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Now BoardingNovember 24, 2008
Before committing this past Friday evening to a flight down the west coast, I spent a bit of time preparing to try out something that I'd been curious about for a while. Could I get through US immigration and airport security both without a paper boarding pass?
Of course these days it's becoming more common to check in for a flight from a browser window and print out your own boarding pass before leaving for the airport, but I've been wondering why the printing part is necessary. I've heard reports of varying success from others who have attempted going purely electronically, so I made sure to have a paper backup in my bag for this one. Just in case.
At Home
There's an iPhone application called AirSharing that acts as a basic file server as well as a document viewer for a lot of common file formats, all on your phone. I managed to grab a free copy during a promo months back and though I hadn't yet put it to use, this seemed like the best way to get a nicely-formatted boarding pass onto my phone's large screen.
At the end of the web check-in you're asked to print your boarding pass, which I did, but I also "printed" a second time to PDF. For those not familiar, OS X has a built-in PDF generator that acts as a virtual printer; anything that you can print to a piece paper, you can also save to an identically-formatted PDF straight from the operating system's standard print dialogue.
Connecting to my phone was a simple matter of hitting a button in AirSharing to find out my phone's IP address, opening it as a server from my Mac (Cmd + K in the Finder), and there is no step three. Once I had my phone's shared folders showing up in Finder just like any other computer on the network, I dragged my boarding pass PDF into one of them and verified it would render properly on the phone's screen. The text and scanner codes were legible, if a little small, but it otherwise looked exactly like my print-out.
: why didn't I just mail the PDF to myself and open it in Mail? That question was posed in the comments, and the answer is because I just didn't think of it, not being a regular Mail user myself. So that's another way of having a local copy of the PDF on your iPhone.
Giving myself an extra hour just in case, off to the airport I went.
At the Airport
Upon reaching the web check-in counter I presented my ID and flashed my screen-based pass at the gate agent, asking whether this was going to work or not. She didn't have a clue, no one had tried it before (that she knew of). Since I'd already checked in online it didn't need to be verified at this stage, but she helpfully offered to try running the scanner over the bar code and see if it registered. It didn't. I suspect it wasn't the screen that was the problem here, it was the software. I couldn't zoom the code up to full life size, so the resolution was definitely less than optimal. Possible feature request for the next version of AirSharing: a higher zoom level.
Anyway, one checkpoint down, a bunch to go. Most major Canadian airports — Vancouver included — have on-site US immigration and customs booths you're required to clear since many flights between the two countries are treated as domestic flights on the US side. So this means more places I need to show my boarding pass.
Before customs a fairly redundant document parser stopped us all to check documentation, just to make sure we've got everything we need to make it through the next few steps. I showed my phone, and hit my first speed bump. A confused stare and a moment's hesitant pause, and I was asked if I had a paper pass? This is the paper pass, I countered with. Exactly the same as what would have printed out, just on a screen. Well, he wasn't at all sure about that, and as soon as I helpfully mentioned I had my paper pass in my bag if it was absolutely necessary, he decided it was, indeed, absolutely necessary. After fishing out my printed pass, I showed him paper and screen side by side to prove the point, and continued on.
The next step was US immigration control. I presented my passport and customs form, and was asked to produce my boarding pass. Handing over the phone, the only comment I got was "boy, I'm getting old" as he squinted to make out the tiny font. A bit of banter about the difference between Canadian and US thanksgiving later, and I'm on to customs, which is a freebie for the purposes of this experiment since they only needed my customs form.
Security was up next. The first checkpoint happens as I enter the line, where a women with a highlighter walks through the line to verify everyone standing there actually has a flight to catch. When she got to me I once again handed over the phone. A bit of a pause, an exclamation of interested surprise that this was possible, and a bit of confusion over the next step ("You may not want to circle this one with your marker" I jokingly cautioned), and she let me through.
As I reached the front of the security line and started the disembarking process of my personal effects for screening, the guy on the other side of the conveyor belt started asking for my boarding pass, halted, and grabbed a folded up piece of paper I had set down. That was the paper backup I had pulled out earlier, so I started to explain that I had… oh forget it, I thought, this one was a miss. But then he noticed that it hadn't been circled back in line, so I pulled out my phone and continued the explanation. He seemed to get it, but thought maybe it was more common on the domestic side since he hadn't seen anyone do this on his watch. Either way, I was let through, and that got me to the gate.
A few hours of delays and inedible airport food later, and it was finally time to board. I decided to be at the front of the line, in the "may need extra time boarding" group since I was worried that the too-small-to-scan barcode would end up holding up the line. Instead, as I handed over my phone to the ticketing agent, I got an amused "this is so cool!", a verification of my seat number, and a wave on through.
So I made my flight, and finished this post in a Starbucks in LA.
Out of the six checkpoints I encountered on my way through the airport, the only one who forced me to fish out my paper pass was a relatively inessential precursory check. And now that I have some actual experience to back me up, I expect that's one I can talk my way through by showing a bit of confidence in my electronic pass next time.
Still, though I have no doubt we'll all regularly use electronic passes in the fairly near future, this feels like the early days. I decided to play my experiment as a light-hearted attempt at something new, rather than insisting this was a legitimate method. If it doesn't work, no big deal, I have paper in my bag I can also show. This attitude likely helped, and will help in the future until this is more common and those working the various checkpoints have encountered screen-based passes a few times, checked with their supervisor, and made sure they're not doing something wrong by letting the holders through.
Before each checkpoint I made sure I had AirSharing loaded and the pass up on screen and shown in the right orientation (landscape worked better than portrait since the type was larger). Wasting time by messing around with a screen after being asked to produce documentation feels like a great way to stack the odds against acceptance of the electronic pass, so I jumped out of line a few times to ensure it was ready to go.
Though I didn't really think of it at the time, it may be that I dove into the deep end by testing this on an international flight. Domestic flights have fewer checkpoints, and presumably there's a little more leniency for new methods of ID and boarding. At the very least you're only dealing with a single country's regulations. I probably would have tried domestically a few times before attempting an international flight, were I in the habit of regularly flying within my own country. Which I'm sadly not.
I also think a more capable zoom function in AirSharing (or some other PDF viewer) would make things a bit easier. Not being able to read what's on screen likely doesn't help sell the electronic boarding pass. I flew Alaska, whose web-printed passes have tiny type to begin with.
Will I attempt it again? Sure, but I'll keep covering my bases for now by having a paper boarding pass on hand and only trying this in airports where I speak the predominant language.
I use AirSharing for my boarding pass almost exclusively on my regular flights from YYZ to LHR. I've never had any success on flights to the US (tighter security?) but the folks at YYZ now seem to expect me to pull out my iPhone (maybe it's a familiarity thing with me rather than the technology) when I'm heading out to London. Of course, on the London side, I have IRIS security set up so I don't have to go through customs or security of any kind, so that makes it easier as well.
Sounds to me like you spent quite a bit of time explaining about the iPhone. I'm sure some day electronic boarding passes will become mainstream, but having to explain things over and over makes it not worth it to me. I have enough difficulties trying to explain things to some clients… ;)
I tried it with westjet in Ottawa. West jet actually advertises that electronic cell versions are enough. It wasn't. Security would not accept it and they forced me to go to the westjet counter to get a paper one. West jet was like "oh security always stops these. They are such a pain". Anyways I was less than thrilled.
Awesome experiment Dave. You make a good point about the fact that you might have been more successful had you been more confident in your electronic pass. Most of the security employees are just doing what they feel is necessary to cover their butts should anything go wrong, so if they get the impression that what you are doing is completely normal they are likely willing to agree with you.
It's inevitable that this is going to become quite the norm so they might as well get used to it anyway.
Thanks for the write-up.
Dave, that's great! Though it's been my experience that security folks vary greatly from one airport to another and most are rude if you don't fit in perfectly. Makes you wonder though, when will the airlines/airports get on with technology?
I'm going to have to try this on my next trip.
Thank you for this detailed writeup! I'm an iPhone carrying frequent traveler. I read about this type of paperless e-ticketing (how's that for being redundant) a couple of weeks ago and have been curious to know how it would work if put to the test. This is a great read, but I don't think I'm brave enough to try it on my next trip to China. :-)
Some airports and airlines offer paperless checkin, eg. Air NZ.
Cattle-class passengers can download barcodes to their cellphone, and biz and first class get an RFID chip.
I've just parsed your post, but wanted to note that you *can* scan PDF's on the iPhone screen. I have the USPS 10% off anything coupon for Best Buy saved on my phone… you can use it again and again and they scan right from the phone!
I'm thrilled to hear that there might such a low barrier… but oh how I'd hate it if that guy circled the whatever he circles on my screen! Reminds me of the blonde with whiteout on the monitor! :)
@Angela - I'm not at all surprised that the iPhone screen is scannable, I've read as much elsewhere. In this one particular instance it wasn't, but like I say I think that's the fault of the software more than the screen. And your experience confirms that.
I'm not sure if this would be helpful in the barcoding stage, but could you not make the boarding pass a jpg (from the pdf) and sync into your pictures, that way you can zoom it in to get the barcode. Seems like a lot of steps, but that thought came to me when you had mentioned that it was hard to read for the customs officer as well as the barcode scanner at the counter. Great experiment btw!
as I facetiously asked via twitter - what happens if your batteries go flat? Right now folks like you will have a paper backup - but what happens when this becomes common place? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it!
In Australia, more than one airline is introducing this at least domestically, so I've no doubt there'll be coordination with the local equivalent of the TSA about the whole issue.
I've tried the same thing for a recent flight from the US to the UK.
Leaving the US was extremely easy, with no problems… when I hit the UK, LHR specifically, I got a little bit of push back, but the customs guy eventually let me through. They seemed abrasive towards my data being on the screen as opposed to on paper(As if it couldn't be faked if it was on paper).
For my return flight, it was again abrasive at customs coming back from the UK and a breeze in once I got to the US.
I can't wait for all digital boarding passes and less resistance. Until that happens, I will be carrying print outs as back up.
You said that it wasn't the iPhone screen that kept it from being scanned, but I would argue that it was. I recently wrote an iPhone application that allows you to type barcodes in from value cards, and in return it displays the barcode to perfect spec. I thought this was an awesome idea, but it simply doesn't scan.
There has been a recent move in barcode scanners toward laser scanners that absorb reflected light, as opposed to absorbed light. From what I have read the glass on the screen does not allow the light to be reflected properly so you can not scan off of screens like an iPhone. This was a huge disappointment to me, especially after having the application finished. And since laser scanners are what are used at self checkout counters.
Also, Angela says that it can be scanned. Most likely the scanner used in this case was a CCD scanner or a scanner that uses an actual camera. It comes down to what the people at the airport use to scan.
Anyway, its good to hear that you made it through!
Did you see the article in The Atlantic, particularly concerning boarding passes?
I really don't get what the fuzz is about with security. It ought to be enough to produce a number (even a handwritten one on paper, PDA, phone, whatever). I take it they check the number against their database along with your Passport/ID. That combination should get you through (or not).
Relying on anything other that some kind of ID (like your name, flight number, etc) is asking for getting scammed…
Now you just need a solar charger for the iphone.
Returning from a months vacation in the African selva would be harsh on paperless tickets in a remote airfield without power.
Then again, Alaska Airlines doesn't fly their directly (I love Alaska Airlines).
@John Allsopp - Out of all of these, batteries were the least of my worries. I made sure to fully charge ahead of time. If at some point in the future this becomes commonplace enough that I forget to charge them, I'd imagine I'll waste a half hour going back to the checkin counter and asking them to issue me a paper boarding pass.
@Sam McDonald - thanks for the insight. The barcode in this case is a 2 dimensional scan code rather than a traditional lined barcode, so I'd assume it's a different scanner. Whether it's one capable of picking up the iPhone or not, I don't know, but I did observe a woman this summer at the Newark airport attempt to use her Treo's screen in the same way, and watched as security successfully scanned it. It's also worth noting that no one actually ended up scanning mine on my way through YVR after the initial test scan.
@Jilles - don't travel much, do you? Airport security is rarely about the best way to do things these days. The Atlantic article that Anthony linked immediately preceding your comment is a great example.
I wonder what happens in the AirShare viewer if you print the page at 200% (I'll have to test this) or if you screen grabbed just the barcode at 200%. It might improve the ability of scanners to recognise it.
Ahh, since it is a 2D barcode it is much more likely to be scanned off a screen, so my initial assumption is wrong.
Too bad Kroger Value Cards don't use a 2D barcode.
Hey Dave, some airlines are already starting to send boarding passes to mobile phones (American, Continental, Delta): http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/dont_leave_home_without_a_char.php
Dumb question, but why was the AirSharing part necessary? Seems like e-mailing yourself the PDF is enough, no? The iPhone can read and format PDFs from email or the web browser natively.
(Yes, I'm probably being that annoying guy who is overlooking something obvious and making a dumb suggestion).
Last time I flew Air Canada the web checkin offered to send some SMS messages to my phone with URLs in them to barcodes, which were supposed to be scannable at the airport. However, my phone turned out to be too low-tech to view the URL.
@Mike D. - more like I was the one overlooking something obvious. I just don't use Mail that much so I never thought of that. Probably is easier.
@Chris - that's pretty much exactly the sort of system I had in mind when I wrote "I have no doubt we'll all regularly use electronic passes in the fairly near future". Good to see they're on it.
Yeah, as mentioned above, Qantas, their low-cost subsidiary Jet Star and Virgin Blue in Australia are trialling something similar to this for domestic flights. They send the barcode as an image attachment to an MMS (sorry iPhone!), and you need to present that at the boarding gate. This is in addition to a paper pass at the moment.
It's stories like these that make you realise we're slowly on the way to the future :)
I had taken a domestic Air Canada flight that offered the web check-in. I had the boarding pass on my phone and it felt strange to present it instead of a paper pass at each stage. But I had no problems getting through. I can imagine going to the US being a little more difficult.
Wow, interesting :)
I'm flying from the Netherlands to Thailands in a month, I'm definitely going to try this. Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone but a Sony Ericsson w960i, but the screen is large enough and I'm able to view PDF's with it, so it might just work.
I'm afraid Thailand will be a lot harder than the Netherlands though.
I think your a brave man, trying experiments at airports these days, Dave. But kudos for being one of the pioneers!
Incidentally if this does become common place in the future I can see myself forgetting to charge my device as a very possible danger.
There are signs requiring to turn off cell phones at the entrance of the US custom area in Montréal airport…
@Dave S:
I actually do. My statement is about how it _ought_ to be, not how it is. I have similar gripes with other businesses (who doesn't?). For example, stopping a health insurance can be done by phone in the Netherlands, and the only thing they do to for verification is asking for the (super secret) date of birth… Arrg.
"@Jilles - don't travel much, do you? Airport security is rarely about the best way to do things these days. The Atlantic article that Anthony linked immediately preceding your comment is a great example."
I may just have to try this on my Delta flight from NY to Milan coming up in December. Since it's international, I'm going to print one as well, just be safe. Thanks for the idea..
I was using the electronic boarding passes for a while, but found them to be a pain. I'm all about the old-skool paper boarding passes now…
It is frustrating enough to have to take your jacket off, get your laptop out of your bag and take your belt off. Having to deal with unlocking your iPhone isn't worth the hassle.
The final straw was when I took a Westjet flight a couple of weeks ago. Showed the electronic pass to the agent at the gate. As I was fumbling with my bag and phone I managed to move the pass into a random folder (no undo!). The FA didn't let me on the plane even though I knew my seat number and I had to go to the back of the line and get a paper pass.
Long live paper!
Anyone tried ACTPrinter? You can print straight to your iPhone (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=296083171&mt=8)
1. What happens if the cell phone / electronic device is banned from use in the terminal? (ie the security gates)
2. With the photoshop/design mastery of the average person, is there a potential danger of creating an illegal market for fake digital boarding passes? If person Y will not make their flight, what security systems need to be in place to prevent person X from finding out, making a fake photo id, a fake boarding pass, and then finally hoping on a plane in place of the missing person? This problem is also an issue with paper systems; yet, I argue a digital fake is going to be a lot easier to craft then a paper fake.
Digital boarding passes are a great concept. I'm just worried about the potentials both for abuse and for malfunctions.
Thanks for the experiment!
@Aaron -
1) then I guess you'd go back to the ticket counter and get a paper one. They usually are banned, but I think they're mostly worried about data going in and out and photos.
2) yes. But the same is exactly true for print at home paper boarding passes as well. In fact someone recently landed themself jail time for putting a working proof of concept paper boarding pass generator on the web (can't find it on Google at the moment). There's nothing about digital that makes it more or less susceptible to fraud.
This was a great experiment to read up on. I recently encountered some trouble myself at the airport when coming back from Las Vegas, NV about a month ago. When I tried checking in the person helping me could not find my information anywhere. At first I began to panic since I did not have anything printed out in paper as to what my flight information was. Luckily I had some smart friends who told me to look through my blackberry and find my info via email. Its not quite the same situation you were in, but it still goes to show you how much technology and PDA's are making life easier. Look forward to future trials and tribulations.
I recently flew Continental out of EWR and had the option to use a mobile boarding pass - essentially a webpage with a semacode barcode thingy which you display on your iPhone or other device.
Seemed to work quite well (it got me on the plane), though at the initial TSA checkpoint the woman needed to ask a colleague what to do with it - they obviously don't get many folks using them.
Also, when passing thru the metal detector where you are required to show a boarding pass, it adds a bit of explaining to the process - "Its in my coat… in the tray… here… on the phone.."
Sounds like it's getting better. Early 2008 when Air Canada announced paperless boarding via blackberries at YVR and YYA security refused to accept ("union won't allow training for this" was the regular excuse) and the scanners didn't exist at the gates for the QT code.
To be expected it will take a while to change the check in norms and work out the technical kinks, airports and airlines are horrendously complicated systems, but hopefully they will make this leap in the next couple years. Really is nice checking in and getting boarding pass while in the back of the taxi en route.
Next step hopefully will be real time bag tracking, FEDEx style, as you go through your journey.


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On The Police Logs 05.10.12
On the afternoon of April 29, Herb Kiembock, manager of Amagansett Hardware, reported that several bags of fertilizer, lime, and manure, together valued at $300, had been taken from behind the store sometime since April 14. Mr. Kiembock has installed a security camera to monitor that area.
East Hampton
On April 28, Iris Zamora of Cosdrew Lane told police that after being away for the month of April she had returned home to discover that someone had cut down four trees and removed a bush from her property. She wondered whether a landscaping company might have mistaken her address for another.
An Oakview Highway resident told police last Thursday night that her landlord had been harassing her, entering her house when she was away and, on one occasion, opening the windows. She said she plans to move on June 1 and wants the man to stay away from her in the meantime. Police spoke with the landlord, who agreed to stay away.
East Hampton Village
An Amagansett woman told police last Thursday afternoon that her black Tommy Hilfiger wallet had been stolen from her handbag after she left it unattended during lunch at Rowdy Hall. She provided police with a description of a man who had been sitting next to her, and said the wallet had contained, among other things, a $100 bill. An officer spotted a man matching the description on Fithian Lane and Main Street. The man, who seemed intoxicated, denied the theft. The officer searched him and did not find the wallet. Later that day the manager of Rowdy Hall reported finding it in a toilet bowl tank, and remembered that the man in question had paid with a $100 bill. Detectives are investigating.
Police took a call Friday afternoon reporting a raccoon trapped in a garbage can on David's Lane. When an officer arrived, the caller said the raccoon had gotten out of the can and wandered off down the Nature Trail.
An electrical contractor working at 42 Highway Behind the Pond stopped an officer on April 30 to say that 40 feet of copper wiring, valued at $400, had been stolen from that location sometime between March 15 and that date.
Eddy DeJesus-Depre of South Euclid Avenue, the owner of Montauk Taxi, called police on the morning of April 2 to report that one of his vehicles had been vandalized during the night. Both passenger-side tires were slashed and one of the rear windows was shattered. A rock wrapped in a sock was found nearby. Mr. DeJesus-Depre told police he had in the past had some problems with another Montauk cab company, but that those issues were in the past and he did not suspect the owner of that company as the vandal. Officers investigated but could find no witnesses.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Luxe Toothpastes
These designer whitening toothpastes are all the rage with product and hygiene junkies. They have actually turned into cult items. These pastes are minty fresh and contain whitening ingredients to help remove nasty stains that cause yellowing and discoloration.
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Denblan Whitening Formula Anti-cavity Fluoride Toothpaste is made by Darphin and is $20 per tube. It contains: papaya, pineapple, lichen extracts, and essential oils of mint, fennel and parsley. This toothpaste helps fight cavities and strengthens your teeth as it whitens them. It also helps reduce gum sensitivity and will increase the resistance of gum tissues. Lastly, it helps fight tobacco stains without scratching your teeth. It has a very subtle mint flavor and will leave your mouth feeling fresh and invigorated.
Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste is $8.95 and has been brought to the US by an Italian apothecary company. I happen to love the classic mint flavor and texture of this pure white and dense paste, and it also comes in an array of flavors (and colored tubes) for those of you who are more adventurous. All of the flavors include whitening ingredients and have been proven to help your overall oral health. Check out the funky retro packaging!
One more, so read more
Supersmile Whitening Toothpaste is available in two sizes: small $11 and large $19. This particular paste is famous for its patented formula which contains Calprox for whitening, baking soda for freshening and healthy gums, and fluoride to help prevent cavities. It is non-abrasive and will dissolve plaque and bacteria as well as coffee, tobacco, tea and red wine stains while leaving a minty fresh taste.


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Saturday, March 10, 2012
UNC edges NC State amid controversy
UNC coach Roy Williams didn't play John Henson (left wrist injury) during the game because Henson still couldn't catch or grip a basketball without pain. Williams said Henson was questionable for the ACC tournament final. "If it had been the Final Four, he probably would have played," Williams said of Henson.
N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie was the best player on the floor for long stretches, but he didn't play the final 8:03 after picking up his fourth and fifth fouls in 32 seconds when the Wolfpack coaches didn't take him out immediately following his fourth foul.
N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said he didn't know it was Leslie's fifth foul when it happened. He blamed the problem on himself and the N.C. State coaching staff, calling it a "miscommunication." If he had known Leslie already had four fouls, Gottfried said, he would have taken Leslie out. It was a bad mistake by N.C. State.
N.C. State was down by five points when Leslie left, but they still made it a game – and by doing so should have assured themselves an NCAA tournament spot in my opinion. Roy Williams said he thought N.C. State (22-12) should make the field as well.
Lorenzo Brown scored five straight points and the game was tied at 67-all (and Tyler Zeller had fouled out, too) when Kendall Marshall drove with the shot clock running out and knocked down a bank shot with 10 seconds to go (N.C. State fans believed Marshall charged on the play, but no call was made).
Then N.C. State's Scott Wood then threw the ball away trying to get it inside when Justin Watts saw the passing lane and made a timely steal. Watts heaved the ball downcourt and N.C. State recovered the ball and called timeout with 1.2 seconds remaining. There was a lot of contact on the lob pass to Richard Howell, but no foul was called and UNC won by the two-point margin of Marshall's shot.
"I feel like in that situation I don't think they're going to call a ticky-tack foul," Marshall said of the no-call on his banked jumper. "Thankfully I was able to make that play for my team."
Gottfried said he wasn't going to talk about the officiating because he would get fined if
he did so.
Henson looked lonely on the second row of the Tar heels' bench, and the Tar Heels sometimes looked lonely in the paint without him. Without Henson's Defensive Player of the Year shotblocking and rebounding, N.C. State could and did attack the basket with much more impunity. UNC finished the game without a single blocked shot but did outrebound N.C. State by one (34-33) without Henson.
Gottfried lobbied again for his team to get an at-large NCAA bid in the postgame. "We're going to be a tough out if we get in it," Gottfried said.
Zeller had 23 points and nine rebounds for UNC, while Leslie led the Wolfpack for 22 points and Howell had a game-high 12 rebounds. Marshall had 12 points and 10 assists for UNC.
"He makes the team run," Zeller said of Marshall. "He's very valuable."
"No one has a player who's indispensable," Williams said, "but if we do, it's Kendall."
17 comments:
Officials ruined the flow of the game. Two good teams, a lot on the line, and instead of a great contest we got steady flow of bad calls both ways and loss of great players down the stretch. Looks like they are getting even for Hess. Players made it a game despite the officials, but ACC should be embarrassed that this was on National stage. Wolfpack lost it, not officials, but they sure stole the joy of the game from the fans.
- March 10, 2012 at 4:00 PM
Definitely agree with anonymous. Horrible officiating.
- March 10, 2012 at 4:55 PM
I agree also the Officials ruin a good game
- March 10, 2012 at 5:35 PM
UNC owns Nc state... Lol 13 in a row and counting
- March 10, 2012 at 5:56 PM
Karl Hess was at that game in spirit. How can referees where initials on their shoes, "K" and "H" (previous games) and the ACC does nothing about it. The ACC is a joke when it comes to officiating. Good game by both teams, too bad the offials have runined. Hey LoL person on owning, who owns whom in football?
- March 10, 2012 at 6:06 PM
Agree, all those officials supporting Hess should be fired. Karl Hess should be asked to leave, and the ACC should apologize to their fan base. Credibility is at stake.
- March 10, 2012 at 6:12 PM
I'm an official at the high school level for 23 years. Had there been a call on the Marshall basket it would have been in Marshall's favor. It was a block.
- March 10, 2012 at 6:25 PM
Let me know when it's football season idiot...same result. Go heels!!! Lol... NC State is a joke headed to the N.I.T.
- March 10, 2012 at 6:27 PM
Hey Anon @ 6:25: SEC fan here. That's good to know you think it was a block. Then by all means, CJ Leslie's 4th foul due to a charge should've been called a blocking foul too because they were nearly IDENTICAL plays! Again, the ACC and it's favoring Referees are a complete JOKE! But we often forget that the ACC is "lead" by John Swofford, who happen to graduate from UNC AND worked for UNC. Many wonder why the ACC's OVERALL quality has tumbled over the years...go figure.
- March 10, 2012 at 6:48 PM
"I'm an official at the high school level for 23 years. Had there been a call on the Marshall basket it would have been in Marshall's favor. It was a block."
I agree, but it was called a charge when Leslie did the same thing earlier. That's the complaint. They were inconsistent. Even the final foul on Zeller shouldn't have been called. He barely touched the State player's hand. One minute, they would let the guys just play and the next they were calling fouls for almost nothing. It's been like this for most of the season. They need to set a tone and stick with it.
The KH stuff has been completely unprofessional. KH picked those two fans out of the crowd on purpose. There's no way that he didn't. There were plenty of fans yelling worse things at him. And then the 'KH' on the shoes... Really? And then telling coach G. to 'shut your f$!^@*^ a*&. Hmmm. Are those professionals? Are they even adults? They are acting 14 year olds.
- March 10, 2012 at 7:03 PM
Anon 6:25
Your take on that call probably explains why you were still at the HS level after 20+ years. If you worked for Bill Freeman then your ability was probably more on the YMCA youth league level.
- March 10, 2012 at 7:26 PM
Controversy? This was a crime.UNCheat was lucky to win and FSU will win tomorrow as long as HESS and his crooked crew are not officiating.
- March 10, 2012 at 10:45 PM
UNC + Refs = a Win for UNC - always has been always will be ---------
- March 11, 2012 at 1:23 AM
Carolina was missing 3 players and State still couldn't get the job done...
- March 11, 2012 at 11:16 AM
I have watched this kind of trend for 30 years now. Non-blue teams will not get the call. Sure, it appears that fouls are being called on both sides. But, if you look at the calls closely, calls on the non-blue are game changers while the calls on the blues are at non-critical times or at non-factor players. No matter how good the non-blues become, it will be hard to win when you're playing 5 non-blues against 8 on the bb court.
- March 12, 2012 at 1:22 AM
you guys are a bunch of whiners. the game was poorly officiated at times, ok, but equally, in both directions. you think leslie's 4th foul was the same play as marshall's score at the end? try again. go back and watch the video, and/or look at the photos (conveniently, there's a group of photos dedicated solely to those two plays on this very website.) hell, i'll even provide the link http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/10/3088595/calls-and-no-calls-at-the-acc.html#storylink=misearch.
you can clearly see watts DIRCECTLY in front of leslie, and leslie leading with his elbow and shoulder to clear room. fast forward to marshall's drive/shot: pretty clear that alex johnson is still sliding sideways, and leaning forward to create contact. it's not the same call, at all. state, you had a chance with henson out, and you ALMOST made the most of it. don't blame the refs, who officiated equally poorly for both sides, for your inability to get it done.
- March 13, 2012 at 5:08 PM
Difference between State and unc in 2012 Tournament - State gave Kansas a game. But don't worry unc fans...you stole Roy from them and I know that is really hurting the KU faithful tonight!
- March 25, 2012 at 9:47 PM


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On a visit to the Burlington Mall in the 1990s, you could see a car theft while going in to shop and another when you walked out.
"Burlington used to be very, very prolific for car thefts 15, 20 years ago," said Jim Tigges, a Burlington patrolman and crime analyst. "Several times a day we could get reports of stolen cars at the mall, and then we'd get reports of Hondas ending up in Lawrence. But that's improved dramatically over the years."
And the trend spreads out from Burlington. Car thefts have plummeted in Greater Lowell and across the state.
In the 1970s, Massachusetts ranked tops in the nation for car thefts, with one of every 35 cars reported stolen. But that has changed, with state car thefts dropping 88 percent over the last four decades. By 2011, Massachusetts had moved to 21st in the country.
"With improved technology and anti-theft devices, we haven't seen nearly as many," Tigges said. "With LoJack and OnStar, thieves won't take those cars because they can be tracked. And surveillance cameras are everywhere now."
The drop in car thefts is consistent throughout the area.
In the 1980s, the Chelmsford Police Department recorded more than 100 car thefts each year, according to Jennifer Bellissimo, the department's crime-prevention officer. Car thefts have declined significantly over the last few years, she said, with an average of 16 thefts annually since 2010.
In 2000, there were 52 car thefts in Billerica but the amount has dropped from there, falling to a low of 18 thefts in 2009, according to Billerica Police Lt.
"We've done a pretty good job getting the word out through the media and social media to get your cars locked, make sure your keys aren't in the car and to get valuables out of sight," said Billerica Police Lt. Roy Frost. "Anti-theft devices have come a long way and helped, but we've also been very pro-active and will continue to be pro-active."
Lowell had a 39 percent decline in car thefts from 2010 to 2011, according to the Police Department's 2011 annual report. There were 252 thefts in 2011, down from 414 in 2010.
Tigges didn't have car-theft statistics from the 1990s in Burlington, but he said it was common to see two to three car thefts a day. Burlington's high in car thefts in the past eight years was 31 in 2008, but that dropped to 14 in 2009. In the last four years, Burlington has averaged 13 thefts per year.
The town is on pace for 12 in 2013, with three reports of car thefts by the end of March.
"With all the protective casing and the protection around the wires and switches, that has definitely prevented a lot of thefts," Tigges said. "Years ago, if someone locked their keys in the car, we could pop open a car in seconds ourselves, and we're the good guys. Thieves could do it even faster than us, but you can't do a Slim Jim like that anymore."
LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Solution, which is based in Canton, had a 94 percent recovery rate for stolen cars, trucks and SUVs in 2012, according to Calvin Deyermond, LoJack's law-enforcement liaison in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
If a car goes missing, one call to the police will activate the LoJack unit. Police then pick up the car's signal and track down the car within 24 hours, with more than half recovered in six hours or less, Deyermond said.
"We've been so successful because of that unique relationship with law enforcement," he said. "In this market area, especially, we have strong relationships with car dealerships and that helps the product's success."
As technology has played a role in cutting car thefts, Tigges noticed how additional police presence can bring down carjackings.
That year, several officers were assigned to the Burlington Mall for its extensive renovation project, and officers were also on detail assignments at the Wayside Commons mall construction project. The Wayside area used to be one of the biggest spots for car thefts, off Cambridge Street by Papa Razzi, Tigges said.
"(Police details) seemed to discourage thieves from heading there anymore," he said. "It's kind of tough to steal a car in front of a police officer."
Since those police details, the car-theft numbers in Burlington haven't returned to the 2008 level, remaining below 15 each year.
While parts of Greater Lowell have seen a drop in stolen vehicles, the difference is negligible in some towns because car thefts have never been a problem there.
"There's been only a handful of vehicle thefts in my time here, with most relating to ongoing crimes," said Boxboro Police Chief Warren Ryder, who has been at the department for 15 years. "Grand-theft auto has never really played a part here.
"But vehicle technology has played an important role in deterring thieves around the area," Ryder added. "From time to time, we get LoJack hits, we get a trace and then can track it down."
In addition to car thefts going down, car stereos and global positioning systems are not being stolen at the same clip, according to area police.
"The stereos are built into the dash now so it's a lot harder, and we don't see as many GPS thefts anymore," Tigges said. "GPS's were very popular a few years ago when they would smash a window and grab them. They used to cost a few hundred dollars, but now the price went down and everyone uses them on their phone."
In Lowell's 2011 annual report, car-item thefts went down 23 percent, from 1,095 in 2010 to 849 in 2011.
While fewer car thefts means fewer headaches for residents, it's also good news for wallets.
"Comprehensive insurance rates are generally less expensive for a variety of reasons. Fewer car thefts and more sophisticated alarms have to do with that," said Peter Clark, senior account executive at Lowell-based Fred C. Church Insurance. "Twenty years ago, it was a big deal to have an alarm system, but now, almost every car has one coming off the lot."
Follow Rick Sobey on Twitter @rsobeylsun.


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This Patient Won't Let Surgery Keep Him Down – Part 2
Welcome to the second installment of the story of Chris Bauer, my former patient, who is recovering from knee surgery and running in long-distance races.
Last weekend, Chris participated in a grueling 100-mile race. That's right . . . 100 miles . . . on a newly repaired knee!
Things didn't go according to plan, but Chris said the day was fulfilling and inspirational nonetheless.
Here is a bit from an e-mail Chris sent me after the race.
Mentally, I was in a good mindset the whole time to go the full 100 mile distance even when things got rough. Physically, my body started shutting down and not accepting fuel around the 31 mile point (turnaround for the 1st loop). Without proper hydration, it was going to get ugly.
At the 44 mile unmanned aid station I came to the aid of Julie. She had just been running (actually, we were mostly walking) the last 6 miles sometimes in front and sometimes behind me through the sun drenched meadows without any shade from about 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. She was severely dehydrated.
She asked if I had a cell phone on me, and luckily I was carrying mine for just such a reason. I reached her "crew" awaiting her at the next aid station, and they came and got her. I accepted a ride back with her crew. Back in the 80s, I would routinely lose 20 lbs during a 7-hour race. I knew she was better off getting help sooner rather than later, and I was also aware of what awaited me if I "mentally overrode" and didn't listen to what my body was telling me.
I considered walking the 18 miles to the start/finish line (100k = 62 miles) and seeing if my body could recover enough to consider doing the 2nd out and back loop of 38 miles (highly unlikely), but I decided to save my body's internal organs for another day and another attempt at 100 miles.
Even though I dropped at 44 miles, I feel like I accomplished something. I mentally ignored my body for over 13 miles (i.e., mind over matter), I helped another runner in dire need and I was smart enough this time to not inflict further damage to my overall body.
Next stop: a 100-mile race on July 9 in Scranton. Wish me luck!
Check this blog often for updates on Chris' athletic exploits, and feel free to leave messages of encouragement for Chris. I'll make sure he sees them.


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
John...is there a source for this line complete? Paragon?
John,Do you have a metal line or the original plastic type on your car?
Gary;Don't want to lead you astray here, just remembered some additional info. The Post 25 fitting 16001 is a larger nut style 3/8" and not the same as original. The only place I could find the original 5/16" nut style shown on post 26 was from: Part number 0650 111200 B.E. Atlas (773) 283-2550 in a pack of 5. Didn't want you to be disappointed when you get the new one, cause it looks different, it will work fine its just not the same as the original.Todd


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Until their entry into the Canadian Confederation, established in 1867, the Canadian colonies had their own postage stamps. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick issued their first stamp in 1851. Between 1861 and 1872, Prince Edward Island issued thirteen stamps, all featuring Queen Victoria but with differences in characteristics such as the denomination and perforation.
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100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
In today's over-saturated media world, it's outstanding that someone still teaches these design principles. Young designers are getting their education from YouTube, tutorial pushers and tens of thousands of unqualified bloggers. Dr. Susan Weinschenk teaches you lessons of how people see and think -- important lessons for visual communicators and graphic designers. Learn them well. December 18, 2012


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Hi, I couldn't find the ID for this specific jellyfish. Can anyone help?
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Jellyfish ID pls
Started by Timz, Nov 24 2017 06:48 PM
1 reply to this topic
Posted 24 November 2017 - 06:48 PM
Posted 10 January 2018 - 05:31 AM
It looks like a lion's mane jellyfish. Here is a link to a photo: https://www.gotosnap...EL_01_5027.html
Herb Segars
Herb Segars Photography
Olympus OMD-EM1 MKII, Nauticam housing, (2) Inon Z-240, Panasonic 8mm, Olympus 9-18, Olympus 60mm, Olympus 12-50, Sola 800