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15 Oct Martellato
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"Martellato"Written by
Estimated reading time — 16 minutes
It was an expensive chair. The leather squeaked as I shuffled in it, betraying its purpose by failing to get comfortable. Disapproving eyes glanced up from the heavy mahogany desk that lay before me. After a pause the solicitor continued reading.
"And to my grandson, Alastair Kincade, I leave a sum of £30,000 and the following items…"
My grandfather Colin died of a heart attack in his sleep, after months of living in a home due to his alzheimer's. My father tried to care for him as much as he could but towards the end he needed twenty-four hour attention. Dad was still years away from retirement and wasn't able to give that kind of attention.
"And his violin." My ears prickled, and I looked up at the solicitor then to my father.
"Violin?" My father, Michael, took the words out of my mouth.
The man sitting next to me, my great uncle Torrance, waved his hand to tell my father not to ask questions during the reading. My curiosity itched and I squeaked in the chair again, the solicitor shooting another look before continuing to list my twin sisters' lot of inheritance.
In all, my sisters and I received ten percent each of his money, my father and aunt twenty five percent, and my great uncle twenty percent. The house had been sold before he died to fund his care, and numerous items distributed to each of us. I was glad for the money. While I didn't do badly for myself, the sum was easily enough to place a deposit for my own property: something that has become rapidly more difficult to generate in England the past ten years.
Once we were dismissed, both my father and I pounced our questions upon Uncle Torrance, "I didn't know Granddad Colin played the violin."
"Dad never owned a violin, when did he get that?"
Uncle Torrance raised his hands to again wave down our questions, while my sisters headed out of the solicitor's building to head home. "I'll tell you… in exchange for ale!" A cheeky grin spread out across his face, the way it always did when he told a story.
Dad drove to our local, The Cattle and Block. Once three glasses decorated the table, my uncle began to tell us the story of the violin.
"You probably know very little of my Grandmother Hildegarde. She died before you were born, Michael. I don't know much about Grandma Hildi before she married my Grandfather Bhaltair, only the stories she told use before bed. She was german originally, and grew up in the streets of York. She had only one possession apart from the rags on her back, and that was a violin. Grandpap Bhal heard her playing on the street, and fell in love with her instantly. He saw through the dirty blonde hair stuck to her shoulders, the scars and mud around her knees, and saw the beauty she wove over the strings. He got down on one knee, then and there, and told her she must marry him. He told her he could not live another day without that song in his heart. She said yes, and they were married."
He paused to take another long sip of ale. It was like a fairy tale and it was surprising to hear such a story about my own family. "So it was Hildegarde's?"
Uncle Torrance nodded and put the glass back down. "Yes. Now, my brother and I were raised by our grandparents. My brother was five when our mother died, during childbirth to me. My father – he was called Logan Kincade – turned up on Grandpap and Grandma's door step and begged his parent to look after us for a while. He was stricken with grief and needed some time to pull himself together, and figure out how to be a father without my mother. They accepted, and he never returned. We never knew what happened to my father.
A couple of years before your Dad had you, Grandpap Bhal passed away. Soon after, Grandma Hildi passed. You know what they say about a love bird losing their mate. That was when Colin inherited her violin. He always kept it locked up in the attic, I don't suppose he ever knew what to do with it. He probably sent it to you because you like music so much, Alastair."
"Wow, it sounds like quite the family heirloom." Dad said, "Look after it."
"Yeah, definitely."
We finished up our drinks and took Uncle Torrance home. As he was getting out of the car, he said, "All the years we lived with Grandma Hildi, I never heard her play it. She polished it, cared for it, but she never played. If I asked, her answer always "Not today, dear." She never attempted to teach one of us either." He shrugged and gave his goodbyes.
It wasn't until a few weeks later when Granddad Colin's possessions were sorted through and delivered to the appropriate relatives. My father dropped my share of boxes off at my house and quickly moved on the deliver the others to my sisters. The contents of the box were added to my collection of items I had accumulated over the years. I never really took an interest in classical music, or the techniques used in playing and composing – my main interest was in jazz and blues, some rock and roll. I liked soulful music, things that came from the heart, and it fascinated me how pain could create such beautiful things.
The gramophone stood proudly with its collection of records, and the violin case lay before me. I had no intention to learn to play it, but I couldn't stop myself taking it out the box and give it a spin.
The case was a big heavy wooden box, shaped like a violin, but it seemed a lot bigger than necessary. I unclipped the case and inside was a vast amount of silk cloth. A stunning crimson that caught the light as I placed it on the floor. Underneath, the object of my curiosity. It was worn, some of the varnish chipped in places, but even I could tell the craftsmanship was expert. The wood was a deep colour, and on the back there was a branding. It seemed to be a sigil depicting a swan, bleeding from the neck. I didn't recognise it, but I know very little about bowed instruments or sigils.
Holding it in my hands, it was a lot heavier than I expected; Hildegarde must have been quite a strong lady. I pulled it up into position on my shoulder and stroked the bow across the strings. I flinched from the screech. I tried again, a little gentler, only to be thanked with another banshee wail. Defeated, the violin went back in the box. Clearly, it took a master's hand to use it. As I was putting the silk back around it, a small envelope dropped to the floor. Written on the front in black ink, Alastair, in my grandfather's handwriting. I pulled the note out of the envelope: Burn the violin. With salt. Why would he ask me to do that? Then again, as his mental health declined, he could probably have been capable of any delusion.
I had a vivid and painful dream that night, I stood in the foyer of a house I didn't recognise. It was grand, clearly the home of a rich family. There were portraits on the walls, soft and elaborate carpets beneath my feet, and an unlit chandelier on the ceiling. Below me, I heard agonising, tormented screaming, punctuated with a heavy wet thuds. Above me, some of the most enchanting music I have ever heard. I can only describe this song in how it made me feel: lost and forlorn, my eyes on the brink of tears. Though the tone of the notes seemed almost harsh, I longed to find them in the halls of this house, I wanted their comfort and embrace.
I moved automatically to the stairs beside me, unable to pull myself away from the siren song, the screams fading into the distance. The chords floated throughout the house, teasing me, beckoning me to their creator as I reached a door at the end of the hallway. The gold painted detail led to the handle, its cool touch swept across my hand. It turned, the latch clicking open, and then I awoke.
The headache sat behind my eyes, clinging to the groggy realms of sleep and the lost call of the dream I'd left behind. It felt as if all the space around my eyes was packed with cotton wool, and a dull throb pushed onto my eyeballs. I took a deep breath and shook my head to find some sense in the morning. It's not like I have never dreamt before, but rarely did something stick with me in such a haunting way. I felt the song in my bones, the ache to hear the rest, like a story with the ending ripped away.
I dreamt the same thing for a week afterwards. It began the same way, however each night I would get closer and closer to the source, and each morning I would wake up in more and more pain. The migraines got so severe, I spent a lot of time before work vomiting in the bathroom, until my head eventually stopped spinning. Pain killers did very little, and I was drinking extra water to make sure it wasn't dehydration. Nothing satisfied it.
The night before last, I stood right behind her. As I was lured up the stairs, the song changed as I approached the violinist: playful, like it was teasing me, begging me into a game. She turned her head to the side, just a little, and said, "Not today, dear."
I suddenly awoke and my legs retracted into my chest for the pain, and I pushed the heels of my hands into my eyes. A small amount of relief from the pressure, but not enough. It took me several minutes to realise I could still hear the music, coming from my collection room down the corridor. My hand was on the door handle when I became aware of the dripping sound. At my feet, dark spots decorated the carpet, and on my bed the same darkness streaked the sheets. My hand rose to my face to realise it was wet. Angry, confused, and scared, I jerked the door open and stormed into the room where the violin lay on one of the display cabinets. The song was a cacophony of agony through my mind, yet it was beautiful.
I held it in my hands unsure what to do. My mind came back to my Granddad's note: Burn the violin. With salt. I shook it off, it was ridiculous. I pushed it into its case but the song still burned through my eyes, tears streamed down my face. As I piled the silk wrapping on top of it, the music ebbed slightly. I wrapped the silk around again, properly, covering each inch of the instrument and with each binding, the pain faded with the tune. As I clipped the case together, the violin was all but silenced.
I woke up on the floor next to the case with the taste of copper in my mouth. I must have fallen asleep in there, after silencing the instrument. I decided then and there that I was done, I was going to sell it. Whatever madness overcame me, I'd give it someone else. I knew a place in town and, after cleaning the blood from myself, I drove straight there.
I could still hear the humming from the case as I pulled it from the boot of my car. I took a few ibuprofen in preparation. I'd also considered ear plugs but somehow I came to the conclusion they wouldn't work either.
A bell rang as I pushed the door open.
"Hello!" A cheery wave from an older gentleman.
"Hey, would you be interested in an antique violin?" I set the case down on the counter in front of him.
"Certainly!" His finger rippled above the case before he nimbly flicked open the latches. I braced myself. As he pulled the silk away, the song became louder and all the pain returned to me.
Act normal, just act normal. "I don't know a lot about it. I inherited it recently. It's from at least 1880's, it was my great great grandmother's." I sucked a deep breath in to push back the throbbing in my eyes.
"Yes, it certainly is old, not in the best condition, but not the worst I have seen." He turned it over and I felt a sharp pain across my forehead. Air rushed into my lungs, and I tried to cover the sharp breath with a cough. He gave me an odd look, "This is sigil is interesting. I haven't seen it before. The manufacture of this is reminiscent of Stradivarius but-"
I didn't hear the rest of his sentence. Blood pouring through my brain, pulsated through my eyes and my ears. I concentrated as hard as I could on staying conscious. He said some number, I accepted. He said he would get me a cheque, and as soon as his hands left the violin, I wrapped it in the silk. I clipped the case back up and let out a sigh of relief as the pain left me. The man was stood staring at me.
"I'm sorry, I just want to protect it." I blurted out.
"It's alright…" He edged to the other end of the counter, take glances back to me and wrote the cheque out. "Now before I give you this, I need some contact information. Just a precaution."
I didn't ask why. I didn't care. I pulled a business card out and gave it to him. He carefully inspected the card, and offered the cheque once he was satisfied.
I hastily took it, "Thank you, thank you." I left immediately, knowing I must have seemed rude, or more likely mad. I remember the jingle of the bell, and a goodbye before I drove back home to get a night's rest.
It didn't last long. Two nights after I sold it, I awoke again to a migraine and the sound of a violin. I screamed in frustration. The melody was coming from outside, from the rear of the house. I headed downstairs to the back door, already the pain spread across my forehead and down my face. I pushed the door open and stared out into the woods that backed onto my house. It was out there and called me. Stuffing my feet into work boots, I went to find it, and I was going to bind it up, and deal with it in the morning.
The pressure in the back of my eyes grew as I stalked down my garden. At the gate, I scanned the woods behind the house. I couldn't see anything out there but I could feel it in the pain magnifying through my head. Two nails jabbed into my eyes and were slowly being pulled up through my skull. All I wanted was relief as the nails broke my eye sockets and began pulling at my scalp.
After walking out into the woods, it's hard to remember everything clearly. I remember how much it hurt, and how it kept getting worse the further I walked, to the point where I didn't know if I was following the music or the pain. I think I almost passed out at one point. I saw bright flashes in front of my eyes, and my vision started fading in black spots. I could have sworn as those black spots started appearing over my eyes I saw the shadow of a woman in front of me.
My vision came back to me when I saw the blood on my arms and staining my pajama bottoms. There must have been brambles scratching me as I pulled myself through the woods towards the song, but I couldn't feel any pain there, only the persistent and all consuming ache spreading across my head. I could feel through the centre of my forehead intensity as if a vice were applied to each side of my head, forcing the bone into itself.
Ahead of me, the trees broke out into a bank, and some murky, inky water. It was a neglected river – no! An abandoned canal route, full of rotting plant matter and debris. The pain had finished its work on my head, and indulged in exploring my chest. It felt as if my rib cage were being slowly pulled from the rest of my body. The pounding in my chest became a crushing hand around my heart. My legs gave out from under me and I fell, whimpering on ground. I'm not proud of it but I cried. I sobbed into the dusty mud around me, the smell of the water nauseating, and being unable to distinguish between the flies around me and the black spots I was hallucinating.
Eventually, my head slumped to the side and there lay the dark wood case. The tears stopped for just long enough for me to try and pull myself up, pain shot through my ribs as I hauled myself to it. The pain ebbed as I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the case and held it to my chest. While the song still sawed through my skull, the pain waned just enough for me to make it to my feet along the trek back. Perhaps the violin provided me mercy for finding it, or perhaps it was just the relief of finally having an option to end this.
I saw the back gate ahead of me, and as I approached it, the shadows crept back over my eyes and stole vision from me. My boot caught on something and I flew forwards, hands finding the gate in front of me before I crashed into the ground. The impact throwing all the air from my lungs and sprayed blood over my hands. I lay there over the gate, winded, stunned, and a dull throb throughout my whole body, until a light from the kitchen pierced the darkness before me. The pain was excruciating. My face was wet with tears and blood as I came through my back fence. As I was about the open the back door, I heard a voice.
"Are you alright?" My neighbour. I'd forgotten he worked early shifts and would be up in the small hours of the morning. When I first moved in, he came over to ask me to keep the noise down in the afternoons while he slept. "You don't look so good." He stubbed his cigarette out against the wall, slipped it back into the packet and came over to the fence.
"Did you hear that earlier?"
"Hear what?" My heart sank a little as I knew the answer to my next question.
"The noise… Coming from… Over there…" I struggled to form sentences. I gestured out to the woods with the violin case.
He shook his head slowly, his gaze following my arm before looking back to me, "Do you want me to call someone?"
"No, no, I'll just get some sleep." I pulled the muscles in my face into what was meant to be a reassuring smile. My head throbbed and I gave up on the effort. "Thanks." He watched me head inside into the house before pulling his cigarette back out.
In my collection room, I lay the case before me. I could still hear the music slicing through my brain. Silk. I needed more silk. I tore every bed sheet from the airing cupboard and threw anything that felt like silk on top of the case. Every shirt, pair of boxers, handkerchief that shimmered and danced through my hand went onto that case. Finally I could hear myself think, and hear my nose dripping again before collapsing onto my bed for the night.
I awoke to a rapid knocking at the front door. I pulled myself out of bed, a small headache still prevailing but much better than it had been. I pulled on a dressing gown and answered the door: it was my neighbour.
"Hey, you're still alive! I was just checking, you looked rough last night." A smile of relief washed across his face. I was genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for checking up on me."
"Wife look after you?"
"Oh no, I'm not married."
"Oh so it was your girlfriend?"
"No, I live alone."
"Well your guest or whoever followed you in last night." He said, rolling his eyes. He must have mistaken my confusion for being pedantic.
He hesitated, "A woman. She walked up through the back gate and into the house a few minutes after you went in."
"There's no one here."
"Alright, alright, I'll keep schtum about it. Was just checking you were okay." He put his hands up defensively.
"No, I'm not… Thanks for checking, I mean it."
"You're alright, see you around."
"What did she look like?"
"Eh? You're serious, aren't you? You don't know what I'm on about?"
I shook my head.
"Well, she was a bit taller than an average lady I'd say, blonde… Very pretty. She was in a white dress, you know like a nightie but an old fashioned one. She walked up from where you came, through gate and in the back door."
"And she opened the door?" I gestured with my hand, just in case he didn't know what opening a door looked like. Smart.
"She unlocked it and walked in?"
"No, she didn't unlock it."
"Excuse me, thank you." I ran to the back door and checked it. Locked.
My heart pounded in my chest as the sense of reality I had built up over a lifetime began to crack. My first headache without the song pushed into the back of my eyes. I realised then, while I was rubbing my temples, if the nightmares didn't kill me, the sheer stress would. I finally decided to obey Grandpa Colin's note then, and burn the violin after my neighbour left for work.
Alarm set for four-thirty the next morning, I went to bed and dreamt. Once again, I stood in the foyer of the strange house and, once again, those screams and wet thuds pushed through the floor below me, and the siren song led me upstairs. However, this time there was a soft sobbing above. The golden trimmed door creaked open, and before me stood the blonde violinist in her nightgown, the low light glinting off the tears on her face.
"Not now, dear. Please."
The piercing beep of my phone awoke me, and it was time to enact my plan. I flicked the alarm off and claimed the violin from the collection room. With the music muted under piles of fabric, I brought together all the tools I'd need: the barbecue, lighter fluid, and table salt.
The fire made quick work of the silk, surrounding me with the scent of burnt hair and the consuming melody I sought to finally silence, and the agonising pressure across my skull returned. As the flames reached the violin, and black smoke rose from the metal dish, the music began to distort and shriek in protest. Pain swept across my chest. Voices screamed with the violin, pouring into my ears, begging me to save them and make the pain stop. Smoke billowed out around me and stung my eyes and throat, making me cough, and I fell to my knees as the crushing, black cloud forced me to the ground.
I found myself lying in the mansion, my eyes focussing on the chandelier above me. Like so many times before, a woman's voice screamed below.
"No! Please!"
"Why are you doing this?"
"I won't tell anyone if you just let me go."
Thud. Crack.
Unlike before, there was no music, there was no pain; I was free to move. I stood and looked around the foyer.
The paintings in the hall were of familiar faces; the names "Kincade" printed beneath on a brass plate.
There were several doors around me, but I knew which one to take. I took the basement stairs.
Thud. Crack.
A small lantern barely lit the room. Workbenches framed the walls, covered in many tools; vices, hammers, spanners, screwdrivers, and drills.
Thud. Thud.
The sounds of the hammer in his hand.
Blood splattered his shirt and braces. His dress trousers were muddy and wet. Dishevelled hair fell over his face.
The hammer caught that time. It took several tugs to free it from the mess of meat between his knees. Pieces fell onto the tarp beneath it.
The face of a woman stared up at me, motionless apart from a twitch when the hammer struck her rib cage which sent her head rolling on her neck. I stared back, at her left side with each rib individually broken, as the man worked on the right.
Thud, thud. Crack.
He sat up and wiped his forehead. Red gore replaced the sweat. There was no satisfaction on his face, no hint of personal pleasure or arousal, like this was just another job that needed doing. After a few deep breaths, he swung the hammer into the skull until the woman's face no longer looked at me.
He stood, dropped the hammer to his side and raised his head, scanning the basement walls. As his gaze fell upon the stairs, I recognised him from one of the portraits: Bhaltair Kincade. I instinctively ducked, though I had nowhere to hide. His eyes continued past me to the spade in the corner of the room. He took it and began the next chore, digging into the dirt floor of the basement.
I sat on those stairs and watched as he dug out the trench. He sank the spade next to the hole, and wrapped the chunks of meat in the tarp it lay on. In the dim light, I saw a pale hand in the wall of the grave, partially decomposed. As he dragged the body in and began to cover it with the dirt, I noticed the rest of the floor: uneven, some parts freshly dug, others older but the outline still distinct.
My attention snapped back. Bhaltair's foot on the bottom step of the stairs, his eyes locked onto mine, pain shooting into the back of my skull, white light pouring over my vision.
A steady beep, fresh oxygen with each breath, a voice, a woman's voice. My sister's voice.
"Alastair!" A hand gripped my wrist. I screwed up my eyes and rubbed them with the back of my hand. The white filled with grey, then the shadows and colours returned to show me her face. "Alastair, you're awake!"
My head span a little, and I felt like hell all over. "What… Where?"
"You're in the hospital. You neighbour found you after passed out in the garden."
The violin. "The fire…"
"Yes, your stupid late night barbecue party for one." The concern was gone, the familiar tone of lecture mode replaced it. "What were you even burning? There was black smoke everywhere. The fire brigade couldn't even find what you set fire to, just accelerant and salt."
"Sorry? A moron? Trying to kill yourself?" A sharp pain to the side of my head. "You nearly died from monoxide poisoning! Your whole face was covered in blood."
"Don't flick me!"
She opened her mouth to say something, but her throat caught. Instead her hand jumped forward and delivered another stab of pain to my temple.
Lilly drove me home later that day, after I was given the all clear. I slept well. It's been nearly a week since the hospital, and I've dreamt of nothing but mundane work-related stuff.
You know the real kicker to this? I had a call from the police on Monday asking me about the violin. Apparently, when the music store owner had come in on that morning, it was gone. He's reported it stolen, and given my name to the police so they can ask me for information that might help them find it. Damn thing is no end of trouble.
Credit To – Kerrima


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The Garden Cat Adoption Program At The Marilyn & Fred Anderson Community Cat Garden
HSSV's Garden Cats are not your average cats who enjoys petting and sleeping in front of the fireplace. These cats are not typically social with people and are not suitable for traditional adoption as indoor pets. Though their adoption may be a little different than house cats, we are just as committed to finding them safe homes and are here to help adopters set these cats up for success.See Available Garden Cats
Please note, the available garden cats are the ones with meme images like this:
Learn More About Our Marilyn & Fred Anderson Community Cat Garden
From The Blog: The Garden Cat Imposters
It all started with two cats. A few years ago, we began our Garden Cat Adoption program. We decided we needed something special for the unsocial kitties – the ones who subscribe to the "look, don't touch" philosophy and want a pretty specific "will work for food" arrangement.

subset: commoncrawl


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Kraft offers the Tassimo, a single-serving coffee brewer. Now, four Starbucks flavors (House Blend, Breakfast Blend, Caffe Verona, and Africa Kitamu) will be available for consumers who use the Tassimo to brew up just one cup.
This isn't any surprise. Starbucks and Kraft already have a distribution partnership, through which Starbucks beans are offered on the shelves of all the biggest grocery stores, despite the fact that Kraft has its own Maxwell House brand on the shelves. This is certainly an avenue through which Starbucks probably hopes to rope more consumers into the Starbucks lifestyle, and of course gain their loyalty for trips to its coffeehouses.
Not that the grocer route isn't fraught with competition. Last month, rival Dunkin' Donuts began distributing its own beans through a partnership with consumer products giant Procter & Gamble
And speaking of competition, the first thing I thought of upon hearing the news was that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
One cup may sound like child's play when it comes to some of us who tend to have more of a hankering for Starbucks' Venti caffeinated goodness, but it makes sense that Starbucks try to find ways to drive up its market share. Starbucks has surprisingly low market share when it comes to coffee consumption (just 7% here in the U.S., and 2% worldwide, the company revealed at a conference in June), so bringing even a few new diehard customers into the fold could make a significant difference, when you consider how far Starbucks has come, and how profitable it has been, with such a small piece of the market.
It makes sense that Starbucks would want a piece of the at-home, single-serving brew market, but whether its long-term partner is the strongest contender in that space is another matter. Given the companies' existing partnership, Kraft might have been a no-brainer, but whether it will prove the most lucrative and effective could be another matter entirely; according to Kraft's latest Form 10-K, in 2006 Kraft re-evaluated Tassimo's business model since revenues lagged its own internal expectations. This is another case where Starbucks shareholders may wonder if its partnerships might do more for its partners than for its own growth. Of course we hope that that's not the case.
Related Foolishness:
Last quarter, we wondered if Starbucks has changed.
Two Fools go head to head and pitch their bear and bull sides on Starbucks.
In July, Hershey kissed Starbucks.


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Richard Nixon could teach today's Democrats a lesson in putting the country ahead of partisan gain.
The Democratic Party on Friday, April 20 filed a multimillion-dollar federal lawsuit against Trump campaign officials, the Russian government and WikiLeaks alleging a widespread conspiracy to tilt the 2016 election in Donald Trump's favor.
"The conspiracy constituted an act of previously unimaginable treachery: the campaign of the presidential nominee of a major party in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the Presidency," the suit states.
"During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump's campaign," said DNC Chairman Tom Perez in a statement, calling the alleged collusion "an act of unprecedented treachery.
Not all Democrats agreed. US congresswoman Jackie Speier of San Francisco, who has a law degree, told CNN that "I think this sidebar lawsuit is not in the interest of the American people." But the DNC does not care.
How anyone could be so willing to destabilize our constitutional system is impossible for me to understand. Even their obvious affliction with Trump Derangement Syndrome and alliances with the radicals that have taken over the Women's March and BLM is insufficient to explain why a political organization that pretends to care about the future of the country would try so hard to provoke a constitutional crisis. Than again, this might be no more than an effort to start a digging expedition under the guise of "discovery" for anything that could be used in their "get rid of Trump at any cost" campaign.
The partisan myopia afflicting current politics makes it worthwhile repeating how Vice President Richard Nixon dealt with the apparent fraud that handed the 1960 election to John F. Kennedy. The 1960 election turned out to be one of the closest elections in this nation's history. Nixon always believed that election was stolen – another word for rigged – by ballot stuffing in Cook County and in Texas.
There was a lot of evidence he was right. Earl Mazo, a Washington reporter for the New York Herald Tribune, investigated claims of voter fraud in the 1960 election. He was quoted as saying: There was a cemetery where the names on the tombstones were registered and voted. I remember a house. It was completely gutted. There was nobody there. But there were 56 votes for [John F.] Kennedy in that house. He then went to Lyndon Johnson's Texas, where he found similar circumstances.
Roger Stone tells the story more dramatically: "Mayor Daley himself gave away the game on election eve when he said, 'With the Democratic organization and the help of a few close friends,' the Democrats would prevail on election day. There is sufficient evidence that the 'few close friends' mentioned include Chicago crime boss Sam Giancana… The evidence of voter fraud in Texas, where the Kennedy-Johnson ticket carried the state by a scant 50,000 votes was as widespread and odious as that of the daily machine in Chicago."
The New York Herald Tribune started publishing Mazo's articles when still-Vice President Nixon intervened and told Mazo that "Our country cannot afford the agony of a constitutional crisis" in the midst of the Cold War. Rather than follow a course that would polarize and weaken the nation, Nixon chose to leave the White House for a time.
A recent article congratulates Nixon for his patriotic act. Ironically, this article was written before election day as a warning to Donald Trump of the bad things that would happen if he were to contest the results as rigged.
"Despite the razor-thin margin, Nixon publicly conceded defeat very early the morning after the election, shortly before Kennedy declared victory. Nixon did not encourage Republicans to regard the country as locked in a permanent civil war, or to treat the incoming president as a usurper. [How different from the Never-Trumpers and impeachment nuts]
To the contrary, on January 6, 1961, he discharged his responsibility as president of the Senate and presided over the congressional tally of the electoral college vote. 'In our campaigns,' he told the joint session of Congress, 'no matter how hard they may be, no matter how close the election may turn out to be, those who lose accept the verdict and support those who win.' Nixon noted that he was the first vice president since 1860 to declare his opponent the winner (outgoing Vice President John C. Breckenridge performed the same task for Abraham Lincoln). It was a 'striking example of the stability of our constitutional system."
For the good of the country, Nixon decided to accept the verdict and move on.
And that's the difference. The threat to our democracy is not the thought, the idea or the charge that an election was stolen or rigged or unfair. It has happened. The threat to our democracy is the refusal to accept the verdict of the election.
Nixon was advised in 1960 to contest the election. He decided not to do so for the good of the country. The DNC could learn a great deal from a politician they loathe, but who showed more character and love of country than any of them are demonstrating today.
David Montgomery is retired from a career of teaching, government service and consulting, during which he became internationally recognized as an expert on energy, environmental and climate policy. He has a PhD in economics from Harvard University and also studied economics at Cambridge University and theology at the Catholic University of America, David and his wife Esther live in St Michaels, and he now spends his time in front of the computer writing about economic, political and religious topics and the rest of the day outdoors engaged in politically incorrect activities.


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New Pilot Program Begins On Prince AvenuePosted: March 27, 2015 Filed under: Safety | Tags: Athens, downtown, Safety Leave a comment
By Joy Bratcher
On Jan. 7, citizens of downtown Athens saw a new pilot program take affect on the street of Prince Avenue. The six-month program focuses on the crosswalk located at Newton Street and Pope Street and places orange flags at each side of the crossing. The flags are to make pedestrians more visible as they cross the street.
"In a few months we are going to do an after study of the success of the flags," Traffic Engineer Steve Decker said. We will be looking for increased compliance with motorist."
Kelsey Butler is a student at the University of Georgia and lives near downtown Athens. She describes herself as someone who enjoys walking around downtown as much as she drives through it to go to her hometown. As she crosses Prince Street, she admits she feels silly waving the flags so drivers will supposedly "see her better."
Butler said that she has seen more close calls in pedestrian accidents than she has cared for especially on the infamous avenue. Yet, she is not sure if the flags will be successful.
"As a pedestrian, I can see the benefit of the flags," Butler said. "Yet, as a motorists, it is very distracting. I could see how more accidents could be caused by motorists staring at the flags without paying attention to the person carrying the flag."
Every five years, the Traffic Safety Research and Evaluation Group examines Athens roads to tally up the number of pedestrian and cyclist accidents due to being struck by motorists. In the most recent study released in 2012, one street stood out to researchers- Prince Avenue.
According to the report, while bike crashes are down 46% from the previous five year span complied between years 2003 and 2007, pedestrian crashes are up 160%.
Cities as far as Washington have seen success stories from the new program, but the idea of whether or not this statement is accurate is still being debated in larger cities across the country that carry a high number of pedestrians.
Salt Lake City has been using the flags since 2000. It's city website states that due to the success of the program, in 2001 the city had to create an Adopt-a-Crosswalk program opening the doors for businesses and individuals to maintain crosswalk flag cites for little or no cost. As of 2013, more than 200 crosswalks were adopted.
Even with the program trying to help pedestrians, some see them as a joke to pull on one another. Looking in the flag pit, one may see a United States Flag, rebel flag, German flag, or Georgia Bulldog flag instead of the orange flags
According to an online article on the Athens Banner Herald website, the cost of replacing each flag costs the city $2. <http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2015-01-12/prince-avenue-pedestrian-flags-get-mixed-reviews>
Decker is quoted in the article saying, "the occasional loss of a flag would be a small price to pay if the program is effective in improving pedestrian safety."
When using the flags, pedestrians are not to solely rely on carrying their flag. "It's just an enhancement" for the crosswalks, and "not a cure-all" for pedestrian safety, Decker said in the article. <http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2015-01-06/pedestrian-crosswalk-flags-be-tried-prince-avenue>
In June, the city will examine Prince Avenue to see if statics have improved since the start of the project.
"I'm not sure what the results will be from this," Butler said. "If it works to help make us safer, then it won't matter any cost or problem it could cause. Even if it saves one life, it will be worth it."
Park Planning Department reveals proposed changes to Bishop ParkPosted: March 26, 2015 Filed under: Government | Tags: Athens, Athens Farmers Market, Athens-Clarke County, Bishop Park Leave a comment
By Lauren McDonald
Pickle ball, a combination of badminton, tennis and ping pong, was the unexpected topic of discussion at the meeting on how to renovate Bishop Park.
And a new pickle ball court may be one of many changes soon to come to the park.
About 30 Athens citizens participated in a public input session on Wednesday night, to give feedback on the new master plan proposal for renovations to Bishop Park, one of Athens most popular community sites.
"We're looking at the whole park," said Kevan Williams, an Athens park planner heading the project. "And making sure that it's meeting the community's needs."
Emily Carr, who comes to Bishop Park regularly to walk and to visit the Athens Farmers Market, completed a survey at the meeting, She said the new master plan seems feasible.
"I thought the changes were realistic," Carr said. "They weren't high in the sky, that we don't have money for. They made some real improvements."
Major changes proposed include parking lot renovations, an 8,000 square-foot Wellness Center, an expansion of the Gymnastics Center and new rental pavilions.
Park planners also proposed an 18,000 square-foot event pavilion and plaza, which would be the home of the Athens Farmers Market.
Carr, who has lived in Athens for 44 years, remembers visiting the park in 1968, when it was just a fair ground.
Bishop Park, located at 705 Sunset Drive, was built 40 years ago and has undergone no major renovation since the 1970s.
The growing Athens community has since then developed different needs from the park, Williams said. The use of the park and the neighborhood around it have changed significantly.
Also, many of the park's structures are no longer up to code.
The 33-acre park is relatively small compared to others parks in the community. Trail Creek Park is nearly 100 acres, and Sandy Creek Park is almost 800 acres.
"But this is a very dense park in terms of the scale of activities," Williams said.
"It gets almost 400,000 visits a year. So this is a big project in terms of its significance, even if it's not big in terms of its physical footprint."
The Athens Park Planning Department enlisted the help of the University of Georgia's Center for Community Design and Preservation back in October 2014 to garner public input.
A team of UGA students and faculty conducted online surveys and in-park surveys. They also consulted park planning staff and the Bishop Park workers.
Jarrad Holbrook, a student who worked on the project, said the most glaring renovation needs when he first began were restructuring of the parking lot and updates to buildings.
"First and foremost, that whole parking lot was a mess. It's set up kind of like a maze, the turns are too sharp," Holbrook said. "We also saw that there were clearly issues with some buildings. One particular building looked like it had been built temporarily, and then temporary became 15, 20 years."
The CCDP hosted a public input session last year to get initial suggestions from the community on renovations they'd like to see, and the park planners incorporated many of those suggestions into the new master plan.
"People liked that the park is easy to access, and there's something for everybody," Lewis said. "It allows non-traditional uses, like the Farmer's Market. It's more than just a sports park. So they liked that it was good for families, and people, whether they're doing group activities or whether they're just going solo to run or walk with the dog."
The public also asked for an indoor aquatics facility and a dog park, but planners did not included those requests into the new plan, due to cost and space requirements.
Park planners aim to ensure that Bishop Park offers "a little bit of everything for all people."
"If you come here at different times, you'll see a lot of real diversity of people that use this park," Carr said. "In Athens in a lot of places, even though we're a very integrated town, you can live your life with only seeing people that look like you. When you come to parks like this, you see lots of different kinds of folks."
Once Park Planning Department confirms the master plan, the focus will move to funding for the project. Williams said funds may come from a special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) or from donations.
"There's a lot of interest right now in wellness," Williams said. "So we're hoping right now that through partnerships with different organizations we may be able to attract some support for parts of the park that might support those goals."
The department hasn't set a timeline for completion yet. The department will move forward with the plan based on the community's feedback.
So far, the department has received over 500 survey responses, including those received at Wednesday's session.
"The feedback's been really good," Williams said. "It's always kind of exciting when you put a big idea out there, to see how people are going to take that and what things people will pick up on."
And Williams said a new pickle ball court will be considered when they begin redrafting the master plan.
"We'll look at ways to look at their ideas and make sure we're not leaving anything out," he said. "That's sort of the point of doing this – to make sure that everybody has a chance to make sure that their voice is being heard."
Commission Considering Expansion of Drinking Freedoms in AthensPosted: March 26, 2015 Filed under: Business, Government | Tags: Athens-Clarke County, Athens-Clarke County Commission, downtown Athens, Sidewalk cafe ordinance, sign ordinance Leave a comment
By Luke Dixon
Drinking alcohol in Athens could become less restrictive in the near future, at least the area where you are permitted to do so.
The Athens-Clarke County Commission is set to consider making consumption of alcohol easier and allowing additional outdoor portable signage at sidewalk cafes in Athens.
The original sidewalk café ordinance was adopted by the City of Athens in 1979 and has been amended three times since then in 1994, 2003 and 2011. There are two types of sidewalk cafes as defined by the Legislative Review Committee's proposal. One is a common area café on College Square, Walker's which have open space in front of the bar property.
The proposed amendment to the ordinance also states that "cafés attached to the building which are limited to 50% of the sidewalk width and must allow a minimum of 5 feet for a pedestrian path, alcohol is allowed, and dividers are required" according to the commission report and recommendation.
The current ordinance calls for required physical barriers and railings that are placed outside the cafés to mark the territory where patrons can consume alcohol on the sidewalk and patio area.
There are multiple parts to the proposed amendment of the existing ordinance. The first part would allow an option of a physical barrier to be put up or sidewalk cafés no that are not in downtown Athens proper, but rather outside the downtown district. The Legislative Review Committee has proposed two zones– one in downtown, one for the rest of Athens-Clarke County outside of downtown.
The major difference is bars outside downtown wouldn't require a physical rail boundary. Instead they could use a non-physical marker throughout the sidewalk that would mark where patrons could and could not drink. This would allow sidewalk cafés like Go Bar, which is located on Prince Avenue outside of downtown, to not have to put up a physical barrier on the sidewalk drinking area of their properties since it would fall under the scope of the outside downtown cafés.
The second part of the amendment would allow a place like Creature Comforts Brewery, which is located at the intersection of two streets and has its property on both streets, to be able to apply for a sidewalk café permit on both streets.
The third part of the proposed amendment states that owners of the establishments will be responsible for enforcing the boundary at their particular establishment. This means that any obstruction of the boundary i.e. a person crossing over the boundary could result in a fine to the owner/permit holder of the café. The fourth part of the amendment would eliminate the required pressure washing of the sidewalk by each sidewalk café.
During their discussion, the commissioners agreed with many of the provisions and amendments to the sidewalk café structure in downtown, but some also had some reservation and concerns.
Commissioner Jerry NeSmith was wary about the new boundary requirements outside of downtown. He questioned who would be held liable for any misteps and making sure patrons would be made aware of the new boundary. NeSmith requested the city manager and others proposing the amendment clarify the exact boundary requirements for those cafés.
"I wonder if we should require a sign that tells [patrons] because otherwise if no one tells them, then they're just not going to know," NeSmith said.
Commissioner Andy Herod shared the same concern and asked Athens-Clarke Attorney, William Berryman, about the enforcement of the proposed policy.
"I still believe if the patron steps out on the sidewalk, with an open container, that patron is going to have full responsibility," Berryman said in response. "The government might be able to take an administrative action against the owner of the establishment for not giving the warning, but it won't change the responsibility of the person with the actual open container."
From a business standpoint, Jake Fisher, the manager of The Cabin Room, formerly known as The Bury, thinks the physical barriers are necessary to most bars downtown. He said that more space could allow for a less restricting barrier and that if a café has the space, like Creature Comforts Brewery for example, to allow freer roaming drinking space, they should do so.
"I think it has its pros and cons as far as clearing up some sidewalk space and allow some of these bars to expand out for the people who do like to go outside and drink a beer," Fisher said.
Customers and in particular University of Georgia students would favor expanded drinking space, especially in the warmer months, according to UGA students Brandon Estroff and Logan Booker.
Estroff, said the idea of having more space is great even though it likely won't effect him following graduation in May.
Booker on the other hand was ecstatic to hear of the possible expansion.
"I think it would just be a more lively atmosphere," Booker said. "Just being outside in general is more of a festive drinking, not just drinking, but more of a social setting. In spring and fall in Athens, it's nice to be outside."
The proposed change in the sign ordinance calls for wall mounted board signs and additional sign allowance for all Athens sidewalk cafés.
These are signs that include menus and drink specials among other information, according to the Legislative Review Committee's (LRC) report. The LRC is recommending that sidewalk cafes be permitted to use mounted wall signs to display menus and specials outside that are currently on portable signs that are placed outside during a businesses operating hours.
Presently, the ordinance does not allow for mounted wall signs that do not count against a café's allowed signage space. If the mayor and commission approved the proposed amendment to signage ordinance, the mounted wall signs would not count against sidewalk cafés allowed signage space. The mounted wall signs would be restricted to one per business, two per property if the businesses are stacked on top of each other like Taco Stand and Blue Sky was the example Girtz described during discussion. Each sign would not be able to exceed six square feet.
During the discussion, three commissioners raised concerns about the proposed sign ordinance proposal. Link wanted to clarify the difference between signs and posters under the sign ordinance citing many of the downtown business owners concern of not wanting to further hinder their business' signage and display, with more upcoming construction in the downtown area.
"I'm hoping that we can tweak our ordinances or at least clarify what constitutes art and what constitutes a sign in the very near future because we are going to be seeing some big giant retaining walls popping up in our downtown area and I know that it would be nice if we had the opportunity to brighten them up a little bit without jumping through a bunch of hoops," Link said.
Herod was concerned that the change in the downtown sign ordinance could affect the proposed café boundary or hinder the marking of the boundary and Girtz was concerned about the content neutrality of the signs.
"Legally speaking, if they allow one type of signage, they have to allow all type of signage in the public space because we have to have content neutral approach," Girtz said.
The additional signage allowance would be welcomed by sidewalk café businesses, according to Fisher.
"Having a hanging sign would alleviate some of the problems because when it does get busy, sometimes those signs can get trampled and get in the way," Fisher said. "It's happened before where I've been to other places where it happens. I've seen it happen at our bar, other bars."
If the commission approves these measures at their montly April meetin, it will allow sidewalk cafes with the space and ability outside of downtown additional space in the outdoor and patio area of their establishments. All bars will be able to hang additional signage without hindering the walkway. It will also give more freedom for their customers to enjoy an alcoholic beverage outdoors just as spring fully arrives in downtown Athens.
Both amendments to the ordinance were tabled for further discussion at the Mayor and Commission's March 17 agenda setting meeting. They will continue to discuss the proposal during their April monthly meeting.
Buy Athens: Bringing Life Back to the Local EconomyPosted: March 26, 2015 Filed under: Government Leave a comment
By: Aaron Conley
This is Athens Restaurant Week, when special menus and lower prices are driving diners into the downtown area.
It's a project of the Chamber of Commerce, which is worried about a dwindling number of people shopping and eating downtown.
Leaders in the Athens-Clarke County government believe that the blame for this trend can be traced back to the increase of online shopping, as well as the pull of large malls in other towns.
In order to counteract this trend, a L.E.A.D. Athens group of the Chamber of Commerce developed a new marketing campaign known as Buy Athens. Read the rest of this entry »
Freeganism in Athens?Posted: March 26, 2015 Filed under: Government | Tags: Athens-Clarke County Leave a comment
By: Patrick Adcock
It is broad daylight and Charles Bond is assessing the situation in front of him; he's been here before. Four trash containers sit against the back wall of the parking lot behind a local grocery store. Four chances to hit the jackpot.
Bond has spoken with the employees of this particular store before. They would prefer that any scavenging take place after dusk, when there are fewer customers coming and going and so that day-to-day operations aren't disturbed. It's not dusk, but there aren't too many people around either.
Unperturbed, Bond hops up onto the nearest container. The results are disappointing; the bin is empty.
Bond moves on to the next bin. He pulls back the lid and is immediately hit with the smell of rotting vegetables. This bin is obviously a no-go. It's not a surprising situation; sometimes one has to go home empty-handed.
The third bin is opened to reveal more vegetables – fresh this time.
This is the experience of Freegans, a subset of people who "look outside of capitalistic systems" to obtain their food according to the movement's website. This can include growing their own vegetables in gardens, but most commonly it means digging through trash thrown out by grocery stores.
Grocery stores have an obligation to sell fresh food to customers. The result is that a lot of food gets thrown out, either because it was damaged in shipping or has passed its legal sell-by date. A lot of this food is still edible or can be used for other purposes.
Freegans see this situation as an opportunity. Dumpster diving is not a new phenomenon; however, this is the first time divers have been part of a larger movement. For them, supporting Freeganism has a moral element.
According to the official website of the movement, "After years of trying to boycott products from unethical corporations, we found that no matter what we bought we ended up supporting something deplorable."
Many have thus turned to diving in order to obtain the necessary food supplies while in turn not spending money on companies that they feel don't have the customers' best interests at heart.
A problem comes with diving, however. The legality around the practice is a murky at best. For example, there is no federal law that labels diving as illegal. At the same time, state laws can sometimes prohibit the action.
In the case of Georgia, diving is not illegal. Trespassing and entering private property, however, will result in a fine for the offender. Even diving in unmarked bins could result in being questioned by police.
University of Georgia Police Chief Jimmy Williamson is careful not to condone diving, but also acknowledges that nothing can be done about it.
"It's legal in Athens, but a lot of problems can still come from it."
There are also serious health and safety issues, the least of which can be broken glass shards littered on the bottom of some trash bins.
These are the issues facing Charles Bond as he rummages through the bins of the back parking lot of a local grocer.
Bond is a 21-year-old student of bioengineering at UGA. He lives off-campus on a plot of land that he helps to farm as part of an agriculture group. Chickens wander his backyard where he also grows his own vegetables. Bond plays drums for several local bands.
About once a month, Bond goes diving. He has a few hotspots, such as the Earthfare on Milledge and the Kroger on Baxter. These places, he says, are relatively nice to divers and will allow them to take refuse as long as they don't disturb daytime operations.
"Earthfare is the best," says Bond. "I've heard about Trader Joe's but I've never been there to look."
Bond goes diving about once a month and has so far never been caught by either management or curious police officers. Store managers for Earthfare referred this writer to the PR department for comment on this story; however, the department never returned any emails or phone calls.
Some stores will put up signs prohibiting diving, which will result in trouble for offenders. There are also others methods for to stores hoping to deter people digging through their trash.
"In a block of buildings, because it's not easy to get around to the back, it makes it feel more sketchy," said Bond.
A good piece of advice for all divers is to ask someone in the store about their policies around the practice before engaging. It's ultimately the store's prerogative to allow or disallow diving into their own trash containers.
Bond doesn't care much for any stigma associated with people who dive. Many people assume that Dumpster divers physically dive headfirst into trash. Bond has a technique of balancing against the side of the container so that he can reach inside without actually entering the Dumpster.
"If you are adventurous and you like free stuff, then diving is for you," said Bond.
Bond does not eat anything that he obtains from diving, however. He uses the vegetables he obtains to feed his chickens. He is also not too enamored with the term "Freegan."
"It sounds like a mixture of foodie, animal rights, pseudo-Marxist kind of stuff," said Bond. "I went to Occupy, so I'm kind of tired of people using that rhetoric and not really doing anything about it."
He hasn't seen any evidence of the Freegan movement arriving in force in Athens, either.
"You just put a name on it and then people will attribute more value to it than there actually is," said Bond. He is a supporter of urban gardening, but for him that is far different from a loose movement of Dumpster divers.
Bond says that the Freegan movement can gain publicity by advertising their label but it would be more meaningful if the movement was actually accomplishing something tangible.
Despite all this, Bond says he will definitely be diving again soon.
"Dig deep, don't be afraid to get dirty, but try to stay physically outside of the trash container."
Georgia GOP Convention advancePosted: March 26, 2015 Filed under: Government Leave a comment
Paula Baroff
Though he may be young, Brennan Mancil has no short list of responsibilities. A delegate to the Georgia GOP Convention, an active member of Athens GOP, and the Vice President of the University of Georgia College Republicans, Mancil is working hard to prepare for the next election cycle.
Eager to speak about Republican politics, Mancil talked openly about the upcoming Georgia GOP Convention. "Everyone already has their delegates in," he said, "and the Convention is in May."
The Georgia Republican Convention is looking to be star-studded this year, with the list of invited speakers including several potential presidential candidates. Secretary of State Brian Kemp reportedly has invited a growing list of speakers, which include presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz as well Gov. Scott Walker, Rick Perry, and John Kasich; Sens. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Lindsey Graham; and former Gov. Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush.
The focus so far has been on Cruz, with Kemp saying that he "will personally help coordinate all the details to ensure a smooth and successful visit," if Sen. Cruz is able to attend.
With Ted Cruz's announcement Monday that he was throwing in his name as a presidential candidate, pressure on local Republican activists to begin preparing for the elections has been progressively intensifying.
Mancil, as a local GOP delegate, said that there has been a scramble, especially for candidates, to begin campaigning earlier.
"I would say that organizations that support candidates are getting out earlier," Mancil said, "And the local GOP—we're always trying to fund raise. But if you start really campaigning now, people will forget about your candidate quicker."
With 2016 fast approaching, Athens GOP members like Mancil are already feeling the campaign buzz. For the Athens branch of the GOP, state nominations are a direct reflection of future political circumstances, and the beginning of a two-year race towards a Republican presidency.
Georgia, Mancil says, is a fairly good indicator of the Republican Party's atmosphere leading up to the presidential primaries next year. "I think that Georgia accurately represents the more conservative side of the Republican Party," Mancil said. "We have the second most number of delegates. Nationally Georgia is to the right, but Georgia regionally, certainly, we meet it perfectly."
Georgia's large number of delegates is drawing both candidates and divisiveness, according to Mancil. The invitations to the Georgia State Convention from Secretary Kemp were extended to a wide range of ideological leanings, from right-of-center Ted Cruz to perceived establishment moderate Jeb Bush.
"There's a lot of disagreement on who to back." Mancil said of this, "In Athens, and out of state."
According to Mancil, there are already people leaving Athens and Georgia to help with super PACs and work on Ted Cruz's campaign. The Tea Party, Mancil said, is "strong in Georgia," but he expressed some skepticism that Cruz would win in the primaries.
"In is announcement speech, Ted really tried to appeal to religious conservatives," Mancil said, "because it's the second biggest demographic in Georgia."
The State Convention will include much divisive language, according to Mancil. "There's a lot of internal party drama," he said. Besides the disagreements regarding presidential candidates, this internal disunity can be seen on a more local scale, he said, in state politics, especially the Georgia Republican Convention.
The Georgia delegates will be voting for the next chairman; the incumbent chairman is John Padgett, with Alex Johnson running as a challenger. Mancil said he is looking forward to an intense convention, but doesn't anticipate an intense election.
"It'll be heated in the rhetoric, but not in the actual results, he said. "It won't be a very close election."
When pressed on this, Mancil smiled, shook his head, and said, "It'll be an easy win for John because Alex really represents the libertarian wing. He won't win."
The Convention itself, a weekend-long event, will be held in Athens on May 15 and 16. Most of the big name Republican speakers, according to Mancil, will be speaking on May 15, while May 16 is mainly the actual voting.
While the Republican speakers will be of most interest to average voters, he said, the really heated rhetoric will take place the next day, when the Georgia representatives and senators speak, moving up to the chairman: "It gets more heated the higher the level."
The Georgia GOP convention cycle is an important aspect of pre-election political groundwork. While there may be off-years for the average citizen, party members, Mancil says, are involved in a never-ending cycle of intense politicking. When not aggressively working towards elections, they are constantly preparing to do so.
While they are not yet actively campaigning, Mancil said, "everyone is talking about 2016."


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> What is Act No. 5651? Act No. 5651 is a law enacted for struggling with Internet Crimes on 4 May 2007. This law was expanded with the regulations published in October 2007 and November 2007 and with these regulations Service Providers and all organizations forced to record logs in order to track and find the criminal against cases of Internet crimes.> Who is covered by Act No. 5651? Act No. 5651 covers the below providers as a result of applied modifications. 1. Access Provider: Natural or legal person providing access opportunities to Internet for the users subscribed to it and for the Internet bulk usage providers.2. Host Provider: Natural or legal person providing and operating systems hosting service and content in Internet environment.3. Content Provider: Natural or legal person generating, modifying and providing all kinds of data and information provided on Internet to the users.4. Internet Bulk Usage Provider: Natural or legal person providing Internet usage to people at certain places and for a certain period of time.5. Commercial Internet Bulk Usage Provider: Natural or legal person providing Internet bulk usage in Internet rooms or similar public places for a charge and providing games that improves information and skills installed on computers.These providers cover the below entities: Content Providers; All organizations providing telecommunication services. Host Providers; all Hosting companies providing HTTP, SMTP and FTP services and applications open to Internet. Content Providers; all organizations providing services in Internet environment. Internet Bulk Usage Providers; all organizations providing Internet service to in-house staff. Commercial Internet Bulk Usage Providers; all organizations providing Internet services for a charge.> Which Logs Should We Record in the Scope of Act No 5651? In the scope of Act No. 5651, activity logs of all servers and users of the company having an Internet connection and communicating information over the Internet for the purpose of detection of the person who attacks; DHCP server logs to detect the in-house person enabling the connection; other activity logs to detect people.> Why Should We Record Logs? To perform information security management and clarify any issue, records must be stored. This process must be performed in a central system based on unassailability principle to eliminate the issues to be emerged in the future. Purpose of log recording is not only to detect the events but also to generate important reports and to obtain serious results about the observation of the system and operating. For this purpose, log recording is a necessity in most of the standards managing the regular operation of systems and reporting. (Obligations such as PCI, SOX, COBIT, 27001, etc.)> What Logs Should We Record? In general logs of firewall applications, e-mail servers, file servers, critical servers, domain server, database servers, application servers, user web traffic information and servers and applications open to outside must be recorded.> What is Event Management? Establishing and managing the mechanism that detects an issue in a certain period of time as a result of associating the logs obtained from different resources and log IDs of records collected are defined in general. Event Management solution that is called SIEM - Security Information and Event Management or SEM – Security Event Management is aimed to establish the system that will provide collection and examination of records centrally.> What are the considerations to pay attention in Event Management? Since records are collected centrally logs must be transmitted to the central system at the moment of log generation, fully and without interrupting the unassailability rules. The second consideration is the amount of records and period which they will be stored. Another consideration is the period which the logs will be stored actively, meaning they can be reachable in the system, and the period which the logs will be exposed only when required. Standards apply different enforcements, but the general usage is log recording for 3 months and log accessibility for 1 year. This information is important to specify the disk capacity at the systems where records will be collected.> What is the benefit of Event Management?With the all records collected;- Alerting when a log is created in compliance with the rule defined- Detection of behavior fitting to associated logs- Detection of behaviors that are independent but meaningful when associated- Information collection intended for intelligence and attacks- Tracking user activities- Observation capability about securitySecurity Weakness Detection and Penetration TestSecurity Standards and 27001 Certification Services
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Monsters, Miniatures, and Other Oddities: History's Most Extreme Mammals (Slideshow)
Image copyright AMNH / D. Finnin
From a rhinoceros relative the size of four elephants to a kin of the shrew small enough to fit on the end of a pencil, the world of mammals -- both extinct and surviving to this day -- is full of extremes, and oddities. A whale with legs and a "bear" that can wrap itself up in its own tail to sleep are among the creatures featured in "Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time," an exhibit on display April 3 through September 12 under the green roof of San Francisco's new California Academy of Sciences building after a stint at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. Some are funny, some ferocious, but all of them will wow you.
Wild and Weird New Species Discovered in 2009 (Slideshow)
Rare Antarctic Sea Life Photographed by Researchers
7 Weird Endangered Species Only a Mother Could Love
Strange, Super-Rare Aye-Aye to be Wiped Out by Criminal Butchers
Coral Reefs Dense With Unusual Wildlife Discovered in Brazil
'Weird' Animals Need Protection, Too


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In the present work a three-dimensional model has been developed to study shieldinggas flow and heat transfer in a laser welding process using computational fluid dynamics.This investigation was motivated by problems met while using an optical system totrack the weld path. The aim of this study was to investigate if the shielding gas flowcould disturb the observation area of the optical system. The model combines heatconduction in the solid work piece and thermal flow in the fluid region occupied by theshielding gas. These two regions are coupled through their energy equations so asto allow heat transfer between solid and fluid region. Laser heating was modelled byimposing a volumetric heat source, moving along the welding path. The model wasimplemented in the open source software OpenFOAM and applied to argon shieldinggas and titanium alloy Ti6Al4V base metal. Test cases were done to investigate theshielding gas flow produced by two components: a pipe allowing shielding the melt,and a plate allowing shielding the weld while it cools down. The simulation results confirmedthat these two components do provide an efficient shielding. They also showedthat a significant amount of shielding gas flows towards the observation area of the opticalsystem intended to track the weld path. This is not desired since it could transportsmoke that would disturb the optical signal. The design of the shielding system thusneeds to be modified.
Arc welding still requires deeper process understanding and more accurateprediction of the heat transferred to the base metal. This can be provided by CFD modelling.Most works done to model arc discharge using CFD consider the arc corealone. Arc core simulation requires applying extrapolated experimental data asboundary conditions on the electrodes. This limits the applicability. To become independent of experimental input the electrodes need to be included in the arcmodel. The most critical part is then the interface layer between the electrodesand the arc core. This interface is complex and non-uniform, with specific physicalphenomena.The present work reviews the concepts of plasma and arc discharges that areuseful for this problem. The main sub-regions of the model are described, andtheir dominant physical roles are discussed.The coupled arc-electrode model is developed in different steps. First couplingsolid and fluid regions for a simpler problem without complex couplinginterface. This is applied to a laser welding problem using the CFD softwareOpenFOAM. The second step is the modelling of the interface layer betweencathode and arc, or cathode layer. Different modelling approaches available inthe literature are studied to determine their advantages and drawbacks. One ofthem developed by Cayla is used and further improved so as to satisfy the basicprinciples of charge and energy conservation in the different regions of thecathode layer. A numerical procedure is presented. The model, implementedin MATLAB, is tested for different arc core and cathode conditions. The maincharacteristics calculated with the interface layer model are in good agreementwith the reference literature. The future step will be the implementation of theinterface layer model in OpenFOAM.


text: Give up an angry, chain rattling ghost or poltergeist. Yes, that memory, regret or person in your life who makes your waking and sleeping moments equally miserable and a frightening freak show. Proceed with thoughtful care and caution, these insidious begins have a way of showing up when and where you least expect them.


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You say you've got a lot to learn?
We can fix that too.
Dina's produced many helpful articles and video demonstrations on the art of renovation. Read, watch and learn as she brings her 25+ years of experience to these living spaces – much like the kind of work she can do for you.
Space Lifting, Before: http://youtu.be/Xd6B7XF-diQ
Interviewed by a local morning TV program, Dina explains the concept of Space Lifting prior to actually helping a homeowner in Pilsen transform her living room – in only a couple of hours! If you're in an office, apartment or any living space that needs a fresh perspective but can't afford to do a full-scale remodel, you'll want to watch how Space Lifting can help you out painlessly.
Space Lifting, After: http://youtu.be/IoE_R1W5bU0
The big reveal, post-space lifting! You'll be amazed what a difference can be made by moving some pieces in a room to create greater balance, better focal points and a more inviting view. See how Dina has transformed the long and rectangular living room for the homeowner into what feels like a totally new space.
Dina Petrakis and Sam Marts, discussing their approach to serving clients: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1222379478501
Littlerock works seamlessly with all kinds of partners, such as Sam Marts Architects and Planners. Listen to Dina and Sam describe how their combined 60+ years of experience forms a terrific resource for homeowners striving to realize their design ambitions.
Caulking Workshop Video, in segments:
Why Caulk?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nksa62ZJiHQ
As Dina and Sam engage in a service project for the community, they speak to the hidden financial and environmental benefits that can be in store for you as a result of caulking.
Where to Caulk: Testing for Air Leaks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9QGv-6Cb6o
Working in an unheated basement, Dina shows how she views each room like a sealed envelope, sharing useful tips on how to keep heated and unheated spaces separate by testing air flow.
"One Big Thing"; Insulating Electrical Outlets and Switches:
What's The One Big Thing? Inevitably in projects, there's the less than obvious thing you can't see that suddenly becomes something bigger – like a seemingly harmless switch on an outside wall that opens up new insulation challenges. Fortunately, Dina has just the fix for that.
What KIND of Caulk to Use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkdjotOoAGE
Not all caulks are the same. From paintable caulk to non-paintable caulk to removable caulk, Dina explains the differences so you can select the best high quality caulk for your needs and long-term use.
Caulking Tools: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpLArGnrY9A
Dina gets it done with the help of several great tools: Caulking guns, painter's tape and backer rod. She demonstrates how they work together to result in better coverage and cleaner edges on the job.
Caulking Demonstration; Tooling your Caulk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-pB7lVjr6k
What's the right amount of caulk to use for the surface and angle you're working with? Dina shows you how to caulk in different situations to get the smoothest finish and best seal for insulation.
Go and Do!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjErnbTB1EI
What are you waiting for? Caulking is easier than you think, especially now that you've got the tips from Dina to go do it yourself. Not to mention caulk can help reduce your carbon footprint and save on your utility bills. Of course, if you need a hand on home projects like this, Dina's here for you too.


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UP-102 Administrative pouch will be perfect for placement at the upper part of plate-carrier or bodyarmor, You will always have fast access to a cell phone, map,multitool, keys, documents and a lot of other small things. It`s universal and bothly compact and don`t requires much space. The pouch is only equipped with inner organiser and detachable inner pocket for map.
Weigth 130 gramm
Sizes(LxWxH): 16cm x 9cm x 3cm
Strap: Nylon 100%
Furniture: Azetal
Made in Russia


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Why We Named Our Twins Rumi and Sir Carter – JAY – Z
More than two months after their twins were born and named, Jay-Z has finally explained the rationale behind their interesting names– Rumi and Sir.Recall that in July, Beyoncé shared the first photo of the twin boy and girl and revealed their names; Sir and Rumi. The photo stirred major reactions, just like it was during Blue Ivy's time, with many people making false assumptions about why the power couple chose those names.
Now, the 4:44 rapper has addressed it all.
In a new interview with Elliot Wilson and Brian Miller during their podcast Rap Radar, the rap legend said, "Rumi is our favorite poet, so it was for our daughter. Sir was like, man, come out the gate. He carries himself like that. He just came out, like, Sir."
"I booked the tour for October so I could have at least four months to just really bond and see their fingers and s–t like that," he said.
He continued, "They'll be with me [on tour] anyway but I'm just saying, like, [I needed] a space where I'm not doing anything. I'm just focused on them. I'm not thinking about a show at night or anything like that. That's why the tour is so far away from the release of the album."
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The other day I commented to my spouse that it surprised me our good friend, who is gay (as in, lesbian), likes Superman so much. Assuming the reason I like Superman has more to do with his tights than his personality, it seemed to me that it would be more logical for our friend to like a hot female superhero.
How shallow I am?
Then it hit me, our friend likes Superman because he's a hero. He has the best super powers! Who wouldn't want to fly, run faster than a speeding bullet, have x-ray vision and super hearing, to name just a few of the cool things he can do. Unfortunately, for women, there aren't many female superhero options.*
I realize if you happen to be a huge comic book fan, you can probably name any number of female, kick-butt superheroes. But for the general public, think about it—as a female, what superhero would you want to be?
- Catwoman? We'd all like to look like her, but was she good or bad, I can't remember. I would rather be Batman—better toys, more money and an awesome hideout.
- Wonder Woman? Once again, we'd all like to look like her; but frankly, her outfit looks mighty uncomfortable!
On the other hand, here are just a few of the numerous options for guys.
- James Bond: Good looks, hot cars, money, toys, travel, and of course, girls.
- Spider-Man: How fun would it be to swing from building to building!
- Iron Man: Money, cool toys, power, etc., etc….
In any case, I continued to ponder this and came up with what, I think, is an interesting conclusion. Just as men are different from women, if you want to create a truly kick-butt female superhero, in order for woman to want to be her, she needs to be different than a male superhero.
Face it. Wonder Woman and Cat Woman are just wannabe male superheroes, that's why they don't cut it.
And after coming to that conclusion, I realized there are a few female superhero-like characters that, if I could, I would want to be.
My #1 choice: Dr. Temperance Brennan, from the TV show, Bones. Of course she's good looking, but she's also smarter than everyone else, admired by all, and extremely successful.
#2 choice: Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. Though she starts out a bit weak, it's pretty clear by the second book that Harry and Ron would be total losers without her. Her brilliance saves the day on many occasions. Plus, several books later, she turns out to be hot.
Finally, #3: Nancy Drew. She was smart, brave and, like Temperance Brennan, admired by all!
So here's my challenge to you: Who is your female superhero and why?
*Update: this post was written in the years before the new Wonder Woman started kicking and other superhero woman began taking center stage. Still, I love the idea of any superhero – woman or man – kicking brains instead of just butt.


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The game was broadcast live at DeepMind's London headquarters in the UK.
Recently, AI software developers developed by Google's DeepMind have beaten human players &mdash in the "Starcraft II" game. This is the first in the field of artificial intelligence.
In a series of game games played on YouTube and Twitch, AI players beat human players in 10 consecutive games. In the final game, professional game player Grüngorz (MaNa) [Komincz) won a victory for mankind.
DeepMind's research director David · David Silver said after the game: "Artificial intelligence in different game competitions, has become an important milestone in the development of artificial intelligence. I hope —— although there is obviously work to be done —— future people may look back today and realize that this is an important step in the potential of artificial intelligence systems. "
Defeating humans in video games seems like a juggling in the development of artificial intelligence, but it is actually a major research challenge. Games like "StarCraft 2" are more difficult to play than board games (such as chess or Go). In video games, artificial intelligence software entities cannot calculate the next action by observing the motion of each piece, they must react in real time.
A screenshot of the game in December last year showing the match between AlphaStar and TLO
These factors do not seem to be a major obstacle to the DeepMind AI game player system (AlphaStar). First, it defeated the professional player Dario "TLO"; Wü nsch, and then it began to challenge Comingz. A series of competitions were originally held at DeepMind's London headquarters in December last year, but today's live broadcast of the last game of Kolmitz, the professional player brought a victory to mankind.
Professional StarCraft commentators describe AlphaStar's performance as "extraordinary" and "superman".
In StarCraft II, you first need to start from different locations on the same map, then build bases, train troops, and invade enemy territory. AlphaStar specializes in the so-called "micromanagement", the ability to quickly and decisively control forces on the battlefield.
Although human players can sometimes train more powerful troops, AlphaZero can still beat them at close range. In a game, AlphaStar gathered mana with a fast-moving "stalker". Commentator Kevin "Rotterdam"; Van der Coe described it as "extraordinary military control, which is not what the average person can see at ordinary times. "
At the end of the game, Komminks said: "If I play against any human opponent, they will not be slightly controlled by this stalker & rsquo; "
This event echoes the behavior we see from other advanced artificial intelligence gamers.
Last year, when OpenAI's AI players participated in the Dota 2 game, they were eventually defeated by human players. However, at the time, industry experts commented that AI software players showed excellent clarity and accuracy, and were able to make judgments quickly and correctly, which is also the advantage of artificial intelligence players.
Experts have begun to analyze this game showdown and discuss whether AlphaStar has gained any unfair advantage. Artificial intelligence players (software entities) perform poorly in some ways, for example, AI players are limited in number of clicks per minute. However, unlike human players, it can view the entire map at once instead of manually navigating.
Researchers at DeepMind say that AI players don't actually get a real advantage because it only focuses on one part of the map at any time. However, as the game shows, this does not prevent AlphaStar from skillfully controlling troops in three different regions. Commentators say this is impossible for human players. It's worth noting that when Comminz beat AlphaStar in a live game, the AI is using a limited camera view mode.
It should also be pointed out that this time the opponents of the AI players are professional players, but they are not the world champion. Players participating in the competition TLO must also complete the games he is not familiar with in StarCraft II.
The graphic shows the game processing of AlphaStar. The system looks at the entire map from top to bottom and predicts which behavior will win
Leaving aside this discussion, experts say the game is an important step forward for artificial intelligence. Long-term participation in "StarCraft" "Artificial Intelligence Scene Research Researcher Dave · Churchill told the UK "Guardian": "I think the ability of artificial intelligence game software entities is a major achievement, at least The most optimistic guess I heard in artificial intelligence researchers was a year earlier. "
However, Churchill added that because DeepMind has not released any research papers on this work, it is difficult to determine whether AlphaStar has achieved any technological leap. Churchill said: "I have not read this blog post and have not seen any documents or technical details to make a judgment. "
Mark Riedl, associate professor of artificial intelligence at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said he was not surprised by the results of the game. Artificial intelligence beat human players only "a time issue".
Riddle added that he did not think the game showed that StarCraft II was indeed conquered by artificial intelligence players. He said that in the past live games, AlphaStar was confined to the window, which eliminated some of the advantages of artificial intelligence, "but the bigger problem we see … is that the strategy learned by artificial intelligence is fragile. When a professional player pushes an AI player out of the comfort zone, the artificial intelligence collapses. "
In fact, letting artificial intelligence players defeat humans in video games, the ultimate goal is to improve the training methods of artificial intelligence, especially to create artificial intelligence systems that can run in complex virtual environments like StarCraft.
To train AlphaStar, researchers at DeepMind used a method called reinforcement learning. In order to achieve certain goals (such as winning or just alive), AI software entities basically play this game through trial and error. They first learn by imitating human players and then learn from each other in the game competition. In different AI software entities, the strong survive and the weak are abandoned. DeepMind estimates that each of its AlphaStar software entities has accumulated about 200 years of gameplay in this way, and as the game accumulates, they are playing faster and faster.
DeepMind is well aware of its goals for this work. "The most important thing is that DeepMind's mission is to build a universal artificial intelligence system. " AlphaStar project leader Oriol Vinyals said he is referring to the creation of an artificial intelligence software entity that performs any psychological task that humans can accomplish. " To do this, it is important to compare and compare the performance of our artificial intelligence software entities in various tasks. "
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Mouth ulcers
Alternative names
Oral ulcer; Stomatitis - ulcerative; Ulcer - mouth
Mouth ulcers are sores or open lesions within the mouth caused by various disorders. (See also aphthous ulcer.)
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Mouth ulcers are caused by many disorders. These include canker sores, leukoplakia, gingivostomatitis, oral cancer, oral lichen planus, oral thrush, herpes simplex, and other disorders. The skin lesion of histoplasmosis may also appear as a mouth ulcer.
Aphthous ulcer is more common in young adults than in children or older adults.
- Pain or discomfort in the mouth
- Presence of open sores in the mouth
The appearance and exact location of lesions varies with the specific disorder.
Signs and tests
A health care provider or dentist usually diagnoses the type of mouth ulcer based on the appearance and location of the lesion. A skin biopsy of the ulcer or blood tests may be needed to confirm the disorder causing the problem.
The goal of treatment is relief of symptoms. The cause, if known, should be treated. Gentle, thorough oral hygiene may relieve some of the symptoms. Topical antihistamines, antacids, corticosteroids, or other soothing preparations may be recommended to apply to the mouth ulcer. Avoid hot or spicy foods, which often increase the pain of mouth ulcers.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outcome varies with the causative disorder. Many mouth ulcers are benign and resolve without specific treatment. Rarely, chronic mouth ulcers can develop into oral cancer.
- Cellulitis of the mouth from secondary bacterial infection of ulcers
- Dental infections (Tooth abscesses)
- Spread of contagious disorders to other people
- Oral cancer
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if your mouth ulcer(s) persist for longer than 3 weeks. Call for an appointment with your health care provider if mouth ulcers recur frequently, or if new symptoms develop.
Good oral hygiene may help in the prevention of some types of mouth ulcers or complications from mouth ulcers. This includes brushing the teeth at least twice per day, flossing at least daily, and regular professional dental cleaning and examination.
by Dave R. Roger, M.D.
Medical Encyclopedia
All ArmMed Media material is provided for information only and is neither advice nor a substitute for proper medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional who understands your particular history for individual concerns.


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Foundations of Success for Borough's Best BuildingsPublished Thursday, 19 May 2016
Building control surveyors at Ribble Valley Borough Council have received a pat on the back at a prestigious awards ceremony.
The council's building control team oversaw the extension of Cob House in Grindleton by Haslingden developer Prime Country Developments Ltd in association with Clitheroe architects Sunderland Peacock, which won the Best Extension or Alteration to an Existing Home category in the 2016 LABC North West Building Excellence Awards.
They also oversaw three other nominations: Two in the Best Individual New Home category – for Boxwood House in Rimington and Pendle Road in Clitheroe – and one for Best New Housing Development for Copperfields in Clitheroe.
The LABC Building Excellence Awards are the 'Oscars' of the building sector and the glittering ceremony at the Macron Stadium, Bolton, was attended by 600 developers, architects and building inspectors.
Ribble Valley Council's head of environmental health, Heather Coar, said: "The Building Excellence Awards promote the very best in construction and design, and the success of these developments highlights the advantages of close co-operation between the building sector and local authorities.
"The council's building control team brings a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to building projects and I am delighted that several developments they oversaw and nominated have done so well at these prestigious awards."
Roy Benyon, chairman of Local Authority Building Control North West, added: "These awards celebrate the best construction in the region, recognising the high level of skill and professionalism the building industry is capable of reaching and demonstrating that local authority building control provides a high-quality service to many of the region's best builders."


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Hyatt Announces Plans for Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn. Berthed, an owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and Malaysia's largest fund-management company, for the first Park Hyatt hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The high-end hotel, designed to meet the needs of the discerning global traveler, will join the city's prestigious development − Merdeka PNB 118 tower. Anticipated to be completed in 2020, the tower is expected to be the tallest skyscraper in Southeast Asia and the third tallest in the world.
Set to open in 2021, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will offer a one-of-a kind experience for guests as it will occupy the top 17 floors of the 118-floor tower overlooking Stadium Merdeka, Malaysia's national treasure and a UNESCO heritage site, where the country's independence was declared in 1957.
"We are delighted to collaborate with PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn. Berhad and to announce the introduction of the Park Hyatt brand in Malaysia," said David Udell, group president – Asia Pacific, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. "The new Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will provide guests with meaningful and enriching moments as they find themselves surrounded by contemporary luxury and artistry at its best − from original art works to the finest in culinary expression."
Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is the first brand to announce plans to join the Merdeka PNB 118 tower development, which will redefine the Kuala Lumpur skyline with its classic and contemporary aesthetics. The hotel will boast 232 guestrooms, including 28 suites and 30 residential apartments. True to the Park Hyatt brand, the hotel is being designed to offer guests warm, intimate experiences, including residentially-inspired spaces such as galleries and libraries. The hotel will feature more than 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting spaces for events and celebrations. With three on-site restaurants and bars, guests will also be able to experience exceptional food and beverage programs including: a signature restaurant, bar and a skyline-level restaurant. Grounded in mindfulness, the hotel will provide luxurious wellness offerings including a six-treatment room spa, state-of-the-art fitness center and a swimming pool with city views of Kuala Lumpur.
"The Park Hyatt brand is a leader in luxury hospitality and offers guests a one-of-a-kind experience with highly personalized, intuitive and fully engaged service; renowned art and design; and exceptional food and wine," said Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, PNB group chairman. "The brand has hotels in iconic cities around the world, and we're thrilled to welcome the brand to Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka PNB 118 tower and to be a part of the brand's global network."
The Merdeka 118 Precinct project is anticipated to attract business and leisure travelers from around the world and will include the Merdeka PNB 118, a tower spanning more than three million square feet that will be compromised of Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, office space and an observation deck. Major infrastructure plans are underway to improve accessibility to the precinct including the Merdeka Mass Rapid Transit station (MRT), which is already in operation, and construction of two tunnels for vehicular access to the tower.


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Each fall the Timberlane band marches for the football halftime shows. It is made up of all band participants. After marching band season, the band splits up into their concert bands - Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. There are also two jazz bands.
The orchestra is comprised of a symphony orchestra, a chamber orchestra and our newest ensemble, a guitar orchestra.
The chorus is comprised of Freshman Chorus, Concert Choir, and the Select Ensemble.
Let our voices be heard
Timberlane Music Association's web site is now available here
TMA is a group of parents and volunteers who support all the musical endeavors and activities at Timberlane Regional High School. You could call us the "Music Boosters." We have lots of volunteer opportunities and we meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month September - June at the PAC.
Sorry, there are no events currently available.
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