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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Shelley Moore Capito is the most popular politician in a deep-red state that loves President Donald Trump and distrusts big government. And yet the West Virginia Republican is threatening to torpedo the GOP's best shot at dismantling Obamacare, one of Trump's top domestic priorities.
The first-term senator has emerged as one of the staunchest holdouts against Senate Republicans' bid to overhaul the nation's health care system, voicing concerns about the bill's consequences for older Americans and rejecting swift funding cuts for a Medicaid program that's played a key role in combating her state's opioid epidemic.
Those objections, voiced by at least a half-dozen other moderate Republicans, foiled Senate leadership's plans to speed a repeal bill to a vote. And it's left Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just weeks to end a deepening impasse, with no signs that the weeklong July Fourth recess has brought the GOP closer to uniting its conservative and moderate factions around a repeal plan.
But if Capito is feeling the heat in a state that Trump won by more than 42 percentage points, she isn't showing it. Back here in West Virginia, where more than 30 percent of families rely on Medicaid, she doesn't hesitate at the prospect of casting the vote that kills the GOP's repeal effort.
"I only see it through the lens of a vulnerable population who needs help, who I care about very deeply," the 63-year-old lawmaker said in an interview. "So that gives me strength. If I have to be that one person, I will be it."
Capito's resolve illustrates how intractable the debate over replacing Obamacare has become for a Republican Congress nearly seven months into a repeal effort that GOP leaders initially hoped would take just weeks.
Her record, meanwhile, illustrates why Republican leaders thought they could get repeal done quickly: Capito voted more than 40 times to dismantle Obamacare as a House member. As West Virginia transformed from a Democratic stronghold into a reliably Republican state, Capito won her Senate seat in 2014 by one of the largest margins in state history. The following year, she voted with virtually all Senate Republicans for a bill repealing major parts of Obamacare — without a replacement — that they knew President Barack Obama would veto.
Capito remains perhaps the most well-liked and politically secure lawmaker in a state where more than two-thirds of voters backed Trump for president, polls show. And yet, with the GOP on the precipice of tearing down Obamacare, she appears further than ever from budging on the Senate bill.
West Virginia has big health care problems, she said, and the GOP's current proposal doesn't do enough to address them, even after Republican leaders agreed to earmark $45 billion over a decade to fight the opioid crisis. Addiction experts say that sum falls well short of what's needed to reverse the epidemic.
Capito harbors deep concerns about rolling back funding for Obamacare's Medicaid expansion amid the opioid epidemic. More than 40 percent of funding for drug abuse and mental health treatment in the state comes from Medicaid expansion covering low-income adults.
She's also alarmed at projections that the legislation could leave thousands more in West Virginia without coverage or paying far more for it. West Virginia has long ranked among the country's sickest states, placing near the bottom in life expectancy as well as obesity and tobacco use. But it's what's happened over the past few years, as heroin swept across the state and created a full-blown health emergency, that complicated Capito's path to "yes" on any repeal bill.
In 2015, West Virginia counted 725 fatal drug overdoses, the nation's highest rate by far. That number climbed to 879 last year, the vast majority of which involved at least one opioid.
"We are the No. 1 state with the problem of heroin addiction and opioid addiction," said Kevin Knowles, a Martinsburg city councilman.
Knowles became the area's first recovery-services coordinator last year, taking on responsibility for connecting residents with rehab facilities, running support groups and serving as the primary lifeline for addicts across hundreds of square miles in the state's easternmost region. He runs the operation on a $70,000 annual grant — just enough to hire two additional employees.
Martinsburg and surrounding Berkeley County are among the state's hardest hit by an opioid epidemic that's spread indiscriminately through the community. Last summer, a candidate for Berkeley County sheriff needed to be revived twice in 12 hours from apparent opioid overdoses.
The GOP repeal effort "would affect this state tremendously, in a negative way," said Knowles, a Democrat.
Outside his office, Knowles erected a Christmas tree over the holidays on which residents could hang ornaments memorializing friends and family lost to addiction. More than 50 ornaments now hang there, each bearing at least one name.
State and federal resources for the opioid fight here are already stretched thin. There are no treatment centers within a three-hour drive, and finding recovery facilities willing to take uninsured patients suffering from addiction is incredibly difficult. If Medicaid's expanded coverage is rolled back and the program's funding is capped as part of the GOP's repeal bill, addiction counselors worry the area will lose what grant money it does receive to fight the drug crisis.
"It does come down to money," said Peter Callahan, a psychotherapist who's heading an effort to build a detox center in Martinsburg. "We're close to D.C., we're close to Baltimore, and we have no services."
In Cabell County to the west, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams estimates it would take $100 million a year to adequately fight opioids in just his county alone.
"We have the single largest public health policy crisis in the nation," said Williams, a Democrat and a fierce critic of the Senate bill. "You're either all in, or if you're anything less, then you're all out."
That Capito still opposes the repeal bill, even after Republican leaders added the extra funding for opioids, has heartened those trying to beat back the crisis. And so far, even Republicans in the state are holding off going after one of their own.
"I think Sen. Capito is finding the best approach," West Virginia GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas said, adding that he believes Capito recognizes how important it is for the state that Republicans dismantle Obamacare.
But Capito is questioning whether Republicans can pass a bill on their own. On Thursday, after a long day with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin as they accompanied Energy Secretary Rick Perry around the state, she made a case for working with Democrats on a compromise bill focused on fixing the health care system's flaws. McConnell last week also suggested Republicans could soon turn to fixing Obamacare — presumably with help from Democrats — if they can't repeal it.
"Collaborating with Democrats on the other side, to me, is not an exercise in futility," Capito said, noting that she has spoken with Manchin and other Democrats about tackling health care together. "That may be where we end up, and so be it."
Speculating further than that, she added, is premature. Senate Republicans could quickly strike a deal, pass a bill and follow through on their seven-year repeal pledge before the month is out.
"I think that remains to be seen," Capito said. "That's the eye of the needle, and I think it's being tried to be threaded. But I'm not sure."


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Moon Signs
Moon Sign Food Profiles
In the birth chart, the Moon and its aspects reveal a great deal about your personal patterns with food and weight — information that can help you get a better handle on the issue. For each of the twelve Moon signs, we will explore common eating patterns: what you're really eating about, what Mom taught you that may be affecting …Read More
Your Moon Sign & Your Relationship With Your Mother
One hundred years ago, it was pretty much a given that your mother was your nurturing parent, while your father was the breadwinner and the more authoritarian parent. That meant that astrologers could look to the Moon in your chart to interpret your relationship to your Mom, and Saturn to interpret life with Dad. This convenient division of responsibilities is …Read More
Moon In Aries
With the Moon in Aries, you may often take the initiative in your close relationships with others. You are naturally adventurous where all emotional issues are concerned and you do not hesitate to show your feelings. Because you are courageous, open and direct, with a gift for breaking down other people's inhibitions and defences, you are rarely at a loss …Read More
Moon In Virgo
The Moon in Virgo This position of the Moon is not easy because it compounds the tendency of Virgo to be a slave. You tend to be instinctively occupied with details with an emphasis on the health of the body. You are more shy and desirous of staying behind the scenes as well as taking longer to recognize your slave …Read More
Moon In Aquarius
The Moon in Aquarius This is a tricky combination of shy, detached emotionalism. You find that your roots are closely tied to the roots of humanity, for various reasons, probably going back to the way you were raised. You feel a need to project an aura of humility while you also feel that you have abilities that are far more …Read More
Moon In Pisces
The Moon in Pisces is not a very easy position. You are much more vulnerable to the plight of the poor and downtrodden than those with the Sun here. You tend to have a "sack cloth and ashes" philosophy and yet you are very dependent on a comfortable existence in the real world. You hang between heaven and earth without, in …Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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'Nobody move. I dropped me brain!' Recognise the quote? Ah yes of course, it's uttered by the brilliantly mad, or madly brilliant Captain Jack Sparrow. Or is it? After England's surrender to the West Indies it could equally have been cried by the entire team! Far from being the conquering Pirates of the Caribbean we'd hoped, England lie 1-0 down in a three test series. Their performance in Barbados was even worse than Depp's in the latest film of the ongoing piratical franchise. Limp. Squeamish. A ghostly mirage of past glories in Sri Lanka. Although at least it means we can resurrect 'The Dummy's Guide To Cricket' from Davy Jones locker…
The Curse Of The Black Pearl
Only once in 51 years has the England test side stolen West Indian booty. Back in the pre-Ashes winter of 2004, a Steve Harmison rejuvenated side tore apart Brian Lara's swashbucklers. Combining fearsome pace with gigantic height, Harmy was unplayable on the fast tracks of the Caribbean; a lesson for generations to come. Unfortunately, whether it is through arrogance or naivety the England of 2019 opted for a differing approach in their team selection. Towering 433 wicket bowler Stuart Broad was made to walk the plank, as treasure-trove Sam Curran opened the bowling with Jimmy. A selection which would go on to curse Captain Root.
After all, Curran may be deadly in English conditions, yet the ball has to be swinging for his lolloping deliveries to succeed. On a roasting hot, breezeless day he is exactly the sort of bowler you want… if you're a batsman. First innings figures of 0-54 summed up Root's curse. Had it not been for Anderson's 27th five-for, the Windies score would have been well over 300. Mind you 289 proved to be 212 runs too many…
Adil Rashid's selection was likewise a puzzling decision. With no Broad, England's second spinner requires an end holding role, something Jack Leach can achieve with an eye patch. Instead Bayliss and Root went for the more mystery spin of Rashid; a decision which backfired with the ferocity of the Black Pearl's cannon. Rashid finished with 0-117; figures which stand out starkly to part time spinner Roston Chase's 8-60.
As Hector says, 'you better start believe in ghost stories Mr Rashid… you're in one!'
Dead Man's Chest
There can be little doubt that England bat like Davy Jones' crew. Stuck in a circle of hell, they are trapped in an unending replay of wickets clattering. This time last winter it was 58 all out. And now, much to the glee of Holder's men, 77 has become the deadly number. A grand total of 18 wickets fell on Day Two, as the heart of England was stabbed into a bloody pulp. Meshed by the rapid fire of those Windies quicks. In the 1980s Boycott bravely battled Holding, Garner and Roberts. A decade later Ambrose and Walsh annihilated Atherton's advances. Imagine Jennings and Mo against those fearsome brutes? You simply can't, as the accurate Kemar Roach chilled the England of 2019 to their very core.
Roach's 5-17 was backed up by the aggression of Gabriel and the approach of Holder. It took just one session for England to be washed away. No Kraken needed to be summoned; instead the ineptitude of the 'bold' approach by Root was clear. Afterwards, picking through the shipwreck, Bayliss believed his side 'lack mental toughness.' A statement we've heard more times than the word 'pirate.' This England side are simultaneously the greatest and worst side in test match cricket. The amount of ups and downs is enough to make spectators seasick.
A horrific 2017 winter was followed by eight wins in nine matches as cohesion appeared to exist between brain and brawn. Yet amidst those glorious triumphs, we witnessed the worrying traits. An inability for openers to reach half century partnerships, consistent collapsing at 40-4 and mesmerising saving by Buttler and Curran. When the latter two are unable to perform another miracle, the bleak reality is clear. England are woeful at batting.
We're into final session in Barbados as Windies lead by 230.. ?
England humiliated for 77! ?
Second time in under a year that Kemar Roach has taken 5 wickets for less than 20 runs ?
England's top score? ?
Keaton Jennings with 17 ?#Cricket #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/2tLIk7C85y
— Howzat For A Laugh?! (@HowzatForALaugh) January 24, 2019
At World's End
Worse was to come. Day Three saw a grand total of ZERO wickets taken. Quite remarkably Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich, put England's bowlers to the sword. From 120-6, the Windies set sail to a magnificent 415-6 declared. By the end Holder was teasing Root, psychologically damaging the England fielders. The chase didn't matter – over 600 to win. But whilst the chase didn't matter Roston Chase clearly did and the brainless batting in the second innings was bloody typical.
Roston Chase is a part time bowler. Fact. In his previous 26 test he only achieved one five wicket haul. Fact. 8-60 is now the best figures by a West Indian spinner AND better than Shane Warne. Fact.
Languidly turning his arm, this slow arm bowler made the wicket appear trickier than Sparrow's use of language. Without spinning a single delivery Chase tied England up in knots. Whether it was playing down the wrong line, feebly scooping to mid-wicket or sweeping into short leg, England panicked like pirates when the rum vanishes. This was their chance to have a proper net session, grinding out the challenge with extreme fortitude. Instead they didn't even manage to last one day. Jennings as stiff as Will upon seeing Miss Swann; Bairstow has a problem with pace; Root now averages less than 50 for the first time since 2016; Stokes struggles with discipline and Moeen Ali is about as useful with bat in hand as Master Gibbs is with a pocket calculator.
We turn once more to the wisdom if Captain Jack. 'The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.' England need to turn this lazy attitude around, sharpish.
On Stranger Tides
Were a stranger to view the action at the Kensington Oval, they'd be inclined to say the team in maroon caps lay at three in the world test rankings. Belaying their position just above Bangladesh, Jason Holder's side left England gobsmacked. On a bowling front they performed with accuracy, venom and pace. Whilst with bat in hand Holder, Dowrich and Hetmyer dominated the crease, shimmering like the ghosts of Richards and Lara. Make no mistake this West Indian side have a lot of potential. They're certainly not the push overs Geoffrey Boycott would have England believe. Yes England were shockingly poor, but some credit must go to the Windies.
Like Boycs, Freddie Flintoff was ignorant in his assessment of Jason Holder's batting, commenting the 'world's gone mad' as Holder reached his double century. Hate to break it to you Fred but Holder's 33.86 batting and 28.29 bowling averages put yours to shame. Plus the Windies all-rounder is in the ICC Test Team of the Year. How many England players featured? I'll give you three guesses…
Dead Men Tell No Tales
Only the 2004 side have successfully plundered the Caribbean and if Joe Root wants to tell the tale, the second test is critical. Otherwise England will sink beneath the ocean waves. With Broady chomping at the bit he must surely feature, with Curran missing out. Likewise you fancy Jack Leach over Adil Rashid. Indeed were Jennings to fail, there may even be an argument to give Joe Denly a chance in the final test. Or Captain Barbossa on one leg. Either will do.
Otherwise the West Indies will remain the true Pirates of the Caribbean.


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Vaquero Series DVD #8: Texas Cowpuncher
The Texas Puncher cut his teeth roping wild longhorns. Then drove them east to New Orleans, through swamps and rivers. Years later, he headed them north to the rail heads. When the big ranches, XIT, Matador, Pitchfork, and 06 were established, he had wild country to contend with...cavernous canyons, rivers with quicksand and mesquite thickets that tore his gear apart. This documentary visits the 06 Ranch, features an interview with cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell, and singer/songwriter Don Edwards


text: On the evening of February 8, 2021, the Independent Judicial Screening Panel for Civil Court reported the following candidates as most highly qualified: Judge Paul Goetz, Christopher Chin, Edward Irizarry, E. Deronn Bowen, George Santana, Harold Bahr, Hasa Kingo, Kim Parker, Terence McCormick, Betty Lugo, Jeffrey Zellan. On behalf of the Manhattan Democratic Party, County Leader Keith L.T. Wright and Judiciary Co-Chairs Curtis Arluck and Louise Dankberg, we sincerely thank the panel and its administrator for their diligent work–and we congratulate the candidates.


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Weekly Roundup: E+Co's Slow Burn and What it Means for Impact Investing
For months the story of E+Co, the veteran non-profit investment group that has financed nearly 200 small enterprise, renewable energy firms serving low-income customers, has simmered.
In January, CEO Christine Eibs Singer left the nonprofit she co-founded back in 1994. Press releases from E+Co that paid tribute to departing managers soon followed. In July, the company announced its lenders had authorized a restructuring process that would likely be completed in September. Then earlier this month, in an Impact IQ article titled E+Co Avoids Liquidation – Barely – and Emerges Persistent, things boiled over. According to the article:
"After months of difficult negotiations with its own lenders, E+Co as a nonprofit financial institution will largely cease operations and transfer what remains of an approximately $30 million loan portfolio to private-equity fund managers. The rump of E+Co's African investments, totaling about $5 million, will be managed by a for-profit spinoff of E+Co, to be called Persistent Energy Partners, with offices in Ghana and Tanzania as well as New York.
"The restructuring has approval by five major institutional investors, led by the International Finance Corp., that hold 80 percent of E+Co's debt, and is being reviewed by more than 30 smaller holders of E+Co notes, including foundations, churches and individual impact investors. About half of the value of E+Co's portfolio has been written off or written down. Under the restructuring plan, creditors will cancel E+Co's debts in return for a stake in the remaining assets and a portion of any loan payments collected."
That may be the tough bottom line, but many other issues further up the balance sheet are in dispute. For instance, of the 190 companies that E+Co invested in, 75 repaid their obligations in full and E+Co oversaw six equity exits, Eibs Singer has said.
But after a review of the outstanding loans, "the board had concluded that E+Co had breached covenants of its agreements with its own investors and was required to disclose the problems to its five largest creditors, including International Finance Corp., an affiliate of the World Bank," according to the Impact IQ story.
The question of what is next for the entity now known as Persistent Energy Partners followed Christopher Aidun, who had been a managing director at E+Co and assumes the role of CEO for Persistent. At the Columbia Social Enterprise Conference last week, here's some of what he had to say about the restructuring:
"In the process E+Co will be shedding its portfolios in Asia and Latin America. We will adopt a different form, that of a B Corp that is mission-driven not profit-driven, but we will run ourselves like a professional fund," Aidun told the audience. "Going to the B Corp allows us to use a structure that everybody is comfortable (with). We are really investing in the business that we are funding, we are really operating like a finance company or private equity company so we might as well adopt that DNA, but we don't have to be driven by profits. So for us it was an easy fit.
"… When we and our creditors looked at how to restructure the organization one of the conclusions that we came to is that it is not necessary to be a non-profit. Certainly there is nothing wrong with being a nonprofit theoretically, but frankly our creditors had a problem with it," he added.
As Impact IQ pointed out, Eibs Singer in a case study in MIT's Innovations journal last year advocated for a hybrid model at E + Co. Under that strategy, non-profit activities such as capacity building and technical assistance for entrepreneurs would remain with E+Co, while investments would be managed in a separate for-profit equity fund. Moving solely to a private equity model presumably means jettisoning those services, which aim to develop entrepreneurs hand in glove with investments.
Arbitrating who's right in this he said-she said volley is next to impossible. The board seems to have had a tough call to make – liquidate or try something new. At the same time however, perhaps Eibs Singer's strategy toward a hybrid model could have proven successful, if given more time.
E+Co's effective demise raises questions beyond those of the immediate management, governance, due diligence and investment squabbles. Those factors are relevant of course, but the central point illustrated by the E + Co story is what it means for the impact investing sector writ large, especially because E+Co was (rightly) viewed as a pioneer and a success story. But what about all other operational funds out there, or those just taking shape? How many are engaged in the same push/pull over appropriate models? And how many boards/investors are fully attuned to the risks their capital is taking? And how many truly understand (and are comfortable with) what patient capital means in practice?
These are questions we need to ask, and we're going to keep asking on NextBillion. In the coming weeks, I hope we can learn more from the E+Co situation – not to assign blame but to provide lessons and advance understanding in the sector.
Sadna Samaranayake provided reporting for this article.
In Case You Missed It … This Week on NextBillion
A 5 Billion Mobile Workforce By Eric Tyler
Accion's Venture Lab: Open Ideas, Open for Business By Scott Anderson — WDI
Sweetening the Deal: Empowering Peruvian Chocolatiers By Jay Nargundkar — TechnoServe
What's Wrong with 'Banking the Unbanked'?: Measuring active bank accounts is a better metric for financial inclusion By Elisabeth Rhyne
The World We Want : Business development will play a much larger role in the future Millennium Development Goals By Paul Ladd
Clock is Ticking: Friday's the First NB Case Writing Competition Deadline By Scott Anderson — WDI
A Missing Opportunity for Investment: Bringing the Bedroom to the Boardroom: From SOCAP 2012, the first step is simply naming family planning as an impact investing priority By Gwen Hopkins
Aligning Strategy to Maximize Impact: Reflections from Columbia's Social Enterprise Conference 2012 By Sadna Samaranayake
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Promising Jobs Report Fuels Both Sides of the Budget Wars
For shaping politics, the rosy jobs reports out today are undeniably a kick start for President Barack Obama and a kick in the teeth for his Republican critics. As for shaping fiscal policy, the numbers look to fuel the currently ambivalent muddle.
The headline figures are that a net 165,000 jobs were created in April, well above the consensus forecast and enough to help push the unemployment rate down to 7.5 percent, its lowest level since December 2008. The short-term message countermands some much more ambivalent recent economic data, which had signaled a "spring swoon" for the third year in a row.
But reasons for optimism over the longer term are found just below the surface in the job creation report. The Labor Department now says it underestimated the number of payroll positions added in the previous two months by a combined 114,000. Most notably, instead of the 88,000 new jobs initially estimated for March — a far worse-than-expected number that gave rise to considerable anxiety — the number is actually 138,000 thanks to some additional data.
And those upward revisions mean that, during the previous half year, the economy created an average of 208,000 jobs a month. The conventional view is that a characteristics of an economy that's healthy enough to shrink unemployment in a sustained way is monthly job creation above 200,000.
The reports will provide evidence for both sides in the arguments over how to shrink the deficit and whether the sequester should be fully turned off before a bigger budget deal is reached.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated those deep and across-the-board cuts will trim the gross domestic product by 0.6 percent this year. Private economists have warned that leaving the sequester in place through the end of the year would hold down private sector job creation by hundreds of thousands, mainly because of its effect on government contracting,
Today's report will be hailed by some fiscally conservative Republicans as evidence those warnings are overblown, and that the economy is proving itself strong enough to stabilize and start expanding despite the reductions in the size of the federal government they so emphatically espouse. They also point to numbers in the report showing many full-time positions being supplanted by temporary workers as a way for companies to avoid having to provide medical insurance under Obamacare.
In contrast, Democrats will argue that job creation and other economic indicators would be able to do even better if the indiscriminate spending cuts were replaced with a more proactive budget deal that includes trims to health-care entitlements and more tax revenue from the wealthy. They also note that the full effects of the sequester, which has only been in place two months, will not be felt on business hiring until summer.
"While more work remains to be done, today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression," said the president's top economic adviser, Alan Krueger. "Now is not the time for Washington to impose self-inflicted wounds on the economy."
Governments at all levels shed an additional 9,000 jobs in April, while private sector firms added 176,000 positions. While 11.7 million people remained unemployed but are still looking for jobs in April, that number is 5.4 percent smaller than it was in January.
The financial markets took quick and enthusiastic note of the news, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average past 15,000 and the S&P 500 index above 1,600 for the first time by mid-morning.
But Republican congressional leaders, who for more than a year have had their "not nearly good enough" news releases queued up to send minutes after Labor releases its monthly numbers, stayed silent for more than an hour before issuing more tepid than usual statements.
The reports "showed some signs of hope for the thousands of people who found a job in April,"House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said, but "this growth is way behind our nation's potential. We must focus on job creation more than one day a month."


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Saddlescombe Farm
History, tourist information, and nearby accommodation
HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS: Traditional donkey wheel
The Saddlescombe estate is owned by the National Trust. The estate takes in 450 acres and is operated by tenant farmers who maintain a traditional cattle, sheep, and arable crop farm. The Trust holds open days throughout the year when visitors can explore the farm and its collection of historic buildings, some of which date to the 16th century.
It is very possible that Saddlescombe was farmed in the prehistoric period. Archaeologists have uncovered Mesolithic arrowheads, Bronze Age artefacts including loom weights, and Roman pottery sherds.
The first written records of Saddlescombe come from the Domesday Book of 1086, when the estate was recorded as Selscombe. The Domesday Book entry mentions that there were 13 acres of meadow, land for 10 ploughs, woodland capable of supporting five hogs, and a human population of 135.
In 1225 the Knights Templar purchased Saddlescombe. The military/religious order developed the farm, operated corn and sheep farms, built a windmill, and established a chapel. Interestingly, they maintained only one horse but had 12 oxen for ploughing. They also had a herd of 600 sheep.
A remarkable letter exists from 1267, written by Archbishop Azo to the Master of the Templars in England, requesting that they accept Joan Chaldese as a member of the Saddlescombe Preceptory. Apparently Joan was an aged woman, the widow of Sir Richard Chaldese. She had taken an oath of chastity and wanted to end her days as a member of the Templars. No reply to the letter has been found but it would be remarkable indeed if the Templars accepted a woman into the Order.
The Templars were suppressed in the early 14th century and the estate was given to another order of knights; the Knights of St John of Jerusalem (the Hospitallers). When the Hospitallers, in turn, were suppressed by Henry VIII Saddlescombe passed to Sir Anthony Brown of Cowdray. The Brown family owned Saddlescombe for the next 30 years, though they never lived here but rented it out to a succession of tenant farmers.
Much of what we know about the recent history of Saddlscombe comes from the writing of Maude Robinson, who grew up at Saddlescombe. Her book, entitled A South Down farm in the 1860s' is a vivid and poignant account of family life on a Downland farm in the late Victorian period.
One of the episodes recounted by Maude Robinson was the time a group of farm labourers dubbed The Poynings Gang went on strike because Mr Robinson, a staunch Quaker, refused to give them the traditional barrel of beer and instead, offered them oatmeal and water flavoured with lemon. The labourers considered the beer a traditional right, and refused to work.
The Donkey Wheel
One of the major attractions at Saddlescombe is a Donkey Wheel, where for centuries the farm workers used a donkey to draw water from a well. The Donkey Wheel stands beside the South Down Way National Trail and can be visited even when the farm itself is not open to visitors.
The Donkey Wheel draws water from a well known to have been deepened - though not dug - by the Knights Templar in the 13th century.
One fascinating fact is that the donkeys could be trained to walk one way for 12 minutes, step off the wheel, turn around, step back on again, and start walking in the opposite direction. This 'automated' approach meant that the donkeys could raise and lower a large bucket into the well, fill it with water, and pull it to the surface all without human intervention.
The Information Barn
One other farm building is open to visitors even when the farm itself is not; the 18th-century Information Barn holds exhibits on the history of Saddlescombe, and places to visit in the surrounding area, including walks that take in the famous Devil's Dyke viewpoint a few miles away. Inside the barn is a collection of old farm machinery.
Newtimber Hill
Surrounding the farm is Newtimber Hill, an area of ancient downland and grassland which is home to wildflowers and insects. On the northern slope of the hill is woodland thought to have existed here for over 10,000 years. The woods are at their best in spring, when bluebells carpet the forest floor.
The area affords a mix of family activities, including orienteering, kite flying, horse riding, cycling, and walking. There is a regular programme of guided walks available. See details on the National Trust website.
There is no parking at the farm itself, but there is a free parking area in a small layby directly opposite the entrance to the farm drive. Getting there is easy; take the minor road towards Poynings north from the A27, signposted Devil's Dyke. Bear right at the first junction, and the farm will come into view on your right after two miles, and the parking area is opposite on your left.
Be aware as you park; when we visited the ground was very rough and full of potholes that made parking safely a stressful operation. If the farm is not having one of its open days you can still go up the drive to the Information Barn, which is worth seeing just for its tradition timber-post architecture.
From there you can simply follow the South Downs Way and signs for the Donkey Wheel. This takes you to a stile leading into a field and you can see the Donkey Wheelbuilding below you.
Our family thoroughly enjoyed visiting Saddlescombe Farm. The setting is simply idyllic, and the Donkey Wheel is a fascinating relic.
Most photos are available for licensing, please contact Britain Express image library.
About Saddlescombe Farm
Address: Saddlescombe Road, Saddlescombe, West Sussex, England, BN45 7DE
Attraction Type: Countryside
Location: Two miles north of A27 Brighton ring road. Parking opposite the farm entrance.
Website: Saddlescombe Farm
National Trust - see also: National Trust memberships (official website link)
Location map
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
We've 'tagged' this attraction information to help you find related historic attractions and learn more about major time periods mentioned.
Find other attractions tagged with:
Domesday Book (Historical Reference) -
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low-exceptional) on historic interest
Preston Manor - 3.7 miles (Historic House)
Brighton, St Peter's Church - 3.7 miles (Historic Church)
Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft - 4.1 miles (Museum)
Stanmer Rural Museum - 4.2 miles (Museum)
Henfield Museum - 4.5 miles (Museum)
The Regency Town House - 4.7 miles (Museum)
Hove, St Andrew's Church - 4.8 miles (Historic Church)
St Mary's House - 5.2 miles (Historic Building)
Nearest Holiday Cottages to Saddlescombe Farm:
Upper Beeding, West Sussex
Sleeps: 8
Stay from: £683.00 - 3749.00
Fulking, West Sussex
Sleeps: 4
Stay from: £340.00 - 1393.00
Hove, East Sussex
Sleeps: 11
Stay from: £1961.00 - 7409.00


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|Storm News
and Chasing
2003/2004 Northern NSW Storm Season Review
Report compiled by Dave Ellem
The 2003/04 season started very quietly, with almost no activity during the winter months right up until the end of September. But from the hailstorm on the 26th of September, things went wild from there! October saw more than 13 thunder days in the Northern Rivers, with a number of setups producing supercells. In one week, chasers witnessed an amazing sculptured low precipitation supercell, along with another low precipitation supercell with 6cm hail, and then a supercell which produced hail in excess of 10cm the very next day! Across the border, an F3 tornado was observed at Stanthorpe! It was one of the best beginnings to the season in a long time! But then there was a lack of impressive activity right through until the end of January, when what is likely to have been a record number of consecutive storm days affected the Northern Rivers. Just about every type of storm feature was observed during the nine day period and was probably the best week of storm chasing ever experienced by chasers in the area! Things went quiet again from there, until a tropical low caused wild winds and flooding at the beginning of March. The season was finished with a possible HP supercell which caused damage in the region in mid March. It was another interesting season, with much learnt during the time spent observing storms. Below is a brief account of each storm day. Click on an underlined heading to see a full report of that day.
Friday 8th August 2003
A weak surface trough in the region produced enough low level instability to kick off the first thunderstorms of the season, however the cells were very low topped. The highlight though was the large amount of pileus draped over updrafts on one cell. This became even better when the lowered sun illuminated the updrafts some lovely colours. Some lightning was observed after dusk.
Sunday 31st August 2003
A marginally unstable atmosphere still managed to produce a very low topped thunderstorm in the Northern Rivers this Sunday afternoon. The cell, which developed W of Kyogle, moved over my location in Wollongbar, and the very dry atmosphere led to microbursts which gave some gusts over the 70km/hr mark, as well a producing some very brief heavy rain. The cells grew a little higher as they reached the coastline and gave some infrequent lightning which was thoroughly enjoyed.
Friday 26th September 2003
An approaching dryline and a relatively unstable atmosphere had storm chasers, who had not experienced any storms for almost a month, very excited about the prospect of severe storms! However there was great concern there would be insufficient moisture for severe storms. Very weak, high based and low topped storms developed and moved through the region at midday, producing some thunder and small hail! Storms remained fairly small until around 3pm when a number of severe storms developed throughout the northern parts of the Northern Rivers. Of particular interest was a cell that moved through the western outskirts of Lismore, producing lots of hail around 2cm. It was great to finally get out on the first chase of the season and experience hail!
Thursday 2nd October 2003
A cut off low had produced some very severe storms in western NSW the day before, with a large active squall line moving through the western districts. Another squall line was expected this day, and with shear almost off the scale, it was going to move quick! A squall line formed around midday west of Moree and traveled at around 80km/hr towards the coast. As the line moved through the coastal areas, severe winds lashed the area, with later estimates of damage to property and crops of over $1 million. Heavy rain was also associated with the storm, but the fast moving nature of the squall line meant totals remained fairly low. Certainly a severe storm to kick the official severe thunderstorm season off, but almost completely featureless!
Friday 3rd October 2003
Mostly non-severe convection occurred from late morning onwards in NE NSW and SE QLD and gave a few hours of storms. I was on the Gold Coast during the day and observed the storms in NE NSW from The Spit. Some storms occurred around the Gold Coast but I didn't encounter anything significant. Some welcome rainfall at the least.
Thursday 9th October 2003
A southerly change that was moving up the coast was expected to kick off some weak evening thunderstorms. With such weak instability, severe storms weren't expected, however around 7pm a number of cells began developing in the western areas of the Northern Rivers. One cell in particular, NW of Grafton, quickly developed a red core on radar and slowly moved towards the Lismore/Casino area. A severe thunderstorm advice was issued for this cell. Of surprise was the almost complete lack of lightning from this cell. Initially it was producing lightning every 20 to 30 seconds, but it soon was 10 min between flashes! The cell did maintain a moderately sized red core nearly the entire 2 hour trip to the coast, where it veered right of it's NE track and hit just south of Ballina, producing very heavy rain and no doubt some hail.
Friday 10th October 2003
Instability was mainly offshore and it was looking marginal as to whether dry air would push through too early for convection to get going. By midday small storms were popping up around the Grafton region, with some going from nothing to red on radar in 10 minutes! Heading down to the Evans Head area it was looking like it would dry out, however some storms got going as they reached the coastline. One cell south of Evans Head had a corkscrew updraft which was rotating long enough to make the cell a supercell candidate. Barely no precipitation was visible. Golfball hail was reported in some towns along the coastline. Activity all cleared offshore by mid afternoon, but around 7pm, more cells formed over Coffs Harbour and moved NE. These cells developed into a large cluster of storms, with massive red cores. Frequent lightning was observed for a number of hours.
Thursday 16th October 2003
With the bulk of instability inland according to the models I wasn't overly confident of any activity occurring, however standing outside in the morning it was obvious the atmosphere was unstable! By late morning a heap of convection was occurring around the Northern Rivers district, but was mainly pulsey as shear was quite weak. By mid afternoon a nice storm near Grafton was beginning to look a little more organised and headed toward Evans Head. This turned into a line with a nice gustfront, but was unfortunately not captured before it weakened. However another cell developed and tracked through Lismore dumping very heavy rain and some small hail, forcing the Lismore Show to close! Best of all it had a large guster which was great to watch from just down the road of my home in Wollongbar.
Monday 20th October 2003
This day looked set to go off! Instability was quite strong, there was excellent shear for supercells and plenty of low level moisture with a dry mid and upper level atmosphere. There was however one great concern.....cloud! A rain band which came through during the morning gave around 30mm of rain and some lightning. However it cleared much later than expected, and didn't move offshore until after lunch time. From this point the sky looked to dry up too much, with a few turkey towers on the ranges evaporating as soon as they went up. Whilst thinking all was lost, Michael Bath and myself had pondered what the approaching S'ly change would do and held a small hope that a triple point would form near the coast. Just after 4pm a weak cell just NE of Grafton developed and gave a nice thick orphan anvil. It's updrafts looked stronger but again they seemed to be evaporating. However one very solid updraft at 5pm prompted me to head out for a closer look, and over the next hour, one of the most beautiful LP supercells ever captured in Australia exploded and moved towards Alstonville. One of the most amazing sights I have ever seen!! Make sure you check the report for a full set of photos.
Friday 24th October 2003
It was shaping up to be a few big days of chasing, with this day looking pretty nice. LIs were around -8 with cape around 2500. Perfect for large hail. However shear was on the weak side and there was a little bit too much upper moisture for my liking. But severe storms were looking definite. Storms popped up on the ranges everywhere late in the morning thanks to a weak cap. I followed some activity that formed on the Border Ranges and tracked down west of Casino. The cell I watched was VERY lightning active (thanks to the high cape) with some strong pulsating bolts. I entered the cell just east of Mummulgum and copped a heap of 2cm hail, with some stones getting up to around 3.5cm. Further west at Tabulum a stronger cell produced golfball hail with caused some damage in the town. A large thundery rain band developed by late afternoon and gave some nice rainfall and infrequent lightning into the night.
Saturday 25th October 2003
The day looked set to go off! LIs were -8 to -10 with cape up around the 3000 mark. Slightly stronger shear than the previous day, with good low level turning, and a stronger cap meant we were in for an exciting afternoon! Development didn't kick off until around 2.30pm and we watched a supercell develop from a tall, thin Cj into a beautiful LP supercell at Mallanganee. From there we got to sit under the rain free base and experience isolated giant hail falling!! It was an eerie feeling seeing giant hail fall with no rain falling at all! The slow moving nature of this supercell meant we could travel around to just SE of Kyogle and intercept it a second time, witnessing hail up to 6cm, possibly 7cm falling on the road in front of us!! As the supercell eventually weakened over 3 hours from its first updraft, a large line of storms moved into the Northern Rivers and gave an amazing lightning show with more heavy rain, gusty winds and hail! One of the best chase days ever!!!
Sunday 26th October 2003
Strangely enough, what was probably the closest to the 'perfect' setup I had ever seen didn't in fact give me the best chase day I've ever had. The atmosphere was very unstable, with LIs down to -8 and cape over 3000. Shear was incredible - very strong in the low and mid levels with excellent low level turning. And the moisture profile was also great. It was one of the first setups in the local area where tornadoes and giant hail would be a very high possibility. Unfortunately the best storms formed everywhere around us, with hail over 10cm in size near Maclean in the Northern Rivers, a large hailstorm with cricket ball hail on the Gold Coast, and an F2 tornado, which looks amazing in photographs I've seen, at Stanthorpe! Michael Bath and myself did get to watch a number of cells throughout the day, particularly enjoying watching the supercell near Maclean that gave 10cm hail just explode, but we didn't obverse any amazing structure close by. No doubt many millions of dollars worth of damage occurred from the Mid North Coast up into Eastern Queensland and the day will be remembered as one of the biggest supercell outbreaks in quite a few years.
Tuesday 28th October 2003
Although a very strong cap prevented surface based convection, an unstable atmosphere above the cap meant convection was still able to occur above the cap, leading to very high based, dry storms. The line of storms that formed in S QLD gave some very strong winds on the Darling Downs, but when reaching the coastal moisture the strong dry microbursts they were producing ceased, leading to just some showers as they moved though. The line was very lightning active however, and with the line extending just over the border, I managed to snap a few lightning pics late at night as it moved passed to my north.
Wednesday 29th October 2003
In an unwelcome reminder of the massive dust storm to hit the area last October, I awoke in the morning to a thick dust haze. Strong westerly winds ahead of a change had whipped up tons and tons of dirt from the still drought stricken inland NSW. It was amazing to see this occur after experiencing a similar dust storm, although much larger, last October. It came as a reminder though that while our area was no longer in drought like it was last year, inland NSW was still doing it tough. The dust cleared by that night.
Wednesday 12th November 2003
With fairly weak shear and marginal instability, it was unclear whether we were going to see much in the Northern Rivers, however by around 5pm, weak activity had developed S of Lismore. It was high based and fairly weak, however, as it weakened S of Lismore, another storm developed on it's NW flank, which moved over Kyogle, causing minor damage to homes and giving a much better show of both structure and CG lightning! As it moved over the border to Queensland, the sun brilliantly illuminated the large anvil backshear, presenting a lovely show of mammatus! The storm weakened soon after sunset.
Sunday 23rd November 2003
Another day with marginal instability, however wind shear was actually alright this day. I had dismissed the chance of any substantial storm action because of the lack of instability, but by lunchtime, a weak storm had developed nearby and moved over the area, clearing NE towards Byron. The real shock came at 5.30pm when a weak storm popped up near Byron, heading SE, with some interesting visual features. Further to this, another cell popped up NNW of my home in Wollongbar and proceeded to head SE, eventually developing quite nice updraft rotation. Whether it could be called a supercell is unclear, but it was amazing to look at! Later that night at 9.30pm, more storms developed and moved NNE through the Lismore area, giving a great light show, along with some small hail! Quite an amazing day given the conditions!
Monday 24th November 2003
An intense cold pool had moved into N NSW, dropping 500hPa temps to -21C!!! Wind shear wasn't ideal, with SE surface winds, however mid-upper level winds were strong, so stuff was going to move! Severe storms developed around lunchtime throughout the Northern Rivers area. Nothing really stood out visually, but many areas received hail thanks to the very cold mid to upper levels.
Sunday 14th December 2003
Strong instability, loads of atmospheric moisture, a weak cap and poor wind shear lead to an interesting afternoon of storm activity. Storms rapidly developed at around midday over the Lismore area and proceeded to give around 6 hours of rain, lightning and thunder. With so much stratocumulus thanks to SE surface winds, storms were almost entirely featureless. With CGs occurring in the Lismore area for around 6 hours, it was not surprising that one house in Goonellabah, just outside of Lismore, was hit by a CG, causing extensive damage to the corner of the house where it hit. Fortunately no one was home at the time. Further storms developed and gave some offshore lightning later that night.
Thursday 25th December 2003
Continuing with what has almost become a tradition in the last few years, Christmas day in the Northern Rivers was oppressively hot and humid, with storms developing in the inland areas. In fact quite a nice multicell formed right over Kyogle during the afternoon in the high 30's heat (not to mention the DP of 25C!!!). Further storms developed on the Nightcap Ranges during the evening, but nothing appears to have been severe or long lasting.
Friday 26th December 2003
Boxing Day held some hopes of severe storms, with low LIs, high CAPE, and plenty of surface heating. However with very dry mid to upper levels and weak shear, along with some capping, long lasting activity failed to get established. Still, some severe storms which brought down large trees affected the Northern Rivers area, giving an entertaining afternoon of storm chasing!
Sunday 11th January 2004
Some very weak storms were slowly moving NE into the Northern Rivers during the evening. I headed out to a lookout to observe a weak gustfront feature and some lightning. The storm was not severe and collapsed before it made it to my location.
Saturday 17th January 2004
A line of weak storms which stretched from NE NSW into SE QLD moved through the area during the late morning, bringing some gusty winds and very heavy rainfall. The storms didn't have a great deal of structure, but did begin to develop a gustfront as they reached the coastal areas. The line seemed to intensify as it moved offshore, with regular thunder observed after the cell had passed over the area.
Thursday 22nd January 2004
After a very quiet summer so far, a decent trough system finally moved into NSW, brining with it severe storms in the Sydney region and north along the ranges. By dusk, storms had developed on the Northern Tablelands, and some cells were moving towards the Northern Rivers/Northern Tablelands border, giving plenty of lightning! So the Northern Rivers chasers went out to just east of Casino to observe the activity in what was a 'test chase' to get us back into gear for what was to become a nine day outbreak of storms in the area!
Friday 23rd January 2004
Plenty of instability and ok mid and upper level winds set the stage for an afternoon of severe storms in the western parts of the Northern Rivers. After a few pulse storms, a nice line got organised just south of Mallanganee during late afternoon, moving NE towards the Kyogle area. The storm featured a spectacular gustfront and plenty of pulsating CGs, along with very heavy rain and some 2cm hail. Widespread lightning active storms developed into the evening, though were obscured by low cloud.
Saturday 24th January 2004
A slightly better moisture profile from the day before saw greater expectations of hailstorms. By mid morning a line of storms had formed near Dorrigo and slowly progressed NE towards the Lismore-Ballina area. Meanwhile a storm developed on the Richmond Ranges and kept chasers entertained whilst waiting for the main activity to push up from down south, however it never moved off the ranges and developed into anything spectacular. Chasers intercepted the stronger activity at Coraki, experiencing severe winds and very heavy rainfall, although much to our disappointment, only a little bit of small hail. Once again, further weak storms developed into the evening.
Sunday 25th January 2004
The setup was similar to the previous day, though with more upper level moisture and a stronger cap. After a large area of cloud cleared, activity kicked off in the same spot as the day before on the Richmond Ranges. Strong updrafts and a solid anvil signaled just how strong this storm was. It went on to produce a photogenic gustfront for Michael Bath at McLeans Ridges and later presented HP Supercell characteristics for chasers watching from the Potsville area. By evening a large rain area had developed over the Northern Rivers and did not clear till the early hours of Monday morning.
Monday 26th January 2004
With a dryline sitting along the Northern Tablelands and strong instability, not to mention 180 degree turning of the winds, there were high expectations of supercells. However a strong cap seemed to keep activity suppressed well into the afternoon. A storm developed W of Kyogle and slowly progressed towards Queensland. It didn't appear to be very impressive from our angle, however it developed into a Supercell as it moved into SE QLD, and exhibited amazing structure for storm chasers in the area. Meanwhile attention turned to two cells in the area, one west of Grafton moving NE, and a splitting storm (possibly a supercell) to our west on the Richmond Ranges. It was amazing to watch the one storm completely split, however the right mover collided with the cell near Grafton and both cells ended up collapsing.
Tuesday 27th January 2004
A very strong cap held down activity until after 5pm, when a possible supercell split west of Kyogle, with the right mover heading SE towards Casino. 3cm hail was observed just outside of Casino, however it weakened quickly as it slid just east of Casino. Further lightning active storms developed in the area and gave a spectacular light show well into the night!
Wednesday 28th January 2004
The atmosphere was very unstable thanks to a nice upper trough and shear was good at all levels. Unfortunately it was very dry apart from the very low levels, so activity which developed was very high based. Very powerful updrafts exploded along the coastal fringe by late afternoon, with storms becoming severe as they moved out to sea. One very strong supercell which had moved eastwards out to sea east of Grafton eventually veered north and gave a very large area of red on radar. At one point the cell moved NNW, and ended up passing just off the coast of Ballina. A large inflow band was observed feeding into the base of the storm and was quite spectacular! The storm gave some spectacular lightning off the coast into the evening.
Thursday 29th January 2004
A strong cap and dry low levels saw weak storms develop late in the day, but they did not last long and dissipated as they moved into the Lismore area. Still, an intense sunset was observed thanks to all the high cloud!
Friday 30th January 2004
Whilst the models had progged all the moisture and instability to have moved offshore, instability and moisture was ideal in the coastal area. And with very strong wind shear and excellent turning, it ended up being no surprise that an impressive supercell developed and produced not only hail up to 7cm, but also produced a funnel from the very fast rotating mesocyclone. It was the fastest rotation I had observed and was amazing to watch! It was also great to go in and play in all the giant hail just outside Evans Head after the storm had passed. It was an excellent way to end nine fantastic days of storms!
Friday 5th to Saturday 6th March 2004
A low which formed in the Coral Sea rapidly deepened as it quickly moved towards the SE QLD coast on the Friday, bringing with it gale force winds, very heavy rain, flash flooding and huge seas. The NE NSW coast from Coffs Harbour to the Queensland border copped winds up to 120km/hr during the Friday evening and early hours of Saturday morning, and the heavy rainfall overnight led to moderate flooding of the Wilsons River at Lismore late Saturday night. Low lying areas around Lismore were inconvenienced by the flooding by Saturday afternoon, and weather enthusiasts in the region spent a few hours doing a 'flood tour' of the area.
Saturday 13th March 2004
What could be better described as a strong shower than a weak storm moved into the Northern Rivers area during the late afternoon. The very slow moving, low topped cell produced quite an impressive gustfront despite being very weak. It gave some very heavy rainfall, no doubt into the severe category, but no other severe weather was experienced. The cell collapsed S of Lismore by evening.
Thursday 18th March 2004
The last chase of the season saw a nice upper trough produce a severe possible HP supercell! As the line moved through the Lismore area it gave winds over 100km/hr, torrential rain and lots of 2cm hail in an isolated area. The real damage occurred as the storm passed over Murwillumbah, with a number of houses having their entire roof ripped off by the very strong winds. It was an amazing storm to experience as we encountered the very strong winds south of Lismore, and a top way to end the storm chasing season of 2003/2004!
Document: 200406-02.htm
Updated: 19th April, 2005
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Following our recent A Monsteca Corral: Monsters vs. Robots review, we headed to Liverpool in the UK to chat with independent developer Onteca's Jon Wetherall (Producer) and Rich Alston (Art Director), about their first WiiWare title.
Nintendo Life: Where did the idea for Monsteca Corral come from and how long did it take to develop?
Jon Wetherall: We originally had the idea for a Monsteca world, which was going to be a Neopets style web world, where you nurture creatures in a monster pet game. Then over time we worked with the script writer Alison Down, and Rich Alston who was the Art Director, between them they came up with a complicated storyline. This was actually for an animated television show, set around the conflict between monsters and the robots and how the robots had been made to help the monsters, but they had all gone a bit doolally. This all happened about three years ago, at that point we had been doing a lot of stop motion plasticine animations, which was the influence behind the design of the monsters, some of them were built as plasticine models first before they were 3D models. In parallel two years ago, we got the Nintendo developer status and we started with a blank slate, not to work on a game, but to work with the controller. Ben Mitchell, the lead on the project, spent about six months playing with ideas and getting the characters running around a landscape. Strangely, the Stompies were the first characters he was given. Rich was asked to knock a quick animation out in ten minutes for a walk cycle and everyone loved it so much, that it stayed as Stompy's walk. Even when we tried to improve it, it was hard because he has no knees, which is the important part of any walk. That is why he has this slightly strange walk. So originally, for about six months we had these guys running over maps, initially they were bigger than the biggest buildings, eventually we had them scaled against the buildings.
Rich Alston: In reality the Stompy size is the equivalent of a human, therefore a size guide would be of a cross between a cow and a bear.
Jon Wetherall: We ended up with a tech demo of the monsters running on a landscape, but as time has gone on the interactions have become simpler. Initially we had lots of interactions, you could make them fly, with all sorts of different gameplay elements. From that tech demo about eighteen months ago, the main development happened over a twelve month period up until Christmas 2009. Then we went into gameplay tweaks for three months until March. We ended up having to make about twenty different tutorials, to explain the aspects of the game. It was a year of full development, but it has had a three year life, and it took six months from a finished game to get it onto the 'Wii Shop'.
Nintendo Life: On Nintendo Life's forum one of your game developers highlighted that Onteca set guiding principles for Corral, including a solid 60fps frame rate, avoiding loading times, and low block usage (123 blocks). What were the challenges of developing for WiiWare whilst following these parameters, as well as aiming for the 500 point price range?
Jon Wetherall: It was very important to Ben that the game ran at 60fps, because he is a real gameplay obsessive, he wanted that smooth retro arcade experience. Unless you run at 60fps, you are not an arcade game. It is actually an Action/ Strategy game, because we don't compromise on the responsiveness of it. Then there are big compromises to make, because you have half the graphics of a 30fps game, you can't have as many whizzy effects or as many things on-screen. In each of the levels there is an element of payoff, the Lifterbot is a very high poly model which takes a lot of energy to draw, if you see Lifterbot you are less likely to see 32 Stompies, it will be designed as a 16 Stompy level. With the block usage we wanted to get into the 16meg limit, it is a business choice and also for the consumer, because it takes less space on the machine. The game is designed around low block usage and that led to another choice, which is that there are no textures in the game. All of the characters are a strong solid colour with lighting, which gives it that sense of style. We didn't necessarily aim for a 500 point price, but we decided that because it is our first game and a new idea, we wanted people to play it. By going at 500 points, it is the price of a Big Mac meal.
Nintendo Life: Monsteca Corral has been compared to Nintendo games, both Doshin the Giant and Pikmin. Were Onteca directly inspired by these titles and which other games influenced its development?
Jon Wetherall: We had never seen Doshin the Giant, so when people started comparing it, we bought it on ebay. The comparisons are coincidence, but obviously they look similar. Pikmin was a really important game for me and Ben, it is definitely one of our favourite games. We looked at Little King's Story, there are things in common between the way you control the characters. Noby Noby Boy (PSN) is our license to be weird, whatever we do will never be as weird as Noby Noby Boy. Lemmings for me is a very important game, I worked at Psygnosis and it is a great game, so it is something which we continually keep in mind.
Rich Alston: We were working on a web based version, which would have been like Neopets, or a game which follows that model. For a lot of the graphic styling we looked at web games and also titles like Pokémon, because one of the original concepts would have been a baseball card style game, with points where each monster would have a different skill. One of Jon's original ideas was to have a fighting arena which would have face-offs between robots and monsters, with robots altering monsters with extra implants to make them level up. There were a lot of complicated ideas which were thrown around, so it was a question of what we should do for a simple idea that would introduce it, and we would lead on with the extra ideas later.
Nintendo Life: Onteca has created a detailed world around Monsteca including a 'Monsters vs. Robots' back story, habitats and environments, as well as an ecosystem in which its inhabitants struggle to coexist. Will forthcoming Onteca games also be set in this universe?
Jon Wetherall: Yes, this is the first of many Monsteca games, we feel quite akin to the struggle of the monsters, or even the struggle of the robots, they are not intrinsically bad, they are misunderstood. What form those games will take? We haven't decided yet. We have some other ideas and we tend to revisit ideas. We have another game world concept, which we will probably take further.
Nintendo Life: Monsteca Corral is your biggest game yet and Onteca has noted that the unique nature of the Wii Remote made Wii an attractive system to develop for. As motion control becomes available on other systems, will WiiWare continue to be your lead development platform, or do you feel that its controls are no longer differentiated from PSN and Xbox Live?
Jon Wetherall: Yes, the Wii control system is a challenge, it would be interesting to do something with MotionPlus, although I don't think you could lead with MotionPlus for a download game. We like Nintendo and we like working with Nintendo hardware, we don't have a massive desire to work on anyone else's hardware, although we do work on iPhone apps. Nintendo will continue to be our lead platform. We like the iPad, so at some point we may do something on iPad in particular. The Move controller for PS3 is interesting, but we don't yet know how successful it will be. We may do a Move version, but it won't be a lead, we lead on Wii, as it is a nice platform. Wii gamers are the right demographic for our games.
Nintendo Life: Onteca have developed games for iPhone, including the puzzle game 3B Bumper Bot's Box, which also focuses on a Monsteca robot. Are you interested in developing games for DSiWare?
Jon Wetherall: Yes, however none of us have programmed for DSi, we know lots of other indie developer who have made DS games, but we haven't made any. We are very aware that traditional DS product has been killed by piracy and I presume it is the same for DSiWare. We are a little bit wary, if we knew the sales figures then we could work out the costs and benefits for the company. As a platform DS is interesting, but we are late to the DS party, so we may wait for 3DS, which is what we are really excited about.
Nintendo Life: It is clear that Onteca have an affinity towards strategy and puzzle games, however once a player starts to attempt Corral's 'Swift' and 'Rampant' par time achievements there is the urgency that you would find in an action game. Would Onteca ever develop a straight-out action title?
Jon Wetherall: I don't think we would do a straight-out action game. I was talking to Ben about this and the possibility of having mini games, or even a standalone game, to help people with jumping. We took a lot of control mechanics out of Corral, for every one that is in there, we have taken out about three. There were interesting things where the Manderray would fly down and pick up the monsters with its tongue, which was surreal as it licks you up. That didn't make the final game, although we wrote all of the code. There are a lot of mechanics that could be explored as mini games, but we are not an action game company, we are a strategy game company.
Nintendo Life: Now the game has been released and reviewed, is there anything you would change in it from hindsight?
Jon Wetherall: Yes, the one thing I wish we had done is put a tutorial in for the level select tree, a few people are getting stuck on that and I feel bad for them. We are putting a tutorial on the website, but it is too late to put it in the game. Flower (PSN) is a big influence on the level select tree, although the game does not look like Flower.
Rich Alston: There is another game called Zen Bound on the iPhone, that has something similar to the level select tree.
Jon Wetherall: I love it and I don't want to change the interface, it is one of the nicest things in the game, and it took an immense amount of time to create. For those of you stuck on 56%, which is a number that comes up repeatedly, I would have made that one achievement lighter. You need 58% to continue, the game opens out more, there are bigger levels and once you get through the 56% point, you are on your way to finishing the game. However, no-one so far has reported finishing the game and there is a nice ending, but I won't blow it. It is not really a bug with the camera, we played with that camera a lot, but occasionally it does go back too far, although there is always a way around it. Apart from that we are really pleased with the game.
Nintendo Life: The six separate achievements for each level combine to make Monsteca Corral a challenging WiiWare title. Onteca have been helping Nintendo Life readers with gameplay hints on our forum, is there one last tip you would like to share with them?
Jon Wetherall: The Imposter Bot is the challenge of Corral really. For those of you who have not yet met the Imposter Bot, he looks like a Stompy, he is really annoying and he runs in the middle of your herd and blows them to smithereens. He doesn't kill anyone, but he sends you back to zero and he gets rid of all of your bubbles. He is just horrible! You have to develop your own tactics for the Imposter Bot, he is very hard to fight head on. I advise you to not get him with your whole gang, split your gang up and take five of them to knock him over. For any robot, you need to get them in the water to deactivate them, but they will get rescued by the Helibot. If you knock out the Helibot base he will fly away, so robots can not be rescued. A quick detail about Imposter Bots is that they don't follow you around hills very well. On the Summit, it is a really lovely level, you can stay on the hill and he won't get you.
Nintendo Life: Are you planning a direct sequel to Monsteca Corral?
Jon Wetherall: Yes, that is an exclusive for Nintendo Life! There are two potential sequels, we have not decided which way to go. One is a sequel in terms of game design, so it is not set in the same world. The other is a sequel set in the world, but it will take a couple more months to develop, because we have a few other projects to finish. Perhaps a prequel is next, we are not sure. It is quite slow to get a slot on WiiWare, so it won't appear in a hurry.
Nintendo Life would like to thank Jon, Rich and all of the team at Onteca, for their time and for welcoming us into their development studio.


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Track time spent against project activities
Project team can enter time against their project activities such as tasks, issues, risk and ad hoc items. Team members can submit time against only those project tasks assigned to them and not general tasks. However time can be tracked against project issues, risks that the team member is part of.


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Spring time is here! I know many of you are excited for this much awaited season of the year and some had their spring activities planned for the following months. My daughter, Audrey was born during spring season (April baby), and this is my favorite season of the year too! She love exploring the garden and chase the butterflies, smell the flowers and watch the cardinal bird singing by the patio. To prepare outdoor and indoor spring environment for the little one, we make it child safe and enjoyable with the goal to instill the love for mother nature. For kids, spring symbolizes flowers, butterflies, birds, garden and rainbows so mostly our theme activity consists of this signs of spring living things. With an active little girl in mind, I am sharing this spring activities for indoor and outdoor that your kids can enjoy too! This activities are created for toddler and preschooler.
*This blog contains affiliate links that we enjoy using in our homeschool journey (see my disclosure policy.)
9 Spring Activities For Toddler And Preschooler
Egg Transfer- I use colorful eggs, placed in a basket and a bunny egg holder. She will transfer one by one the eggs into the bunny egg holder. Then we play a game of colors. I will ask her to put only blue, or red or all green into the holder with the objective of finishing a task of putting the specific color. This activity helps develop the recognition of colors AND at the same time the ability to follow simple instructions.
Molding Bunny Using Cookie Cutter and Dough- I use non-toxic purple dough and three part bunny cookie cutter with a rolling pin. She will roll flat three small balls of dough and mold each of the bunny parts.
She can use other dough colors such as red and green too as what shown below. This dough can get hard easily so it is best to place back into the container with the cover on.
Chalk Board Drawing- She love to use the chalkboard with colored chalks drawing objects that I dont even know what it is! This activity will strengthen your child's fine motor (small muscles). Well Mammas, let your child draw until they ran out of chalk!
In this photo, I showed her how to put pink and blue shades into the flowers and let her color it or doodle on it.
Doily Poking- I gave her a round cute doily and mark a neon green circle. She then trace poke the green mark using a jumbo push pin. This activity is great for enhancing the hand muscles for pincer grip. An excellent way in preparation to hold the pencil correctly. I started to introduce this activity to my daughter when she was thirty three months although this is best suited for a four year olds. A close supervision is needed for toddlers.
Catching Butterfly With Handprints- A super cute activity and a precious keepsakes for your little ones. I traced both her hands with washable board marker then I let her put butterfly and flower stickers around it with the illusion of "Catching a butterfly".
Salt & Pepper Shaker Easter Eggs- She scoop beach sand and put it in each eggs, then she will shake it pretending its a salt and pepper shaker! Your kids will love this too.
Bunny Painting- A cute bunny with primary color paints. She's using a fine brush to match the size of the little bunny. This hand painted bunny can also be used as an ornament!
Sticking Easter Window Clings- I let her stick each letters at the glass door by giving her the letters /H/ first then /A/ and so on until she finished everything and I let her read the words she created. Audrey started to read few words when she was two years old.
Gardening Supply Shopping- I include this as one of our spring activities because a young child can learn tons of vocabulary words when you include them to do chores such as shopping. Giving them the opportunity to see, feel, touch, smell and taste some edible plants if they are allowed to.
She adore lily pads! This is the garden section at Lowe's where she observe and investigate several plants, flowers, garden decors, bird feeders, bird houses and a lot more.
These are the collection of spring books we love to read and recommend for your little learners. All are scholastic's "A First Discovery Book" with different spring units that you can incorporate with your home or school learning.
Flowers, The Egg, The Ladybug, Birds, The Tree, Fruit and A Seed Is a Promise
What are your favorite spring activities? Please share this fun spring activities. Follow my blog for more ideas and inspirations.


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Today gamers can join in the celebration of 50 years of James Bond with the release of 007 Legends from Activision. Available at North American retail outlets today, across Europe on October 19th and in Australia on October 31st, 007 Legends is the latest installment in the esteemed franchise, delivering a first-of-its-kind Bond video game experience featuring a story inspired by five classic Bond films – Goldfinger, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Moonraker, Licence to Kill, Die Another Day. Additionally, 007 Legends will feature a sixth mission based on this year's highly anticipated Bond film –SKYFALL – which will be available to unlock as downloadable content. Timed to the North American release of the feature film, PlayStation®Network subscribers will gain exclusive early access to the SKYFALL mission on November 9, 2012, and then on November 20, 2012, the mission will be available on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network.
The team at Eurocom has really outdone themselves this time with 007 Legends, delivering a very unique and comprehensive Bond video game we're sure fans will enjoy playing," said David Oxford, EVP/General Manager, Activision Publishing. "Fans not only get to experience these great, defining moments from Bond's past that have made him the spy he is today, but they also get to become Daniel Craig's modern-day Bond, and play through an all-new, contemporary story mission based on the upcoming SKYFALL film that comes out as DLC. This really is the most robust and unique Bond video game experience to date.
For more info on 007 Legends, check out the trailer below and go to their Facebook page here.
[youtube id="oJQV9tQ4XbA" width="600″ height="350″]


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Wood Group signs contract with Sakhalin Energy
Published by David Rowlands,
LNG Industry,
The contract extends the companies' relationship, as Wood Group has been providing engineering and construction support, including studies and modifications, to both on and offshore assets on Sakhalin Island, Russia, for over a decade. This latest contract adds brownfield drilling upgrade services to the capabilities that Wood Group provides across the following assets:
- Piltun- Astokhskoye-A offshore platform (Molikpaq).
- Piltun- Astokhskoye-B offshore platform (PA-B).
- Lunskoye-A offshore platform (LUN-A).
- Onshore processing facilities including Booster stations 1 and 2.
- LNG plant.
- Oil export terminal (OET).
- Tanker loading unit (TLU).
The five-year contract is effective immediately, and includes two one-year extension options. It will be delivered by Wood Group's engineering team in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island, and supported by the company's offices in the UK, China, Norway and Australia.
Wood Group claims that a major feature of the contract will be a new working relationship between Wood Group and a Russian Design Institute (RDI), Gasproektengineering AOJSC (GPE) – a Gazprom company. Throughout the term of the contract, GPE will play a significant and growing role in supporting service delivery, working closely with Wood Group across the range and scope of services and asset base.
The CEO for Wood Group's Asset Life Cycle Solutions business in the eastern region, Dave Stewart, said: "We have a 10-year relationship working with Sakhalin Energy on Sakhalin Island. During this time, we have demonstrated our in-depth asset knowledge and technical solutions, which strongly position us to deliver this contract across their portfolio of assets.
"Our global expertise in brownfield engineering combined with our commitment to developing the capabilities of our 200-strong workforce on Sakhalin Island enables us to successfully provide efficient and effective services that add value for our client.
"This is an exciting and strategically important relationship for the future and one which underlines our ongoing commitment to Russian national content and development. We look forward to working in close collaboration with GPE on the safe and successful delivery of this contract."
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/22052017/wood-group-signs-contract-with-sakhalin-energy/
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The United States is confident that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will bring to justice those responsible for financing, planning, and carrying out the assassination of former Prime Minister HaririU.S. pledges support for Hariri probe Feb 14, 2009
The United States pledges $6 million for the second year of the Tribunal's operations, subject to Congressional approval of the FY09 budget, in addition to the $14 million already contributedU.S. pledges support for Hariri probe Feb 14, 2009
I will either try to get more sleep ... or, you know, have somebody that, you know, is there, as a reminder to meObama, Clinton and staffers grow weary Apr 27, 2008
This is a tried and true technique of the Obama campaign, which has repeatedly shifted negative when they find the momentum working against themObama, Clinton swap negativity accusations Mar 17, 2008
From this war's very beginning, this administration has permitted thousands of heavily-armed military contractors to march through Iraq without any law or court to rein them in or hold them accountableDogs of War: Round laws, square holes Mar 07, 2008
United States Senate career, 2001–2009 Campaign for the Presidency, 2007–2008 Political positions · Awards and honors List of books about Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, she was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2008 election.
A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham first attracted national attention in 1969 for her remarks as the first student to deliver the commencement address at Wellesley College. She embarked on a career in law after graduating from Yale Law School in 1973. Following a stint as a Congressional legal counsel, she moved to Arkansas in 1974 and married Bill Clinton in 1975. In 1977, Rodham co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. In 1978, she became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation. She was named the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979, and was twice listed as one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America. She was the First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992 and successfully led a task force to reform Arkansas's education system. She sat on the boards of Wal-Mart and several other corporations.


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…but I don't. I'd really like to spend more time meeting with them, talking about the kids, their struggles, their successes, strategic steps for discipling the kids and so on. I'd love to help them better understand the social and emotional issues that kids are dealing with like loneliness, depression, stress, academic pressure, peer pressure, pornography, relationships, families, etc. But I don't.
We meet once a month after youth group for an hour with the volunteers as teams. That is, one week I meet with the Middle School volunteers, the next week with the JV volunteers, and the third week with the Varsity volunteers. And, for the last 6 years, I've met every Thursday morning with the college-aged volunteers for debriefing, writing postcards to kids, and training.
But I seem to miss meeting with them individually. I seem to miss truly equipping them with real resources that really help them be the spiritual mentors they can be. In fact, I rarely meet with my volunteer Sunday School teachers. I'm not entirely sure why. I think my time just gets eaten up by so many other things that are important to me. Eventually, I may have to give up something. But even then, I'm not sure I'll follow through with this.
Or, perhaps I am meeting with them enough and just need to give myself a break. I don't know…maybe this constant drive to do better is creating in me a craving for something that isn't possible right now. Hmmm….


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Kate Middleton was assigned as a "princess-in-waiting" by Prince William reinforced this week after she was temporarily assigned her own bodyguard.
The athletic brunette went to a ski holiday by Swiss Alps. She was accompanied by one of the protection officers of the prince after she tackled some difficult runs before meeting with Prince William.
The security detail was in a permanent arrangement after entitled to any official protection unless an engagement between the royal couple is announced.
The four-year relationship is now accepted in royal circles following last year's break in her four-year relationship with Prince William.
Kate Middleton and Prince William went to a semestral break with Prince Charles on the break.
Camilla, who is the stepmother of Prince William, admitted that she did not how to ski and hate the cold weather. She chose to stay in Britain.


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Sand and Seal Hardwood
Dillabaugh's Flooring America is proud to offer the widest selection of wood species in the Treasure Valley. Whether Hickory or Tiger Wood, Maple or Cherry, Dillabaugh's takes pride in every job presented and can find any species of wood you are looking to invest in on your next project.
Prefinished Hardwood
In addition to Sand and Finish hardwood flooring, Dillabaugh's Flooring America carries the latest in Pre-Finished Hardwoods, Engineered Hardwoods, Hand-Scraped Hardwoods, and environmentally friendly "green" products, including cork and bamboo.


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In the days of the old West, badges were a fairly common sight and were often worn by many who held positions of power, ranging from lawmen to government officials, and more. This Montana Buffalo Marshal Badge recreates one such badge from the West. As the badge implies, it would have been worn by an officer or government official in Montana who helped serve and protect the territory of Buffalo. The badge is rather simple in its style, possessing a shield shape that features an embossed buffalo emblem as well as engraved bold lettering. The badge is crafted from solid copper and features an antique silver finish that really highlights its design. It has also been double die struck to ensure the best detailing possible. The badge features a soldered pin on the back, ensuring that the badge can be either displayed or worn as a personal accessory. On its own, this impressively detailed badge makes for a great display piece to have along with any other western memorabilia, although the Montana Buffalo Marshal Badge truly looks great when it is pinned onto the shirt of an authentic looking Wild West costume.
Key Features:
- An Authentic Looking Wild West Badge
- Features Decorative Patterns and Designs
- Crafted from Solid Copper
- Has an Antique Silver Finish
- Double Die Struck for Greatest Detailing
- Soldered Pin Allows the Badge to be Worn
- A Great Collectible, Costume Accessory, or Gift Idea


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Hi, I'm Jon Becker.
The Founder and CEO of PlatCore.
I've been in various technology, operations, product development roles for 25+ years and spent nearly a decade in the ServiceNow ecosystem working at a wide variety of customer sites.
The Story of a Learning Solution Built on ServiceNow
When the ServiceNow community asked for a native Learning Management System, I listened. I knew the pain all too well. At the time, I was working at a customer site that struggled (and suffered greatly) from a failure to complete mandatory compliance training.
As an early champion for ServiceNow (and intrepid opportunist) I knew that this was a problem that the ServiceNow platform could solve – efficiently and elegantly.
It has been a number of (long and very fulfilling) years since our debut at CreatorCon 2017, and PlatCore continues to thrive as a self-funded tech startup that saves customers millions of dollars annually.


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Cooking Times
- Deep Fry - 3 minutes
- Oven bake - 8 minutes
Cooking Instructions
Deep Fry -
from frozen in oil for 3 minutes at 175°C
Oven -
Pre-heat oven to 220°C (convection oven 200°C). Place the product onto tray and bake for 8 minutes turning halfway through cooking until crisp and golden.
Cheese, Macaroni, Breadcrumb.
Keep frozen: -18°C.
BBE Date: Production date 12 months.


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health 30seconds.com/health
5 Things You Need to Know About Zika Virus Symptoms & Diagnosis by Donna John
Family Health
7 years ago
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The Zika virus has been back in the news. ASU Biodesign Institute professor and viral expert Qiang "Shawn" Chen shared the following information on the virus:
- The virus is usually relatively mild and requires no specific treatment.
- People infected with it typically develop mild fever and have mild flu-like symptoms.
- Though you should always consult your doctor if you're concerned, experts say in general people with Zika virus should get plenty of rest, drink enough fluids and treat pain and fever.
- Zika is diagnosed through a test called PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and isolation of the virus from blood samples.
- Diagnosis by a blood test can be difficult as the virus can cross-react with other flaviviruses such as dengue, West Nile and yellow fever.
Talk to your doctor if you have any additional questions or concerns.
The information on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information provided through this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal health care provider.


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Summary of Louisville Real Estate Jobs
This is a posting for applying to Louisville Real Estate Jobs. House buyers and Real Estate firms have a reason to be excited about Louisville. This Kentucky based city is quickly becoming a hotbed for the housing market, and the Real Estate Service industries that support it. Wallet Hub even recently ranked it in the top 15 of best US cities for first time buyers. It is therefore no surprise that the Real Estate and Real Estate service industry needs fresh and talented job seekers to help expand their growing firms.
Louisville Real Estate Service Jobs We Are Always Seeking Top Candidates For:
For our higher-level searches, we're seeking three or 4 executive positions for those near Louisville or those who would like to relocate there.
For our intermediate/mid-level searches, we're seeking managerial positions. These roles are in 3 or 4 different industries.
For our current and future job openings, submit your resume for our Real Estate recruiters and Real Estate executive search consultants for review. Below are our most common real estate job openings in Louisville and North America.
Real Estate Jobs Louisville
- Rental Advocate
- Office Assistant
- Entry Level Real Estate Analyst
- Apartment Technician
- Senior Portfolio Accountant
- Director of Development
- Account Manager
- Real Estate Agent
- Leasing Agent
- Area Manager
- Project Coordinator
- Sr Property Manager
- Escrow Processor
- Real Estate Lawyer
- Executive Secretary to the President
- Broker, Property Management
- VP of Investments
- Real Estate Agent Assistant
- Business Development Specialist
- Development Coordinator
- Acquisitions Analyst
- Development Manager
- Financial/Operations Analyst
- Senior Paralegal
- Real Estate Loan Closer
Louisville Real Estate Jobs Ideal Education and Experiences Accepted:
- Bachelor's Degree Or Equivalent
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree
- Real Estate Or Brokerage License for Louisville
- CRB (Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manger) or CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist)
- Years of Experience ranging from 2-20 years
This is a posting for current and future openings that we may have for Real Estate jobs for our clients in Louisville and around North America. Feel free to upload your resume.


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Pamm Burdett, 1948-2017, !Presente!
(APN) ATLANTA — Pamm Burdett, the Executive Director of the Lloyd E. Russell Foundation, passed away on November 17, 2017. As the Director of the Lloyd E. Russell Foundation (LER), Burdett quietly made strategic investments to support the LGBTQI community, the BDSM leather community, and the progressive community in general. Lloyd Russell, was a media activist in the […]Read more


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Death of Iranian General Soleimani Provokes Muted Reaction in Africa's Giants
Nigeria and South Africa are the giants of Africa, with the two largest economies on the continent. Both have had long-term relationships with Iran, though South Africa's has been the closer. Thus far, the official reaction to Soleimani's death from Nigeria and South Africa has been muted or non-existent, reflecting caution. Though the Nigerian inspector general of police has put his forces on "red alert," likely fearing action by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) or other alleged Iranian proxies, there has been no apparent word from the government. In South Africa, the fiercest reaction came from the African National Congress (ANC), while Naledi Pandor, the South African foreign minister, called for calm.
The South African relationship with Iran is robust and growing. Under apartheid, there was a largely clandestine trade between the two countries. After apartheid ended, Iran was one of the first countries openly to resume trade with South Africa, and the two countries have since signed a number of trade and defense agreements, and South Africa is an ally of Iran in multilateral fora.
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The Iranian relationship with Nigeria is more complicated. Iran has a large diplomatic presence in Nigeria, but also funds a number of schools and cultural institutions. (So, too, does Saudi Arabia.) The most well-known is the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), which has long received financial support from Iran. It is led by Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, a Shia cleric who received some education in Iran shortly after the Islamic Revolution. The Muslim Nigerian political class is Sunni, and is viscerally hostile to the Shia and to the IMN. Indeed, the Nigerian security services have attacked Shia religious processions and protests, and Zakzaky has been in government custody with his wife since 2015.
It is no surprise that both the IMN and ANC roundly condemn the U.S. killing of Soleimani. Elites in most African states tend to dislike unilateral action by great powers and, in general, favor multilateralism. They are quick to speak out against the violation of the sovereignty of weak states by great powers. Media often portray the Iranian conflict with the United States as one of David vs. Goliath. In the case of the IMN, its statement reflected Iranian sentiments about U.S. provocation, imperialism, and genocide, and expressed sympathy for the Iranian regime.
But there are important nuances. Some media reports, relying on Western security sources, allege that in the aftermath of the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, Soleimani had ordered the establishment of a network of West Africa terror cells in Sudan, Chad, Ghana, Niger, Gambia, and the Central African Republic. Except for Ghana, all are weak states. If true, Iranian terrorist cells would be anathema to African governments, most of which face homegrown security threats and know that they are too weak to do much about them.
The bottom line is that if there are attacks on American interests in West Africa as a result of the Soleimani killing—and that is a big "if"—they are likely to come from Iranian elements, not from indigenous African groups. It is noteworthy that, thus far, there have been no mass anti-American demonstrations in West Africa following Soleimani's killing.
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