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WASHINGTON — An Obama administration review of the Boston Marathon bombing revealed the potential for communication gaps within Boston's Joint Terrorism Task Force -- including a reliance on sticky notes to convey crucial information about possible terror suspects -- and portrayed the FBI's initial review of Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 as somewhat cursory.
When investigators reviewed why Tsarnaev's six-month trip to a restive region of Russia in 2012 failed to trigger scrutiny by the FBI, they could not find documentation that information about his travels was shared within the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Neither the Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the task force, who was alerted when Tsarnaev purchased airline tickets, nor Tsarnaev's FBI case agent on the task force could recall any specific interaction they had about Tsarnaev's travels, the report said.
Nonetheless, Department of Homeland Security officials presume the information was shared, based on routine practice -- which included oral communication and "passing a sticky note,'' the report said.
FBI officials disagree about the significance of failures to more closely scrutinize Tsarnaev after his trip to Russia, the report added.
Lawmakers received briefings Thursday about the findings of the report, which was based on a joint investigation by the inspectors general for four intelligence agencies, including the inspectors general for the Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2011, after being alerted to Tsarnaev's increasing radicalization by Russian intelligence officials, an FBI case agent did not pursue a number of investigative avenues, the report said.
The FBI case agent ``did not attempt to elicit certain information during interviews of Tsarnaev and his parents, including information about Tsarnaev's plans to travel to Russia, changes in lifestyle, or knowledge of and sympathy for militant separatists in Chechnya and Dagestan,'' the report said.
Tsarnaev's case agent told inspector general investigators that the results of his initial review -- which included "drive-bys'' of his home in Cambridge and interviews with him and his parents -- did not justify further steps such as interviewing his wife or visiting his mosque.
The case agent, who is not identified in the report, ``did not know why he did not ask about travel plans to Russia,'' the report said.
The report rebutted public comments by FBI and other law enforcement officials that greater knowledge of Tsarnaev's activities would have changed the outcome, but it did not criticize officials' handling of the case.
"We believe it is impossible to know what would have happened if different judgements had been made,'' the inspectors general said.
In response to the findings about the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security official said that procedures for sharing information within the Boston task forces and others like it country, which are all operated by the FBI, have been modified to require that all such information-sharing be done more formally -- to avoid simply relying on a verbal notification.
"Now it will be [documented], as a result of all of this," a Department of Homeland Security official told the Globe Thursday.
A separate report by the House Committee on Homeland Security, released several weeks ago, confirmed that records showed that the Customs and Border Protection officer in Boston viewed an alert when Tsarnaev purchased a one-way ticket to Russia in 2011 – and again about six months later when he purchased a one-way ticket back the United States six months later. But officials have consistently been unable to explain how that information was handled within the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The New York Times Wednesday night -- based on briefings from unnamed law enforcement sources -- reported that the Obama administration intelligence review largely exonerated the FBI.
But the report paints a picture that reinforces many aspects of the House Committee on Homeland Security report, including communications gaps and missed opportunities.
A number of missed opportunities to scrutinize Tsarnaev's increased radicalism came to light in the weeks after the April 15 double bombing, which killed three people and wounded 260. Tsarnaev who was killed in a shootout with police in the days after the bombing; his younger brother, Dzhokhar, who was captured while hiding in a trailered boat in a residential Watertown driveway, is awaiting federal trial.
The FBI interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 after receiving warnings about his turn toward radical Islam from Russian intelligence officials. The agency's investigation resulted in Tsarnaev being cleared of suspicion, although his name and other information about him -- including requests that he be detained for questioning if he traveled abroad -- were included on government computers.
In another finding of the Obama administration intelligence report, according to the Homeland Security official, investigators identified "a pretty substantive gap" in the ability of those government computers to recognize names written in Cyrillic, the alphabet used in the Russian language.
The Globe previously reported that several references to Tsarnaev in government databases were spelled differently, possibly preventing more scrutiny of his activities in the months leading up to the bombings.
"The technologies we use as it relate to name recognition needed to be improved to include languages such as Cyrillic," the official said.
Throughout the day on Thursday congressional members and aides, including many from the Massachusetts delegation, were being briefed on the classified version of the Obama administration intelligence report.
As members emerged, they would not discuss in detail what was presented. But several said they were concerned after hearing about some of the intelligence gaps in the months before the marathon bombing, as well as a persistent problem of sharing information between federal authorities and local law enforcement officials.
"Troubling," said Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, a Brookline Democrat, summarizing his reaction after a morning briefing.
"Given the gaps in the system that were exposed, are there things we can do to actually plug those holes?" he asked. "And are we taking sufficient steps to plug those holes?"
Representative Stephen F. Lynch, a Democrat from South Boston, had similar concerns about "gaps in the communication of information."
"There were missed opportunities," he said as he emerged from an afternoon briefing.
He said that he believes the FBI has accepted the need to change its culture by including recommendations that encourage wider sharing of information with local law enforcement authorities, a frequent complaint from Boston police in the aftermath of the attack.
Still, Lynch said it "remains to be seen" whether the FBI is truly committed or merely paying lip service.
Representative Bill Keating, a Bourne Democrat who has emerged as one of the harshest critics of the FBI, said the report underscores the need for changing procedures within the intelligence community.
He also casts a harsh light on the FBI claim that they needed more information from Russia in order to continue its investigation into Tsarnaev.
"If the United States of America becomes dependent on Russia for its domestic security information, we're in a lot of trouble," Keating said.
"The FBI has said if we knew everything we knew now back then, we still would have done the same thing," Keating added. "And I couldn't disagree with that more. There is a great need for change."
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was also in the briefing, declined several requests for an interview. Her spokeswoman released a statement acknowledging that Warren received the briefing and saying that she urged federal officials to expedite the public release of their findings.
President Obama has not seen the report, according to White House press secretary Jay Carney.
The White House, as they have from the first days after the bombing, mostly defended the FBI's handling of the case. Acting on what he called "limited information provided by the Russian government," Carney said the FBI investigated Tsarnaev and did not find any terrorism activity.
After the attacks, Carney said, the Russians were cooperative.
"The U.S. and Russia have a shared interest in preventing terrorist attacks and a history of close cooperation," he told reporters traveling with Obama to Austin, Tex. "Following the attack in Boston, we received cooperation from the Russian government in the investigation."
Also Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security released a separate internal report that lauded the efforts of federal and state agencies for their response to the April 15 bombings that killed three and wounded 260, saying the Boston's preparedness for mass casualty events is a model for the country.
The report almost completely avoids any discussion about whether the attacks could have been prevented, focusing instead on the response of federal, state, and local agencies after the attacks occurred.
The 19-page report uses the word "success" three times, but never mentions the word "failure." It doesn't deal with some of the gaps in intelligence, or some of the potential missed opportunities to apprehend Tsarnaev during his travels to and from Russia.
While it recommends better communication between federal and state authorities, it does little to document some of the earlier miscommunications. It also does not address Governor Deval Patrick's decision to take an unprecedented security step and ask the Boston area to "shelter in place" during a manhunt for the Tsarnaev brothers. The request essentially shut down the City of Boston for a full day.
"The City of Boston was well positioned to respond to emergency situations given the significant planning, exercises, and training focused on similar, large-scale, complex events it had undertaken in recent years," the report read.
"The Boston Marathon was unique in many ways due to the response assets on hand, first responder personnel on site, and longstanding personal relationships that were relied upon," the report added.
The report notes several areas for improvement. The DHS reviewed its name-matching capabilities, for example, to improve its ability to detect variations of names derived from a wide range of languages.Bryan Bender can be reached at email@example.com. Matt Viser of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.


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Larimer Street, circa 2008
(photo courtesy Denver History Tours, 2008)
It was called the Skyline Urban Renewal Project. What most politicians and elected officials celebrated as "progress as promised" back in the 1960s, was viewed with skepticism by regular Denverites. The successful proposal flattened most of Denver's historic core for new structures, using Federal dollars, and therefore bypassing any need for the use of local tax money. The result was a shiny new downtown we enjoy today. But much was lost. The heartache historians feel is somewhat tempered by what we managed to save. The fight to save even one block was a monumental task which required vision and foresight. Such vision was necessary in order to see past the blighted building exteriors and see a vibrant urban setting consisting of some of the city's earliest structures (see comparisons above between 1960 and 2008). What we know today as Larimer Square was the result of one woman's tenacity and therefore, we thank Dana Crawford for her efforts. Still, if only we could have saved more. We only have pictures to remind us of our past, but if economics and politics had been different back in the 1960s and 1970s, our downtown would look much different today. Larimer Square was a big gamble and really marked an awakening in Denver for historic preservation. The area was declared Colorado's first historic district back in 1971. While we celebrate Larimer Square, few realize the tremendous built environment that was lost, not only on Larimer Street, but throughout downtown. It's no coincidence that one can find old buildings north of 20th Street, similar to those in the 1400 block of Larimer. The urban renewal line stretched up to that street. It's taken 40 years, but today, even those buildings north or 20th are starting to be renovated. Let's take a look back at a few pictures of the old "Larimer Square", to understand the difficult proposition faced at that time of saving even one block of this 'derelict' street.
This picture, circa 1960, shows that Larimer Street was suffereing the effects of urban neglect as those who could continued to depopulate downtown. Larimer was by this time, a collection of "eclecticism", or as others saw it, a kind of skid row, full of bars, porno shops, vice, drugs, pawn shops, and second or third tier retail. When urban renewal tried to erase this urban neighborhood, much of this "vice" moved to East Colfax Avenue.
Most of the structures on Larimer date from the 1880s and 1890s, other than the modern structures which have filled in the gaps. Can you find the modern buildings today? Two of the most interesting buildings on the street are the stunning Second Empire style Lincoln Hall, and the oldest structure on the street, the 1873 Gallup-Stanbury Building. Both are seen below:
A Victorian style of archicture, known as Second Empire, is exhibited at Lincoln Hall. This style, once more prevalent downtown, is now quite rare in Denver. (photo courtesy Denver History Tours, 2008)
Who knew that The Market is housed in the oldest structure in Larimer Square? (photo courtesy Denver History Tours, 2008)
The splendid 1882 Granite Building, also known as the Clayton Building for its builders. This picture is circa 1950. This building once housed the McNamara Drygoods Company, the predecessor to the Denver Drygoods Company.
This shows the same structure circa 1970. Notice the occupant of the lowest level. The Flick is assumed to be an adult movie house. This building sits on the site of William Larimer's first cabin in Denver. He founded the city on November 22, 1858. (Photo Credit: Brettell, Richard R. Historic Denver: 1858-1893, Denver, p. 204.)
A True Survivor: The Granite Building, circa 2008
(photo courtesy Denver History Tours, 2008)
This photo, circa 1960, is quite a jewel. It shows the 1600 Block of Larimer. To see the same block today, click here. Imagine if all of Larimer Street had been preserved! This would be some of the hottest property downtown today. One piece from this photo survives however. Take a look at the Manhattan Restaurant at 1633 Larimer. In front of it is a cherub statue, which welcomes visitors to Denver. For reasons unknown, this little remnant was preserved.
Located in the Courtyard of the Bear and the Bull in the rear of the Kettle Arcade on Larimer Square, we can revel in one piece of Denver's past, still welcoming all to the city. That smiling gentleman is the owner of Denver History Tours--Kevin Pharris!
(photo courtesy of Denver History Tours, 2008)
To learn more about the history of the individual buildings on Larimer Square, click here.
I generally concentrate on one block or the side of one block to coordinate best with DenverInfill.com However, for the purposes of Larimer Square's history, this current blog used the east side of Block 45 and the west side of Block 70. Click to learn more about the current state of these blocks at DenverInfill.com
Unless stated otherwise, all historic photos are from the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection.
UPDATE: Many of you have written in concerning the The Flick movie theater located in Granite Building during the 1960s. I had assumed it might be an adult movie house because the picture I have appears to show drawings of scantily clad women in its windows. However, the consensus seems to be that The Flick was an artsy type movie house. It sounds like it was the Mayan Theater of the day. Therefore, we will err on the side of those who were actually there at The Flick! However, newspaper ads from this era do indeed show that there were numerous adult movie houses not only in the areas of lower downtown but upper downtown as well.

subset: commoncrawl


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There are few greater pleasures than coming home to a place you love and where you feel loved. And, as Jane Austen once wrote in a letter when she was moving home, 'you don't love a place any the less for having suffered in it.'
Moving house, they say, is one of the greatest sources of stress. Instinctively we are settlers rather than nomads - the desire for change and variety is almost as strong in some people. It depends on how you handle it. Moving can be a great, rejuvenating life teaching, especially in the Easter season. We are moving our Meditatio Community house after Easter to another part of London so we are theologizing this week from experience at a very domestic level. Packing, sorting, throwing out, prioritizing, remembering, letting go and moving on.
The community is composed of Benedictine Oblates of The World Community for Christian Meditation some of whom spend their year's novitiate there and others who make a longer commitment. Daily life revolves around the times of prayer and the work is hospitality and the contemplative teaching mission of the worldwide community. Community is built on the same experience that every change of home involves. To join a community means to move from a familiar base to a new one and to undergo a process of settling in. Only with time and repetition does the strange become reassuringly familiar: angles at which furniture is arranged, corners of rooms, wobbly lights or creaky stairs.
The member of a community like someone getting married has to 'hate father and mother' – in other words separate from them at a radical level - for the sake of the new way of life they are beginning. One home dies by receding into the archives of memory and another is born. Or at the deeper level, perhaps the self we are dies and rises again in this physical and psychological process. Most of us have more than one home during our life but through this eternal cycle of losing and finding we understand where we really have come from and where we are really going.
By the end of life no one has not known death. Everyone will have suffered, lost and found, loved and lost. Maybe the birth canal is the primal way of the cross. So the Cross – the moving from the old and familiar - is relatively easy to understand and identify with. For some Christians it is so meaningful and powerful a symbol that they say 'it is enough'. It is universal. It gives dignity and beauty to human suffering which can so often seem humiliating and sordid. The Resurrection places more demands on us. It stretches our imagination beyond what we recognise and even makes the act of recognition something strange and wonderful.
To get at the full meaning of suffering and of life and death itself we have to combine the perspectives of the Cross and the Resurrection. This is more than even the best mind can do alone. If the disciples could not recognise the risen Jesus because they had not used all their powers of perception, why should we? This Holy Week we are webcasting the talks of the Bere Island retreat and we are playing with the bandwidth and hoping that the broadband speed is fast enough. So our minds and hearts have to be stretched to their capacity to reach their full potential and to see what is really there.
I met a man once in a cavernous school building he had spent some nightmarish years. I realised he was still trapped in the worst of those dark days of bullying and assault. He needed to die to them and to move his things to a new place where he could feel alive. The cross we carry every day is not meant to last forever.
In his death Jesus moved house (as we all will). In his Resurrection He passed from a world where we could sit and break bread and drink wine with him around the kitchen table and talk about yesterday and tomorrow to a more unfamiliar world where we break bread and drink wine in order to see him in the present within and among us. The oddness of his new home is that he has taken up a dwelling 'in us' and so touches us awake in dimensions of our humanity where we had not realised we could even exist. The new home he has moved to is the place we are looking for in our lifelong search for home and security, for love and belonging. The cross of dying and letting go is the way; so, equally, is the rising to life that can frighten us even more because it bursts all boundaries.
Laurence Freeman OSB
The World Community for Christian Meditation, of which Laurence Freeman OSB is director, has recently opened a new outreach program – "Meditatio" (www.wccmmeditatio.org)


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Saturday, 29 October 2005
The History of Tampons
All of my female readers will know what I mean when I say that tampons are perhaps the best invention for women ever! (Male readers with sisters, live-in girlfriends and wives will also have a good understanding too of why I say this...). Apparently the ancient Egyptians first invented the disposable tampon - theirs was made out of papyrus, ouch! I did some research on the history of tampons and came up with the following interesting links:
Tampons through history
An essay on tampons in American history
The all-American tampon.
The Museum of Menstruation (and it's not only open for 4 days a month!) Fascinating!
And an interesting review of the aforementioned museum...
12 comments:
- Farah said...
No discussion though of the whole history of applicators. I remember vividly being mocked by other girls at school for using Lillets (OBs in the US) instead of Tampax because (horror) you had to use your own fingers to get them into place. You had to [indrawn breath] touch yourself.
- Saturday, 29 October, 2005
- Alterior said...
TAMPAX have a non-applicator version too. They cunningly package them in lovely little sweetie-like boxes but they are still not preferred. I personally feel the applicator ones are the best - the others are too messy, although amusing to insert.
- Saturday, 29 October, 2005
- John Doom said...
Ewww. Alterior, why did ya have to do this one? I'd still like to believe girls don't poop.
Awww, now I'm all grossed out.
- Sunday, 30 October, 2005
- Farah said...
It's much easier to get a non-applicator tampon into place. I had terrible trouble with the applicator ones. "Mess" is what I mean: why is this "messy"? It's just blood and there is a tap over there...
- Sunday, 30 October, 2005
- Perdita said...
Oh man
Now you've done it. The subject is okay, but the forum is too much.
Way to chase off the male faction of your readers.
ps. I know women who have little terrycloth liners made to attach to their knickers. Now I know they are just being old school...not all earth-nugety and gross.
- Monday, 31 October, 2005
- TW said...
Hey now, I think it is a fab topic.
- Tuesday, 01 November, 2005
- Wealthy from the internet said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Wednesday, 02 November, 2005
Alterior, I wondered if you were thinking of sinking your teeth into the historical inacurracies of the BBC/HBO 'Rome'; not being a specialist in ancient history I was still shocked to see how many mistakes the programme racked up in the first episode. It made the 'Asterix' books look like models of authenticity.
- Tuesday, 08 November, 2005
- Lynne Murray said...
Re tampons--warning--"Girls" room memory...boys may wish to skip.
One of the difficulties of being initiated into tampons is that they are not always immediately user-friendly. I draw a veil for the squirming male reader over the horrific memory of being stuck in high school restroom stall, having inserted the applicator tube, which settled in comfortably (and uselessly). The tampon itself, unlike its nonapplicator cousins, suffered from immediate erectile dysfunction once out of its cardboard sleeve. So the problems were suddenly multiplied: staunching the flow, removing the applicator tube (no easy task, as it had no string), and resisting the desire to send the useless tampon to the manufacturer with an extremely negative product feedback note.
- Friday, 11 November, 2005
- Another Damned Medievalist said...
*** possible TMI disclaimer ***
There was a great discussion on this at BitchPhD's recently -- I hadn't realized how harmful to the environment are the chemicals they use to bleach most tampons, with or without applicators (and let's not even talk about the plastic ones -- how horrendous are they?). There are now tampons made of organic, unbleached cotton available, but Bitch swears by sea sponges, which I would think predate the papyrus?
Plus, one can have sex with them in ...
- Friday, 02 December, 2005
- Another Damned Medievalist said...
***More TMI ***
*laughing at images of 'touch myself'* the last time I was here was when Sharon at EMN linked to the history of dildoes
Also, cat lovers may note that some cats think that the old, battered but still unused tampon in the bottom of one's purse -- the one with the wrap half-off and the string loose? It looks like a toy mouse.
- Friday, 02 December, 2005
- candy said...
Thanks Alterior, I am doing research for my art class and my topic was eary egyptian tampons! Well, among other things but this I found the least info on till I got to your page. Again, Thanks, Candy
- Monday, 06 February, 2006


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By Andria Cheng
Office Depot Inc.'s merger with smaller rival OfficeMax in November created a $17 billion business and more than 2,200 stores worldwide, and has made it a bigger No. 2 compared to industry giant Staples Inc. But the increase in size for now doesn't look to stop the growing industry headwinds thrown its way.
Office Depot /quotes/zigman/236952/delayed /quotes/nls/odp ODP , in its first earnings call that reflected impacts of the OfficeMax merger, saw its shares sliding 12% to $4.69 on Tuesday after the combined company reported an unexpected fourth-quarter adjusted loss and disappointing sales. Its full-year outlook also missed expectations, and Office Depot warned the sales challenge would offset some of the expense leverage it had expected from increased cost savings.
Chief Executive Roland Smith, hired after the merger because of his track record in corporate turnaround and integration, said despite the challenges, he's "optimistic" that management "can significantly improve and transform Office Depot's competitive position and build a strong and growing business."
"I've been leading companies for over 15 years and have led six significant turnarounds and two mergers," he said on a conference call, referring to his stints at companies including supermarket conglomerate Delhaize America, LLC and fast-food chain Wendy's. "I've learned from experience what works and what doesn't. While (fourth-quarter) results were clearly disappointing, they shouldn't be a big surprise."
Smith said in his first 100 days at the company, he's settled on making the headquarters Boca Raton, Fl., Office Depot's original home base, hired a new finance chief, trimmed management layers and cut corporate headcount by 35%. The company identified more than $600 million in annualized cost savings by 2016 that will come from a better negotiating power with vendors, combined advertising purchase and other things. Office Depot also has hired a consulting firm to study its real estate strategy to determine the potential number of store closings. He's also filling two newly created positions including a president of North America and a chief strategy and innovation officer.
The office supplies industry has been hurt by lower computer sales and changing workplace behavior, such as board directors using iPads to review documents instead of printed copies, as well as by competition from online sellers led by Amazon /quotes/zigman/63011/delayed /quotes/nls/amzn AMZN , analysts have said. Staples /quotes/zigman/78299/delayed /quotes/nls/spls SPLS is expected to report its fourth-quarter results on March 6.
For now, the proof is still in the pudding for what Smith described as a "transformational merger."
"The benefits of the integration will remain somewhat muted in the near term," said Citigroup analyst Kate McShane.
— Andria Cheng
— Follow her on Twitter @AndriaCheng
More news from Behind the Storefront:
Home Depot sees smaller housing-market tailwind
Investors want to see Jos. A. Bank ditch Eddie Bauer, marry Men's Wearhouse
Augmented reality books, Siri-like teddy bears will compete for holiday toy sales
Most retailers on sideline despite Obama's nudge to raise minimum wage


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User talk:Kbjorgensen
From Openmoko
Hi, I had to rollback the index page. For not every new page will put on right category. But new page will put on this page routinely.
Previous comment does not make sense to me. If it is a reply to Template_talk:Hardware, I suggest it should be placed on the same page. MinhHaDuong 08:12, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
- It seems coolcat reverted alot of my work on the index page. It also seems coolcat doesn't think new articles will be put in the right categories and that the index page will be better updated manually.
- I think you're wrong, coolcat. I'd argue that it's easier to add pages to categories, it's easier to maintain and gives more possibilities. I'll admit that the index page wasn't quite perfect yet, but it was getting there and it was already better than before.
- I'm going to put my page back and i think this discussion is better suited on the article's own talk page as this shouldn't be about me, but about the article itself. Coolcat, i would very much like to hear your comments and arguments and even more so from other people, to determine if i'm the only one with this opinion.
- --KB Jørgensen 12:24, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
- There advantage and disadvantage with use


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Studio Session: Big K.R.I.T. & 9th Wonder Working On "Reign On"
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Much of the following has been taken from 'Kintyre - The Hidden Past' by Angus Martin.
"Destitution, Disease and Death." I modified the texts slightly as they are sometimes far from easy to read.
But the book is extremely interesting and goes everywhere with me !
With many of my ancestry timelines, I try, when possible, to add aspects relative to national events, environment or even period costumes..., in order to get a better perception of the life and times of the person being researched. However, the following was to upset my 'frilly vision' of summer hats, long dresses and trimmings that go towards a 'clean-living' society and a healthy environment... Little did I know !
Pig-Keeping :
The keeping of pigs in south Kintyre, (Doories or Doorkies) - occupied a special role in Campbeltown's domestic economy for hundreds of years.
The custom proved very difficult to break because pigs were not merely food and income for the population, but in many households, they were also treated as pets and gained the favour and affection from the children.
A great many pigs enjoyed complete freedom and like the dogs, prowled the town as they pleased. No doubt they performed a useful service as scavengers but the quantity of dung they dropped through the streets must have been great, and as great a nuisance.
The number of pigs kept in the town on one count alone had been calculated at between 1500 and 2000.
Amusing :
Pigs often met with fatal accidents while falling from first or second floor windows; and a story about one particular Campbeltown woman who kept a massive boar in her attic became the talk of the town. One day, its head was seen peering out of an attic window by a passer-by. Fascinated, he asked the woman how she had managed to get it up all the stairs. "Up the stairs" she exclaimed..., "he's never been doon the stairs" she added !
In 1835 at Dalintober, pigs were allowed to be kept in the houses of the poorer inhabitants and could be seen revelling in all the luxury of accumulated mud and filth upon the road; and a few minutes later, they'd be enjoying themselves stretched out before a log fire with their filthy carcasses steaming perspiration and effluent.
Also, the free-ranging pigs of Dalintober relished 'pottle'! (pot-ale, or the effluent from the first distillation of whisky) They'd be seen frequently indulging themselves at the Pottle Hole, a sandy basin in the Mussel Ebb, opposite Princes Street. Dalintober distilleries had the habit of discharging their waste into this stream, which welled up at the Hole and the pigs would wander in for a drink.
In October 1853, the appearance of cholera in Kintyre had been anticipated and precautions began to be enforced. On the 26th of that month, a special meeting of the parochial board was convened at which an 'active and efficient' committee was appointed.
That committee met the following day and began its preparations. An 'Inspector of Cleansing' was chosen; the town and parish was divided into districts with a supervisory committee appointed to each district; and a depot was created from which supplies of free lime were to be issued to the poor. (to be used for washing their houses)
Medicines for bowel complaints were, by arrangement with the town 'druggists' to be given free, not only to the poor but also to any person whose ability to pay was doubtful. A proclamation was then issued 'calling upon the inhabitants to cleanse and purify their houses and premises.'
By the 1st of February 1854 - with the community gripped fast in the epidemic and already 17 deaths - the cleaning of the burgh was well advanced; but the scale of the operation had been overwhelming and as such, certain aspects still remained unfinished.
More than 700 cartloads of dung had been removed from the town and numerous derelict buildings cleared out and bricked up.
Two medical officers had been employed at the remarkable fee of two guineas each per day and a soup kitchen had been established with the happiest results.
Legal action had been taken against no fewer than 24 individuals for the non-removal of swine and pigsties.
The custom continued in Campbeltown ! In 1866, Mary McMillan or McKinven - "a widow presently in the custody of the police" - was charged that she "did keep swine in the house occupied by her as a dwelling-house in, or near the lane between Kirk Street and Shore Street."
However, short memories followed the epidemics, with the council withdrawing from suggestions that "poor people should be compelled to put away their pigs or cows." Reasoning that their removal would take away a principal stimulus to industry and the economy for the poorer classes.
That argument was echoed more than 60 years on in 1911, when Peter McGown in Dalaruan, appeared at court on a charge of "keeping in the vicinity of his dwelling-house, sixteen pigs which are a nuisance and an annoyance to the inhabits of the neighbourhood." The case provoked an angry response from one A. McLeod, who claimed victimisation in the action. His letter to the Campbeltown court was headed...
"Man's inhumanity to man":
It went on...
"These two poor old people have been in the habit of keeping a number of pigs for years back, and no one has ever objected to the 'intolerable nuisance' caused by the swine until one or two extra fastidious personages got anchored in Dalaruan; and their patrician code of morality did not include the herding of swine in their immediate environment. Now, when these apostles of sanitation have succeeded in taking away the means of livelihood from these poor old folk, what steps are they going to take to help them eke out an existence, precarious at all times, but more so now than ever.
The practice of Campbeltown pig keeping lingered on in the domestic economy of Campbeltown until WW2.
Longrow : I distinctly remember my Granny Black,(father; Robert MacFarlane McArthur and living at Dalaruan as a butcher) preciously separating household waste. Not for ecological reasons as we do today, but in order to give it to the man climbing the stairs with a 'swill-bin' over his shoulder to feed the familys' pigs behind the Low Askomil Road...


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Delphia 24 One Design - An agile race-designed yacht approved by sailing professionals
The concept for the Delphia 24 One Design was devised in association with the Polish Regatta Society and is unique insofar that it was designed from the ground up to meet a specific requirement for speed and superlative nautical properties.
The responsibility of meeting this demanding criteria was the task of world-renowned nautical designer, Andrzej Skrzat.
This yacht combines the major characteristics of two types of vessel –a swing-keel recreational craft and a pure-bred racing yacht, perfect for training and regattas.
Chief characteristics comprise quick responsiveness, maneuverability and ease of use.
Its excellent durability derives from the hull being constructed using the vacuum laminate infusion method using only the best composite materials. The advanced construction of the hull meets the standards for YSI (Yacht Structural Integrity) integrated structuring and guarantees the planing capabilities of the Delphia 24 OD.


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Officials say they look for people who can sing, dance and act.
Auditions for the 2013 Medora Musical will be held in Bismarck and the Fargo area this coming weekend.
StageWest Entertainment and the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation say the auditions will be Saturday at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bismarck and Sunday at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.
The Medora Musical is an outdoor musical variety show held each summer in the Burning Hills Amphitheatre in the western North Dakota Badlands. Twelve singers are cast each season. Officials say they look for people who can sing, dance and act.
Director Curt Wollan says the musical through the years has been able to draw exceptional talent from the Upper Midwest and Canada.


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Pad Thai literally means "Thai fry," and it's the dish many foreigners think of first when they think about Thai food. It's a satisfying one-dish noodle stir-fry, dry rather than sauced, and full of different isolated flavors that come together in a balance of salty, sour, and sweet. There are salty peanuts, soft pieces of cooked egg, a little succulent pork, and seared pressed tofu, all scattered throughout pan-seared thin rice noodles. Once you have your ingredients prepared, your cooking time is less than six minutes.
If serving guests classic pad Thai from a platter, chopsticks or tongs are easiest for the job. Or invite everyone to use chopsticks to serve themselves. As they eat, guests can flavor their portions as they wish with assorted condiments set out on the table, whether a squeeze of lime, a sprinkling of more chopped peanuts, bean sprouts, and a drizzle of chile-vinegar sauce.–Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
LC Legitimate Noodles Note
There are a lot of pad Thai recipes out there. Wait. Let us rephrase that. There are a lot of Americanized, pathetic, imposter pad Thai recipes out there. Not this one. You'll find no sham ingredients such as ketchup or peanut butter here, nor will you find any sidestepping of classic ingredients such as fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind, or tofu. (The recipe does cede that arguably scary-sounding salted radishes and dried shrimp are, indeed, optional and offers similar substitutions.) Any way you make it, this recipe is the closest we've found to actual pad Thai during our decades-long quest–and we've tried a lot of recipes. One aspect of authenticity not noted in this recipe? The tradition of not breaking the uncooked rice noodles, which come tightly wound in loops and packaged in plastic. This stems from the belief of many Asian cultures that the longer the noodle, the longer one's potential longevity. As if we needed an excuse to tuck into these nifty noodles more often than we already do….
Classic Pad Thai
- Quick Glance
- Serves 3 to 4
- 1/2 pound narrow dried rice noodles
- 2 ounces boneless pork, thinly sliced and cut into narrow strips about 1 1/2 inches long
- 1 teaspoon sugar (preferably palm sugar although light brown or granulated will work just fine)
- 1 heaping tablespoon tamarind pulp dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water (or substitute 1 tablespoon rice vinegar plus 1 tablespoon water)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 large eggs
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil or mild vegetable oil
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 ounces firm tofu, cut into narrow strips about 1 1/2 inches long
- 1/2 pound (a scant 4 cups) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- 3 scallions, trimmed, smashed with the flat side of a knife and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
- 1 tablespoon salted radish (optional)
- 1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 to 4 tablespoons cilantro leaves (optional)
- Chile-Vinegar Sauce
- 1 lime, cut into small wedges
- 1. Soak the rice noodles in very, very warm water for 20 minutes.
- 2. Meanwhile, place the pork in a small bowl, add the sugar, and toss to coat. In a medium bowl, combine the tamarind water (or rice vinegar and water), soy sauce, and fish sauce. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and a pinch of salt. Place all three bowls near the stovetop.
- 3. Place a large wok or ginormous skillet over high heat. (You need a large wok to prepare this amount of noodles, as the noodles take up a lot of room, and you need to be able to push some ingredients up the sides of the wok while you cook other ingredients. If your wok is small, make this recipe in two batches.) Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil to the pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly just until it begins to change color, about 15 seconds. Toss in the pork and stir-fry until the strips change color but aren't cooked through, 1 minute or less. Add the tofu and press it against the sides of the wok with your spatula to scorch it a little, 10 to 20 seconds. Pour in the egg mixture and let it cook just until it starts to set around the pork and tofu, less than a minute. Use your spatula to cut the omelet into large pieces, then transfer everything to a plate and set aside.
- 4. Return the wok to high heat. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat. Toss the drained noodles into the wok and stir-fry vigorously, pressing them against the hot wok briefly to sear them, then turn them and press them against the side of the wok again. The noodles will initially seem dry and unwieldy, but don't worry, just keep folding them over and pressing them onto the wok — after about 1 minute, they will have softened more and be warm. Move the noodles up the sides of the wok and toss in 2 to 2 1/2 cups of the bean sprouts and the scallions. Stir-fry vigorously for about 20 seconds, pressing them against the hot wok and turning them so they wilt. Add the dried shrimp and salted radish, if using, and toss briefly with your spatula, then add the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry for about another 30 seconds, gradually incorporating noodles into the bean sprout mixture. Add the reserved egg-meat mixture and toss gently to mix everything together.
- 5. Turn the noodles out onto a platter or onto individual plates. Sprinkle some of the chopped peanuts onto the noodles, then place the rest of the peanuts in a bowl as a condiment to be passed on the side so folks can add extra as they wish. Do the same with the cilantro. Place the remaining bean sprouts in a bowl and set them on the table. Pass the Chile-Vinegar Sauce and the lime wedges.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.


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Oranjestad, 18 April, 2013 - We live in a three-speed economic world, according to the International Monetary Fund. Nations that enjoy the fastest growth include China, India and other emerging countries. Moving at a moderate pace are the United States, finally seeing the light at the end of the 2008 financial crisis tunnel, and Japan, riding a resurgence thanks to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's vow for a 2% inflation target. But economic growth across most of Europe is still growing at a crawl.
Earlier this month, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, said this current three-speed world is setting up financial imbalances that could pave the way for future crises. And just this week, against this backdrop of divergent growth rates, the IMF cut world economic growth for 2013 from 3.5% to 3.3%.
But Olivier Blanchard, IMF chief economist, told CNN's Richard Quest that there is reason to be hopeful.
"The reason to be optimistic is to look at what has happened in the U.S. For a while, the question was 'Where is growth going to come from?'. And what you see is nearly 100 flowers blooming," Blanchard said.
"People are becoming more optimistic. The fact that there was no housing construction means that we don't have enough houses, so housing is doing well. Monetary policy is aggressive. People believe it. Banks are improving."
A recent report by Case-Shiller says U.S. home prices are slowly returning to normal, with a prediction that average home prices will rise an average of 3.3% through September 2017. U.S unemployment fell to 7.6% in March, its lowest since December 2008, although much of the fall that month was attributed to attrition in the number of people looking for jobs.
The question, adds Blanchard, is how Europe can stage a U.S.-style recovery despite a crisis in confidence across much of the Continent. Record unemployment in the eurozone -- at 12% in February -- means about 19 million people are jobless. Nearly one in four of those unemployed are under 25.
"If you look in Europe -- in particular core Europe -- what you see is people don't have any hope and so what they do is they don't spend, and firms don't invest and banks don't lend," said Blanchard. "And it just feeds on itself. Now if they had confidence, they would spend more, firms would invest more, banks would do more and we could have growth. It can happen but the point is how do we make it happen?"
Blanchard says the only tool that remains is monetary policy -- a cut to interest rates. Yet, despite warnings from IMF chief Christine Lagarde and prominent American economist Nouriel Roubini, theEuropean Central Bank has left rates unchanged since July 2012, with the benchmark rate standing pat at 0.75%.
"We have to use all the tools we have," said Blanchard. "The tool which remains is monetary policy. Has it gone too far? I don't think it's too far. There are some risks associated...but my sense is the benefits far exceed the risks or the cost."
Source: http://edition.cnn.com


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Austin, TXUSA
June 19, 2017
No introduction yet
Austin Sierra Club (local branch of the Sierra Club) holds outings for outdoor activities: hiking, camping, biking, backpacking, kayaking, community service projects, and more. These include local one-day events to greenbelts and natural areas, weekend trips to state parks, as well as weeklong trips to national parks.
All participants must sign our Sign-In Sheet and Liability Waiver before joining one of our outings. You are strongly urged to add your cell phone and emergency contact numbers on the sheet, for your safety. More information is needed for overnight trips.
Although it's not necessary to participate in our events, we encourage you to join the Sierra Club (in addition to the Meetup group), and support our efforts to protect the environment.
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Her Turn
"Matt blames me because he had to give up his dream of graduating from West Point," said Julie, a 26-year-old, stay-at-home mom. "Cadets have to be single. So when we found out I was pregnant Matt's freshman year and decided to get married, he had to drop out. He complained bitterly about it for the first two years of our marriage. Now he no longer gripes, he just avoids me. He's out late every night with his work buddies. Half the time he comes home at 2 a.m.!"
"I'm so sad that we've ended up like this. We used to be so much in love. We'd been dating a year when Matt got his acceptance letter to West Point. I was a junior in high school and he was a senior. We'd already talked about our future — how he'd become an Army officer, I'd be a teacher, and we'd raise our children in exotic places all over the world.
"Then, when he was home for Christmas break, we were careless and had sex without a condom. Shortly after he returned to school, I missed my period. When I broke the news to Matt that I was pregnant, he was great. He didn't even want to consider an abortion or adoption. He said he loved the baby and me more than he loved West Point. He immediately asked me to marry him, and I said yes.
"When I told my parents (Mom is a full-time homemaker; Dad is a lawyer), they were supportive, but I know they were also disappointed. They wished I had waited to start a family till after I graduated from college like my older sister. Matt's parents were really upset about his dropping out of West Point. His dad, now an insurance salesman, used to be in the Army himself; his mom is a high-school receptionist.
"Matt and I had a simple family wedding following my high school graduation. I was 17, and he was 18. Megan was born three months later, just before Matt started at a state college nearby. My parents made an apartment for us in their basement and helped us with finances. I thought everything would be fine.
"I couldn't have been more wrong. As I sat home alone taking care of the baby day after day, I had a sinking feeling that I was never going to fulfill my dream of going to college and becoming a teacher. My friends from high school were doing well in college and talking about summer internships and job opportunities. All I could think was that I'd be stuck alone in this apartment for the next 18 years taking care of a kid.
"That's why it infuriated me so much when Matt would start in on how much he hated his life. He was majoring in finance and was good at it, but he was depressed because he was working toward a career that he didn't want. He was constantly telling me he'd rather be at West Point. When I'd tell him that I had to give up my dreams, too, he'd say that some day I could still become a teacher, but his dream of graduating from West Point was dead forever.
"This same argument continued until Megan was 2 years old. Then one night at dinner, I told him that since all we ever did was remind each other how we had screwed up each other's lives, we might as well get divorced. Matt's reaction stunned me. He said he loved me and wanted to make things work. He promised that he would put West Point behind him and focus on earning a good living for us. And then he told me he wanted another baby. He said it would give him a sense of purpose and that he'd work hard for all of us.
"That kind of talk from the man you love — and I have always loved him in spite of everything — is hard to resist. I swear we got pregnant that same night. And he was wonderful during my pregnancy, coming home at a decent hour and helping with Megan. Within the next year, he graduated from college, landed a job on Wall Street, and our son Timothy was born.
"I wish I could tell you that the new baby worked some magic for us, but it was just the opposite. Again I was stuck at home while Matt was out with his friends until all hours. I began consoling myself with food. Before long I weighed 200 pounds. I felt ugly, was irritable, and lost all interest in sex. I think Matt and I had sex once in six months — and stupidly, we didn't use any birth control.
"You guessed it, Baby Number Three was on his way, along with more of the same fights about our lost dreams. Here I am, not even 30 years old, with a 9-year-old, a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old. I never went to college, we're still living in my parents' basement, I'm depressed and overweight, and my husband spends all his free time with his friends in bars. If you can put our marriage back together, you're a miracle worker."
His Turn
"Leaving West Point was the end of everything I had worked for from the time I was 8 years old when my parents took me to the West Point Museum," said Matt, 27, 6 feet 4 inches tall and extremely fit. "I was fascinated by military history. I knew I wanted a career in the Army. Everything I did from then on — studying hard, being in all the right extra-curricular activities, running for student government — was aimed at my getting into West Point. When I got my acceptance letter, I cried like a baby and so did my mom and dad. I'm their only child, and this meant as much to them as it did to me.
"The first thing I did after I pulled myself together was call Julie. She was ecstatic. I told her I was on the path to the life I had always dreamed of and that I wanted to take her with me. We'd start our careers and raise a family together, in that order.
"That's not how it worked out. Immediately after we had sex that day when I was home for Christmas break, I felt guilty for not using protection. But it was too late. Julie was pregnant. I was thrilled and devastated at the same time. I couldn't help but be excited about having a baby with the woman I loved. But I knew that the life I had always dreamed of was over.
"What I didn't know was that giving it up was going to haunt me. I couldn't get past the disappointment. I hated the idea of going to a normal college. And I hated that I'd be a businessman just bringing home paychecks and not having my heart in my work. Julie had no sympathy for me; she'd just throw her own situation back in my face. And she was on my case all the time about how I should spend more time at home helping her with the baby. The more she pushed, the more I backed off. I'd hang out with my friends until really late to avoid her and our arguments. Deep down I knew Julie deserved more, but I was too miserable myself to feel sorry for her.
"Just before my graduation, my guilt started to get the better of me. Julie is smart, and I wished she could be doing something with her life. Also, I knew I hadn't been a big part of my daughter's childhood. The way I had been acting had kept me from doing much with Megan. So I went home that night to talk to Julie and make some changes.
"Before I could open my mouth, Julie said she wanted a divorce. That broke my heart. I told her I would never mention West Point again, and that I'd get a good job and work hard for her and Megan. I also said I wanted us to have another baby. I know that sounds crazy, but I thought it would save our marriage.
"Bad move. We were both overjoyed when our son Timothy was born, but a new baby just made everything even more stressful for Julie. She started eating more and gained a ton of weight. Our sex life nearly disappeared. Even so, we got pregnant again.
"So now it's round three — another baby and the same old fights. Leo is a really cute kid, just like Megan and Timothy, but Julie is overwhelmed with taking care of three little ones. I can't stand listening to her complain, so I've fallen back into my old avoidance thing, staying out late and not being there for my family. I know it's wrong, but I can't stop myself. Is this marriage hopeless? Are we ever going to escape this vicious circle?"
The Counselor's Turn
"Any couple forced to deal with marriage and family when they are still teenagers faces an incredible challenge," said the counselor. "For Julie and Matt, the abrupt end of their career goals was the most crushing aspect of their circumstances. For Matt in particular, the finality of his discharge from West Point was almost unbearable.
"Unfortunately, Julie's own sense of having been cut off from a promising future, coupled with the stress of new motherhood, kept her from hearing Matt's pain.
"Although they did love one another, each one was too consumed by personal grief over lost opportunities to reach out to the other. The birth of a third child when they were still in their mid-20s and living in a basement apartment put more strain on the relationship than it could withstand. They fell right back into their old destructive habits, and Julie added a new one: overeating.
"To help them break this pattern, I spent an entire session having each of them express their disappointments while the other listened without interrupting. Matt reiterated his feelings about having to leave West Point, but he added that he was finding his Wall Street career more satisfying than he had thought and he appreciated his college degree. When he finished, Julie broke down in tears. After she gained her composure, she said that she deeply regretted never having gone to college. Matt was quiet for a long time, and then he put his arm around her. 'You're going to go to college, honey,' he said. 'We're going to make it happen somehow. And I mean now, not down the road.' She buried her head in his shoulder. Their body language was evidence that these two strong-willed and passionate people had what it took to reinvent their life together.
"That was over a year ago. I'm still seeing Julie and Matt, working with them on communicating in a calm manner instead of shouting. On their own, they established a 'time-out' strategy borrowed from the way they deal with their kids when they misbehave. If Julie begins to raise her voice when she's talking about her frustrations with taking care of the kids, Matt shakes his head as a time-out signal. Julie has learned to take a deep breath and stop herself. Then they wait a full 15 minutes before continuing the discussion. By that time, emotions have cooled and they find they can negotiate productively. For example, Julie outlined some of the ways that Matt could help with the kids, such as being in charge of baths and bedtime so Julie can have some time to herself. Matt also started being on duty one evening every two weeks so Julie could go out with her girlfriends.
"At that point, Julie started filling out college applications so she could earn a bachelor's degree in education. The plan was that both grandmothers would alternate watching the children while Julie was in class. Julie got accepted to the same college where Matt had gone. Then, right before she was supposed to start, Matt's financial firm folded in the wake of September 11th and the faltering economy. Julie and Matt had saved a reasonable amount of money while he was working, so he became a stay-at-home dad. Julie loves her classes and has been motivated to lose almost 50 pounds. Matt found that he had a great time being more involved with the children, and he began studying to get his CPA license so he could work from home."
"'We hope to buy our own home soon,' Julie says. 'We're still in my parents' basement apartment with the kids in bunk beds; when we were having such a hard time, we just weren't in the mood to search for a new home. But that's all changing now.'"
"As for Matt, he says he learned something important when he lost his job. 'West Point would have been wonderful,' he said. 'But I know now that a career isn't everything; the most important thing in life is your family. Now that I'm home more and I've had a chance to get to know my kids even better, I realize how lucky I am. I've got Julie, and I've got Megan and Timothy and Leo. I couldn't ask for anything more.'"
"Can This Marriage Be Saved?" is the most popular, most enduring women's magazine feature in the world. This month's case is based on interviews and information from the files of Flo Rosof, Ph.D., director of the Life Development Center in Huntington, New York. The story told here is true, although names and other details have been changed to conceal identities. "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation.
Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, February 2004.


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CHICAGO, IL, - Bird-X, Inc., a leader in producing humane pest and bird repellent products since 1964, is raising the bar even higher for the pest control industry, offering 'green' solutions for every pest and bird problem. Research shows that, in the long-term, teaching pests to stay away is more effective than killing pests. Plus, avoiding dangerous chemical pesticides and cruel traps is much better for the reputation of the user. It looks like 'Kill-Trap-Poison' is no longer the only industry philosophy.
The Risks of Using Pesticides and Traps:
-Exposure to chemical pesticides can result in severe illness and even death
-Chemical pesticides are especially risky when used around children and pets
-Chemical pesticides can compromise the quality/safety of items stored on the premises
-Chemical pesticides pose risks to wildlife and can cause ecological damages
-Pests become resistant to chemical pesticides over time, requiring increased usage
-Killing pests can actually result in population growth (having more food available per pest attracts pests from other areas and increases breeding rates)
-Poisoned pests often crawl into small spaces to die, leaving awful smells in unreachable areas
-Traps leave animal carcasses—or worse, injured and dying animals—on property
-Allegations of poisonings or animal cruelty are a public relations nightmare
-Poisons and traps do nothing to keep pests away…it's a never-ending battle
For the past few decades, the public has been demanding safer products and 'green' alternatives in EVERY industry. Bird-X responded by developing pest and bird control solutions that are humane, eco-friendly and extremely effective. These products protect the users' property while protecting the environment and its inhabitants as well.
'Green' Bird Control
Bird-X offers solutions for every bird problem, every area, and every budget. Exclusion bird netting is designed to protect large areas like warehouse ceilings, rafters, vineyards, and bridges. Bird spikes are ideal for protecting surfaces like rooftops, ledges, and beams. Bird Proof Gel is an almost invisible solution, ideal for high-profile surfaces like window sills, signs, or statues.
Bird-X also offers bird control products that attack the senses, using the birds' instinctual fear of predators to teach them to stay away for good. Visual scares like 3-D predator replicas are affordable options for large open areas. The Bird Blazer is the world's first indoor laser bird repellent device. Plus, Bird-X carries an extensive line of sonic (audible) devices that use bird distress calls and predator sounds to deter birds, as well as ultrasonic (silent to humans) devices that emit frequencies to keep pest birds away.
'Green' Animal Control
Nature's Defense All-Purpose Animal Repellent is a wonderful, 100% organic, non-toxic, 'green' product that is perfect for homeowners and facility managers. Scientifically tested and proven effective, Nature's Defense repellent granules create an irritant scent barrier to keep pest animals away from property (deters deer, elk, rabbits, squirrels, mice, rats, moles, chipmunks, gophers, beavers, possums, etc.).
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Re: Advanced stats/ Moneypuck
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:45 pm
Great find. its quotes like these that make me discount any excuse Burke may have had about the state of the team when he inherited it. Every GM of a cup-contending team uses advanced stats as a tool to give their team a competitive advantage - MG, Chiarelli, Holland, Bowman, probably Holmgren from the bold moves they've made.Larry Goodenough wrote:But when you hear that Chiarelli has internalized some data that he hasn't released to the public, and Burke goes off pretty convincingly against the statistics, (calling much of it "horseshit" and falsely states that "nobody has ever won a championship with Moneyball") and looking at the position of those two teams in the standings, it's apparent that there's at least some value to this.
I wonder if McPhee uses the same philosophy as Burke. Without Ovechkin falling into his lap, would the Capitals be considered cup-contenders the past couple years? He's been at a loss to get the most out of his stars, and hasn't had a ton of luck with his acquired veterans, and has ultimately taken a team boasting one of the most skilled players of all time a perennial underachiever.
One guy I'm curious about is Pittsburgh's GM Ray Shero. He's had the two superstar kids, but unlike McPhee he's made it to the Championship. However, he did that with Malkin and Crosby on ELCs, which is a massive advantage for any GM. Last year was very impressive with both injured, but this year they're being carried by Malkin having what may be a career year. And at the end of the day, Malkin + Crosby > Ovechkin + Backstrom.


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Inquiry Question
This lesson is based on the National Historic Landmark Nominations, "Robert Russa Moton High School" (with photographs), "Sumner and Monroe Elementary Schools" (with photographs), "Howard High School" (with photographs),and "John Philip Sousa Middle School" (with photographs), as well as the National Register Nomination for "Summerton High School," and the National Historic Landmark Survey theme study entitled Racial Desegregation in Public Education in the United States. Brown v. Board of Education: Five Communities that Changed America was written by Brenda Olio, former Teaching with Historic Places Historian, and Caridad de la Vega, Historian for the National Park Service National Historic Landmarks Survey. The lesson was edited by the Teaching with Historic Places staff. This lesson is one in a series that brings the important stories of historic places into the classrooms across the country.
This lesson plan is made possible by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy (VFH) as part of its African-American Heritage Program, which includes the African-American History in Virginia Grant Program, the African-American Heritage Database Project, and the African-American Heritage Trails Program, a partnership between VFH and the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Through these programs, VFH seeks to increase understanding of African-American history in Virginia; to promote research and documentation of existing African-American historic sites; to strengthen the institutions that interpret African-American history in the state; and to encourage Virginians as well as people from all parts of the nation and the world to visit these sites. For more information, contact VFH, 145 Ednam Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903-4629 or visit VFH's website.
*Special note to teacher
Where it fits into the curriculum
Materials for students
Visiting the sites
Sumner and Monroe Elementary Schools are both located in Topeka, Kansas. Sumner Elementary School (330 Western Avenue) closed its doors as an educational facility in 1996 and is currently vacant. Monroe Elementary School [now Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, 1515 SE Monroe Street] is a unit of the National Park Service commemorating the landmark court case of Brown v. Board of Education. The historic site is open for visitation seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. For more information on the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site please contact the site at (785) 354-4273 or visit the park's website.
Howard High School [now Howard High School of Technology, 401 East 12th Street] is located in the Eastside neighborhood of Wilmington, Delaware. The school is still in use as an educational facility with the curriculum combining both academics and vocational training. A portion of the building is in use as the Delaware Skills Center. Take I-95 to the Delaware Avenue exit and keep to the right making a right onto Delaware Avenue. Make a left on Walnut Street and follow the road to 13th Street and make a right. Take a right into the Howard High School of Technology parking lot. For more information, please contact the school at (302) 571-5400 or visit the school's website.
The John Philip Sousa Junior High School [now John Philip Sousa Middle School, 37 Street Ely Place, SE] is located in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. The building is still used as a middle school today. For more information please contact the school at (202) 645-3170.
Summerton High School [now Summerton Cultural Arts Center, 12 South Church Street] is located in Clarendon County in Summerton, South Carolina. The building is currently used as the Summerton Cultural Arts Center and houses the school district administrative offices. The space is also used for meetings, conventions, and as an entertainment facility. Plans are being developed for a memorial exhibit commemorating Brown v. Board of Education. For information on site tours please contact Ms. Leola Parks at (803) 485-2325, ext. 230.


text: Write a Letter to the Editor Letters addressing current topics of interest should be sent to: The Editor Kingsport Times-News 701 Lynn Garden Drive Kingsport, Tenn. 37660 or e-mailed to email@example.com. Letters should be approximately 300 words, are subject to abridgement, may only be signed by one individual, and must contain an address and phone number for verification. Letters must be entirely written for the Times-News and may not include material published on the Internet, nor do we accept form letters from campaigns or special interest groups, or those also sent to other media. Thank-you and endorsement letters or those not addressing current issues publish Sundays in a Community Letters section. No more than one letter per month will be accepted from any contributor.


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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Pittsburgh Steelers were founded in 1933 and have built a proud reputation as one of the fiercest defensive franchises in NFL history.
Over the course of 60 minutes Sunday night – and in particular the final 15 – the New England Patriots treated them like middle schoolers.
The Patriots beat the Steelers 55-31 at Gillette Stadium. They had 610 yards of total offense. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 432 yards.
Those stats – 55 points, 610 yards, 432 passing yards – are all franchise records for/against the Steelers. Not exactly the kind of records you want to set on national television.
But for the Patriots and their fans – already giddy after a pregame ceremony honoring the World Series champion Boston Red Sox – it was a spectacular day.
"It's amazing," said running back LeGarrette Blount, who finished the scoring with a 5-yard run, then threw the ball into the stands and high-fived the Minutemen. "It's really good. Putting up 55 points against a team like the Steelers? … That's just a sign of how good we can be."
This was the offense that everyone in New England has been waiting for this year. Not just the fans. The Patriots too.
They've expected more from the running game. They've expected more from the receivers.
"It feels good," said Brady, who threw for four touchdowns and had a near-perfect quarterback rating of 151.8 (perfect is 158.3). "They don't always go like that. That was a fun day. It was good execution. I think, for the most part, that was our best execution.
"You don't wake up in the morning and think they're all going to be like that. That was pretty sweet."
Everything was sweet.
Stevan Ridley rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots rushed for 197 overall.
Rob Gronkowski, looking healthier and more comfortable each week, caught a career-high nine passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Rookie Aaron Dobson had a coming-out party, catching five balls for 130 yards and touchdowns of 17 and 81 yards. Yes, 81.
Danny Amendola, also looking healthier after a groin injury and concussion, caught four passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Asked how he got so wide-open – and he was so open on his 34-yard touchdown catch and 57-yard reception that you or I could have completed the pass – he shrugged and dead-panned, "I was just running to where they told me to run. And it worked out."
Even Bill Belichick wasn't quite sure how to assess the offensive output.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure exactly how it all happened today, maybe we got some inspiration from the Red Sox," he said.
What happened, he later said, was really very simple.
"We had good running, we had good throwing, good catching," said the coach. "We made some big plays."
And they got it from all phases. The defense forced a fumble, intercepted two passes and sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times. Julian Edelman returned a punt 43 yards when the Patriots led 27-24, kick-starting the offensive explosion in the fourth quarter.
"Yeah, we played complementary football," said Belichick. "Kicking game, offense, defense, taking advantage of our scoring opportunities. It all ties in together.
"It's great when it happens. It's great to see it happen that way."
Other than a couple of bad series in the third quarter, which allowed the Steelers to come back from 14 down at the half to tie the game at 24, the Patriots were purring.
Brady noted that the return of Gronkowski and Amendola gives the offense more options. But, he continued, "I think overall the team just keeps making improvements and that's the most important thing."
Mike Tomlin, the respected Steelers coach, had a very simple explanation for what happened after the Patriots scored 31 points in the final 20 minutes: "We didn't stop them. That's the bottom line. We couldn't stop them."
And maybe that's what was so surprising about this game. The Steelers' reputation is one of tough defense.
"You've got to earn everything you get against that team, especially that defense," said Ryan Wendell, the Patriots center.
"I mean, those guys have played in that system for a long time and they all know how to play really well. And that defensive coordinator, (Dick) LeBeau, I mean he knows where to put those guys in position.
"So being able to score points like that, seeing our guys execute, run the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball, it's a lot of fun to watch."
If you're from New England that is.
Mike Lowe can be reached at 791-6422 or at:
Twitter: MikeLowePPH
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Auckland is New Zealand's largest city and the international gateway to the rest of the country. It's waterside location has fostered the locals' love affair with the sea, earning this place the nickname "City of Sails".
Auckland has so much to see and do - there's plenty of activities for a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. To get a taste of some of Auckland's unique activities click here.
If you want to venture just out of Auckland, you can take a harbour ferry ride to Waiheke Island and spend the day visiting wineries or head north of the city by road to Matakana, to check out some of Auckland's neighbouring regions
There is so much to experience in this beautiful harbour city - the entertainment options are endless - check out the Must do's in Auckland.
While you are in Auckland
- View Auckland from the Skytower or do the Skyjump
- Spend the day at Waikehe Island
- Check out the latest exhibits at the Auckland Museum
- Take a ferry ride to the seaside village of Devonport
- Sail the Waitemata Harbour
- Visit waterfalls in the Waitakere Ranges
- Take an "underwater" tour through Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium
- See Auckland from the tree tops with EcoZip Adventures
- Head out on the harbour on a whale and dolphin ocean safari
- Check out the latest exhibits at the Auckland Art Gallery
- Visit the Botanic Gardens in Manurewa, South Auckland
Taxis and Shuttles
Auckland Co-op Taxis


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The premise of Olympus Has Fallen, the new action thriller from Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, is relatively simple: terrorists take over the White House and hold the U.S. President (played by Aaron Eckhart) hostage, and only a former Secret Service agent (Gerard Butler) trapped inside the building can save the day.
However, like many of Fuqua's (Tears in the Sun, The Shooter) films, the beauty is in the execution – and Olympus Has Fallen continues that trend with an intense, gritty siege of one of the world's most famous buildings that manages to seem surprisingly plausible and leave you wondering where the fictional scenario ends and the real-life threat begins.
Digital Trends spoke with Fuqua, the cast of Olympus Has Fallen, and the film's writers to learn more about the cinematic siege on the White House portrayed in the movie, how it was filmed, and where the line between fiction and reality falls in this gritty, tense thriller.
"I like realism," Fuqua told Digital Trends during the press junket for Olympus Has Fallen. "I'm old-school, I guess. I like to do the homework."
And he wasn't the only person who had to do a considerable amount of homework to make the siege a believable sequence. Screenwriting duo Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt put several years of research into the film's script before Fuqua was even attached to the project, poring over books on the White House and its history, and speaking with military experts and historians.
"Obviously they don't tell you anything about the security there, but we used our imagination about what might be there," explained Rothenberger.
Taking kernels of information gleaned from research and then extrapolating potential siege scenarios, Rothenberger and Benedikt eventually discovered that that their blend of cold, hard facts and imaginative leaps in logic was closer to reality than they expected going into the project.
"When we were in preproduction, we met former Secret Service agents they brought in and they told us that a lot of what we guessed at and imagined was close to reality," said Rothenberger. "They said that we guessed right about a lot of things. Once we had a scenario that the Secret Service agent told us was in the realm of plausibility, we knew it was good."
From an airborne assault with a tricked-out C-130 to a brutal gunfight on the famous front steps of the building, the terrorists' siege on the White House is accomplished via a series of well-planned assaults that make for eye-catching set pieces. And despite all of the attention to detail, the entire attack lasts just under 15 minutes – an important factor in the film that has its roots in real-world logistics.
According to Fuqua and the film's writers, a discussion with their on-site experts revealed that the closest military bases would require at least 15 minutes to respond to an attack on the White House with a full show of force. While the building has its own considerable, on-site defenses and a series of security measures in place both on the ground and in the air at all times, that 15-minute window quickly found itself worked into the script.
The result speaks for itself, said the film's star.
"The more methodical and precise the attack is, the more shocking it is," Gerard Butler (300, Machine Gun Preacher) told us. "And what leaves you breathless and ripped apart by the end [is that] suddenly the White House has been taken down and besieged by terrorists and the president is hostage in an impenetrable underground bunker, and nobody can do shit about it. You can have an army of a million people but they cannot do anything in that situation."
Bringing this impressive siege to the screen required more than just a viable military strategy, though. In order to portray the terrorists' assault on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a full-size replica of the White House was built in Shreveport, Louisiana, where the movie was filmed. The entrance and many of the interior rooms were recreated on one set, and a model of the building's roof was built nearby for several scenes that required an overhead view.
Within the walls of the White House set, designers recreated individual rooms down to the smallest detail – including the "house within a house" architecture culled from the building's real-world history.
"We knew from our research that [U.S. President Harry S.] Truman had built the new White House over the old one," explained Rothenberger. "So we thought there were probably some spaces in there. We made it up. But the Secret Service agents told us it was true and that Amy Carter [daughter of Jimmy] used to get lost in there all the time."
For at least one member of the cast who had experience visiting the real White House, the set made a convincing replica.
"I couldn't tell the difference," said Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story, The Campaign), who plays Secret Service agent Dave Forbes in the film. Coincidentally, McDermott previously played a Secret Service agent in the 1993 thriller In The Line Of Fire. "The production design was incredible in this movie."
Still, no matter how close to reality the movie seems to get, Fuqua, the film's writers, and cast all agreed one thing: the men and women in charge of preventing a siege like the one that happens in Olympus Has Fallen have the situation well under control.
"The beauty of this is, when I sat down with the guys who do know about these things, they already had these kinds of conversations," said Fuqua. "I felt safe in what I was allowed to put on the screen, because their job is prevention. They have roundtable discussions just like we do as filmmakers and ask what could happen and how they can prevent that from happening."
"So when they gave me information about things that could happen if we didn't have X, Y, or Z elements in place, we took out those elements and made it happen," he continued. "We're in good hands with our Secret Service."
"Olympus Has Fallen" hits theaters March 22. Look for our review on Digital Trends on Friday.


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Richard, zoning and quasi-governments in 300 words
The editor was likely correct that he'd be better off to avoid the topic of Richard Snowden and so might I, but it is so … vintage.
There is more here than a "bad guy" image, but contrary to last week's editorial, Richard Snowden has used his money and influence to get what he want isn't that what money and influence are for? And isn't that actually the problem here, that Chestnut Hill is one of the most affluent areas of Philadelphia?
Many residents; by their wealth, social connections and/or occupations are accustomed to influencing their surroundings. And they get upset when somebody comes along with more wealth and influence and trumps their cards.
Here in Chestnut Hill we have our own "quasi-government" because 50 years ago the wealthy and otherwise influential residents didn't believe City Hall could adequately represent them. So they made their own government, their own newspaper and even bought a local "Town Hall." And all was well for many years. Indeed 20 years ago I was told on matters of permits and zoning, "they do their own thing up there."
And the battles over these last 20 years, involving the CHCA and variances, have been legendary. This period has been characterized by the growth of Snowden's commercial real estate portfolio and coincidentally the general decline of commercial real estate on the Avenue. And now some residents believe we need a new quasi-government to fight undue wealth and influence.
The reality is that City Hall is taking the control back from the quasi-governments and the Hill no longer has the clout or will to withstand it. Those who have agreed to out-of-scale development have merely recognized that while they might be able to influence paint and fabric colors…real decisions are influenced by wealth and made elsewhere.
Ed Budnick
Chestnut Hill
Dine to help Black Horse Inn
As you may know, the Friends of Historic Bethlehem Pike in conjunction with Springfield Township's Black Horse Inn Advisory Committee and the Springfield Township Historic Society held the Black Horse Inn Fall Feast last September. That event succeeded in raising more than $9,000 for restoration of the Black Horse Inn and, just as importantly, raised awareness of the building with residents and businesses alike. We now have several businesses interested in moving into the Black Horse as soon as it is ready.
So while we have come a long way and the building looks great on the outside, much work remains on the interior. In order to help speed along the necessary renovations, the Friends of Historic Bethlehem Pike will be sponsoring another fundraiser on Tuesday, February 7, from 5-8 p.m. at the O'Towne Tavern,100 Plymouth Rd. in Oreland. So come on out and enjoy a good dinner with good friends and the O'Towne Tavern will donate 10 percent of all food sales to the Black Horse Inn Fund. If you have any questions, you can contact the Friends of Bethlehem Pike at firstname.lastname@example.com
We hope to see you at the O'Towne!
Rob Ryan


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The 2011 season, I predict, will have a host of teams bunched together at the top. I don't think any team wins 14 games this season, like the Patriots did in 2010. In fact, I don't think any team will hit the 13-win mark, like the Falcons did a year ago. If my crystal ball is correct, come January's playoffs we'll see a bunch of 11- and 12-win teams.
|Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, Sacks by season
That means you, too, Eagles.
I don't see a Dream Team. I see four high-profile acquisitions on defense -- Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins -- who haven't spent much time together in the trenches. These guys playing in the City of Brotherly Love aren't brothers yet. I also see a very average linebacking corps, if not worse. And I see two guys, Babin and Jenkins, who had their most productive seasons ever last year (see table), got paid and could be due for a letdown.
Building a club through free agency is sexy. But it's not always effective, at least not when it comes to winning the Super Bowl. The Colts, Packers and Steelers have won four of the past six Super Bowls. They also happen to be the three leading franchises in starting homegrown talent. Coincidence?
Let's address the offense, starting with Michael Vick. No question, Vick is one dynamic football player. But what has he proven? Everyone focuses on his Tecmo Bowl-like stats last year, but don't forget he threw the loss-clinching interception in a wild-card round defeat to the Packers. And prior to 2010, Vick never posted a plus-80 rating as a starter in the NFL. Pre-prison Vick was a player who leaned too much on raw athletic ability. Who's to say that guy is gone for good? So he changed for one season. Let's play two.
If you feel I'm being too critical, and think Vick and the Eagles offense will improve with the development of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, and the addition of Ronnie Brown, then may I present another major issue -- the offensive line.
The line didn't play particularly well in 2010, especially in both losses to the Packers. The group allowed a whopping 49 sacks (fourth-worst in the NFL), and that's with the most mobile quarterback this side of Willie Beamon at the helm. The preseason hasn't been much better, with Vick getting hit hard and often in the first two weeks. The line looked better in Week 3 against the Browns, but something tells me the road to the Super Bowl won't be going through Cleveland.
None of this is to say the Eagles won't be solid in 2011. Babin and Jenkins could be productive acquisitions. Asomugha probably is the best cover corner in the league, while Rodgers-Cromartie might be the best nickel corner. Offensively, Vick should play well, as he is a 31-year-old quarterback with eight seasons under his belt, not an immature kid who relies on his feet all the time.
At the end of the day, one year does not a career make. And free agency has yet to win a team a Super Bowl -- at least not in the first season. Philadelphia should be one of the better teams in the league, but unless being a "Dream Team" is synonymous with 11 wins, let's tap the brake on the August anointing.