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Actor Will Ferrell was reportedly uninjured in a Thursday night car crash that left two other people injured.
"While traveling back to Los Angeles after hosting a voter registration event in San Diego, a car carrying Will Ferrell and three of his colleagues was struck on the freeway by another vehicle," Ferrell's representatives from United Talent Agency said in a statement, according to media reports.
READ MORE: Will Ferrell and SNL cast take on Aziz Ansari, #MeToo in awkward dinner conversation
Ferrell and a passenger were uninjured in the incident which saw the limousine SUV rollover. Mark Thompson and another passenger, identified as Carolina Barlow, remain hospitalized in stable condition, according to the statement.
Video released after the accident shows Ferrell being treated for minor injuries. He can also be seen being loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher.
READ MORE: Will Ferrell stars as George W. Bush in SNL skit, reminds Americans he was a 'really bad' president
A California Highway Patrol report says a 2007 Toyota struck the right rear of the limousine SUV after veering into its lane on Interstate 5, causing it to lose control, hit the centre divider and overturn.
Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz says three men in a limousine-type SUV had minor injuries, while a 27-year-old woman had critical injuries.
-With files from the Associated Press


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Umeboshi, or pickled plums, are not technically plums at all, but apricots. They are mixed with rice to make a popular summer dish in Japan. We've enlivened this salad with pickled ginger and sugar snap peas.
- Yield
- Serves 6
- 2 cups Japanese rice or other short-grain rice such as Arborio 3 cups water
- 3 cups water
- 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup umeboshi
- 1/3 cup drained pickled ginger (preferably amazu shoga)
- 1/4 pound sugar snap peas or snow peas
- In a bowl rinse rice in several changes of cold water until water is almost clear and drain in a colander. Let rice stand, uncovered, in colander at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- In a 3-quart saucepan bring water to a boil with rice over high heat and boil, covered, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and boil rice, covered, 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and cook rice, covered, until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rice stand, covered, 10 minutes and spread in a large shallow baking pan. Sprinkle rice with vinegar and toss with a wooden spoon to cool slightly.
- Pit umeboshi and coarsely chop umeboshi and ginger. In a bowl stir together rice, umeboshi, and ginger and cool to room temperature. Salad may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at cool room temperature. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In a saucepan of boiling water cook peas until bright green, about 30 seconds, and transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain peas and cut crosswise into thin strips. Peas may be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealable plastic bag.
- Just before serving, stir peas into salad and season with salt.

subset: commoncrawl


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A day of death is appointed for each person who comes in this world. God states that everything in this world is going to perish; however, He also gives the glad-tiding that after the end of the transitory life of this world, eternal life will begin. Those whose deeds will be in accordance to God's pleasure, who will give preference to faith, will be inheritors of blessings in the eternal life. They will be granted forgiveness and mercy and will be given nearness to God because they would have tried to gain His pleasure and would have tried to make their lives worthwhile. It is true that the extent of God's mercy and forgiveness encompasses the smallest of good done by any person. However, those who make endeavouring in the cause of God their everything and are ever engaged in paying the dues of God and the dues of mankind to the best of their abilities, whose objective and goal is the heightening and publication of the religion of God and whose standards of high morals are acknowledged by all are the people about whom God and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has said that Paradise becomes binding for them. The glad-tiding of Paradise is also given to those who give their lives for faith and attain the status of martyrdom.
God states that doubtless such people depart from the world and in the eyes of the world they die but they attain an eternal life in the sight of God. He states that such people should not be considered dead because they are alive. The departure of such people also facilitates ways and means of life for those they leave behind. While people who are ever ready for the sake of gaining pleasure of God and to uphold His name and who give such a sacrifice fearlessly attain eternal life for themselves, they also teach lessons of eternal life to their coreligionist brothers.
Today it is only the people of the community of the Muhammadan Messiah who try to spend every minute of their lives for publication of faith, and they do so till their last breath, or they are martyred for the sake of their faith, targeted by the oppressors for the 'crime' of accepting the Muhammadan Messiah. Today's sermon is about two such people; one of them a life-devotee of the community and the other a martyr.
Hafiz Jibarel Saeed sahib: He served the community of the Muhammadan Messiah from childhood till his passing away and took the message of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to the world. The message for the publication of which, in accordance with God's promise to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was sent. Hafiz sahib was a passionate and dedicated Ahmadi who remained active with all his capacities till his last moments. Certainly he fulfilled his pledge like a true servant of the community and a real life-devotee. He was born thousands of miles away from Rabwah and Qadian, in a small village of Ghana, probably where even proper education was not available. His father's good intentions made him a Hafiz of the Holy Qur'an. Not only did he memorise the Holy Qur'an, he also became one of those who truly acquire insight into faith and thus he took the great teaching of the Holy Qur'an to his countrymen as well as many others. Thus, this sincere and loyal son of Ghana became an excellent helper of Khulafa of the time and garnered many honours for Ghana.
Hafiz Jibrael sahib was a missionary and naib Ameer of Ghana. He passed away on 12 November in a hospital in Accra after a month's illness. Inna lillahe wa inna illaihe rajo'oon. His medical reports had been sent here and also to USA because a proper diagnosis had not been done in Ghana and further tests were being carried out. Plans were also afoot for him to travel to London or the USA for treatment, but God's decree came to pass.
Hafiz sahib was born on 2 February 1954. His father was a missionary in Ghana. In 1970 Hafiz sahib went to Rabwah for Hifz (memorisation of the Holy Qur'an). With the grace of God, he was the first Hafiz of Ghana. He had the honour that once Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih III (may Allah have mercy on him) graciously did arm-wrestling with him. Soon after he returned to Ghana after completing his Hifz, he went back to Rabwah where Hafiz sahib received his Shahid degree from Jamia Rabwah. He also took Fazil Arabic examination from Punjab University. In 1982 he was appointed as a missionary in Ghana and he also took charge on a regional level. Four years later he was transferred to Fiji. In 1987 he was sent to Tuvalu where he was the first every missionary. While stationed in Tuvalu he established Ahmadiyyat in the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands and Micronesia. In 1991 he went to neighbouring Kiribati. He served South Pacific Islands for eight years and returned to Ghana in 1984.
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) appointed him as naib Ameer of Ghana for Tabligh and he served in this post till his passing away. Under his supervision refresher courses were held in the Tarbiyyat centres and Tabligh centres in Ghana which were attended by Imams as well as new converts. Hafiz sahib's great success was that his Tabligh efforts bore numerous fruits and many new Jama'ats were established and many mosques were built. In some instances connection was not maintained after Bai'ats were taken in remote areas of the country. As a result of the influence of non-Ahmadi religious leaders those new converts became distant. When Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V stressed that those people should be brought back, Hafiz sahib made full efforts and as a result hundreds of thousands were brought back in the Nizaam of the Jama'at. With the grace of God, now strong ties are maintained with those Ahmadis. In view of the objections raised by the people in the South Pacific Hafiz sahib wrote a book entitled, 'Islam in the Islands: Removing the Impediments.' He gave a speech at UK Jalsa last year.
Hafiz sahib was sent back to the Pacific Islands on tours. He made a tour in 2001 and again in 2003. He went for a six week tour in 2001 when he visited many places and organised the Jama'ats and received further Bai'ats. Ahmadiyyat was established in the Solomon Islands in 1988. In 1991 Hafiz sahib sent a report to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) saying that he had returned to Solomon Islands after two years to find that his work of two years ago was all but gone. A Muslim League business man had undone all his hard work. He apologised to Khalifatul Masih that he could not visit the place any earlier and requested prayers that his efforts to restart work bore fruit. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) expressed regret and displeasure at this but Hafiz sahib did not rest for a minute after this and resolved to retrieve all that was lost. He worked very hard and did not stop for two years. As a result now a strong Jama'at is established in the Solomon Islands with hundreds of Ahmadis. Hafiz sahib's work there consisted of getting the Jama'at registered and up to fully training it. We have a mosque and a mission house there. Hafiz sahib also made significant input to the Solomon Island Jama'at during his later tours.
During his Australian tour of 2005 Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih met the Sadr sahib of the Solomon Islands, Mubasher Martin Russell sahib. He said that he had come into Ahmadiyyat through Hafiz sahib in 1994 and prior to the establishment of Jama'at there was no Muslim on the Islands.
Hafiz sahib wrote in a report that he was on tour of the Islands in September 2001 when the World Trade Centre incident took place. Hafiz sahib was much concerned as Marshall Islands, where he was due, has a large US air base and the defence of the Island is in American hands. He recalled the difficulties he had to face ten year earlier during the first Gulf War. He prayed a lot as well as deliberated a lot whether to return or to stay on. People advised him to return home as the situation was critical but Hafiz sahib prayed that he had gone there on the instructions of the Khalifa of the time and did not wish to return without attaining his purpose. After praying he felt the conviction to go ahead with the task, so he went to the Marshall Islands. Upon arrival at the airport he came to know that a Pakistani person had been detained there only because he was a Muslim. When the immigration officer saw Hafiz sahib's passport he asked him what job he did. Hafiz sahib replied he was a missionary. He was asked what his religion was; he replied he was an Ahmadi Muslim. The question was repeated and Hafiz sahib gave the same reply, that he was an Ahmadi Muslim. With the grace of God, the immigration officer issued visa. Soon Hafiz sahib realised that the entire media was attacking Islam and indeed this tour had great significance. People were frightened even to come near Muslims. Hafiz sahib had an opportunity to defend Islam. The local Ahmadi were anxious due to the propaganda on the radio. Hafiz sahib approached the broadcasting people and was given the chance to inform people in detail about Islam on air. This proved most beneficial. Hafiz sahib appreciated that the Khalifa of the time had asked him to make the tour at just the right time. Forty nine new Bai'ats were received at this occasion.
Tributes have been paid to Hafiz sahib by those with whom he worked in Ghana. It is said that Hafiz sahib had an obsession about Tabligh work. He would go with teams of people doing Tabligh and would keep an eye on their work. He was an extremely patient and tolerant person who would affectionately explain when a mistake was made. If complaints were received about the Tabligh work of mu'alameen, rather than discharge the person, his aim would be to make them active once again. He had connections with important non-Ahmadi religious scholars. As a result of his extensive Tabligh work the Jama'at is recognised in the north of Ghana. Due to opposing Imams some twenty years ago it was difficult to establish the Jama'at in northern Ghana. In the early days of Ahmadiyyat Ahmadis were taken to law courts, fined and imprisoned in the north west of the country. However, now the situation has completely turned around, and the Muslims, who once opposed, including their Imams, are coming into the fold of Ahmadiyyat.
Hafiz sahib had a good relationship with both the rich and the poor of Ghana. With the help of the well-off he used to build mosques. He once said in an MTA interview that life-dedication and service of the Jama'at was in his genes. Such was his overwhelming sense of service that he wrote his last letter to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih from his ICU bed in hospital. He wrote that he was in great pain and was tearful. He said there was a lot of work to be done but he had no strength. Thus, he was concerned till his last moments to take the message of Ahmadiyyat, true Islam to others and bring them in its fold.
Once he related in an interview that the Ghana Jama'at decided that a child should be sent to Pakistan for Hifz of the Holy Qur'an. He was chosen and when he was asked, he agreed. Two people were on their way to Pakistan for training at the Jamia. All three had their medical check. The other two passed but the doctor said that Hafiz sahib was too skinny and perhaps would not be able to withstand the extreme heat and cold of Pakistan. Hafiz sahib's father felt very sad and started praying. He told the Ameer Jama'at that his son would definitely go and during his supplication at Tahajjud he heard a voice saying that there is success for the righteous. His father was heartened by this and started concentrating on improving Hafiz sahib's health. A couple of weeks later another medical was taken and Hafiz sahib was deemed fit. Once he was in Pakistan, whenever his father wrote to him he would say that his going to Pakistan was God's decree and he should pay attention to his studies.
Hafiz sahib leaves behind his widow, two sons and two daughters. His endeavour was for his children to shine in religious knowledge and with the grace of God they are strongly connected to the Jama'at and are also highly educated. With God's grace Hafiz sahib had the privilege to go for Hajj in 2007.
One of his colleagues writes that Hafiz sahib was one year behind him in Jamia but ended up far ahead. Apart from knowing the Holy Qur'an by heart, his recitation was most melodious. He was a very capable missionary with full grip on his work and his knowledge. He understood the Nizaam of the Jama'at very well and followed it in the smallest of detail. Abdul Sami Khan sahib, editor of Daily Al Fazl writes that Hafiz sahib had learned Urdu well and used to help class fellows with English. He participated in English and Arabic speeches and essay writing. He was always cheerful and played good football. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said he had indeed never seen any trace of sadness on Hafiz sahib's face.
Ameer sahib of Fiji writes that he first met Hafiz sahib when he came on tour in 2003. He was endeared to observe that if Hafiz sahib was awakened during the night he would say verses of the Holy Qur'an. He used to do Tabligh to people of all ages and temperaments accordingly and would deliver the message of Islam in his every day conversations. A missionary sahib writes that when Hafiz sahib toured Tuvalu and Kiribati his family would be on its own and Hafiz sahib did not worry about this. He would say that Khalifatul Masih had sent him to spread the message of Islam and he had his prayers. On his return to Ghana he kept in touch with everyone in the Pacific Islands. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V sent him on another tour of the islands in 2010 during which he accomplished all the tasks. Among the people who took their Bai'at through Hafiz Jibrael sahib is a medical doctor from Kiribati whose family also became Ahmadi. The doctor is an expert in the Kiribati language and has finished translation of the Holy Qur'an in it and it is currently being revised.
May God grant Paradise of His pleasure to this esteemed son of Ahmadiyyat and may He bestow thousands of excellent helpers like him to Khilafat e Ahmadiyya. It is extremely sad to lose a capable, humble and loyal server of the Community like him but we submit to the will of God for in it is a believer's dignity and it is his way. Inna lillahe wa inna illaihe raji'oon. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih said that may God remove the concerns he has owing to his humanness. A Madrassa for Hifz of Qur'an is now established in Ghana and Ghana Jamia is also ready to prepare missionaries of Shahid level. May God make it so that servants of the Community surpassing Hafiz sahib are created!
The other person gaining accepting with God that was mentioned in the sermon today was someone who was recently granted the status of martyrdom in Quetta. He joined those about whom God states in the Holy Qur'an: 'Think not of those, who have been slain in the cause of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living, in the presence of their Lord being well protected,' (3:170). It is an honour exclusive to the Ahmadiyya Jama'at that today its members are killed in the way of God. They offer their lives to protect their faith. It has been mentioned many times before that the ploys of the enemy to kill and pillage will not turn Ahmadis from their faith. InshaAllah.
Manzur Ahmad sahib was martyred in Satellite Town, Quetta on 11 November. Ahmadiyyat came in his family through his father's great grandmother who took her Bai'at directly from the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Manzur sahib was born in Quetta and had a hardware shop there. He was walking to his shop in the morning when two persons on a motor bike approached him. A scuffle ensued and he was fired at by one of the assailants and was martyred on the spot. Inna lillahe wa inna illaihe raji'oon. He had faced religious enmity for quite some time. Our Jama'at is being boycotted in the area. A Maulwi from Dera Ghazi Khan has arrived in the area and has declared Ahmadis as 'liable to be killed'. Manzur sahib was a very affectionate person and always helped anyone in need of financial assistance. He was most hospitable to guests arriving from the centre. He keenly participated in all the monetary schemes and was currently serving the Jama'at in many capacities. He was a Moosi. His father and his wife had seen specific dream recently. He leaves behind his widow, two daughters, a son, his father, a brother and two sisters. His biological mother had passed away and he is survived by his other mother.
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih asked that prayers for Pakistan should be made. Ahmadi martyrs are trying to fulfil their pledges and their loyalties. May God soon bring that hour when Ahmadis can live in peace there! Muharram starts from today and during Muharram they try and make Kerbala for Ahmadis more than at other times. In fact, they kill each other as well. Rather than take a lesson from Kerbala, Muslim is killing Muslim. Invoking Durud and alms-giving should be enhanced in Muharram. Also pray for the harsh times that Muslim Ummah faces. May they adopt the path of truth so that they are saved from their troubles! There is no other way out for Muslim Ummah apart from accepting the Imam of the age.
Related Resources


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The champagne industry is looking to update the iconic champagne bottle. They're slimming the shoulders to make a lighter bottle in an effort to cut their carbon footprint. That slight difference will be like removing 4,000 cars from the road.
The classic bottle of bubbly is 900 grams (which is 2 pounds and heavier than I thought), the new edition will really only cut 65 grams (which is less than i thought).
Why so little? Well, the bottle still had to handle the air pressure of Champagne (which generates three times the air pressure than a car tire). Plus, it needed to fit into existing machinery at all the Champagne houses and lastly, the new bottle had to be molded so drinkers wouldn't notice a difference. The industry believes that "the bottle is part of Champagne's image, and we don't want to affect it."
How is the new bottle made? According to the NY Times:
Most of the new Champagne bottles are made at the St. Gobain plant near here, where molten red glass is dropped from a 20-foot-high chute into molds at a rate of 160 a minute. The glass is cooled from more than 1,000 degrees Celsius for over an hour, scanned for imperfections and stacked on pallets for shipping.
If they were truly green, they'd just box that sparkly juice up. But then popping a box isn't as fun as popping a bottle. [NY Times]


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(→How to do that [phejl])
(→How to do that [phejl])
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We should progress in steps starting from core functionality. This does not mean such steps should be visible in the VCS trunk though a named branch would be ideal solution for cooperation. The name is '''execution-merge'''.
We should progress in steps starting from core functionality. This does not mean such steps should be visible in the VCS trunk though a named branch would be ideal solution for cooperation. The name is '''execution-merge'''.
'''As the new temporary nativeexecution API has no clients, it is hard to understand the usage and workflow (at least for extexecution maintainer). The nativeexecution API usage should be
'''As the new temporary nativeexecution API has no clients, it is hard to understand the usage and workflow (at least for extexecution maintainer). The nativeexecution API usage should be at least on one client.'''
These would be necessary steps:
These would be necessary steps:
Revision as of 14:35, 6 November 2012
Execution API merge
Problem statement
- There is a need of common public API for executing external processes - either on local host or remote host.
- There are several flavors of related APIs:
- dlight.nativeexecution - non public (friend) API used by C/C++ modules and many modules in Studio ( 119 friends in total); All the code that uses this API is under our control;
- extexecution - PUBLIC API for executing remote processes. It is plug-able and allows to pass own ProcessBuilder. As API is public, there are users of the API that are not under our control... (54 modules in nb codebase use it)
- richexecution (within lib.terminalemulator)
dlight.nativeexecution is intensively used in CND. This module provides functionality for runnig processes on different platforms (*nix, windows, macos), it deals with processes starting/terminating, I/O, different terminals, signals, and so on. So it provides good functionality coverage, but has several big problems:
- nowadays it requires serious cleanup;
- it's implementation has many places where call to some method initiates a connection, which is unexpected in most cases
- it is ssh-oriented. It's fundamental API object, ExecutionEnvironment, doesn't provide a way for specifying a way of accessing remote host
- it's error-handling/flow is not well structured and not always clear
cleaned-up dlight.nativeexecution can be used as an implementation module with extexecution API, but extexecution should be extended in this case to support features proposed by the dlight.nativeexecution.
Scope ot the review
- I would like to review an API (cleaned-up) of nativeexecution (not binded anyhow to extexecution) with the main aim to demostrate
- what functionality this module provides (all this functionality was needed for CND's remote support)
- how the functionality affected some API design decisions
- Then I would like to make conclusions on what is missing in the extexecution (mostly this is about ExternalProcessBuilder), how it could be extended in a compatible way to make it possible for users to use full range of functionality provided by nativeexecution.
From here by term 'nativeexecution' I mean a new rewrittent API/implementation which is a result of clean-up of existent dlight.nativeexecution module. The possible way of dealing with modules (as I see it) is to:
- Deprecate dlight.nativeexecution
- Introduce nativeexecution (API/SPI/impl)
[phejl] Maybe such API won't be needed afterall. Depends on how much we can integrate to extexecution.
[akrasny] Right. But I would like to do a cleanup of dlight.nativeexecution as well.. So this 'new' nativeexecution API/SPI/impl could be much more clear. Maybe this is out of scope task and could be done separately.
- Extend extexecution and start using (2) as a implementation layer
- Move existent CND modules on the new APIs (extexecution/nativeexecution)
- Get rid of the 'old' nativeexecution.
Goal of the review
To provide an API (most likely extend extexecution) so that API users will be able to execute commands remotely and have access to all needed (as experience with CND shows) functionality.
All requirements (not ordered)
- connection initiation/cancellation/termination to a remote environment
- connection error handling
- track changes in connection state
- parallel execution
[phejl] Is there a problem with that? Why is it mentioned explicitly?
[akrasny] There were some implementation issues with intensive parallel execution (when many processes are run at the same time) in remote... Also some parts in rfs work sequentially... But right.. this is all implementation stuff... From the API point of view this is obvious requirement for the execution framework.
- environment variables handling (initial get, ways to modify)
- start / terminate processes
- tracking process state changes
- get process info (at least some - duration/start time etc..)
- get process exit status (exit status or if terminated by signal - signal number; if core was dumped - need to know this)
- signals sending
- OS-neutral
- helpers for handling special variable names (like LD_PRELOAD/DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES)
- helpers to work with PATH-like variables
- 'easy' processes start a.k.a ProcessUtils
- encodings handling
- pseudo-terminal, terminal I/O
- internal/external terminals
- unbuffering
[phejl] What's this?
[akrasny] Again, is an implementation detail.. There is a problem of getting process' output in time if buffering is used. Usually output is buffered (especially when I/O is not attached to any terminal). Our 'solution' for this is ld-preloaded library that forcibly sets buffer size to zero. This is rather serious intervention, IMO... that is why we have an API for controlling this behavior. I have mentioned it here because I wanted to discuss this with you.
- X11 forwarding
- authentication - password/ssh key/agents
- errors Handling / flow
- info caching (?)
[phejl] What's this?
[akrasny] Again, implementation thing that I wanted to discuss. There is always a tradeoff - caching vs. calculation. There should be a clear understanding of this question - what information (about remote/local execution environment) is cached and what is calculated each time. Like info about remote host, user's environment variables, etc..
- shell commands support
- ShellSession (a helper session for running small tasks (?))
- trace-ability
- I/O redirection
- sensitive information protection
- caches/temp files handling..
Additional possible usages that are NOT covered by CND/SolStudio use cases, but could be considered as well
- 'Remote host' is not necessary a host
Here I mean that remote execution could be considered as an execution in 'other context'. Which could be, for exeample, running some command on a remote farm in the context of some ADE-view;
How to do that [phejl]
As this is pretty large task I think we have to come up with some basic plan. The target state should be extexecution module providing API with nativeexecution as implementation module. We will see what's doable.
The merge should be done upside down so we won't copy methods and classes at first place, but rather we will search for missing functionality and we will explore a ways how to add it to extexecution enriching it in a compatible way.
We should progress in steps starting from core functionality. This does not mean such steps should be visible in the VCS trunk though a named branch would be ideal solution for cooperation. The name is execution-merge.
As the new temporary nativeexecution API has no clients, it is hard to understand the usage and workflow (at least for extexecution maintainer). The nativeexecution API usage should be demonstrated at least on one client.
These would be necessary steps:
- Provide a core functionality in extexecution:
- Connection handling
- NativeProcess if needed
- Extend a functionality to handle things like:
- Enviroment variables
- Authentication
- X11 Forwarding
- ...
- Going further to cover all other requirements
Obviously this will need a bunch of iterations and will take some considerable amount of time before being commit ready.
Javadoc and code
The code is developed on execution-merge branch (initial commit) in cnd-main repository.


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Two days ago this came out:
"A team of National Geographic researchers and filmmakers have become eyewitnesses to what many scientists consider to be among the major threats to marine biodiversity at Costa Rica's treasured Isla del Coco, a national park 365 miles off the Pacific coast.
Fishing is prohibited inside the park's boundaries. Still, hundreds of miles of illegal fishing lines and thousands of hooks are found inside the protected area every year, according to the National Geographic group." Full Story HERE.
If you don't know anything about Isla del Coco or Coco's Island for you gringo's, it is basically the 8th Wonder of the World and for good reason. This is Costa Rica's crown jewel of marine biodiversity. Scientists and divers come from all over the WORLD to explore Coco's Island. The beauty is beyond compare both above and below the surface.
Unfortunately, the marine life and especially the sharks and sea turtles of taken a HEAVY hit over the years from ASIAN fishermen more interested in exploiting Cocos Island in order to line their pockets as well as provide the Asian upper class with their traditional and very pricey, shark fin soup. Costa Rica is either unable or unwilling to protect the sharks and sea turtles from long line fishing and shark finning off the waters off Coco's Island. Unfortunately I believe the latter to be true. You didn't think all the police cars, bicycles, soccer balls and the all-purpose sports Stadium being built in San Jose were an actual 'gift' from the Chinese government, did you?
*Interested in knowing more about sharks and sea turtles as well as the effects of shark finning and long line fishing on the environment in GENERAL: Check out the folks at PRETOMA. They have TONS of INFO and articles.... and also how YOU can help.
President Oscar Arias is off giving speeches about the effects of Global Warming and telling folks how Costa Rica will be the first Carbon Neutral country in the world, but he's pretty much proven he doesn't have much time for the problems concerning Coco's Island. Oscar is CLASSIC- the perfect face to put on Costa Rica- serious, smart, articulate, seemingly committed blah, blah, blah, but he markets PERCEPTION, not reality... and I gotta say, outside Costa Rica it works like a charm. Ask anyone what they know about Costa Rica,,, the following words are sure to be uttered: eco-friendly, green, sustainable, diversity, carbon neutral... blah, blah, blah. Unfortunately, Oscar is not only in bed with the Chinese government, he owes them a little somethin-somethin for all their 'gifts'. Believe me, these are NO gifts, this is quid pro quo, nothing more, nothing less, so I suppose a few hundred thousand shark fins isn't too much to ask for a poor tico boy to be able to kick around a brand new soccer ball or ride a bike to church. Ahhhhh....the ties that bind....
Oscar's the classic case of the construction worker FOREVER working on other peoples' houses, but never his OWN.
Shark finning off Coco's Island is BLATANT. Long line fishing is BLATANT. Don't listen to me...hell, National Geographic now knows it. I hope they tell EVERYONE. I want Costa Rica's dirty little secret- OUT.
But really, who cares... a few hundred thousand sharks are killed each year as well as any other sea creatures that GET in the WAY,,,, but people are making a living, Asians are eating their soup, foreign relations are COZY, poor tico kids are riding new bikes and kicking around brand NEW soccer balls, and have you seen the NEW police cars- pretty snazzy (although most seem to already have run into a pole or two), and STADIUM for god sake... and through it all, Costa Rica STILL maintains eco-'fuck'in-friendly STATUS.*I added the 'fuck'in' part.
I have a new slogan for Costa Rica:
*I reserve the RIGHT to write BULLSHIT. I could be wrong. I would encourage you to connect your own dots.
Hey Everyone, we got TONS of Costa Rica Travel Information in our Travel Guide at Travel Costa Rica NOW and don't FORGET all our Costa Rica Travel Tip Videos, completely ORGANIZED so you can EASILY find what you're LOOKING for. ENjOY!


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Thanks for taking the time to visit our online practice! Our web site offers information about many cosmetic procedures such as Face Lift, Breast Augmentation and Liposuction that you may have questions about. We encourage you to visit our web site often and whenever you may have questions about cosmetic surgery.
Our web site also provides you with background information about Dr. Salas, who is featured on RealSelf.com as a breast augmentation expert. You will also find directions to our offices in New York, NY and West Orange, NJ. We are committed to making our practice convenient and accessible to you and your family. We want you to feel confident that when you choose Aesthetic Plastic Surgery & Mesotherapy, that you're working with the most qualified, experienced and caring cosmetic surgical professionals in our area.
Our physicians and staff can provide both surgical and non-surgical procedures to improve or enhance your appearance. We offer patients the latest techniques and the most up-to-date procedures in the fields of plastic, cosmetic, laser and reconstructive surgery.
We invite you to look through this web site to better understand our talents and services. We invite you to email or call either of our offices at any time to answer any of your cosmetic questions or to request an appointment.
Thank you for your time and for visiting our web site.
A. Peter Salas, MD, FACS, FACM


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Indie games are more than inexpensive alternatives to this year's Assassin's Creed and Halo; they're mouthpieces for serious issues, bold experiments in game design, and canvases for discovering new artistic possibilities.
We sorted through 2012′s releases and chose the 15 strongest and most influential titles, in no particular order. Feel free to let us know which ones we missed in the comments. Or tell us we're completely nuts. Whatever makes you as happy as these games made us.
Indie games are where I focus most of my attention nowadays. Mostly because they're cheaper and shorter and I don't have as much time or money for gaming as I did when I was younger, but also there's so many cool concepts and designs in the indie game landscape.


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Saint Thecusa of Ancyra
Nun martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.
- drowned with a stone tied around her neck c.304 in Ancyra, Galatia (in modern Turkey)
- her burial led to the martyrdom of Saint Theodatus of Ancyra
- "Saint Thecusa of Ancyra". CatholicSaints.Info. 13 May 2015. Web. 22 October 2020. <>


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The healthfinder.gov quality guidelines were created by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) to help you judge whether health information offered on a Web site is useful and reliable.
See the checklist below to learn how the healthfinder.gov Web site measures up to these guidelines!
Who created the site?
What is the purpose of the site?
Does the site accept advertisements?
Is health information reliable and current?
How does the site collect and protect personal information?
How is the site maintained?
healthfinder.gov recommends these additional guidelines when looking for quality health information.
Is the site easy to find and use?
Is the site evaluated for customer satisfaction and usability?
Does the site offer disclaimers and a linking policy?
E-mail questions about our Quality Guidelines to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Disclaimer — healthfinder.gov and NHIC are information and referral services only. We do not give out medical advice or recommend health care products or services. Also, healthfinder.gov does not control the content of the Internet sites or organizations listed.


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Council plans establish minimum requirements for operating businesses from a residential property. As a general rule, home occupations or home businesses are permitted and do not require council approval when the business has no adverse impact on the environment or your neighbours.
Small home offices or family day care generally do not require council approval.
You no longer need to lodge a town planning application with council if your home business meets the following self-assessable standards in the Home business code.
You live permanently in the home from which you want to operate the business.
Your home business:
Your operation does not:
Your business results in:
Your business operating hours are limited to 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday (except for commercial guest or home stay accommodation).
Your business only involves accommodation for travellers for a short-term paid stay.
You accommodate a maximum of:
Your home-stay guests occupy a maximum of 2 bedrooms.
You have no more than 7 pre-school children on the premises at any time, including the total number of children permanently living in the house and those for whom you care.
All home based businesses must comply with council policy.
A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.
Douglas Shire Council - Local Law 1 (Administration) 2020 - PDF
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Douglas Shire Council - Subordinate Local Law 1 (Administration) 2020 - PDF
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Douglas Shire Planning Scheme 2018
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Contact council for more information on the current application process and relevant form.
Douglas Shire Council
Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.
Douglas Shire Council


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Islam, one of the world's great monotheistic religions, has Saudi Arabia as its heartland. The followers of Islam, called Muslims, believe in God - in Arabic, Allah - and that Muhammad is His Prophet. Today, the worldwide community of Muslims, which embraces the people of many races and cultures, numbers well over one billion.
Historically, Saudi Arabia has occupied a special place in the Islamic world, for it is towards Makkah and Islam's most sacred shrine, the Ka'abah, located in the Holy Mosque there, that Muslims throughout the world turn devoutly in prayer five times a day. An appreciation of Islamic history and culture is therefore essential for a genuine understanding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its Islamic heritage and its leading role in the Arab and Muslim worlds.


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KTM Fan Experience Schedule Announced
Murrieta, CA - KTM has partnered together with MX Sports Pro Racing to bring KTM Motocross fans the ultimate viewing experience - The "KTM MX Fan Experience". The events will take place this summer and in conjunction with four rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
The KTM MX Fan Experience, which sold out for each venue last year, is a KTM exclusive trackside seating area and all-day VIP access offered to KTM fans and owners. The events will take place at the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic (5/18/13), Thunder Valley National (5/25/13), High Point National (6/8/13) and the Built Ford Tough Unadilla National (8/10/13). Tickets are now available for purchase.
With each ticket purchase fans will receive:
Race day admission pass
All-day pit access pass
Catered lunch
Access to KTM exclusive trackside seating area with Live Timing Screens
Friday afternoon Meet and Greet with Red Bull KTM Factory Team
Post-race Track Walk with explanation of the various elements of the racetrack
KTM event T-shirt
"KTM is determined to bring fans a pass that lets them live the day in a life of a factory team rider or member. This pass gives you everything – all day admission and pit access plus great seating. Not to mention a free lunch! This opportunity is too good to pass up," commented KTM President Jon-Erik Burleson.
A package of this type typically runs for over a $200 value. KTM has partnered with MX Sports to subsidize the tickets for KTM fans and owners and will be offering tickets for only $90.00. A very limited amount of tickets are available per event.
For tickets please register on www.ktmorangeevents.com.
See you at the races!


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www.bungie.net | halo.bungie.net | bungiestore.com
Short and lite update this week and don't expect any better next week, because it's Special Frankie Time. I will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey for Xmas. Which I am told by Luke is a beautiful warm beach resort! I can't wait! I'm soooo lucky!
The next batch of DLC is coming along nicely. I can pretty much guarantee that fans of arena style competitive gameplay will be taken care of. But I can also guarantee that my all-time favorite ever Halo map will be included too, if yesterday's playtest was anything to go by. A large map with some vaguely familiar features just rocked my world. It was AMAZING fun. Any time I am in an hour long standoff against an equally matched team and it never becomes frustrating, is evidence enough for me that we are onto something special. Hopefully we'll be able to share more details early in the New Year.
So there won't be a Holiday playlist in the vein of our fun Halloween list – the reason being that nobody is around here or at Xbox Live to make sure it doesn't assplode. But there is a lot more to do in Halo over the holidays thanks in part to the new maps, and also to the new playlist.
When we released Forge with Halo 3, we knew we'd see some cool stuff, but the plan was always to expand upon that with Forge DLC. As Foundry began to take shape, we, or at least I, thought it was going to expand the use of Forge geometrically – but the increase has been exponential. Forge use is now so prevalent, that we've heard tale of the first Forge Vandalism Crimez. An unlucky Forger left his party set to "open" and went to have a snack before continuing his map creation. When he returned, some idiot had joined his game, wrecked the creation and left.
There are two lessons here that are simple enough to follow: First – save frequently. Second – limit your party to friends only, or close it entirely.
The playlist contains a lot of things people were asking for – some visible, some not so easy to spot. Examples of the more subtle but vital changes are that in Team Hardcore, shotgun camping in Snowbound has been eliminated along with the shotgun itself.
A bunch of people asked what the specific changes we made to the map defaults are. This is the list, which is useful material for people who don't want to just guess when they're in the map, or find out to their cost when they go looking for a weapon that's no longer there. If you want to really drill down into detail, it's possible to save a map as a Forge variant and look at every single detail. This list ought to save you the hassle.
Making changes like this always produces some controversy and it's a classic case of "can't please all the people all the time." All we can promise you is that we expended a lot of thought and test resources to make sure that most people found this fun. We test hardcore differently than regular map variants, to look at things from a more competitive angle. And finally and most importantly – this is a process of evolution. It is not going to be perfect first time around and we will continue to tune and make changes. And our actual sincere apologies if we changed something you like. Sometimes we have to sacrifice little things for the greater good.
As ever we'll watch these changes to see how folks like 'em and keep an eye on things that need to be fixed and altered.
General Map Changes (see Team Hardcore for its differences and details)
1. We removed the Flare and Radar Jammer from Guardian, Last Resort and Narrows respectively (see below).
2. Changed out Maulers for other, less powerful dual wieldable weapons
a. Construct
i. Removed both Maulers from the top level. No replacement.
ii. Changed both Maulers on the bottom level to respawn time: 60 seconds.
b. Epitaph
i. Removed both Maulers, replaced them with SMGs. SMG respawn rate – 30 seconds. Two spare clips.
c. Guardian
i. Removed Maulers (3 Maulers total). No replacements
ii. Removed Flare (see issue #1)
d. Isolation
i. Changed Mauler respawn time: 60 seconds. (2 Maulers total)
ii. Removed flare (see issue #1)
e. Narrows
i. Removed one Mauler from beside the barricade.
ii. Remaining Mauler centered behind the barrier. Respawn time 60 seconds.
iii. Duplicated on either side.
iv. Removed Radar Jammer
f. The Pit
i. Increased Mauler respawn time to 60 seconds. (4 total Maulers)
Other map variant changes
Creation of Covenant vehicle map variants (Tanks enabled in Big Team Battle. Disabled in Team Control):
Team Hardcore map changes:
The Pit
Bungie Brand Holiday Gifts
We noted this in the news yesterday, but a reminder for the Forge-Curious:
Before heading out for the Holidays, a few Bungie guys wrapped up work on their own variations of Foundry via the Forge, those maps have been put into Bungie Favorites for your enjoyment. Magic Manufacturer Tom Doyle on "Anvil": Anvil is a slayer and team slayer map best suited for two to eight players. Although it's primarily set up for slayer, it also lends itself to CTF, Assault and Territory modes. Climb the rocket tower or sniper duel from the catwalks to gain an upper hand over the opposition. Tactical players should enable BR starts on this one.Multiplayer Designer Lars Bakken on "Deathpit": This is an old school deathmatch map specifically designed for 1 v 1 battles, but it also works in a 4 player FFA. Controlling the power weapons is key to survival. The Rocket spawns in the center high walkway, and the sword spawns down below. Each side has a shotgun and grenades. At its simplest, it is a maze filled with tight corridors, and lots of action. I hope you enjoy it. Mission Designer Dan Miller on "Pac-Man":In this parody/homage we built the level to be as faithful to the original "Pac Man" map as possible, complete with two-way teleporters on the sides and even the four "Power Pellets" in the corners! This infection variant allows one person to play as "Pac Man" with Gravity Hammer, the rest are ghosts with Swords. Pac Man's goal is to get to each of the four corners and grab a Power Pellet floating in the air (look for covenant equipment holders on the ground). Once he's obtained a power pellet, he'll become invincible for a short amount of time and be able to eat up the "ghosts." 4-6 players recommended.Alkaline Prodigy and MDK 2002 contributed to the creation of the map and gametype.
And finally, we also added one or two new polls to our dusty old Voting Booth poll-focused forums. So make sure you go vote (and opine) in here. For example, Sketch just posted a poll about the value or lack thereof, of split screen in Halo 3: http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=15350545
Anyway, you guys have an amazing holiday and celebrate whatever the hell you like. With Bungie Blessings. Thanks for spending a great year with us and we'll see you in '08!
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Wolfenstein Summary
Latest Updates
Roger Avary "could not be happier" to be working on Castle Wolfenstein flick
Writer and director Roger Avary is attached to the upcoming Castle Wolfenstein movie project. He worked with Quentin Tarantino on Pulp Fiction. Avary has been a huge fan of Wolfenstein since childhood
Its "vaguely futuristic retro world" should appeal thanks to the success of Marvel's Captain America. Avary says Wolfenstein's "outlandish sensibility has deeply influenced" his works over the years.
Raven Software hiring for 'next-gen' first-person shooter
Singularity's Raven Software has posted a job ad for new blood to join them on "an exciting next generation title", while another mentions they're "at work on a first-person shooter".
The studio's last full release was Singularity, and Wolfenstein before that, but they produced Call of Duty DLC for Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3 in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Activision pluck 40 Raven studio staff, "realigning its workforce"
Singularity developer Raven Software has had 40 developers trimmed from the studio according to sources, leaving it with one development team.
Activision comment this is a 'realignment' to "better reflect" their upcoming line-up of work, which apparently is DLC. Raven also made PC Jedi Academy.
Carmack: New IP from id Software is unlikely "in the next decade"
Studio id Software will be supporting the current stable of franchises for the foreseeable future, which is already more "than we can exploit."
John Carmack doesn't want 5 teams at id as 3 "is scary enough." They've got Quake, Doom, Wolfenstein and "hopefully we can add Rage onto that".


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Francis Schaeffer
- Colin Duriez Author
- 2008 17 Jul
His preferred medium was talk—conversation, whether with an individual or with a large group of people. He had the uncanny knack of addressing an individual personally, even if one was sitting with several hundred other people. His tapes, books, and films are best seen as embodiments of his conversation or table talk. The overwhelming impression of those who met him briefly or more extensively, particularly in connection with his homely yet expansive community at L'Abri in Switzerland, was his kindness, a word that constantly occurs in people's memories of him, whether Dutch, English, American, Irish, or other nationality.
His attire was quirky and memorable, dapper in knee-breeches and colorful tops, a goatee beard he wore later in life adding to his artistic, cultured appearance, far from the stereotype of the evangelical pastor. He was cool, knew about Bob Dylan, Jackson Pollock, Merce Cunningham, the older Wittgenstein, the younger Heidegger, and neoorthodoxy and spoke of postmodernism in the sixties before it was clearly post. He bluntly challenged evangelical and fundamentalist pietism and later superspirituality as "neo-platonic." This challenge left at least one of his students, me, wondering at the time how it was "neo" as well as "platonic," but it had the desired effect of leading to a spiritual pilgrimage that was often painful.
Francis Schaeffer was a small man whose giant passion for truth, for reality, for God, and for the needs of people made him a key shaper of modern Christianity, larger than any label put on him. This biography portrays his formation and achievement, illuminating the complex person and his vivid teaching.
Having studied under Francis Schaeffer when young, interviewed him about the course of his life near the end of it, and heard many friends and others acknowledge their debt to him, I waited in vain for a comprehensive biography. I have therefore tried to meet this need. It is now nearly a quarter-century since his death, and it seems to me that his essential message is as topical and important as it was in his lifetime. He has some detractors, but for me, he always eludes their nets. I have attempted to give an affectionate, accurate, warts-and-all portrait of a fascinating and complex person whom people always remembered. To ensure a truthful and reasonably objective portrait, I have been guided by over 180,000 words of oral history concerning Francis Schaeffer. This oral history was gathered by the historian Christopher Catherwood, his wife (musicologist Paulette Catherwood), and myself. We carried out interviews in Switzerland, the Netherlands, England, Northern Ireland, and the USA, talking to a variety of people, including former L'Abri members, workers, helpers, students, as well as members of the immediate family.
I've also made use of PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) archive material, early writings of Francis Schaeffer, letters, biography and memoirs by Edith Schaeffer, writings of the novelist Frank Schaeffer, and assessments of the pastor-intellectual (including Time magazine and De Spiegel). I've put this into a continuous narrative so that the reader might get to know Francis Schaeffer, his vision and concerns, and the thrust of his teaching (the purpose of my book is, of course, biographical, not to give an analysis of Schaeffer's thought).
My hope is that my book may play a little part in drawing a new generation of readers to Schaeffer's crucial work and message—sadly, they can no longer have the benefit of the teacher in person. I emphasize teacher. Schaeffer was of the old school of teacher or master—charismatic, memorable, learned. Though he wasn't a scholar in the usually accepted sense, he pushed those who truly listened to explore more, to learn more, to be more prepared for living as a Christian and human being in today's post-Christian, media-rich, exciting, dangerous world. Like John Milton I believe the image of God is captured in a unique way in books, and though Schaeffer is dead, his mind and spirit are alive in his writings, even though they lack the elegance and style of a C. S. Lewis. His message can still leap from mind to mind, as it did at the time I remember as a student. Our world still cries out for his imaginative L'Abri ("The Shelter"), which can and should take many forms for differing needs.
A biography of Francis Schaeffer must account for his remarkable impact on people of many types—the intellectual, the humble laborer, the scientist, the artist, the doubting Christian, the questioning nonbeliever; man, woman, youth, and child; white, black, hairy, and smooth. After Francis Schaeffer's first visit to Europe, still suffering from the effects of war in 1947, a wall of parochialism in his life began to collapse—a process quickened by his friendship with the Dutchman Hans Rookmaaker and his own long-standing interest in and love for art. A biography of him (or a critique, for that matter) cannot itself be parochial in any sense, intellectual or regional. He was larger than any denominational or political context.
In this book I write about Francis Schaeffer's strengths and flaws, placing him in the context of his times, portraying the formation of his ideas and the genesis of his lectures, writings, seminars, and movies, as well as the complex person and his relationships. I portray the establishment and impact of the L'Abri community, and the deeper idea of a "shelter," as Schaeffer's most representative and abiding achievement, showing the development of this unique phenomenon and revealing its importance in the context of church and recent cultural history. The man himself is pictured as in essence undivided, rather than consisting of two or even three Schaeffers, though he went through sometimes anguished change and growth. Even his late and very emphatic association with the American church in the Reagan years was for him a development from the L'Abri work, not a capitulation to what he called the "middle-class church."
Though Francis Schaeffer is undivided, the distinct phases of his life are all portrayed here, each illuminating the other phases: his working-class childhood in Germantown, Pennsylvania; his intellectual and cultural awakening and student and seminary years; the ten years as a "separated" pastor in eastern and midwestern America; his early years in Europe working with his wife Edith for Children for Christ and speaking widely on the dangers of a new, deceptive liberalism as regards the Bible; the crisis in his faith resulting in a deep experience of the Holy Spirit; the birth and early struggles of L'Abri in Switzerland; the gradual opening up of a wider ministry through taped lectures, international speaking, books, and the formation of new L'Abri centers, first in England, then in other countries; and, at the end of his life, the dramatic, celebrity phase of the movies and large seminars, in which Schaeffer extended his cultural analysis to the sphere of politics, law, and government, putting his long-standing role as a compassionate controversialist into the spotlight, with all its distortions of view.
As I was completing this book, Frank Schaeffer's Crazy for God was published. This is a confessional memoir of his life. While it vividly and sometimes poignantly portrays Frank's own life and journey, it added little to what I had already documented about his father—as a biographer I knew his strengths and weaknesses. Many of those interviewed for this book spoke of them openly. What I must remark on is Frank's portrayal of his father as keeping up a façade of conviction about his faith, especially in his final years. This bears no relation to what was the case. Francis Schaeffer was always open about his personal struggles and failings—this was the secret of his strength as a pastor and as a counselor. He emphatically did not divorce his inner and public life. When I was a young student, on my first or second visit to his L'Abri community in Switzerland, I once joined him on the descent to the chalet-style chapel for his regular Saturday night discussion. Suddenly he confided, "Colin, I feel like I'm about to jump out of an airplane without a parachute."
In an unpublished letter to his close friend and peer Hans Rookmaaker, perhaps that same year, he confided that he was low after working hard on the manuscript of The God Who Is There with an editor: "I am so very much behind in every aspect of the work that I feel in a rather depressed mood which means of course that it is a difficult time. However, the Lord continues to open doors and we are thankful. . . . I would be glad if you would continue to pray for me personally because . . . this is a bit of a low period for me. However, I suppose I will be dug out in a couple of weeks and then I will feel better."1
As my book reveals, Francis Schaeffer in the twilight of his life was as convinced of the truth-claims of Christianity and the efficacy of what he called the finished work of Christ as he was after his struggles in the early 1950s and even immediately after his conversion in 1930. Indeed, his conviction continued to deepen into his closing years, allowing him no respite from his grief over the lost condition of human beings and still expanding his empathy for those whom he encountered. In his final film series, Whatever Happened to the Human Race? He included a powerful episode about the historical underpinnings of Christian conviction.
What is the essence of Francis Schaeffer? Is it his system of theology, his books, his political campaigning, the existence of L'Abri? Ironically, though he attacked first the "old" modernism, then the "new" modernism of existentialism, neo-orthodoxy, and even, in anticipation, postmodernism, he demonstrates what might be called an existential Christianity—living in the moment; embracing the reality of existence; seeing the underpinning certainty of Christian faith in the historical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and reckoning on the specific intervention of the Holy Spirit in conversion at a point in time in a person's life, after which he or she passes from death to life. Schaeffer might be dismissed as a scholar or even original thinker (though it can be argued he was both, but particularly the latter), but his realistic, existential Christianity is remarkable and perhaps unique for someone of his biblical orthodoxy in his generation and is the secret, perhaps, of his impact on many people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
A full list of acknowledgments appears toward the end of this book, but I must here especially express my thanks to Christopher and Paulette Catherwood, for their brilliant and enthusiastic help with the interviewing for this book; to Ted Griffin, for his wise and thorough editing; to others who added to this book in a very special way, including Lane Dennis, John and Prisca Sandri, Ranald and Susan Macaulay, and Udo and Deborah Middelmann. Though not well enough to give me more than a warm smile and greeting, Edith Schaeffer's published records of the family and L'Abri history, and unpublished Family Letters must have a special mention. While Christopher, Paulette, and I interviewed, we received kindness and hospitality of a Dutch, Swiss, English, Irish, and American variety. I particularly remember the kindness of Marleen and Albert Hengelaar and the inspiring memories of the late Anky Rookmaaker as she reached back in her mind to the war years; the events she recounted seemed as yesterday. It is a privilege even to share a little in others' lives.
Francis Schaeffer
Copyright © 2008 by Colin Duriez
Published by Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.


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WATCH: Peter Jackson's Hobbit Video Reveals Over Ten Minutes of Behind the Scenes Footage
Hobbit director Peter Jackson is nothing if not a man of the people, so when he took to San Diego's Comic-Con earlier this month to present footage to 6,000+ lucky fans shortly after wrapping, he recorded a video diary to share with the rest of the Lord of the Rings faithful. Watch as Jackson navigates the perils of press junkets and Hall H's screaming fans, filming on his trusty iPhone along the way! Or, y'know... skip ahead a few minutes to fantastic 10+ minutes of behind-the-scenes peeks from the set of The Hobbit.
The set footage is the real treat for fans hungry for Hobbit peeks, but you've got to also hand it to Jackson and his videography crew for interviewing just about everybody involved in production, down to the freaking key grip.
And yet, my favorite part? Mark Hadlow in costume as the Dwarf Dori, quoting Anchorman.
Runner-up line of the vid: "I've never worked on such a hairy movie."
The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey hits theaters December 14, with its conclusion, There and Back Again, following in 2013.


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The FTC works to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive or fraudulent practices in the marketplace. The FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection's website has useful information and publications covering all areas of consumer protection and consumer fraud.
Consumers can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) using their toll-free consumer helpline or online.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The central mission of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans—whether they are applying for a mortgage, choosing among credit cards, or using any number of other consumer financial products.
Consumers can file online complaints about financial products with the CFPB.
National Do Not Call Registry
The FTC manages the National Do Not Call Registry, often referred to as the Do Not Call List. Consumers can add their home or cellular telephone numbers to the registry to limit the number of telemarketing calls they receive. Consumers can also file complaints if they receive unwanted calls at a registered telephone number.
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The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a private, not-for-profit organization that provides information services and programs that promote an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other. The BBB's services include: conciliating marketplace disputes between consumers and businesses, providing company and charity reliability reports, and providing tips and information to help consumer make informed decisions.
Consumers can file complaints and access the BBB's company and charity reports through the BBB of Alaska, Oregon and Washington's website.
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The IC3 takes complaints from consumers regarding internet crime and refers complaints to law enforcement agencies. The IC3 issues internet scam alerts and provides tips for avoiding internet fraud.
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
Consumers can report unsafe products and search for product recalls and safety reports on the Commission's Safer Products website.
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Banks and financial institutions are regulated by various state and federal agencies. To find out who regulates a particular bank or financial institution operating in Alaska, you can refer to the Alaska Directory of Banks and Financial Institutions (PDF) on the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities website.
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National Banks
National Banks are regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). If you have a question or concern about a National Bank, you can visit the OCC's website.
TTY: 800-877-8339 (via a relay service)
National Credit Unions
National Credit Unions are regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). To file a complaint against a National Credit Union or for more information visit the NCUA's Consumer Assistance Center.
Federal Savings and Loans
Federal Savings and Loans are regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). For more information or to file a complaint, visit the OTS website.
Legal Resources
Alaska Courts and Legal Research
For more information about state trial and appellate courts, visit the Alaska Court System's website. For legal research resources, visit the Alaska State Court Law Library website.
For information about federal courts in Alaska, visit the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska's website.
Alaska Bar Association
To find an attorney licensed to practice in Alaska, you can visit the Alaska Bar Association's website or contact the Alaska Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service.
Lawyer Referral Service: 907- 272-0352
1-800-770-9999 (in Alaska)
Alaska Legal Services Corporation
Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) is a private, non-profit law firm that provides legal assistance and representation to low-income Alaskans in non-criminal matters. ALSC also operates the Seniors' Legal Services Project, a legal assistance program for people 60 years old or older.
907- 272-9431
Disability Law Center of Alaska
The Disability Law Center of Alaska is a private non-profit law firm that provides legal advocacy in Alaska for people with disabilities.
State Agencies of Interest to Consumers
Regulatory Commission of Alaska
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) regulates public utilities and ensures that they provide safe and adequate services and facilities at just and reasonable rates, terms, and conditions. The Consumer Protection & Information Section of the RCA helps consumers resolve disputes with utility service providers. For more information or to file a complaint, visit the RCA Consumer Protection Section's Website
1-800-390-2782 (outside Anchorage)
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing
The mission of the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing is to ensure that competent, professional and regulated commercial services are available to Alaska consumers.
Visit the Corporations Section website to search Alaska Corporations or for information about registering a Business, Professional, Non-Profit, Religious, and Cooperative Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships, Trademarks, and Business Names.
You can apply for a business license or search businesses licenses on the Business Licensing Section's website.
Visit the Professional Licensing Sections' website for a list of all the occupations that require a professional license in the State of Alaska, and information, applications, and online services for all State professional licensing sections and boards. The Division also accepts complaints pertaining to the actions of licensed or unlicensed professionals.
907- 465-2530
Alaska Division of Insurance
The mission of the Alaska Division of Insurance is to assure that competitive, viable, ethical, and lawful insurance is available to Alaskans. The Division of Insurance enforces Alaska insurance laws and assists consumers directly by responding to insurance inquiries and investigating complaints against insurance companies and producers.
The Division accepts online consumer complaints against insurance companies and producers.
Juneau (907) 465-2515
Alaska Division of Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
The Division of Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement ensures the accuracy of commercial weighing and measuring devices, verifies the net weight and labeling of pre-packaged commodities and verifies the accuracy of price verification systems (scanners). Examples of these services include checking gas pumps, scales and scanners to be sure they are correct and checking packages to be sure they are not short weight. The Division investigates complaints involving short weight on a scale or package, short measure at a gas pump and short delivery on firewood and fuel oil.
(907) 365-1210
email: email@example.com
Alaska Ombudsman's Office
The Alaska State Ombudsman has offices in Anchorage and Juneau to help people across the state with questions and complaints about state government agencies and the University of Alaska.
You can download the complaint form (PDF) or call your nearest Ombudsman's office and request a form.
907- 269-5290 (Anchorage Office)
Toll-free voice and TTY 1-800-478-2624
907- 465-4970 (Juneau Office)
Toll-free voice and TTY 1-800-478-4970
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Alaska State Commission for Human Rights
The Alaska State Commission for Human Rights enforces the Alaska Human Rights Law which prohibits discrimination in employment, credit, and financing practices, the sale or rental of real property, public accommodations, and practices by the state or its political subdivisions because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, and in some instances because of age, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy and parenthood.
907-274-4692 (Anchorage)
TTY/TDD 907-276-3177 (Anchorage)
Toll-Free Complaint Hot Line 800-478-4692 (in Alaska)
TTY/TDD Toll-Free Complaint Hot Line 800-478-3177 (in Alaska)
Alaska Senior & Disability Services
Alaska Division of Senior and Disability Services
Alaska Division of Senior and Disability Services programs include: Adult Protective Services, Aging and Disability Resources Center, Medicare Information Office, Medicaid Waivers, Personal Care Assistants, Assisted Living Providers, and Skilled Nursing Facilities.
907- 465-3372
Toll Free 866-465-3165
Alaska Office of Elder Fraud and Assistance
The Office of Elder Fraud and Assistance investigates claims regarding the financial exploitation of Alaskans 60 and older, and seeks civil remedies on behalf of elders unable to pursue legal action without assistance.
(907) 334-5989
Alaska Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman
The Long Term Care Ombudsman can investigate and resolve complaints, evaluate facility conditions and provide information to the public about long term care facilities and programs. This office serves people 60 years and older who are primarily in long term care facilities.
Toll Free 800-730-6393
Federal Agencies of Interest to Consumers
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Taxpayer Advocate Service
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS that guides taxpayers through the process of resolving tax problems they have not been able to resolve on their own.
907-271-6877 (Anchorage Office)
Toll-Free 877-777-4778
Federal Citizen Information Center
The Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) provides general information about consumer issues and federal programs.
On the FCIC website, you can order the latest Consumer Action Handbook. The Handbook is an everyday guide to being a smart shopper and is full of helpful tips about buying a car or home, preventing identity theft, understanding credit, filing a consumer complaint, and much more.
The FCIC's National Contact Center can help you find information about the Federal Government's agencies, services and programs. The FCIC can also tell you which office to contact for help with problems.
Toll free line 800-688-9889
DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Division
The Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection Division monitors compliance with and investigates violations of the DOT's aviation economic, consumer protection, and civil rights requirements. The Division website also includes air travel information for consumers.
The Division handles all consumer complaints related to airline service, safety and disability access and discrimination.
202- 366-2220
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides information about driving, vehicle safety and child restraints. On the NHTSA's safety complaints page you can file a complaint and search for complaints and recalls related to motor vehicles and child restraints.
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC's Consumer Information Bureau provides information to consumers on a variety of topics. Consumers can also file complaints with the FCC about communications services and equipment.
U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service
Consumer complaints are the principal basis for investigations of mail fraud. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has informative brochures available to consumers and businesses that relate to consumer fraud by phone or mail. Among the topics covered: solicitations disguised as invoices, advance fee schemes, sweepstakes advertising and what you should do if you've been conned.
Consumers can file complaints about mail fraud, mail theft, identity theft, and other matters with the Postal Inspection Service.
Hotline: 1-877-876-2455
Consumer Education & Advocacy Resources
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Alaska
Money Management International (MMI, formerly Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Alaska) is a nonprofit credit counseling organization with branch offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks. MMI assists consumers with financial guidance, credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, and consumer education programs.
Toll-Free 866-889-9347
Financial Fraud Enforcement Taskforce
The Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force is a coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies assembled to combat fraud. The Task Force website provides information about financial fraud and identity theft.
OnGuard Online
OnGuard Online provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help consumers stay on guard against internet fraud, secure their computers, and protect personal information.
National Fraud Information Center
The National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) was created by the National Consumers League, the oldest private, non-profit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues. The NFIC's purpose is to fight telemarketing fraud by improving prevention and enforcement. The NFIC accepts online complaints about telephone or internet fraud.
The Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG) is a non-partisan, statewide non-profit organization that promotes consumer and public interest through research, education and advocacy in a variety of areas, including consumer protection.
National Consumer Law Center
The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. The NCLC website offers education materials for consumers on a variety of topics.
Consumer Federation of America
The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of non-profit consumer organizations that conducts research, advocacy and education in a variety of areas.
Consumer Action
Consumer Action is a non-profit organization that promotes financial literacy and advocates for consumer rights. It offers a multilingual consumer hotline, free information on long-distance telephone companies and consumer education materials.
415-777-9635 (Consumer complaint hotline)
Call for Action
Call for Action (CFA) is an international, nonprofit network of consumer hotlines. When a consumer contacts CFA, a CFA volunteer will contact the company or agency directly to promote dispute resolution. CFA assists the general public and small businesses victimized by fraud and addresses other consumer issues such as: debit cards/electronic banking, telephone fraud, advance-fee loans, investment fraud and basic credit.
Fakechecks.org provides a central source of information about fake check scams.


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Can I Kick It? Yes You Can: Kickstarter Projects and Concepts — Best of 2012
Editorial Rating:
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Half the fun for tech-heads like myself is observing and tracking technologies looming on the horizon. Sometimes these future solutions are just a CES trade show from appearing on store shelves or on Amazon, while independent designers these days often turn to crowd-funding to help bring their ideas to fruition and into your hands... • Hands On Preview: Unlace Ties Up Cord and Cable Clutter • Ditch The Deck, Use Your iPhone: Dash -- The Smartphone Car Stereo • Elegant Tech Toys for Creative Kids • It's a LED and an Edison Bulb? • Fashionably Functional: Wearable Computing Devices • OneLessDrop Power Cord Anchor • The Acoustic Boosting iPhone Dock...Planter? • Sensu: Real Brush Painting for the iPad • A Dividing Design: Kanavos by Alexandros Stasinopoulos • What If Naoto Fukasawa Designed a Digital Camera? More


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US CDC guidance for control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) – 2012 CRE toolkitArchived
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are highly resistant to antibiotics, leaving only a few options for treatment of infected patients, and thus represent a serious threat to public health.
US CDC report on antibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013
Antimicrobial resistance represent a serious threat to public health and patient safety and is a worldwide problem. Each year, in the European Union (EU) at least 25 000 patients die of infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Cross-border transfer increases patients' risk of resistant bacteriaArchived
Patient transfer between hospitals and in particular between countries, is a risk factor for the spread of bacteria that are resistant to last-line antibiotics. More specifically, for highly resistant bacteria, like carbapenamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), the risk is heightened when patients are transferred from, or have received previous medical care in areas with high rates of bacterial resistance. These are conclusions from a risk assessment produced by ECDC that evaluated the risk to the citizens of Europe, of the spread of CPE through patient transfer between healthcare facilities, with special emphasis on cross-border transfer.


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Welcome to High Mountain Park Preserve! The preserve, aka High Mountain Park, is located in Wayne, NJ, and North Haldeon, NJ and consists of over 1,100 wooded acres.
High Mountain Park is owned and jointly managed by the Township of Wayne, the State of NJ and the New Jersey Natural Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy.
History of Site
High Mountain Park was a tree farm owned by Urban Farms, Inc., a subsidiary of McBride Enterprises of Franklin Lakes, NJ before its establishment as a preserve. On May 19, 1993 the Wayne Council majority in an 8-1 vote accepted a deal to purchase High Mountain from Urban Farms, Inc.
The State of NJ committed $2.6 million in a Green Acres Grant and agreed to a 2% loan of $4 million. $901,943 was provided in other grand funds. The Nature Conservancy obtained a $500,000 state grant to assist in the purchase of High Mountain.
Situated on the Second Watchung Mountain range, High Mountain Park is the largest forested area east of the NJ Highlands. The 2nd Watchung Mountain range was formed by basalt lava flows extruding over deep sedimentary rock.
Ecological communities featured in High Mountain Park include:
Rocky Headwater Stream:
Rocky headwater stream habitat includes a small to moderate sized rocky stream that lacks persistent emergent vegetation. In other words, few large rooted plants are found but mosses and algae are usually present. The stream flows over bedrock near its origin and contains riffle and pool sections.
Red Maple Swamp:
Red Maple Swamps (as the name suggests) are dominated by Red Maple, a tree that is moderately flood-tolerant. Skunk Cabbage, False Hellebore, Cinnamon Fern and Spice Bush (along with many other species) are found in Red Maple Swamp habitat.
In addition to Red Maple Swamps, Shrub swamps are also found in High Mountain Park. This community consists of temporarily to permanently flooded wetlands usually populated with Skunk Cabbage, Buttonbush, Spicebush among others.
Talus Slope Community:
Talus Slope communities consist of sparse vegetation occurring on exposures of shale bedrock, ledges and talus. Little soil exists on the talus.
Trap rock Glade/Outcrop Community:
The trap rock glade/outcrop community is globally rare and was the principal reason the Nature Conservancy was interested in protecting High Mountain. Trap rock Glade/Outcrop communities, a globally impaired community type, consists primarily of grasses and forbs with occasional Eastern Red Cedar.
Prickly Pear Cactus may also be present. Hickory-Ash-Red Cedar woodland is also dominated in the trap rock glade/outcrop community. Rare Rock Outcrop Plants include Torreys Mountain Mint and Dewey's Sedge among other rare plants.
Hickory/Ash/Eastern Red Cedar Woodland:
This community contains the trap rock outcrop community and consists of Pignut Hickory, Eastern Red Cedar, White Ash and Chestnut Oak with the understory consisting primarily of grasses and forbs. This community along with the trap rock glade/outcrop community harbor a total of 14 rare and endangered plants.
Mixed Oak Forest:
The mixed oak hardwood forest found in High Mountain Park is dominated by White, Red & Black Oak and includes trees such as Shagbark Hickory, White Ash, Yellow birch, Tulip Poplar and Black Birch.
Frequent disturbance is required for the oak-hickory forest to maintain itself. Without disturbance, shade tolerant species such as Sugar Maple and American Beech regenerate replacing oaks over time. Maple-Beech dominated woodland do not provide sufficient quality mast (i.e. acorns, hickory nuts) required for wildlife.
The composition of the present Oak-Hickory forest found in High Mountain Park will likely change as the sapling layer is mostly populated by Sugar & Red Maple with only a few Oak saplings present. This change may be due to fire suppression.
Hemlock-Hardwood Forest:
Most of the hemlocks found in High Mountain Park Preserve are dead or dying due to the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. Native to East Asia, the adelgid feeds by sucking sap from Hemlock trees. This exotic pest was accidently introduced to North America circa 1924 and is currently established in eleven states ranging from Georgia to Massachusetts. It is estimated that 50% of the geographical range of the Eastern Hemlock has been affected by the adelgid. Biological control (i.e. using adelgid predators to control infestations) has been the major emphasis of control since 1997.
High Mountain Park is a part of the Passaic River watershed. All streams that originate or flow through High Mountain Park drain to the Passaic River. Streams include tributaries to the Point View Reservoir found in the western section of the preserve and tributaries of the Molly Ann Brook (the last stream to drain into the Passaic River before the Great Falls in Paterson) found in the eastern portion of the preserve. The headwaters of Preakness (Signac) Brook are located in High Mountain Park and are classified in this location as C1 by the NJ DEP. According to the NJ DEP Website "Category One (C1) designation protects waterways from any discharge that produces a measurable change in the existing quality of the water". Numerous tributaries to the Preakness Brook are found primarily in the heart of the preserve.
See the link for how water is classified in NJ –> NJDEP Water Classifications RE 2012-8-8
2020 Update – Please note the trail system has changed since this post was written. An updated map was posted to the NY NJ Trail Conference. You can access it here.
The below trail description was as I found the trails in High Mountain when I wrote this post in 2012.
There are five blazed trails ranging from 0.2 miles to 4.9 miles waiting to be explored at High Mountain Park. All trails are maintained by volunteers of the NYNJ Trail Conference who have maintained the trails since the 1940's.
2020 Update – Reminder, the above trail map is no longer accurate.
Please click here for the newest trail map from the NY NJ Trail Conference. Thank you!
The trailhead of the 1.7 mile Red Trail is accessible from the small parking lot off of College Road.
From the kiosk in the parking area, the Red Trail heads east on a gravel trail in an open field adjacent to College Road and enters the woods heading in a north to northwest direction.
After entering the forest, a large boulder is visible to the west near a sign advertising High Mountain.
From here, the Red Trail passes a stream & wetlands.
At half a mile, the southern trailhead of the Yellow Trail is accessible on the east. Past the trailhead of the Yellow Trail, the Red Trail passes the southern trailhead of the White Trail Trailhead to the west .6 of a mile. Once past the trailhead of the White Trail, the Red Trail crosses a stream and wetlands before continuing in a northwest direction.
Another stream with a waterfall eventually appears to the east of the Red Trail. The Red Trail crosses the stream proceeding a short distance to its northern terminus at Reservoir Drive in Franklin Lakes.
The southern trailhead of the 1.6 mile White Trail is accessible from the Red Trail about .6 of a mile from the Red Trail's trailhead at College Road.
From its trailhead, the White Trail heads west through the wetlands of a Preakness Brook tributary stream. Continuing west the White Trail reaches another Preakness brook tributary and its wetlands.
From here, the White Trail turns north passing the North Jersey Country Club. Continuing north past the North Jersey Country Club, the White Trail passes a reservoir used for the ponds found in the country club.
From here the White Trail continues north and goes through talus slopes while paralleling and eventually crossing another Preakness Brook tributary. The White Trail ends at the Yellow Trail near Beech Mountain.
At 4.9 miles, the Yellow Trail is the longest trail present in High Mountain Park. The southern trailhead of the Yellow Trail is accessible from the Red Trail about ½ a mile from the trailhead of the Red Trail on College Road.
From the Red Trail, the Yellow Trail turns east and crosses a stream and wetlands heading in a northwest and then northeast direction. Soon the Yellow Trail passes the summit of Mount Cecchino to the east. From here the trail begins a steady climb to the summit of High Mountain. At 885 feet, High Mountain is the third tallest peak in the US within 20 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.
The grassy summit is about 1 mile from the Yellow Trail trailhead and provides fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline, Garrett Mountain (1st Watchung) and the distant Ramapo Mountains.
From the summit of High Mountain the Yellow Trail heads west going downhill and crosses a stream.
After crossing the stream, the Yellow Trail comes to an intersection with the Red Trail.
Once past the intersection with the Red Trail, the Yellow Trail heads northwest to a paved circle on Reservoir Drive in Franklin Lakes and briefly travels along Reservoir Drive before reentering the forest near Winding Hollow Drive in Franklin Lakes.
Heading south, the Yellow Trail passes the northern trailhead of the White Trail and then heads south and climbs Beech Mountain. At 875 feet, Beech Mountain is the second highest peak in High Mountain Park.
The Yellow Trail then traverses past a large forested wetland to the west and crosses a Preakness Brook tributary. Turning west, the Yellow Trail reaches a beautiful view found on a basalt outcrop of Pointview Reservoir and the distant NJ Highlands.
The Yellow Trail continues northwest past another Preakness Brook Tributary and heads south and west past the parking lot for JVC Corporation.
From here, the Yellow Trail heads northwest and passes the northern terminus of the Horizontal White Blaze connector trail. The Yellow Trail then turns north and traverses through the Franklin Clove.
The Franklin Clove was formed by glacial action in the last ice age. Continuing north, the Yellow Trail passes by the very short Orange Blazed Buttermilk Falls trail and then ends at Indian Drive in Franklin Lakes.
The 0.2 Mile Orange Blazed Buttermilk Falls trail begins from the Yellow Trail shortly after the Yellow Trail passes through the Franklin Clove. It ends at Scioto Drive in Franklin Lakes. The primary feature of this trail is Buttermilk Falls which spills over fractured basalt.
The 2.8 mile Blue Trail (aka the Pancake Hollow Trail) trailhead is located off of Chickapee Drive in Wayne.
The Blue Trail initially heads east and turns north at the intersection of the horizontally white blazed connector trail. Heading north, the trail passes the Franklin Clove and the headwaters for Preakness Brook to the east. The Blue Trail then turns northwest passing between housing developments to the north and south where a lean-to is present.
Once past the housing developments, the trail traverses the "pancake hollow" section of High Mountain Park.
The Blue Trail continues west crossing over a brook and wetlands. As the blue trail approaches Berdan Avenue at the farthest western portion of High Mountain Park, the trail turns NW and then NE and then continues in a SE direction leaving the Pancake Hollow section returning the hiker in a loop fashion back to the portion of the Blue Trail previously traveled with housing developments to the north and south. From here, the hiker follows the blue trail back to the trailhead at Chickopee Drive.
The 0.2 mile Horizontal White Blaze Connector trail's western trailhead is accessible from the Blue Trail near the Blue Trail trailhead at Chickapee Drive in Wayne. The Horizontal White Blaze Connector Trail initially heads southeast from the Blue Trail before turning north to connect with the Yellow Trail near the Franklin Clove where it ends.
Fauna I've spotted during my hikes at High Mountain Park include:
High Mountain Park Preserve provides much needed habitat to the threatened Long-Eared Bat which has been found roosting in the forest.
Directions to College Road Parking Lot: (as taken from the NYNJ Trail Conference Website)
Take Route 208 west to the second Goffle Road exit (towards Hawthorne/Paterson) and turn right at the end of the ramp. At the next light, just beyond the intersection with Goffle Hill Road, turn right onto North Watchung Drive. At a "stop" sign at the top of the hill, turn sharply right onto Rea Avenue, which becomes North Haledon Avenue and then Linda Vista Avenue. At a T-intersection with Terrace Avenue, turn right, then bear left to continue on Linda Vista Avenue, which leads into William Paterson University (Entry 6). At the next "stop" sign, turn right and continue for 0.4 mile to a small parking area on the right, with a sign "High Mountain Park."
Check out Plant Communities of New Jersey.
NJ's geology, topography and soil, climate, plant-plant and plant-animal relationships, and the human impact on the environment are all discussed in great detail. Twelve plant habitats are described and the authors were good enough to put in examples of where to visit!
Click here for more information!
Great Hiking/Ecology Books:
1. 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City: Including northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island – Packed with valuable tips and humorous observations, the guide prepares both novices and veterans for the outdoors. From secluded woods and sun-struck seashores, to lowland swamps and rock-strewn mountain tops, this practical guidebook contains all the information needed to have many great hikes in and around New York City.
Click here for more information!
2. Take a Hike New York City: 80 Hikes within Two Hours of Manhattan – In Moon Take a Hike New York City, award-winning writer Skip Card shows you the best hikes in and around The Big Apple—all within two hours of the city.
Click here for more information!
3. Eastern Deciduous Forest, Second Edition: Ecology and Wildlife Conservation – This book is a useful tool for anyone who wants to know or hopes to help one of North America's great natural resources.
Click here for more information!
4. Protecting New Jersey's Environment: From Cancer Alley to the New Garden State – With people as its focus, Protecting New Jersey's Environment explores the science underpinning environmental issues and the public policy infighting that goes undocumented behind the scenes and beneath the controversies.
Click here for more information!
5. Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State:
Wild New Jersey invites readers along Wheeler's whirlwind year-long tour of the most ecologically diverse state for its size in America.
Click here for more information!
Feel free to comment below with any bird sightings, interesting plants, memories or suggestions! Thank you and have fun exploring!
Check out the latest bird sightings at High Mountain here!
Check out Jim Wright's latest updates on High Mountain on his blog here!