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Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to bear the greatest burden of the HIV epidemic in the United States.1 According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, MSM between 13 and 29 years old account for 38% of new HIV infections. Overall, MSM of all ages are 57% of new infections. Young black and Latino are disproportinately affected.2 MSM are the only group for whom HIV infection continues to increase.
The vast majority of HIV prevention interventions approved by the CDC are developed for heterosexual and injection-drug using (IDU) populations. In fact, only two of the CDC's evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are specific to African-American or Latino MSM. It is not surprising that the rate of new HIV infection is increasing in these risk groups.
Access to appropriate medical care and behavioral interventions to reduce transmission are critical for HIV-positive MSM. The CDC carried out a recent investigation that did not find racial or ethnic differences in access to HIV prevention services among young MSM.3 However, less is known about access to medical care following an HIV diagnosis. Previous CDC research also shows that unknown HIV infection is higher among African-American and Latino MSM compared to their white peers.4 Higher levels of unknown infection may result in fewer chances to access life saving medication. Another result of unknown HIV infection is the greater chance of transmitting HIV to others.5 The data presented below were collected in Los Angeles County in 2008. They highlight differences in HIV risk behaviors, as well as access to HIV prevention and care, among young versus older MSM, and among young African-American and Latino MSM versus young white MSM.
The CDC started the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system in 2003.6 This system keeps an eye on behaviors known to spread HIV, surveying MSM, IDU, and heterosexuals living in areas with a high rate of AIDS. NHBS data collected during the recent 2008 MSM cycle known locally as the "LA Men's Survey," in Los Angeles County are presented here.7
The LA Men's Survey enrolled 538 MSM residents of Los Angeles County. All participants were offered an HIV test regardless of their current HIV status to obtain an unbiased estimate of HIV prevalence.
Participants ranged in age from 18 to 82 years old (average age 34.9). Participants were 35% Latino, 32% white, 18% African-American, 7% Asian or Pacific Islander, 3% multiple races, and 4% other. The study population reported a high level of education. Almost half were college educated (45%), 30% had attended some college, 20% had completed high school or a GED, and 5% had less than a high school diploma. Most (63%) were employed full time and another 13% were employed part time. Most (64%) earned over $30,000 annually and 66% reported having some form of health insurance. Almost all (91%) of the MSM (487 participants) consented to HIV testing during the interview. Almost one fifth, or 19% (93 participants), tested HIV positive.
Almost two-fifths (37%) of the study population were young MSM between 18 and 29. Social characteristics of young versus older MSM (30+) were similar with the exception of education level and health insurance coverage. Older MSM were more college educated than young MSM (50% versus 35%) and had more health insurance coverage (69% versus 61%). Differences across age groups were observed mainly in risky behaviors.
Young MSM were more likely to engage in binge drinking (5+ drinks in one sitting over the past 30 days) and use non-injection drugs including cocaine and ecstasy than older MSM. Older MSM were more likely to have ever engaged in injection drug use and to have used GHB.
HIV prevalence was calculated for the 91% of MSM who accepted an HIV test. HIV test results showed 10.6% of young MSM were HIV-positive compared to 24.5% of older MSM. Sixty percent of the HIV-positive young MSM (12 of 20) were not aware of their HIV status while 29% of HIV-positive older MSM (21 of 73) did not know their status.
Of the 68 MSM who knew they were HIV-positive before the survey, eight were young MSM. Of these eight young MSM, 88% had seen an HIV doctor in the past 12 months and 38% were currently on HIV medications. Of the 60 older MSM with an HIV diagnosis, 95% had seen an HIV doctor in the past 12 months and 73% were currently on HIV medications.
White MSM reported higher rates of unprotected anal sex than black and Latino MSM.
A number of social characteristics distinguish our sample of 18- to 29-year-old participants. Most were Latino (81 participants), followed by white (50 participants), and then African-American (41 participants). In general, African-American and Latino young MSM experience more money problems compared to white MSM. African-Americans and Latinos report having less education and greater poverty compared to whites, even though full-time employment was similar across all three groups. African-American and white MSM have greater health insurance coverage compared to Latino MSM. Incarceration is much higher among African-American MSM compared to other groups.
White MSM reported higher rates of unprotected anal sex than black and Latino MSM.
The study looked at some sexual risk behaviors reported in the past 12 months by race/ethnicity for young MSM. Young African-American MSM report more sex with females compared to the other groups. Compared to African-Americans and Latinos, white MSM reported greater rates of unprotected anal sex with male partners, but a lower rate of being high on drugs or alcohol during sex with their last male partner. African-American and Latino MSM reported having more anal sex with older partners compared to whites.
Only 6% of young MSM decided not to participate in the HIV-testing component of NHBS compared with the 12% of older MSM who refused. HIV prevalence was highest among African-Americans (21.1%), followed by Latinos (11.5%) and whites (4.2%). Unknown HIV infection was more common among African-Americans (6 of 8 were unaware) and Latinos (5 of 9 were unaware) compared to whites (2 of 2 knew they were HIV infected).
Other differences across race/ethnicity were observed in the young MSM's degree of gay identity and openness to others about their relationships with other men. In the sample young white MSM were most likely to identify as gay, be out to their families and health care providers, and feel more connected to the gay community followed by Latino and then African-American MSM. Young African-American MSM were more likely to identify as bisexual, followed by Latino and white MSM respectively.
Self-reported drug and alcohol use during the past 12 months was similar across race/ethnicity for young MSM. We did, however, see some drug preferences by racial/ ethnic groups. For example, crystal methamphetamine was used more frequently by Latinos, cocaine was more common among whites, and ecstasy was more common among African-Americans and whites.
There were some differences in young MSM's access to group-level interventions in LA County. One third of young African-American MSM (32%) had taken part in a group session to discuss HIV prevention, compared to 15% of Latinos and 4% of whites. Similar percentages of young MSM received free condoms in the past 12 months across race/ethnicity: 68% of African-Americans, 67% of Latinos, and 82% of whites. Exposure to one-on-one conversations with outreach workers -- not HIV counselors -- was reported by 20% of African-Americans, 10% of Latinos, and 16% of whites.
Twenty young MSM in our sample (ages 18-29 years) tested HIV positive. African-Americans are excessively represented among those with HIV. African-Americans make up only 18% of the study population of young MSM to the 35% Latino and 32% white. However, they represent 40% of HIV-positive young MSM, compared to whites (10%), Latinos (45%), and multi-racial men (5%). The following risk factors are indicative of HIV transmission among MSM in this sample: African-American race/ethnicity, earning less than $20,000/year, reporting a weak connection to the gay community, reporting anal sex with mostly African-American partners, ecstasy use in the past 12 months, and being arrested in the past 12 months.
HIV prevalence data presented here, especially among young African-American and Latino MSM, continues at levels seen in LA County since the mid 1990s. While African-American and Latino MSM do not report riskier sexual or drug-use behaviors than whites or other racial/ethnic groups, higher rates of HIV remain.
Within the population of 18- to 29-year-old MSM in LA, risk factors for HIV infection reflect characteristics of social and sexual networks rather than individual risk behaviors that are traditionally addressed in HIV prevention interventions. While anal sex without condoms and the use of drugs that correlate with unsafe decisions directly influence HIV risk, it is likely that other environmental and structural factors -- such as poverty, homophobia, and HIV stigma -- are the real drivers of the HIV epidemic among MSM in the United States.
Trista Bingham, M.P.H., Ph.D., is an epidemiologist with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health who studies disparities in HIV prevention and care. To view references, go to www.gmhc.org/ti.html.
MMWR. "HIV prevalence estimates -- United States, 2006." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 57(39), 1073-1076. (2008.)
MMWR. "Subpopulation estimates from the HIV incidence surveillance system -- United States, 2006." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 57(36), 985-989. (2008.)
Behel, S.K., et al. "HIV prevention services received at health care and HIV test providers by young men who have sex with men: an examination of racial disparities." Journal of Urban Health, 85(5), 727-743. (2008.)
MacKellar, D.A., et al. "Unrecognized HIV infection, risk behaviors, and perceptions of risk among young men who have sex with men: opportunities for advancing HIV prevention in the third decade of HIV/AIDS." Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 38(5), 603-614. (2005.)
Marks, G., et al. "Meta-analysis of high-risk sexual behavior in persons aware and unaware they are infected with HIV in the United States: implications for HIV prevention programs." Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 39(4), 446-453. (2005.)
Gallagher, K.M., et al. "Behavioral surveillance among people at risk for HIV infection in the U.S.: the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System." Public Health Reports, 122 (1), 32-38. (2007.)
MacKellar, D.A., et al. "Surveillance of HIV risk and prevention behaviors of men who have sex with men -- a national application of venue-based, time-space sampling." Public Health Reports, 122 (1) 39-47. (2007.)
Want to read more articles in the September 2009 issue of GMHC Treatment Issues_? Click here._


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Event: Exhibition (permanent) County: West Yorkshire BFI MediathequeGrab a booth in the BFI Mediatheque and discover the best, rarest and most extraordinary films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive. Simply log on at a viewing station and choose from over 2,500 highlights...National Science and Media Museum | Bradford | 1 November 2014 — 1 January 2022
Event: Exhibition (permanent) County: West Yorkshire Experience TVExplore the development, significance and cultural impact of one of the most influential inventions of the 20th century: television. Why do we have adverts on TV, and how much are we influenced by what we see? Explore...National Science and Media Museum | Bradford | 1 November 2014 — 1 January 2022
Event: Exhibition (permanent) County: Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Festival ExhibitionThe first Pop Festival in 1968, which was held at Ford Farm near Godshill, featured such bands as Tyrannosaurus Rex and Fairport Convention and was organised to raise funds for a swimming pool locally in Freshwater.Dimbola Museum & Galleries | Freshwater Bay | 4 August 2011 — 4 December 2021

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Live near a major road? You may be shortening your lifespan. In a major Danish study of over 50,000 people, those aged 65+ suffered a higher chance of stroke if they lived near traffic. Every 10 decibels of noise increased the risk by 27%, and that rate increased even higher over 60 decibels. The researchers attribute as many as 19% of stroke cases to this problem. The lesson: Now that you've retired, stop parking out by the airport to get stoned and watch the planes come in overhead. Get stoned in the forest instead.
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Fuck man, I live by two major roads and about 5 minse from an airport...and work even closser to a major road...
I am surprised I am not dead already


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This is the third post in our series on the Eurozone crisis. Thanks to Troy Warwick for the analyst coverage.
Ever wonder why our nation's capital is wedged between Virginia and Maryland? The answer is known as the Compromise of 1790. While the North struggled with over $54 million in debt, the Southern states—and in particular those mentioned above—enjoyed a large surplus. So in order for the federal government to assume this debt, which would move from the Northern state's balance sheets to that of the United States, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson agreed to allow the South to keep some influence over the capital by placing it under the Mason-Dixon line.
This mini history lesson is of course an analogy for what's happening to Europe. Like the United States in 1790, the Continent uses a common currency, but has yet to come together as a formal economic union. The EU must decide if it wishes to formalize the relationship or it will lose its peripheral countries. Logic dictates that the final decision will be the one deemed the least onerous, which points to the creation of eurobonds.
In theory, eurobonds would work similarly to a conventional bond, allowing all 17 eurozone member states to assume responsibility of a debt rather than one country in particular. This would allow for countries such as Spain, which borrows at a high interest rate, to afford lower borrowing costs and repair its fractured banking system.
While some countries urge for the formation of a eurobond system, others are less enthusiastic about the idea. Germany, which borrows at a very low rate thanks to its robust economy, seems resolute in its opposition. Chancellor Merkel has stated that eurobonds would only perpetuate Europe's financial issues, as financing growth through more debt will only delay another economic crisis. Other European leaders believe that the cheap borrowing costs of eurobonds may promote irresponsible spending on the part of struggling countries.
Some economists feel that eurobonds would weaken Europe's stronger economies such as Germany and Norway without benefitting struggling countries in the long run. They believe that they should not have to pay for the irresponsibility of other member countries.
Still, other eurobond solutions have been proposed. Germany's economic advisory group, also known as the "Wise Men", have suggested that countries with debt above 60% of GDP (such as Greece) would be able to issue the debt during a 25-year period. Conversely, an idea known as "blue bonds" has also been suggested. This plan would allow for countries with under a 60% debt/GDP ratio to have legitimate eurobonds, which allows for safer investing. Countries with over a 60% debt would not have liable eurobond backing, and thus debts would have to be paid through national means. Obviously, this blue blood concept would do nothing to immediately improve the issues facing Southern Europe.
I'm no student of history, but I bet these types of ideas were as widely discussed in 1790 as they are today. The bottom line is that, unless there is a compromise, the EU will fall apart. I think that is unacceptable to its members, who know that Europe will simply not be as competitive without more cooperation. The next EU summit is June 28-29, so stay tuned.
See all the blogs in our multipart series on the Eurozone crisis.


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Love Orlando focuses on helping those in our immediate community who are hurting, have lost hope and are broken-hearted.
So far, the church has partnered with 11 Orlando-based nonprofits and distributed nearly $4 million in grant awards under the Love Orlando banner. The ministry is committed to funding long-term and foundational programs that demonstrate proven results in moving families to self-sustainability.
The church hopes to continue to identify partner ministries/organizations in Central Florida to be a part of this Love Orlando initiative. Rather than simply distribute funding, Love Orlando will partner with local, nonprofit organizations to address a range of issues, from homeless prevention to food for impoverished elementary-school kids to transitional housing.


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Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 2, by Edward Gibbon, [1781], at sacred-texts.com
History, which undertakes to record the transactions of the past, for the instruction of future ages, would ill deserve that honorable office, if she condescended to plead the cause of tyrants, or to justify the maxims of persecution. It must, however, be acknowledged, that the conduct of the emperors who appeared the least favorable to the primitive church, is by no means so criminal as that of modern sovereigns, who have employed the arm of violence and terror against the religious opinions of any part of their subjects. From their reflections, or even from their own feelings, a Charles V. or a Lewis XIV. might have acquired a just knowledge of the rights of conscience, of the obligation of faith, and of the innocence of error. But the princes and magistrates of ancient Rome were strangers to those principles which inspired and authorized the inflexible obstinacy of the Christians in the cause of truth, nor could they themselves discover in their own breasts any motive which would have prompted them to refuse a legal, and as it were a natural, submission to the sacred institutions of their country. The same reason which contributes to alleviate the guilt, must have tended to abate the vigor, of their persecutions. As they were actuated, not by the furious zeal of bigots, but by the temperate policy of legislators, contempt must often have relaxed, and humanity must frequently have suspended, the execution of those laws which they enacted against the humble and obscure followers of Christ. From the general view of their character and motives we might naturally conclude: I. That a considerable time elapsed before they considered the new sectaries as an object deserving of the attention of government. II. That in the conviction of any of their subjects who were accused of so very singular a crime, they proceeded with caution and reluctance. III. That they were moderate in the use of punishments; and, IV. That the afflicted church enjoyed many intervals of peace and tranquility. Notwithstanding the careless indifference which the most copious and the most minute of the Pagan writers have shown to the affairs of the Christians, 24 it may still be in our power to confirm each of these probable suppositions, by the evidence of authentic facts.
1. By the wise dispensation of Providence, a mysterious veil was cast over the infancy of the church, which, till the faith of the Christians was matured, and their numbers were multiplied, served to protect them not only from the malice but even from the knowledge of the Pagan world. The slow and gradual abolition of the Mosaic ceremonies afforded a safe and innocent disguise to the more early proselytes of the gospel. As they were, for the greater part, of the race of Abraham, they were distinguished by the peculiar mark of circumcision, offered up their devotions in the Temple of Jerusalem till its final destruction, and received both the Law and the Prophets as the genuine inspirations of the Deity. The Gentile converts, who by a spiritual adoption had been associated to the hope of Israel, were likewise confounded under the garb and appearance of Jews, 25 and as the Polytheists paid less regard to articles of faith than to the external worship, the new sect, which carefully concealed, or faintly announced, its future greatness and ambition, was permitted to shelter itself under the general toleration which was granted to an ancient and celebrated people in the Roman empire. It was not long, perhaps, before the Jews themselves, animated with a fiercer zeal and a more jealous faith, perceived the gradual separation of their Nazarene brethren from the doctrine of the synagogue; and they would gladly have extinguished the dangerous heresy in the blood of its adherents. But the decrees of Heaven had already disarmed their malice; and though they might sometimes exert the licentious privilege of sedition, they no longer possessed the administration of criminal justice; nor did they find it easy to infuse into the calm breast of a Roman magistrate the rancor of their own zeal and prejudice. The provincial governors declared themselves ready to listen to any accusation that might affect the public safety; but as soon as they were informed that it was a question not of facts but of words, a dispute relating only to the interpretation of the Jewish laws and prophecies, they deemed it unworthy of the majesty of Rome seriously to discuss the obscure differences which might arise among a barbarous and superstitious people. The innocence of the first Christians was protected by ignorance and contempt; and the tribunal of the Pagan magistrate often proved their most assured refuge against the fury of the synagogue. 26 If indeed we were disposed to adopt the traditions of a too credulous antiquity, we might relate the distant peregrinations, the wonderful achievements, and the various deaths of the twelve apostles: but a more accurate inquiry will induce us to doubt, whether any of those persons who had been witnesses to the miracles of Christ were permitted, beyond the limits of Palestine, to seal with their blood the truth of their testimony. 27 From the ordinary term of human life, it may very naturally be presumed that most of them were deceased before the discontent of the Jews broke out into that furious war, which was terminated only by the ruin of Jerusalem. During a long period, from the death of Christ to that memorable rebellion, we cannot discover any traces of Roman intolerance, unless they are to be found in the sudden, the transient, but the cruel persecution, which was exercised by Nero against the Christians of the capital, thirty-five years after the former, and only two years before the latter, of those great events. The character of the philosophic historian, to whom we are principally indebted for the knowledge of this singular transaction, would alone be sufficient to recommend it to our most attentive consideration.
In the tenth year of the reign of Nero, the capital of the empire was afflicted by a fire which raged beyond the memory or example of former ages. 28 The monuments of Grecian art and of Roman virtue, the trophies of the Punic and Gallic wars, the most holy temples, and the most splendid palaces, were involved in one common destruction. Of the fourteen regions or quarters into which Rome was divided, four only subsisted entire, three were levelled with the ground, and the remaining seven, which had experienced the fury of the flames, displayed a melancholy prospect of ruin and desolation. The vigilance of government appears not to have neglected any of the precautions which might alleviate the sense of so dreadful a calamity. The Imperial gardens were thrown open to the distressed multitude, temporary buildings were erected for their accommodation, and a plentiful supply of corn and provisions was distributed at a very moderate price. 29 The most generous policy seemed to have dictated the edicts which regulated the disposition of the streets and the construction of private houses; and as it usually happens, in an age of prosperity, the conflagration of Rome, in the course of a few years, produced a new city, more regular and more beautiful than the former. But all the prudence and humanity affected by Nero on this occasion were insufficient to preserve him from the popular suspicion. Every crime might be imputed to the assassin of his wife and mother; nor could the prince who prostituted his person and dignity on the theatre be deemed incapable of the most extravagant folly. The voice of rumor accused the emperor as the incendiary of his own capital; and as the most incredible stories are the best adapted to the genius of an enraged people, it was gravely reported, and firmly believed, that Nero, enjoying the calamity which he had occasioned, amused himself with singing to his lyre the destruction of ancient Troy. 30 To divert a suspicion, which the power of despotism was unable to suppress, the emperor resolved to substitute in his own place some fictitious criminals. "With this view," continues Tacitus, "he inflicted the most exquisite tortures on those men, who, under the vulgar appellation of Christians, were already branded with deserved infamy. They derived their name and origin from Christ, who in the reign of Tiberius had suffered death by the sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate. 31 For a while this dire superstition was checked; but it again burst forth; *_0003 and not only spread itself over Judaea, the first seat of this mischievous sect, but was even introduced into Rome, the common asylum which receives and protects whatever is impure, whatever is atrocious. The confessions of those who were seized discovered a great multitude of their accomplices, and they were all convicted, not so much for the crime of setting fire to the city, as for their hatred of human kind. 32 They died in torments, and their torments were imbittered by insult and derision. Some were nailed on crosses; others sewn up in the skins of wild beasts, and exposed to the fury of dogs; others again, smeared over with combustible materials, were used as torches to illuminate the darkness of the night. The gardens of Nero were destined for the melancholy spectacle, which was accompanied with a horse-race and honored with the presence of the emperor, who mingled with the populace in the dress and attitude of a charioteer. The guilt of the Christians deserved indeed the most exemplary punishment, but the public abhorrence was changed into commiseration, from the opinion that those unhappy wretches were sacrificed, not so much to the public welfare, as to the cruelty of a jealous tyrant." 33 Those who survey with a curious eye the revolutions of mankind, may observe, that the gardens and circus of Nero on the Vatican, which were polluted with the blood of the first Christians, have been rendered still more famous by the triumph and by the abuse of the persecuted religion. On the same spot, 34 a temple, which far surpasses the ancient glories of the Capitol, has been since erected by the Christian Pontiffs, who, deriving their claim of universal dominion from an humble fisherman of Galilee, have succeeded to the throne of the Caesars, given laws to the barbarian conquerors of Rome, and extended their spiritual jurisdiction from the coast of the Baltic to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
But it would be improper to dismiss this account of Nero's persecution, till we have made some observations that may serve to remove the difficulties with which it is perplexed, and to throw some light on the subsequent history of the church.
1. The most sceptical criticism is obliged to respect the truth of this extraordinary fact, and the integrity of this celebrated passage of Tacitus. The former is confirmed by the diligent and accurate Suetonius, who mentions the punishment which Nero inflicted on the Christians, a sect of men who had embraced a new and criminal superstition. 35 The latter may be proved by the consent of the most ancient manuscripts; by the inimitable character of the style of Tacitus by his reputation, which guarded his text from the interpolations of pious fraud; and by the purport of his narration, which accused the first Christians of the most atrocious crimes, without insinuating that they possessed any miraculous or even magical powers above the rest of mankind. 36 2. Notwithstanding it is probable that Tacitus was born some years before the fire of Rome, 37 he could derive only from reading and conversation the knowledge of an event which happened during his infancy. Before he gave himself to the public, he calmly waited till his genius had attained its full maturity, and he was more than forty years of age, when a grateful regard for the memory of the virtuous Agricola extorted from him the most early of those historical compositions which will delight and instruct the most distant posterity. After making a trial of his strength in the life of Agricola and the description of Germany, he conceived, and at length executed, a more arduous work; the history of Rome, in thirty books, from the fall of Nero to the accession of Nerva. The administration of Nerva introduced an age of justice and propriety, which Tacitus had destined for the occupation of his old age; 38 but when he took a nearer view of his subject, judging, perhaps, that it was a more honorable or a less invidious office to record the vices of past tyrants, than to celebrate the virtues of a reigning monarch, he chose rather to relate, under the form of annals, the actions of the four immediate successors of Augustus. To collect, to dispose, and to adorn a series of fourscore years, in an immortal work, every sentence of which is pregnant with the deepest observations and the most lively images, was an undertaking sufficient to exercise the genius of Tacitus himself during the greatest part of his life. In the last years of the reign of Trajan, whilst the victorious monarch extended the power of Rome beyond its ancient limits, the historian was describing, in the second and fourth books of his annals, the tyranny of Tiberius; 39 and the emperor Hadrian must have succeeded to the throne, before Tacitus, in the regular prosecution of his work, could relate the fire of the capital, and the cruelty of Nero towards the unfortunate Christians. At the distance of sixty years, it was the duty of the annalist to adopt the narratives of contemporaries; but it was natural for the philosopher to indulge himself in the description of the origin, the progress, and the character of the new sect, not so much according to the knowledge or prejudices of the age of Nero, as according to those of the time of Hadrian. 3 Tacitus very frequently trusts to the curiosity or reflection of his readers to supply those intermediate circumstances and ideas, which, in his extreme conciseness, he has thought proper to suppress. We may therefore presume to imagine some probable cause which could direct the cruelty of Nero against the Christians of Rome, whose obscurity, as well as innocence, should have shielded them from his indignation, and even from his notice. The Jews, who were numerous in the capital, and oppressed in their own country, were a much fitter object for the suspicions of the emperor and of the people: nor did it seem unlikely that a vanquished nation, who already discovered their abhorrence of the Roman yoke, might have recourse to the most atrocious means of gratifying their implacable revenge. But the Jews possessed very powerful advocates in the palace, and even in the heart of the tyrant; his wife and mistress, the beautiful Poppaea, and a favorite player of the race of Abraham, who had already employed their intercession in behalf of the obnoxious people. 40 In their room it was necessary to offer some other victims, and it might easily be suggested that, although the genuine followers of Moses were innocent of the fire of Rome, there had arisen among them a new and pernicious sect of Galilaeans, which was capable of the most horrid crimes. Under the appellation of Galilaeans, two distinctions of men were confounded, the most opposite to each other in their manners and principles; the disciples who had embraced the faith of Jesus of Nazareth, 41 and the zealots who had followed the standard of Judas the Gaulonite. 42 The former were the friends, the latter were the enemies, of human kind; and the only resemblance between them consisted in the same inflexible constancy, which, in the defence of their cause, rendered them insensible of death and tortures. The followers of Judas, who impelled their countrymen into rebellion, were soon buried under the ruins of Jerusalem; whilst those of Jesus, known by the more celebrated name of Christians, diffused themselves over the Roman empire. How natural was it for Tacitus, in the time of Hadrian, to appropriate to the Christians the guilt and the sufferings, *_0004 which he might, with far greater truth and justice, have attributed to a sect whose odious memory was almost extinguished! 4. Whatever opinion may be entertained of this conjecture, (for it is no more than a conjecture,) it is evident that the effect, as well as the cause, of Nero's persecution, was confined to the walls of Rome, 43 !_0004 that the religious tenets of the Galilaeans or Christians, were never made a subject of punishment, or even of inquiry; and that, as the idea of their sufferings was for a long time connected with the idea of cruelty and injustice, the moderation of succeeding princes inclined them to spare a sect, oppressed by a tyrant, whose rage had been usually directed against virtue and innocence.
It is somewhat remarkable that the flames of war consumed, almost at the same time, the temple of Jerusalem and the Capitol of Rome; 44 and it appears no less singular, that the tribute which devotion had destined to the former, should have been converted by the power of an assaulting victor to restore and adorn the splendor of the latter. 45 The emperors levied a general capitation tax on the Jewish people; and although the sum assessed on the head of each individual was inconsiderable, the use for which it was designed, and the severity with which it was exacted, were considered as an intolerable grievance. 46 Since the officers of the revenue extended their unjust claim to many persons who were strangers to the blood or religion of the Jews, it was impossible that the Christians, who had so often sheltered themselves under the shade of the synagogue, should now escape this rapacious persecution. Anxious as they were to avoid the slightest infection of idolatry, their conscience forbade them to contribute to the honor of that daemon who had assumed the character of the Capitoline Jupiter. As a very numerous though declining party among the Christians still adhered to the law of Moses, their efforts to dissemble their Jewish origin were detected by the decisive test of circumcision; 47 nor were the Roman magistrates at leisure to inquire into the difference of their religious tenets. Among the Christians who were brought before the tribunal of the emperor, or, as it seems more probable, before that of the procurator of Judaea, two persons are said to have appeared, distinguished by their extraction, which was more truly noble than that of the greatest monarchs. These were the grandsons of St. Jude the apostle, who himself was the brother of Jesus Christ. 48 Their natural pretensions to the throne of David might perhaps attract the respect of the people, and excite the jealousy of the governor; but the meanness of their garb, and the simplicity of their answers, soon convinced him that they were neither desirous nor capable of disturbing the peace of the Roman empire. They frankly confessed their royal origin, and their near relation to the Messiah; but they disclaimed any temporal views, and professed that his kingdom, which they devoutly expected, was purely of a spiritual and angelic nature. When they were examined concerning their fortune and occupation, they showed their hands, hardened with daily labor, and declared that they derived their whole subsistence from the cultivation of a farm near the village of Cocaba, of the extent of about twenty-four English acres, 49 and of the value of nine thousand drachms, or three hundred pounds sterling. The grandsons of St. Jude were dismissed with compassion and contempt. 50
But although the obscurity of the house of David might protect them from the suspicions of a tyrant, the present greatness of his own family alarmed the pusillanimous temper of Domitian, which could only be appeased by the blood of those Romans whom he either feared, or hated, or esteemed. Of the two sons of his uncle Flavius Sabinus, 51 the elder was soon convicted of treasonable intentions, and the younger, who bore the name of Flavius Clemens, was indebted for his safety to his want of courage and ability. 52 The emperor for a long time, distinguished so harmless a kinsman by his favor and protection, bestowed on him his own niece Domitilla, adopted the children of that marriage to the hope of the succession, and invested their father with the honors of the consulship.
But he had scarcely finished the term of his annual magistracy, when, on a slight pretence, he was condemned and executed; Domitilla was banished to a desolate island on the coast of Campania; 53 and sentences either of death or of confiscation were pronounced against a great number of who were involved in the same accusation. The guilt imputed to their charge was that of Atheism and Jewish manners; 54 a singular association of ideas, which cannot with any propriety be applied except to the Christians, as they were obscurely and imperfectly viewed by the magistrates and by the writers of that period. On the strength of so probable an interpretation, and too eagerly admitting the suspicions of a tyrant as an evidence of their honorable crime, the church has placed both Clemens and Domitilla among its first martyrs, and has branded the cruelty of Domitian with the name of the second persecution. But this persecution (if it deserves that epithet) was of no long duration. A few months after the death of Clemens, and the banishment of Domitilla, Stephen, a freedman belonging to the latter, who had enjoyed the favor, but who had not surely embraced the faith, of his mistress, *_0005 assassinated the emperor in his palace. 55 The memory of Domitian was condemned by the senate; his acts were rescinded; his exiles recalled; and under the gentle administration of Nerva, while the innocent were restored to their rank and fortunes, even the most guilty either obtained pardon or escaped punishment. 56
II. About ten years afterwards, under the reign of Trajan, the younger Pliny was intrusted by his friend and master with the government of Bithynia and Pontus. He soon found himself at a loss to determine by what rule of justice or of law he should direct his conduct in the execution of an office the most repugnant to his humanity. Pliny had never assisted at any judicial proceedings against the Christians, with whose lame alone he seems to be acquainted; and he was totally uninformed with regard to the nature of their guilt, the method of their conviction, and the degree of their punishment. In this perplexity he had recourse to his usual expedient, of submitting to the wisdom of Trajan an impartial, and, in some respects, a favorable account of the new superstition, requesting the emperor, that he would condescend to resolve his doubts, and to instruct his ignorance. 57 The life of Pliny had been employed in the acquisition of learning, and in the business of the world. Since the age of nineteen he had pleaded with distinction in the tribunals of Rome, 58 filled a place in the senate, had been invested with the honors of the consulship, and had formed very numerous connections with every order of men, both in Italy and in the provinces. From his ignorance therefore we may derive some useful information. We may assure ourselves, that when he accepted the government of Bithynia, there were no general laws or decrees of the senate in force against the Christians; that neither Trajan nor any of his virtuous predecessors, whose edicts were received into the civil and criminal jurisprudence, had publicly declared their intentions concerning the new sect; and that whatever proceedings had been carried on against the Christians, there were none of sufficient weight and authority to establish a precedent for the conduct of a Roman magistrate.
24 In the various compilation of the Augustan History, (a part of which was composed under the reign of Constantine,) there are not six lines which relate to the Christians; nor has the diligence of Xiphilin discovered their name in the large history of Dion Cassius.
Note: The greater part of the Augustan History is dedicated to Diocletian. This may account for the silence of its authors concerning Christianity. The notices that occur are almost all in the lives composed under the reign of Constantine. It may fairly be concluded, from the language which he had into the mouth of Maecenas, that Dion was an enemy to all innovations in religion. (See Gibbon, infra, note 105.) In fact, when the silence of Pagan historians is noticed, it should be remembered how meagre and mutilated are all the extant histories of the period -M.
25 An obscure passage of Suetonius (in Claud. c. 25) may seem to offer a proof how strangely the Jews and Christians of Rome were confounded with each other.
26 See, in the xviiith and xxvth chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, the behavior of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia, and of Festus, procurator of Judea.
27 In the time of Tertullian and Clemens of Alexandria, the glory of martyrdom was confined to St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. James. It was gradually bestowed on the rest of the apostles, by the more recent Greeks, who prudently selected for the theatre of their preaching and sufferings some remote country beyond the limits of the Roman empire. See Mosheim, p. 81; and Tillemont, Memoires Ecclesiastiques, tom. i. part iii.
28 Tacit. Annal. xv. 38 - 44. Sueton in Neron. c. 38. Dion Cassius, l. lxii. p. 1014. Orosius, vii. 7.
29 The price of wheat (probably of the modius,) was reduced as low as terni Nummi; which would be equivalent to about fifteen shillings the English quarter.
30 We may observe, that the rumor is mentioned by Tacitus with a very becoming distrust and hesitation, whilst it is greedily transcribed by Suetonius, and solemnly confirmed by Dion.
31 This testimony is alone sufficient to expose the anachronism of the Jews, who place the birth of Christ near a century sooner. (Basnage, Histoire des Juifs, l. v. c. 14, 15.) We may learn from Josephus, (Antiquitat. xviii. 3,) that the procuratorship of Pilate corresponded with the last ten years of Tiberius, A. D. 27 - 37. As to the particular time of the death of Christ, a very early tradition fixed it to the 25th of March, A. D. 29, under the consulship of the two Gemini. (Tertullian adv. Judaeos, c. 8.) This date, which is adopted by Pagi, Cardinal Norris, and Le Clerc, seems at least as probable as the vulgar aera, which is placed (I know not from what conjectures) four years later.
*_0003 This single phrase, Repressa in praesens exitiabilis superstitio rursus erumpebat, proves that the Christians had already attracted the attention of the government; and that Nero was not the first to persecute them. I am surprised that more stress has not been laid on the confirmation which the Acts of the Apostles derive from these words of Tacitus, Repressa in praesens, and rursus erumpebat. - G.
I have been unwilling to suppress this note, but surely the expression of Tacitus refers to the expected extirpation of the religion by the death of its founder, Christ. - M.
32 Odio humani generis convicti. These words may either signify the hatred of mankind towards the Christians, or the hatred of the Christians towards mankind. I have preferred the latter sense, as the most agreeable to the style of Tacitus, and to the popular error, of which a precept of the gospel (see Luke xiv. 26) had been, perhaps, the innocent occasion. My interpretation is justified by the authority of Lipsius; of the Italian, the French, and the English translators of Tacitus; of Mosheim, (p. 102,) of Le Clerc, (Historia Ecclesiast. p. 427,) of Dr. Lardner, (Testimonies, vol. i. p. 345,) and of the Bishop of Gloucester, (Divine Legation, vol. iii. p. 38.) But as the word convicti does not unite very happily with the rest of the sentence, James Gronovius has preferred the reading of conjuncti, which is authorized by the valuable MS. of Florence.
33 Tacit. Annal xv. 44.
34 Nardini Roma Antica, p. 487. Donatus de Roma Antiqua, l. iii. p. 449.
35 Sueton. in Nerone, c. 16. The epithet of malefica, which some sagacious commentators have translated magical, is considered by the more rational Mosheim as only synonymous to the exitiabilis of Tacitus.
36 The passage concerning Jesus Christ, which was inserted into the text of Josephus, between the time of Origen and that of Eusebius, may furnish an example of no vulgar forgery. The accomplishment of the prophecies, the virtues, miracles, and resurrection of Jesus, are distinctly related. Josephus acknowledges that he was the Messiah, and hesitates whether he should call him a man. If any doubt can still remain concerning this celebrated passage, the reader may examine the pointed objections of Le Fevre, (Havercamp. Joseph. tom. ii. p. 267-273, the labored answers of Daubuz, (p. 187-232, and the masterly reply (Bibliotheque Ancienne et Moderne, tom. vii. p. 237-288) of an anonymous critic, whom I believe to have been the learned Abbe de Longuerue.
Note: The modern editor of Eusebius, Heinichen, has adopted, and ably supported, a notion, which had before suggested itself to the editor, that this passage is not altogether a forgery, but interpolated with many additional clauses. Heinichen has endeavored to disengage the original text from the foreign and more recent matter. - M.
37 See the lives of Tacitus by Lipsius and the Abbe de la Bleterie, Dictionnaire de Bayle a l'article Particle Tacite, and Fabricius, Biblioth. Latin tem. Latin. tom. ii. p. 386, edit. Ernest. Ernst.
38 Principatum Divi Nervae, et imperium Trajani, uberiorem, securioremque materiam senectuti seposui. Tacit. Hist. i.
39 See Tacit. Annal. ii. 61, iv. 4.
Note: The perusal of this passage of Tacitus alone is sufficient, as I have already said, to show that the Christian sect was not so obscure as not already to have been repressed, (repressa,) and that it did not pass for innocent in the eyes of the Romans. - G.
40 The player's name was Aliturus. Through the same channel, Josephus, (de vita sua, c. 2,) about two years before, had obtained the pardon and release of some Jewish priests, who were prisoners at Rome.
41 The learned Dr. Lardner (Jewish and Heathen Testimonies, vol ii. p. 102, 103) has proved that the name of Galilaeans was a very ancient, and perhaps the primitive appellation of the Christians.
42 Joseph. Antiquitat. xviii. 1, 2. Tillemont, Ruine des Juifs, p. 742 The sons of Judas were crucified in the time of Claudius. His grandson Eleazar, after Jerusalem was taken, defended a strong fortress with 960 of his most desperate followers. When the battering ram had made a breach, they turned their swords against their wives their children, and at length against their own breasts. They died to the last man.
*_0004 This conjecture is entirely devoid, not merely of verisimilitude, but even of possibility. Tacitus could not be deceived in appropriating to the Christians of Rome the guilt and the sufferings which he might have attributed with far greater truth to the followers of Judas the Gaulonite, for the latter never went to Rome. Their revolt, their attempts, their opinions, their wars, their punishment, had no other theatre but Judaea (Basn. Hist. des. Juifs, t. i. p. 491.) Moreover the name of Christians had long been given in Rome to the disciples of Jesus; and Tacitus affirms too positively, refers too distinctly to its etymology, to allow us to suspect any mistake on his part. - G.
M. Guizot's expressions are not in the least too strong against this strange imagination of Gibbon; it may be doubted whether the followers of Judas were known as a sect under the name of Galilaeans. - M.
43 See Dodwell. Paucitat. Mart. l. xiii. The Spanish Inscription in Gruter. p. 238, No. 9, is a manifest and acknowledged forgery contrived by that noted imposter. Cyriacus of Ancona, to flatter the pride and prejudices of the Spaniards. See Ferreras, Histoire D'Espagne, tom. i. p. 192.
!_0004 M. Guizot, on the authority of Sulpicius Severus, ii. 37, and of Orosius, viii. 5, inclines to the opinion of those who extend the persecution to the provinces. Mosheim rather leans to that side on this much disputed question, (c. xxxv.) Neander takes the view of Gibbon, which is in general that of the most learned writers. There is indeed no evidence, which I can discover, of its reaching the provinces; and the apparent security, at least as regards his life, with which St. Paul pursued his travels during this period, affords at least a strong inference against a rigid and general inquisition against the Christians in other parts of the empire. - M.
44 The Capitol was burnt during the civil war between Vitellius and Vespasian, the 19th of December, A. D. 69. On the 10th of August, A. D. 70, the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the hands of the Jews themselves, rather than by those of the Romans.
45 The new Capitol was dedicated by Domitian. Sueton. in Domitian. c. 5. Plutarch in Poplicola, tom. i. p. 230, edit. Bryant. The gilding alone cost 12,000 talents (above two millions and a half.) It was the opinion of Martial, (l. ix. Epigram 3,) that if the emperor had called in his debts, Jupiter himself, even though he had made a general auction of Olympus, would have been unable to pay two shillings in the pound.
46 With regard to the tribute, see Dion Cassius, l. lxvi. p. 1082, with Reimarus's notes. Spanheim, de Usu Numismatum, tom. ii. p. 571; and Basnage, Histoire des Juifs, l. vii. c. 2.
47 Suetonius (in Domitian. c. 12) had seen an old man of ninety publicly examined before the procurator's tribunal. This is what Martial calls, Mentula tributis damnata.
48 This appellation was at first understood in the most obvious sense, and it was supposed, that the brothers of Jesus were the lawful issue of Joseph and Mary. A devout respect for the virginity of the mother of God suggested to the Gnostics, and afterwards to the orthodox Greeks, the expedient of bestowing a second wife on Joseph. The Latins (from the time of Jerome) improved on that hint, asserted the perpetual celibacy of Joseph, and justified by many similar examples the new interpretation that Jude, as well as Simon and James, who were styled the brothers of Jesus Christ, were only his first cousins. See Tillemont, Mem. Ecclesiat. tom. i. part iii.: and Beausobre, Hist. Critique du Manicheisme, l. ii. c. 2.
49 Thirty-nine, squares of a hundred feet each, which, if strictly computed, would scarcely amount to nine acres.
50 Eusebius, iii. 20. The story is taken from Hegesippus.
51 See the death and character of Sabinus in Tacitus, (Hist. iii. 74 ) Sabinus was the elder brother, and, till the accession of Vespasian, had been considered as the principal support of the Flavium family
52 Flavium Clementem patruelem suum contemptissimoe inertice . . ex tenuissima suspicione interemit. Sueton. in Domitian. c. 15.
53 The Isle of Pandataria, according to Dion. Bruttius Praesens (apud Euseb. iii. 18) banishes her to that of Pontia, which was not far distant from the other. That difference, and a mistake, either of Eusebius or of his transcribers, have given occasion to suppose two Domitillas, the wife and the niece of Clemens. See Tillemont, Memoires Ecclesiastiques, tom. ii. p. 224.
54 Dion. l. lxvii. p. 1112. If the Bruttius Praesens, from whom it is probable that he collected this account, was the correspondent of Pliny, (Epistol. vii. 3,) we may consider him as a contemporary writer.
*_0005 This is an uncandid sarcasm. There is nothing to connect Stephen with the religion of Domitilla. He was a knave detected in the malversation of money - interceptarum pecuniaram reus. - M.
55 Suet. in Domit. c. 17. Philostratus in Vit. Apollon. l. viii.
56 Dion. l. lxviii. p. 1118. Plin. Epistol. iv. 22.
57 Plin. Epistol. x. 97. The learned Mosheim expresses himself (p. 147, 232) with the highest approbation of Pliny's moderate and candid temper. Notwithstanding Dr. Lardner's suspicions (see Jewish and Heathen Testimonies, vol. ii. p. 46,) I am unable to discover any bigotry in his language or proceedings.
Note: Yet the humane Pliny put two female attendants, probably deaconesses to the torture, in order to ascertain the real nature of these suspicious meetings: necessarium credidi, ex duabus ancillis, quae ministrae dicebantor quid asset veri et per tormenta quaerere. - M.
58 Plin. Epist. v. 8. He pleaded his first cause A. D. 81; the year after the famous eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, in which his uncle lost his life.


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Antennae Galaxies
The Antennae Galaxies, also known as the Ringtail Galaxy or Arp 244, are a pair of colliding galaxies located in Corvus constellation. The interacting spiral galaxies have the designations NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 in the New General Catalogue. The galaxy collision resembles an insect's antennae, which is how the pair got the name. The … [Read more…]


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Washington DC (Columbia Heights): RedRocks & Pete's Apizza
Two pizzerias on the brink of expansion and a trip down memory lane.
Perched atop the rise of 14th Street at the intersection of Monroe, CC's Liquors is one of the few survivors remaining in the heart of the booming Columbia Heights neighborhood from a generation ago. Today, the grayish turret housing the front door looks down 14th Street toward the renovated Tivoli Theater, now the GALA Hispanic Theater, and the cluster of new buildings containing living space, office space and housing stores like Best Buy, Target, Starbucks, Office Depot, and all of the other "necessary" stores purveying the trappings of modern life. People of various cultures and ages ply their way up and down 14th and the surrounding blocks, passing by renovated row homes, families pushing baby strollers, and even a dog park as they move toward their eventual destination. But during the years in which I last walked near this spot from time to time, CC's looked out onto an entirely different landscape.
Nineteen ninety-one: Most of the buildings currently housing the various retail, office, and apartment spaces clustered around 14th and Irving were simply not there. The Tivoli Theater was in shambles. CC's looked out onto a grim scene of trash-lined streets, dilapidated store fronts, beat-up row homes, and a surrounding neighborhood where it was easy to find crack rock or a bullet and next to impossible to score a good cup of coffee, much less good pizza. For many people at that time, CC's Liquors was very much a sign that you had strayed too far north up 14th street.
And yet, on a bitterly cold winter night in 1991, I stood on a porch a block away from CC's waiting for my friend to let me into the new place he had just moved into along with two other peeps who would play a role in the resurrection of the nearby U Street corridor. As if the neighborhood could sense my nervousness, the staccato clap-clap-clap of a handgun barked violently into the night from just around the corner. It was the first time I had ever heard a gun fired in a public space. The sounds of gunfire could be heard from that house on a somewhat regular basis, and two years later a man was gunned down nearly on the front porch of the house by a person wielding a shotgun. My friend moved on, and I frequented many other neighborhoods in the city over the years, but I had not walked around near CC's in this part of Columbia Heights for nearly 20 years. A subway stop and two pizzerias would change that.
On a pleasant Saturday afternoon looking to get out of the house after a bout of cabin fever from being clobbered by the one-two February 2010 blizzard, dubbed locally as "snowmageddon," Mrs. Blogger, Papa Blogger, Mama Blogger, and yours truly emerged from the Columbia Heights Metro station hungry and ready to devour a good amount of pizza.
RedRocks Firebrick Pizzeria
1036 Park Road NW, Washington, DC 20010 (map); 202-506-1402, www.firebrickpizza.com
Getting There: Metro Green or Yellow line to Columbia Heights station. Walk north on 14th to Park Road, make a right and walk three blocks. RedRocks is at intersection of Park Rd and 11th St NW
Pizza Style: Neapolitan
Oven Type: Wood-fired
The Skinny: The Neapolitan-style pizzas here may not be mind-altering but are tasty, well-made pies of very good quality. Multiple red and bianca variants are offered, additional toppings are available, and smart pricing makes this cozy space a good spot for pie in WDC
Price: 12-inch pizzas, $8.95 (marinara) to $12.95
Slices? No, whole pies only
Alcohol/BYOB?: Beer, wine, and bar available
RedRocks was our first stop of the day. Situated in a renovated EOG rowhome at the intersection of Park Road and 11th Street NW, the two floored space at RedRocks is cozy, clean and offers outdoor seating as well. The exposed brick walls and wood tables form a clean space where sunlight falls through the windows and dapples the hardwood floor in various hues of light and shadow.
Owner James O'Brien opened RedRocks in the summer of 2007 and brought on consultant Edan MacQuaid, who had a dozen years of pizzeria experience from working at well respected DC pizza haunts Pizzeria Paradiso and 2Amys, to train the crew at RedRocks for a couple of months after opening.
The wood-fired pizza oven at RedRocks is situated downstairs and I was not allowed to go down and take pictures of it (I didn't mention "who I was"), but from the looks of the picture of the interior of the oven on the RedRocks webpage, the clearly defined, almost orange segment looking pieces of refractory concrete appear to be a dead ringer for a Wood Stone Mountain Series oven, which brings to question RedRocks mentioning of an "Authentic Italian wood-burning brick oven" on their website. Wherever the oven is actually from or what type it is, it is the skill of the fornaio that ultimately determines how well a pizza is cooked.
While this is somewhat of a moot point and I ultimately like the pizza and space at RedRocks, I need to take RedRocks to task for some of the information on their website, as I am somewhat frustrated by these types of potentially confusing statements continually displayed on various pizzeria websites and in print advertising. Keep in mind I am no expert, but my own pizza-making experiments in my humble standard kitchen oven and ongoing research has shown me that some of the information on the RedRocks website is questionable.
I know this to be a fact because I ate with a fellow pizza-lover a few months ago at another pizzeria and he complained the Margherita did not use mozzarella di bufala and was therefore not "authentic." I asked why he thought this and he mentioned RedRocks pizzeria. This person took RedRocks website statement, "Our Margherita pizza features mozzarella di bufala, made from buffalo milk, a Neapolitan tradition" to mean that it is a Neapolitan tradition to use mozzarella di bufala on Margherita pizza. This is clearly not the case, as fior-di-latte is the most commonly found mozzarella employed in Napoli, even though the making of bufala itself is indeed a Neapolitan tradition (and to be fair might be what RedRocks is alluding to).
To continue my quibbles, the statement, "High heat creates flavors through caramelization of sugars that are difficult, if not impossible, to create when pizza is cooked in conventional pizza ovens", if taken literally by a person, is bordering on flat out bullcrap. Caramelization of sugars is most certainly possible in a standard home oven that reaches the typical 500°F to 550°F, as caramelization occurs at temperatures as low as 320°F to 340°F. Just putting any dough in a wood fired oven does not ensure great caramelization. The sugars in question being "caramelized" are largely made available through a proper fermentation process, not as a sole end result of using a high temperature oven. Again, my primary concern is more correct dissemination of information to the pizza peep masses and less convoluted advertising nonsense. Okay, got that offa my chest. Now, back to the pizza, eh?
The pizzas at RedRocks were not quite as good as my initial stop-and-pop here in October of 2009. However, it could be argued that the best judge of a pizzeria is what the pie is like on a slightly "off" day. Based on our visit, the pies at Redrocks are still pretty damned good. We ordered a Margherita, a Napoli (sauce, fresh mozzarella, anchovies, capers, basil), and an Eggplant (roasted eggplant, goat cheese, parmesan, sea salt, black pepper). The late afternoon sunlight pleasantly spilled across our table hinting at the promise of Spring, albeit making for poor picture taking conditions.
The Margherita at RedRocks is a solid rendition of this classic pizza. The cornicione was not as mottled as during my previous visit, but it was puffy, had a nice seasoning of salt to it, was slightly crispy on the outside and tender in the crumb without being gummy.
The sauce on the Margherita has the fresh brightness that should be expected on a good-quality Neapolitan-influenced pizza and has a little more natural sweetness than the sauce found on other Neapolitan style pizzerias like 2 Amys. RedRocks mentions they use two types of imported Italian tomatoes; both San Marzano and Sinatra tomatoes are used. If both tomatoes are indeed being mixed together to create the sauce, perhaps it is the Sinatra tomatoes which add a note of sweetness that subtly lingers in the aftertaste. The RedRocks Margherita comes with mozzarella di bufala, which has a little more flavor than the mostly textural contribution of the more commonly used fior di latte. This combination of ingredients combines to form a respectable Margherita at RedRocks.
The Napoli (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, anchovies and capers) at RedRocks is perhaps more successful than at other pizzerias precisely because the sauce is just a tad sweeter. The expected sharp flavor attack of the anchovies, olive like taste of the capers and the definite saltiness added by both ingredients are tempered a little more competently at Redrocks. Personally, this is the type of pizza you have to be in the mood to eat, but when you are ready to do so RedRocks can tickle your fancy.
The Eggplant pizza (roasted eggplant, goat cheese, pesto, sea salt, black pepper) arrived with a crust that was perhaps a little too pale, but this pizza was another good pie. My primary concern with eggplant, which I personally like on pizza, is it can wind up being slimy on the finished pizza. Not so on this day at RedRocks. The eggplant was fleshy and earthy. The use of goat cheese, black pepper and pesto combine to form a nice combination of flavors and textures on this pizza, which I would definitely order again.
Overall, I wouldn't call the pizza at RedRocks "mind blowing" like Motorino East Village and Una Pizza Napoletana, but this is one of the better pizzerias I have visited in Washington DC. The space is comfortable, unpretentious, is not as loud as some other places and offers a sizeable outdoor seating area as well. Add in a nice selection of beer and wine to the quality pizza served here and RedRocks Firebrick Pizzeria is a very good bet if you are in Washington DC.
RedRocks Firebrick Pizzeria will be opening a second location in Old Town Alexandria, in May of 2010, at 904 King Street (map)
"Capital City Public Charter School" are what the letters perched atop the six doric columned, brick and glass facade of a rehabbed building perched on the border of Columbia Heights spell out, but for many people who were teens and twenty somethings growing up in and around DC during the eighties and nineties, this place will forever be thought of as the Wilson Center. Standing guard over the triangular intersection of Irving, 15th and 16th Streets NW, I imagine few of the newer residents of the Columbia Heights neighborhood realize this building is a musical icon of sorts.
Many cities made their own contributions to the punk rock influenced music being played from the late seventies into the nineties, but the sounds emanating from the basement of this building and other DC venues reverberated far past the borders of Washington DC. While it could be argued other spaces like the old 930 Club, DC Space, Fort Reno and Madams Organ were more important, the Wilson Center was still hosting shows after those other spaces had closed shop. Bands and people like Minor Threat, SOA (Henry Rollins), Faith, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Dave Grohl and many, many others either honed their sounds playing here or were influenced seeing shows at the Wilson Center.
It's been 13 years since I last stood in front of this building, with Fugazi's 10-year anniversary show in 1997 being the last show I would see in this fabled venue. The Wilson Center would host its last show in 2001, but the sounds from the shows inside of this building over a twenty year period can still be heard, even if only as influential tinges, in many modern day "alternative rock" bands. The Capital City Public Charter School building looks a lot different than it did back in the eighties and nineties when it was primarily a Latino Cultural Center, a testament to the many changes, some good and some questionable, that have occurred in this neighborhood over the past two decades.
With a few songs from those Wilson Center shows buzzing in my head, there was pressing business to attend to....more pizza!
Pete's New Haven Style Apizza
Pete's New Haven Style Apizza
1400 Irving Street NW, Washington, DC 20010 (map); 202-332-7383, www.petesapizza.com
Getting There: Metro Green or Yellow line to Columbia Heights station. Pete's is literally a few steps away from the Metro station
Pizza Style: New Haven style
Oven Type: Gas fired deck oven
The Skinny: Somewhat rustic crust has a nice, breadlike chewiness to it and is properly cooked. Slightly sweet sauce and decent cheese add up to a solid, albeit unspectacular, pizza that is much better than your average pizzeria. A selection of 18 pizzas, including a gluten free option and 21 additional toppings (soy cheese as well) are available.
Price: 18" apizza $18.95 to $25.95
Slices?: Yes. $2.50 to $3.25 per slice
Alcohol/BYOB?: Beer & wine available
Delivery: Yes. Check website for areas
Pete's New Haven Style Apizza, often referred to simply as Pete's Apizza (pronounced ah-beetz), sits literally steps away from the Columbia Heights Metro station at the intersection of 14th and Irvine Streets NW. According to the Washington Post, a group of five investors, including husband-and-wife owners Joel and Alicia Mehr (Alicia grew up in New Haven), along with business partner Thomas Marr, modeled Pete's after their favorite New Haven–style pizzeria, which is not located on Wooster or State streets, but is Grand Apizza in East Haven, Connecticut.
Pete's was about half full when we arrived, but the rectangular, 40-ish seater filled up quickly soon after we hunkered down. The drill at Pete's is you go to the counter to order, tell 'em what you want, grab a number and skidaddle to an open seat, where someone will bring your vittles to the table. This ordering set-up often helps to speed along lines at other restaurants employing a similar system and it appears to do so at Pete's as well. Such a system makes it possible, for instance, to drop by on your way home from work and get a couple of slices or a pie in a relatively quickly, even if the place is quite busy. And I watched a good amount of people do just that.
The owners have contended that a coal-fired oven is not required to make New Haven–style pizza and gas-fired deck ovens with stained doors handle the cooking chores at Pete's.
After a short bit sipping our draft Lagunitas IPA, a Pete's Original and an Arugula Apizza were brought to us and plopped on our metal stands. Without further adieu we dug into the Pete's Original Apizza.
But first, I think it is important that I digress (again?!) and mention I have not been to New Haven (yet). My only experience with New Haven–style pizza is eating at Frank Pepe's Mohegan Sun location on two consecutive days. Long story short....it was definitely the most disappointing pizza-eating experience I have had so far. The pizza was just OK, at best. So, you can tell I am not a qualified person to say how true to form a pizza joint offering "ah-BEETZ" is, but I can give my opinion on whether I thought the pizza was any good or not.
Sinking my teeth into the Pete's Original, the crust was immediately noticeable for its texture. This crust is a little crisp on the outside with a slightly toothsome, rustic breadiness to the crumb that is chewier and denser than the lighter, airy crusts of a Neapolitan-style pie. It was a nice contrast from what we had just eaten at RedRocks. The crust had some decent flavor to it and a nice char, which would not hit "burned" on the mythical char-o-meter.
The sauce and the cheese on top of the Pete's Original were nothing to really write home about but definitely not bad either. The sauce may be a tad too much toward the sweet side, but it does the trick. The cheese to me was more of a textural note and had only a little flavor to it. Interestingly, and to display just how individual pizza can be to people, the comments from our group on the Pete's Original ranged from "good" to "I wouldn't walk across the street for a slice of it." Personally, I like the contrast of something different so close to RedRocks in the neighborhood. The Pete's Original, with its good, somewhat rustic and definitely crisp, chewy crust and more familiar toppings and flavor notes is a solid, straightforward everyday pie (keep in mind I ate only whole pizzas and did not try the individual slices available for sale).
While the Pete's Original was a good, workmanlike pie, the Arugula Apizza missed the mark on this day. Again, the crust in my opinion was very well done, with excellent browning and some breadlike flavor to it. While I have only been to Pete's Apizza once and need to go again to get a better gauge on consistency, it's always nice to receive a pie like this out of a gas-fired deck oven without having to ask for your pizza (apizza) to be "well done." Good stuff.
However, what's on top of the Arugula Apizza was not singing joyous notes to our palates. All four of us agreed that the marinated onions completely overwhelmed the entire pizza. Don't think marinated, think pickled. I don't mind strong flavors, but there has to be something else to provide balance and on our visit, there simply was none. There was not enough pepperiness to the arugula to foil the pickled onion flavor and this is an instance where a saltier pecorino romano might be better suited than the parmigiano-reggiano used on this pie.
Some of you may be thinking something along the lines of, "Does this place offer a clam pie and, if so, why didn't you order it you moron?!" Yes, Pete's offers a white clam pizza, dubbed the New Haven (white clams, garlic, evoo, pecorino romano, oregano $23.95). Alas, I have a severe allergy to clams and cannot eat them. In addition, I would like to come back and try the Margarita at Pete's (tomato sauce, mozzarella di bufala, basil, pecorino romano, evoo $25.95).
All in all, I personally think it is a stretch to suggest that Pete's Apizza is serving the "best pizza in DC." Our group all agreed that we didn't feel Pete's is a destination pizza worth going out of the way for. However, there is nothing quite like it in DC either. It's also important to remember that there is a need for a solid, everyday slice of pizza, and Pete's fills in this need quite well. Pete's also provides for a nice contrast of styles in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. If I lived in Columbia Heights or took the Metro past the Columbia Heights station on a regular basis, you can bet I would hop off occasionally to pick up a pie or a few slices of Pete's Apizza on the way home.
Pete's New Haven Style Apizza will be also be expanding to add a much larger second location at 4940 Wisconsin Avenue NW (map) in the Tenleytown-Friendship Heights neighborhood.
With the pizzas eaten and our bellies full, we walked out of the door at Pete's and down the elevator to catch our train. I couldn't help but steal a last view of the significant changes which have occurred over the last 20 years in Columbia Heights. Yes, there are still problems here and not all of the aspects of gentrification are positive, but what has happened in Columbia Heights is nothing short of remarkable. And in this changing neighborhood where laughter is now more often heard than the deafening silence of empty nights from years past, it's a very good thing area residents have two nice places to sit down, relax for a second and enjoy a bite of our favorite food.
By the time this is published I will be visiting Al Forno for the first time to try their grilled pizza. Not too long from now I'll be back here to report on a pizzeria in Baltimore that is about to make some significant changes to what is already one of the city's best bets for pizza.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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LONDON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- No. 2-ranked men's player Novak Djokovic and No. 1 women's player Serena Williams were selected the ITF world champions for 2013.
The International Tennis Federation made the announcement Thursday, giving Djokovic the honor for a third consecutive year and Williams for the fourth time in her career.
It was no surprise Serena Williams was the ITF's choice among the women players. Williams was 78-4 on the year, winning a record $12.4 million. She had 11 titles, including wins at the French Open and U.S. Open.
But that Djokovic was chosen over Rafael Nadal was unexpected. Nadal overtook Djokovic for the world No. 1 ranking after winning the U.S. Open and was 75-7 on the year with 10 titles.
Djokovic did have a sterling year, winning a third consecutive Australian Open and finishing second at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He was 74-9 with seven titles overall.
U.S. twins Bob and Mike Bryan were selected the ITF men's doubles world champion while Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci took the women's doubles award.
The ITF honors are determined on an "objective system that considers all results during the year, but gives special weight to the Grand Slam tournaments, and two ITF international team competitions, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas," the ITF said in a release.


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Ni No Kuni casts a wicked charm spell on players and critics alike.
I hope this game sells really well, i want more games like this for the rest of this gen as well as whatever is next, meanwhile I'm enjoying my time with it so far. :)
Well deserved, too. This is definitely up there as my top 5 RPG games of all time. The story is a bit kiddy, but not in a bad way, imo. It's has just the right amount of "kiddy" without going overboard. Hope it sells well and I hope we get a sequel!
great timing
if you want your game to be noticed be unique among what is common
15 hours in and it still has me interested as to what will happen next. I haven't played a game in a while that had me hooked like this.
i was strapped for cash this week, but decided to go ahead and buy Ni No Kuni anyways. . . i really want this game to be a success.


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Help Women at Rosie's Place stay 'Safe and Sound' on May 2
Rosie's Place's annual Safe and Sound gala is on Thursday, May 2, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fenway Park (Gate A and EMC Club).
The exclusive evening will feature delectable creations from celebrity chefs including Michael Schlow (Barrio Cantina), Tim Cushman (O Ya), and Mary Dumont (Harvest) and insider-only live and silent auction items such as VIP Red Sox and Patriots opportunities, a Parks and Recreation experience in Los Angeles, and a luxurious getaway to Bermuda.
WCVB's Susan Wornick will emcee with her usual charm and verve.
For nearly 40 years, poor and homeless women have found an oasis of hope and nourishment at Rosie's Place. The organization has evolved from providing meals and shelter to creating permanent solutions through advocacy, education and affordable housing.
Rosie's Place does not accept any government funding and relies solely on the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations.
For ticket and sponsorship information, click here.


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Bottom Shelf Beer: Which Is The Best Superlight Beer?
Will Gordon drinks his way through the bottom shelf of the liquor store...so you don't have to.
Last Thursday I turned Meredith the pizza lady's birthday into an excuse to drink too much in the afternoon, because I'm the sort of thoughtful and generous friend who will buy you a belated birthday lunch anyplace your heart desires as long as your heart desires pizza and beer at an old-man bar.
Meredith doesn't drink much beer and she eats pizza for a living, but she's sweet as a peach and pretended to be excited to have her afternoon highjacked in pursuit of my vices. I had a blast and she had a headache and we both had pizza and it was a delightful time cut tragically short by my inability to drink beer for more than 6 or 8 consecutive hours in these, my golden years.
Bottom Shelf research fiancée Emily met us at another bar shortly after the sun finally died out, and she was in a great mood because the last thing she said before she left the house that morning was, "Hey, I have an idea, how about if I go to work and you go get drunk in the afternoon?" So she was ready for a good time, but I couldn't really keep up. I wanted to stay out all night, but I was too tired and bloated, so I just limped home to cover myself in barbecue sauce and glory while I considered the weighty matter of what kind of beer to serve at our wedding.
I'd just go the obvious self-indulgent route and serve my favorite beer, but my beer tastes are pretty fickle and I can't really declare a favorite. I drink Coniston Bluebird Bitter on special occasions, but I don't know how I'd get my hands on a keg or how I'd pay for one even if I did. A pint bottle of Bluebird goes for about $6.00, which gets awful expensive when you multiply it out by the necessary scores of big-drinking friends, family members, and Bottom Shelf readers.
But once we toss out the pricey Christmas-morning beers like Bluebird, money becomes much less of an object. If you go through a friendly bar manager, you can get a keg of, say, Rogue Dead Guy for about $140 around here. So that's what I intended to do, until I considered the implications of serving you animals 6.5% ABV beer in the sun all day. I looked around online and realized that most of the beers I favor are at least 5.7% ABV, which isn't going to keep me and Grandma Irene in top form through the pie-cutting ceremony.
Good beer has gotten a little too strong in the past half-generation or so. Look at Maggie's post on long-haul beers. Too many of our comments started with "Well, it's a little strong for a true session beer, but how about..." For an all-day formal-dress keg event, I would prefer to stick with something under 5 percent, which would be fine if everyone liked drinking 20 Guinnesses in the sun as much as they should.
This brings up another unpleasant matter: Not only can my guests and myself not be trusted to hold it together through a full day of high-spirited beer, some of the attendees like bland beer. The most disheartening part of brew-pub waiter training must be when the boss tells you, "And this is the one you give to people who ask for the one closest to Bud Light." Well, I think there are going to be a lot of those people at my wedding.
So I've started digging through online beer databases for something that will have less hops and less alcohol than I typically prefer, and of course these databases are crawling with standard American macrolagers, which means this is as good a time as any to consider the newish superlight beers from Michelob, Budweiser, and Miller.
These are the beers marketed around their low calorie counts—Mich Ultra (95 calories), Bud Select 55, and MGD 64—which I should have realized also means low alcohol content, since alcohol is so calorie dense. How do you cut half the calories out of a bottle of Miller Genuine Draft? Exactly as you suspect: by cutting half the alcohol.
Mich Ultra, the first of this dubious category, is also the highest in both calories (only 15 per serving less than Bud Light) and also alcohol (a respectable 4.1%). Bud 55 is 2.4 percent ABV and MGD's 2.8. Both of those strike me as a couple smidges too low to be of any use unless they taste excellent, and obviously they don't. I'm not looking to get Grandma Irene wasted, but I do want to get her dancing; under 3.0 percent ABV is ridiculous.
I will say, however, that none of these beers are gross. I mean, how could they be? If you take the relatively inoffensive light beer and water it down significantly, you get an even less offensive—and even less worth drinking—result. MGD 64 is my favorite. It's nearly odorless, but has a nice light malt taste lurking underneath the aggressive carbonation. Mich Ultra was the most mild-mannered, so I guess that makes it the best choice for calorie-counting beer haters. Bud Select 55 is noticeably darker than the other two and also has a more assertive taste, but that taste is not good. Cornmeal and cardboard, though not enough to make it undrinkable.
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I took Seth and LiLo to the park today. I took two trips and took them separately so we could have some one on one time. They both had a blast!
She was so stoked to get into the water. I didn't get very many pictures of her because my camera batteries died.
He was excited to get into the water also.
He had a good time pulling logs and sticks out of the water.


text: The Plastic Shamrock Print Derby Hats are 10.0" in diameter, and comes 12 hats to a package. These fun and colorful hats are ideal for a St. Patrick's Day party, or picnic. Not for children under 3 years.We also carry a complete line of Beads, Birdhouse Kits, Christmas Crafts, Craft Supplies, Kids Crafts, Misc Crafts, Wood Craft Kits, and much more.


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The availability of international staff is made possible by a number of organizations that are formally designated as cultural exchange programs by the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs). Over the last several decades, the use of such staff has evolved from a value-added opportunity into a vital resource for many American summer camps. As this trend continues, we must take care not to lose sight of the cultural exchange aspect of these programs. We must also remember that these governmental programs carry with them a number of regulatory obligations that international staff, camps, and agencies must meet. Compliance has a special significance these days in the delicate balance between increased concerns for security and support for cultural exchange.
American Camp Association (ACA) volunteers and staff meet regularly with the leaders of the international cultural exchange organizations who work with the camp community in providing international staff for camps. This partnership has allowed ACA to promote the benefits of the cultural exchange programs and to influence public policy affecting these programs. This unified approach with the agencies that recruit and screen young people from other countries to work at U.S. camps also allows us to address the issues and trends that have emerged in the programs and to isolate the basic expectations for participating camps.
In addition, ACA has enumerated exemplary practices, i.e., those practices that display a higher degree of commitment to the education and welfare of internationals and the tenets of cultural exchange. These "best practices" directly contribute to the success of the cultural exchange experience for the camp and for the staff member. They also support the legal and regulatory obligations of the exchange visa program. Refer to www.ACAcamps.org/international/practices.php for a complete listing of ACA-recommended best practices for international camp staff.
As camp professionals, we unite to address environmental, educational, legal, and financial issues. We set standards for which we hold ourselves accountable, and we understand the moral and ethical aspects of conducting an enterprise that is essentially human in nature. It is reasonable, therefore, that we identify and engage in best practices as we employ counselors and support staff from overseas. Moreover, following such practices is consistent with ACA's mission: ". . . enriching the lives of children and adults through the camp experience."
Many ACA members already make extensive use of these practices. Whether you currently use international staff, or plan to do so in the future, we hope that they serve as a useful tool for benchmarking current methods and procedures. ACA will continue ongoing cooperation with camps and international staffing agencies to maximize and enhance the use of this most important human resource — international staffing programs — and celebrate the youth development opportunities these programs afford.
|H1 J-1 Visa Compliance Checklist for Camp Directors
Originally published in the 2005 Winter issue of The CampLine.


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Kate Middleton and an army of highly skilled seamstresses wowed fashionistas around the world Friday with an Alexander McQueen wedding gown that experts called a timeless classic.
After months of secrecy about what she would be wearing, Kate Middleton entered Westminster Abbey in an intricate McQueen wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton, a nearly-three-metres-long train and a decades-old Cartier tiara borrowed from the Queen.
With an estimated 2 billion people watching worldwide, Kate took only a few steps from the Goring Hotel into the Queen's Rolls-Royce VI with her father, Michael, at her side. A special barrier was set up around the hotel so that onlookers and photographers couldn't catch a glimpse of Middleton's dress.
Minutes later, her ivory gown was finally revealed when the father and daughter arrived at Westminster Abbey.
While walking down the long, carpeted aisle, Middleton's dress, with its lace applique for the bodice and skirt, were showcased, but Clarence House provided specific details on the bride's outfit for those who had waited months to see what is now one of the most talked-about dresses of the decade.
The dress was inspired by the Middleton family's new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves, a theme that was also included in the bride's pave-set diamond earrings. The jewelry was a gift from her parents.
The bride chose the British brand "for its craftsmanship and its respect for workmanship and the technical construction of clothing," according to a statement from Clarence House.
Each piece of Middleton's dress was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework.
The design was applied by hand and individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and applied onto ivory silk tulle in an intricate procedure.
Clarence House reported that the workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours to keep them sharp and clean.
The lace came from various sources, so each piece of material was carefully picked to ensure every flower was the same colour. The fabrics were selected after extensive research by Burton's team.
The train, carried by Middleton's sister and maid of honour, Philippa, was 2.7 metres long.
Her veil was crafted out of layers of ivory silk tulle and a trim of hand-embroidered flowers.
A team of six stylists led by celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward left Middleton's hair down. Atop her glossy brown tresses, Middleton wore a "halo" tiara made by Cartier in 1936, which was purchased by King George VI for Queen Elizabeth. It was presented to the Queen, who was Princess Elizabeth at the time, by her mother on her 18th birthday.
Her satin shoes with hand-embroidered lace were also handmade by a team at Alexander McQueen.
Her bouquet was made of lily of the valley, sweet william and hyacinth flowers arranged in a shield shape. The flowers were said to symbolize a return of happiness, gallantry and love.
The myrtle was also carried by Queen Victoria when she married in 1858.
International fashion experts, from Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace to British Vogue editor Alexander Shulman, praised Middleton and Burton's efforts, with some calling the outfit "magical."
"What an amazing dress; it was perfect for the bride and sent out so many fantastic messages. I felt very moved when I heard it was McQueen: a designer acknowledged as being brilliant to design a royal wedding dress has never happened before," Shulman wrote in a piece on the magazine's website.
"The veil is a little flat, but because she has such a lovely face, she can afford to wear it this way. She is very pretty," designer Hubert de Givenchy told European TV stations.


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Patients & Visitors Patient Info
Registration & Admitting
Medical coverage is an important benefit to you. Our Case Management Department assists all patients who are covered under Medicare, Medicaid or commercial insurance. You can assist us in helping you by:
- Providing your insurance card and information at the time of registration so we can verify benefits under your coverage.
- If applicable, informing us of any secondary insurance coverage.
- Informing us of any name, address or phone number changes that may have occurred since your last visit to our hospital.
- If required, informing us whether you or your physician called for pre-authorization prior to an elective surgery or admission.
- Informing us that pre-certification is necessary for hospital admissions, if not indicated on your insurance card.
Hospital Registration & Admitting
The Registration (Patient Access) Department is located directly inside the Third Street entrance. The department is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week. You are welcome to use the parking lot located to the south of the building near the emergency entrance.
Multi-Specialty Clinic or RCH Convenient Care Registration
If you are receiving services in the Multi-Specialty Clinic or RCH Convenient Care, please use the patient parking lot to the north of the building, just off 10th Avenue. Registration personnel are present at this entrance during clinic business hours to assist you.


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Top 11 Horror Movies To Watch on Halloween
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Have you planned what to do on this special day? If you enjoy being scared stupid on Halloween then I have a horror movie marathon that is sure to scare you stupid. We can take a look at the best movies for adults to watch on Halloween. I have tried hard to not just put together a list of fantastic horror movies but also a list that will cater to all generations. So whether your in your 20's or in your 40's you should find a movie or three to enjoy on this list. For me every movie on this list of Top 11 Horror Movies To Watch on Halloween is simply put spectacular.
Top 11 Horror Movies To Watch on Halloween:
Frontière(s) (2007)
Splinter (2008)
Poltergeist (1982)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Shining (1980)
Halloween (1978/2007)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974/2003)
Trick R Treat (2007)
Martyrs (2008)
More details can be found from the following PowerPoint presentation and the PowerPoint-made video. To make a video from PowerPoint presentation, Moyea PPT to Video Converter is really a good choice. To make this tool benefit more people, we have started a special offer on Facebook, you can go to MoyeaSoft Facebook Fan Page to buy this wonderful tool at $14.95 on Oct. 31 & Nov.1. Good luck!
|PowerPoint: Top 11 Horror Movies To Watch on Halloween
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|Video: Top 11 Horror Movies To Watch on Halloween
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Lullaby, Little One
1. Lullaby, Little One.
Angels gather near.
"Come," they say, "see the King in a manger here."
They sing of You, Messiah,
Filling me with joy.
The Son of God has come to earth as such a tiny boy.
Do You know? Can You tell all that You will be?
King of Kings, but for now a child, like me.
2. Lullaby, Little One.
When You have grown,
You'll be my Shepherd then, guiding me home.
I sing to You, Messiah.
You are my shining ray.
My love for You will never die but grow from day to day.
Now I know, more like You I can learn to be,
Remembering that You were once a child, like me.
Text: Larry Allred
Music: Larry Allred
Artist: Allred
Album: Music Published in the Church Magazines: Friend
Composition Date: 1999-12-01
More Info: Friend