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Liberty News
Group takes Liberty's name on the road for 'Road Trip Of A Lifetime'
Summer road trips are the dream of many a college student, but one group from Liberty University promises to make their trip the "Road Trip Of A Lifetime."
The group of seven men left campus on Tuesday night in a Liberty University van for a month of adventure, covering roughly 8,222 miles, 25 states, and eight national parks. Their first destination is the Grand Canyon National Park, a 35-hour drive with no planned stops on the way.
"If you could boil it down to the two most essential ingredients, it is adventure and sharing the Gospel," said Justin Smith, a 2013 graduate of the School of Communication & Creative Arts. "All of us have that kindred adventurous spirit, and we just want to see God's creation and glorify Him."
Though the concept of a post-grad road trip is not exactly reinventing the wheel, this trip is unique in that these adventurers have developed a strong outreach strategy, which includes ministering in some local churches along the way.
The group includes four recent Liberty graduates: Smith, Colin Mukri, Philip Godley, and Thomas Madison; current Liberty student and member of the Campus Band Timothy Riordan; former Liberty student Keller Hopkins II; and Riordan's brother Jonathan.
The group plans to camp out most nights but will stay in host homes provided by a few of the churches they have connected with across the country. They will make stops in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington, Montana, Colorado, and several other places. All of the members are musicians and plan to minister through music, leading worship in some of the churches they visit. Their biggest goal is to build relationships and share God's love.
As the group formed, they decided early on that the trip would be a chance for them to share their faith with the new people they would meet along the way.
"I want other people to experience Christ through this trip; I want to meet people who don't know Christ and have them see my enthusiasm through what we are doing," Godley said.
They hope to inspire people, whether people they meet or followers on social media, to experience God in new ways.
"There is a lot of brokenness out there. We want to inspire others through our friendship. To show that there are real Christians and there are real friends out there," Mukri said.
The guys also said this trip is an opportunity for personal growth before the responsibilities of family and career set in.
"Whenever you set out on a trip like this, it is like a great unknown, you don't know what to expect," Hopkins said. "Whenever you are pushed out of your comfort zone … that is when I have found that I have changed the most. I think all of us just love the Lord, and what we really want to do is grow in the Lord. We get to experience God in a whole new way by experiencing His creation."
Mukri said it was encouraging to have Liberty support their endeavor.
"We are driving this van around the country thinking that we are promoting Liberty, but we also get to say Liberty has invested in us and served us in fulfilling that dream. They believe in us, in our adventure."
And in return, they will share their life-changing experiences at Liberty.
"Liberty has changed my life in several ways," said Timothy Riordan. "It's provided me with a spiritual foundation I have never had before. There is no place like it. I've learned so much about the Bible and I've seen it acted out in the lives of these guys, my friends. The atmosphere here, it's amazing. I won't be the same because of it. I want others to experience Liberty like I have. Come to this school, it's amazing, it's going to change your life."


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Bruce Ackerman
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Ian Ayres
ian.ayres at yale.edu
Corey Brettschneider
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Mary Dudziak
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Joey Fishkin
joey.fishkin at gmail.com
Heather Gerken heather.gerken at yale.edu
Abbe Gluck abbe.gluck at yale.edu
Mark Graber
mgraber at law.umaryland.edu
Stephen Griffin
sgriffin at tulane.edu
Jonathan Hafetz
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Jeremy Kessler
jkessler at law.columbia.edu
Andrew Koppelman
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Marty Lederman
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Sanford Levinson
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David Luban
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Gerard Magliocca
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Jason Mazzone
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Linda McClain
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John Mikhail
mikhail at law.georgetown.edu
Frank Pasquale
pasquale.frank at gmail.com
Nate Persily
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Michael Stokes Paulsen
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Deborah Pearlstein
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Rick Pildes
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David Pozen
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Richard Primus
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Neil Siegel
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David Super
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Compendium of posts on Hobby Lobby and related cases
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Sophistication and the surveillance state
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
Sophistication and the surveillance state
Sandy Levinson
I'm unclear what "thoughtful people" (i.e., those people evoked by pundits and editorial writers as representing sober "non-ideological" centrist thought, unless the hotheads further along the political spectrum) are supposed to think about the NSA revelations. The New York Times has an odd editorial that seems to suggest that European and other governmental critics of the NSA are simply "playacting" because all sophisticates know that in the modern world no one is a "gentlemen," as defined in Henry Stimson's famous comment that "Gentlemen do not read each other's mail." Every government, at the very least, should know that its ostensible "friends" and "allies" will be doing whatever it can to find out whatever it is doing. So, the editorial suggests, we really shouldn't take seriously the protests about NSA surveillance of ostensibly "friendly" foreign governments.
Can't say I much care about surveillance of friendly governments; Governments don't have friends.
I'm very much concerned about our government's surveillance of Americans.
The real problem of course is that this surveillance program is also a means of economic and industrial espionnage. Whether or not government have friends, they have economic partners. Spying on them while on the verge of negociating one of the biggest commercial treaties ever signed between USA and EU is unfair to say the least.
The problem for us Europeans is not that you do not seem to trust us, but that we are no longer able to trust you.
Intelligence gathering against other governments - friends and foes - has been statecraft for a millennia.
One of your citizens assisting another nation in such intelligence gathering is a traitor.
@Bart This is hardly the problem, as I stated in my previous comment. When China spies on your technological and industrial secrets, you are outraged : how dare they ! When you try to gather intel on our technological and industrial secrets, oh well, that's just normal.
But there is worse : China is clearly a competitor of yours (and of the rest of the world, of course), so it actually makes sense that they would spy on you. By contrast EU and the US are going to sign in the next few month a huge treaty in commercial cooperation. To spy on your economic partners is not acceptable.
In these days of globalization, there seems to be a clash of principles (principalities?) of capitalism, inspiring competitive spying, even among economic partners. Consider America's National Security Strategy, especially that announced in Sept. or Oct. of 2002, wherein America asserted it is #1 in the world militarily, economically and politically, and that America would do whatever is necessary to remain #1. I anxiously await an upcoming National Security Strategy for an update. This is sort of like the children's game of "King of the Hill." Other nations know of this published Strategy as they take steps to improved their positions, especially economically. The flood of technology is readily availed of by all competitors. Cyberspace is sort of the next frontier in economic competition. With globalization still in play, can the world come to some accommodation on some reasonable forms of control/regulation of cyberspace? If not, is globalization doomed? And if globalization is doomed, what may be the economic effect?
@Shag: I agree entirely, but I still find disturbing (to say the least) that the United States would jeopardize the opportunity to open new markets in Europe just for the pleasure of it. Actually, I am not sure that the US spying program was *really* detrimental to us in terms of the amount and importance of the intelligence they gathered, but it is a disaster from a mere symbolic point of view. As I stated in the first comment, the real issue is trust: how can you engage in a commercial cooperation when you are pretty sure that the fairness of it is most probably to be undermined ?
When you play a game against a rival, it is human nature to cry foul when the rival scores through subterfuge and then cheer your side for their ingenuity when they do the same.
In a negotiation like the proposed trade treaty between our nations, you are a fool if you do not do everything possible to learn the other party's bottom line. There are billions of dollars on the line. At the same time your government was expressing faux outrage at Snowden's disclosure of our spying for your public's consumption, it may have been reviewing the report of the disclosures of one our our negotiators with whom a French agent was having sex to obtain information.
This is all just another round in the Great Game.
@Bart Look, I'm no idealist. I know how it works. I am by no means expressing a moral condemnation, but only a real puzzlement.
Of course, spying on your rivals is profitable, who says the contrary ? My problem is that spying on European industrial secrets may be quite counter-productive and economically detrimental in the long run.
The trade treaty to be is supposed to be a win-win situation : opening new markets for both parties, hooray. Now, if you sell on our markets products designed by us and obtained through spying, and you sell them cheaper than our own products, there is really no reason for us (as economic agents, not as moral idealists) to accept the deal in the first place.
As you said : billions of dollars (and Euros) are on the line. Spying on us won't help you secure them, quite the contrary.
I will not take issue with your innuendo that French agents (or the French in general?) are promiscuous, although it also implies that US agents are easily lured into bed.
The principle of "good faith" in contract law apparently does not extend to the "Great Game." Kids playing "King of the Hill" may not understand "good faith" or even basic fairness. But globalization is not supposed to be governed in the manner of colonization of the past that the world continues to pay for its humongous costs.
The point is that foreign intelligence gathering is just a cover story for domestic intelligence gathering, much as CIA intelligence analysis is just a cover story for covert operations. The use of intelligence gathered as foreign for prosecution of drug crimes is explicitly permitted. And any international political movement (safe water, environmental protection against resource exploitation, microloans to women's businesses) is immediately subject to surveillance. Given the unlimited power of the State Department to declare organizations as terrorist (anti-Israeli-blockade-terrorism, anti-whaling-terrorism, nuclear disarmament terrorism), and the magnetic pull for police of counter-opposition tactics, we are bound to see more domestic applications. Surely you can't object to the use of communications surveillance against child pornographers, organized crime, racist survivalists, gangs, "human trafficking" ...
"I will not take issue with your innuendo that French agents (or the French in general?) are promiscuous, although it also implies that US agents are easily lured into bed. "
Promiscuous? This is work.
The French are hardly the only ones who use sex to gain intelligence through pillow talk or blackmail.
Given all the scandals of our diplomatic security sleeping with prostitutes when the Secretary of State goes on the road, I am confident we Americans are particularly vulnerable to this sort of espionage.
Isn't the underlying question whether any of us really believes in "trust" any longer? That is, do you reveal yourself as a chump if you trust any government to maintain traditional liberal barriers between protected "private" and public space. And, presumably, the same is true of those persons called business corporations. And, ultimately, we must wonder about more conventional persons, especially in the world of GPS and other ways to keep track of people (including, of course, ostensible intimates and children) we may have our suspicions about. Enquiring minds just want to know....
Professor Levinson has a very important point. But trust is precisely what law deals about. When I buy a product available at different companies, I have a right to expect that these companies haven't sign a secret agreement to maintain prices higher than those which would result from free competition on the market. Of course, I cannot trust them, because having such an agreement would be, for them, the rational thing to do. This is why we have antitrust laws (how ironic monopolistic behaviors are called "trusts" in English!); maybe they are not very efficacious, but at least we are better off with them than without.
The same goes with citizens-governments relationships; there are laws that allow us to have some trust in our government. And I see nothing idealist in asking the government to comply with them.
If we had adequate laws to deal with Internet surveilance, maybe we could trust more our governments.
Can we expect next from our SALADISTA (FKA our yodeler) a chorus of WW II's "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition ... "? Even Ronnie Reagan didn't go as far as our SALADISTA with his famous "Trust but verify," which I have long thought was Reagan's greatest achievement.
I was not being flippant.
Between working in military intelligence and criminal law, I am under no illusions about human nature, especially in positions of power.
Working in military intelligence and criminal law can only produce illusion from my perspective. These have been failed endeavors "for a millenia." Are you suggesting these are somehow specially gritty, "real" human undertakings? It's easy to proclaim one's acceptance of a vulgar Hobbesianism that allows you to proclaim, "Treason!" So easy, in fact, that you resort to the metaphor of "game" to depict the behavior--sick, foul, unpatriotic, selfish behavior--as less vile than it is.
Joseph Stiglitz's Guardian UK 7/6/13 column "Trade Talks Shouldn't Be Shrouded In Secrecy" doesn't make specific reference to "good faith" but stresses the importance of fairness, including in addressing common problems. Consider his example of US cotton subsidies favoring a few rich farmers and their impact on cotton farmers elsewhere. Is it more important to pull the wool over the eyes of trading partners/ competitors?
The intelligence gathering and criminal justice systems are not particularly "gritty," but they do bring you into contact with people who lie as a matter of course.
I cannot claim authorship of the term Great Game applied to relations between nation states, but the term is apt. Foreign relations takes place without any real legal structure and is indeed a game of the highest order.
Finally, our Constitution defines the term treason and Snowden arguably crossed that line when he provided information about our foreign intelligence gathering to the Chinese, an act that cannot be in any manner construed as whistleblowng.
"They do bring you into contact with people who lie as a matter of course." This is precisely why relying on one's experience in those arenas is a bad move when it comes to justifying broad-swath surveillance.
Again, it's easy to depict or model or view foreign relations as mere gaming, but there's more to it than that, a fact that should be evident to anybody who isn't captivated by its gaming aspect. (Besides, I didn't suggest you claimed authorship. That's beside the point.) Games involve arbitrary rules designed to fashion a fictional contest. "Real legal structure" shares some of the features of games, but clearly exceeds (and falls short of) them.
I'm not sure the phrase "provided information" or the preposition "to" mean what you think they mean. Adhering to the enemies of the U.S.? Giving them aid and comfort? Levying war?
Let me add in response to Prof. Levinson's arguably coy but more likely rhetorically too clever by half queries that invoking thoughtful people to gauge our response to plainly thoughtless, heedless governments is a mistake. If folks like Mr. DePalma can so cavalierly accept some baseline brutal reality about how it all works when nations tussle--if, pace Prof. Levinson, we need to couch words like "friends" and "allies" in quotes, because we're too nervous to imagine using them stripped of our cowardly hedging and caveats--then the answer to all of these questions becomes obvious and easy. We sophisticates have leave to recognize these revelations as evidence for what we have always suspected: our government officials are incompetent, misguided, and in many cases purely hateful fools. They are the high school jerks we tolerated. They now wield blunt force authority, which we fear. I'm sure many of us sophisticates are at the same time grateful for their incompetence, their stunningly stupid modes of intelligence and enforcement.
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If folks like Mr. DePalma can so cavalierly accept some baseline brutal reality about how it all works when nations tussle--if, pace Prof. Levinson, we need to couch words like "friends" and "allies" in quotes, because we're too nervous to imagine using them stripped of our cowardly hedging and caveats--then the answer to all of these questions becomes obvious and easy. We sophisticates have leave to recognize these revelations as evidence for what we have always suspected: our government officials are incompetent, misguided, and in many cases purely hateful fools.
I prefer the dictum "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," but you pretty much nailed it.
Does our SALADISTA (FKA our yodeler) really think Dean "nailed it" with the portion of Dean's comment our SALADISTA quoted, leaving out the last 3 sentences of Dean's paragraph? Based on earlier comments by Dean, I sensed some tongue in cheek that did not get through to our SALADISTA.
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Books by Balkinization Bloggers
Sanford Levinson and Jack M. Balkin, Democracy and Dysfunction (University of Chicago Press, 2019)
Sanford Levinson, Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies (Duke University Press 2018)
Mark A. Graber, Sanford Levinson, and Mark Tushnet, eds., Constitutional Democracy in Crisis? (Oxford University Press 2018)
Gerard Magliocca, The Heart of the Constitution: How the Bill of Rights became the Bill of Rights (Oxford University Press, 2018)
Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today (Peachtree Publishers, 2017)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, A Realistic Theory of Law (Cambridge University Press 2017)
Sanford Levinson, Nullification and Secession in Modern Constitutional Thought (University Press of Kansas 2016)
Sanford Levinson, An Argument Open to All: Reading The Federalist in the 21st Century (Yale University Press 2015)
Stephen M. Griffin, Broken Trust: Dysfunctional Government and Constitutional Reform (University Press of Kansas, 2015)
Frank Pasquale, The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information (Harvard University Press, 2015)
Bruce Ackerman, We the People, Volume 3: The Civil Rights Revolution (Harvard University Press, 2014)
Balkinization Symposium on We the People, Volume 3: The Civil Rights Revolution
Joseph Fishkin, Bottlenecks: A New Theory of Equal Opportunity (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Mark A. Graber, A New Introduction to American Constitutionalism (Oxford University Press, 2013)
John Mikhail, Elements of Moral Cognition: Rawls' Linguistic Analogy and the Cognitive Science of Moral and Legal Judgment (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Gerard N. Magliocca, American Founding Son: John Bingham and the Invention of the Fourteenth Amendment (New York University Press, 2013)
Stephen M. Griffin, Long Wars and the Constitution (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Andrew Koppelman, The Tough Luck Constitution and the Assault on Health Care Reform (Oxford University Press, 2013)
James E. Fleming and Linda C. McClain, Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Balkinization Symposium on Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues
Andrew Koppelman, Defending American Religious Neutrality (Harvard University Press, 2013)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, Failing Law Schools (University of Chicago Press, 2012)
Sanford Levinson, Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Linda C. McClain and Joanna L. Grossman, Gender Equality: Dimensions of Women's Equal Citizenship (Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Mary Dudziak, War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences (Oxford University Press, 2012)
Jack M. Balkin, Living Originalism (Harvard University Press, 2011)
Jason Mazzone, Copyfraud and Other Abuses of Intellectual Property Law (Stanford University Press, 2011)
Richard W. Garnett and Andrew Koppelman, First Amendment Stories, (Foundation Press 2011)
Jack M. Balkin, Constitutional Redemption: Political Faith in an Unjust World (Harvard University Press, 2011)
Gerard Magliocca, The Tragedy of William Jennings Bryan: Constitutional Law and the Politics of Backlash (Yale University Press, 2011)
Bernard Harcourt, The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order (Harvard University Press, 2010)
Bruce Ackerman, The Decline and Fall of the American Republic (Harvard University Press, 2010)
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Ian Ayres. Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done (Bantam Books, 2010)
Mark Tushnet, Why the Constitution Matters (Yale University Press 2010)
Ian Ayres and Barry Nalebuff: Lifecycle Investing: A New, Safe, and Audacious Way to Improve the Performance of Your Retirement Portfolio (Basic Books, 2010)
Jack M. Balkin, The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life (2d Edition, Sybil Creek Press 2009)
Brian Z. Tamanaha, Beyond the Formalist-Realist Divide: The Role of Politics in Judging (Princeton University Press 2009)
Andrew Koppelman and Tobias Barrington Wolff, A Right to Discriminate?: How the Case of Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale Warped the Law of Free Association (Yale University Press 2009)
Jack M. Balkin and Reva B. Siegel, The Constitution in 2020 (Oxford University Press 2009)
Heather K. Gerken, The Democracy Index: Why Our Election System Is Failing and How to Fix It (Princeton University Press 2009)
Mary Dudziak, Exporting American Dreams: Thurgood Marshall's African Journey (Oxford University Press 2008)
David Luban, Legal Ethics and Human Dignity (Cambridge Univ. Press 2007)
Ian Ayres, Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-By-Numbers is the New Way to be Smart (Bantam 2007)
Jack M. Balkin, James Grimmelmann, Eddan Katz, Nimrod Kozlovski, Shlomit Wagman and Tal Zarsky, eds., Cybercrime: Digital Cops in a Networked Environment (N.Y.U. Press 2007)
Jack M. Balkin and Beth Simone Noveck, The State of Play: Law, Games, and Virtual Worlds (N.Y.U. Press 2006)
Andrew Koppelman, Same Sex, Different States: When Same-Sex Marriages Cross State Lines (Yale University Press 2006)
Brian Tamanaha, Law as a Means to an End (Cambridge University Press 2006)
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Jack M. Balkin, ed., What Roe v. Wade Should Have Said (N.Y.U. Press 2005)
Sanford Levinson, ed., Torture: A Collection (Oxford University Press 2004)
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Don't shy away from tormenting your characters. Decide what they don't want, then force it on them. The reader needs to see what they are made of.
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The SRV Sessions Page for the Public Demonstration
Here you can see scans of the actual remote-viewing sessions for this experiment. To authenticate that these
are the actual sessions as viewed prior to having the outside
tasker submit the target specific to The Farsight Institute,
visitors to this web site can compare the sessions with the encrypted
transcripts after the sessions become available. To do this,
the encrypted transcripts should be previously downloaded during
the early parts of the experiment.
#1 (viewer: Courtney Brown)
#2 (viewer: Courtney Brown)
Session #3 (viewer: Joey Jerome)


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Isaac Frianta, 31, of Salonika, Greece, came to Israel while Athen's economic meltdown was in full swing. Issac, for his part, however, sees his Aliyah as a natural extension of his activities in the local Jewish community, and not as a response to tought Hellenic times.
"All my life I thought that Israel is the right place for all Jews. While I always had a desire to go, as I grew older it increased," he muses, in conversation with The Jewish Agency for Israel.
"Here I feel at home, because I grew up that way, "he says; Isaac's father Solomon heads Salonika's 1,300-member Jewish community.
But, while Issac said Greece's crumbling economy didn't motivate his decision to make Aliyah, in February 2012 the Agency embarked on a $1 million emergency aid campaign to help the remaining struggling community.
"The funds will enable communal institutions to continue their operations, including programs to strengthen the community's ties with Israel and the development of unique aliya tracks for those members of the community who wish to immigrate to Israel," the agency said in a statement. "The aid package will be funded by the Jewish Agency and by its partners, Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal (UIA) and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews."
One can donate to the online campaign here: https://donate.jewishagency.org/page/contribute/greece
Senior community leader, Victor Asser, said at the time that "the contribution of Keren Hayesod – UIA and the Jewish Agency is the only feasible way to prevent the total collapse of the community."
According to Asser, "Each day the economic situation worsens, while income decreases and unemployment is on the rise. So we are thankful for this support and view it as a life-saving tool." The Jewish community in Greece believes that support is likely to accelerate aliyah.
Isaac, who studied international trading in Kastoria for four years, upon graduation returned to Salonika. There he completed a master's degree in logistics management. He then served 17 months as a logistics officer in the Greek army.
After being demobilized, he found work with an international supermarket chain in Salonika, and was sent to Scotland after which he was appointed regional director.
However, despite his professional successes, Israel was never far from his mind.
"I was in Israel many times. My father used to bring me and my brother here," he says, noting that he served for three years as vice president of a Jewish youth group in Salonika, and two years as president of the group's national branch.
"Seven years I was a member of the Board of the Jewish community, a member and deputy president. I organized many flights of visitors from the community to Israel, "he explains.
"My father always talked about Israel and I wanted to come here," he says. "I waited until the time was ripe, and, now because of the crisis in Greece, decided that maybe it was time to move on and start afresh. I want to live the Israeli experience."
Most of the Jewish communities in Greece are beset with financial problems due to the economic crisis in Greece, he says, adding that while "I pray that everything will turn out for the best at home - I have to concentrate on learning Hebrew so I can interview for positions here."
But, meanwhile, "I want to move forward and not backward. I like to go forward and I think that that will happen in Israel," and points out that at first he "wanted to live in Tel Aviv at first, where I have friends, but I'm flexible. I have family in Haifa and Tel Aviv - and I'm flexible."
But wherever he ends up settling down, Isaac concludes that raising a future family at home in Israel and at home with its traditions is a far bigger motivation than professional perks or housing incentives.
"When I asked myself why I want to live here I realized that I want my children to grow up here as Jewish children," he says, vowing that, "I want to raise my family according to Jewish tradition."
And Issac's not alone, "I feel like I have found myself in Israel. For me, this is freedom" says recent Greek oleh Matityahu Mizan. Read more about his story here: http://voices.jewishagency.org/blog/1/article/13


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Friday December 13, 2019; 05:47 am EST
Lived by Capt. Lawrence William Simns; written by Robert L. Rich Jr.
If anyone should write a book about being a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay, it should be Capt. Larry Simns, who has worked the water for seven decades and has served as president of the Maryland Watermen's Association for 40 years. His efforts on behalf of commercial watermen, Chesapeake Bay and the seafood industry are all but legendary.
"There is no question in my mind that he is the wisest and most effective leader within the U.S. fishing industry," says Jerry Fraser, publisher of National Fishermen and Workboat magazines.
The Best of Times on the Chesapeake Bay gives an intimate look into Simns' life on and off the water. In his own words, captured by Robert Rich, Simns, 75, talks of learning to be a waterman, fishing, crabbing, oystering and clamming and the ups and downs of each harvest.
He speaks with such humor and openness on issues and circumstances he has dealt with over his lifetime in politics, the Maryland Watermen's Association and state government that you'll have a hard time putting this book down.
I've worked with Capt. Larry Simns for over 35 years, and I consider him one of my mentors on politics, the Chesapeake, watermen and life itself. Through his stories, you'll know him, too.
The Best of Times tells his life through 65 fascinating autobiographical stories ranging from learning the water to working it to dedicating his life to watermen, their families and the Chesapeake.
"If you ever wanted to understand the inner workings of a Maryland waterman," says marine engineer Chuck Eser, "this is the book."
Buy yours at the Maryland Watermen's Association, 410-216-6610, your local bookstore or online. Schiffer Publising: $19.99.


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Quins may have lost their last two league games to defending champions Pontypridd and Newport, but they remain in second place going into the last four games of the regular Premiership season.
"We're still well in there at the top of the table," said Evans, who started his career at the Quins before spells at Cardiff, Llanelli and Aberavon among others.
"The last couple of weeks have been a bit disappointing and we've come up against Pontypridd at the wrong time on two occasions now.
"But the boys are still positive and have been awesome throughout this campaign. We've won a number of games this year we didn't expect to win and last weekend against Newport was one we probably expected to win but lost.
"We can't complain though and to lose just four league games all season has been brilliant - it's unheard of for Quins really."
With his controlled kicking game and accurate distribution from hand, Evans has been able to effectively release the dangermen Quins have out wide. With Wales Sevens men Jason Harries, Iolo Evans, Lee Williams and James Davies all part of the Carmarthen side, they have guided Quins to their best ever season in the Premiership era.
Going into the campaign's finale, Quins finish with games against Bridgend, Cross Keys, Llandovery and on the final weekend, Aberavon. After such a strong season so far, Quins will be confident of claiming four wins, with the clash with Llandovery a potentially pivotal fixture.
"We've got a couple of defining league games coming up and we really have to fly into those and get as many points as possible," said Evans.
"One slip up could cost us but a place in the play-offs still has to be our aim. It's the minimum we should be aiming for given the start we've had.
"It's a great privilege to receive this award and it's reflective of the season we've had at the Quins. The whole team deserve recognition for what they have achieved."
Virginia Linnell, Principality Building Society's Camarthen branch manager, said: "Craig has had a fantastic season at Camarthen helping the Quins to second place at present in the Principality Premiership. Throughout February he got all the basics right, highlighting his strong kicking game and was thoroughly deserving of the Player of the Month Award. We wish him and Camarthen Quins the best of luck in what promises to be a great end to the season."
Craig Evans factfile:
Born: 21.3.85, Swansea
Position: fly half
Club: Carmarthen Quins
Former clubs: Scarlets, Llanelli, Cardiff Blues, Cardiff RFC, Cambridge, Llangennech, Aberavon
Education: Maes-yr-yrfa Comprehensive
Most admired player: Andrew Mehrtens
Biggest influence: Dad and family, junior coaches


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Become Google Cloud Certified and show the world that you can design, develop, manage, and administer application infrastructure and data solutions on Google Cloud technology. The Google Cloud Certified designation means you've demonstrated the necessary skills to leverage Google Cloud technology in a way that can transform businesses and meaningfully impact the people and customers they serve.
Gain industry recognition
Validate your technical expertise
Take your career to the next level
Associate Certifications
The associate level certification is a job-task based certification focused on core Google Cloud Platform technology. This certification is a good starting point for those new to cloud or new to GCP and can be used as a path to professional level certifications.
Recommended experience: 6 months+ hands-on experience with GCP
Demonstrate your ability to deploy applications, monitor operations, and maintain cloud projects on Google Cloud Platform.
Professional Certifications
Professional certifications are job-role based and assess advanced design and implementation skills developed through hands-on experience.
Recommended experience: 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ years designing and managing solutions using GCP.
Demonstrate your proficiency to design, build and manage solutions on Google Cloud Platform.
Demonstrate your proficiency to design and build data processing systems and operationalize machine learning models on Google Cloud Platform.
Demonstrate your ability to build and deploy scalable and highly available applications on Google Cloud Platform.
Demonstrate your proficiency in efficient development operations and your ability to deploy and monitor reliable services on Google Cloud Platform.
Demonstrate your ability to implement and manage network architectures in Google Cloud Platform.
Demonstrate your ability to configure and manage a secure infrastructure leveraging GCP Security Technologies.
Demonstrate your ability to design and implement solutions for organization efficiency leveraging G Suite and the Google Cloud toolset.
G Suite Certification
The product proficiency certification assesses an individual's ability to use core tools and services. Intended for individuals who have experience using G Suite technology.
Demonstrate collaboration skills using cloud-based tools to create and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and files. Validate your ability to communicate effectively with email and online meeting solutions.
The reason you need to be Google Cloud Certified is to show companies that you are an expert; certification is the stamp of approval that enterprise companies need to see in order to confirm your product expertise.Warren Jonas, General Manager for Managed GCP, Rackspace Ltd.
Interested in more Google certifications?
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This accreditation assesses an individual's proficiency with Apigee products, processes, and practices.
Demonstrate your ability to design and develop robust, secure, scalable API solutions that drive business objectives.
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Demonstrate your proficiency and skill as an Associate Android Developer or Mobile Web Specialist.
Earning this certification will be a definitive step on your path to a career as an Android developer and prove that you're competent and skilled in tasks that a developer typically performs.Learn more
Earning this certification will demonstrate that you have essential web developer skills to create responsive and flexible web apps regardless of the platform.Learn more
Google Cloud Training
Find courses ranging from fundamental to advanced level in on-demand, live, and virtual options plus hands-on labs.Learn more


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By Hal Herring
In JKD, one does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.
The height of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity; the ability to express the utmost with the minimum. It is the halfway cultivation that leads to ornamentation. Jeet Kune-Do is basically a sophisticated fighting style stripped to its essentials. – Bruce Lee
Those words, from Bruce Lee's iconic text The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, could just as easily describe the new Shootrite Katana tactical rifle, designed by veteran firearms instructor Tiger McKee. The Katana rifle, like its namesake, the iconic sword of the Japanese Samurai, is meant to be a weapon of lethal simplicity, a kind of path that leads beyond gadgetry and clutter and back to the essence of the fighting rifle.
"I saw the trend that all the manufacturers were following," McKee says, "Building heavier and more complicated rifles. I wanted just the opposite, a fighting rifle that was true to Eugene Stoner's original vision for the AR platform – a simple-to-operate, lightweight rifle – but updated with bomb-proof modern components for reliability."
But the market trend toward complex rifles meant that such a rifle was unavailable, McKee said. "So I decided to build it myself."
Gone from consideration were the heavy barrels, thick-railed handguards, vertical foregrips and tactical slings of the new-wave ARs. Folding sights and complicated lighting systems were out. In was a thin 16-inch barrel, a standard 1-in-9 twist, and no change to the round; it's good old 5.56.
"The lightweight barrel is short enough to maneuver in tight quarters, quick and easy to handle during conflict, and it is plenty accurate. More accurate than you are going to be able to shoot it under actual field conditions," McKee explains.
He added a carbon fiber handguard, a simple one-piece unit with the barrel nut permanently attached. A rail section at eleven o'clock (for the right handed shooter) allows for the attachment of a light.
"That eleven o'clock position is the best for rolling out from behind cover and for clearing both left- and right-hand corners," McKee said.
One of the first things you notice looking at the rifle is the flat-top upper receiver, ready for mounting the optics of your choice, and the absence of any external forward assist.
McKee quotes Stoner, the genius behind the original AR-15, "When you get a cartridge that won't seat in a rifle, and you deliberately drive it in, usually you are buying yourself more trouble."
The simple concave cutout behind the exposed part of the bolt carrier provides the same assist function, but without the leverage of an external assist. That is leverage that will force a bad cartridge into your rifle and put you out of business. Simply put: if the bolt won't seat a cartridge with the pressure of a finger in the cutout, that cartridge needs to be cycled out of the rifle, not jammed into it.
In the same vein of pragmatism, the rifle comes with a fixed front sight and removable, A1 drum style rear – although the drum can be adjusted for windage, there is no elevation adjustment, because almost no one will adjust elevation in a firefight.
The sights can be left on as back-up for a red-dot system, (supplied by the buyer) or used as the primary sighting system.
Among the "bombproof" modern components installed on the Katana tactical rifle is a mil-spec bolt assembly with an MPI bolt – the firing pin is held in with a solid retaining pin rather than the flimsier split cotter found in other AR bolts. Extractor and ejector springs are chrome silicon alloy for durability, trueness, and corrosion resistance.
In his years of almost daily experience as a firearms instructor, McKee says he has witnessed innumerable instances of bent and twisted charging handles on ARs, and he vowed to find one for the Katana that would stand up to whatever the operator could dish out.
"A bent charging handle is one malfunction that will really put you out of commission," he explains. "When a charging handle twists, it locks up the bolt carrier, and you are done." To solve that problem, the Katana is equipped with Bravo Company's new Gunfighter charging handle. "It's a top-quality part, in a crucial function."


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Ocean Palm Properties Luxury Vacation Home Rentals
Offering a Variety of Beachfront, Footsteps OR One block from Ocean Front-Melbourne Beach — Central Florida
South West Florida — Marco Island
Magnificent Riverfront or Tropical Retreat Wild Fishing Refuge
We have magnificent homes available for rental. Each has a unique design style in a dynamic location. Water activities, nightlife, shopping and tourism are just minutes away from all our properties.


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On sale
Pieces Jana Bucket Hat
Regular Price: £20.00
Special Price £10.00
New In
Pieces New Shiny Leggings£18.00
Pieces - A contemporary collection of bags, scarves, jewellery, shoes, basics and denim leggings in all colours imaginable founded by the danish company Bestseller in 2003. The brand attracts fashionistas from around the globe and the Pieces stores can be found on many european high streets. It is glamorous, trendy and very affordable making every "piece" an imperative part of any ladies wardrobe.
With inspiration taken from street style and catwalk shows, The Pieces collections are soon interpreted to create a colourful and creative mix of feminine identity with cutting edge fashion, allowing each and every one of us to feel elegant, stylish and chic at every given opportunity.
Their brand statement is to, "Produce contemporary and affordable fashion accessories for young fashionable women everywhere", and this is just what they do.


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Pine Tree Construction (PTC) is a family-owned and operated business for over 30 years in Utah and California. Our business is built upon honesty, integrity, and high-quality performance.
For more than 30 years, PTC has helped owners bring their building dreams into reality. We not only deliver superior construction quality, but we put our clients first with valued engineering ideas to save money and time. Throughout our 30 years of operation, we have always had one goal in mind, Customer Satisfaction. We are a member of Better Business Bureau. Additionally, we are a certified contractor for 203(K) HUD program.
PTC has taken the time to build a solid foundation of expertise and knowledge that offers our clients a systematic and ground-up approach for any type and size of projects. We are proud to offer financing to help our customers bring their dreams into reality by choosing a program that will meet their needs. We also accept credit cards and PayPal. By using these products; we can build your commercial project, your first home, build your retirement nest, finish your basement, add a new bedroom and bathroom, or do an addition to help you with your growing family and many other renovations. Building on a rich legacy of excellence and integrity, PTC will make your dreams and concepts a reality in a timely manner and affordably with outstanding customer satisfaction through each phase of building project... History
Established in 1988.
At Pine Tree Construction, we bring a family flavor to all of our business. As a family-run operation, we've been following the core values. Our Core Value is: "I Care": I - Integrity and Ethical Behavior C - Customer Focus A - Accountability R - Respect for All Stakeholders E - Excellence in Performance
Licensed and Insured.
Call us for a FREE estimate for your project.
Call, text, or email me today.


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Not long ago I stumbled upon a post about baby names at the blog North Carolina Miscellany. It ended with this funny little footnote:
After seeing a baby-names website tout North Carolina's most historically distinctive names, Zebulon and Zeb, as among 2012's "hottest," I was expecting to see them rise in the national rankings. Alas, no. How hot can a name be and still not crack the top 1,000?
Excellent question. Because, not only did Zebulon not make the top 1,000 in 2012, it sank from 25 baby boys in 2011 to a mere 19 in 2012. So, not "hot" at all.
The footnote linked to an earlier post at the same blog called Zebulon on the Rise, which reads:
The News and Observer reported yesterday that the name Zebulon is increasingly popular among parents today, and was listed on a website as one of the "14 hottest" names of the year.
(The post went on to talk about the many North Carolina babies that have been named after Zebulon Vance. But I digress…)
The News and Observer article on Zebulon revealed that the "14 hottest" list had been put out by Nameberry.com.
What were their 13 other "hot" names? Arya, Blue, Caia, Calix, Decimus, Django, Gatsby, Halcyon, Niall, Nova, Senna, Sybil and Theon.
Three of these names — Arya, Calix and Nova — did see big jumps in usage in 2012. But the rest either stayed about the same or were used less often. So, only 3 clear winners out of 14 guesses. Just 21% correct.
How could a site that specializes in baby names get it so wrong?
It has to do with metrics. Nameberry came up with that list by looking at their own website traffic, not by looking at any sort of genuine usage data (e.g., public records, birth announcements). The problem with this, of course, is that the names people search for online often have nothing to do with the names they use in real life. (How many of us like to look up weird celebrity baby names, for instance? *raises hand*)
Not that it matters. Most of the big baby name websites are guilty of using iffy data to compile lists of "top" or "hot" baby names. These lists garner plenty of media attention, but are they ever accurate?
I wish the baby name sites that release these lists would revisit them once the official data for their region is available and publicly assess how well their predictions stand up to the real thing.
Y'know, just to prove that the "experts" aren't simply churning out link bait…


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Threads that really don't fit anywhere else...
Hang out on the front steps and talk about anything you want... included is the "The Theater Lobby" and "The Arcade".
October 2nd, 2019, 00:14
Have you seen a good flick recently or want to talk about upcoming film? Pop in here and chat about all things MOVIES!!!
September 2nd, 2017, 14:24
At the request of the membership... here it is: An area just for GAMING! Discuss different consoles, games, news, etc. But please... no bashing!
October 15th, 2014, 11:51
April 27th, 2013, 16:01
There are currently 7 users browsing this forum. (0 members & 7 guests)


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STOCKHOLM — Hit Swedish drama series "Never Wipe Tears Without Gloves" is set to become a feature film.
The SVT series has received rave reviews, and the audience seems no less enthused. The three hour-long episodes have been followed by more than 1.2 million viewers each, which means that one in eight Swedes have watched the show.
Often compared with "Angels in America," the drama is based on a true story about young gay men in Stockholm in the early 1980s. It is helmed by Simon Kaijser and written by Jonas Gardell, one of Sweden's most influential writers. Gardell has also published a novel based on the story, which was released in mid-August, a month before the TV series premiered.
The series has been licensed in all Scandi countries, and the BBC has shown interest in acquiring it as well.
SVT producer Maria Nordenberg is now looking to turn it into a feature pic, she told Variety.
"We have a draft for a feature, which we will continue to edit, and we are also in talks with distributors and co-producers," she said.
"It could be a tough sell in Sweden, since so many have already seen the series, but our principal focus will be the international market, film festivals and channels focused on TV movies."
Nordenberg said SVT had loose plans to adapt it for the big screen from the beginning, but admits that the overwhelming response from viewers and critics has spurred them on.
The series features upcoming thesps Adam Palsson and Adam Lundgren in leading roles, alongside more established actors Marie Richardson, Stefan Sauk and Simon J. Berger in supporting roles.


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Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: Georgia
Dating sucks. I hate it and wish I didn't have to participate in it. I realize that no one is forcing me to date, but does it have to be so complicated? Can't we just go out, like each other, find each other attractive, have great safer sex, get tested, get married, have kids, live happily ever after and avoid all the BS that comes with dating?
I guess I don't have to participate in the dating world, but I do enjoy a cute boy's company and if I'm lucky enough to be asked out, I usually take the guy up on his offer. The problem starts when we realize that we are attracted to each other. Of course, the guy knows from the very beginning that I work in HIV because I talk about it and am really proud of all the things that I've done. But I can't tell you how many times people have tried to talk me out of using latex condoms -- it's amazing. Do they think this prevention song and dance is only for the office? Am I going to throw everything I know out the window and act like I'm too good to become infected with HIV?
I am surprised at how surprised men are when I tell them that I won't renegotiate my commitment to preventing HIV. Preventing HIV is something I do on a macro level, but it's also something that I do every time I have sex with a condom. I guess it is possible that some people work in HIV, give prevention messages all day long and then go out and have unprotected sex, but I am not a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of person. I actually practice what I preach. I use latex condoms every time I have sex, but I am amazed at how difficult it can be to get someone to ride that latex train with me.
I have "dated" two guys in the last year. We didn't date in the typical sense of calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend, but we spent time together and the relationships progressed to sex. The first guy I dated willingly pulled out the latex condoms the first time we had sex. I had mentally prepared myself for a conversation but found that it was unnecessary as he grabbed them before I could even begin the dialogue. I was happy to see that he had a healthy supply of latex condoms.
As the "relationship" progressed, he told me that it was time for me to get on birth control so that we didn't have to use condoms anymore. This was despite the fact that I told him that one of my girlfriends had just tested HIV positive. I told him that unprotected sex would not happen anytime soon because I refused to have my vagina become my grave.
The second guy I dated really challenged me. He absolutely would not have sex with me with a condom, so we never had sex. He only wanted to have unprotected sex. We expressed our attraction to one another in other ways, but we never had vaginal-penile sex. You know, it really surprised me when he refused to have protected vaginal-penile sex with me because we have known each other for 20 years and he REALLY knows what I do for a living.
I guess working in HIV doesn't provide me with the out I thought it would. I just assumed that everyone would assume that I would not have unprotected sex with them. Working in HIV doesn't absolve me from having to negotiate safer sex. It doesn't absolve me from the conversation that women around the world have to have every day with their sexual partners. And it doesn't absolve me from having to explain why I absolutely will not put myself at risk. You know, I was hoping that I would get to take the easy way out with this guy -- grab a condom and go at it -- because all I really wanted was to have a passionate latex freak fest with him.
In both situations, I stood my ground. I'm lucky I got to stand my ground, because many women around the world would have had the shit beaten out of them for displaying such independence. Despite this privilege, I can't help feeling a little sad about the situation. It ultimately became a deal breaker that made me realize how little this guy respects himself or me.
So, why don't people want to use latex condoms? I just don't think they're that bad. Of course, I have been using them all of my sexual life so they are normal to me. Honestly, I don't know how I would react to having unprotected sex because I think that WOULD feel abnormal to me.
In the end, I believe that we are all at risk for HIV. Some of us are more at risk than others, but we all have risk. I wonder if there is anyone out there that I can date, have protected sex with and not feel like I'm the freak simply because I want to love in latex. Maybe the date I had in New York last weekend will work out and he will embrace his inner latex love with me. Wouldn't that be great? Two latex freaks in a bed ... mmm ... heaven!
To contact Terri, please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Stay tuned for monthly additions to this blog!


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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2
Accesses encrypted data on a severely damaged hard disk if the drive was encrypted by using BitLocker. Repair-bde can reconstruct critical parts of the drive and salvage recoverable data as long as a valid recovery password or recovery key is used to decrypt the data. If the BitLocker metadata data on the drive has become corrupt, you must be able to supply a backup key package in addition to the recovery password or recovery key. This key package is backed up in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) if you used the default setting for AD DS backup. With this key package and either the recovery password or recovery key, you can decrypt portions of a BitLocker-protected drive if the disk is corrupted. Each key package will work only for a drive that has the corresponding drive identifier. You can use the BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer for Active Directory to obtain this key package from AD DS.
The following limitations exist for the Repair-bde command-line tool:
Repair-bde cannot repair a drive that failed during the encryption or decryption process.
Repair-bde assumes that if the drive has any encryption, then the drive has been fully encrypted.
The Windows 7 installation of Repair-bde is unable to perform repairs involving key packages obtained from Windows Vista, although the Windows 7 installation of Repair-bde is able to repair drives provisioned with BitLocker in Windows Vista.
For examples of how this command can be used, see Examples.
repair-bde <InputVolume> <OutputVolumeorImage> [-rk] [–rp] [–kp] [–lf] [-f] [{-?|/?}]
Identifies the drive letter of the BitLocker-encrypted drive that you want to repair. The drive letter must include a colon; for example: C:.
Identifies the drive on which to store the content of the repaired drive. All information on the output drive will be overwritten.
Identifies the location of the recovery key that should be used to decrypt the drive. This command may also be specified as -recoverykey.
Identifies the recovery password that should be used to decrypt the drive. This command may also be specified as -recoverypassword.
Identifies the recovery key package that can be used to decrypt the drive. This command may also be specified as -keypackage.
Specifies the path to the file that will store Repair-bde error, warning, and information messages. This command may also be specified as -logfile.
Forces a volume to be dismounted even if it cannot be locked. This command may also be specified as -force.
-? or /?
Displays Help at the command prompt.
When using the repair-bde command, you must be able to specify either a recovery key or a recovery password that can decrypt the drive. For more information, see Scenario 16: Using the BitLocker Repair Tool to Recover a Drive.
If the path to a key package is not specified, repair-bde will search the drive for a key package. However, if the hard drive has been damaged, repair-bde may not be able to find the package and will prompt you to provide the path.
The following example attempts to repair drive C and write the content from drive C to drive D by using the recovery key file (RecoveryKey.bek) stored on drive F and writes the results of this attempt to the log file (log.txt) on drive Z.
repair-bde C: D: -rk F:\RecoveryKey.bek –lf Z:\log.txt
The following example attempts to repair drive C and write the content on drive C to drive D by using the 48-digit recovery password specified. The recovery password should be typed in eight blocks of six digits with a hyphen separating each block.
repair-bde C: D: -rp 111111-222222-333333-444444-555555-666666-777777-888888
The following example forces drive C to be dismounted and then attempts to repair drive C and write the content on drive C to drive D by using the recovery key package and recovery key file (RecoveryKey.bek) stored on drive F.
repair-bde C: D: -kp F:\RecoveryKeyPackage -rk F:\RecoveryKey.bek -f


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Deputies: Armed man shoots self after standoff on top of Eustis building
Man served with warrant Monday morning
An armed man shot himself after a lengthy standoff Monday in Eustis, deputies said.
Officials said the man was on top of a building near Bay Street.
Police shut down north and south Bay Street and contained the man to that area.
Authorities said when they went to the man's apartment to serve him warrants on probation violation for domestic battery and a drug charge, he escaped to the apartment's rooftop with a gun.
Negotiators tried to speak with the man, who officials said appeared to be suicidal, but said he shot himself once the SWAT team moved in.
Officials said the man was taken from the roof to Orlando Regional Medical Center still alive.
The man told negotiators that he did not want to return to prison, according to investigators.
The standoff began just before 12 p.m.


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Ogden is a city in northern Utah. Ogden is located in Weber County, where it is the county seat. As of 2010, Ogden had over 80,000 residents. The city's metro area is quite a bit larger, with a population of over half a million. Ogden has won numerous awards, and in 2010 Forbes magazine named the city the 6th best place in the country to raise a family. Ogden is also the location of Weber State University, which interestingly enough sent Rookie of the Year Damien Lillard to the NBA in 2012.
Weber State University is so great that it will have you screaming weeeeeeee(ber) the whole four years you are there!
Part of the reason you will be so excited to attend Weber State is because of its awesome academics. This school offers over 200 undergraduate degree programs, 11 graduate degree programs, more than 150 student clubs and organizations, 16 NCAA Division I sports teams, and 18 IM teams and club sports. That is certainly enough to make a person go "weeeeeeeee," and be proud to be a Wildcat! Let's not forget that WSU has also been rated as one of America's top 50 Best Public Colleges, offers great financial aid, and has lots of scholarship opportunities!
WSU is located in Ogden, one of the largest cities in Utah. Ogden is a big city unlike any other—big on activities, but also on nature! It is situated right at the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, and has biking, fishing, wildlife reserves, camping galore, and skiing and snowboarding slopes. The latter attract people from the ends of the earth. Beware of Sasquatch on the Wasatch, though. He really loves to ski. Besides being home to Big Foot and lots and lots of nature, Ogden is also a historic district that boasts many museums, venues, art galleries, restaurants, and shops! With so much to do in such a beautiful city, why wouldn't you want to rent an off-campus apartment? Fortunately, renting opportunities in Ogden are plentiful, and students can find lots of inexpensive places near campus. For help learning how to find your new place, take a look at apartment search guides! Then check out some of the listings, right here on the site.
Summer lovin' had me a blast. Summer lovin' happened so fast…Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those Weber nights! Uh well-a well-a well-a huh! Those Weber nights really are the best. There is plenty to do—parties to crash and bars to hop. Students also love to go away for camping trips at world famous parks like Zion, Goblin Valley, and Bryce Canyon. For things that are more local, students can take advantage of Ogden's public transportation and catch a bus to a local café or pub. There are lots of restaurants around the area that are great for date nights or hangout with friends! Weeeeeeee WSU!


text:
Elkay Plumbing Products
Weldbilt Stainless Steel 29-1/2" x 28-3/4" x 12-3/4" Floor Mount, Single Compartment Scullery Sink
[item-field comment_2]
Elkay Catalogs
Elkay Commercial Products Catalog
Elkay Drinking Fountain Catalog
Elkay Commercial Sinks
Elkay EZH2O
Elkay Commercial Faucets
Browse More Elkay Items
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Elkay Chillers
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I have been out-of-touch with Air Delights for some years. When I decided to return, they were there, ready and able to help me. They even had my old order records from years back. This was a great help to me. I didn't even need to order new dispensers , because my old ones worked just like new.
Due to our order history they followed up with a phone call to ensure what was ordered was actually what we wanted. Turns out we ordered incorrectly. They made the adjustment on the phone and shipped the correct item.
From seeing the pop-up ad, through ordering the needed parts cheaper than factory pricing, to installing for a flushable toilet again---THREE DAYS ONLY!!! Impressive, outstanding, and better than most!
I've been using products from Air Delights for years and have loved all of the products that I purchased. There have never been any problems with the products or customer service. I've actually gotten some of my friends interested in the products.
I've dealt with you folks before so I know the kind of service I will receive. I like the fact that there is a place like yours that people can shop at and get the service we deserve. I've decided we needed another set of this product in our upstairs bathroom since we have someone else utilizing the downstairs bathroom. GREAT SERVICE!
They expedited shipping to me and got it her super fast and were MORE than courteous when I called. The Best!
This commercial supplier has always been patient with my household sized orders. They even called once when what I had ordered was not the same as my previous orders. Saved me from having to return a mistaken order. I love their air freshener products. It's not always easy to find air fresheners that I can use with my allergies.
Your company is the best.You save me money on the part that I needed.Also I will be order off your company if I need anything else.
Our Flushmate 503 developed a broken cartridge at 4PM central time. AirDelights is pacific time, so by the time I placed my order it was 2:47 pacific time. They sent the parts by FEDEX next day standard delivery. I had the parts in my hand in St Louis MO at 10:18 AM the next morning. The order was before 3PM so they shipped the same day.
Ease of ordering and length of time on delivery and the pleasing aroma of items purchased are all great! I will be purchasing more in the near future. Thanks to everyone involved with my order.
© 1991- • Air Delights, Inc. All rights reserved. "Air Delights" and logo are registered trademarks for Air Delights, Inc.


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MD-direct will export FOB New York. Contact us for volume prices on the complete line of Nestle enteral feeding products including Peptamen and Nutren brands. Volume pricing is available - Letters of Credit, telegraphic transfer, documents against payment and Western Union accepted. Contact us at 541-549-1335 or ac@mddirectonline to place your order.
For corporate credit accounts in the USA: wholesale pricing is available for medical facilities and offices.
Download credit application here www.mddirectonline.com/cred1.doc and return via fax to:


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8 results
Interactively paint groups and components in spray type manner.
This plugin offers a large number of products to finalize your kitchen projects. Each component is dynamic and can of change appearance with a simple click!
(Works with sketchup 2019) Design your IKEA kitchen and much more in a few clicks! More than a few months to enjoy the introductory offer
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Link components to websites, proxy, layers, scenes, sounds, files and folders.
Photorealistic rendering for SketchUp
Create Panoramic Scenes.
Inspects and highlight problems with solids.


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DCFA Main Street Walking Tour
Main and St. Paul Streets
Talk About It
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Beginning at the recently-completed Main Street Garden and its perfect view of a time capsule of some of Dallas' most important buildings, your trained tour guide will lead you on a walk and discussion of a variety of architectural icons, including the Adolphus Hotel, the Magnolia Building, the Statler Hilton, and the Wilson Building. Along the way, you'll take a look at examples of Beaux Art, Art Deco, Post-Modernist, Renaissance Revival and Victorian design…and how they were adapted specifically for a rapidly-growing metropolis. Additionally, you'll hear about some of the institutions, individuals and visionaries who made it all happen.
Tours are held on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Main Street Garden (Main Street and St. Paul). The tour lasts approximately two hours and is held rain or shine.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for AIA Dallas members, and $5 for seniors and student.
Reservations and payment must be made in advance. Due to the necessity of scheduling docents, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate walk-ups.
Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance of the tour time in order to receive a refund.


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Special projects by hometown favorites and some intriguing visitors distinguish themselves in a busy calendar in dance as this season continues. Here are 10 engagements worth anticipating:
Mummenschanz: The one-of-a-kind troupe, nominally based in Switzerland but, in fact, firmly implanted in a fantasy land of the mind, returns after a long absence as part of its 40th anniversary tour. As usual, it promises to employ masks and ordinary objects with startling originality. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 and 2 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St.; $10-$55 at 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org
Hamburg Ballet: The renowned company makes its Chicago debut with John Neumeier's "Nijinsky," based on the life and work of that iconic and immortally compelling superstar-genius-madman. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 and 2 at the Harris; $30-$75, 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org
"Duets for My Valentine": The Chicago Dance Crash presents this annual assortment of works tailored to the romantically inclined, a fine introduction to the art of dance for novices and great fun for everybody. 8 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave.; $27 at 773-935-6875 or athenaeumtheatre.com
Joffrey Ballet: In a program titled "American Legends," Chicago's premier classical troupe offers a welcome look at the artistry of Stanton Welch, artistic director of the Houston Ballet, who's creating a new work to share a bill with revivals of Jerome Robbins' "Interplay," Gerald Arpino's "Sea Shadow" and Twyla Tharp's "Nine Sinatra Songs." 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 15, 21 and 22; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 and 23; and 2 p.m. Feb. 17 and 24; the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway; $31-$152 at 800-982-2787 or ticketmaster.com/auditorium
zoe | juniper: The Seattle-based wife-and-husband team of Zoe Scofield, choreographer, and Juniper Shuey, sculptor and visual artist, offer its collaborative and deliciously titled "A Crack in Everything," inspired by "The Oresteia." 8 p.m. Feb. 14, 15 and 16, Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave.; $26-$30 at 312-369-8330 or colum.edu/dance_center
Thodos Dance Chicago: Ann Reinking and Melissa Thodos premiere an original one-act work, "A Light in the Dark," inspired by the life of Helen Keller. 8 p.m. March 2 and 3 p.m. March 3 at the Harris; $20-$60; 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: In a bold break with tradition, the troupe is in town for a two-week run, its longest visit in years, offering three separate programs as part of its stay. 7:30 p.m. March 8, 13, 14 and 15; 2 and 8 p.m. March 9 and 16; and 3 p.m. March 10 and 17; the Auditorium; $32-$92 at 800-982-2787 or ticketmaster.com/auditorium
Luna Negra Dance Theater: Spain is the focus of the troupe's spring collection, boasting a new work by that country's Fernando Hernando Magadan (performed live with the Turtle Island Quartet), a revival of his "Naked Ape" and a premiere by company dancer Monica Cervantes. 8 p.m. March 9 at the Harris; $25-$65; 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: A long-in-the-works collaboration comes to fruition when Alonzo King and his LINES Ballet team up with the Hubbard dancers for his new work. 7:30 p.m. March 14, 8 p.m. March 15 and 16 and 3 p.m. March 17 at the Harris; $25-$99 at 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org
River North Dance Chicago: The company and its artistic director, Frank Chaves, join Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic for an exploration of Afro-Cuban culture in dance and music in this major endeavor. 8 p.m. April 13 at the Auditorium; $32-$76; 800-982-2787 or ticketmaster.com/auditorium


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Christian Kreutz needed a new wordpress theme design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 29 designs submitted by 7 freelance designers.
I am a consultant on knowledge management and a knowledge activist. My blog (http://www.crisscrossed.net) is a space to explore the web for social-change purposes and development – to connect people and ideas for a better world. This is my mission and shall be the main idea behind the new design. I write about the intersection of people, technology, knowledge and learning. My blog has become a network hub. The relaunch of my blog incorporates, in a better way, my work as a consultant. I need a new, fresh, professional design, which underlines and/or best describes my mission. My blog has a page rank 6 and nearly 800 subscribers. I am happy to acknowledge the winning designer on my blog.
Activists, social entrepreneurs and professionals in the profit and nonprofit sector; national, international organizations as well as individuals who are interested in learning and exchanging about the topic knowledge networks for a social-change.
- A design for a Wordpress blog (centered for 1024 pixel)
- Open to experiments, but still I am fan of simplicity ("less is more").
- I am searching for a great main theme-color for the blog. (update: added a color theme!) I prefer white backgrounds, but I am open to strong colors such as orange.
- I do not have a logo as I haven't need it so far. However, it would be great if you have a nice idea to design the brand-logo "crisscrossed" (color, etc.).
- I have created a small wireframe to show the layout from a content side.
I like these designs:
- http://developmentseed.org/blog
- http://www.onedaywithoutgoogle.org/
- I do not want the typical banner design
- My blog shall become an information hub – it should be for more purposes than just the posts.


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ShareCash respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users to do the same. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, the text of which may be found on the U.S. Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf, ShareCash will respond expeditiously to claims of copyright infringement committed using the ShareCash service that are reported to the ShareCash Designated Copyright Agent identified in the sample notice below.
If you are a copyright owner, authorized to act on behalf of one or authorized to act under any exclusive right under copyright, please report alleged copyright infringements taking place on or through the ShareCash services (the "Services") by completing the following DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to the ShareCash Designated Copyright Agent. Upon receipt of Notice as described below, ShareCash will take whatever action, in its sole discretion, it deems appropriate, including removal of the challenged use from the Services and/or termination of the ShareCash user's account.
Deliver this Notice, with all items completed, to ShareCash's Designated Copyright Agent:
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[email protected]


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JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (5 Days)
Adult (12 years old or above)¥ 9200.00HKD 635
Child (Ages 6-11)¥ 4600.00HKD 318
Ticket Features
This ticket is valid for unlimited journeys within 5 consecutive days on JR West routes in Kansai Area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Himeji, Wakayama, Shiga, Tsuruga, Igaueno), Okayama, Takamatsu, Kinosaki Onsen, Amanohashidate, Tottori, Kishi, Shirahama, Kiikatsuura. An exchange order will be issued upon purchase, so that you need to exchange for tickets at the "Green Window" ticket office located at major JR stations. Japan Railway Pass is only valid for foreign traveller who is permitted to entry Japan under a "Temporary Visitor" visa.
Valid Areas
This ticket is valid for unlimited journeys within 5 consecutive days on non-reserved seats in ordinary cars of all special rapid trains, rapid trains and local trains on JR West routes in Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Himeji, Wakayama, Shiga, Tsuruga, Iga-ueno) and Okayama, Takamatsu, Kinosaki Onsen, Amanohashidate, Tottori, Kishi, Shirahama, Kiikatsuura and limited express trains "Haruka", "Kuroshio", "Thunderbird", "Kounotori","Super Hakuto (Kyoto - Kamigori secton only). Not valid for Tokaido Shinkansen Bullet trains (Shin-Osaka - Tokyo section), Sanyo Shinkansen Bullet Trains (Okayama - Hakata section), Kyushu Shinkansen Bullet trains, and other unspecified limited express trains.
Important Notice
- All bookings should be replied and confirmed by our staff. Otherwise, no booking is being reserved even though it was successfully submitted.
- We accept payment by Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) and Japanese Yen (JPY). (Except credit cards. We only accept payment in HKD.) The HKD equivalent value is according to the designated exchange rate by our company. Our staff will reply you the exact price.
- Regarding payment methods:
【Credit Cards】 Please inform us your credit card information by phone upon receiving confirmation from us. Only Visa or MasterCard is acceptable.
【Bank Transfer】 Please make transfer to our bank account in HSBC and provide the bank-in slip for evidence. For JPY: 808-814586-838 / For HKD: 808-814586-001
- Regarding collecting methods:
【In Person】 Please come to our office and collect the ticket(s) in person during our office hours. (MON-FRI 09:00-18:00 / Closed on all SATs, SUNs & Public Holidays)
(A) If the delivery is sent to an industrial or commercial address (as defined by SF Express) or a SF Store or a EF Locker, FREE postage will be applied.
(B) If the delivery is sent to a residential address or an address of remote areas in Hong Kong, registered mail by Hong Kong post will be used. A postage of $40 for each address will be applied.
(C) If the delivery is sent to an address outside Hong Kong, a courier service designated by us will be used. A postage of $60 for each address will be applied.
- Terms & Condition applying to online ticket reservation :
(A) The free postage only applied to an recipient address where is a industrial or commercial area in Hong Kong, a SF store or a EF locker. For details please refer to : www.sf-express.com
(B) For address inside Hong Kong, it should take 1 to 2 working days normally; Whereas for address outside Hong Kong, it should take a week normally. Please make your reservation earlier.
(C) We are not responsible for any loss because of mail missing or returned mail due to inaccurate address provided by customers. If customer requests for re-delivery, a handling charge equivalent to 10% of the original price of the ticket (should be calculated by original price in JPY and multiplied by official exchange rate announced by our company to determine the charge in HKD.) will be applicable. All re-delivery requests must be informed within 10 working days since the reservation has been made. Otherwise, a new reservation will be required and hence for paying full fare is needed.
(D) We accept bank-in transfer payment in JPY or HKD or credit card payment by obtaining credit card information through phone conversation.
(E) We accept requests of refunding or amendments to the passenger names only under preconditions as below : a) The exchange order voucher is still valid; b) The exchange order voucher has not been damaged, amended, defaced; and c) The exchange order voucher has not been exchanged for the actual ticket yet. Please bring the exchange order voucher and the invoice or receipt printed by our company and come to our office in person for refunding or amendments to passenger names. A handling charge equivalent to 10% of the original price of the ticket (should be calculated by original price in JPY and multiplied by official exchange rate announced by our company to determine the charge in HKD.) will be applicable.
(F) The exchange order must be redeemed for the actual ticket within 3 months upon issued date. If customer is unable to exchange the actual ticket due to any problems because of the visa eligibility, we accept refund only under preconditions as stated on point 6 and a handling charge will be applicable.
(G) Refund should take around a month. Refund will be calculated in HKD base on the official exchange rate determined by our company upon the date of receiving the refund request. Refund will be transferred to the bank account customer provided.
(I) If there are any disputes, the decision made by KNT Hong Kong should be final.


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4001 S. Hwy 157, Euless, TX 76040
1404B E. Main St. Eastland, Tx 76448
|2008 BMW Z4 2dr Roadster 3.0i VIN: 4USBU33518LW76015
|Gray / Black
Phone : (254) 629-8888
1404 B. East Main St. , Eastland, TX 76437
For more photos and information please visit our website at www.certifiedautodirect.com.
Local DFW vehicle
Low mileage.
Perfect first car.
Runs & drives great.
Very clean interior.
At Certified Auto Direct, we are here to make purchasing your vehicle as easy as possible.
By combining the car buying and financing processes into one process, we make acquiring your new vehicle a quick and convenient experience. We present you with several options for financing on select vehicles and work with you to find a financial solution that best suits your needs. Rest assured, we are committed to making your buying experience the best it can be.
Of course, if you need further help, do not hesitate to contact us and we will do everything we can to get you approved.
We inspect our vehicles thoroughly before we sell them. However, for your piece of mind, we offer an extended mechanical breakdown coverage. Please note this is not an "extended warranty".
Understand that a third party provides these extended mechanical breakdown coverages for an extra cost.
Please, inquire about them. Our team is here to help you make your purchase as smooth as possible.


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The Fight Continues
After 30 years of dealing with HIV and AIDS, Delaware has a long way to go in preventing the disease.
(page 1 of 3)
Peter Houle does not look like a combat veteran. At first glance he seems to be someone who should be comfortable in his middle age, enjoying the height of his career, checking on his retirement fund and perhaps playing a few rounds of golf.
But Houle's veteran status doesn't allow him to rest. He knows the fight—his fight—still rages.
This 50-something, a former teacher, now the executive director of the Delaware HIV Consortium, has seen his share of tragedy during the 30-year battle against HIV and AIDS. It is with a calmness gained over decades that he tells the story of a friend who bears the infamous distinction of becoming the 12th officially confirmed AIDS death in Los Angeles when the disease emerged in the early 1980s.
The acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, which reads like second nature to us now, had barely been introduced then. Terms such as "gay cancer" and gay-related immuno deficiency (GRID) still lingered. Those who were infected succumbed almost immediately, their immune systems shattered. Doctors had no idea how to treat the condition or handle its startling effects. Houle, upon paying a last visit to his friend, was required to wear a full-body containment suit into the hospital room.
"When I look back on it, it's just remarkable," Houle says. "I had a list that they gave me in 1982: Do not use the same dishes. Do not use the same cup. Any surface was to be bleached. Don't wear their clothes. Don't touch. Always wear a mask. And I remember flying back from L.A. and reading the New York Times, and there was an item in the left-hand column saying, 'Gay disease hits New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.'"
Around the same time, Dr. Susan Szabo was beginning her medical residency in New York City. She came face to face with the tragedy of AIDS just as it was unveiling itself to the medical community. Now medical director for the Christiana Care HIV Community Program, which runs HIV/AIDS clinics throughout Delaware, she recalls a sense of professional paralysis among confounded doctors.
Today such images seem like ancient history. While HIV and AIDS have firmly taken root in the popular consciousness over the past 30 years, the images that frightened so many have disappeared from the front pages and the news broadcasts. They've been
replaced with fit, attractive actors from a road company of "Rent" pausing in the musical's narrative to pop a dose of AZT.
But for Houle, it's that nonchalance about what HIV has done that keeps him working to remind people in Delaware that the danger hasn't gone away. It has only changed.
Page 2: The Fight Continues, continues...


text: You've discovered the finest purveyor of decorative trimmings and drapery hardware in the world. Meticulously crafted from the finest yarns, woods, stones, metals, and glass each design is made to exceed the highest demands of the most sophisticated tastes. Designed in the USA, handcrafted throughout the world and distributed everywhere, we offer both open line and exclusive custom collections for the trade. When it comes down to it, Classical Elements is the difference between a good room and a great room.


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Welcome to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commissions Students Corner!
The purpose of the Students' Corner is to explain to students of all ages how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates energy in the United States. The FERC helps make it possible for you to flip a switch and have energy to run TVs, computers, video games, and everything else that needs power. FERC also makes sure that natural gas is transported to where it is needed in the United States. Take a look at how FERC plays an important role in your life while enjoying the activities and games offered here.
We hope you will have fun browsing our site and will come back often!
Leonard Tao
Director, Office of External Affairs
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


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Soil health involves chemical, biological and physical aspects. For now, let's examine how physical aspects can be degraded over time and how you can improve them.
"Understanding physical aspects of soil lets you set realistic yield goals, based on water-holding capacity," says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. "It also tells you how to fertilize and manage the soil to achieve those goals and how to improve the health of poorly producing soils."
Physical aspects of soil health include texture, structure and aggregate stability. Texture is the percentage of various particle sizes—sand, silt and clay, from largest to smallest—in the soil profile. Most soil types contain more than one type of particle, such as clay loam, silt loam or silty clay loam. You can determine texture by squeezing moist soil into a ribbon, consulting a soil survey in a book or online or using a cell phone app when you're standing in the field. Once you know the mixture, use the USDA soil texture pyramid to identify the soil type (clay, sandy clay loam, etc.)
The most accurate way to classify soil is to have it analyzed by a laboratory, which will tell you the percentage of sand, silt and clay. Understand soil texture. The biggest variable that affects water- and nutrient-holding capacity is the percentage of clay (and various types of clay). "Negative electrical charges in clay particles allow it to attract and hold water and nutrients, which are positively charged," Ferrie explains. "Made of lattices, clay particles can hold water between the lattices, as well as around the outside of the particle.
"Sand and silt don't have lattices nor negative charges, so they have no water-holding capacity. But they do have a coating around the particles called organic matter. Organic matter contains carbon, and each carbon ion has four negative charges. That gives organic matter some ability to hold water and nutrients. But in the mineral soils that most farmers deal with, the main thing that holds water and nutrients is clay."
After you learn the textures of your various soils, you can respect them and manage accordingly. "Some areas, such as the Mississippi Delta, basically have uniform soil texture," Ferrie says.
"That makes management relatively easy because you can treat each field the same way. But in the Midwest, there are various soil textures in the same field. It's as if the field has multiple personalities, and you have to farm all of them differently."
For example, texture tells you how to manage soil fertility to keep the soil balanced and healthy. "Two tons of lime per acre would be a low rate on a heavy soil but excessively high on sand," he says. "Applying 200 lb. per acre of nitrogen is OK on a clay soil; but on sand, which has less nutrient-holding capacity, much of that nitrogen could be lost to the environment, where it would become a pollutant."
The more clay in your soil, the less you have to worry about overapplying nutrients and application timing, Ferrie adds. If the clay content is exceedingly high, you might need to worry about nutrient availability (requiring multiple applications, so nutrients don't become tied up and unavailable to plants) and drainage to remove excess water. Sandy soils become acid faster, so they need to be limed more frequently, and in smaller amounts, to keep microbial populations and overall soil conditions healthy.
"Unlike texture, structure is something farmers can change—for better or worse," Ferrie says. "Think of the ideal structure as being crumb-like. That kind of structure creates macropores, large pore spaces where water can be stored and removed by plant roots. Macropores also contain oxygen, which is required by soil microorganisms, which are essential for healthy soil."
Soil scientists break down structure into categories. Granular structure is imperfect spheres, all about the same size, and visible with the naked eye. Granular aggregates contain all three sizes of soil particles—sand, silt and clay. Blocky structure breaks apart into small cubes with angular edges, resembling broken glass.
Platy structure appears flat and compressed; it breaks apart as if it was stacked in layers. Single-grain structure is sand, like you find on a beach. Massive structure refers to soil that is in a cohesive mass, like blocks, with no aggregates visible.
"Each soil type naturally has a certain structure," Ferrie says. "You can learn what structure should be present by consulting a soil survey in a book or on the Internet.
"For example, in Illinois, if you dig from 0" to 11" deep in a Catlin silt loam soil, you should encounter a granular structure. When you crumble the soil in your hand, soil should aggregate as round, imperfect spheres, with a visible crumb-like structure." Is your soil healthy? To assess your soil's health, dig a pit and see if it matches the characteristics in the soil survey. "If the soil type is supposed to have blocky structure, but it actually is massive, soil health has been degraded," Ferrie says. "It suggests the soil has been farmed with too much abrasive tillage—such as heavy disking over many years. In a massive soil structure, there are only micropores, with no room for water or nutrients. That limits the biological potential of the soil."
You can make the same type of comparison by digging up soil in a fenceline and comparing it to farmed soil in the field. After many years in grass, the structure of the fenceline soil will be the way nature intended. "It shows you what your soil is like in a healthy state," Ferrie says.
"By managing compaction and reducing tillage, you can have a positive effect on soil structure," Ferrie says. "Restoring structure is not an easy fix; if it took 20 years to degrade the soil, it may take that much time or more to restore its health. The moral is, don't destroy soil structure in the first place."
"You can make faster improvements by putting land into pasture, adding grass crops and cover crops to your rotation and adding organic matter, such as manure, for microorganisms to feed on," Ferrie continues. "If you farm a naturally weak-structured, platy soil, try to limit the amount of tillage."
What you really are attempting to do is improve aggregate stability. That means maintaining a healthy crumb-like structure, in which sand, silt and clay particles are held together by organic matter and glues given off by mychorrizal fungi. Build soil aggregates. "To build aggregates, you must flocculate clay particles," Ferrie says. "That requires building bridges from one particle to another with calcium. Calcium is the key to flocculation because it has two positive charges. That lets it hold particles together, while also holding them apart.
"Flocculation breaks down, and structure is lost when you replace calcium ions with a single-charged ion such as hydrogen or sodium," he says. "So good aggregate stability requires managing soil acidity and salt loads, as well as timeliness and type of tillage."
While reducing tillage is an important goal, "bear in mind that soils with poor aggregate stability might run together so badly that they are sort of addicted to tillage," Ferrie says. "In that case, work on other aspects of soil health first."
Improving aggregate stability will let water infiltrate the soil faster, reduce surface sealing and improve early season emergence. "Until aggregate stability improves, even a 1⁄2" rain may create stand and emergence problems," Ferrie says. "So don't plant those problem fields when rain is in the immediate forecast."
It boils down to knowing the texture of your soil to know how to manage fertility. "Structure tells you whether you soil is healthy or needs improvement. Improving aggregate stability will improve early season emergence," Ferrie says. "It all starts with giving your soil a physical examination, so you know where problems exist and how to make improvements."
Cation Exchange Capacity Links to Soil TextureBesides the ribbon test, soil survey book or website, there's another way to determine texture: the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) rating on your soil analysis. CEC is a measure of the soil's ability to hold and store nutrients. Some soils are less able to store nutrients because they contain more sand particles than clay. So the lower the CEC, the sandier the soil texture.
"Think of Cation Exchange Capacity like a dinner plate," says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. "If you have a big plate, you can fill it with enough food to last you through the day. But if you heap too much food on a small plate, some of it will spill off and be wasted; and, after awhile you'll need to eat again. It's the same with crops: If your soil has a high CEC, you may be able to apply enough nutrients to last the growing season. But if it has a lower CEC, you'll need to apply smaller amounts more often." Building on the Systems Approach, the Soil Health series will detail the chemical, physical and biological components of soil and how to give your crop a fighting chance. www.FarmJournal.com/soil_health You can e-mail Darrell Smith at firstname.lastname@example.com.