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Christopher Plummer, 50, Lyme, Connecticut, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud stemming from investment fraud schemes that defrauded individuals out of approximately $1.9 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Plummer, holding himself out as an "Authorized Member" of New England Resorts LLC, falsely represented to investors and potential investors that he""or a company he and a co-conspirator owned and/or controlled""owned hundreds of acres of land in Lakeshore, Mississippi, a portion of which purportedly was zoned for casinos, numerous residential properties, and a medical facility.
He also falsely represented that the partners of the company had invested several hundred million dollars of their own funds in buying land and options on land in and around the town of Lakeshore. In soliciting funds for the "Lakeshore Development Project," Plummer and a co-conspirator sent e-mails and attachments to victim investors that falsely represented that major Wall Street investment firms had confirmed that they would partner in the project.
For instance, in June 2007, Plummer sent an e-mail to an individual stating, in part, that a "take out" situation with a major Wall Street firm would result in a buyout of the property for $1.5 billion. In fact, there was no such "take out" plan.
After receiving the funds, Plummer and a co-conspirator did not invest the money as represented and instead diverted a significant portion of investors' funds for their own personal use and benefit, including writing checks to cash, paying the expenses of McGrath Hotels (doing business as the Lighthouse Inn) and making mortgage payments on a property in Stonington, Connecticut.
As a result of this scheme, victim investors suffered losses of approximately $1.7 million.
In pleading guilty, Plummer also admitted that he represented himself to be a "managing member" of Madison and Wall Investments LLC. Plummer met with a victim-investor and represented that he could invest the victim's money with a firm that utilized a computer-based trading system, and which would realize a 100 percent return within two years.
The victim investor then provided Plummer with two $100,000 checks. Plummer deposited the funds into a bank account he controlled in the name of Madison and Wall Investments LLC, and then wrote checks to himself, to a co-conspirator and a mortgage company.
In a letter dated Aug. 28, 2008, Plummer falsely represented that the balance in the victim-investor's account was $247,700 when, in fact, the money had been spent. In total, the victim lost approximately $179,000 of his $200,000 investment.
Judge Eginton has scheduled sentencing for April 13, 2012, at which time Plummer faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
Plummer also has agreed to forfeit his interest in a 4.35 acre parcel of property in Stonington, Conn., an automobile and funds that have been seized during the investigation.
Plummer has been detained since his arrest on Nov. 29, 2010.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry and Special Litigation Counsel Richard J. Schechter.
David B. Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced the guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution falls under the umbrella of the President's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit: www.StopFraud.gov.


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NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Western Connecticut State University senior Hyla Costello (Southington, Conn.) scored a season-high eight goals to power the Colonials to a 19-10 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this afternoon Cressy Field.
Western Connecticut (2-4, 1-0 LEC) snapped its four-game losing streak, while the Corsairs (1-7, 0-1 LEC) suffered their seventh-straight setback.
Costello filled up the box score with four goals in each half to go along with a team-high seven draw controls and four ground balls. Junior Kelsey Heaton (New Milford, Conn./New Milford) produced six points, on four markers and two assists, while senior Kristen Hudock (Newtown, Conn.) and freshman Destinee Carey (New Milford, Conn.) each chipped in three points. Junior Dana Molloy (Brewster, N.Y.) caused a team-high four turnovers.
Senior Taylor Corsano (Bourne, Mass.) led the UMass Dartmouth offensive attack with four markers, while freshman Kelly Kryzak (Jeffersonville, Vt./Lamoille Union) matched her season-high with four points on three goals and an assist. Sophomore Colleen Kane (Arlington, Mass.) also tallied a hat trick for the hosts.
The Colonials charged out of the gates, scoring the first three goals of regulation. The Corsairs cracked the scoring column on a free-position shot from Kryzak at the 5:44 mark. The visitors did not waste any time in responding, when senior Elena Gayton (Ellington, Conn) won the draw and marched straight down the field to increase the visitors lead to 4-1.
Trailing 5-1, UMass Dartmouth scored back-to-back goals to trim its deficit to two. Kane started the mini run and freshman Kathryn Gibb (Georgetown, Mass.) capped the surge by converting a feed from classmate Taylor Hill (Braintree, Mass.).
Western Connecticut broke the match wide open over the final 20 minutes of the first half, closing the frame with an 8-2 run to take a 13-5 lead into the locker room. Hudock keyed the surge with three markers, while Heaton converted on a pair of free-position attempts.
Despite allowing the first goal of the second half, Corsairs strung together three consecutive markers to bridge the gap to 14-8. The Colonials were able to withstand the hosts' run as Costello tacked on four insurance goals to dim any hopes of the UMD comeback.
In between the pipes, senior Karli Portnoy (Sea Cliff, N.Y./North Shore) needed to make just four stops to earn the victory, while freshman Leah Wilkinson (Northford, Conn./North Branford) stopped a season-high 17 attempts.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, when the Corsairs host Salem State University.
Colonials March Past Corsairs In Little East Opener
|Western Connecticut (2-4, 1-0 LEC)
|UMass Dartmouth (1-7, 0-1 LEC)
NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Western Connecticut State University senior Hyla Costello (Southington, Conn.) scored a season-high eight goals to power the Colonials to a 19-10 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this afternoon Cressy Field.

subset: commoncrawl


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This blog contains a growing assortment of stories, pictures and information about the ancestors of Anna, Margo and Marian Green. The pedigree chart below contains six generations of ancestors with numbers by their names. Click on a name under "See posts of specific ancestors" to quickly learn more about an individual. Click on "A Printable Chart" to view and print a copy of the chart in a new window.
Monday, July 25, 2011
#29 - Nancy Ann Acre Obituary
Nancy Ann, daughter of Leonard and Sarah Acre, was born in Alabama in 1826, and was united in marriage to Moses Denny in 1851. To this union were born 6 children, Mrs. Thomas C. (Mary) Wilson, and George Denny of this place; Mrs. Rachel Higbee of Friendship, WI; James Denny of French Lick and John Denny of Washington; and two sons, Leonard and Anderson Gray by a former marriage.
She departed this life March 6, 1915, age 89 years, 1 month and 27 days. "Aunt" Nancy united with the U.B. Church when she was quite young and was true to her faith in every sense of the word.
Asleep in Jesus, Blessed Sleep for which none ever wake to weep.
For several years she had made her home with her daughter, Mrs. T.C. Wilson. Aunt Nancy was a kind wife and loving mother, and was loved by all who knew her. She will be greatly missed in our community.
Her husband and two children preceded her to the Great beyond. She leaves beside her children 40 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren and one great, great, grandchild.
Funeral services were conducted at the home of her daughter, Mrs. T.C. Wilson by Rev. Wm. Cox and she was tenderly laid to rest in Morrison Cemetery.
2 comments:
Welcome to the GeneaBloggers family. Hope you find the association fruitful; I sure do. I have found it most stimulating, especially some of the Daily Themes.ReplyDelete
May you keep sharing your ancestor stories!
Dr. Bill ;-)
Author of "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories" and family saga novels:
"Back to the Homeplace" and "The Homeplace Revisited"
Thanks, Dr. Bill! I look forward to my involvement with GeneaBloggers and will take a look at your blogs, too.ReplyDelete


text: A diver is circled by a shark feeding frenzy off the coast of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This is the breathtaking moment a daredevil diver is swept up in a whirlwind feeding frenzy of sharks. A school of 16ft, 900kg tiger sharks and oceanic black tips swarm the vulnerable swimmer who appears to remain surprisingly calm. The unnamed diver fearlessly lowered a bucket packed with sardines - a favorite of the sharks - into the water, all while still clinging to the line. He was quickly surrounded by dozens of the creatures.Picture: Rainer Schimpf/Barcroft Media


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Japanese artist Takahiro Iwasaki, seen previously meticulously carving topographical maps from electrical tape, has created a new body of work that's equally as detailed. This time, the artist uses cloth fibers, human hair, and dust to depict miniature scenes of large refineries and power plants. The works were apart of an exhibition at the Kawasaki City Museum earlier this year entitled Out of Disorder.
The charcoal-colored landscapes look like they've been under a lot of pressure and are on the edge of collapse. This inspiration came from the industrial rise of Japan, and Iwasaki used satellite images from Google Earth to recreate its old cityscapes. He began forming these sculptures by first soaking towels in ink and then dirtying them to create rags, serving as the base for the delicately-constructed generators and gantry cranes; it's meant to signify the lands that were leveled in the WWII air raids. These gritty and melancholy scenes depict an era of post-war Japan that is now past, but still recalls the labor and sweat that went into it. (Via JunkCulture, Spoon & Tamago, and Azito Art)


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John Bryant smiles when he talks about beer. That's because the Spokane, Washington native has spent twenty-five years in the craft beer industry, feeding his passion for great suds while building lasting relationships.
This week, Bryant is hoping to build a new friendship—not with one person in particular, but with the state of North Carolina. He's hoping that No-Li Brewhouse and its stable of West Coast style beers will resonate with the hopheads of the Triangle.
In fact, No-Li has just received federal approval for the "Spokane Style" beer classification, meaning that particular style must be brewed, packaged, and have its ingredients sourced in the Spokane region. The focus on source of origin is something Bryant and his partners at No-Li hope will prove important and attractive to customers in North Carolina.
Let's discuss the five beers No-Li has brought to NC in its iconic 22-oz. bottles, from lightest to darkest:
- Silent Treatment Pale Ale – This is a light ale with a nice hop to it—very drinkable.
- Crystal Bitter Ale – It's rare to find an ESB made in the US, so when I do I like to try them. This one is solid.
- Born & Raised IPA – This IPA is slightly sweet but hop-forward, with a nice balance and evident dry hop. It's fruity and spicy.
- Jet Star Imperial IPA – No-Li's imperial IPA might be my favorite, because it manages to be quite hoppy and clock in over 8% ABV without the alcoholic heat that often comes with imperials.
- Wrecking Ball Imperial Russian Stout – Wrecking ball, indeed. Like No-Li's other imperial, the lack of heat makes this chocolaty stout dangerous and deliciously smooth.
I talked with Spokane natives and Triangle transplants Alisha West and Matthew Borneman at Tuesday's tasting event, held at Bottle Revolution in Raleigh. Drawn here by work, the couple has stayed for the beautiful NC landscape, the amazingly diverse foodie culture and, of course, the beer. Likening the Spokane area to North Carolina, Alisha and Matthew got to experience a bit of nostalgia tasting No-Li's beers, brewed minutes from their alma mater, Gonzaga University.
And as the craft beer culture grows in Spokane, it's booming right here at home in the Triangle. Breweries like White Street Brewing Company in Wake Forest, Trophy Brewing in Raleigh, and Steel String Brewery in Carrboro are popping up all over the Old North State and making a go of the craft beer business boom we've seen in recent years. No-Li and its Washingtonian following see a connection with the Triangle—an emphasis not just on great beer, but on local beer.
One of the greatest compliments that could be paid to the craft beer scene in North Carolina is that out-of-state breweries like No-Li are vying to enter our marketplace. Bryant's experience with breweries like Oskar Blues taught him about the consumer base in North Carolina, and gave him an opportunity to travel our fine state. When it came time to expand No-Li's distribution, he knew where they were headed. Bryant acknowledges, "a key reason why we're coming to North Carolina is that we want to put No-Li beers in front of some of the most educated beer connoisseurs in the country."
So if you'd like a taste of Spokane without the long flight, visit your local bottle shop and try some of the brews No-Li has to offer. But if jet-setting is your thing, rest assured—you'd feel right at home in Spokane.
Learn more about No-Li at nolibrewhouse.com.
Photos courtesy No-Li Brewhouse


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Exhibiting At An Event
Exhibiting with Us
Exhibit at ACC Liverpool and engage with your customers in a world-class exhibition environment. We will support you during your time at ACC Liverpool to maximise your success and your presence at the exhibition.
Exhibitor Services
Everything you Need
Every exhibitor receives information and an exhibitor pack direct from the exhibition organiser, giving you all the contact details you need to keep in touch with the team, plus further information…
Guest Relations
Impress Your Visitors
Our Guest Relations team is here to support you during your time as an exhibitor. They understand the pressure on exhibitors and are here to help you so you can enjoy a profitable, hassle-free event.
Exhibition Catering
Exhibitions at ACC Liverpool take advantage of our professional in-house catering service, run by international venue catering specialists Centerplate. They provide fine food using local produce.
Business Centre
Full office support
ACC Liverpool exhibitors can take advantage of a fully-equipped Business Centre with fast Internet and PCs, print, foreign exchange, administration and other office services.
Internet Access
Internet connectivity is essential for any event, for both organisers and delegates. At ACC Liverpool fast and reliable Wi-Fi access is built into the venue's infrastructure, affording you essential Internet access throughout your time with us.
Have You Considered?
Liverpool's Finest
Liverpool is a vibrant, modern city, proud of its rich heritage and renowned for its friendly people. Visit Liverpool and enjoy everything it has to offer. Here is just a sample of what's available.
Pullman Liverpool Hotel
This 4* Hotel is one of the city's most stylish hotels. Just a 30 second walk from the venue and with the temporary Liverpool Waterfront Car Park adjacent, join us for pre or post show dinner or drinks in Marco Pierre White's world renowned Wheeler's of St. James's Restaurant.Visit website
Eat & Drink
Wheeler's of St. James's Liverpool in the Pullman Liverpool Hotel is located at Kings Dock next to the venue. Wheeler's reputation has been built on seafood, however the menu offers a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes that make it accessible to all.Visit website
Liverpool ONE
Located by the city's iconic waterfront, Liverpool ONE is one of Europe's leading retail and leisure destinations. With more than 170 stores, bars and restaurants, a 14 screen cinema and even a park, you'll always have a fun packed day here.Visit website
City Central Shopping
The beating heart of Liverpool's retail scene, just minutes away from the venue, City Central Shopping comprises five shopping centres, two hotels, two theatres and more than 400 shops. There's something for everyone and every budget.Visit website
British Music Experience
The British Music Experience tells the story of British Music through costumes, instruments, performance and memorabilia from the Beatles and Bowie to Adele, Oasis and The X Factor.Visit website
Liverpool ONE
From high street favourites to high-end boutiques, your fabulous shopping experience is a short stroll from the venue. Stores open until 8pm weekdays, so there's plenty of time to hit the shops.Visit website


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Every day, a core group of the Herald's editorial board meets to hash out important issues. These morning meetings, which take place in the office of Licia Corbella, the editorial page editor, include much laughter, some heated arguments and eventually decisions as to who will write which editorial.
Many people are not aware that the editorial position of the paper does not necessarily reflect the position of the person who wrote it. That is why editorials are unsigned. They are the position of the paper and not necessarily those of any individual. When one of us has to write an editorial that runs counter to our personal views, we call it a "character building exercise." The great thing about writing an editorial with an opinion we disagree with vehemently, is it helps us to then write our own personal column that runs counter to the editorial.
Sometimes, in the process of researching the topic at hand, the editorial board's position will change. While we attempt to be consistent, we never want to be inflexible in our views.
Besides writing editorials and columns, we edit letters to the editor and edit numerous columns from a regular stable of columnists as well as unsolicited pieces from all over the country and abroad. We also post content to calgaryherald.com
The editorial board includes:
Licia Corbella: Twitter @LiciaCorbella, Corbella Report blog, past columns;
Naomi Lakritz (letters editor): Twitter @NaomiLakritz, past columns;
David Marsden: Twitter @MarsdenDavid, opinion blog;
Lorne Motley: Herald editor-in-chief
We value hearing from you, our esteemed readers, whether you agree with all of our views or not, and we vow to do our best at providing you with thought-provoking, well-written, well-researched and entertaining analysis and opinion.
Submit a letter to the editor.


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As a start-up business grows into a little business, it's common for the accounting duties to overwhelm the business owner. This is often typically the time that a groundwork begins for a few facilitate. However will your business want a bookkeeper or associate degree accountant? Whereas some job tasks could overlap the 2 jobs square measure outlined otherwise.
What is a Bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper handles the mechanical functions of maintaining accounting records. They follow a controlled monthly schedule and enter all transactions into subsidiary ledgers. These functions square measure attenuated into assets, accounts owed and payroll in larger firms. It might be ideal to possess every perform separated between workers for security reasons. However, for smaller firms The Online Bookkeeper Service Brentwood would possibly perform all of those functions. Someone WHO will all of the accounting similarly as getting ready the monthly monetary statements is named a full charge pay as you go bookkeeper Brentwood.
What is an Accountant?
Accountants square measure less concerned within the day to day tasks of coming into transactions however take the next level check out the business. They compile the subsidiary ledgers into the overall ledgers. They style and prepare reports that square measure helpful in serving to managers create a fait selections concerning the business. Associate degree The Local Bookkeeper Service Brentwood will do all the work of the bookkeeper however they ordinarily delegate these tasks off to lower paid workers.
Who will the Tax Preparation?
While several accountants supply tax preparation services, it's developed into its own specialty. There square measure those that do tax preparation however square measure neither bookkeepers nor accountants. The person WHO will the tax work for your business ought to be left to somebody who focuses on this work as a result of their square measure such a lot of new laws that get into result annually.
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The most necessary issue for any business is to create certain the work is finished. A business that doesn't maintain smart accounting records is doomed to create clothed selections or miss chance to boost their bottom line. They'll conjointly forestall unwelcome bother from state and federal tax authorities.
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Abstract of Ivanes, C. "Streets and Crowds in (Post-)Communist Romania: Opportunity, Collective Action and Human Emotions".
The Romanian revolution of December 1989 does not fit the traditional mold of social movement schemes and theories. The conditions that most theories of collective action depict as necessary for social movements to arise were not present in Romania in 1989. Rational choice theory also proves particularly puzzling, as Romanians deliberately chose to take to the streets knowing that, unlike other Eastern bloc countries, the regime controlled the military and was ready to employ them. As a consequence of the above factors, this article analyzes the Romanian revolution from a rather unconventional perspective.
Few efforts have been made to consider the psyche, the emotions, and the inner mental processes of individuals themselves. It is essential to focus on political opportunity, mobilization, and framing. Romania presents unique characteristics amongst the ex-Soviet bloc countries, which had a crucial impact on the Romanians' decision to engage in collective action. Domestic political opportunity, for example, was created by the complete lack of legitimacy of the Ceausescu régime, and the terrible misery and frustrations Romanians were experiencing : people simply could not lie to themselves anymore, as the cost of doing so became higher and more painful than risking their own life by engaging in collective action. True, foreign influence (in this case lack of direct intervention) brought the state under pressure, but the main stimulus was the modification of people's disposal to accept high risks by undertaking collective action, surpassing a revolutionary threshold by publicly expressing their private preference. This led to a decisive challenge to the autonomy of the Communist state vis-à-vis its own society.
A two-fold occurrence transpired during that fateful December of 1989: on the one hand, a group of second and third tier nomenklatura members, in cooperation with some retired Army generals and Securitate officers, who had been plotting against Ceausescu for some time, seized the moment of that which, on the other hand, was a spontaneous popular uprising originating in Timisoara. The regular Army and to a lesser extent the Securitate repressed contre-ceur until they realized the regime could not be saved. This is a key aspect of Romania's bizarre exception from Eastern European rule.


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The king was waging a war. His troops were in the battlefield and he had to get an urgent message to his general. He wrote a scroll with the letters RTB, and a note to the general that the servant would tell him what RTB means.Read More
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in the parsha.Read More
Many people lose their temper and then regret it. Is there a magic formula to prevent or at least control our anger?
The Talmud in Shabbat 105b and Nedarim 22b say, "When one becomes angry, it is as if he is serving idols". This seems to be a very extreme and exaggerated statement. How can the Talmud compare anger to the severe sin of idolatry?
The parsha of this week deals with the subject of following the decisions of the court and judges of one's time, even if one personally disagrees with those judicial conclusions. From this flows a later concept in halacha of a zakein mamrei – a leading scholar, a member of the Sanhedrin itself, who refuses to accept or abide by the majority position and opinion of his colleagues.Read More
A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem…Read More
Question: It is said that minhag turns into halacha and that halacha cannot be changed. Yet, I find a lack of consistency. The Beis Yaakov movement changed the minhag of girls' education. Minhagim come to replace or greatly alter minhag/halacha, such as rewording agreements to allow receiving pay for work done on Shabbat. Why then, can't we create new minhagim to obviate the minhagim that make agunot "chained" to their marriages?Read More
In the U.S. constitution there is a "natural born" citizenship eligibility requirement. In order for one to be able to submit his candidacy to run for the position of president he must be born in the U.S. This means that my children, for example, all born in the U.S. to Canadian parents, would have been eligible to run for president at age 35, had we not made Aliya. German born Henry Kissinger, on the other hand, despite being most capable, would have been ineligible.Read More
Last week we took some of our kids to see the Herod the Great exhibit at the Israel museum. I don't know if they were as excited about the exhibit as I was. Herod may not have been a nice husband (according to some, he killed his wife Miriam) and was not the most favored leader, but he was an amazing builder – expanding the second Temple, building Caesarea, Masada, the monument above the tomb of our Patriarchs in Hebron, his winter palaces in Jericho, and his tomb in Herodion.Read More
As we saw last week, the cell contains extremely small structures that hold the cell's energy like little batteries. In addition, the mitochondria contain small amounts of DNA which is the map to building a new life – but in extremely rare cases this DNA is damaged.Read More
Parshat Shoftim reminds us of the responsibilities of those who exercise power and authority in society. Of particular interest are the instructions given to a king appointed to rule over the people. One of these directives reads as follows: "And it shall be that when [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself two copies of this Torah in a book"… (D'varim 17:18).Read More
In honor of the sedra, we'll take another shot at one of the rules that is grossly disregarded by many people – especially (it seems) by native English speakers.
Many people pronounce the name of this week's sedra SHOF-TIM. [We're just looking at the syllables, not which syllable is accented – so we put the whole word in uppercase letters. Most of the words that we will be looking at are accented on the last syllable.]
Upper-left are the symbols of SHO-F'TIM (gavel) and SHO-T'RIM (sheriff's star)
Negation circle over the planting of a sappling = prohibition of planting trees in the Mikdash or Mizbei'ach area Tilted scales = perversion of justice – a recurring theme in the sedra
TTriddles are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout, usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT, they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section. The best solution set submitted each week (there isn't always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big DealRead More


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By MEGAN JAMES
NEW HAVEN — As Dave Winborn prepared for his first full winter living in a tent in the New Haven woods last fall, he had no doubt his home — a Cabela's Deluxe Alaknak II — would survive to see the spring.
"I was supremely confident that no weather, no natural things would do my tent in," he said.
The tent collapsed in early February, while the 55-year-old emergency medical technician was working the overnight shift and 17 inches of snow was pummeling the area.
"I came home, saw that it had collapsed and early that evening I thought, 'Camp Titanic.' That will teach me," he said, chuckling.
But Winborn didn't let the collapse get him down, and unless he was on duty for Valley Rescue Squad in Hancock or New Haven First Response, he never missed a night in that tent. In fact, his camp did make it through the winter, and he plans to do it all again next year.
On a recent morning he was getting ready for spring-cleaning: taking down some branches dangling threateningly over his roof, clearing out the roots protruding from his floor and taking out the insulation he packed against the walls and covered with sheets so he wouldn't breathe in particles of the insulation.
Winborn's motto since moving into his tent last summer has been, "Try something. If it works, stick with it, if it doesn't work, try something else," he said.
He moved into the tent, which he pitched on a friend's land, in part because he couldn't afford an apartment, he said. But also, he did it just to see if he could.
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — Developers who want to install a water turbine at the Otter Creek falls in downtown Middlebury are hoping to sign up the town of Middlebury and Middlebury College as their two exclusive clients for electricity, a move they believe will make the project more financially viable and less encumbered by permitting hurdles.
Anders Holm and his family — owners of the Main Street building that borders the south side of the falls — are proposing the water turbine, which would harness electricity from the water that flows through a flume under the Holm building. The electricity would be processed in a powerhouse erected on town-owned land near the base of the footbridge that links Frog Hollow with the Marble Works complex across the Otter Creek.
The Holms have spent the past two years refining their project while seeking financing and the necessary permits. The Holms have experienced setbacks on both counts, driving up the costs and lengthening the timeline of their proposal.
They now believe that a partnership with the town and college could expedite the process. The Holms are hoping to make the two entities the only wholesale consumers of their water turbine's power. Such an arrangement, Holm said, could instantly give the project firm standing and credibility among permitting and financing organizations.
College and town officials last week acknowledged interest in the Holm project, though they stressed the need for more study.
"We are still exploring the economic feasibility of this project, but we're excited by the idea of developing a green energy source that would provide power to the college and town," said Middlebury College President Ronald D. Liebowitz.
LEICESTER/WHITING/SUDBURY — If voters in Leicester, Whiting and Sudbury approve, a new consolidated elementary school could be the first built in Vermont in the 21st Century.
A newly formed tri-town school committee met last Wednesday to lay the groundwork for the consolidation plans, including the construction of a new, centrally located school, tentatively called the Community School.
In all three towns enthusiasm for the project has mounted since Town Meeting Day, when Leicester expressed a renewed interest in joining a merger of Sudbury and Whiting schools proposed last year. In November Whiting voters rejected the merger, 47-26, and Sudbury approved it, 53-39.
But the proposal Leicester school board member Hannah Sessions floated before Sudbury and Whiting residents at their respective town meetings in March differs from the original plan in one striking way: The three towns would construct a brand new school building in a central location, rather than splitting grades between existing buildings.
An added bonus, Sessions stressed, is that joint schools are exempt from Vermont's moratorium on school construction funding, so 50 percent of construction costs would be covered by the state.
The committee has yet to determine an estimated cost of building the school, but it wouldn't be much more than other area schools are paying just for renovations and improvements, Sessions said.
At Wednesday's meeting the 20 committee members, most of whom do not serve on a school board, discussed other benefits of consolidating schools. With more than 100 students — Leicester currently has 57, Whiting, 36, and Sudbury, 31 — the biggest perk is that the Community School would have no multi-grade classrooms.
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Beats are all over the movies lately -- there was "On the Road" late last year, October will bring "Kill Your Darlings," and then comes "Big Sur," which is set to open in November. The official "Big Sur" trailer is above.
The movie is based on "Big Sur," the 1962 novel by Jack Kerouac. In it, Kerouac's alter ego, Jack Duluoz, retreats to a rustic cabin on the coast of Northern California in an effort to get a grip on a life that's spun out of control -- the freedom of "On the Road" has been dampened by fame, alcohol and the pressures of adulthood.
"It's the first trip since the publication of 'Road,' the book that made me famous," says Duluoz/Kerouac in the trailer's voice-over. "All over America kids thinking 'Jack Kerouac is 26 years old and on the road.' Well, there I am almost 40 and I'm supposed to be the king of the beatniks."
That's just a wee bit problematic, but pretty typical: It conflates Kerouac the writer and Duluoz the character. Though "Big Sur" certainly has autobiographical elements, it isn't a memoir. But, like "On the Road," it seems it's easier for films to make Kerouac and his creations one thing.
That aside, the film looks beautiful. And actor Jean-Marc Barr seems to have an understanding of Kerouac that goes far beyond hero worship. "What I play in 'Big Sur' is the end of the life of an egoist," he told the Wall Street Journal.
The movie, directed by Michael Polish, also stars Anthony Edwards as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Josh Lucas as Neal Cassidy, and Kate Bosworth and Radha Mitchell as the ladies Jack and Neal love.
Who should play J.D. Salinger in the upcoming biopic?
Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' banned in North Carolina
Kate Manning channels a 19th century abortionist in 'My Notorious Life'


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A world-class Institute dedicated to quality forensic science education, training, and research for professionals and students.
The Forensic Science Institute is devoted to academic excellence, through a unique multidisciplinary program, that provides outstanding educational, research, and professional training opportunities for practicing professionals and both undergraduate and graduate students. The Forensic Science Institute is a comprehensive training and research organization in all aspects of evidence collection, preservation, analysis, reporting and testimony. The Institute will promote leadership, character, and public service throughout all training events.
Students who successfully complete a degree program in Forensic Science will:
*Acquire and retain foundational knowledge from the core discipline areas and apply it to an understanding of the continuum from crime scenes to courtrooms.
*Apply the scientific method to forensic science problems: review and interpret forensic science literature; develop well-reasoned,
scientifically sound hypotheses; design experiments to test hypotheses; statistically analyze and interpret data; and communicate results in written and oral formats.
*Communicate forensic science information clearly, concisely, logically, and accurately, to the general public both orally and in writing.
*Function as knowledgeable citizens with an understanding of the role of forensic scientists in society and offer ethical, well-reasoned
arguments/solutions to societal concerns related to forensic science.
*Demonstrate global and cultural competencies (avenues for learning might include study tours, guest lectures featuring international experts in forensic science, reading materials, and community engagement activities).
*Comprehend and demonstrate a working knowledge of safe and healthy practices in forensic science through adherence to accepted quality assurance standards and health and safety procedures.


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The People's Cook & Intermedia Arts To Present 28 DAYS Of GOOD ENERGIA, 10/19 - 11/15
The People's Cook in partnership with Intermedia Arts announces the start of 28 DAYS Of GOOD ENERGIA on Friday, October 19. Running for 28 consecutive days from October 19 – November 15, 2012, this multi-media, cross-cultural arts event was conceived and created by Robert Farid Karimi to encourage communities to use the power of their own cultural stories, rituals and recipes to curb the rising tide of Type 2 Diabetes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 1 in 10 American adults suffers from Type 2 Diabetes. If trends continue to rise as expected, 1 in 3 will have this disease by 2050. Communities of color, specifically African Americans, Latina/os, Asian Americans & Native Americans, carry the highest risk of developing it.
Robert Farid Karimi, Artistic Director of The People's Cook and artist-in-residence at Intermedia Arts says, "We believe that as artists, we have a unique opportunity to challenge the way medical information is distributed to the public &raise awareness about this disease in an engaging, culturally relevant way."
A Creative Capital premiere, 28 DAYS Of GOOD ENERGIA utilizes Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to explore how culture – including food, recipes, rituals & stories - can be used as a source for healing. Artistic components within the project include FEED & BE FED, an interactive art exhibit featuring 12 local and national artists and ¡VIVA LA SOUL POWER!, a live performance & culinary experience hosted by Mero Cocinero, who believes cooking and eating together is a revolutionary act. Additional outreach activities in Twin Cities' neighborhoods include community potlucks, happenings, workshops and daily online content www.ThePeoplesCook.org.
FEED & BE FED (Alimenta & Alimentarán) is an interactive art exhibit happens from October 22nd to November 10th, Monday through Friday at 10am to 6pm and Saturday 12-5 pm at Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408 It is free & open to the public. The opening reception is Thursday, October 25 from 6 to 9 pm; music, live performance, special guests & free food.
¡VIVA LA SOUL POWER! is a live performance & culinary experience which happens from November 1-4 and 7-10. At 6 pm doors open and 7 pm the show starts at
Intermedia Arts. Tickets are $25 and include dinner, they can be purchased at www.intermediaarts.org or 612.871.4444. Seating is limited so advance reservations recommended.
OPEN KITCHEN COMMUNITY POTLUCK- RECIPES FROM OUR GREAT GRANDPARENTS happens Wednesday, October 24 from 7 to 9 pm with special guest filmmaker, Helen Demichiel, from lunchlovecommunity.org at Intermedia Arts. It is free; bring a dish to share that your great-grandparents would have eaten!
follow @ThePeoplesCook for up-to-date info on time/location
For more Information visit www.ThePeoplesCook.org, follow @ThePeoplesCook, #goodenergy, and join them on facebook at www.Facebook.com/ThePeoplesCook


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Buy The Mating Season by P. G. Wodehouse from Australia's Online Independent Bookstore, Boomerang Books.
Book DetailsISBN: 9780099513773
» Have you read this book? We'd like to know what you think about it - write a review about Mating Season book by P. G. Wodehouse and you'll earn 50c in Boomerang Bucks loyalty dollars (you must be a Boomerang Books Account Holder - it's free to sign up and there are great benefits!)
The author of almost a hundred books and the creator of Jeeves, Blandings Castle, Psmith, Ukridge, Uncle Fred and Mr Mulliner, P.G. Wodehouse was born in 1881 and educated at Dulwich College. After two years with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank he became a full-time writer, contributing to a variety of periodicals. As well as his novels and short stories, he wrote lyrics for musical comedies, and at one stage had five shows running simultaneously on Broadway. At the age of 93, in the New Year's Honours List of 1975, he received a long-overdue Knighthood, only to die on St Valentine's Day some 45 days later.
© 2003-2019. All Rights Reserved. Eclipse Commerce Pty Ltd - ACN: 122 110 687 - ABN: 49 122 110 687


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Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 269-471-6684
by Becky St. Clair
Andrews University invites the community to their annual celebration in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., taking place January 14-20. The celebration is comprised of several events, listed below.
Tuesday, January 14
University Forum in the Howard Performing Arts Center at 11:30 a.m.
"Home(town) Security" presented by Majora Carter, internationally renowned urban revitalization strategy consultant, real estate developer and Peabody Award winning broadcaster.
Thursday, January 16
Chapel in Pioneer Memorial Church at 11:30 a.m.
Jonathan Duffy, president, ADRA International
Friday, January 17
A continuous viewing of King's "I Have a Dream" speech will take place in the Campus Center student lounge from 9 a.m.–noon.
Sabbath, January 18
New Life Fellowship in the Seminary Chapel at 11:45 a.m.
"Guidelines for a Constructive Church" will be presented by Tyler Stewart, MDiv student. This sermon was originally preached by King at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., on June 5, 1966.
Monday, January 20
A continuous viewing of King's "I Have a Dream" speech will take place in the Campus Center student lounge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.


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Realestate.com.au is Australia's #1 home for property, listing real estate for sale in Hotspur, and other property listings by real estate agents in Hotspur. Find buy a property in Hotspur packages, Portland and Glenelg Shire new house and land or Portland and Glenelg Shire new apartments in our new homes section where you can also view the latest new land estates in Portland and Glenelg Shire. If you're looking to sell or new home designs from Portland and Glenelg Shire, Realestate.com.au can provide you with Hotspur auction times, and auction results for Hotspur. Property data and house prices in Hotspur is available as well as recent sold property in Hotspur. People looking for Hotspur rentals and houses to share in Hotspur are catered to as well and everyone visiting Realestate.com.au can take advantage of our free and helpful real estate resource section.


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In the News
Original journalism from the Center's OpenSecrets News
Corporate cash leaking into Democratic campaigns despite "no-corporate-PAC" pledge
April 25, 2019 | Over 50 Democratic candidates have lined up behind the call to boycott corporate PACs, but cash from big business still finds a way in to some campaigns.
Tribal battles make for well-fed lobbyists
May 31, 2017 | In April, another skirmish broke out in Indian Country when the Kalispel Tribe of Indians filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Spokane Tribe of Indians from building a casino. The Kalispel claim the gaming operation would draw business away from their own casino, located only two miles away from the would-be Spokane one, and thereby…
Some Winners, Some Big Losers Among 2014 Lobbying Firms
January 26, 2015 | Despite some last-minute jostling in the fourth quarter, most lobbying firms maintained their spots in the revenue standings in 2014. That said, some firms had a great year, more than doubling their income, and others felt the sting of growing pains from mergers or just a shortage of free-spending clients. Overall, la crème de la crème stayed…
Don't Bet the House: Online Gaming Ban Faces Uncertain Future
May 12, 2014 | Politics has always been partly a game of chance. And when it comes to the politics of gambling policy, where the industry's high-rolling campaign donors are anteing up for a clash over online gaming, it's anybody's guess who the big winners will be. The gaming industry has long had a big presence in Washington.…
Capital Eye Opener, August 22nd: Tribal Lobbying, Yoder Makes Waves, and Retirees Take Spotlight
August 22, 2012 | Two new lobbying registrations this week have ties to Native American tribes, according to Politico. The National Indian Gaming Association and Chickasaw Nation Industries have officially hired Ben Nighthorse Consultants, Inc. and Sprit Rock Consulting, respectively, to represent their interests in the federal government.
EXCLUSIVE: Obama Campaign Refunding Money Donated by Federal Lobbyists
January 27, 2012 | President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is refunding the donations of five registered federal lobbyists who gave to the committee last year, OpenSecrets Blog has learned. Some of these refunds were triggered after OpenSecrets Blog brought the contributions to the campaign's attention. The Obama campaign has pledged to refuse contributions from lobbyists, continuing a policy it set during the 2008 campaign.
K Street Targets E-Verify, Interest Groups Double Down on Internet Poker and More in Capital Eye Opener: November 4
November 4, 2011 | The contentious bill has not only gained attention during the GOP presidential debates, with shout-outs from former Massachusetts governor and current presidential candidate Mitt Romney, but also with some high profile organizations lobbying on the bill.
Where in the World are Barack Obama's Bundlers, A Union Ally to Retire and More in Capital Eye Opener: July 18
July 18, 2011 | Fifty-six of President Barack Obama's bundlers were from California. And they collectively raised at least $8.9 million, more than bundlers in any other state. Thirty-five New Yorkers, meanwhile, raised a minimum of $4.9 million. And 24 residents of the battle ground state of Florida bundled a minimum of $3.55 million.
Bill to Grant Federal Marriage Benefits to Gay & Lesbian Couples Faces Uphill Battle
September 15, 2009 | Democratic Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York introduced a bill today to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Groups advocating for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues and rights, however, face an uphill battle on K Street and Capitol Hill to pass it.
Interior Motives
December 16, 2008 | Barack Obama seems poised to appoint Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) to the position of Secretary of the Interior, following a tradition of giving the post to a leader from one of the Western states, where natural resources and land use are prominent policy issues. In this role, Salazar, who has collected a total of $321,800 from the energy and natural resources sector during his short time in the Senate, will oversee the Bureau of Land Management.
Casting Off Jack Abramoff
April 7, 2006 | What do magazine publishers, a railroad and Microsoft have in common with Indian tribes? They were all clients of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the central figure in the corruption scandal unfolding in Washington. And during the time Abramoff represented them, they all made campaign contributions to members of Congress and President Bush.
Abramoff's Clients Spent $72 Million on Political Influence
March 30, 2006 | New analysis tallies contributions and lobbying by the disgraced lobbyist's full client list. How much of the money, as Sen. Frist said, is 'tainted'? ____________________ When Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty in January to corruption charges, politicians rushed to dump contributions they had received from the high-flying lobbyist and the Indian tribes he admitted defrauding. The…
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Together with Designboom, a leading online magazine, we have organized a contest of the best logo design. You are great designers and we know it. What would you do with a logo for our blog? Using the Moleskinerie blog as your subject, design your vision for the logo. We will showcase the designer with the best work and award a prize to the winner. You retain the rights. This is a celebration of the designer with the best work.
To read about some of the changes we've made to our contest based on the concerns of the community and to ensure we're not condoning unpaid spec work, see our full response here: http://www.moleskinerie.com/2011/10/dear-moleskinerie.html
Together with Designboom, a leading online design magazine, we have organized a contest to select the new Moleskinerie logo. Today, in fact, you have the opportunity to create the next logo of Moleskinerie, our offial blog dedicated to you and your passions for Moleskine notebooks.
How? It's simple!
Follow these steps:
- Create your logo and upload it to the Designboom website within Moleskine section, starting today
- The deadline for submitting your entries is November 10th
- A shortlist of the 100-150 best designs, chosen by a jury to be selected in the coming weeks, will be published at the end of November
- The winner will be announced in early December
Visit the Designboom website to learn more…and to find out the amazing prize you can win!
We would like to inform you that some terms of the contest have changed.
In particular the point #10, regarding the intellectual property rights of the participants: considering that these conducted to a misleading perception, a part from the winner who will get the final prize, Moleskine will retain no rights on any other entry.


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by Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B.
Abbot of Maredsous
Christ came to earth to be our model.
The Word became Incarnate, not only to bring us the gospel of salvation and to
accomplish our redemption, but also to serve as a pattern for our spiritual lives.
Each of Christ's mysteries is a revelation of His virtues. The humility of the crib,
the retirement of His hidden life, the zeal of His public life the self-annihilation of
His Sacrifice, the glory of His triumph, all these disclose virtues which we must imitate;
they are mysteries in which we should participate.
This is the reason why the contemplation of the mysteries of Christ--for instance,
while reciting the Rosary--is so fruitful for the soul. The life, the death, and the glory
of Jesus serve as ideal models for our life and death and glory.
Never forget this truth: the Eternal Father is pleased with us only in so far as we
imitate His Son and inasmuch as He sees in us the likeness of His Son, for it is in His
image that He has predestined us from all eternity.
For us there is no other form of sanctity than that which Christ has shown us. The
degree of our perfection is measured by the degree of our imitation of Jesus and of our
union with Him.
Preface from Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B., The Mysteries Of The Rosary.
Translated and published by the Monks of Marmion Abbey, Aurora, Illinois.
Translation of Dom Columba Marmion's Les Mysteres du Rosaire published with the
permission of the Abbey of Maredsous in Belgium.
Electronic text (c) Copyright 1996 EWTN. All rights reserved.
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This past weekend Jamie Patrick hosted 50-some-odd swimmers, spouses, children, and pets at his vacation cottage in Lake County, north of Napa Valley. While the majority of guests hailed from the nearby Bay Area, others journeyed from more far-flung locations: Darren from Pittsburgh, Michelle from Florida, Bob from Portland, and Gords & Goody from Utah.
The event was nominally a Swim Camp - and indeed, many of the campers have big plans this season: the English Channel for Gords and Jen; Catalina for Goody; Tsugaru for Darren; Paul's insane Sea of Cortez swim; and of course Jamie's own circumnavigation of Tahoe.
But even before rumors of a mysterious itch-inducing substance in the lake, I had no ambitious training plans. I was more interested in the people and conversation – making new friends and re-connecting with old ones. I executed reasonably well on this goal.
Friday morning we caravan-ed to nearby Clear Lake, which offered cooler waters and more room to roam. The previous evening, Jen and I discovered we have a pretty good tandem-swimming rhythm together, so we partnered up for the morning.
After some initial chaos and confusion (nobody had any idea where we were going), our group - Jen, myself, Steve Munatones, Lexie, and Paul Lundgren - settled into a comfortable groove. We swam about 5km in one direction in 1hr15min. Then the pontoon boat (piloted alternately by Jamie, Vito, and Vito's unbearably obnoxious dog Luigi) instructed us to turn around and swim back.
It was a glorious swim. Jen and I swam stroke-for-stroke, often for 20-30 minutes at a time without pausing. Such great fun! I've never experienced a more refreshing 10K in my life. Despite two hours of sleep the previous night, I was neither tired nor sore at the end. I think I could have swum all day.
The morning didn't go quite so smoothly for some. One trio of swimmers got left behind at the far end of the lake, without access to nutrition. They ended up hitchhiking back to the marina. I'll let Goody tell that story. In the end, everyone was safe and (I hope) lessons were learned.
Aside from the Clear Lake swim, my total training for the weekend included a single 1.2-mile lap of Jamie's lake Thursday evening, another lap Saturday morning with Cathy, and a clothing-optional out-and-back group swim Thursday night. Like I said - I wasn't really there for training.
Sunday morning seemed to arrive too soon, and it was time for Rob and me to head back down the coast to our respective homes. It was a long drive, but all the good memories swirling about seemed to compress the miles.
Thanks to Jamie for opening your home to us, and organizing this ridiculously fun weekend.
Until next year!


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It's becoming more and more clear that the Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis are headed for a divorce. And that they're currently involved in a not-so-subtle P.R. battle.
Revis supposedly doesn't want to be traded by the Jets. But he also doesn't want to show up for offseason workouts, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Specifically, Revis wants to avoid an awkward situation, and he prefers to continue his ACL rehab work in Arizona.
He can't have it both ways. If he truly doesn't want to be traded, he needs to be all in, especially with a $1 million workout bonus riding on his decision to participate in at least 80 percent of the team's offseason workouts. Per Cimini, a $1 million roster bonus and a $1 million reporting bonus also hinge on Revis showing up for offseason workouts. (It would be unusual to tie other money to showing for voluntary workouts, but we can't confirm or debunk the assertion without looking at the specific language of the contract.)
The Jets, per Cimini, expect Revis to be there when offseason workouts open on April 15. That's not surprising; to get a trade package headlined by the 2013 first-round pick new G.M. John Idzik reportedly covets, the Jets need to perpetuate the notion that, if they can't trade Revis, they'll keep him. If they instead let Revis work out on his own but still pay him the money he gets only by showing up and working out with the team (whether that's $1 million, $3 million, or something in between), other teams will believe the Jets are determined to trade him.
The fact that this is even an issue shows that Revis wants out — and it lends credence to the idea that he knows the Buccaneers are ready to give him the kind of contract the Jets presumably never will.


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MyEIU will serve as your personal portal into EIU, allowing you to learn anything you could possibly want to know about our campus. Your portal will plug you into the university's latest news, events, and opportunities to visit, along with links to information matching your unique interests. Let's get started! Go ahead and sign up now.
The Doudna Fine Arts Center will bring a wide variety of outstanding artistic, cultural and educational events to the region in its 2012-2013 season.
EIU basketball is in full swing, so make sure you stay caught up on the latest news and info from our men's and women's hoops squads.
You are at: Planned Giving > Gift Options


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Please do not hesitate to contact either Felicity-Ann or Annie if you have any queries regarding the above workshops or any workshops during the year.
Felicity-Ann - Tel: 01273 472430
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Annie - Tel: 01323 895489
Email: email@example.com
Ouse Valley Quilters was formed in 1994. It was a Lewes based group with five sub-groups in the surrounding areas, and a membership of 44. Now in 2018 we are still based in Lewes but with 11 sub-groups and over 100 members.
Currently there is a waiting list to join the group.
Read more about Ouse Valley Quilters here.
We meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm (excluding December).
The venue is Cliffe Hall, Cliffe High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2AH.


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Getty Images
There's good news in Cleveland after a scary incident at training camp practice.
Offensive lineman Ryan Miller, who was taken from the field by ambulance, has a concussion, the team announced on Saturday night. While concussions are significant injuries (even if "mild"), news of the incident prompted concerns that Miller may have suffered a serious neck injury.
According to the Browns, Miller is resting comfortably at the hospital and likely will be released tonight.
Under league protocol, Miller will be unable to practice or play in any preseason or regular-season games until he has been cleared by an independent neurologist.
UPDATE 8:49 p.m. ET: The Browns have advised PFT that Miller has been released from the hospital.


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Ensuring quality and sustainability through processes that boost efficiency and deliver great results to help you meet your business goals.
Nalco Water
1601 W. Diehl Road
Naperville, Il 60563
Thank you for your interest in our manufacturing process and utilities products and services.
Learn more about how we solve our customer's challenges
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We will introduce three of these concepts (in this section) that you can easily introduce to your children at home or in the community. The activities described in the next two sections of this book are based on these concepts, as are many other simple science-related projects.
Help your children understand that we can't always take someone else's word for something. That's why it's important to find out for ourselves.


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If you read discussions on the Internet about memory allocation (and who doesn't, really), one surprising tidbit that always comes up is that in Linux, malloc never returns null because the kernel does a thing called memory overcommit. This is easy to verify with a simple test application.
#include<stdio.h> #include<malloc.h> int main(int argc, char **argv) { while(1) { char *x = malloc(1); if(!x) { printf("Malloc returned null.\n"); return 0; } *x = 0; } return 1; }
This app tries to malloc memory one byte at a time and writes to it. It keeps doing this until either malloc returns null or the process is killed by the OOM killer. When run, the latter happens. Thus we have now proved conclusively that malloc never returns null.
Or have we?
Let's change the code a bit.
#include<stdio.h> #include<malloc.h> int main(int argc, char **argv) { long size=1; while(1) { char *x = malloc(size*1024); if(!x) { printf("Malloc returned null.\n"); printf("Tried to alloc: %ldk.\n", size); return 0; } *x = 0; free(x); size++; } return 1; }
In this application we try to allocate a block of ever increasing size. If the allocation is successful, we release the block before trying to allocate a bigger one. This program does receive a null pointer from malloc.
When run on a machine with 16 GB of memory, the program will fail once the allocation grows to roughly 14 GB. I don't know the exact reason for this, but it may be that the kernel reserves some part of the address space for itself and trying to allocate a chunk bigger than all remaining memory fails.
Summarizing: malloc under Linux can either return null or not and the non-null pointer you get back is either valid or invalid and there is no way to tell which one it is.
Happy coding.


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About the Chimes and Tower
The Cornell Chimes
The Cornell Chimes has been the heartbeat of campus life for more than a century, marking the hours and chiming concerts. The original set of nine bells first rang out at the university's opening ceremonies October 7, 1868. Over time the chime has been recast and expanded to 21 bells; it continues to ring daily concerts, making it one of the largest and most frequently played chimes in the world.
The bells are played by "chimesmasters." An average of ten chimesmasters play three concerts daily during the school year and a reduced schedule during the summer and semester breaks, in addition to a variety of specialty concerts. Each spring a rigorous ten-week competition is held for anyone interested in becoming a chimesmaster. Previous chime experience is not a requirement to playing this unique instrument, only the ability to read music and the energy to climb 161 steps. There is no electronic assistance to the playing mechanism - all the work is done by the player. In the 1940s a chimesmaster received physical education credit for her efforts!
Virtually every kind of music is played on the bells, from Baroque to Beatles, Schubert to Scott Joplin, "Pomp and Circumstance" to the "Mickey Mouse March," selected from a collection of more than 2500 pieces specially arranged for the Cornell Chimes by current and former chimesmasters. There are even duets. Because of the direct link between the playing stand and the clapper of the bell, it is possible to vary the dynamics of the music.
The chimes remain a bastion of tradition on campus. The "Cornell Changes" (known affectionately as the "Jennie McGraw Rag" in honor of the donor of the original bells) has heralded every morning concert since 1869. Its 549 notes provide a challenge to chimesmasters, whose goal it is to play it as fast as possible. It must be memorized by aspiring chimesmasters. Also played daily are the "Alma Mater" at the midday concert, and the "Cornell Evening Song" at the end of the evening concert.
McGraw Tower
The bells were originally played on a ground level playing stand on the site of the current clock tower, before moving to McGraw Hall in 1873. In 1891, upon its completion, they were moved to their permanent home atop library tower (later renamed McGraw Tower). Local architect William Henry Miller designed the 173-foot tower and adjacent Uris library.
The seven rooms in the tower were originally used to store the library's stacks (presumably the lesser-used works!). They now house the chimes office, museum, practice room, and the 1875 Seth Thomas clock with a 14-foot pendulum. Visitors can still see the clockworks and pendulum, but a computer now operates the clock. In 1999 as part of the restoration of the bells and tower, a global positioning system was linked to the clockworks keeping all four clockfaces correct, up to the second!
The tower, a symbol of the university, as it stands above Cornell and the community is known to take on different appearances during the school year. Every Halloween the glowing clock faces resemble four jolly jack-o-lanterns. In March the clock faces take on a greenish hue in anticipation of Dragon Day when the first-year Architecture students debut their giant dragon to be thwarted by the rival Engineers.
Visitors are welcome and encouraged to attend our chimes concerts to fully appreciate these icons. Something essential would be missing from the campus without that cheery tintinnabulation that serenades Cornellians and visitors daily. In the words of Albert W. Smith 1878:
I wake at night and think I hear
Remembered chimes,
And mem'ry brings in visions clear
Enchanted times
Beneath green elms with branches bowed
In springtime suns,
Or touching elbows in a crowd
Of eager ones;
Again I'm hurrying past the towers
Or with the teams,
Or spending precious idling hours
In golden dreams
- from "The Hill"
You can read more about the history and lore of the Cornell Chimes and McGraw Tower in The Cornell Chimes, by Ed McKeown, available at the Cornell Store. Recordings of the Chimes is also available.
Quick Links
Contact Information
Cornell Chimes
3058 South Balch Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
(607) 255-5350
Please address any comments or questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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In the summer of 2009, my 8-year-old son, Sho, and I set off on our own to ride connected bicycles the length of mainland Japan, covering about 2,500 miles in 67 days. We visited 9 World Heritage Sites, cycled over mountains, along coastlines, through virtually uninhabited stretches of countryside, and in major metropolitan areas. Japan offers some incredible places to explore by bike. At the end of this article, we compiled a list of recommendations for anyone interested in cycling Japan. It's a great way to see the country!
My wife, Eiko, is Japanese, and works for the United Nations. I am American (born in Nashville, Tennessee) and work for Intel. We live in New York City with our son Sho and 3-year-old daughter Saya. Sho and I can speak Japanese fairly well, which was a big help on the trip. But you do not have to speak Japanese to bike around the country, since many people can speak some English.
Calling the ride "UNite to Combat Climate Change – Ride Japan," we created a website (www.japanbikeride.com) and used publicity from the effort to raise awareness about the need to address climate change and to raise money for the United Nations' Billion Tree Campaign. The campaign's goal is to plant 7 billion trees worldwide in 2009. The United Nations Environment Programme named us "Climate Heroes" for this effort. As a result, our adventure was featured in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Sho and I started riding on June 25th at Cape Soya, the northern tip of Hokkaido, and arrived at Cape Sata, the southern tip of Kyushu, on August 30th. As far as we know, Sho became the youngest person ever to ride a bike the length of Japan. Many people we met were shocked that an 8-year-old would attempt such a thing and equally suspicious of me for encouraging him to try it. We just told them, "A kid can do a whole lot more than many people think!"
Cape Soya, the northern tip of Japan, on the first day of the ride
On a typical day, we rode for a total of 6 or 7 hours, taking regular breaks to eat, make friends with strangers, explore interesting sites, throw a ball or just rest. We usually did not know where we would sleep that night, preferring to allow for impromptu course changes and discoveries. We often slept in our tent, but sometimes stayed in ryoukan (traditional Japanese inns), small hotels or a Buddhist temple. One time, we reached the top of a mountain in the Japan Alps as the sun was setting, and found an empty hiker's hut to provide shelter for the night. We also slept in the homes of friendly locals, who treated us to delicious meals and lively conversation.
To be continued in the next issue…


text:
Yurina Kumai towers over other Japanese popstars—literally. At 176cm, she's by far the tallest member of her group, Berryz Kobo. Sure, that's "only" 5 feet 9 inches (some now wonder if she's actually taller), but your typical Japanese pop star is much, much shorter.
The discrepancy becomes evident when Kumai stands next to her contemporaries—or appears on TV, for that matter. When she's on television, either has her head cut out of frame or writing accidentally appear over her eyes.
Japanese variety shows are cluttered with subtitles and graphics—often so the show can highlight certain things people say or clue viewers in to what's going on future events.
Just like when short popstars are paraded out in front of tall models, this tall popstar is paraded out with short popstars.
【画像あり】熊井友理奈ちゃん(自称176cm) [アルファルファモザイク]


text:
Monday, April 30, 2007
Proper Scottish Nationalism
I suppose we should steel ourselves for the inevitable, mind-numbing reiteration of Scotland's many virtues - I hope you'll excuse me, but if there's one subject I'm heartily sick of hearing and reading about, it's Scottish independence.
The invocations of Scotland's vast mineral wealth, its industry, its unique character - it's like being locked in a room with a coked-up real-ale bore, his mind exploding with sudden insights on the brewing process.
Sadly, I'm one of those lowlanders whose heart has never been swelled by the skirl of the pipes.
It seems to me that the Nats are setting their sights too low - nationalism is so last century. There's no grand vision here.
Aggressive imperialistic nationalism is another matter.
I'll support the Nats when they campaign on a platform for the immediate invasion and annexation of Northern England and Ireland.
Come on, it's the last thing they'll expect, and Britain is full of Scots who can act as sleeper agents. At a prearranged time, we'll rise up and sieze control of the state apparatus.
Southern England would likely resist occupation, due to a large number of Tory partisans, so it would be best to topple the government then hastily withdraw, leaving a puppet administration to maintain order.
Independence? It's for wimps. Show me your plans for the Glorious Empire of Greater Caledonia, Mr. Salmond, then we'll chat.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet
Typical local councils, blowing our money on madcap schemes. If anything, the quake did more harm than good.
Come the elections on Thursday, I'll be voting for a decent, common sense candidate opposed to such tectonic tomfoolery.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Plans Of Mice Mostly Cheese-Related
Friday, April 27, 2007
Friday Debauchery Round-Up
Monday, April 23, 2007
We All Got It Comin', Kid
Sadly, I soon realised that I'd misheard - I'm sure that you can imagine my disappointment when it became apparent that it was in fact Boris Yeltsin that had died, and not the mop-haired affront Johnson.
I was halfway through my victory dance too, a-whoopin' and a-hollerin' like a Russian oligarch in a pension fund.
Boy, did I feel foolish.
Condolences to Mr. Yeltsin's family, who should be assured that while his passing may be a shock they will find that, following some short-term instability, their lives will improve enormously thanks to his radical mortality reforms.
After a brief period of austerity, the free market will naturally fill the gap left by Mr. Yeltsin with freedom, prosperity and quite possibly magical ponies.
I can assure Mr. Yeltsin's relatives that it is very, very unlikely that their life savings will wind up in the pockets of foreign investors or criminals.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Equalite, Liberte Et Stupidite
Not a mile from where I sit, huge quantities of stinking effluent are spewing into the Forth - a gushing geyser disgorging a noisome torrent of reeking ordure.
On a related note, I see that Michelle Malkin has published her thoughts on the French presidential elections, to whit - France is a stinking basket-case of a country filled with nazis, jihadis and effete snobs that deserves to burn in the fires of militant Islam.
"Enjoy your street sign in Ramallah, dhimmi," she spits at Jacques Chirac, showing why she's such a handsomely recompensed cable news personality and one of the internet's most popular bloggers.
Ms. Malkin seems to believe that this summer's riots in France's banlieus are evidence of the republic's imminent destruction, and she seems quite delighted by the prospect.
Of course, the French have been mobbing, rioting and looting for at least 250 years by my count, which seems to punch a hole in her argument. If anything, the car-burning antics of the urban poor are a sign that immigrants are saluting the traditional French way of life.
Arson and pillage are as French as onion trifle and syphilis, and jolly good on them. Tony Blair and his oafish mob of twatty hall monitors wouldn't dare pull half the stunts they do if we had an ounce of the Gallic spirit.
Still, it's interesting that Michelle has so much raw hatred for the French, simply because they refused to cheer for America's disastrous war in Iraq.
Perhaps British bloggers should take note, because sooner or later our armed forces will be leaving the Americans to get on with it themselves. When they do, it's a sure thing that we'll be next to feel the sharp stabs of Ms. Malkin's poison pen.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Of Fools And Pity
For instance, take a look at the chart below -
Does this chart enlighten us upon the state of contemporary politics? Does it give any indication of the nuances in ideology between the great dictators and the saints of modern politics?
Does it buggery - we might as well try to read deep insights into a poorly-Photoshopped image of a Nazi hedgehog.
It seems clear to me that we need to redefine the political spectrum in a clearer form - when we have Tory leader David Cameron sheltering under the same umbrella as General Pinochet, our vocabulary is in serious need of overhaul.
I've given this matter serious thought, analysing the various trends of modern political tendencies - managerialism, monetarism, environmentalism, libertarianism etc., and I've come up with a foolproof method of categorisation.
Firstly, I was forced to turn to one of the foremost thinkers of the modern era, and I've applied the power of His rigorous intellect to the problem.
Having done so, I'm proud to offer my greatest gift to political bloggery - Mr. T's Piechart of Political Pity.
The major difficulty is that all fools will have to be brought before Mr. T for judgement, since T is famously averse to air travel. In extreme cases, such as fools too old and feeble to undertake arduous journeys towards their ultimate pitying, it may be necessary to drug Mr. T's milk and swiftly fly Him to the fool in question.
We'll need to move quickly if we are to cement Mr. T's wonderful legacy, however, as even He is not immortal, and one day shall surely come to dust.
I almost can't bear to think of the fools that will go unpitied, the lessons that will go unlearned (by fools) and the Jibba-Jabba which will go unpunished should we miss this golden opportunity.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Other Wars You Might Have Missed...
"Is that your sixth pint?" asked a troublesome co-worker, whilst in the pub recently. "Jesus, why do you have to drink so much?"
To which I was forced to respond, well, drugs are expensive and difficult to come by. Also, I don't have to drink - I can stop whenever I like.
Which is a fine way of bringing up yesterday's announcement that the War on Drugs has developed not necessarily to our advantage...
"About one in five people arrested is a heroin addict...
There has been a 111% rise in the number of people jailed for all drug-related offences between 1994 and 2005.
However, street prices have dropped - with heroin falling from £70 a gram in 2000 to £54 in 2005."
The politicians and the people have been jerking each others' law enforcement fantasies over drug laws for as long as I can remember.
"Drugs can lead to addiction, psychosis and death," our teachers intoned at us in sonorous tones of mighty gravitas, totally bumming our highs.
"Yeah, right on daddy-o," we used to say. "You got a twenty I could borrow?."
And still, we find that most of our serious crime is being committed by a small core of serious addicts.
Since we've tried the draconian approach, the very draconian approach and the very, very draconian approach to drugs, I thought I might offer some suggestions that might actually work...
Legalise Drugs For The Employed - Anyone who has a job can take whatever they like, provided they show up at work in a fit state. I can't think of any other incentive to get our unemployable underclass motivated towards gainful employment.
Compulsory Scientology - State-sponsored religion.
Christian Advertising Campaigns - Stress that 70% of people in the Lake of Fire are there on drugs charges.
Sharia Law - Behead some sense into those kids.
Coked-Up Stock-Brokers To Lecture Kids On How Drugs Boost Dividends And Help You Close Kick-Ass Deals - Terrify the little beggars with cautionary tales.
Stoned Teachers Bring Guitars To Class, Sing-a-Longs To "Give Peace A Chance"
Branding With Hot Irons
Ozzy Osbourne To Drive School Bus - Rendition of "Ironman" compulsory.
And those are just the ones I thought sounded sensible, so you can imagine how baked I am right now.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The Cutting Edge of Democracy
MSP's are elected by proportional representation, which allows us to vote for more than one candidate, just like they do in Pakistan and Ohio.
I realise that this system might be unfamiliar to readers from unenlightened corners of civilisation, but I'll explain it by example using my own voting intentions.
As my primary vote, I'll be going for the Whigs, whose committed stand against Jacobinism has really caught my eye this year.
Secondly, I'm drawn to the Scottish Draconian Party's platform of hardcore British values, to whit -
1) Britain is a fucking democracy, where every fucker has the right to say whatever the fuck he wants.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
...Bullets Do.
By Bruce Heffernan
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 17th April 2007
In times of national crisis, it's a natural reaction to reach for comforting answers. When horrible things happen, it's all too easy to lash out at the wrong target and compound the tragedy; to throw out the baby with the bath-water.
It's at these times that we need to stand firm, clinging to our core beliefs. It's when we're faced with a motiveless multiple shooting that we need to speak out clearly and bravely, and declare that guns don't kill people - bullets kill people.
In the passion of the moment, it's easy to fall prey to the simple nostrums of those who seek to take away that which forms the very cornerstone of our identity - harmless mechanical devices that, if used for the purpose their manufacturers intended, can propel lethal projectiles at incredible velocities into human bodies.
The argument that guns are to blame for many thousands of unnecessary deaths in the last decade is facile and easily disproved - no-one has ever choked to death upon a pistol, nor has anybody ever accidentally decapitated himself with the stock of a shotgun.
Guns are perfectly harmless in the hands of law-abiding citizens who keep them locked securely away. It is only when irresponsible people use their firearms to expel white hot slugs of metal at potentially harmful speeds that they become problematic.
And let us not be unduly harsh upon the humble bullet - often, the bullet is entirely blameless, and the true killer is blood poisoning, or a stray splinter of bone that pierces a vital organ.
Let us not be so hasty to give up our freedom in the face of adversity. Only our eternal vigilance can ensure our firearms stay where they belong - out of the hands of children, in locked drawers and cabinets.
(Many apologies to the Onion, as usual...)
Can't See The Wood For All These Damn Trees
What's baffling me today is that I so rarely see my opinions reflected in the press.
See, I've had a good look around at the reaction to the latest campus shooting, and yet again it's like this is the first time this has ever happened. "This is so unexpected," I've heard more than once.
As the blame game commences, the same talking points are reiterated- "we should ban guns", "If only the students had been armed", "what were the cops thinking?", "Hollywood is to blame...", "At the end of the day, Evil is to blame..."
The press will shake their collective heads, the bloggers will carry water for their various interests, and they'll all conclude that this was an incomprehensible tragedy.
And next year, a well-educated middle-class kid with little history of violence or mental illness will walk into his school and the same thing will happen again.
The problem is that in putting the blame on guns and "Evil", we're fooling ourselves. The real question should be, "Where is all this rage coming from?"
It's easy to forget, but the rage murder is a relatively recent phenomenon, and one that is far more common in America than elsewhere - while there were massacres in the past, they only became commonplace with the post office shootings of the 1980's. From there they spread to schools and colleges.
Forty years ago, it was almost unheard of for middle-class people to snap and murder their peers and colleagues - now, it's treated as a force of nature, as inevitable and unstoppable as tsunamis and earthquakes.
We won't be asking what it is about western society that causes suicidal acts of demonstrative violence - nobody will draw a connection between the shock-horror coverage of this incident and its cause.
I absolutely guarantee that anybody drawing a link between this massacre and horrifying acts of nihilistic murder like the London underground bombings will be shouted down in a storm of anger, when it seems to me that they spring from a common root.
Alas, we'll have to wait for posterity to shed light upon this savage aspect of our culture. Perhaps we need that removal from our society in order to look at it dispassionately and ask the question that we should all be asking today -
"Where is all this rage coming from?"
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Bring Me The Head of Light Entertainment
First up, it was the one where Ross and Chandler attempt to fix Phoebe's washing machine, and wind up doing her from both ends on the kitchen table.
Then it was the one where Joey walks in to find Monica and Rachel at it like knives on the divan, then hilarious hi-jinks and hot steamy action ensue.
That's my favourite one, even better than the episode where one of them was pregnant, the one with the dwarf and the neck-massager.
I was just surprised at the racy dialogue - I'm sure I remember it as a family show, but it was all "Suck my this" and "Lick my that", and "Eff my Effing C, you big Effer."
I'm not a prude, but kids could be watching, for God's sake.Not that I'm a stranger to deviancy, but I try to keep my unpleasant urges to myself.
For instance, I have a thing about bottoms, but I don't trouble Mrs. Rodent with it - I just sit on my arse until it goes numb, then it feels like I'm groping someone else.
And as I was saying to Clairwil the other day, I'm far too miserly to pay for phonesex. I usually just call up the Samaritans and threaten to kill myself unless they talk dirty to me.
It saves me a fortune.
Well, consider yourselves warned before you go renting out your old favourites - your memory isn't always as reliable as you might think.
That evening in with He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe might throw up more surprises than you'd expect.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Ich Bin Ein Schottlander
I won't be voting for extreme nationalists and racists, however - I find their hatred of immigrants repellent and I am implacably opposed to their small-minded xenophobia.
Plus, their spokesman was some kind of Orkney-dwelling, island-monkey teuchter, and I'll be fucked if I'm voting for some sheep-shagging Norwegian to sit in my elected legislature.
Fucking rock-hoppers - they should send them all back to Shetland where they belong.
That Blogger Code Of Ethics
Well, I don't need to sign any petition to ensure my good behaviour - I'm an unfailingly pleasant chap, and I've never knowingly allowed a lie to pass my lips.
I was saying just that to Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos fame just the other day, I said "Markos, I always treat my fellow man with the utmost respect and would never tell a falsehood. My whole life has been a campaign for truth and justice."
"Fuckin' A, FR," he said, passing me the crackpipe. "Now, I want you to give my nuts a Chinese burn, and really twist 'em hard."
"Not again," I thought, but being the polite type I complied.
"Jesus, yes!" he shrieked as I mangled the family jewels, "That's it, harder, harder!".
Blogging code of ethics?
Blogging pile of old wank, more like.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Crimes Of Imperialism
Not content with pillage, murder and terror, the military is now indoctrinating the children of Iraq in our barbarous ways.
"Brigadier James Everard CBE, Commander of 20th Armoured Brigade, said: "As a military commander in southern Iraq I had never dreamt that cricket would help to form a bridge between our two cultures so successfully."
Hanging's Too Good For 'Em
"Sarah's Law", for the uninitiated, is a measure that would allow parents to be informed if a convicted sex offender moved in near their homes.
Newspapers have been full of terrifying tales of perverts grooming children over the internet, and parents have reacted strongly, demanding this kind of draconian legislation.
Hypocrites that they are - I'll bet you that the very same parents who are most vocal about online grooming are the same parents who are always fussing over their kids' hair and tying their shoelaces.
As for parents who lick handkerchiefs to wipe dirty marks off their kids' faces, jail is too good for them.
They should all be castrated, even the mothers.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Cheers For The Chocolate Eggs, Jesus
Well, I think we're ignoring the real culprits here. Given the inevitability of technological advancement, it's a certainty that sooner or later someone will invent some kind of time travel device.
And when that happens, what will be the number one holiday destination?
Golgotha, about 30 AD.
Which means that we killed Jesus, scumbags that we are. We should be ashamed of ourselves.
Incidentally, I always thought it was ironic that Jesus was killed by being nailed to a bit of wood - he was a carpenter, after all.
If he'd been a plumber, I bet the Romans would've flushed Him down the toilet.
Friday, April 06, 2007
The Central Conundrum Of British Politics
While the nation has changed radically due to globalisation, privatisation and streamlined capitalism, the Lift has been unable to advance. It remains trapped, capable of rising and falling, but never of going forward.
The problem is plain to see - the Lift lacks inclusiveness, with little room for manoeuvre within its narrow confines. One could wait expectantly for decades for an innovative suggestion, but the Lift has nothing to offer but the same simplistic formulations that it has offered since Attlee was a boy.
If anyone had been doubtful of the Lift's irrelevance, its abject indifference to the rise of radical Islamism surely confirmed our most dire suspicions. While thousands perished at the hands of totalitarians, the Lift remained stuck between floors, mindful only of the need for maintenance.
So what can be done to reinvigorate the Lift? The answer can only come from the Lift itself, and the prognosis is not good - for as long as it continues to serve only those within its cold embrace rather than offering a coherent vision to society, it will remain irrelevant to the majority of humanity.
(F.R. - Will this do? This is my first stab at writing for Democratiya, so I can edit it if you like.)
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Boss's Dick Won't Suck Itself
There's Something About Rodent
Stalking is one of the most hateful of all public order crimes and it can have terrible effects for victims. To be deprived of one's peace of mind by a prolonged campaign of harrassment and intimidation is to be deprived of one's freedom, and to be subjected to such treatment merely for blogging is despicable.
In that vein, here's my list of the Top Ten Bloggers I'd Most Like To Stalk -
1) Wisdom Weasel
2) Philip Challinor
3) Larry Teabag
4) Teh L4m3
5) Sonic
6) Pigdogfucker
7) Ball Bag
8) Gorilla Bananas
9) Harry Hutton
10) Curious Hamster
Please don't feel offended if I've missed you out, I'll get round to lurking in cyberspace while rifling through your virtual rubbish eventually.
It's never amusing to mock the mentally unstable, but sometimes I feel that we've taken political correctness too far in the opposite direction.
My boss has a sign on his desk saying "You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps!".
Outrageous - I'd always been led to believe that positive discrimination was illegal in the UK. Such displays of nepotism are disgusting in the modern era.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
72 Virgins In Heaven? There Are 72,000 Online At Any Given Moment...
No doubt the stoat-brained oaf would've been more impressed had Pelosi arrived clad only in Doc Martens and a smile, and chosen to demonstrate her respect for local customs by pissing noisily into the collection plate...
"She is a Death-worshipping hag, a traitor to all mankind," opines a commenter who should probably get out more.
I understand the sentiment, since I never respect local cultures myself. When I was last in Boston I spent my time braying like Prince Harry on nitrous oxide, calling loudly for the subjugation of the Irish and snorting derisively when addressed by Americans.
True to form, they beat me with bats and left me to die in a dumpster.
When I was in India, I beat the cows with sticks, affected a cringe-worthy Pete Postlethwaite in The Usual Suspects accent and insisted on riding inside the train.
I damn near got burnt upon someone else's husband's funeral pyre for that.
And when I spent my time in Australia getting smashed on lager, urinating on the fruit machines and grabbing the barmaids by the tits, the Aussies pronounced me a thoroughly good bloke and joined in enthusiastically.
As for Charles and his Merry Band of Bumlickers, it pains me to see their Cassandra-like agonies. Every moment must be a torment for the poor dears. To think, they'll never receive anything but abuse for their fierce opposition to medievalism.
If we carted them off to Summerisle and burned them all in a giant wicker cock, we'd really be doing them a favour.
Monday, April 02, 2007
New Scandal Rocks Wee Gordon Broon
They allege that the Smith Institute is providing and funding polling, policy advice and media training for the chancellor, having been created from surplus funds from a "blind trust".
Well, I think that's scandalous, filching money that was destined for the blind.
Not that I would ever give to charities for the blind myself, of course. It's not as if they're ever going to see any of the money.
Kidnapped Soldiers - The Silly Season Begins
The entire piece is presented as a negative comparison to the days when Margaret Thatcher sent our boys to whip the Argentinian Junta over the Falkland Islands, as opposed to to today's timid, near-pacifist Prime Minister.
Tim makes some good, if rather obvious, points about military overstretch and the negative impact of the Iraq disaster on British leverage, but then veers off into boilerplate bashing of the UN and the BBC, not to mention odd lamentations over the weakness of our relations with America.
The most amusing part is when he alleges that Britain's weakness is the result of appeasing terrorism at home and abroad...
"Although the situation is beginning to improve from the darkest days of 'Londonistan', the British authorities have for many years tended to encourage extremism by only dealing with the more extremist 'representatives' of Britain's Muslims..."
If only we'd had Maggie watching our backs, she'd have sorted these evil extremists out before you could say "privatisation"!
Oh, to be back in those glory days, when Mrs. Thatcher stood adamantine against terrorists, barely supplying them with any weapons at all, and hardly ever inviting them to Number Ten for tea and biscuits!
"(Afghan 'freedom fighter' Abdul Haq) ...met Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan several times. I remember one night having dinner with him when he regaled us with jokes about his tour of 10 Downing Street and the antics of Thatcher's officials. He told her repeatedly to give him more weapons..."And if you'll forgive a lengthy quote...
"Thus, after September 11th 2001, Margaret Thatcher chided British Muslim leaders for not having been sufficiently robust in their condemnation of Afghan terrorism. 'Passengers on those planes were told they were going to die and there were children on board,' she raged. 'They must say that is disgraceful...'
"In 1986 she (Thatcher) had invited the young Afghan resistance leader Abdul Haq to fly to London at the British taxpayers' expense and be entertained in Downing Street. Haq was a self-confessed terrorist who in September 1984 had planted a bomb at Kabul airport, killing twenty-eight people - most of them schoolchildren who were preparing to fly to Moscow. His purpose, he explained, was 'to warn people not to send their children to the Soviet Union;. He also defended the firing of long-range rockets at Kabul, which had killed many civilians and children.
'We use poor rockets, we cannot control them,' he shrugged. 'They sometimes miss. I don't care... if I kill 50 civilians'."
'Did Thatcher... rebuke Haq for his 'disgraceful' callousness? Far from it: she exhorted him to persevere with 'one of the most heroic resistance struggles known to history.'"
(Decent journalist Francis Wheen, How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered The World, p181-2)
It would be possible to explore Mrs. T's relationship with the Afghan resistance against Soviet occupation further, but I think this taster is quite enough. Suffice to say that Maggie's idea of what constitutes a terrorist might be slightly different to mine.
I mention this purely because I expect we're going to hear many a partisan cry "If only the Iron Lady was here to bash the Persians!" in the next few days, and it never hurts to revisit interesting moments in history.
I'm not even going to tackle comparisons between the Falklands War and potential fisticuffs with Iran - if we're going by the simplistic definition of military victory as being in control of the battlefield at the end of hostilities... well, see below.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Democracy, or, The People Know What They Want And Deserve To Get It Good And Hard
"Sort of," seems to be the consensus amongst bloggers, but all agree that something is badly awry, and the hunt for responsible miscreants commences.
In seeking an explanation for our miserable voter apathy, the old Devil finds one perpetrator sitting in the corner looking more guilty than a puppy sitting next to a puddle of piss - the Welfare State.
It's a possible explanation for the degraded state of political discourse in the UK, but with all due respect to him, I suspect that the Devil could easily find the liver-spotted hand of socialism responsible for noisy kids in the cinema, harsh winters and erectile dysfunction.
Mind you, it could be worse - A Very British Dude suggests that the only solution is to deny the vote to Civil Servants, since they're state employees and will vote in their own interests.
"In short, those who pay the piper should call the tune. Those in the pay of the state should have no say in how it is run."
I'll assume that VBD is joking, but I can see where he's coming from. I was a Civil Servant for years, and we used to love election times - the Ministers would jet up from Westminster to share their personal drug stashes and offer each of us our own weight in oral sex.
Personally, I was offended by John Prescott's parsimony with his cocaine, and duly cast my vote for the Liberal Democrats. You'd need a ski-lift to get to the top of the lines Menzies Campbell chops out.
We're all aware of the villainy of Civil Servants, of course. Since "Yes, Minister" thoroughly debunked the notion that anyone could work in the public sector for anything other than avarice and personal gain, it's common knowledge that they spend their days playing ping-pong and dialling phonesex.
I saw the light after reading right-wing blogs, and decided to take a career move sideways into gay porn. I may spend my days being bummed ragged by huge hairy men, degrading myself from every possible angle, but at least I can look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day.
Every time the director shouts "Action!" and I bend over to grab my ankles, I feel an immense swell of pride and dignity*, knowing that I'm not taking the sweat from the brow of Britain's hard-working small businessman.
So I think there's a lot of merit in denying the vote to Civil Servants. Speaking as someone who worked in the court system, punching rivets into the production line of tower block-dwelling illiterates on their eternal procession to HMP Saughton, I'd have gladly ceded my vote to a cab driver, a shopkeeper or an IT consultant.
After all, there's nothing I could possibly learn in five years working in the criminal justice system that the average member of the public couldn't work out with the application of good old British common sense.
I'd just have voted for the MP most highly-skilled in the art of fellatio anyway.
*Insert your own gag here.