enforcement. People (Cambodians) that I spoke to on the street continued to complain about being kept away from the funeral and the security measures in general. Everybody seems to have a story of some country person that had gone to extraordinary lengths to travel to Phnom Penh for the funeral, only to be denied access. Other Cambodians say that despite the heavy police presence, crime has in fact been rife, recounting tales of pickpockets, robberies and assaults in the riverfront area, adding that while the police have been effective at protecting the elite and keeping the public away from the funeral, they have done little else. I don't have any confirmation of these claims of increased crime, but true or not, it likely reflects an increasing frustration with how security and crowd control have been handled.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 4, cremation
The pyre lit 20 minutes earlier, smoke emanates from Veal Preah Man.
Rest in Peace King Sihanouk.
Today, day 4 of King Father Norodom Sihanouk's funeral, was the day of the primary ceremony and the cremation. The ceremony was attended by family, friends, monks, government officials and foreign dignitaries. Dozens of journalists and photographers were in evidence. Most of the area was sealed off to the general public. The ceremony appeared to come off without a hitch, culminating in the lighting of the funeral pyre and smoke emanating from the crematorium, sometimes profusely. Afterward, there was another cannon salute, more fireworks, and the barricades keeping the public at bay were opened shortly thereafter. The Palace area was almost immediately filled with what I would estimate to be in the tens of thousands of people.
Hotels around Veal Preah Man were instructed to cover their windows to
prevent people from looking down on the area.
Mid-afternoon. Dignitaries and other attendees begin to arrive at Veal Preah Man.
The entire area around Veal Preah Man (Meru) and the Royal Palace was closed to the general public. Only those with passes, people that lived in the surrounding buildings, a smattering of tourists that happened to be staying at hotels within the area, and a fortunate few that somehow managed to finagle their way past the cordon were able to get close enough to Veal Preah Man to have a view of the proceedings. This small group of mourners sat in a small alley opposite the north gate of Veal Preah Man (Meru.)
Dozens of foreign dignitaries came to pay their respects, passing slowly
through the crematorium and exiting by the north door.
The honor gaurd's duty complete, they make their final retreat from the crematorium.
The King.
Smoke rises from the crematorium. 6:54PM.
Mourner at north gate of Veal Preah Man. The pyre lit and smoke rising.
Shortly after the cremation, I left Veal Preah Man, walked to the Palace area and then north up Sisowath Quay, all of which was still almost completely empty of people. At Street 154, thousands and thousands of people who had been kept away from the funeral area were waiting on the other side of a barricade. About 10 minutes later the police opened parts of the barricade and began to let people through...
Within 15 minute the Royal Palace area, including the riverfront park, the Palace park, Sisowath Quay and Sothearos Blvd in front of the Palace was filled with people, laying flowers at the Palace, trying to get a glimpse of Veal Preah Man and the rising smoke, sitting in the parks and street watching a replay of the funeral proceedings on the giant TV mounted on the face of the Palace...
Watching the big TV
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 3
Today, day 3 of King Father Norodom Sihanouk's funeral, was much like yesterday. The official proceedings, even as stated in the official program, were the "same as Day 2." The Royal Palace park and the road immediately in front of Veal Preah Meru (Sothearos Blvd) remained closed. The King and Queen Mother attended religious ceremonies at the crematorium in the early evening and people crowded at two of the gates (primarily the north gate) to offer respects and try to get a glimpse.
Getting access to the area continued to be a tedious process today due to the many street barricades and restricted access to some areas. Enforcement was still uneven though the police seem to be stricter about enforcing the rules today. Like yesterday, people are still grumbling about the lack of access to the area. Scenes of people trying to talk their way past the police barricade are common, and most often unsuccessful. Nevertheless the crowds are generally respecting the cordon and behaving in an orderly fashion.
Crowds in the Palace area and riverfront area were moderate during the day and increased in size dramatically in the evening, again many people gathering opposite the Palace in the evening to watch the proceedings within Veal Preah Meru on the giant TV mounted on the Palace face. During the day, the shrines at the Preah Ong Dong Ar Temple opposite the Palace on Sisowath Quay were quite busy with people making offerings. The sight of the Royal Barge docked on the river next to the temple also seemed to attract considerable attention.
The following are a couple of shaky iPad videos, which, though not of very good quality, might give some feel for the scene and atmosphere in the Royal Palace area this evening.
Scene on Street 178 at the north gate of Veal Preah Meru this evening at about 6:10PM.
Scene on Sisowath Quay in front of the Royal Palace this evening at about 7:00PM.
Funeral schedule for tomorrow, day 4, cremation
New 1000 riel notes issues last week, bearing the image of King Father Norodom Sihanouk on the face
and an image of the King Father's hearse from the first funerary procession (October 18, 2012)
Brief outline of a rough translation of the schedule of Sihanouk's funeral for Day 4, as issued by the Ministry of Information:
6:00am to 12:00noon - The same as the 2nd and 3rd day.
16:00pm - Meeting of monks, royal family, government, senate, parliament, army, secretary of state.
16:30pm - Ambassadors arrive at the south of Veal Preach Meru.
- Royal family and government officers arrive at the south gate of Veal Preah Meru.
17:10pm - Hun Sen, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and spouses arrive the south of Veal Preah Meru.
17:20pm - Foreign dignitaries arrive at Veal Preah Meru.
17:40pm - The King and Queen Mather arrive at Veal Preah Meru.
17:50pm - 90 monks perform ceremony.
18:00pm - The King and the Queen Mother apply fire the funeral pyre.Cremation.
- Cannon salute on the riverfront for a the 3rd time.
- The King and the Queen mother mark release over 400 prisoners The King and the Queen mother give gifts at the front of Veal Preah Meru.
Edit: Feb 4, mid-day - Hearing rumors of various times for the cremation that differ from the officially published schedule. At least one reliable source now says 5PM.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 2
Preah Meru (crematorium)
Much of the Palace area was closed to the public today as, reportedly, the Royal family, government officials and others were attending a private ceremony or gathering. When I got to the area in the afternoon the closure was being erratically enforced, police letting some people pass barricades into the area on some streets, but barring entry from other streets. Still, the immediate Palace area was almost devoid of people throughout the day, which is the first time I've seen that since that in the last three months.
At some checkpoints people were clearly frustrated at being refused admittance to the area. I am told that on TV today government begged understanding for the blockades, citing security and safety, and also reminding people of public visiting hours for Veal Preah Meru. Though I did not see it, I understand the Veal Preah Meru was open to the public from 1PM-4PM today and that there were long lines waiting to enter. According to the official schedule, it will be open to the public again tomorrow (Feb 3,) from 1PM-4PM, for those who wish to pay their respects.
The King and Queen Mother attended a religious (Buddhist) ceremony at the crematorium beginning at about 5PM, 'giving gifts to 90 monks.' Monks could be seen coming and going from the crematorium. Hundreds of people gathered along the side entrances (north and west) and the blocked street (Sothearos) near the front gate to try to get a glimpse of the King and Queen, and to pray and offer their respects...and to take a few photos with their phones and iPads. Thousands of others gathered along Sisowath Quay opposite the Royal Palace to watch the proceedings on a giant TV mounted on the front of the Palace. The ceremony ended shortly after 8PM, the King and Queen returned to the Palace, and a 20 minute fireworks display sounded over the riverfront.
There has been an explosion of vendors selling funerary accoutrements in the area - dozens and dozens of vendors lining the surrounding streets, some selling on foot - vending flowers, incense, candles, black ribbons, and the most popular selling item, various photo posters of Sihanouk. Early this evening, after 6PM or so, there were tens of thousands of people along the length of Sisowath Quay, and vendors of all sorts lined the way, selling not only flowers and posters, but snacks and drinks, knick-knacks, balloons, even toys. People filled the riverfront park and street opposite the Palace (the Palace park was still closed in the evening,) sitting in groups, many burning candles and incense, some praying, meditating, mourning. Further north along the riverfront the mood was respectful but lighter, the streets and park full, people doing a bit of shopping and snacking and strolling the area.
Three months ago during the first mourning period for the King Father, this good-hearted lady offered free incense and candles in front of her shop to passing mourners on their way to the Royal Palace. Today I saw her, once again sitting at her shop on Sothearos Blvd offering free incense and black ribbons to passers-by, now amongst several street vendors selling the same.
Royal Palace park at 4PM, sans people.
'Ghost flag' at Veal Preah Meru
Crowd outside north gate of Veal Preah Meru, awaiting the arrival of the King and Queen Mother.
Monks entering Preah Meru
Mourners on the sidewalk outside Veal Preah Meru
Sisowath Quay, the riverfront road, 9:00PM.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Funeral of Sihanouk: Day 1, Procession
The coffin bearing the remains of King Father Norodom Sihanouk
leave the Royal Palace by the Victory Gate, bound to be lifted onto the hearse and
begin the funerary procession around Phnom Penh.
February 1, 2013
Today, February 1, was the first day of King Father Sihanouk's funeral proceedings, a week long mourning period in which the King Father's mortal remains will receive their final treatment. A special crematorium and funerary complex has been constructed for the King Father over the last three months, located next to the Palace and in front of the National Museum, in the Veal Preah Man (Meru) Park. Today the King Father's coffin was moved from the Royal Palace, where he has been lying in state for three months, to the crematorium via an elaborate procession that circuited the inner city.
Just before 8:00AM, the coffin was first moved from the Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay (Throne Hall) and Royal Palace grounds, through the Victory Gate, straight up the road in front of the Palace (Preah Ponhea Yath Av.) to the area of the Preah Ong Dong Ar Temple on the riverfront, where the funerary procession and Royal Hearse awaited on Sisowath Quay Blvd. The King and Queen Mother followed and observed the coffin lifted to the hearse, after which they returned to the Palace. As the procession began to move at about 8:45AM, a cannon salute was fired from 12 artillery pieces lining the riverfront next to the temple. (I didn't count the shots but I would estimate about 24.) The procession consisted of more than a dozen vehicles and floats as well as thousands of mourners, family, dignitaries, military and representatives of ethnic groups clad in various traditional dress.
The procession traveled a 6 kilometer circuit, beginning on Sisowath Quay in front of the Preah Ong Dong Ar Temple and finishing at the Veal Preah Man crematorium. It began traveling north up the riverfront, turned west to Wat Phnom, semi-circled the roundabout and proceeded south on Norodom Blvd to the Independence Monument, tuned east on Sihanouk and continued to Sothearos Blvd, turned north and returned to the Palace area, arriving at the the front of Veal Peah Man crematorium at about noon. All businesses were closed along the entire route and people forbidden from standing above the procession on balconies and roof tops. Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the way, but in my estimation the crowd was noticeably smaller and thinner than the crowd that showed for the return of the King Father's remains from China 3 months ago. A dress code was fairly strictly enforced by minders and police - white shirt/blouse, black pants/skirt, black arm bands or ribbons, no hats, etc.
As the returning procession passed the Royal Palace on Sothearos, it stopped at the Victory Gate where the King and Queen Mother rejoined the procession to the crematorium. A second cannon salute was fired at about 12:15PM.
Over the next two days the coffin will remain in place at the crematorium. Various religious ceremonies will be performed. The actual cremation will take place Monday, February 4.
King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath
Prime Minister Hun Sen
Coffin bearing the remains of King Father Norodom Sihanouk
The press
Traditional dancers wait for the proceedings to begin
First cannon salute. Riverfront, Phnom Penh.
Procession mourners
Procession mourners
Procession mourner
Frontispiece of the hearse
Neak Bun Chhay (second from left holding flower,) in the funeral procession
Procession approaches Palace and the end of the city circuit.
Procession mourners (representing tribal peoples)
Hearse bearing coffin passing the Royal Palace at the end of the procession.
One of two animal floats
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not received
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lakeside, ca
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text: <snip> > > Anyone have any experience dealing with SURBL? I have a client who's > domain and IP is not listed in SURBL, but their client in China is using > SURBL and my client's emails are getting blocked. Can't seem to find > how SURBL is blocking them > Could the client in China either have an old copy of the feed, or maybe a Chinese ISP keeps an older copy cached of the feed? The Chinese client could also whitelist your client. -- MailScanner is like deodorant... You hope everybody uses it, and you notice quickly if they don't!!!! -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 250 bytes Desc: OpenPGP digital signature URL: <http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/attachments/20081031/7abbed7b/attachment.sig>


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"Drop dead!"
That's one of the first things said to Kirk Douglas' character in The Bad and the Beautiful. 1952 was a long time ago. He would have been 35 for most of that year. Now he's 100 and you have to delve into the extended cast (and those much younger) to find others who still live. It's difficult to imagine a world where almost everyone alive right now is gone… and you're still hanging in there. Continue reading


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Camping is an excellent and magical time where you and the friends can enjoy the great outdoors. The rewards include time out of the commotion of cities for any slower pace of life for a weekend http://buckeye4locals.com, experiencing the simple pleasures in life. To get the most from your next camping trip, read on to the following paragraphs.
If you are intending on a camping adventure, be sure to have the time to setup camp before dark. It can be almost impossible to set up camp in the dark as well as unsafe. You have to be in a position to scout the terrain, prepare bedding, and maybe build some temporary shelter before the sun heading down.
Always take more water than you believe you may use when you are on the camping trip. Often times, people forget how much water is required. It is employed for drinking, washing dishes and hands, cooking and also brushing your teeth. Water is not something you want to do without.
Make sure you are aware of what hospitals are in close proximity to your campsite and the way to reach them. As you don't want to contemplate anything bad happening on your own trip, it really is a possibility. Certain injuries will necessitate visiting the physician, so it is best to know which place to go before something happens, and you have been in panic mode.
If you're a novice to camping, you're likely to desire to arrive early for the campground. The reason behind this can be you may be unfamiliar with the campground site and rules, which will slow you down. You don't wish to be stuck setting up camp after dark, so just arrive just a little earlier than you normally would.
Introduce yourselves with other families camping with your immediate area, as a means of being social and much more likely to help one another out. If another crew arrives after you've setup, offer to assist with their tent or equipment. If something goes awry during the trip for anybody, it's quicker to require the aid of a person who was courteous enough to introduce themselves.
Bring enough food and snack things to last through the entire whole trip. You don't want to spend time going to get food each meal, enjoy yourself when you are camping. Bring cereal, hot dogs, and all of your other favorite meals that can fuel you throughout your holiday.In planning for a camping trip, people often neglect to bring enough clothes. Keep in mind that you will have no washing facilities, and you need to consider just how the weather can call for certain specific attire also sometimes. You usually desire to be prepared, so pack accordingly.
While preparing for the camping trip, people often fail to bring enough clothes. Keep in mind that you will have no washing facilities, and you need to think about how the weather can call for certain specific attire as well at times. You generally need to be prepared, so pack accordingly.
Take something to entertain yourself in case you have some downtime. Bring some board games for the whole family, or bring a magazine in case you get out of bed before everyone else. This is an excellent idea so that you know you will be entertained throughout your complete trip and then there isn't a dull moment.
In this modern age, there is not any excuse as being within the woods without some form of communication ability. Naturally, nobody enjoys to receive calls if they are relaxing, so leave your phone off but fully charged, just in case it comes with an emergency, and you have to contact someone.
Usually do not approach any wild animals while you are camping. A thing that may appear harmless and adorable could be incredibly territorial. Furthermore, be sure not to feed any animals, as doing so can lead to injuries. Avoid keeping any food inside of your tent to avoid animals from destroying your campsite. Keep it stored away safely or in a nearby tree.
If you're having difficulty keeping warm at nighttime, wear a hat. It can get cold outside in nature. As cold because it gets, however, it can be quite stifling to maintain your head tucked inside of your sleeping bag at all times. Pack a warm woolen hat to wear as you sleep.
Remember to choose a sleeping bag that is ideal for the season you are camping in. Choose a lighter bag for summer months, for example. In the winter months, however, you will need something a little thicker to be warm.
Collect dryer lint for your next camping trip. Why? Because it is a great way to start up a fire. Lint makes flames that burn hotter and brighter than wood. Just a little of lint plus a tiny spark can be all you need to get moving.
Your tent should be kept dry and well ventilated. Absence of ventilation might cause condensation to form when you sweat and breathe. You are able to awaken wet without adequate ventilation. Make sure you get a tent that has vents or windows that may be opened to avoid moisture from becoming a problem.
Wear closed-toe shoes when camping. While walking with open-toe shoes or barefoot in general may seem appealing, there are a variety of treacherous things on the floor that will harm your feet including rocks, sticks, poisonous plants and in many cases animals. Protect the feet completely by always wearing shoes that protect you completely.
Camping means yourself and your family and friends can get a bit of time both outdoors and outside the modern world, with all of its stress, hectic pace and technology. If you bear in mind all the tips using this article, you can sleep inside your tent in peace, knowing all of your bases are covered.


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There's nothing like a day at the spa! A little rest and relaxation go a long way to easing stress as well as boosting your health. Plus, a little pampering never hurts anyone. So, if you're looking for a great massage or facial, there are plenty of spas near Hampton Roads. You'll find everything you […]Continue Reading
Rest & Relax: Spas Near Hampton Roads
Thursday, February 22, 2018


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'Shibori' includes the purest of ancient dots, the vibrantly complex 'T' shirts of the 60's, the scrunched and sculptural surfaces of synthetic and modern fabrics.
The Japanese verb 'shiboru' describes actions worked with force and pressure, such as 'squeeze' and 'wring out' ie a wet towel, to milk a cow, to press a person for information etc. 'Shibori' the noun, is the word for the traditional resist dyed patterned textiles of Japan created by these actions. Nowadays it includes the effects of those actions whether they are evident through the application of colour, as a resisted mark or as a physical sculptured characteristic. Now the accepted umbrella term for all the skills which were, and are, referred to as 'tie and dye', also includes other lesser known methods. The word 'Shibori' embraces the resist dyed textiles marked by a wealth of imaginative shibori techniques found all over the world. Traditional shibori includes the Adire cloth of Africa, Indian Bandhani, Plangi and Tritik of Malaya, the fabrics of Japan, and of China.
In the main cloth is kept open and/or flat and still for pattern to be applied in the form of a print paste, by means of a block or screen, or through hand painting techniques. With shibori however, the patterning process is quite different, with fabric being moved, twisted and turned. The various preparations result in the tight compression of fabric which is then secured in its 'scrunched up' state prior to dyeing. This influences the flow or prevents the dye from marking the fabric altogether. How we choose to manipulate and then imprison the cloth precipitates the unique and distinct pattern markings that are characteristic of shibori resists. The flow and uptake of dye is the result of a personal and direct 'hands on' process and reflect the personal touch and dexterity of the maker. In working cloth the shibori practitioner is not distanced from cloth but intimately engaged with it and the actions performed are as much 'shibori' as the finished item.
Traditional shibori techniques include stitch resist; wrapping the fabric to a central support such as a pole, cylinder or rope; binding and capping; board clamping and each of these give very different and distinctive markings. Within these main shibori techniques any number of variations can be found to effect traditional, contemporary and innovative shibori textile art. There is no limit as to how they can be used or how the individual interprets 'shibori.'
The contorted forms of cloth born out of the shibori process have inspired textile artists and fashion designers to develop the transforming abilities of shibori for many years. Cloth, in retaining the forms forced upon it after restrictions are removed, offers futuristic textures and ethereal sculpted forms. But shibori does not forget its history, for at the same time it speaks clearly of its traditional roots - of simple mark making, of the delight in observation, decoration and pattern, and of the need to communicate.
The changing image shows two outcomes of a stitched shibori piece. The same motif shape was used for both.
One results in an indigo shibori resist,
the other its sculptural equivalent.
Simply press the pause button to hold the image.
Recommended reading:-
Shibori. The inventive art of Japanese shaped resist dyeing.
Wada, Rice, Barton
A wonderful example of Japanese kanoko shibori.
(fine binding) Indigo on silk. John Gillow collection.


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WBT (radio station)
|City of license
|WBT: Charlotte, North Carolina
WBT-FM: Chester, South Carolina
WLNK-HD2: Charlotte, North Carolina
|Broadcast area
|Charlotte metropolitan area
|News/Talk 1110
|Charlotte's #1 Source For Breaking News, Weather and Traffic
|AM: 1110 kHz(also on HD Radio)
FM: 99.3 MHz(also on HD Radio)
FM: 107.9-2 MHz
|First air date
|AM: April 10, 1922 (originally experimental as 4XD from December 19, 1920 – April 9, 1922)
FM: August 30, 1969
WLNK-HD2: October 14, 2014
|AM: 50,000 watts
|FM: 7,700 watts
|FM: 182.2 meters (598 ft)
|Facility ID
|Transmitter coordinates
|AM: Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 668: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found.
FM: Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 668: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found.
|Callsign meaning
|randomly assigned by Commerce Department; unofficially meant Watch Buicks Travel while it was owned by a local Buick dealer
|ABC News Radio[1]
|Greater Media
|Sister stations
|WBT Live Feed
WBT (known on air as News Talk 1110) is a radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina, broadcasting on the AM dial at 1110 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it can be heard across most of the eastern half of North America at night. It simulcasts on WBT-FM, at 99.3 MHz in Chester, South Carolina. It is owned by Greater Media. The station's studios are located just west of uptown Charlotte, while its transmitter is located in the southern part of the city.
WBT and WBT-FM are licensed to broadcast in the HD Radio format.[2][3]
The station relies mostly on locally produced talk shows and offers podcasts of its local shows on its official website. It airs news, weather, and traffic reports each half hour.
On weekdays, the station offers a four-hour morning drive-time newscast with Bo Thompson called "Charlotte's Morning News", along with local talk show hosts Keith Larson, John Hancock. Syndicated programing includes Rush Limbaugh, Dave Ramsey and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory.
From 2009 until March 31, 2011, Pete Kaliner hosted a local program in the 9-midnight slot, but was fired in a cost-cutting move by Greater Media. Neal Boortz's syndicated show was heard on tape delay from 9pm-1am; however, this was a temporary move as nationally syndicated host and former WBT personality Jason Lewis began to be heard on the station from 9-midnight (on a three-hour delay from his live broadcast) beginning in May 2011.
Nearly two months after Kaliner's departure, Tara Servatius' contract was not renewed; Doug Kellett and Wayne Powers filled the 3-6pm slot on an interim basis while the station searched for a replacement. On June 22, 2011, former WSOC-TV lead anchor Vince Coakley, who had done fill-in work at WBT before, was named Servatius' replacement in the 3-6pm timeslot.[4] Coakley left after a little over a year and was replaced on July 2, 2012 by Brad Krantz (a former WBT host) and Britt Whitmire, formerly of WZTK. Krantz and Whitmire, in turn, were fired by the station on June 11, 2014, and were replaced by John Hancock, who moved up from evenings (6-9pm) and a 6pm local news hour hosted by Mark Garrison and a local show with former WFNZ host Brett Jensen from 7pm-10pm.
In December 2012, morning co-host Stacey Simms left Charlotte's Morning News to spend more time with her family. On January 14, 2013, Charlotte native Doc Washburn, most recently a morning host at WFLF-FM in Panama City Beach, Florida, debuted in the 9pm-1am slot, bringing local talk to the timeslot for the first time in nearly two years, replacing Lewis and the retired Boortz. The show would be replaced by the nationally syndicated America Now with Andy Dean in May 2013; Washburn remained with the station as a fill-in host.
Since 2005, WBT has been the flagship station of the Carolina Panthers. It also was the Panthers' radio flagship from the team's 1995 inception until 1999. It was the flagship of the Charlotte Hornets from the team's debut in 1988 until the team moved to New Orleans in 2002; when the North Carolina Tar Heels and the NBA Charlotte Hornets played at the same time, WBCY aired the Hornets.[5] It was also the Charlotte home of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from 1977 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 2006. During the Hornets' early years, whenever the Tar Heels played on the same night as the Hornets, WBT often aired the Tar Heels while bumping the Hornets to WBCY/WBT-FM/WWSN/WLNK. From 1991 to 1995, it was the Charlotte-area home of the Duke Blue Devils.
The UNC Tar Heels returned to WBT in 2012.[6]
Past programming
Past hosts include "Hello Henry" Bogan, Ty Boyd, Grady Cole, Mike Collins, "Rockin'" Ray Gooding, Bob Lacey, Jason Lewis and H.A. Thompson.
Don Russell is the station's longest-tenured personality, having worked at the station on six separate occasions since the 1970s. He currently hosts the weekend version of Charlotte's Morning News.
The station dates to December 1920, when Fred Laxton, Earle Gluck and Frank Bunker set up an amateur radio station in Laxton's home. Four months later, the station received an experimental license as 4XD. The trio decided to go commercial in 1922, and incorporated as the Southern Radio Corporation. On April 10, the station signed on as the first fully licensed radio station south of Washington, D.C. WSB in Atlanta was the first station in the Southeast to actually broadcast, a month before WBT. However, the Commerce Department only authorized WSB to broadcast weather reports until it received its license a few months after WBT. (Gluck was later a partner in competitor WSOC, and was the first president of WSOC-TV when it launched in 1957.)
In 1925, the original owners sold WBT to Charlotte Buick dealer C.C. Coddington, who promoted both the radio station and his auto dealership with the slogan "Watch Buicks Travel." Coddington built a transmitter at a farm property he owned on Nations Ford Road in south Charlotte, where it remains today. He sold WBT to the two-year-old CBS network in 1929; CBS wanted to make WBBM in Chicago full-time on 780 AM, which was a shared frequency with KFAB in Omaha, Nebraska and in order to do that they moved KFAB to 1110 AM. That was accomplished by directionalizing the signal of WBT. A series of power increases brought WBT to its current 50,000 watts with the 50,000 W transmitter being dedicated August 12, 1932.[7] In July 1947, a satellite station, five miles northeast of Shelby, North Carolina, was authorized "for benefit of nighttime listeners west of Charlotte."[8]
New Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations forced CBS to sell the station to Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company, forerunner of Jefferson-Pilot, in 1945, though it remained a CBS affiliate. Jefferson Standard signed on Charlotte's first television station, WBTV,[9] as well as two FM stations. One operated for five years ending in the early 1950s.[10] The other eventually became WLNK.
In 1925, Freeman Gosden and Charlie Correll started a comedy show carried by WBT that was a forerunner to Amos and Andy.[9] Russ Hodges, later famous as the radio voice of the New York/San Francisco Giants, was sports editor of WBT for a time in the late 1930s, leaving in 1941 for Washington, D.C.[11][12]
For much of its history, WBT aired a variety of programming including news, sports, soap operas, and musical programs such as "Arthur Smith and the Crackerjacks." Smith, best known for writing the song that became the Deliverance theme "Dueling Banjos", went to work at WBT at age 20 at the invitation of station manager Charles Crutchfield. He played guitar and fiddle for musical programs on WBT before getting his own show.[9][13] Crutchfield believed that Charlotte, not Nashville, could have ended up being the country music capital because of the station's early "Briarhoppers" and "Carolina Hayride" shows, which may have inspired The Grand Ole Opry.[14]
Grady Cole was WBT morning host for 32 years, replaced in 1961 by Ty Boyd, who hosted the morning show until 1973, playing such artists as Duke Ellington, Peggy Lee and Petula Clark. Then he moved to WBTV. He returned to WBT in 2008 to co-host the morning show while its regular hosts took time off.[15]
WBT was the number one station in Charlotte for many years; among its employees were Charles Kuralt and Nelson Benton. But by 1970, WBT was down to number nine, and national advertising representative Blair Radio Network wanted ratings to improve. Jefferson Standard did not like the idea of change, but Blair enlisted Mel Goldberg to research what programming Charlotte needed. Even Crutchfield gave in, and WBT let go 28 staffers and spent $200,000 on changes that included new studios. It also canceled many programs that advertisers supported but which didn't attract enough listeners.
On March 15, 1971, WBT switched to adult contemporary music during the day; Rob Hunter and H. A. Thompson were new DJs. Bob Lacey started at WBT in 1972 with a nighttime talk show "Lacey Listens". Two years later, WBT had reached number one again, reaching the highest Arbitron numbers on record to this day. Around the same time, the station dropped its longtime affiliation with CBS Radio and joined ABC.[1] WBT won Billboard adult contemporary station of the year in 1976 and 1978. In 1979, "Hello Henry" Boggan began his nighttime talk show.[16][17]
In 1978, Marty Lambert became Jeff Pilot, the traffic reporter for WBT and WBCY. Lambert became assistant program director and music director in 1982.[18]
WBT dropped its ABC affiliation in favor of NBC Radio in 1987.[1] Talk programming continued to increase on WBT through the 1980s, mostly at night. Larry King moved from WSOC and stayed on WBT until 1987, when WBT decided its new NBC affiliation needed to take priority over Mutual Broadcasting System requirements. Bruce Williams' NBC show, part of the Talknet block, replaced King. WBT expanded "Hello Henry" and its "Sports Huddle" program.[19]
For their entire 14 years in Charlotte, starting with the inaugural 1988-89 season, WBT aired the games of the original NBA Hornets franchise.[20][21]
WBT made changes to its format on December 10, 1990, hoping to attract more women. The station dropped James K. Flynn, Thompson and Tom Desio, generating numerous protests. Don Russell had hosted "Russell & Flynn" in the morning; the show was renamed "Russell & Friends." John Hancock became midday host, and WBTV personalities Mike and Barbara McKay began an afternoon program. Boggan, whose show had run in the afternoon, returned to his evening slot, replacing Desio, but was sometimes pre-empted by sports programs. WBT also switched its network affiliation from NBC back to CBS on December 21[22][23]
On September 3, 1991, WBT dropped the McKays and became the 400th station to air The Rush Limbaugh Show, which had already aired in the Charlotte area on WADA in Shelby, WSIC in Statesville and WHKY in Hickory.[24][25]
In 1995, the Sigmon family sold WBZK-FM to Jefferson-Pilot.[26]
WBT aired games of the NFL Carolina Panthers from the 1995 inaugural season until 1999, returning as the team's flagship station in 2005.[27]
Lincoln Financial Group bought Jefferson-Pilot in 2006. The merged company retained Jefferson-Pilot's broadcasting division, renaming it Lincoln Financial Media. In January 2008, Lincoln Financial sold WBT-AM-FM and WLNK to Greater Media of Braintree, Massachusetts. It sold its three television stations, including WBTV, to Raycom Media—thus breaking up Charlotte's last heritage radio/television cluster. Greater Media had long wanted to expand into the fast-growing Charlotte market; its owner had wanted to buy WBT after hearing its signal at night on Cape Cod.
Also in 2006, WBT lost the North Carolina Tar Heels to WFNZ. Sales director Steve Sklenar said the games pre-empted John Hancock's show and, during the ACC Tournament, Rush Limbaugh. WBT wanted the games, Sklenar said, but the pre-emptions cost the station a lot of advertising revenue. The Tar Heels had aired on WBT from 1977 to 1991, and returned to the station in 1995. According to Cullie Tarleton, who ran the station at that time, putting the Tar Heels on WBT was largely the idea of longtime coach Dean Smith, who wanted to tell recruits from New England that their parents would be able to listen to the games.[28]
On May 5, 2012, WBT signed back on with the Tar Heel Sports Network to be Charlotte's main carrier of the Tar Heels. After WRFX carried night basketball games for several years, WNOW-FM took over up until this year. With this switch back, games can now be heard all up and down the Eastern Seaboard at night, as WBT's clear channel signal can be heard from "Maine to Miami."[6]
On June 8, 2012, WBT announced that The Brad and Britt Show, hosted by Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire of WPTK in Raleigh, would be taking over the afternoon slot from Vince Coakley effective July 2. Krantz and libertarian Richard Spires had a show on WBT prior to 2003.[29] In June 2013, the show moved to 6pm-9pm; Hancock would take over the 3pm-6pm afternoon drive slot.
On November 15, 2013, both WBT and WBTV were dedicated with a North Carolina historic marker at the corner of Tryon Street and Third Street. The Wilder Building, which was demolished in 1983, hosted the WBT's studios from 1924–1955. The sign reads "WBT/WBTV – Oldest broadcast stations in North Carolina established 1922. WBT radio long hosted live country music. WBTV sign-on, July 15, 1949. Studios here until 1955."[30][31]
WBT again dropped CBS and returned to ABC News Radio on March 3, 2014. In making the move, the station cited the stronger resources ABC's reporters provides to WBT's local programming compared to CBS and Fox News Radio.[1]
WBT's diamond-shaped antennas account for three of only eight operational Blaw-Knox towers in the United States. In the morning hours of September 22, 1989, Hurricane Hugo slammed into Charlotte. The storm severely damaged two of WBT's towers and nearly killed a station engineer. The FCC approved WBT to operate on a full-power non-directional pattern for the next year while the two damaged towers were rebuilt.
Despite its clear-channel status, WBT's signal is spotty at best in some parts of the Charlotte metropolitan area at night (particularly the western portion) because it must adjust its coverage at sundown to protect KFAB in Omaha, Nebraska, which also operates on 1110 AM. Even though WBT must direct its signal north-south as a result, its nighttime signal still reaches parts of 22 states (including much of the country east of the Mississippi River) as well as portions of Ontario and Quebec. It can also be heard in some Caribbean islands. Its daytime coverage area is not as large as that of other 50,000-watt stations due to the area's poor ground conductivity. Even so, it provides grade B coverage as far as the fringes of the Columbia, Upstate and Piedmont Triad areas. Under the right conditions, it can be heard as far east as Fayetteville and as far north as Durham.
To improve its nighttime coverage in the Charlotte area, WBT first tried a synchronous booster signal in Shelby.[32] Finally, in 1995, then-owner Jefferson-Pilot bought WBZK-FM (which signed on August 30, 1969 and was once called WDZK) in Chester to provide a better signal to the western part of the market at night. WBZK's calls became WBT-FM.[26] The transmitter is located 40 miles southwest of Charlotte. WBT-FM almost always simulcasts its AM sister, although the two have occasionally carried different programming. In 2012, sister station WLNK added a simulcast of WBT on its HD subcarrier.
For many years, WBT boasted that it could be heard "from Maine to Miami" at night.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Washburn, Mark (March 7, 2014). "That new sound on WBT is ABC". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 8, 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=10764
- ↑ http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=30830
- ↑ Washburn, Mark (2011-06-23). "Vince Coakley takes afternoon spot at WBT". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 201-11-11. Check date values in:
|accessdate=(help)<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Jeff Borden, "Tar Heels Top Hornets in Battle for Air Time on WBT Radio", The Charlotte Observer, p. 19A.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Washburn, Mark (2012-05-12). "Tar Heel sports return to WBT". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2012-05-17.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "WBT Holds Dedication" (PDF). wpbc. August 15, 1932. Retrieved 4 October 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "WBT Extends Coverage With Booster Station" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 28, 1947. Retrieved 4 October 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Kay McFadden, "WBT's Been on the Air for 75 Years", The Charlotte Observer, April 10, 1997.
- ↑ "Raleigh-Durham FM Dial". Archived from the original on 2003-02-01. Retrieved 2010-04-27.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "1930's: The History of WBT". Retrieved 2010-11-04.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Russ Hodges to WOL". Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 21 (15): 52. October 13, 1941.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Grizzle, Ralph. "Guitar Man: Arthur Smith". Retrieved 2010-11-04.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Tom Minehart, "Country's Capital Could Have Been Charlotte", Chicago Tribune, November 19, 1985.
- ↑ Mark Washburn, "Ty Boyd Will Be Back on the Radio Monday", The Charlotte Observer, July 5, 2008.
- ↑ McMurray, Tom. "Magic Happened Here". reelradio.com. Retrieved 2010-01-05.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "1970's: The History of WBT". Retrieved 2010-11-04.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Carol Hazard, "Former Jeff Pilot Lands Job As Merchandise Mart Official", The Charlotte Observer, June 12, 1989, p. 8D.
- ↑ Jeff Borden, "Larry King Dethroned by WBT", The Charlotte Observer, October 1, 1987.
- ↑ Spanberg, Erik (2000-04-07). "WBT-Hornets radio deal hits crunch time". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved 2010-01-05.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "WBT contract extended". nba.com. 2001-10-04. Retrieved 2010-01-05.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Tim Funk, "WBT Pair Lose Jobs in Shakeup", The Charlotte Observer, December 7, 1990.
- ↑ Tim Funk, "WBT Radio Lineup Seeks Change of Image", The Charlotte Observer, Tuesday, December 11, 1990.
- ↑ Tim Funk, "Listen Up: From 'Radio Free Bubba' to 'The Shadow,' Area Radio's Ready to Turn You On", The Charlotte Observer, July 12, 1991.
- ↑ Diane Suchetka, "Rush Limbaugh's Replacing McKays on WBT Talk Show", The Charlotte Observer, September 2, 1991.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Tim Funk and Blair Skinner, "Family Sells Off WBZK FM", The Charlotte Observer, February 2, 1995.
- ↑ Spanberg, Erik (2005-05-12). "Panthers headed back to WBT-AM". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved 2010-01-05.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Washburn, Mark (2006-06-21). "Tar Heels could air on WFNZ". The Charlotte Observer.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Washburn, Mark (2012-06-08). "Krantz replacing Coakley on WBT". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2012-06-12.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "State dedicates historic marker to memorialize NC's oldest broadcast station". Charlotte, North Carolina: WBTV. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Washburn, Mark (November 15, 2013). "Historical marker spotlights Wilder Building, broadcasting's Charlotte birthplace". Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 16, 2013.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Fybush, Scott. WBT, Charlotte, North Carolina. 2003-05-15
External links
- Official website
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WBT
- Radio-Locator Information on WBT
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WBT
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WBT
- Radio-Locator information on WBT
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WBT (FM)
- Website covering WBT's History


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airberlin's business points now collaborating with Etihad Airways' Business Connect
As part of their strategic partnership, airberlin and Etihad Airlines are now teaming up for their business loyalty programs airberlin business points and Etihad Airways Business Connect for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME). From today, SMEs which participate in either airline's business travel loyalty program will be rewarded for flying on codeshare flights operated by Etihad Airways, airberlin and NIKI.
Etihad Airways' Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Baumgartner, said: "We are delighted to be able to introduce the smartest and most rewarding loyalty scheme to the market, targeted at SME businesses who are looking for ways to optimise their business travel spend whilst adding convenience and value to their travel experience. This joint collaboration between airberlin and Etihad Airways is yet again another demonstration of the added value we are bringing to corporate travel."
Paul Gregorowitsch, Chief Commercial Officer at airberlin, said: "Our SME business points program is a highly successful and appreciated concept amongst SMEs, with currently more than 10,000 registered members. By teaming up with Etihad Airways' Business Connect, we are taking our SME program to the next level. Members of both programs now have a wider range of possibilities to earn rewards, and at the same time it could lower their travel expenses."
"For example, now points can also be used for award flights in Business Class with airberlin to destinations in North America such as Los Angeles or Vancouver and with Etihad Airways to destinations in Asia, Australia, the Gulf States or South Africa."
Established two years ago, airberlin's business points is a free bonus points program for SMEs, including: public bodies, associations, law firms, medical and dental practices, and consulting companies. From today airberlin business points members can earn points when flying on qualifying routes with codeshare partner Etihad Airways. These points can ultimately be redeemed by SMEs as awards flights.
Etihad Airways' Business Connect program, also set up over two years ago, is a free mileage earning program for SMEs. Built on the same platform as the award winning Etihad Guest frequent flyer program, members earn Etihad Guest miles for their business every time one of their employees flies. Business Connect members can now earn Etihad Guest miles when flying on qualifying routes with codeshare partner airberlin or its Austrian subsidiary NIKI. These miles can ultimately be redeemed for free flights, upgrades and rewards from the Etihad Guest reward shop.
About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, began operations in 2003, and in 2011 carried 8.3 million passengers. From its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad Airways serves 87 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, with a fleet of 66 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and 100 aircraft on order, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world's largest passenger aircraft. Etihad Airways also owns nearly 30 per cent of airberlin, Europe's sixth largest airline, and 40 per cent of Air Seychelles. For more information, please visit: www.etihadairways.com


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Project Paso
Project Paso wines fully capture the rich, rustic character of the appellation for which they are named. They're perfect for those looking for something a little original, a modern interpretation of classic varietals straight from the edge of the wine frontier. Project Paso Reds include an Old Vine Zinfandel, the area's heritage variety, a luscious Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Red Wine Blend that conveys a sense of place while showcasing the most intriguing fruit from each vintage. A beautifully balanced Chardonnay rounds out the family offering a white wine expression of Paso's Robles' unique terroir.
The story of the Paso Robles American Viticulture Area (AVA) is one of a winegrowing region that is really coming into its own. Located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's central coast, the area covers roughly 24 square miles and a multitude of microclimates. While wine grapes were introduced into the region in 1797 by missionaries, in 1990 there were fewer than 20 wineries in Paso Robles. Today there are more than 200—and the area is now the fastest-growing AVA in California.
The Paso Robles region sees the greatest daily temperature swings of any California wine region. Frequently, summer daytime highs reach well into the upper 90s, with breezy, cool evenings that dip close to 40 degrees. Due to the cool nights, warm days and late rains—the first rainfall of the season is typically about two weeks later than Napa or Sonoma, and a month later than Mendocino—Paso Robles vines tend to enjoy a longer growing season with grapes seeing an extended "hang time." This allows winemakers the luxury of waiting for fruit that has reached optimal ripeness levels before it is picked.


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I was gonna do another installment of SWAPRFIFE this week, but then I ended up with a few current albums in my collection I'm oblivious about. So, maybe a back-and-forth for a while.
Anyway, the new blind date is Run by Prawn. What's it sound like? Not a clue. I didn't read a press release, baby.
Date Breakdown when I post it.


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Capital played a leading role in supporting the 3rd Annual Hassocks Juniors Football Club golf day, hosted by the football and robot wars commentator Jonathan Pearce.
January 2017 saw the Biggest Loser competition being fiercely battled at Capital for the third year running.
'Dennis is having a winning streak this week, not only was he a joint winner of the 'Day at the Races' alongside Claire
It was with great regret that we heard the news that the United Kingdom had voted to leave the European Union.
Karen Silk is CEO at Capital Internatonal Staffng, which specialises in engineering recruitment throughout the UK and Europe.
'Capital was well represented at the 2nd Annual Hassocks Juniors Football Club golf day, hosted by HJFC Chairman Jonathan Pearce.
The competition is getting fierce for the prize of the Biggest Loser
Can we shift those extra Christmas Pounds?
Capital raise money for TEXT SANTA with a fun Christmas Day
James Earwicker awarded Employee of Year 2014


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Thimble Island Bike/Cruise V
Primary tabs
Ah, Memorial Day Weekend is finally here and what better way to celebrate than to hit the back roads of coastal Connecticut. Our destination: Thimble Islands, one of the majestic wonders of the world, and only a heartbeat away from New Haven, where beforehand we'll breakfast at Clare's Cornercopia, a venerable culinary landmark in its own right feeding generations of hungry Yale undergraduates. (Those on a leaner diet can simply carb up at the nearby Dunkin' Donuts.) Some of the sights along the way include: the West Haven Lighthouse, a Victorian carousel, a defunct trolley rail trail line through a vast estuary, and of course a boat tour aboard the beloved Sea Mist, piloted by local history buff and old salt Captain Mike Infintino, who'll give you the lowdown on the one percenters who inhabit the lush mansions atop these tiny island outcroppings. To begin, we'll board the 7:02 AM Metro North for New Haven (bike permit required) , breakfast at 9 AM, and then buy lunch in Branford, where we'll board and dine al fresco while enjoying a 45-minute boat tour. (New this year: those who wish to ride a little more, and skip the tour, can quick spin five miles up the coast to Shell Beach.) On the return, we should arrive in New Haven in time for the 5:15 to New York. Some of us, though, may stay later for a bit of that notorious New Haven-style pizza, beer, and nightlife. It's all good, either way.
But do rsvp or sign up.
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September 29, 2008
By Jennifer Gallus
Staff Writer
HOWARD LAKE, MN Relatively new to the toy tractor collecting hobby, George Schaar of Howard Lake has an impressive display of more than 160 toy tractors in one room of his house.
The collection is non-discriminatory, which means he has just about every kind of tractor manufactured from John Deere and International to Ford and Allis Chalmers, and more.
Eight shelves, from floor to ceiling, backed with mirrors, line one whole wall at Schaar's house. On those shelves are carefully placed toy tractors of all kinds that are grouped according to manufacture, and in descending order, according to size.
"I started collecting about five or six years ago when my brother passed away," Schaar explained. "He had a big collection, so I bought about 30 from my brother's collection."
After that, Schaar, a retired police officer and past chief of police in Howard Lake, began picking up toy tractors "here and there."
"In fact, I just bought another one yesterday at Fleet Farm," Schaar said.
Because Schaar has so many, 166 to be exact, he keeps a handheld notebook in his car that lists all the makes and models of his toy tractors so that when he looks to buy more, he can double check that he doesn't already have it.
"I used to buy them, then come home and discover, 'Hey, I already have one of those gosh darn it!" Schaar laughed. "I said, 'I have to stop doing that!'" as he would return the duplicate tractor to the store.
In addition to the small notebook, Schaar keeps a ledger at home that lists every tractor he owns, along with its serial number, how much he paid for it, its height and width, if it's two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, if it has rubber or steel wheels, and more.
Schaar takes such meticulous care of his collection that toy tractors have never had it so good. He spent 35 hours cleaning them a couple of weeks ago.
"To keep them dust-free, I use a small paint brush to dust all the little cracks," Schaar said.
Most the toy tractors are 1/16 scale, but he does have some bigger and some smaller.
The oldest tractor is a Fordson that was manufactured some time between 1918-1926. The Fordson brand eventually changed to Ford.
Schaar pays anywhere from $10 to $160 per toy tractor. He admits, "It's an expensive thing to do," but says he enjoys collecting.
A rare picture in a big collection
In addition to his toy tractor collection, Schaar and his wife Pat have an impressive photo collection of their life's experiences, as well as the many trips they've taken over the years.
The albums, all neatly staked and labeled with dates, take up two large cupboards in their basement.
One of the most interesting photos Schaar opened an album to was a picture of him and Hubert H. Humphrey during the period when Humphrey was vice president of the United States.
Schaar met him while he was a police officer for the City of Delano, and even offered assistance to Humphrey when he spotted his car stalled along Highway 12.
"About the time I started talking to the vice president through his car window all of a sudden swarms of Secret Service cars appeared and told me to leave," Schaar explained.
"Humphrey told them that I was okay, and that he knew me as a police officer. It was pretty neat," he added.


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Upstate Senior Band
Upstate Senior Band
The Upstate Senior Concert Band had it inaugural practice in May of 1999. It was started as a result of an announcement in the monthly newsletter of Senior Action asking for any interested seniors to join in the creation of a band. With a philosophy that encouraged pleasure and relaxed participation, the initial five members grew to fifteen by the fall of that year. During the next ten years, the band grew to include thirty-three members who have enjoyed providing musical entertainment within various communities of the upstate.
Music selections include sounds of the big bands (40's and 50"s), swing, patriotic, marches, pop tunes, and novelties. Concerts are presented at no charge although donations are accepted to help cover costs of sheet music and equipment. The band plays for churches, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, parties, patriotic programs, and community events.


text:
Free Personal Injury Phone Consultation 760-683-5898
Law Office of Tim Riley
35 Years Representing Injured People
For Serious
Personal Injury or Wrongful Death Cases Call
For Free Telephone Consultation
Serving San Diego County & Los Angeles County
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7303 Santa Barbara St. Carlsbad, CA 92011
By Appointment Only
Serious Personal Injury Attorney Tim Riley is Located in
Carlsbad California
Carlsbad Personal Injury Attorney Tim Riley is a Life Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 'The Top Trial Lawyers in America' serving San Diego and Los Angeles Counties. Attorney Tim Riley is licensed in
and New York , and has over 35 years Personal Injury Law experience. California
The Law Office of Tim Riley represents serious personal injury cases for all types of major accidents including Catastrophic Injuries, Wrongful Death, Brain Injury, Paralysis, Amputation, Explosions, Disasters, Car Crash, Accidents, Pedestrian Accidents, Bicycle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Traffic Accidents, Freeway Accidents, Truck Accidents, Bus Accidents, Train Accidents, Plane Accidents, Plane Crashes, Auto accidents, Rail Road Accidents and serious Dog Bite injuries.
Personal Injury Lawyer Tim Riley Serves San Diego & Los Angeles Counties Carlsbad
Carlsbad Serious Personal Injury Attorney, Tim Riley serves all cities in San Diego County including Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, La Jolla, San Diego, Leucadia, La Costa, Cardiff, Oceanside, Fallbrook, San Marcos, Camp Pendleton, and Vista; and serves all cities in Los Angeles County including Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bellaire, Westwood, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Van Nuys, Studio City, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Pasadena, Glendale and Culver City.
This Web site was created by attorney Tim Riley so that you could learn more about attorney Tim Riley and the legal services that he provides.
This is for informational purposes only. None of the information at this Website or its links is intended to constitute, nor does it constitute, legal advice, and none of the information reflects legal opinions. The materials contained herein are general in nature and may not apply to your particular factual or legal circumstances.
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text:
Ennio Morricone is a film composer who has has scored over 400 films, some of the more famouser ones are "The Mission" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".
"The Mission" is the first film score I ever listened to. I was introduced to it by a researcher at MIT. He worked on computer generated music in a dungeon beneath the MIT Media Lab, outfitted with Unix workstations and a pair of Bosendorfer grand pianos.
One day he played the score from "The Mission", asking what I thought of it, and wondering how he might replicate a full orchestral sound on the computer (technology has come a long way since then, nowadays they can fake an orchestra about as well as they can fake sugar).
Anyway, hearing Morricone's music that day turned me on to film scoring for the first time.
Now there's a new tribute album called "We All Love Ennio Morricone", which the NY Times article covers. Metallica is contributing a cover of "The Ecstasy of Gold" from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". Metallica has used the original version of the track to open their concerts for over 20 years. Which leads us to this priceless quote:
"To me his music is just absolutely inspirational, corny as that may sound," said James Hetfield, Metallica's singer and guitarist. "He has taken so many risks, and his music is not polished whatsoever. It's very rude and blatant. All of a sudden a Mexican horn will come blasting through and just take over the melody. It's just so raw, really raw, and it feels real, unpolished. You hear mistakes in it, and that's just great — if they are mistakes. Who knows? There's so much character in it, and I appreciate that in such a polished world of soundtracks."
That is some seriously high praise. And a reminder that it's not always good to be overly polished.


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Iced Strawberry Green Tea
SPRING DRINKING: Gin and Gingers; Iced Chai Tea Latte; Lemonade, Spiked or Sober
As any northerner worth her flannel will tell you, iced tea should not be sweet. Below the Mason-Dixon line (and in Morocco) Southern types apparently drink tea so sugary you'd think it was mixed for a hummingbird. Up here, we relish black tea that borders on bitter and register utter dismay anytime we find out that a restaurant serves its house iced tea laced with sweetener.
Expert in coconut cake and shrimp and grits, perhaps the Southerners could school us in the pleasures of sweet iced tea as well. Or maybe we could school them about why a glass of unsweetened green tea beats sugar water any day. Or perhaps we should all meet in the middle–somewhere around southern Virginia–and toast to the United States with cool Mason jars filled with slightly sweetened iced green tea flavored not just with sugar but also with strawberries.
I figured if we were going sweet, we might as well go there with gusto, and so I made a strawberry syrup that I've been doling out into glasses of iced tea on the pre-summer but very warm afternoons we were having in NYC until this week, when April Flowers turned to May Showers.
On the other hand, if it's after 5pm (that's 11am on weekends), you might want to nix the green tea and stir tablespoons of strawberry syrup into flutes of champagne. Then you can toast to drinking the girliest glass of bubbly you've ever seen (its pink hue might make it seem to be appropriate only for baby showers and bachelorette bashes, but if you can overcome the color, it's good anytime).
From my kitchen, embracing sweet tea, to yours,
Cara, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK
Iced Strawberry Green Tea
Serves 4
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, trimmed, and quartered
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
zest of 1 lemon
4 cups iced green tea (or champagne, or seltzer, or ginger ale, or the cocktail makings of your dreams)
Combine the strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon zest in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes. Strain, pushing down on the strawberries to extract all the juices. Place in a covered container and completely in the fridge (store extras in the fridge, too).
Add about 3 tablespoons of strawberry syrup to a cup of green tea. Stir, and taste to see if you want more syrup. Serve over ice.