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New York |
Bartleby 2000
by Jeffrey Freiert
I caught a glimpse of him as he was leaving the office, though I'd been trying to avoid him. The building security man, in blue blazer, stood off to his left, hands folded respectfully in front of him like a funeral director receiving the bereaved, but ready to reach out and steer his charge if necessary. Bartleby shuffled forward unsteadily, as if suddenly, after sixteen years, unsure of the way out. His large, rounded shoulders were hunched, seemingly weighted down by his dull khaki raincoat. One hand held a canvas briefcase bulging with personal items; the other gripped an umbrella that abruptly opened up in front of his knees. Mumbling apologies to his escort, he fumbled to close it, and I cringed for him—one more indignity before he'd even reached the elevator bank. Then they turned a corner and he was gone. I waited awhile in my office, looked at the pictures of my wife and young daughter, neither of whom thought of me as an unkind man, then put on my own coat and left the building. The sky above was dark with low clouds, and thick rainfall splattered down. Under the cover of my umbrella, I prayed for him not to endure any hardship. He hated me, I was sure. I'd never fired anyone before. But today I had, at the very least, ruined a man's day. Now I would go home to a warm meal, familial love, perhaps laugh at a television show. What was he going home to? He'd have no peace or security tonight. He'd stand before his wife in squishy shoes, soaked and jobless. I tried not to let my imagination go too far, but I could see myself in his place, lying in bed, awake in the darkness, talking fearfully in hushed desperate whispers with my wife: What are we going to do? I imagined him as I would imagine myself. But I soon learned that I knew him not at all, and that he was not like me. *** This kind of work tends to attract introverts, sometimes extreme introverts, so Bartleby keeping his office door closed, while seeming somewhat unusual for the company, did not seem disturbingly odd for a proofreader in a publishing house. The woman who had held my position before me apprised me of this closed door idiosyncrasy of his, so I accepted its legacy. She also told me he was a poet and speculated that he might compose at work. My attitude was that as long as he did the work and met his deadlines, if he stole a half hour here or there for verse, no harm done. Most of us had other passions. (I liked to pick a banjo now and then.) I had always preferred a laissez-faire atmosphere, and now that I was the boss, in effect, I wanted to be easygoing. Plus he'd been there as far back as people could remember, so I assumed he knew his stuff. He never mentioned anything personal and by his manner didn't seem to invite any inquiries. Not once did he comment on the pictures of my wife and daughter on my desk, the Impressionist art on my walls, or even wonder aloud what my literary tastes were. I deduced that he was an opera buff by the posters on his wall of Rigoletto and Turandot, but he never played music in his office. I did, softly: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, early Dylan. No comment from him. We didn't wish each other a good night or a good weekend because I rarely saw him leave—or come in. Every once in a while I'd see him trudging off to the copying machine wearing his usual faded blue and white striped shirt and baggy gray trousers. I never saw him eat lunch or noticed him going out to eat. His office never smelled of food. It gave off a musty scent, when the door did open, but that was it. He made no mention of children, which didn't mean he didn't have any, but I never saw any evidence—no photos, no child-scrawled crayon drawings or splotchy finger paintings. Later, after my first discovery, I wondered, though it was none of my business, if he had sex with his wife. She did exist. Again there was no photo or conversational reference to her, but I happened to meet her one night, standing next to Bartleby in the elevator lobby. She looked several years younger than him, maybe mid to late forties. A pleasant round face, friendly smile, bouncy brown curls. She wore loose, casual clothes, and I guessed from the file of papers under her arm and the textbooks she cradled that she was a high school math teacher—algebra. She didn't say but reached out and smiled when Bartleby reluctantly volunteered introductions. "My wife, Ellen," he said in the same tone he might say, "Here's the new Melville introduction back from the editor." He introduced me as Victor, and my name sounded foreign on his lips. I couldn't remember him ever calling me by name. She said, "Very nice to meet you," and I said the same, and then with fixed smiles she and I waited for the elevator to descend while Bartleby studied his shoes. Any interaction with him was awkward, if not painful, so I kept them to a minimum. Knocking on his closed door intimidated me, as much as I told myself that it shouldn't and resented that it did. Whenever I knocked there would be a pause, the sound of caster wheels rolling or his chair creaking, and I would continue to stand in the hall holding whatever work I had for him, feeling noticeable and stupid as I awaited admittance. It was rare that I had a conversation with him past the doorway, that I got more than a foot over the threshold. He would be there, large body blocking off the rest of his office. A solitary lamp on his desk gave off a dull backlight in the windowless room. He'd peer at me over glasses sliding down the bumpy ridge of his nose, bulging startled eyes with deep bags under them. His big ears were emphasized by a sharp crew cut; gray bristles of hair squared off his head. His thumbs were thick and knobby, topped off by long yellowing nails, sharp and square like his head. Invariably he'd be clutching a sheet of paper, as if to say, I'm working, see? Sometimes he'd be holding the phone, stretching the cord to open the door, and it seemed understood that I'd return later. He never hung up. Again, in retrospect, I'm not sure I ever heard him say anything on the phone. The single peek I had into his personal life (prior to his departure) was a poem left too long in the printer several of us shared. His name wasn't on it, but I assumed, especially from the opera reference, that it was his. I'm not sure why, but I took it and made a copy of it, then returned it to the printer. I never acknowledged I'd seen it, either to tell him I didn't care or even that I liked it, which I rather did. This is his poem: Trailer Court In the trailer across the gravel drive She plays Puccini records at three in the afternoon. I sit in my trailer, vodka glass in hand Listening, imagining touching her, Tucking a finger under a strap of her slip And pulling it over her freckled shoulder. Our cries are drowned out by the voice Of the immortal Maria Callas. It never occurred to me in those early months to not work with him or that he would voluntarily leave. He'd been in the same position, the same boxy office for years. His bookshelves were overflowing; he had stacks of dusty Xerox boxes full of old files under a table. Bartleby gave off an air of permanence, if not stagnation. Like a squat three-floor brownstone bookended by new skyscrapers in Manhattan, he was staying put, in a niche. If he was in a rut, he'd chosen to decorate it. With opera posters. *** The process of discovery came in three stages, the first on the day after he'd been fired. That morning I did a preliminary survey of what was in his office to see what work he had that I needed to go over. His one act of overt aggression before he left had been to slam a pile of manuscripts into my in-box without a word and stalk out of my office. But I was far from sure he'd given me everything. And I was curious. The closed door, the inner sanctum. The opera posters had been left taped to the walls. I turned on his lamp and found the 40-watt bulb black on top with filth, a bald man with a bad toupee. Sitting in his desk chair, which teetered loosely back and forth, I opened the top drawer. Office supplies, needle and a spool of thread, lots of rubber bands, a stray clothespin, half a bottle of aspirin. The middle drawer held forms, envelopes, Post-its—paper supplies. Then I pulled open the bottom drawer. Atop a tall listing stack sat a Victoria's Secret catalogue. The model, in black bikini underwear, was craning her neck to one side, thrusting out her breasts, on bended knees, brown hair thrown back. I knew, in the way we all seem to know things about super models without seeking the information, that she was French. She was gorgeous. I smiled and thought, So the old dog had some tricks. It wasn't all about opera and poetry. The hermit had an active libido, although an underwear catalogue was pretty tame, almost sweet. Some pity and guilt rose up in me again. I peeked under the catalogue to see if he indeed had a whole stack and discovered a Frederick's of Hollywood catalogue. Costumes, then, in addition to lingerie. Underneath that one I found a guide for adult films, the trim size of a TV Guide. After a glance at the open doorway, I flipped through it quickly. Lots of small square color photos with boobs and hair, mostly blond. I wondered if he had ordered porn from the office, had it delivered here? And how much? I wasn't too deep into the stack. Lying under half a dozen more adult film guides, I found a catalogue called "Bound for Glory" with a grainy black-and-white shot of a blindfolded woman, arms held above her head by wrist restraints. I looked at the doorway again, dropped the bondage catalogue on top of the others, and closed the drawer. I climbed out of the wobbly chair, walked to the door, then turned around. The last find had disturbed me. And the size of the stack—close to toppling out of the drawer—had clearly taken some time to accumulate. Just what was he into with the door closed? That's when I thought of his wife. *** Naturally I told my wife. Olivia had listened to my complaints about him for nine months; she'd earned a reward. She was entitled to hear the dirt, to get a kick out of it. And I needed to confide it to someone else, someone sympathetic, who shared my sensibilities and values. After many failed relationships of various durations, I had married my unrequited love from high school. We'd met in Italian class as juniors. I'd act up in class to impress her, and our high-strung teacher, Signora Massina, would invariably shout, "Che vergona!" Shame! At night I used to lie in bed listening to romantic folk ballads on my headphones and fantasize about what I'd say to charm Olivia in the halls before class, imagine how I might find a way to kiss her. Such innocence. Her family moved to Buffalo before I was able to work up the courage to ask her out. I never had a girl's tongue in my mouth until my sophomore year of college. Years later we both met up in lower Manhattan, at jury duty of all places. We had dinner in Little Italy, I confessed my crush, and we both got curious. Seventeen months later we got married and now we had Sophia. We still occasionally joked about Signora Massina or our stout high school principal, a man ironically named Goodheart, who frowned on couples kissing in the hallways and always barked, "There's a time and a place!" The night I came home after finding the porn, conveyed to Olivia in adult code with several spelled-out words while we fed three-year-old Sophia at the dinner table, she said, in Signora Massina's dramatic voice of profound disappointment, "Che vergona!" I laughed, then intoned, "There's a time and a place." Olivia shook her head. I'd thought our principal the enemy of romantic love in those days, but on that night I found myself agreeing with him. I wasn't a prude. I considered myself a normal guy with a normal sex life. Since our daughter had been born, we had less time and energy for frequent sex, but when we did make love, it was great. "Not bad for an old married couple," we'd say. I liked having sex with my wife. Of course I fantasized too. I checked out women on the subway, on the street, in the office—I admired beauty. I didn't, however, look at wrists or exposed ankles and picture restraints on them. Once, when living in San Francisco, I had a girlfriend who suggested trying a mattress pad with Velcro restraints. I told her I wasn't interested. My fantasies involved pleasure. I didn't even like tight shirt collars. "Well," Olivia said, wiping some applesauce from our daughter's chin, then smiling over her shoulder at me, "I guess you know now why it always took him so long to answer his door." *** While we were interviewing for his position, I needed temporary help and I called on my old friend and former colleague at another publishing house, Danny Lee, who was currently freelancing. He was willing to come in and do just about anything, including help me clean out Bartleby's office for the new person. Partly out of lingering guilt, certainly, and perhaps partly out of prudence since I knew the contents of the drawer, I decided I should be the one to go through his office and sort out any remaining personal items he might want: the posters, some signed first edition poetry books, a curled photo of him and his wife wearing orange life preservers on a boat (I found this on the floor between his desk and the wall). I wanted to do right by the man I still felt I had wronged. My less noble motive was a desire to reclaim the place. Was I still curious? I suppose. Though I thought I'd found his secret hiding place. Danny and I went in one slow Friday with sleeves rolled up. The place was coated with dust. I flicked on the overhead fluorescent light, and we began to go through stacks of paper, to pull out the Xerox boxes from under the shelves and the table he had in there. Danny knew about the catalogues—he'd been a little shocked and amused—but I hadn't told anyone else in the office. He dragged out a large cardboard box, its flaps covered in thick powdery dust. I was trying to carefully peel off the Rigoletto poster without ripping it when he called to me. "Look at this." He held a fistful of pornographic catalogues from a manila envelope he'd withdrawn. Inside the box, neatly packed, sealed, were a half a dozen identical envelopes. Danny looked up at me from where he knelt. He was half Chinese and half Anglo Texan, and his voice combined a mocking drawl with a cadence of Eastern serenity. "Shall we?" he said, handing me an envelope. I nodded and we tore them open. Each envelope held roughly twenty catalogues. There were five more boxes. They were all full of porn guides, all packed just so. "How long was he with the company?" I shook my head. Brushing off our hands, we stood together in a little clearing, surrounded by big boxes of pornography. Like myself, I imagined Danny had watched porn in his life, some with girlfriends, some alone, on DVD, on the computer, at home. A stash like this . . . with all six boxes open, we estimated several hundred porn guides. Based on the layers of dust, they'd all been unopened for some time. I stepped over a box and closed the office door. "This gentleman was out of control," Danny said. I was suddenly damn glad Danny was with me. A fellow witness. "What about his computer?" he asked. "We have a firewall. I think he'd get the red hand. But I guess I should mention it to IT and HR." "He seems like more of a hard copy guy," Danny said, and I rolled my eyes. "Do we dare check the rest of his drawers?" "I guess we'd better. You want to just empty the bottom left one? At least we know what's in there." I went back to the poster, which had one corner flapping down, and stood there for a moment wondering why I was bothering. Then I heard Danny say, "I'm not touching that." He'd pulled the catalogue drawer all the way out and behind the stack—I'd missed it before—shiny under the fluorescent light, lay a big, black dildo. I stood next to him and we both looked at it in the drawer—in Bartleby's drawer, in his office, in the workplace, not in a night table drawer by his marriage bed. And not, presumably, for his wife's pleasure. Black latex—about the length of a stapler. "It's like a crime scene in here," Danny said. Grabbing some loose sheets of paper I took hold of it, transferring it to the corner of the desktop where we were putting his personal possessions. Without thinking I stood it up. "Something else too." Danny pointed at a black plastic bag in the drawer. I reached in and pulled it out. We exchanged a look then I opened it, revealing a jumbo jar of Vaseline and a bottle of baby powder. "Oh, God." I looked around for a place to sit but decided against it. Everything now seemed suspect and unclean. The office felt booby-trapped. "Maybe . . . he had this stuff here in case he had to go to a party straight from work." "You tell yourself whatever you need to tell yourself," Danny said, grinning. "Baby powder?" "From what I understand—" "Don't tell me." I held a hand up. "Keep going? You don't have to do this." "Let's hope we've found the worst of it," I said. But there was one more thing. This time I found it, when I pulled a laptop case off a high shelf. Despite its hard-to-reach placement, this item was not blanketed with dust. It was lighter than expected and something shifted inside when I pulled it down. Opening the zipper—opening any zipper in that office—no longer felt like an innocuous act. "It's a spiral notebook," I said, feeling winded. "Poems?" Danny asked, coming over. "Shit! A diary?" I looked at the first page—very nice handwriting, delicate script, definitely his, with a phallus outlined at the top of the page. I handed it to Danny. I didn't want to read it, didn't want to hear it when Danny read parts aloud. I'd gone from knowing next to nothing about a man I'd worked with for almost two years to knowing far more than I wanted to know about anyone. Danny was fascinated. Bartleby, if the diary was real, had been involved in some sort of s&m relationship with a woman. All the entries were addressed to a Mme. Callous and all of them were signed, I surrender. There were no dates, no indication of how far back this went, but the notebook was close to full. "Oh, man," Danny said. "He was heavily into the humiliation. Rope burns. Something about clothespins. Listen to this! 'I can still taste your champagne urine in my mouth.'" "Let's take a break. I need to go to the men's room and wash my hands." "Me too." Danny tossed the notebook onto the desk, accidentally knocking over the dildo. "Oops. Are you going to send this stuff to him?" "It's his, isn't it?" "And it sure is personal." "Hell yes I'm going to send it to him." I stepped around the boxes and piles and through the office doorway. "Let him deal with it." "I don't think he was dealing with it, any of it," Danny said as he followed me to the men's room. "He wanted to be found out. It's the only thing that makes sense. The whole office is a setup for exposure. I mean, what could be more humiliating? Maybe she made him keep everything here." I held my hands under the cold water and let him go on theorizing. Although I understood his need, I couldn't listen anymore. Instead I watched the tap water spill over my palms, through my spread fingers, around my gold wedding band, and tried to pretend it was a mountain stream, clear fresh water washing over me. *** After working with Bartleby for a few months, I began to discover that he was not as thorough at his job as I'd assumed. The first mistakes I caught made me nervous, and that anxiety increased as I started to check more of his work. The more I looked, the more mistakes I found, some oversights glaring and basic. He got numerous admonitions from me to be more careful, to keep better records, before I went to Human Resources. They told me to keep a written record. Bartleby was in his fifties, had been with the company for years without any incident or complaint against him. They didn't want to face a wrongful termination suit. They didn't want to fire him. I didn't want to either; I didn't want to fire anybody. But he continued to miss errors he should have caught. I couldn't find crucial paperwork in his files. When I'd ask him where something was I'd get answers like "I don't know" or "I don't remember." Never a "sorry," never a promise to do better. He'd sit slumped in the chair across from my desk, hangdog, pulling at the strands of hair on his knuckles or twisting rubber bands around his wrists, seeming terribly uncomfortable but in no way contrite. HR instructed me to give him an oral warning in which I said he could lose his job. In another month we were in the office of the head of HR presenting him with a written warning. Again he was sullen but made no effort to convince us that he could improve. He was so incommunicative, so unreadable, that the HR woman came out and asked him if he understood. "Yes, I understand," he replied with an edge in his tone, as if insulted. But it didn't seem that he did. Did he think he was being unfairly judged? Even if he thought I was being an unreasonable hard-ass—and I wasn't, I had to keep reminding myself—why not do what I asked to save his job? Where was his instinct for self-preservation? As the process went on, I did begin to hope he would find another job, quit before I had to be the bad guy. Bartleby had never been easy to like, but I came to resent him for putting me in the position I was in. Then I would feel guilt-ridden for my anger and for wanting him gone. We let him go late on a Monday afternoon. He had less than an hour and a half to gather up whatever he wanted to take with him before being forced to leave. What we had discovered reminded me of the other question my wife had posed over dinner when I told her of his stash, before I knew the extent of things: "If he left that behind, what did he take with him?" *** I called HR. I was done with that office. Guys from the mailroom came to pack up what I'd designated as personal. The building security director was on his way. I'd decided to send it all to Bartleby, dildo to diary, every last item. His mess that he made mine. Let him sort through it. The mailroom guys raised their eyebrows and widened their eyes when they stepped into the office. "This why he got fired?" one of them asked me. "Not exactly," I said, and left it at that. The security director's face registered disgust when he arrived, but he remained stoic and commanding. "We'll take care of it," he assured me, then once again I was standing in the hallway facing Bartleby's closed door. Reassured by the ripping sound of packing tape from inside, I returned to my desk and my work. *** Though I had hoped mailing his boxes back would free me of him, I continued instead to be prey to imagining scenarios which evoked more pity and guilt, for this time I had been deliberately hostile. At odd times—taking out the garbage, passing through a turnstile, washing the dishes while Olivia gave Sophia her bath—I'd picture his face when UPS rang, when he stood on the stoop of his brownstone confronted with a handtruck of packaged private life and the indignity of having to sign for it. Against my will I'd see his wife as well—always the unsuspecting innocent in my mind—clutching a dowdy bathrobe, peering over his shoulder, her expression shifting from confusion to fear. I'd wonder how heavy the boxes would feel digging into his palms as he lifted them, carried them in one at a time. Would his face be pinched in a scowl to ward off questions from her? Would he wait until he was alone to open them? I could visualize his hands shaking as he cut the packing tape. What place in his life would he find for these things now? *** Bartleby's replacement started on a rainy Monday, four weeks after his departure. I arrived at the office early that morning armed with a can of Lemon Pledge and a stack of paper towels. Marion was an older woman who had freelanced for years while raising two children. With both of them now in college, she wanted to return to office work. For the interview she had worn a khaki pants suit, looking not unlike an animal trainer on a late-night talk show. She was heavyset with a broad face, round glasses, and tight, graying black curls. She was a mother, an aunt. Wiping desktop, table surfaces, bookshelves, and doorknobs seemed like the least I could do for Marion. The carpet had been shampooed, the computer replaced, a new chair provided, but the room still felt soiled to me. I'd decided to tell her—in a nonspecific way—what we'd found in what was now to be her office. Plenty of people knew the story and the odds were good that someone would make a comment to her. So, soon after she came in and I handed her the Pledge, I asked her to come into my office. She sat across from me, smiling, open to whatever I had to say, respectable and innocent in the favored pressed khaki suit. As simply as I could, I told her we'd found some pornographic material (I didn't say boxes and boxes) and some sex toys ( I didn't say "dildo," didn't mention vaseline. "Toys" sounded a little like dog and cat toys left behind by a former tenant—a little mouse, a ball with a bell on it). I told her she might hear about it, so I wanted to prepare her. I assured her we'd thoroughly cleaned everything out. "Wow," she said. "Okay. I wasn't expecting that." I apologized, she was gracious—it was a lovely normal exchange between two polite, mildly embarrassed professionals. So the day began. I checked in on her a little later, delighted to see the door open, bright fluorescent light spilling through the doorway. The room, I noted with pleasure, smelled like a citrus grove. I hoped it wasn't too overpowering. She sat at her desk holding what looked like a photograph. Wondering where on the bulletin board to position a personal snapshot, I thought, but immediately knew it was nothing of the sort. She looked up and saw me and winced. "Found something," she said. I came around to her side of the desk and she set the photo down. I didn't even think to ask her where she'd found it. "Oh, good Lord. Marion, I'm so sorry." "No, that's all right," she said, standing. "I'm glad you prepared me. Is it him, do you suppose?" It was a black-and-white photograph, a closeup of a man's scrotum with clothespins clamped on to the loose skin all around the testicles. I had to count them. There were twenty-four. I knew instantly that it was him and knew that from now on I'd never remember his face without also seeing his balls covered with clothespins. Unbidden, an image popped into my mind: lumpy piles of wet clothes on a basement floor, beneath a naked clothesline, and Bartleby's wife hunting through an empty clothespin bag, frowning in confusion. I wondered if he'd taken the photo himself and, of course, if he'd taken it in here. "Some kind of performance art, perhaps," Marion said. She was a trooper, she was a sport. Her first day back in the corporate world. I picked up the photo, trying to keep my thumb and fingers off the image, on the border. "I'll get rid of it. I'm so sorry you had to see that. I thought we'd gotten everything." I felt furious with him all day. Marion spoke no more about it. But I couldn't let it go. I wanted to find him and shake him, grab him by the lapels of his raincoat and throw him against a wall. Then it occurred to me that he might like that. The rain was pelting my windows as it had on the day I'd fired him, and suddenly I felt pity again. And frustration. There was nothing I could do to him to relieve me of this. Of course I'd already done something to him. But then why did I feel like he'd done something to me? He'd made me the top—I believe that's the term—in humiliating him. It was as if I'd been forced into some kind of perverse game I'd never wanted to play. It linked me to him in a way I never wanted, as if we were handcuffed. I didn't want to feel anything for him, but he'd made me feel pity, guilt, disgust, shame, anger, curiosity. We had—inescapably—a relationship. *** For a while I worried about running into him, on the subway or on the street. As the months passed, I stopped being concerned. One snowy day in early December, I ducked into a diner on Vandam to warm up with a cup of coffee. I was getting it to go when I glanced over at a booth and saw him, his face turned away from me, making out with a peroxide blond in a fluffy white coat seated next to him. I couldn't see her face clearly either, just her spiky hair and silver stud earrings all the way up her earlobe. But it was his crew cut, the pear shape of his body. He had on one of those striped shirts he always wore in the office. They were going at it. One of their knees bumped the table, and coffee cups, both bearing red lipstick on the brims, clattered in their saucers. Half-eaten French toast with snowy powdered sugar hung off a jostled plate. I looked away to pay for my coffee and could hear in the near empty diner the wet smack of their lips, the rustle of hands over clothes. I didn't look their way again as I hurried out into whirling snow. Pulling my hood over my head, I leaned into the wind and started up the block. Would Bartleby behave so passionately in public? Perhaps the job loss had freed him in some way. Maybe his wife and he had split and now he was with this blond. She could have been a poetry groupie encountered in an East Village bar. She could have been a prostitute. Maybe she was Mme. Callous herself, in the flesh, though I'd never imagined her in white plumage like a swan. She could even have been his wife, with dyed hair or a wig. I stopped at a red light a block away and remembered to drink some coffee. The urge to go back was almost more powerful than my desire to get away without being seen. Once again I'd been a witness, but to what? Had I seen freedom or exhibitionism, passion or loss of control? Was Bartleby living outside boundaries or confined and tortured? Standing on the corner, I noticed my reflection in the windshield of a parked car. With my hood up, I wasn't immediately recognizable. When the light changed I spun around and walked quickly back toward the diner. The wind was behind me, pushing me along. I passed the entrance and rounded the corner, headed for the window through which I hoped to spy on them. I felt a breathless rush of excitement, felt suddenly reckless and ridiculous, and wondered if that was a little of what he felt. I slipped on some slush, spilled coffee on my glove and coat, but regained my balance and reined myself in before reaching the window. I debated walking past first but didn't think I'd get a good enough look. If only I could see his expression, I thought it might reveal something to me. Parking meters lined the curb, and I moved toward the one nearest the window—a good excuse for being stationary. I even dug in my pocket as if searching for a quarter. At the meter I turned and gazed at the window. The glass was steamed over. I crept forward and peered in, but even standing right in front of it I could only make out a vague white shape—her coat, I assumed. It was like the closed door all over again. I stood there feeling just as stupid and exposed, lacking only an armful of paper. My feet were cold and wet in the snow, and I took a sip of bitter lukewarm coffee. After another minute, I walked back to the meter, put a quarter in, and moved on.


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Coach Starts Spring 2017 with Elvis Retrofit
Coach Starts Spring 2017 with Elvis Retrofit
In 1953, when Sun Records secretary and Sam Phillips' right-hand woman, Marion Keisker, asked a young man named Elvis Presley who he sounded like, the shy, then-18-year-old crooner famously replied, "I don't sound like nobody."
Always cultured and forever innovative, Coach channeled the lore and timelessness of Elvis with an installation nodding to the King himself. The brand transformed its SoHo NYC flagship store to showcase its "1941" Spring 2017 collection, highlighted by "American spirit, independent thought, and diversity," much in the form of Elvis-themed clothing and accessories.
As Coach's trusted graphics partner for global rollouts, retail displays and special campaigns, Duggal Visual Solutions had the honor of producing more than 400 matte and satin posters at various sizes for the Elvis retrofit. Working directly with Duggal's Stephanie Piacenza, Coach visited our Brooklyn Navy Yard production facility with old photo trays as we hand-stained prints with coffee, tea, juice and lipstick before proceeding to organically age them through a heat application process.
Piacenza also helped to address various installation challenges and ensure flawless execution, with additional support from Duggal Account Rep, Nancy Brannigan. The end result was an old-fashioned yet high-end collage featuring hand-written fan letters, hearts and lipstick marks, reminding shoppers that Elvis will never, ever go out of style.
CONTACT US VIA EMAIL: email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Applying for a scholarship? Check out our scholarship essays database>
Sample cover letter for Full Time position at Japanese Teaching and Exchange Programme
Assistant Language Teacher
GOT THE JOB? Yes
Statement of Purpose
I have always been passionate about discovering new places and learning about different cultures. One of the most profound times my appreciation of Japanese people grew was while I was sitting in an university cafeteria in South America. As an exchange student in Argentina, a new and unfamiliar world lay before me in which I neither understood the language, my surroundings, nor the way of the life of those around me. Yet, in this unfamiliar, foreign setting I found common ground with an unlikely group of people in much of the same circumstances as myself, the Japanese exchange students. I did not speak Japanese, nor they English, but together we were all expatriates, removed from our homes and comfortable lives, thrust into a blur of noise, activity, and the rush of life in a busy city and university. I was encouraged by the collected and calm nature of my Japanese friends in the midst of our mutual unease. In our common status as foreign students, despite our diversity and differences, we found unity and comfort though our common struggle of grasping the Spanish language and new culture. Together we forged a friendship that surpassed cultural boundaries.
I am applying for the JET Program because I am passionate about cultural exchange. It is this passion that I want to share with students in Japan through teaching English. I was so enthralled by my Japanese friends' stories of their life in Japan that I knew I wanted to experience their culture for myself. I also wanted to share the benefits of having an open and global mindset that had aided me during my time abroad. In addition, I firmly believe that positive cultural exchange further creates positive economic exchanges; something invaluable in our increasingly globalized world. The JET Program Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) position would allow me to combine my fervor for promoting cultural exchange, languages and cultural inquisitiveness within the classroom and the community of Japan.
I have spent my undergraduate years earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a minor in Spanish Language. . In the future, I want to pursue work as an international banker or monetary policy maker. My participation in the JET Program, however, would not only give me more international exposure, but it would further guide me in my goal to foster positive global relationships socially and economically.
Having studied the Spanish and Italian language, I am familiar with both the challenges and methodology encountered while learning a foreign language. My language background provided ideas for linguistic learning and cultural exposure in the Japanese English classes. I have varying ideas to use in the Japanese classroom, including playing traditional American word games, starting an English conversation table, and using technology to connect to an American classroom.
Through my background in writing papers in economics, I have ample experience in English, writing and grammar. My engaging nature, patient personality, and committed work ethic demonstrate I would be an invested teacher and community member. Similarly, my work experience as a radio disc jockey has given me a particular attentiveness and command to pronunciation and sentence structure for public speaking. My internship with the Bank near Washington, D.C. gave me work experience with a multicultural group of professionals in planning, organizing and managing projects. This was another excellent experience that fueled my ambition and willingness to work in diverse environments. Similarly, my experience in mentoring and tutoring with foreign students in multiple capacities, voluntary participation in Program for Developing Countries, and participation in my Honors College's Fellows Program in foreign policy demonstrate my continual enjoyment of working with students in the international field.
As a lifelong learner, I now want to experience Japan as a country, a global partner, and a culture of ancient and contemporary significance. As I have lived abroad before, I am ecstatic about building new connections through community involvement in rural Japan. My active involvement will ease my transition into Japan. As an art and music enthusiast, I also wish to volunteer at local art and music clubs. Furthermore, I wish to further study Japanese as my tertiary language and learn the traditions of Japanese calligraphy and koto. The JET Program offers an opportunity to understand the dynamics of Japanese culture and language in an intimate way, an opportunity which I want to take full advantage of while in Japan. It is this globalized mindset and willingness to experience new cultures that is essential for creating meaningful exchange.


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the pop of pecans under your toes & other gifts of september
11 comments:
Oh I would love to be able to just walk into the tree and hide. Lovely images here. Wouldn't mind a few crunchy walks and picky ups of pecans. Not something that grows here.ReplyDelete
it's as if i were there... dodging the pecans, but wanting them, all the same.ReplyDelete
one of the surprises and delights of blogs, is that you live in different places and experience different things. i do not have pecan trees. i have never seen pecan trees. and some of the trees you mention i don't know of. i love hearing of others lives thru where they live. probably as much as some love hearing about my farmhouse and farm land in Michigan.ReplyDelete
love the thought of crunchy green pecans underfoot!! :) we're the total opposite from you, winter is slowly heading out and the rains are coming (spring is a bit of a non-season for us). my morning 'wonder' was seeing that our mama duck had 6 tiny little fluffy little yellow babies with her, they hatched last night... like little bumble bees they are.ReplyDelete
Sounds so magical.ReplyDelete
only the months ending in r... my favorite months, these.ReplyDelete
I want a magic tree to hide in, walk into, cheshire cat grin from.
here's to a month filled with gifts.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful intro. to the month with us, Beautiful Deb. Your words create such beautiful pictures.ReplyDelete
Happy September !
I'd be on hand and knee grabbing up those pecans...yum! You paint a glorious picture of September in your neck of the woods. I have the day off today, unHEARD of for a Saturday so I'll blog a little...and may I say your place here has undergone some breathtaking changes. You have swoony fonts and gorgeous words paired with rapturous images.ReplyDelete
I love it!
such a tender gift .. a deservedReplyDelete
gift ..so so welcome!!
was in pecan capital of texas yesterday ..san saba :))
you get me ready for fall.ReplyDelete
Are you eating those pecans too? Not just crunching them? Are they the edible kind?ReplyDelete
We used to have two big chestnut trees in front of our house when I was a kid, but they were not edible. They were bitter. But the trees were absolutely beautiful.


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This items features a felt-lined top drawer to help you organize and protect your accessories. The felt-lining prevents metal items from scratching the wood, and holds items in place, ensuring delicate pieces like necklaces and bracelets don't get tangled as you open and close the drawer. Eliminate the need for bulky jewelry boxes and keep your fragile items organized with the thoughtfully included felt-lined top drawer.
Drawers are constructed with dovetail joinery, ensuring long-lasting strength and storage. Made up of interlocking wedge-shaped elements called pins and tails, the joint connects drawer fronts, sides, and backs, designed to withstand the daily pulling forces you apply when you open a drawer, for problem-free use. A time-tested joint that predates written history, dovetail drawers are a mark of quality furniture construction.
Drawers are outfitted with metal side drawer glides to ensure drawers open smoothly despite daily use. The full-extension glides allow the drawer to extend completely, so that you can take advantage of the drawer's space and easily access items stored at the back of the drawer. Whereas wood on wood guides may be susceptible to warping over time, metal glides provide reliable drawer operation strong enough to withstand daily activity.
Blending classic Louis Philippe styling with rustic woodsy appeal, this attractive dresser and mirror set creates a convenient changing station while adding depth and dimension to your bedroom furnishings. A Rustic Cherry finish over pin-knotty cherry veneers or Rustic White finish over birch veneers create a warm, versatile look appropriate for a wide variety of home settings. Bold crown moulding, bun feet, and antique brass ring and key hardware are flawlessly complemented by the mirror's beveled glass and sleek frame. Each of the dresser's eight drawers features durable French and English dovetail construction and full-extension metal drawer glides.
The Rustic Traditions Eight-Drawer Dresser with Wood-Framed Landscape Mirror by Liberty Furniture at Godby Home Furnishings in the Noblesville, Carmel, Avon, Indianapolis, Indiana area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
Blending classic Louis Philippe styling with a relaxed north woods feel, the Rustic Traditions collection brings a welcoming look of time-worn authenticity to your home. The Rustic Cherry finish over pin-knotty cherry veneers or a Rustic White finish over birch veneers blends well with a wide variety of décor choices and color schemes, contributing comfortable versatility to any space. Bun feet, crown and base moulding, chamfered pilasters, and antique brass hardware dress up these pieces with elegance and finesse. The Rustic Traditions collection will delight you for years to come.
The Rustic Traditions collection is a great option if you are looking for Transitional furniture in the Noblesville, Carmel, Avon, Indianapolis, Indiana area.
These images are representative of this group as a whole and may differ from this item.
Browse other items in the Rustic Traditions collection from Godby Home Furnishings in the Noblesville, Carmel, Avon, Indianapolis, Indiana area.
This item has been tagged as: Dresser, Bedroom Dresser, Dresser Chest, Chest of Drawers, Dresser Set, Dresser and Mirror, Bedroom Furniture, Bedroom Storage, Bureau, Clothing Storage, Linen Storage, Bedroom Cabinet, Chiffonier, Bedroom Closet, Highboy, Wardrobe, Vanity, Vanity with Hutch, Make - Up Table, Make Up Table with Hutch, Dresser to Sit At, Vanity Dressers, Large Commode
Nothing on this page may be copied or reproduced without explicit permission.


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Spacious apartment with great kitchen in Zixun Courtyard on Julu Road> New apartment >
One of the highlights: The view from the balconies over the downtown towards People's Square is simply breath-taking.
In order to have a look at this apartment, or properties more along your individual requirements, get in touch with us via the availability check, call us at +86 21 5161 9783 or simply send an inquiry.
About the Property
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A new arrival – baby Silman
Kirsten and Tim Silman of Wyangala celebrated the arrival of their first child, a son in March this year at Orange Base Hospital
Nicolas David Stanley Silman was born on March 28 weighing in at 2760 grams.
Proud grandparents are David and Arline Silman of Jasper's Brush and Stan Schroeder of Cape Town South Africal.
Nicolas is a great grandson for Ken Trott of Lane Cove, Sydney.
If you have a new arrival to celebrate contact the Cowra Guardian on 6342 1044.


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Blogging for a living may seem like all fun and games, that is, until you realize that the buck stops with you. You can't ask your "employer" for days off because you have a family affair. For employees, they usually have official holidays off, with the option of working on those days at higher rates.
While bloggers do have the option of not working during the holidays, there may be repercussions. We all know how important it is to have fresh content, and if you forget your blog for too long, traffic will suffer. And, if you are running a news blog, or something that relies on timing, then forgetting your blog during the holidays is a sure-fire way of losing out.
So how do you blog during the holidays? Here are a couple of tips that will keep you on track. [Read more…]


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From Our Editors
Established in 2000, Laser & Aesthetic Clinic brings beauty into the new Millennium with a wealth of modern treatments, from mole, skin tag and wart removal to microdermabrasion. Meanwhile, on the beauty roster sits pampering essentials such as manicures and facials. Most recently the clinic has welcomed fractional laser treatment designed to revitalise skin and two advanced Candela lasers for hair removal therapies.


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WINNER: Financial and Business Advisory Services
Entrepreneurs imagine things as they could be, possessing a vision to create something better. The process of turning what they see into reality requires initiative, tenacity and, often, great personal risk.
That certainly describes leader and visionary Ray Leach, CEO of JumpStart Inc., a Cleveland-based nonprofit venture development organization that helps accelerate the successes of entrepreneurs. Under Leach's leadership, the organization has gained recognition for its innovative model and economic impact and is one of the top-performing organizations nationally in its field.
An accomplished entrepreneur who bootstrapped two IT companies, Leach made the leap from the private sector to tackle an even bigger challenge: contributing to the turnaround of Northeast Ohio's economy. In the beginning, he consolidated three existing organizations and developed the structure, from the ground up, of an entirely new type of economic development organization that didn't work to attract or retain companies but instead helped to grow new ones.
Leach is applying the experience and expertise gained through work in Greater Cleveland to accelerate entrepreneurial success in other regions.
Today, with an expanding system of entrepreneurial support in Northeast Ohio, Leach's vision and work is to make this system sustainable by building public, private and philanthropic relationships to bring national funds to the area.
Personally, not only does Leach give his time and talents to charities such as the American Red Cross, but he also devotes considerable personal time to participate in national conversations.
In serving on the U.S. Commerce Department's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which supports the national innovation strategy to develop policies that foster entrepreneurship, and on the board of the National Venture Capital Association, Leach shines a spotlight on Greater Cleveland while advocating for the stakeholders he serves.
How to reach: JumpStart Inc., www.jumpstartamerica.org.


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Posted on Sunday, April 17th, 2016 at 3:08 pm
So the last time we posted about these freebies they dissappered very quickly so this one might be another one of those fast supply ones. It's a promo code to score a free sample skoal ear bud headphones, mud jug or can cutter. I assume a can cutter is the bottle opener trianglar can cutter thing, but I am not sure what a "mud jug" is so you will just have to find out about that one. Just as a FYI, this is one of those eclubs for tobacco products that you don't have to be a smoker to get, but you do have to be at least 21. Not sure why that is the age as smoking ages vary by state, but it's probably for legal reasons.
USE PROMO CODE zg4m5
Quantities for the code are limited so apply as soon as you can!
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Sample A Day posts samples daily that are free with no catch. We double check the offers to make sure they are real. Offers can expire quick so check back daily!
Nick Skeba helped cofound this site back in 2007. He lives in Chicago and loves free stuff! People are always asking him how he gets so many deals? He just tells them, Sample A Day! He writes coupon site as well as this website.
Scott Aaronson also helped cofound this website and even though is a lawyer by day, he's still loves his free samples. Find him eating lunch from the sample ladies at Costco!


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Maria Kielmas looks at the controversy surrounding the coming El Nino climate phenomenon
It was six weeks to Christmas and still they couldn't agree. Will the El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO, popularly referred to as just El Nino) appear in late 2004 as its name suggests (see box) or in early 2005, and if so, what will be the effects? It's something many re/insurers do not wish to contemplate after the damage inflicted in the southern US by four back-to-back hurricanes in 2004.
Local insurers in New Zealand are feeling the same. After the worst winter in about 30 years, when the weather became so changeable that the population stopped listening to the forecasters, insurers are facing a 40% increase in disaster claims. Meteorologists at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) were unable to attribute the weather extremes to any specific event. But they did suggest that these could be due to the occurrence of a "weak" El Nino.
But further to the west in Melbourne, Australian scientists were having none of this. The good news is that an El Nino event is unlikely this (southern hemisphere) summer, said the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean have been hovering at levels associated with the onset of the El Nino for around two months. But this was not the case with sub (sea) surface temperatures. In addition, BOM noted, most of its computer models do not predict an El Nino event.
However, when weather forecasters cannot provide an accurate prognosis of the situation one day ahead, the public could be forgiven for not placing much faith in computer models which, for all their ingenuity, have not yet managed to simulate correctly the sea surface temperatures associated with the onset of the El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific. So in the Philippines they are depending on past experience and battening down the hatches.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned in October of drier conditions for the rest of the year and warmer than normal temperatures in the first half of 2005. This was an indication of a "weak" El Nino phenomenon, the agency said, but it added that rainfall next year could be 50% down from normal.
PAGASA says it expects the El Nino will hit Luzon, eastern Visayas and Southern Mindanao and will last until June 2005. These areas may also experience a red tide - an algal bloom which contaminates fisheries and bivalve seafood such as oysters, clams etc - which is another side effect of El Nino. Already government agencies are gradually decreasing water delivery from a number of dams by between 15% and 20%, in an effort to conserve water resources.
First reports from NOAA
The first reports of a new ENSO came in July this year from the Climate Prediction Center of the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), based in Maryland. NOAA predicts a 60% probability of a weak ENSO in early 2005, a conclusion upheld by other US institutions such as Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI). But Australia's BOM maintains that there is only a 30%, if that, chance of a weak ENSO. This view is supported by Latin American agencies such as Ecuador's Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e Hidrologia (Inamhi) and Peru's Instituto del Mar del Peru (Imarpe). These disagreements mirror a similar situation in 2001 when NOAA expected an ENSO in early 2002 and the others disagreed. That ENSO finally appeared in late 2002/early 2003.
But as in the Philippines, the rest of Asia is taking the latest NOAA warnings to heart. Commodity brokers are wondering about the economic effects on major agricultural products importers such as China, if there is a surge in prices next year should an Asian drought impair harvests. The Malaysian government has said that palm oil production could be cut by 20% should an ENSO last four months. Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are worried about the effects on rice production, while the Indian government has expressed concern about the effects a weakened monsoon will have on crops.
How "weak"?
The description of a "weak" ENSO is full of uncertainties. The "weak" 2002-2003 ENSO had a devastating effect on Australian agriculture and caused widespread drought across much of the country. For the last decade scientist have been linking ENSO variations to a longer-term effect, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). According to Nathan Mantua, assistant professor of meteorology at Washington State University, Seattle, the PDO lasts between 20 and 30 years, compared with ENSO's six to 18 months. The PDO's climatic effects have been most visible in the Northern Pacific and North America rather than the equatorial Pacific. Mantua identifies a cooling PDO effect between the years 1890-1924 and 1947-1976 while warmer PDOs have occurred between 1925-1946 and 1977 and the 1990s.
The ENSO variations during this latest PDO period have been attributed by some scientists to anthropogenic global warming but Professor Mantua draws no such conclusion, adding that "nothing is so simple". Difficulties have been illustrated by recent research by Michael McPhaden, senior research scientist at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Research Laboratory in Seattle, and others who observed that annually averaged sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific have dropped back by approximately 0.6 degrees Celsius to their levels in the 1970s, following about 25 years of gradual increase. The question now is: how far is any recently observed warming trend reversed by natural variation? Mr McPhaden and his co-authors suggest that the abruptness of this recovery obscures perceived previous man-made warming trends.
Northern hemisphere
A further question is how far does ENSO affect the northern hemisphere. The 1997-98 event is believed, though not proven to have, influenced the climate in continental western Europe. But now researchers are looking at more historical events. A prolonged ENSO occurred in 1939-42 and is expected to have had a far larger global effect. Stefan Bronnimann of the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Science at the Technical University in Zurich, believes that this event could have influenced stratospheric warming and an unusually high ozone column over Switzerland. It took three years to collect the data necessary to reconstruct the circulation of the time, a task conducted by scientists at the University of Berne. Mr Bronnimann acknowledges the problems with data quality from a period during the World War II but claims that the results observed are similar to those relating to other ENSO period of 1997-98, 1986-87 and 1982-83.
This could imply that the ozone layer itself could recover, but Mr Bronnimann remains cautious. "It's too early to say if it's recovering," he says stressing that the reduction in chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) would be a principal factor in such a recovery. These variations could also be related to the PDO climatic effects which can sometimes amplify the effect of ENSO in Europe, he thinks. The historical global effects of ENSO and its PDO cousin remain the subject of intense scientific debate, and it seems the future effects of ENSO will be just as keenly contested.
What is ENSO?
The El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an atmosphere/ocean interaction occurring over the entire tropical Pacific Ocean, in some parts extending throughout the southern hemisphere, and linking with the northern hemisphere. It represents the most prominent example of natural climate variability at seasonal to inter-annual timescales.
Original observations
El Nino is an irregular warming of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean while the Southern Oscillation is the associated change in pressure distribution between the eastern and western sides of the Pacific Ocean. The first recorded historical observations of El Nino in the western Pacific came in the 1500s in coastal Peru during Spanish colonial times. The warming of the coastal seas around Christmas-time gave rise to the name, El Nino, meaning "Christ Child". The Southern Oscillation was first observed by Gilbert Walker, director general of the Observatory in India. He assumed his post in 1904, shortly after the famine resulting from the 1899 monsoon - a year which coincided with an El Nino event.
Walker's aim was to predict fluctuations in the Indian monsoons. He observed a sea level pressure swing between South America and India - Australia and coined the phrase Southern Oscillation. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is the pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin on either side of the international date line. Walker never achieved his goal of predicting monsoon fluctuations and it was not until the 1960s that Jacob Bjerknes, a scientist at the University of California, proposed an empirical relation between the atmosphere and the tropical Pacific and the association of El Nino with the Southern Oscillation.
What happens?
When the pressure is persistently low over the mid-Pacific it is high over Australia and the Indian Ocean. A persistent, below average atmospheric pressure in the mid-Pacific is associated with an El Nino. The opposite set of conditions are known as La Nina. When an El Nino event occurs in eastern Australia, parts of Asia and southern Africa may be plunged into severe drought, while parts of South America and the west coast of the US may suffer unusually heavy rain and floods, though inland South and Central America are prone to drought. But relationships between rainfall and ENSOs do not occur with every event. In addition, fewer Atlantic hurricanes are observed during ENSO events. But all these signs are not necessarily observed during one particular event.
The concept
The current concept of ENSO is that of a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon and the result of the cyclic warming and cooling of the surface ocean of the central and eastern Pacific. This part of the ocean is usually colder than would be expected from its equatorial location because of the influence of north-east trade winds, such as the Humboldt current which flows equator-wards along the coast of Peru and Ecuador, and the upwelling of cold deep water off the coast of Peru.
Under normal sea conditions the thermo cline - the boundary between a warmer upper ocean and a colder abyssal ocean - is drawn to the surface in the east as zonal winds blowing from east to west cause divergence in the oceanic surface currents away from the equator and colder water is brought to the surface. This creates a zonal gradient in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) - colder in the east and warmer in the west - reinforcing the easterly winds. The SST can be some 8 degrees Celsius higher in the west than the cooler temperatures in the Southern American coastal waters. The sea surface is also about half a meter higher in Indonesia than in Ecuador. The atmospheric circulation, together with the pattern of SSTs, place the deep convection over the western Pacific. Significant perturbations to any one of these components can potentially lead to a chain reaction of positive feedback, developing into an ENSO event.
During this event the central and eastern tropical Pacific warms as the warm upper ocean waters of the western Pacific extend eastward. This reduces the SST gradient, resulting in an eastward migration and active convection and rainfall, a slackening and even reversal in near-surface easterly winds, and a dip in atmospheric surface pressure in the eastern Pacific waters (the Southern Oscillation proper). The changes in near-equatorial winds allow even more of the warm Pacific waters to move eastward. As the changes in the ocean lead to changes in the atmosphere, and vice versa, positive feedback is established. In the opposite extreme, now commonly known as La Nina, anomalies of the opposite sign are observed to grow through positive feedback. The period for a complete El Nino/La Nina cycle is typically three to seven years.
Over the past 30 years ENSOs have occurred during 1972-73, 1976-77, 1982-83, 1986-87, 1991-92, 1994-95, 1997-98 and 2002-03. The two largest - 1982-83 and 1997-98 caused economic losses of $10.2bn and $34bn respectively. But such figures could be misleading given the lower asset values and developing country debt crises of the early 1980s, as well as the intensive media coverage of the 1997-98 event.
Maria Kielmas is a freelance journalist and consultant.


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A key feature of the new SRDP; Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities is a commitment to deliver national objectives through local solutions. Regional Priorities are a crucial tool in achieving this.
The RPAC established for each region is responsible for devising and updating the Regional Priorities in their area.
On the following pages you will find a list of national priorities accompanied by regional examples set out across three broad axes:
Use these documents in considering your application, to inform your decision regarding which activities you wish to undertake and to identify which priority these relate to.
The following nine theme headings will help direct you to the relevant areas:
These priorities focus on improving business practices including; production, distribution, meeting standards, market expansion, education/training and quality. There are also options relating specifically to New Entrants and Organics.
Biodiversity Priorities (Priority 8-12)
These priorities focus on halting the loss of biodiversity and reversal of previous losses through management, conservation and enhancement. Protection of rare/endangered species, reducing threat from non-native/invasive species, achieving 'favourable condition' on SSSIs and increase in area of connected natural habitats are all encouraged.
Landscape Priorities (Priority 13-14)
These priorities focus generally on enhancements of the rural landscape which will have a positive impact on people's environment. The importance of Scotland's woods and forests is also highlighted.
Built & Cultural Heritage Priorities (Priority 15)
These priorities focus on the conservation and enhancement of the historic environment by increasing the number and range of vernacular rural buildings and sites of archaeological or historic interest that we protect, enhance and actively manage.
Water and Soils Priorities (Priority 16-20)
These priorities focus on the improvement of habitats/water quality through various means. Reduction of diffuse pollution, flood protection, protection against risk of erosion and actions within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, Bathing Water Catchments, shellfish growing areas and Drinking Water Protected Areas are all identified.
Adaptations to Mitigate Climate Change Priorities (Priority 21-24)
These priorities focus on reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses, improving efficiency of practices and better management of current climate change actions.
Public Access Priorities (Priority 25)
These priorities focus on public access provision with a particular emphasis on creation, improvement and promotion through various means.
Diversification of Rural Enterprise Priorities (Priority 26-30)
These priorities focus on the improvement of rural enterprise through diversification. Innovation, Strengthened links between primary producers and other sectors, improved environmental performance, career development opportunities and maximisation of tourism are all highlighted.
Thriving Rural Communities Priorities (Priority 31-32)
These priorities focus on empowering and encouraging rural communities to take a positive role in addressing the issues which affect them. Support for community led initiatives, improvement of skills, knowledge and capacity as well as access to sustainable rural buildings are all highlighted.
Page updated: Monday, July 06, 2009


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"All Day All Night" is for the musically adventurous. River Whyless is not merely a collection of individuals with alluring voices and abilities to play instruments. The members of River Whyless are musicians. There are many "hopefuls" (including myself) who work to play an instrument, but don't have the skill to identify subtle improvements to an already strong song or its performance. Musicians have that skill.
River Whyless self-identifies itself as "an amalgamation of folk and pop and beyond." In "All Day All Night," they add a touch of the Middle Eastern sound, with the various instruments and how those instruments are used. It's sometimes difficult to identify the sources of the sounds – a violin sometimes being plucked and other times being played with the bow.
River Whyless is based in Asheville, North Carolina. The members are Ryan O'Keefe (guitars, vocals), Halli Anderson (violin, vocals), Alex McWalters (drums, percussion) and Daniel Shearin (bass, vocals, harmonium, cello, banjo). The band recently signed with Roll Call Records and will release their label debut on August 26.
"All Day All Night" by River Whyless
"All Day All Night" by River Whyless
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverwhyless/
Website: http://www.riverwhyless.com/


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Proving simple can be smart, Alibi is a new line of analog and IP security products that deliver the innovative features you want (and nothing you don't).
Alibi products are truly PLUG-AND-PLAY, specifically engineered to work straight out of the box … and the prices? Well, they speak for themselves.
Alibi analog line is a less-feature rich than The BLACK Line, with very competitive pricing. The Alibi IP line has smart features that simplify IP for both users and installers. It's a great entry-level IP system.
Get A Security System That Protects Your Greatest Assests
We offer a large selection of security cameras that are perfect for small, medium or large businesses. Whether you need a security for your office or local school, we've got solutions that will work for your specific situation in a variety of resolutions, form factors, and technologies.


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Can You Defend Your Food Safety Plan?
Successfully doing so could be the difference between a routine audit and a recall.
Magnets for Metal Fragment Control and Food Safety – White Paper
When analyzing existing and potential foreign material hazards, metal fragments are consistently identified as a major concern.
Food Safety & Quality Services & University of Holy Cross offer Food Safety Workshops
Food Safety and Quality Services, LLC (Madisonville, LA) and the University of Holy Cross (New Orleans, LA) are offering food safety workshops for the food manufacturing and restaurant industries.
Free FSMA Internal Audit Template
For internal auditing use, this checklist serves as a guideline to assess a facility's readiness for FSMA compliance.
Is Food-Grade always Food-Safe?
There are key differences between these terms. What? Why would food-grade not be food-safe? What is the difference between food-grade and food-safe? Doesn't it mean the same thing?
Magnetic Separation Efficiency
Food Safety & Quality Services has partnered with Active Magnetic Research (AMR), and is approved to perform on-site magnet verification and validation tests.


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Welcome to the Profectum Parent Toolbox ™ (PPT)
A FREE online webcast series and workbook created just for parents!
The goal of the Profectum Parent Toolbox is to encourage and empower you to build a strong relationship with your child while fostering his or her development. The PPT will guide you in your discovery of your child's unique sensory and motor differences that are the foundation of how he or she experiences the world and ultimately interacts with you. With a new understanding of your child's individual strengths and challenges the PPT will help you match Profectum Toolbox Strategies to your child's needs to support his or her engaging, playing and interacting, thinking and communicating with you. Your Profectum Parent Toolbox™ authors have been working together collaboratively for 20+ years and this program is a culmination of their experiences with families they would like to share with you!
New to the Parent Toolbox?
Already signed up for the Parent Toolbox?
The Profectum Parent Toolbox Workbook
The PPT Workbook complements the PPT "How to" webcast series. It is designed to enhance your experience by allowing you to record your observations, thoughts and new knowledge throughout the program. In our PPT each webcast presents simple ideas and strategies to support your child's engagement, thinking and communicating with you. Video demonstrations within the webcasts will show how these strategies can be used during everyday interactions and play. As you view the webcasts you will have the opportunity to use the Toolbox strategies demonstrated in the videos. As you determine what works and what doesn't you will be designing your own Personal Toolbox in the workbook filled with ideas and strategies to support your relationship with your child.
Read More About the Profectum Parent Toolbox (PPT)
Four Steps
There are 4 steps in the Profectum Parent Toolbox™. Steps 1 and 2 introduce all key strategies for interaction – one or two at a time. In Steps 3 and 4 all the strategies are used together to help you keep your interactions going! Take advantage of this free resource today!
Strategies to Help You Engage and Interact with Your Child
Strategies to Help You Engage and Interact with Your Child – Using the Webcasts: The "Nuts and Bolts"
Become Your Child's Play Partner – Explore ways to mobilize attention, engagement and circles of interaction
Be Present… Be Together
Tune in to My Child's Interests!
The Magic of Emotional Expression – Attend, Engage & Relate
Build First Circles
Now That We're Connected… Let's Expand!
Explore Sensory Preferences and Challenges
Explore Your Child's Sensory Responsivity
Touch… The First Sense!!
Explore Using Sound to Nurture Engagement
Discover your Child's "Visual Box" Of Attention
Movement: The Body In Motion
Ideas Become Plans, Then Actions
The Dance of Play… Tapping Into Your Child's Rhythm and Timing
"Talking" Starts with Gestures
Putting it All Together
Tailor Your Interactions to Engage Your Child's Attention
How Big? How Loud? How Close
Moment to Moment
Give Movements meaning Through Emotional Expression
Regulate Emotions
Engaged, Happy and Flexible!!!
Let's Solve This Problem- Together
Extend the Conversation with Shared Problem Solving
Discover Pretend Play
Expand Pretend Play
Pretend Play with Adolescents (and Young Adults)
Interact All Day Long: Daily Routines Set the Stage
Playing Outside with Your Child and Family: Feeling, Moving and Relating
Profectum Parent Toolbox Review and Inspiration from Parents Like you
Sixteen Key Strategies
Throughout the series, the 16 Key PPT Strategies help you support your child's relating, communicating, thinking and creativity. These strategies are presented sequentially, one or two at a time. You will see several strategies noted at the beginning of each webcast following the goals of the webcast.
A Message from Dr. Serena Wieder
Strategies to Help You Engage and Interact with Your Child
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this exceptional series of webcasts to help you understand how your child learns and interacts with you and the surrounding world!
This series is for you if …
- You want to learn more ways to interact and have fun with your child
- You want to feel more engaged and related to your child who is at risk for developmental challenges, to interact and play with him or her better and to bring your family closer
- Your child has developmental challenges such as
- Autism
- Sensory processing concerns
- Attention deficit
- Motor, language, health, or emotional and mental health challenges and …
- You want to engage, relate and communicate more with him/her
We can help!
In recent years science has gained a better understanding of the factors that contribute to developmental challenges in some children. Based on this understanding, we at Profectum and others have devised intervention strategies to help these children, and now we want to share them with you!
We also know all children are unique, with different ways of taking things in and relating to others and their environments. We will address these differences as we work together to build your child's unique profile through our Profectum Parent Toolbox webcast series.
Thank you for joining us!
We don't know the plot of our children's lives ahead of time, but we can provide the foundation for them to learn and enjoy the gift of your relationship to support them.
This will be a journey of discovery with your child. Like all journeys there will be twists and turns. Just remember development happens over a lifetime.


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"This is a local book, for local people!" could have been the phrase used when this publication came out - an A-Z Of The Hilltown, published in 1989.
There were a few contributors involved but Niall McA Robertson is the chap getting the credit on the front cover.
I've put the index up on view to give you an idea of the variety of content inside its 50 pages - history, trade, buildings, characters, photos, pubs etc - just in case some of you fancy tracking down a copy, because it's a very useful reference source.
It was even produced locally within the Hulltoon boundaries, by the Grey Lodge Urban Printers.


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You could be forgiven for being confused by the massive array of diet options available at the moment – there's keto, paleo, GI and the juice diet to name just a handful.
It can be hard to know where to start and which nutrition plan is best for you. To guide people through the maze, Flick Lucas, a West Ilsley-based mother-of-two, has set up a new specialist nutrition consultancy called Ridgeway Nutrition for anyone wanting to get help and guidance on being healthier.
Passionate about good food and healthy eating, Flick is a Diet and Nutrition Adviser registered with the International Association of Holistic Therapists and the Complementary Medicine Association. She knows all about being too busy to find the time to cook, let alone to prepare healthy meals. With a career in IT that meant an early commute to London, returning late at night, she realised that her health was suffering.
When her two children were born, she decided not to return to her demanding job and looked to her passion for food as a career option.
Flick is able to provide a range of services for anyone who wants to overhaul their eating habits, whether that's embracing veganism, giving up refined sugar or even avoiding Palm Oil. Her specialist plans include a nutrition 'reboot' programme, dietary guidance for toddlers and young children; three-month weight management programmes and nutrition tune-up packages and cookery classes.
She also can help new mothers and mothers-to-be who she says can be 'bombarded' with conflicting information about what to eat.
She said "I realised that healthy eating doesn't have to mean denying yourself and I can show you how to reach your goals in a balanced, healthy way. Whether this is losing weight, adjusting to a new diet due to medical reasons or allergies, or just being more mindful about the food you eat. Eating healthily doesn't mean your food has to be bland!"
Flick, who wants to spread the message of healthy eating, has already approached her local school and offers healthy cooking as part of an after-school club.
She said: "I can also help with animal welfare concerns and give advice and guidance on how to eat more sustainably or if you want to pick a more specialised diet such as pescatarian.
"On some diets, it's often difficult to find a source of nutrients such as protein I can advise on making things that contain these nutrients, as sometimes people will hear from the doctor that they need to lower their cholesterol, that they're actually intolerant to dairy or have an iron deficiency. It may be even as simple as someone wanting to reduce the cost of their weekly shop, yet stay healthy.
Potential clients can book an initial nutritional assessment costing £50 where Flick can assess BMI and basal metabolic rate. Clients complete a seven-day food diary to get the complete picture of what their intake of calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, caffeine, alcohol, and all vitamins and mineral looks like so that Flick can personalise a three-month plan.
She added: "For a small extra charge I can come and guide you through preparing healthy meals in your kitchen and support you staying on track. I can work closely with clients to not only give them a personalised plan but show them how to cook the meals without breaking the bank or taking up loads of time. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another."
For more information, click onto www.ridgewaynutrition.co.uk/


text: We have been more than blessed in 2017. The Lord has grown His ministry tremendously in Shield Of Hope. We have been blessed to forge new and amazing friendships and have been humbled by the support of people around the world. We look forward to seeing how God will use us in 2018!


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Technology giants are actively embracing artificial intelligence and speech recognition technology, but the construction of a voice recognition system source library needs a huge resource, not a small developer or individual developers can afford. The Mozilla Foundation is bragging about a public-friendly source and identification library called Common Voice, which will be open to third-party testing for developers who need to apply voice recognition (voice-to-speech) training in development projects The
The goal of the project is to collect more than 10,000 hours of audio sources, including various accents and is expected to be open later this year. And now everyone can contribute to the site to upload their own source, by reading the specified statement naturally, or to determine the sound of others to hear the accent and tone is accurate. There are related iOS applications for mobile device users to upload voice sources directly. Of course, Mozilla has done a very strict privacy protection for project contributors.
Recommended use China IT News APP
Download flyfish app to read news


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Seal and Heidi Klum are apparently spending Christmas together with their children Leni, Henry, Johan and Lou.
The estranged couple appeared to be at odds following their divorce filing, with Seal publicly chiding Klum for her new romance with her bodyguard Martin Kristen in September.
Klum and Seal have since attempted to mend fences and will be spending time together over the next week for the sake of their kids, reports Page Six.
A friend of the couple told the publication: "They're trying to be co-parents and show up for their children."
However, claims of a romantic reconciliation by a separate source have been adamantly denied by Klum's spokesperson.
"Rumors of them getting back together are 100% not true," the representative insisted.
Klum filed for divorce from Seal in April after seven years of marriage. Her legal team cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the break-up at that time.
The Project Runway star admitted in November that she is in love with current boyfriend Kristen, to whom she was first linked over the summer.
Photo gallery - Heidi Klum and Seal through the years:
Showbiz: Heidi Klum and Seal: Through The Years


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Today is Friday, Aug. 23, the 235th day of 2013. There are 130 days left in the year.
Today is Friday, Aug. 23, the 235th day of 2013. There are 130 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On August 23, 1973, a bank robbery-turned-hostage-taking began in Stockholm, Sweden; the four hostages ended up empathizing with their captors, a psychological condition now referred to as "Stockholm Syndrome."
On this date:
In 1305, Scottish rebel leader Sir William Wallace was executed by the English for treason.
In 1775, Britain's King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion."
In 1858, "Ten Nights in a Bar-room," a play by Timothy Shay Arthur about the perils of drinking alcohol, opened in New York.
In 1912, actor, dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly was born Eugene Curran Kelly in Pittsburgh.
In 1913, Copenhagen's Little Mermaid statue, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story, was unveiled in the harbor of the Danish capital.
In 1914, Japan declared war against Germany in World War I.
In 1926, silent film star Rudolph Valentino died in New York at age 31.
In 1927, amid protests, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in Boston for the murders of two men during a 1920 robbery.
In 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in Moscow.
In 1944, Romanian prime minister Ion Antonescu was dismissed by King Michael, paving the way for Romania to abandon the Axis in favor of the Allies.
In 1960, Broadway librettist Oscar Hammerstein (HAM'-ur-STYN') II, 65, died in Doylestown, Pa.
In 1982, Lebanon's parliament elected Christian militia leader Bashir Gemayel president; however, Gemayel was assassinated some three weeks later.
Today's Birthdays: Actress Vera Miles is 83. Actress Barbara Eden is 82. Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is 79. Actor Richard Sanders is 73. Ballet dancer Patricia McBride is 71. Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello is 69. Pro Football Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright is 68. Country singer Rex Allen Jr. is 66. Singer Linda Thompson is 66. Actress Shelley Long is 64. Actor-singer Rick Springfield is 64. Country singer-musician Woody Paul (Riders in the Sky) is 64. Queen Noor of Jordan is 62. Actor-producer Mark Hudson is 62. Actor Skipp Sudduth is 57. MLB All-Star pitcher Mike Boddicker is 56. Rock musician Dean DeLeo (Army of Anyone; Stone Temple Pilots) is 52. Tejano singer Emilio Navaira is 51. Country musician Ira Dean (Trick Pony) is 44. Actor Jay Mohr is 43. Actor Ray Park is 39. Actor Scott Caan is 37. Country singer Shelly Fairchild is 36. Figure skater Nicole Bobek is 36. Rock singer Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) is 35. NBA player Kobe Bryant is 35. Actress Joanne Froggatt is 33. Actress Annie Ilonzeh is 30. Dance musician Sky Blu is 27. Actress Kimberly Matula is 25. NBA player Jeremy Lin is 25.


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At Baybridge Swim & Racquet Club we pride ourselves in working to create a unique gym and social experience for our community.
Whether you're stopping by for a workout, taking one of our aerobics classes, or spending an afternoon with your friends and neighbors, you can count on the Clubhouse to bring you the highest standards of service.
The Clubhouse and associated grounds contain one of the largest outdoor pools in Queens, along with two tennis courts, racquet ball courts, an indoor pool and jacuzzi, and a full gym.
Achieving your personal fitness goals is as easy as walking across the street!
No matter your age, Baybridge Swim & Racquet Club has something for you!
We hold weekly children's art classes, adult pottery classes, bingo, and movie nights and a full palette of aerobics classes for anyone over 16.
A complimentary brunch is open to all residents on Sundays in Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons at 11:00 AM.
Be sure to check our newsletter for monthly updates and events.
13-34 Estates Lane, Bayside, NY 11360
Open today
06:00 am – 10:00 pm
Pool and locker rooms close 15 minutes prior to closing.
Daniel Littell
Daniel Finn


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This OPEN BOX product you are browsing has been inspected by our certified technicians to ensure that it meets factory specifications. It is guaranteed to be in perfect working order but it is sold in "AS IS" condition (for example, the box may be torn, there may be cosmetic scratches, etc). Please contact us with any questions BEFORE placing an order. We accept PayPal and all major credit cards. We do our best to describe each item we are selling to the best of our ability. Bear in mind that the item is sold as-is.
Use the "contact us" page to request additional info or images on this product.
Operating System Genuine Windows 8 Premium 64-bit,
Processor and GraphicsIntel Core i3-2328M Processor- 2.4 GHz, 3MB L3 CacheMobile Intel HM76 Express ChipsetMobile Intel HD graphics with 64MB-1696MB shared graphics memory
MemoryConfigured with 6GB DDR3 1333MHz (max 16GB)2 main memory slots. Both slots occupied.
Storage Drive640GB (5400 RPM); Serial ATA hard disk drive
Fixed Optical Disk DriveDVD SuperMulti drive supporting 11 formats- Maximum speed and compatibility: CD-ROM (24x), CD-R (24x), CD-RW (24x), DVD-ROM (8x), DVD-R (8x), DVD-R DL (6x), DVD-RW (6x), DVD+R (8x), DVD+R DL (6x), DVD+RW (8x), DVD-RAM (5x)
Display17.3" diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT display at 1600 x 900 native resolution (HD)- Native support for 720p content- 16:9 aspect ratio- LED backlit
SoundBuilt-in stereo speakersTOSHIBA Audio Enhancement
Input DevicesStandard Keyboard with 10-Keypad (black)Touch pad pointing device with multi-touch control
CommunicationsWebcam and microphone10/100 EthernetWi-Fi Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
ExpandabilityMemory Card Reader- Secure Digital, SDHC, SDXC, miniSD, microSD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card (shared slot; may require adapter for use)
PortsVideo - RGB - HDMIAudio - Microphone input port - Headphone output portData - 2 USB v2.0 ports + 1 USB V3.0 port - RJ-45 LAN portSecurity - Slot for Security Lock
Physical DescriptionFusion Finish in Mercury Silver - Dimensions (W x D x H Front/H Rear): 16.2" x 10.6" x 1.3" - Weight: Starting at 5.7 lbs, depending upon configuration
Battery6 cell/48Wh Lithium Ion battery pack
Power Supply65W (19V 3.42A) 100-240V/50-60Hz AC Adapter.Dimensions (W x H x D): 4.21" x 1.85" x 1.20"Weight: starting at 0.55 lbs.
SoftwareToshiba Software and Utilities- TOSHIBA App Place- TOSHIBA Assist- TOSHIBA BookPlace- TOSHIBA Bulletin Board- TOSHIBA Disc Creator- TOSHIBA eco Utility- TOSHIBA Face Recognition- TOSHIBA Laptop Checkup- TOSHIBA HW Setup Utility- TOSHIBA Media Controller- TOSHIBA PC Health Monitor- TOSHIBA Recovery Disc Creator- TOSHIBA ReelTime- TOSHIBA Service Station- TOSHIBA Sleep Utility- TOSHIBA Laptop Checkup- TOSHIBA Audio Enhancement- TOSHIBA Value Added Package- TOSHIBA Web Camera ApplicationThird-party Software- Adobe Acrobat Reader- Adobe Flash Player- Google Toolbar- Google Chrome- Internet Explorer 9- Microsoft Live Essentials: Photo Gallery, Messenger, Mail, Writer, Movie Maker- Microsoft Office Starter 2010- Microsoft Silverlight- Microsoft Windows Media Player 12- WildTangent Games ConsoleSpecial Offers and Trial Software- NetZero Internet Service- Norton Internet Security 2012 (30-day trial subscription)- Quickbooks Online Banking- Skype- Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial subscription)
Environmental SpecificationsThis product is RoHS compatibleEnergy Star QualifiedEPEAT Gold Rated


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It's hard to write about mundane summertime politics right after some nut scripted the shooting of more than 70 people -- killing a dozen, at last report -- at a Colorado movie theater that was screening the highly anticipated "The Dark Knight Rises."
The shooter is a 24-year-old man who was dressed in a gas mask and protective equipment, armed with an AR-15, a Remington 870 shotgun and a 40-caliber Glock handgun. He seemed to resemble a character who stepped out of the movie. I won't even try hard to explain what is an AR-15 and just call it a civilian semi auto version of a military weapon designed to efficiently kill people -- or use for target practice, as those who buy and sell the firearm would tell you. Armchair experts can correct me.
All this information is of little solace for family and friends of the "Joker" victims -- or those changed by the Columbine, Fort Hood, Virginia Tech, and Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords shootings.
We are on a familiar timeline. After the questions of why comes the handwringing perpetual debate of how it can be prevented, followed by silence, until the next massacre.
Since Columbine, the blood at these senseless killings is on the hands of federal legislators. It is reasonable to assume that the lawmakers' failure to approve blanket laws preventing the easy illegal transportation of guns from one state to another is itself criminal.
We can scoff at the efforts of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, and others, who promote and carry out gun buy back programs, but while the results are less than spectacular, at least there is an effort. We would love to see a bit more, like visible cops on the street, day and night, and not just officers reacting to a call. It's an argument for another day.
"These are baby steps against the horrible proliferation of hand guns that are used for gangbanging, drug dealing and violent crime," Healy said yesterday in discussing the city's gun buy backs.
"Columbine brought it to the public consciousness, as did the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords," he added.
The mayor began pushing for stronger federal gun laws soon after taking office. He is one of the original signers of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, started by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston's Thomas Menino. They have been lobbying for the feds to reduce the number of guns that are being sold legally but end up in the hands of criminals. A big desire is to close the "gun show loophole" that allows private sales at these shows without criminal background checks that are required of licensed dealers.
"You can go to Virginia or Pennsylvania -- states that are very loose with permits -- or I can drive you, as a strawman, over the Delaware River to buy a trunkful of guns in Pennsylvania," explained Healy. "And then sell them illegally in Paterson, Newark and Jersey City, and any left over you can sell in New York City."
Healy said New Jersey has reasonable gun legislation, adding that it is not aimed at legal gun owners, "like hunters or collectors." He said there are small victories. A state law requiring gun owners to immediately report a lost or stolen firearm originated in Jersey City.
"How long will our federal legislators kowtow to the gun lobby?" the mayor asks. "We keep ringing the bell, but no one is answering in Washington."
-- I have to point out that U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg called the Colorado shootings "a
-- Reports say the "Joker" shooter bought all his weapons legally. All he needed was a half-dozen more Glocks. I'm sure everyone is relieved he was able to get 1,000 rounds for the AR-15 over the Internet. Hate to say this, but news like this leaves people feeling numb.
-- Last month, when it was time to raise the Filipino flag at the Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City, County Executive Tom DeGise stepped forward and apparently didn't see some uneven pavement, tripped and started to fall. Hoboken Freeholder Anthony Romano reached out and grabbed the executive's arm to save him from a hard fall. Result: DeGise tore a tendon in his arm, requiring surgery and a cast.
"I felt so bad that maybe I should have let him go and avoided the damage," said Romano when asked about the incident. It seems DeGise's golfing days are over this year. Doesn't he host a golf outing about this time of year?
-- Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop held another of his low-cost fundraising events Saturday evening at the Distillery Gallery & Artspace. As folks arrived they were met outside by about a half-dozen demonstrators headed by activist Riaz Wahid.
The group was hoping to catch some Board of Education members, backed by Fulop, and the newly selected Superintendent of Schools Marcia Lyles. I don't know why they thought Lyles would appear, except that she was selected for the job by mostly Fulop-backed members of the school board. She's apparently too smart to make such a faux pas.
-- Civic activist Yvonne Balcer has moved out of her Downtown residence and moved to ... well I shouldn't say where. Suffice to say she's in the Journal Square area. The question people have is whether this means we'll see less of her at City Hall meetings? Somehow I doubt it.
-- This business of who will replace Hudson County Prosecutor and future judge Ed DeFazio is annoying. Sen. Nick Sacco, D-North Bergen, who also happens to be mayor of the township, will never let Gov. Chris Christie pick his own man for the job. One reason is that Sacco intensely dislikes the governor -- and the feeling is mutual. The person tabbed prosecutor may have to add "acting" to the title.
-- There was a Jersey City street naming late Thursday afternoon at King Drive and Dwight Street for the late Harvey George, founder of the Friends of the Lifers Youth Corp, which is the group that is growing all those vegetables and herbs in that empty lot on King Drive between Stegman Street and Wegman Parkway. After the ceremony, everyone headed for the garden, where they had tastings of pasta and hot dogs that were accented with sauces made from their garden. I couldn't help myself and I bought some hot pepper sauce and pesto.
James Adams, one of the people responsible for the Growing Hands Urban Farm, said they are looking forward to the construction of a hydrophonic greenhouse on the site, which means they will grow crops all year.
As for the politics: it was an event to be seen at. A number of politicians must have been feeling seedier than usual. Baseball-capped Mayor Healy walked among the eggplants and waved to everyone. I spotted council members Viola Richardson, Mike Sottolano, and Rolando Lavarro; state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, and Freeholder Jeff Dublin didn't need tomatoes because Assemblyman Charles Mainor was busy hosting his father and son dinner, Ties that Bond, at the Bethune Center.
Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop was present at the street naming ceremony, but he was busy texting and left soon after. Some of the seniors at the Ward F event said the councilman has a habit of texting instead of mingling. Admittedly, they said they are not Facebook people, but they suggest Fulop brush up on those people skills. That's what they say, not me, Steven.
-- Real estate fraud charges against former state Senate candidate Bruce Alston, his girlfriend and another woman were dropped back during the July 4 holiday weekend, Hudson County Prosecutor Ed DeFazio confirmed yesterday. DeFazio said the alleged victim of the fraud, who would have been a witness, died. Alston said there never was a case.
DeFazio said the case was dismissed without prejudice, which means it could be reinstated -- probably if they find a way to resurrect the witness.
The case was brought in January. Alston unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Cunningham in last year's Democratic primary. The Ward F businessman and activist more than hinted that his candidacy and the charges are somewhat related. He said he only learned of the dismissal this week when he was notified that his bail would be returned.
There are still terroristic threat and witness tampering charges against Alston for allegedly saying "I'm going to f-- you up" to a man claiming he has information in the now dismissed fraud case. The witness happened to be sitting inside Alston's Mogul restaurant at the time of the confrontation.
-- So, when does Peter Stuyvesant make like Douglas MacArthur?
-- Does the new Bayonne anti-WMD fire boat come equipped with fishing poles, crab cages and a cooler? Why the navy? Isn't the city equipped with BMW submarines?
-- A hello to Cathy, who has been behind the counter at the Crazy Greek on King Drive for 30 years. Yesterday, she told me her grandmother advised her to always start the day with a clean face and hands, and no hate in her heart. Good advice in these times for everyone.


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Re: Compatibility woes
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg76318] Re: Compatibility woes
- From: Bill Rowe <readnewsciv at sbcglobal.net>
- Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 04:49:16 -0400 (EDT)
On 5/18/07 at 6:04 AM, awnl at arcor.net (Albert) wrote: >Bill Rowe wrote: >>On 5/16/07 at 5:27 AM, murray at math.umass.edu (Murray Eisenberg) >>wrote: >>>In 6.0, you don't seem to need to load any package to use >>>ToPackedArray. >>This definitely is not true for my installation of version 6.0 >what people tried to tell you is that you don't need to load >anything to use the function when using the full long name >containing the Context. Type the following in a new session (Kernel >must run for the syntax highlighting to work, I think) and you will >see it turns black and thus is known to the Kernel without loading >anything: >Developer`ToPackedArray Yes. I am aware of this. And it is also true for version 5.2. =46or example, In[1]:= $Version Out[1]= 5.2 for Mac OS X (June 20, 2005) In[2]:= Developer`PackedArrayQ[Range@3] Out[2]= True But the way Murray wrote his message, it seemed he was suggesting doing In[1]:= $Version Out[1]= 6.0 for Mac OS X PowerPC (32-bit) (April 20, 2007) In[2]:= PackedArrayQ[Range@3] Out[2]= PackedArrayQ({1,2,3}) should give an unevaluated result -- To reply via email subtract one hundred and four