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In a sense, I know that we should respect everybody, but do we really just need to keep quiet when crazy religious people preach and yell and affect law? I personally don't think so. Maybe I am too closed minded, but I think the more vocal the atheist community becomes and LESS vocal the religious community can be the world would be better off...Faith is not based in fact, as everybody knows. So why not publicly denounce all faiths as ignorant and detrimental.
Does anybody else have any thoughts on this?
Views: 1695
RE: "For the faithful bible is still the bible." - Personally, I would rephrase that Robert.
I would say that for the faithful, who prefer not to investigate the Bible, and learn about all of the biblical scholars who have evidence that Moses did not write any of the books labeled, "According To Moses," who chose not to learn about all of the other forgeries, pseudepigraphical writings, and insertions by anonymous authors into authentic texts, not to mention the first Council of Nicaea, in which it was arbitrarily decided which books would be included in the New Testament, and which would not (of which, many of the latter were destroyed), then, yes, the Bible is still the Bible.
And an ostrich is still an ostrich --
I agree. The "word of god" is not the "word of god" at all.
I believe it is a human book with no supernatural providence that is "sold" as being infallible and must be taken on faith. And of course, the suspension of the natural laws of physics and biology in front of bewildered crowds of desert tribes are used to somehow prove that. The pope is also claimed to infallible, and thus for faithful catholics a drastic change to a more liberal stance would be hard to swallow. All other liberal sects are less faithful. So no, I don't see droves of the religious suddenly challenging biblical authorship. If atheists were respected by the religious we would not have to fear discrimination, especially in the south where I live.
I owe you an apology, Robert - despite the cool allosaur avatar, I took your post to mean you were a theist, and it was my natural instinct to go into attack mode. Desculpame! (Forgive me!)
I owe you an apology, Robert - despite the cool allosaur avatar, I took your post to mean you were a theist, and it was my natural instinct to go into attack mode. Desculpame! (Forgive me!)
No need archaeopteryx, I always enjoy your posts and lately I have been a bit more confrontational with theists myself.
Try "refresh" first, and if that doesn't work, copy (just in case) and reboot, which should empty your browser cache - or, you could get a Mac!
RE: "We have cookies." - So does Safari, the Mac browser!
Hmmmm.... Linux/Ubuntu and even regular windows has a host of non-proprietary and sometimes free software That you can run on LOTS of different systems.... and Mac requires the purchase of new overpriced hardware, and software and the restrictions of their operating system... I can also run Safari on my PC... as well as Firefox, Opera, Chrome and others...
Our cookies are ultimate fudge cookies!! LOL
I've had Firefox and Opera for years, and really don't care for Chrome, but could run it if I chose. Macs and the Mac OS are created by the same company, and far more likely to be compatible than Windows and the computers it works on, made by two different concerns, hence Windows' trademarked crashes. I know of no such restrictions on the Mac OS, and I've had Macs since the early 90's, with zero crashes.
Little Billy Gates used to be Steve Jobs gopher, and the first Tweet Steve made after he died, was that heaven had no walls, therefore - no Windows and no Gates!
BTW - cool avatar!
Yeah, I knew X was Unix, but I wasn't aware of all of the particulars. Frankly, though X has a more polished look, I could do more with OS 9 and lower, than with X, and in fact, don't have a MacBook, but rather an iBook G4, which allows me to partition and run both X and 9, otherwise, I'd have had to replace a couple of thousand dollars worth of software that will run on 9, but not on X.
Um... Bill Gates was NEVER Steve Jobs "Gopher".. they were contemporaries true enough and Jobs had wanted to buy some of Gates programs but Gates refused the offer and went to IBM for more money. Also remember that Windows came first, before the Mac and BOTH were based on Sun's PARC work on GUI's. I started on a PDP-11 and programming punch cards and have followed the tech all throughout.
The Mac has always been more "arts" related, being initially much stronger with graphics and sound, whereas the PC was directed towards business concerns. They have become essentially equivalent with preferences based mostly on personal taste. I have owned, built or used computers from Altair, Kaypro, Commodore, Radio Shack, Compaq, Apple and IBM,
If you want something easy to use and functional that you don't have to worry about too much, pay a little extra for the convenience and get a Mac. If you want something with the widest variety of options and uses, Get a PC base and a la carte the rest that you need. Yes it can take a little more work and a little more knowledge but you can mold it into what you really want and/or need, not what one company decides you want.
Neither is truly superior, each is just more suited to their users.
Thanks on the avatar, that is my personal 'heraldry' that I designed for use in the SCA

subset: commoncrawl


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Memphis International Airport is making the transition from an airport with a majority of connecting flights, 90 nonstop destinations, higher fares and less competition to one with more origin and destination traffic, 30 to 35 nonstop destinations and lower fares.
Scott Brockman, the new president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, says the new model for the airport is more stable than its decades as a hub for Republic Airways, Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
"We're generating our flight base on what Memphis business and Memphis leisure travelers are looking to fly. It's a much more stable flight model for the future," Brockman said on the WKNO-TV program "Behind the Headlines." "The new reality is you will connect (elsewhere). The benefit is you will get lower fares – less convenience but lower fares."
The program, hosted by Eric Barnes, publisher of The Daily News, can be seen on The Daily News Video page, video.memphisdailynews.com.
Even before Delta Air Lines dehubbed Memphis in 2013, the airline's flight cuts changed Memphis International from an airport where 55 percent to 75 percent of the passengers were making a connecting flight to one where 75 percent of the passengers are "origin and destination" travelers. In other words, they are leaving or coming to Memphis.
"What I would expect is the O&D to continue to rise as a percentage, not because there's a tremendous change in transfer passenger availability. It's that we're going to grow the market," Brockman said. "Currently the O&D market is a challenge because of airfares. So, we don't truly know what the demand of the O&D market is. It's been disincentivized, if you will, by high airfares."
Origin and destination traffic has increased since Southwest Airlines began service at Memphis International Airport in late 2013. Brockman, who began his tenure as head of the airport authority Jan. 3, the day after longtime airport authority president and CEO Larry Cox retired, cites a 20 percent increase in Southwest's first month at Memphis International.
But there are some adjustments to the new reality of an airport built on domestic discount air carriers.
The airport authority is developing a better website for travelers who now have to do more than check with a hub carrier to see what flights are available.
"The new carriers … you can only book through their website. You can't book through Expedia. … You need to know how to get there," Brockman said as he talked of an online flight guide on the airport's website that is still being developed.
"You pick the destination, it tells you all the airlines and the flight times," he said. "We'll get there. We're not there yet. … When we get there, you then will find the flight you want to take and research backwards to the airline."
Also being developed is a terminal utilization study that clusters gates better for passengers. The airport now needs about 30 gates compared to 79 needed before Delta dehubbed Memphis.
"What we're studying is the efficiency and cost savings of putting everybody in one area," he said.
Brockman expects Memphis International will retain most, if not all, of its flight service to Washington's Reagan National Airport in the aftermath of the US Airways-American Airlines merger approved last year by the U.S. Justice Department.
US Airways' service between Memphis and Reagan National began last year with three daily flights. That is now up to four.
But the newly merged airline is giving up several dozen slots at Reagan National as part of the agreement with the Justice Department. And Delta executives have said they want the slots even though the Justice Department specified the slots were to go to "low-cost carriers."
Asked about restoring international air service at Memphis International, Brockman said the effort will involve building such service through charter flights.
"What we have to do is build that service," he said. "With an O&D model, now we have to build a different process."
Watch Brockman's "Behind the Headlines" interview: http://bit.ly/1bLIDWd
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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3 stars (out of 4)
"Forget what you know" are the parting words on Mission of Burma's latest album, "Unsound" (Fire). Since its inception in 1979, the Boston band has put a premium on pushing forward, its muscular art-punk swatting away nostalgia. So when Clint Conley, Roger Miller and Peter Prescott reunited in 2002, it was not to look back fondly on a classic post-punk sound that influenced countless bands, but to make new music worthy of the legacy.
Few "reunion" bands have ever managed to pull off a second act this credible.
With "Unsound," Conley, Miller and Prescott have now made four good to great albums since returning from a two-decade hiatus, joined by Chicagoan Bob Weston on tape loops, engineering, and -- for this album, anyway -- trumpet. Burma's hurly-burly grind remains gloriously in the moment.
In "Semi-Pseudo-Sort-of-Plan," a rubbery guitar leaps over the bass line and threatens to swallow the song. Distorted cross-cut voices undercut the claims made by "This is Hi-Fi." A potential anthem, "7's," blurs past as the band pushes the melody to the point of collapse. On "Second Television," the band members can't contain their excitement as they rip into the opening bars, the drums rolling and tumbling, voices exulting, as if discovering their sound for the first time.


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Here's a sign sported by some enthusiastic Spaniards before yesterday's Euro 2012 semifinal between Spain and Portugal and aired on ESPN before the match. It reads, basically, "Cristiano go fuck yourself, Froilán the Golden Boot."
The "go fuck yourself" part is funny enough, but the bottom part of the message is interesting; Froilán is King Juan Carlos's grandson, who a few months ago shot himself in the foot with a shotgun. The Golden Boot, of course, is the prize awarded to the tournament's leading scorer. It's unclear how literally the message should be read, or if the colloquialism "shot himself in the foot" exists in Spanish, but it didn't much matter anyway. Ronaldo never even got the chance to shoot, and Spain advanced to the final.


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Thanksgiving, one of my special holidays, is coming up Thursday. People who have read this column over the years are well aware of what this day holds for me. In addition to the aroma drifting out of the kitchen, there are all the activities of the day itself.
Thanksgiving, one of my special holidays, is coming up Thursday. People who have read this column over the years are well aware of what this day holds for me. In addition to the aroma drifting out of the kitchen, there are all the activities of the day itself.
I grew up in a newspaper age when writers were frowned upon for writing first-person accounts and stories about their families. We used the words "we and us" a lot rather than "me and our."
"Occasionally, maybe, if you are discreet, you can get by with writing something personally," the late Benny Marshall once advised.
"Be selective, like on Christmas, Thanksgiving, special holidays or maybe when someone close dies," the late Bob Phillips offered.
As I've aged, my columns have begun to reflect more of myself because people are asking more questions about my career. However, I still write little about my family. Today I'm breaking that rule, first because this is my Thanksgiving column and I can be personal without feeling guilty; and second because it's about my hometown, and I've recently had several requests from readers to write more about the place where I was born.
One guy at a Gadsden High reunion asked me to write more about growing up during the Great Depression. And a Southside woman told me she and her husband were on Sand Mountain the other day and drove out of the way because he wanted to see the community where I grew up. I was thankful to hear that story, which was a first for me. But I regret that what he saw is nothing like what it was when I was born and when I lived there most of the first two decades of my life.
Actually, I went back the other day. The old school is still standing, but there have been a lot of improvements since I attended. There's a new gym, a real baseball field and there is an actual football stadium right across the road, behind the old lunchroom and old gym the men of the community built after the original school burned in 1944. Before that, basketball games were played in the auditorium, which was heated by two huge pot-bellied stoves in opposite corners. Some kids would keep score with a piece of chalk on a blackboard nailed high on the wall at mid-court.
We played baseball and practiced football on the playground in front of the school.
I am thankful for all the progress that has been made, and that the kids who now attend have air-conditioned rooms, computers and better facilities overall.
Most of the little town has moved about a mile to be near the junction where Alabama Highway 75 crosses County Road 22. There even is a traffic light there, right near Town Hall.
A few empty buildings still stand in "old Geraldine" as a reminder to old-timers like me. But the blacksmith shop, mule barn, cotton gin and saw mill are gone.
As I drove through "town," memories flashed through my mind of the way it used to be. The main road was chert, but the two gas stations had cement around their pumps. The homes had no water or sewage, even for years after we got electricity.
Thanksgiving was a family day, with the men home from work and the women serving up traditional meals including turkey and dressing. Afterward, fathers would carry their sons to a football game between Fort Payne and Valley Head; Albertville vs. Guntersville; and occasionally to Gadsden to see the Tigers play Etowah.
Thanksgiving also was the day the family went to the woods to pick out a Christmas tree, then drew names for gift giving. But you couldn't reveal whose name you got. Trying to guess who had your name was part of the fun.
My parents are long gone, the old homestead no longer stands. Nor do the two oak trees I once played under in the front yard. A niece lives in a house where Mother once planted a garden, and her garage is where the barn used to be. My brother built his house on a little rise where I once grew cotton and corn for a FFA project. A nephew built his house on a spot that once was pasture land.
I went back home because of the mayor. My brother, Billy, was retiring after having served our hometown for 12 years; his son had been a councilman for 16 years. Now they were stepping aside.
Geraldine elected its first mayor in 1956. His name was Raymond Upton, and he was a cousin and former road commissioner. He kept the road equipment in his yard and I'd play on the graders and bulldozers as a child when Mother would visit.
A half-century later, those thoughts returned as the Town Council and the town's residents were honoring my brother for his years of service. It was a proud occasion for our family. He had served the community well, taking over when it was a half-million dollars in debt. He paid it off in four years. The next eight years, his administration spent more than $2 million paving roads, building parks, ball fields, a recreational building and a pavilion; refurbishing Town Hall inside and out; and dozens of other things.
After the tornado of 2010 destroyed much of City Park, he started a tree-planting project, asking residents to purchase a tree in the name of someone they wanted the town to remember.
How proud our parents would be if they could see out little town today — or if they could have been there and heard Billy's farewell speech; just as were family members of the current generation. It was a fitting climax for a man who grew up in that community, and gave back to its residents who had once supported him when he was a star athlete.
He spent 32 years in education, working as a coach and teacher and serving as superintendent of education.
More importantly, he pastored an area church for 47 years.
I'm thankful to have had such a man as my brother. He always has been my hero, even thought he usually bested me in whatever games we played growing up.
These are personal things I remember and for which I am especially thankful this Thanksgiving. I hope you, the readers, also have beautiful memories, and will be especially thankful for what God has granted us.


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This story takes place in Eclipse when Riley goes to Bella's room to gather her belongings for Victoria. This is what could have happened if Bella had arrived while he was still there, and the events following. Written pre-Breaking Dawn, so that book will be disregarded here. This will include my idea of how the series would have ended.
*Written before Breaking Dawn was released, so that book will be ignored with this story.
1. Old Acquaintances
Rating 5/5 Word Count 1691 Review this Chapter
In keeping with the "slumber party weekend," Alice dropped me off in front of my house in case Charlie was home. The cruiser wasn't there, so I assumed he must be at work. "Sorry Alice, I guess you wasted a trip over here, Edward could have just brought me. I didn't know Charlie would be at work. He was scheduled to be home."
Alice laughed, the sound reminding me of a dozen tiny bells ringing. "Bella, don't be so silly. Actually, I already knew that Charlie wouldn't be here, but I wanted to spend some time with you. After all, Edward had you to himself all weekend. Besides, I had to explain how all the new clothes I bought for you as "evidence" work together, and who designed them so you can properly show Charlie later." She flashed a brilliant smile at me and winked.
"Yes, Alice, I'm sure Charlie will want to know exactly who designed what, and how it all coordinates," I laughed, shaking my head. "Regardless, thank you for bringing me home, and thank you for all the clothes...it was unnecessary."
"You're welcome Bella! And maybe next weekend we can go shopping for real...I know just the place..." Alice had that mystified look in her eyes that she gets when she talks about shopping.
"We'll see, you know that I only have so much room in my closet, Alice," I said, stepping out of the car and turning to wave. Alice had turned the stereo back up to her preferred volume level, which normally hurt my ears, and was bouncing along to one of her favorite songs. She waved enthusiastically as she sped out of the driveway. I just shook my head, laughing again.
After unlocking the door, I set my bag on the floor so I could turn on the lights. Upon entering the kitchen, I found a note from Charlie - "Bells, got called in to the station, not sure when I'll be home. Go ahead and eat without me, just in case. Love, Dad." Sighing, I rolled my eyes, knowing that meant he would just order another pizza at the station.
The fridge's contents were sadly lacking, so I decided I wasn't hungry, and turned for the stairs so I could take a quick shower before Edward got here.
As I grabbed my bag and started up the stairs, I froze. What was that? I could swear I heard something. I stayed still for another minute, then determined I was just being paranoid. It was probably just the wind against the house, as it was raining fairly heavily.
Opening the door to my room, I threw my bag onto my desk. Just as I had turned to my dresser to get some clean clothes, I felt the ice cold grip around my throat. Before I could even react, there was a piercing pain in my neck, and weakness overwhelmed me. Crashing down to the floor, I heard hissing and growling in the distance, then found myself suddenly alone. What had just happened? I couldn't focus...there was so much pain.
A second later, someone was pulling me off the floor of my room and I was flying through my bedroom window. When I hit the ground I heard more low, hissing whispers.
"What were you thinking? This wasn't the plan! I should have know not to count on someone like you. I never should have stayed in the car," a distinctly feline voice hissed.
Realization hit me hard; I had been bitten. Suddenly, as the burning began, I collapsed to the ground. Completely overcome by this new pain, I wished he had killed me. I tried to think clearly, but everything was blurring together.
"Victoria, I'm sorry! You said she wouldn't be here!" someone cried out.
"I didn't think she would be, but that doesn't excuse your actions; it was hard enough constantly making it look like I didn't have a plan, continuously changing my mind to keep that psychic from seeing us. I had to use you, an unknown - the others would have been watching for me too closely. They weren't watching for you, Riley. So what do you do? You mess everything up anyway. As soon as you heard her going towards the stairs you should have gotten out of there! You will have to pay for this, Riley."
"I'm sorry - I just wanted to get enough things from her room to make you happy, Victoria. You said to take as much as I could - I was just trying to do my best. I did everything right. I stayed far enough in the woods that nobody would detect me, and waited for her friend to leave. When I heard her on the stairs, I thought I could control myself - I've been helping you convert the others for so long, I thought I could just hide in her closet until she left again, that way I could get more things. When she walked in, I couldn't help it - her scent was so strong. I managed to stop though - only because of my experiences with you, changing the others - I knew you'd want to finish it yourself," Riley said. " I didn't know I'd take so much - there's no way live now, there's hardly any blood left in her. I'm sorry Victoria, but this way you can at least still hurt her more before she dies," Riley pleaded, trying to atone for what he'd done.
"I'll deal with you later. Leave her. Let me see how much damage you've done," the feline voice hissed.
It was nearly impossible to focus; the pain was causing my vision to blur. There were two people there - one of them had to be whoever had attacked me, a male. He looked torn; he clearly wanted to finish what he had started, but reluctantly stepped away from me. Fiery orange hair filled my sight as the second person stood over me - Victoria.
"Bella, Bella, Bella. I really wanted this to happen differently," she sighed. " I was hoping to make more of a game out of it, to draw things out a bit more - James would have liked that. I should have found a way to handle this task myself, then things would have gone differently. Instead, I put my trust in Riley here to collect some of your things. Pity you came home when you did; I've been creating an entire army of newborns just to tear you apart...how wasteful." Victoria had a look of disgust on her face as she spoke to me, pure hatred burning in her eyes. She looked back to Riley.
"Since you bit her, you know exactly how much blood you've taken - is it enough to kill her? Her heart sounds incredibly sporadic. I don't want her to become one of us...but I would like to have a little fun first...Riley?" she hissed in his direction.
"There's no way she'll make it Victoria, I'm sure of it. I took almost all of it, and her body is already starting to crash - she's too weak, and the venom won't spread fast enough - she'd never survive the conversion, her heart will fail first..." his words rushed out, eager for her to forgive him. He still had an edge to his voice, as though he were struggling.
"Get a grip, Riley," Victoria hissed. "We've changed countless newborns - you should be able to handle the smell of blood by now." She snapped her attention back to me.
"Fortunately, it looks like Riley has taken most of your blood. You're such a weak person, Bella, I think your body will give in to death quickly...but not before I make it hurt just a bit more." Victoria reached down as she said this, and lifted my left arm lightly, then with a wicked smile, she slowly placed her hand underneath my elbow, and began to press upward. I screamed in pain as I felt the bones in my arm shatter. She stepped backward slightly, her eyes on my legs. She very gently took hold of my right ankle, seeming to study it. "Humans are naturally weak, Bella. It never ceases to amaze me that with just the slightest touch," she said as she lightly, but sharply twisted my ankle almost all the way backwards, "you can simply break a person." My screams filled the air again in reaction to my shattered ankle. She punched me in the face, and delivered several kicks to various parts of my body, all while laughing madly.
How long could this go on? It seemed like hours had passed, but in truth I knew all of this, including the point when Riley had first bit me, had taken place in just a few minutes.
"I would drain the rest of your blood myself Bella, but this way seems so much better. I like the idea of drawing out your suffering - yes, that does sound nice," she leaned closer, listening intently. Yes, you'll get to enjoy your new injuries a little while longer before you go into cardiac arrest - your heartbeat is already much slower. Everyone thinks your so special...I don't get it. You're nothing. Besides, I wouldn't contaminate my system with your blood - I don't know why James insisted on tracking you. At least I can draw out your death a little this way...still, it would have been so much better -" She stopped speaking abruptly, as we all heard a car door slam. A fierce look crossed Victoria's face, and she looked back at me. "Maybe this is going to turn out much better than I thought," she sneered, her eyes narrowing.
Oh no. I could only assume Alice had 'seen' this, and now Edward had arrived, and he was going to end up in a fight with two strong vampires, one of which had just consumed a great deal of human blood. "Edward, stay away, leave me here," I tried to scream. Instead it came out weak and barely audible. There was so much pain, so many kinds of pain. I could barely move, and the horror of helplessly having to watch as Edward was destroyed completely immobilized me.
- Old Acquaintances
- Innocent Victim
- Bliss, interrupted
- Harsh Reality
- Retribution
- Phone Call
- Unresolved Issues
- Timing
- Hope
- Awakening
- Questions
- Unexpected Responses
- Concealing Evidence
- Change of Heart
- Side Effects
- Experimental Procedures
- Tenacity
- Insecurities
- Theory
- Doubt
- Memories
- Closure
- Combined Strength
- Strategy
- Breaking Through
- Anticipation
- Revenge
- Normalcy
- Happy Surprises
- Visitors
- Wedding Plans
- Jacob's Happiness
- Nerves
- The Ceremony
- Caius's Decision
- Imminent Conclusions
- Author
- LeesaM
- Rating
1 2 3 4 5
- Reviews
- 191
- Words
- 76528
- Views
- 1
- Published
- 01 Jan 09
- Updated
- 19 Jun 09
- Status
- Complete


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HomeAway offers a large selection of vacation rentals near lovely places in Frog Creek. From HomeAway travelers, the most popular points of interest to stay for a holiday trip or just for a weekend are:
But there are many other points of interest around Frog Creek listed on HomeAway where you can find your place to stay. Please use our search bar to access the selection of vacation rentals available near the point of interest of your choice.
Yes, of course. HomeAway has 34 Houses in Frog Creek. Our other popular types of vacation rentals in Frog Creek include:
But you can also enjoy a great stay in one of our other vacation rentals including Chalets and more.
Yes, you can select your preferred vacation rental with pool among our 2 vacation rentals with pool available in Frog Creek. Please use our search bar to access the selection of vacation rentals available.


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- Publish date:
- Updated on
- Year
- 1826
George McClellan born
On this day in 1826, Union General George McClellan is born in Philadelphia. Although McClellan emerged early in the war as a Union hero, he failed to effectively prosecute the war in the East.
McClellan graduated from West Point in 1846, second in his class. He served with distinction in the Mexican War (1846-48) under General Winfield Scott, and continued in the military until 1857. After retiring from the service, McClellan served as president of the Illinois Central Railroad, where he became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, who was then an attorney for the company.
When the Civil War began, McClellan was appointed major general in charge of the Ohio volunteers. In 1861, he commanded Union forces in western Virginia, where his reputation grew as the Yankees won many small battles and secured control of the region. Although many historians have argued that it was McClellan's subordinates who deserved most of the credit, McClellan was elevated to commander of the main Union army in the East, the Army of the Potomac, following that army's humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia.
McClellan took command in July 1861 and did an admirable job of building an effective force. He was elevated to general-in-chief of all Union armies when his commander during the Mexican War, Scott, retired at the end of October. McClellan was liked by his soldiers but was arrogant and contemptuous of President Lincoln and the Republican leaders in Congress. A staunch Democrat, he was opposed to attacking the institution of slavery as a war measure. While his work as an administrator earned high marks, his weakness was revealed when he took the field with his army in the spring of 1862. He lost to Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles, and as a field commander he was sluggish, hesitant, and timid. Lincolnmoved most of McClellan's command to John Pope, but Pope was beaten badly by Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run. When Lee invaded Maryland in September 1862, Lincoln restored McClellan's command. Though the president had grave misgivings about McClellan's leadership, he wrote during the emergency that "we must use the tools we have…There is no man in the Army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops into shape half as well as he."
McClellan pursued Lee into western Maryland, and on September 17 the two armies fought to a standstill along Antietam Creek. Heavy loses forced Lee to return to Virginia, providing McClellan with a nominal victory. Shortly after the battle, Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation, which converted the war into a crusade against slavery, a measure bitterly criticized by McClellan. The general's failure to pursue Lee into Virginia led Lincoln to order McClellan's permanent removal in November.
The Democrats nominated McClellan for president in 1864. He ran against his old boss, but managed to garner only 21 of 233 electoral votes. After the war, he served as governor of New Jersey. McClellan died at age 58 on October 29, 1885, in Orange, New Jersey.


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Four Secret Service agents implicated in the agency's scandal in Colombia last month and subsequently dismissed from their positions are now fighting their dismissals, insisting they broke no rules, The Washington Post reports.
Twelve agents were implicated in reports of misconduct during their advance work for President Obama's visit to Cartagena with women who were confirmed, in some cases, as prostitutes. Three of those agents have since been cleared of serious charges, and four are now fighting their dismissals, according to the Post.
Citing three officials briefed on the investigation into the agents' misconduct, the paper reports that one of the agents, a 29-year-old single man who worked in the Washington field office, said during a polygraph exam that he did not know he had taken prostitutes back to his room and asked the two women to leave when they asked to be paid. He resigned under pressure from the agency, but has since withdrawn his resignation. Another two unnamed agents are challenging their dismissals, as well as a fourth, agency supervisor Greg Stokes.
The Post report is likely to come up during a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, at which Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan will testify on "restoring trust and confidence" in the agency.
Report: Four Secret Service agents contesting dismissals
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In a move to boost the real estate sector and construction of high-rise buildings, environment ministry now plans to ease the Green Norms. You may be witnessing taller buildings along the narrow lanes and corridors. Yes, this will be possible if the environment ministry eases the green norms for construction. The builders will be happier […]
TagsAffordable Housing Ahmedabad Bangalore Bank Of India Chennai Commercial Projects Commercial Real Estate Credai delhi Developers DLF Gurgaon Home Loans Housing Projects Hyderabad India Indian real estate Infrastructure Investment Investors Jones Lang Lasalle Kolkata Managing Director Market Mumbai Ncr New Delhi noida Private Equity Property Pune RBI Real Estate Real Estate Developer Real Estate Developers Real Estate Investment Real Estate Market Real Estate Sector Realty Market Reserve Bank Of India Residential Project Residential Projects Slowdown Special Economic Zone Unitech


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27 September 2012
Clinton, Michigan - Eden Black Bean & Quinoa Chili was awarded a "125 Best Packaged Foods for Women" by Women's Health magazine in October 2012. This is the third time Eden food has been similarly honored by Women's Health.
Eden Black Bean & Quinoa Chili was the top choice in the "Soup" category. Women's Health compared the nutritional characteristics of hundreds of foods and then taste tested them from a pared down selection. Women's Health said, "This hearty chili is so packed with quinoa, black beans, and two kinds of mushrooms that you won't even miss the meat." The "125 Best Packaged Foods for Women" list is a convenient and helpful guide to assist women in making quicker, healthier packaged food purchases.
Eden Black Bean & Quinoa Chili is made of Michigan organic black turtle beans, high altitude Andes organic whole grain quinoa, and maitake and shiitake mushrooms perfectly cooked in a savory, 100% organic, chili spiced tomato sauce. Eden Black Bean & Quinoa Chili is ready to eat, just heat and serve. Wholesome meals in minutes from your pantry - burritos, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, and more. Eden Black Bean & Quinoa Chili offers complete protein from whole beans and grain that is low-fat, rich in fiber, and Gluten Free Eden chilies have 50% less sodium than any other brand and are the only canned chilies using bisphenol-A (BPA) free lined cans. pareve.
Pure and Purifying.


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Emergency Firefighting Water System
As part of the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond that was passed by voters in June 2010 that will seismically upgrade the City's Emergency Firefighting Water Supply System, neighborhood fire stations and construct a new public safety building, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) will be seismically upgrading the City's Emergency Firefighting Water System (also known as the Auxiliary Water Supply System or AWSS).
Following an earthquake, the San Francisco Emergency Firefighting Water System is vital for protecting against the loss of life, as well as the loss of homes and businesses by providing an additional layer of fire protection, in addition to the domestic water system, in the event of a major earthquake. The system is also used throughout the year for the suppression of multiple-alarm fires. The system delivers water at high pressure and includes two pump stations, two storage tanks, one reservoir, and approximately 135 miles of pipes and 150 functional cisterns. Additionally, the system includes 52 suction connections along the northeastern waterfront, which allow fire engines to pump water from San Francisco Bay, and two fireboats that supply seawater by pumping into any of the five manifolds connected to pipes. The system also includes approximately 200 cisterns, 1,600 hydrants and 3,900 valves.
A reliable firefighting water supply system is crucial to the safety and quality of life of all San Franciscans. That's why the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission assumed responsibility of the system in June 2011 and is steadily moving forward with plans to make long-lasting seismic and operational improvements to the aging system. The proposed/planned improvements will maintain sufficient water delivery capacity to respond to emergencies at all times and provide an added layer of fire protection against loss of life, homes and businesses in the event of a major earthquake.
The program to upgrade is funded by the $412 million Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond passed by 79 percent of San Francisco voters in June 2010. Projects funded by the bond include the seismic upgrade of the City's Emergency Firefighting Water Supply System, upgrades to neighborhood fire stations and construction of a new public safety building.
For the latest information regarding projects please visit Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Status Reports
For more information write to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Alumni Victorious over Welsh in Rugby, Oct. 10, 2000
SOCORRO, N.M., Finals week, Spring 2000 -- The Bethesda Rugby Club of Wales sets up camp at a Socorro hotel, intent on avenging a famous Tech victory on their field in northern Wales in 1998. A sticky wicket, considering more than half of our student players are caught up in the chaos that is final exams.
Enter the Ancestors, New Mexico Tech's alumni rugby players, arriving from Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Albuquerque. Nine in all, these Tech grads now play rugby in their respective home towns, and have now returned to Socorro to defend the Institute's honor.
On the evening of Tuesday, May 9, New Mexico Tech's men's rugby club once again defied the odds against a well-versed team of rugby players from a land where that game is king, claiming a 19-12 victory. Of the 20 Tech men who appeared in the match, fully nine were Tech graduates, and one, Dr. Clint Richardson, is on the faculty. The list of "Ancestor" players:
- Marcos Barela, Santa Fe Santos
- John Ellis, Albuquerque Brujos
- Sean French, Santa Fe Santos
- James Napier, Santa Fe Santos
- Dr. Clint "Doc" Richardson, chair, Mineral and Environmental Engineering
- Toban Robledo, Albuquerque Brujos
- James Rubin, Santa Fe Santos
- James Santo, Santa Fe Santos
- Bill Tafoya, Socorro - at large
- Ron Trueblood, Santa Fe Santos


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The Seahawks were awarded undrafted rookie wide receiver Perez Ashford on waivers from New England on Thursday, the club said.
In addition, the Seahawks announced the signing of undrafted rookie tight end Andrei Lintz, who played at Washington State.
A Northern Illinois product, Ashford originally signed with Cleveland on April 30. The Browns waived him May 30, and he landed with the Patriots on July 19.
Ashford and Lintz are reinforcements at positions where the Seahawks currently have key players out of action. Wide receiver Percy Harvin and tight end Zach Miller are on the active-PUP list, while wideout Sidney Rice has sought treatment in Switzerland for a knee ailment.
In other roster moves, the Seahawks waived-injured rookie wideout Greg Herd and waived rookie running back Ray Holley. Herd played at Eastern Washington, while Holley is a Louisiana Tech product. Both were undrafted free agents.


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I decided to go with the Romeo, while my ever-accommodating boyfriend got matched up with the Don Juan. The Please gel, which is clear, basically odorless and stays in place with no messy dripping—although its thickness also made it stick extra-well to hands—made getting these little guys "up the chimney" smooth and easy. The Romeo is quite long for my beginner standards, measuring almost 7-inches, with a 1-inch girth at its widest. The toy is great for play but when on top during intercourse I did find it easing its way out quite often.
My boyfriend enjoyed the Don Juan, although found it a bit uncomfortable when fully deployed in the throes of passion (it's 4-inches long by 1-inch wide all the way through). But because this was our first—and definitely not the last—time we'll be bringing out these two toys I'm certain that in time we will both become masters of the ass-play domain. Good Vibrations has really done a good thing with this kit, and at $39 it's a very reasonable price for a gift that will keep giving long after the holidays are, ahem... behind us.
--from the reviewers at Fleshbot.com
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Philadelphia Information Locator Service
Agency Information
Mayor's Committee on Public-Private Financing of Child Care[Record group 60-116-1]
Agency Function
- Unavailable
- Agency History
- On 19 July 1961, Mayor Richardson Dilworth appointed a committee in response to a report approved by the Board of the Health and Welfare Council in 1960 entitled "Public-Private Financing of Child Care in Philadelphia." One of the specific recommendations directed to the Mayor dictated that "a broad, fully representative Committee be appointed to study the whole child care situation in Philadelphia from a long-range viewpoint and how the necessary services should be provided by the City, how purchased services should be paid for, and the appropriate sources of funds to pay for the services required."
This Committee was established by the Mayor to conduct this broad-gauged appraisal of child welfare in Philadelphia. A more specific focus was the financing of child welfare services for dependent and neglected children. The Committee's study extended to a broad examination of the volume, kinds, auspices, and costs of child welfare services; a consideration of the extent to which the present pattern of services is meeting the needs of socially disadvantaged children; and a conception of the Department of Public Welfare's role in carrying out the City's child welfare obligations.
- Archival Records
- 60-116-1.1 Reports (1963)
Links to related information...
PhILS Home
-->City Agencies
---->Current Agency Information Sheet. (Graphical version of this page)
Send your comments to email@example.com
Last updated on July 9, 1999


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Offers deeper insight into the world of E.D.N III and the uncertain fate of future mankind. A decade has passed since the first game, and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Terraforming efforts have been successful and the ice has begun to melt, giving way to lush tropical jungles and harsh unforgiving deserts. You will enter this new environment and follow the exploits of your own customized snow pirate on their quest to seize control of the changing planet. You will control your heroes across 6 interconnected episodes, creating a truly unique interactive experience that changes depending upon your actions.
No members were found matching the criteria specified. We suggest you try the member list with no filter applied, to browse all available. Join now to share your own content, we welcome creators and consumers alike and look forward to your comments.


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|Send News. Want a reply? Read this. More in the FAQ. News Forum - All Forums - Mobile - PDA - RSS Headlines Twitter
DayZ creator Dean Hall spoke with Joystiq at Gamescom, explaining that the upcoming standalone version of DayZ no longer has a set release window, in spite of initial plans to release the game last year and his statement just two months ago that they had pinned down the game's release to a specific week (thanks nin). Hall explains that progress on Bohemia Interactive's survival/horror game is held up waiting for changes to the game's core network architecture. "That's the kind of thing only a few people can work on. It's very specialized," he tells them. "It's like, you can't throw more pilots at a plane. You put a thousand pilots in a plane it's not going to fly any faster." As the market continues to flood with zombie games, he optimistically explains that the best thing that can happen to this project is to lower the level of anticipation:
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VIDEO: Jamal Crawford leads the Clippers past the Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY — It's taken nearly three-quarters of the season, but it seems the Los Angeles Clippers, through injury and inconsistency and now with trade deadline rumors buried, are forging the most important bond a team can form: Trust.
"This is our team," Chris Paul said. "If we're going to win it all this is who we're going to do it with, so if we can't get on one another and understand that we have one common goal … that's what winning teams do, they understand it's nothing personal.
"Our team, we talk a lot more than we used to in the past, try not to leave anything unsaid. We're a family and we play like that."
Paul is strengthening his trust in coach Doc Rivers and in forward Blake Griffin. Griffin's developing greater trust in Paul and, as in Sunday's 125-117 road win at the Oklahoma City Thunder that required a push of crunch-time execution to complete the job, the Clippers (38-20) are learning to trust in the system.
Perhaps most crucial to success is the bond between L.A.'s two All-Stars. And while no one wishes injury upon anyone, the separated shoulder that sidelined Paul for five weeks until right before the All-Star break may have served a greater purpose.
Griffin, the evolving, 24-year-old power forward, uncorked a phenomenal stretch, and while he remains well under the radar as an MVP candidate behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James, his all-around performances were central to the Clippers going 12-6 without Paul, the league's assist leader and almost universally regarded as the top point guard in the game.
"The biggest thing is you see me and Blake's relationship, we talk all game long," said Paul, who said he didn't expect to play against the Thunder because of a badly swollen right thumb, yet accumulated 18 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and one turnover in 39 minutes. "I think we both realize how much we need each other. When I was out I got a chance to really see his growth and how dominant he is. So me, I'm out there to facilitate and pick my spots, but we're really starting to get that chemistry at the right time."
Griffin was the youthful, hopeful face of a downtrodden franchise. Paul arrived as the savior. There have been whispers throughout their now three seasons together about whether they liked one another, whether they could play together and succeed together. Griffin said Paul's absence helped him grasp his larger importance to the team and to emerge with a stronger voice.
"It's been important for us as a team to learn to have to play without him because I think at times we relied a little bit too much on him," Griffin said. "At the end of games you kind of think, 'OK, we have the ball and it's in our guy's hands and we're just going to kind of let him do his thing. I think we really had to rely on our system.
"And for me, really, taking a different approach as far as being a leader for our team and having a little bit more vocal approach with him out, I think it was good for me."
The Clippers trusted in the system and stuck with it at both ends after blowing a 15-point lead, 95-80, with 2:14 left in the third quarter and taking only a 99-93 margin into the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant's 3-pointer gave him a game-high 42 points (with 10 assists) and put the Thunder ahead 115-112 with 2:43 left in the game.
From there, the Clippers closed it out with a 13-2 run in which Paul, Griffin — who didn't have his best game, but fought through foul trouble for 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists — and Jamal Crawford (36 points and five 3-pointers) combined for the final flurry.
It was a significant win for a team that only evened its road record at 15-15 and hadn't beaten a top tier team away from Staples Center since Houston way back in November. The Clippers had already stumbled twice out of the All-Star break while reintegrating Paul — much as the Thunder are doing now with Russell Westbrook — including losing at home to a San Antonio team without Tony Parker and then a couple nights later at nemesis Memphis.
On Sunday afternoon they beat OKC's fourth-rated defense badly in the first half in transition and throughout the game with a 3-ball that was expected to be prolific for them this season, but hasn't. Matt Barnes went 6-for-10 from deep, and the Clippers believe when J.J. Redick is ready to return (likely before the playoffs) that they'll finally be the team they always thought they would be — playing with pace, spreading the floor, rolling to the bucket for dunks and launching 3s for quick, momentum-turning scoring bursts.
"It's funny [we've been] trying to get Matt to run to the corners all year and now he's doing it, and that's a good shot for him, we can get it in transition," Rivers said. "And when he does run there, that's why D.J. [DeAndre Jordan] gets the dunks because the guards have to make a choice, take D.J. or leave the guy in the corner, and it's really helped us."
The question facing the Clippers: Can they build off this singular victory as they head into the final 24 games? Paul said they'll find out Monday night when they play at New Orleans.
Because through 58 games even Rivers said he's unsure of the kind of team he's got on his hands.
"I think we know, but I don't really know," Rivers said. "We haven't had a lot of games together. But nobody really cares about it except for us, so we just have to keep working, and if we do get our group together, the minutes that everyone had I have to think it will help our team overall."
VIDEO: Jamal Crawford talks about the Clippers' win in Oklahoma City


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- Women's Maxi Dress
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Hyper Smash
BEAUTIFUL post... Made me laugh, made me empathize, made me sad, happy and reminiscent!! I have so been there, in the crumb filled bed, with wine and Prince too!! You are a wonderful daughter, mother and wife!!
This was such a wonderful post! I can really relate to it. I have six children and look out for my mom. I call her every morning at 8:15 am. And I am so grateful when she picks up that phone and I worry when she doesn't! Moldy laundry...that was funny.
I hear you loud and clear. Take care!
Oh Sandra, how wonderful that you got to sit in your (dirty) bed and munch chips with a martini! I love martini soaked olives, even if I don't love martini's.
We all have had, and still do have, meltdowns. I remember one with beer and a mop. I couldn't lay down, the floors were so bad I had to mop, but dangit I got through it with a beer or three. My children, all three, were under the age of six at the time - how can you NOT have a meltdown?? My husband knew something was wrong. Sometimes, you just need that meltdown, and then you are yourself again.
I am glad you are feeling normal again, and next time you have the meltdown, have an olive for me. ;)
Sandra as a single dad with two elderly parents I get you.
Sandra--I can totally relate to your post!! I wanted to crawl in my bed with a martini as soon as I read you had done it!! If only! Glad you got to escape for awhile! Cheers, Jenn
Wonderful, as always, Sandy! You are amazing! The love you pour out will surely come back to you a thousand fold. xxxxooooo
Oh, I so identify with your "mother" issues, having spent the last few years dealing with them myself. The long-handled shoehorn, the late-for-doctor-appointments, the poking around in the grocery aisles--YES! I have been in all those situations. And I've also gotten impatient and felt guilty about it afterwards. My mother is receiving care in a facility now, which has relieved my worries a thousandfold, but I think I've become a better person for having been her caregiver for that time. I don't have children, but if I had, I might not have been able to care for her as I did. I admire you for doing it all so well.
I like to think each day is new.. what was broke yesterday isn't today, what hurt yesterday doesn't have to hurt today and so on.. Every day we have a chance to start over and forgive ourselves the past.. As humans we are flawed, but beautifully so, thus we trip up. The trick is to keep moving forward. At least it's a theory.
Stopping by from the Weekend Gathering Hop! http://queenofsavings.com
Lovely details. Lovely that you shared this experience. And I love that you felt better the next day...this is just so full of beautiful details. I keep going back and sighing over them :)
What a wonderful story to link up at my weekend creation. Thanks for that... its always great to read an inspirational story on a Sunday afternoon. :) X
loved this! i want to crawl in bed now w/ a cosmopolitan and some donuts and my laptop!
found you through Write On Edge linkup!
Sandra, you are the typical sandwich generation woman! By the way, I work for a home care agency, it's something you might want to consider for your mom. Even just having a home health aide a few hours a day to help around the house, get her up dressed, prepare meals, might make life easier for her and you - reducing your worry and stress. Hope that helps! Lisa Weinstein
I have been there done that with the elderly parents.
Thank goodness on many occasions I held my temper because they are both now gone. If I would have fought with or been mean to them, I don't know if I could live with myself today.
I do feel your stress and wish you well.
Forgot to say, I am following GFC, Linky followers and google+.
I tweeted
I also voted on the fence.
Wonderful writing; I really enjoyed this. Somethings we do need to just "check out"!
Please come and join my new Fashion Giveaway from Fresh Produce!
Art by Karena
I do not have the responsibilities that you have but I have my meltdowns. That martini and surfing and munching in bed just seem so juvenile and soooo perrrrrfect, only I'd change martini to ice cream. :-))


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A sealed indictment charging numerous defendants with racketeering violations has been unsealed following their recent arrests throughout the Southern District of Texas and elsewhere. The arrests include 17 former Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) correction officers and 12 others in relation to the case. A list of those taken into custody is attached.
The indictment was announced today by United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with along with Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Brian M. Moskowitz, Inspector General Bruce Toney with TDCJ – Office of the Inspector General (TDCJ-OIG), Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Lucy Cruz, Special Agent in Charge Melvin King Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) Chief Floyd D. Simpson and Postal Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Following an operation involving federal, state and local law enforcement personnel, a total of 22 have been arrested on criminal charges in the indictment. Seven defendants named in the indictment were already in custody. As a result, a total of 29 people are now in custody in connection with the four-year investigation. Thirteen former correction officers were arrested on racketeering charges and four others on separate drug charges. The indictment remains sealed as to those charged but not as yet in custody.
The arrest of the former correction officers was a joint effort between TDCJ-OIG and federal authorities to attempt to break the "culture of corruption" that permeated the McConnell Unit Prison during a period between 2005 to the present. State and federal authorities worked together in a determined effort to disrupt and dismantle the violent criminal gangs who were profiting through the corruption of guards at the prison.
According to the indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury last week, 13 former TDCJ correction officers were part of a criminal enterprise that engaged in bribery and narcotics trafficking. The indictment details specific acts, wherein the correction officers assisted prisoners incarcerated in the TDCJ McConnell Unit Prison in Beeville by smuggling cellular telephones and drugs into the prison system. The drugs and phones were allegedly sold inside the prison to other inmates. The phones were used by inmates to assist in their coordination of criminal activities outside the prison, according to the allegations.
Today's announcement caps a four-year investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office, HSI, TDCJ-OIG, IRS-CI, ATF, CCPD Gang and Organized Crime Units, USPIS and the Bee County District Attorney's office. The investigation was initiated in 2009 when several Aryan Circle Gang Members were apprehended attempting to transport stolen vehicles from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. The vehicles were destined to be smuggled across the border and sold to Mexico Cartel members. The operation was coordinated by inmates incarcerated at the McConnell Unit through the use of illegal cell phones.
The resulting investigation led to a December 2010 federal indictment charging 14 alleged members and associates of the Raza Unida Street and Prison Gang with committing violent acts to support racketeering (VICAR). These violent acts included home invasions, shootings and conspiracy to commit murder. During the course of the investigation, agents and officers seized approximately 13 pounds of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than $300,000. Additionally, seven assault rifles, 14 pistols, five shotguns, five bullet proof vests and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition were seized from the gang. All were subsequently convicted, two of whom were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Patterson and Michael Hess.


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On February 1, 2010, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission sued Stephen Czarnik, a securities lawyer, for his role in multi-million dollar pump-and-dump stock schemes. According to the complaint, the actions of Czarnik allowed three stock promoters — Ryan Reynolds, Jason Wynn and Carlton Fleming — to purchase millions of shares of stock in three penny stock companies for pennies per share, hype the companies through promotional mailers and other advertising, and illicitly sell their shares to the public for millions of dollars in profits. The Commission alleges that because the shares were not registered, Reynolds, Wynn and Fleming were able to deprive the investing public of important information about the actual financial condition and business operations of the companies.
According to the SEC, Czarnik purportedly served as counsel to the companies — My Vintage Baby, Inc., Alchemy Creative, Inc., and Beverage Creations, Inc. — and issued legal opinion letters and other documents proclaiming improper registration exemptions under Rule 504 of Regulation D. In these documents, Czarnik falsely represented that Reynolds, Wynn and Fleming intended to hold, rather than illegally distribute, shares of My Vintage Baby, Inc., Alchemy Creative, Inc. and Beverage Creations, Inc. in the public market. The SEC alleges that Czarnik knew or was reckless in not knowing that Reynolds, Wynn and Fleming intended to distribute the stock because he received emails describing the distribution plan and saw other indications of their promotional and trading activities.
The SEC alleges that by the above-mentioned conduct, Czarnik served as a necessary and substantial participant in unregistered offerings of stock, and as such, violated the registration provisions of the Securities laws, Sections 5(a) and (c) of the Securities Act of 1933. The SEC also alleges that by his fraudulent statements in the opinion letters and other associated documents, Czarnik violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC is seeking against Czarnik a permanent injunction, a civil penalty, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and a penny stock bar, among other relief.
The Commission acknowledges the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in the investigation of this matter.
See Also: SEC Complaint


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Below is
text from a booklet written by Didier Corlou, former executive chef of the Sofitel
Metropole hotel and current chef/owner of Verticale restaurant in Hanoi. Published in 2003, the booklet came from a series
of seminars organized by Chef Corlou and the European Commission to Vietnam
to discuss the origins of pho noodle soup. Here's how the booklet is organized:
- Introduction
– by Frederic Baron, Delegation of the European Commission to Vietnam
- Pho's
Art – Didier Corlou
- Pho
soup recalls my childhood's flavor – Cultural meanings and
emotional attachments to pho
- Portable
Earthenware Stoves of Street Hawkers – French connection to
- Pho Recipe
– by Didier Corlou
- Afterword
– by Didier Corlou
This document is presented online with the permission of Didier Corlou.
Mysteries Surrounding 'Pho' (noodle soup)
This booklet
was devised as means of expressing his profound feelings of friendship
by Didier Corlou, executive chef of Sofitel Metropole Hanoi; a lover of
Vietnam, its culture and its cuisine.
Pho soup,
like many other myths, has a mysterious beginning. Historians and fervent
defenders of Vietnamese gastronomy have tried to penetrate the mystery
of the arrival of this soup, considered for a long time to be the national
dish of the North. The cuisine, like many other cultural aspects of a
nation, is subject to evolution and it has grown richer and stronger after
having contact with neighbors and visitors.
The question
raised during the press conference organized by Sofitel Metropole Hanoi
and the Delegation of European Commission at the end of 2002, turns around
the origin of 'Pho'. Is this soup an original Vietnamese creation or an
adoption of some foreign culinary blend, which has been adapted and integrated
into the Vietnamese culture? The answer? No one, for certain knows.
the first conference couldn't give out any definitive answer to the question;
please feel free to express your own ideas and thoughts on the origins.
Many thanks
to Didier Corlou and to Nguyen Dinh Rao, President of Unesco Club of Gastronomy.
Baron, Ambassador
Chief of the Delegation of the European Commission to Vietnam
To have steaming
bowl of Pho, crouching on a stool a tightly-packed shop, crowded with
customers is an art in itself. You order arrival, a bowl of rare or well-done
beef Pho, with or without onion, and of course, no seasoning. A few minutes
later, the Pho will be served at your table. The ritual begins, squeeze
on some lemon, add chilies and pepper, then mix the soup with chopsticks;
bring the bowl level with your mouth and start to swallow it while drinking
the bouillon with a porcelain spoon.(metal spoons are not recommended
as they give a cold taste at the mouth)
It is not
advised to leave fresh noodles standing, they should be eaten within 5
minutes as they tend to swell up and lose their texture. After finishing
your Pho, pay for it on your departure, then take the traditional toothpick
and move to the tea shop next door for a cup of green tea or coffee. Now,
you are ready to start the new day.
In the past,
Pho was mostly served in the morning and when Vietnam experiencing difficult
periods, Hanoians only had the soup on Sundays or when they were sick.
It cost 3 cents (xu) a bowl in those days. Nowadays, people have Pho any
day, at any time of the day, especially in the evening. Although lifestyles
and habits have changed Pho remains the hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine,
despite the competition of other delicacies, such as banh cuon (steamed
rice pancake stuffed with chopped pork).
Pho, the
best soup of the world, the representative of Vietnamese gastronomy, is
equivalent to paella in Spain or the double pancake of Brittany. It is
a unique dish, served with white noodles, consommé, sliced meat,
fragrant herbs, grilled onion, added with nuoc mam (fish sauce) and perfumed
with lemon, chilli, herbs and spices.
To us, it
is worthy of its title of the best soup of the world because of its history.
Its identity was created and developed throughout different periods, from
the colonization to the war years and the US embargo. Today, it has become
the pride of a nation. Popular and economic, Pho can be an enjoyed by
almost anyone, of any social range or status. This dish is known to be
rich in vitamins and plays an important role in the staple diet, health
and the morale of the Vietnamese people.
Pho is regarded
as an everyday soup, which is not served during parties, weddings or other
festive occasions. And when someone is not seen to be taking an interest
in festive fare, you can almost guarantee they will be found some time
later at the local Pho stall devouring their daily dose of their favorite
Hanoi's streets
are the soul of the city and people do say Pho is synonymous with Vietnam's
quaint capital. While it is served in a great number of restaurants in
Saigon, Paris and New York, somehow it does not hold meaning as eating
it in Hanoi. As we know, it may be great to enjoy cheese fondue in the
Alps, but for sure, it will be not taste the same in Hanoi and vice-versa.
And for a bowl of Pho, there is only on place to go – Hanoi!
Pho can be
cooked with fish, duck, and vegetables. In the country-side, people also
make Pho with pork, even the pig's hearts or kidneys. What you make it
with is not important, after all, Pho will still remain what it was before;
the pride of Hanoi's people.
Corlou, Executive chef
Sofitel Metropole Hanoi
soup recalls my childhood's flavor"
The speeches
published below are extracted from the press conference "Pho – Vietnam's
Heritage", organized in Hanoi on November 29th 2002 at the offices
of the Delegation of the European Commission:
Its birth
certificate is packed full of question marks; where does Pho come from?
When was this soup, together with nem (spring rolls), symbol of Vietnamese
gastronomy, brought into the world? Nguyen Dinh Rao, a decidedly determined
seventy-year-old man and president of Unesco's Gastronomy Club in Hanoi
expresses his opinion on this subject; more than an opinion, he insists
he knows Pho's true origins. He says that the birth place of Pho is in
Nam Dinh city, which is situated in the southern Red River delta. Its
birth's date? Beginning of 20th century he claims confidently "when
a big industrial zone for textile was established there".
Rao continues:
"Nam Dinh's population included, in those days, new city dwellers,
workers, salaried employees, officials, as well as French and Vietnamese
soldiers. All of them required a dish which was less "rustic"
than the traditional soups of the delta's farmers, like chao (rice soup)
or bun (fresh noodles made of rice)".
This mixed
population turned to its culinary roots to "invent" Pho. A novelty
which was simmered in the pot of traditions. "It perpetuates the
traditional flavor" – Rao explains "Thus, the bouillon, made
of bone and prawn, rich in amino-acid and sweetly perfumed, is inherited
directly from old coastal roots of our civilization. Regarding popular
fresh and soft rice noodles, called banh pho, cooked in vapor, they are
definitely from Vietnam. Finally, to satisfy a modernized demand and to
meet the taste of European people, they add beef among other ingredients,
only once per year, in occasion of village's festival. It replaces aquatic
products, like crab or shellfish." Rao concludes: "Pho combines
a cultural interference and local ingredients, the traditional flavor
blending with European taste. The whole blend creates a universal soup".
Poet Vu Quan
Phuong shows himself more pliant in his views: "They may be right
when saying pho comes from Nam Dinh; I often see the signboard "Nam
Dinh recipe" in front of pho shops. However, the famous writer Tu
Xuong, who was very devoted to Nam Dinh, fails to mention anything about
Pho in his writings. Pho sustains certainly the influence of different
countries, but its Vietnamese soul still remains. That's why, I believe,
the most important thing is that Pho makes up half of Vietnamese national
pride; the second half is the popular war."
More important
than different questions related to the origin and the culinary crossings
of Pho, which prevailed throughout its birth, is the acknowledgement of
Pho as an element of Vietnam's heritage that nourishes the national pride.
"We understand the Vietnamese culture is highly discerning to other
foreign cultures" said Dang Huu Hung, deputy editor in chief of Sciences
and Fatherland magazine, "Thus, there are interferences with French
and Chinese cultures. But we also know how to "Vietnamese" a
Pho soup. Today, Pho becomes a Vietnamese soup, which makes us proud,
that is more important than the origin of Pho".
Pho's taste and the ingredients to make it have varied and developed with
time. At the beginning, Pho is cooked with hard-boiled beef cut into nice
slices, then also with rare beef poached in the bouillon (pho bo tai),
with chicken (pho ga) and even with pork (pho lon) during hard times in
the war. Some people don't hesitate to evoke the "secrets" of
making Pho soup. An old Pho shop regular cites 3 secrets: the first one
is the cleanliness, the bowl in which pho soup will be served should not
have any smell, the second, is the way to prepare the meat, and the third,
lies in the bouillon, its ingredients and the right moment to integrate
them in the water.
the bouillon, Mr. Huu Bang, Director of Military Theatre also shares his
opinion. He recalls that, when he was a child, a bowl of pho, without
bouillon, cost one cent (xu), while the one with bouillon was 3 cents.
"The bouillon should be simmered from the day before, in order to
extract all of vitamins from the bone and the meat should be boiled together
with the bone, both of them being plunged in cold water at the start of
cooking. ".
Thus, is
it right that a "standard" for Pho to be defined, giving exact
details on quantity of herbs and condiments, the way to prepare the bouillon
and perhaps, eventually leading a label guaranteeing the quality of Pho
? Poet Vu Quan Phuong adds the following: "We have to protect Pho
on the one hand and give it a free development on the other. Pho is the
soul of Vietnam and when I enjoy a bowl of pho, I recall firstly, the
flavors of my childhood".
of journalist Franck Renaud
Earthenware Stoves of Street Hawkers
Today, pho
is served in some restaurants as a specialty or in some small provision
shops set up at night on the pavement. However, Pho was originally sold
by roving street hawkers who walked around the city carrying on their
shoulders a wooden stick holding a bucket on either end. The bucket in
the back contained a bouillon's pot and an earthenware stove. According
to Nguyen Dinh Rao, the name of "Pho" comes from the appellation
of earthen stove, called "coffre-feu" in French.
This stove
related directly to the origin of Pho word. When the customers saw the
hawker, they would shout "Eh! Feu!" and receive a response "Oui!
Feu!". These appellations, by continuous repetition, may have lead
to the name of the pho, which is familiar with us today. Some people believe
that the word pho comes from from a Chinese character or even inspired
from a real French dish, for example "le pot au feu." …
this subject, Didier Corlou, pointed out the resemblance between the French
dish mentioned above (le pot au feu) and Pho soup. He makes the connection
between grilled onion in the French dish and grilled shallot and old ginger
on plate in Vietnamese "Pho" to give it color nice taste – as
these spices keep the whole of contents concentrated when being grilled.
Recipe (for
approximately 10 persons)
"Pho" noodles (Banh pho): 1kg
– Beef bone: 1kg (approximately)
– Beef rump or shoulder: 400g
– Beef fillet (optional): 150g
– Shallot (Hanh kho): 20g
– Old ginger (Gung gia): 30g
– Star anise (Hoa hoe): 1 unit
– Cinnamon stick (que): 3cm
– Black cardamom (Thao qua): 1 unit
– Lime (Chanh): 3 units
– Spring onion (Hanh la): 100g
– Fresh herbs: sweet mint (rau thom), coriander (rau mui) and saw coriander
(rau mui tau)
– Nuoc mam, fresh chili, salt, pepper grounded.
1/ Wash the bone and the meat. Drain the piece of beef fillet with kitchen
absorbent paper.
2/ Grill the ginger and shallots. Dry the star anise and the black cardamom,
slightly crush them and put them in a piece of clean cloth together with
a piece of cinnamon stick, tie well.
3/ Stir the stock with 3 liters of cold water, put the beef bone and cook
on high heat. When it comes to the boil, skim. Add the spices in the cloth
and the piece of beef rump. Season with nuoc mam and salt. Simmer on low
heat for about two and a half hours. Take the spices out when the stock
has become fragrant.
4/ Take out the beef bone and meat. Hang the meat and drain it well. Keep
the stock simmering and check the seasoning.
5/ Slice the herbs, spring onion and the beef.
6/ Blanche the noodles in boiling water for 2 seconds, divide it in individual
bowls. Arrange the meat in each bowl, onion and herbs on top. Pour the
boiling stock.
7/ Serve immediately accompanied with a little lemon juice, sliced chili
or chili sauce.
For the Pho with rare beef: slice the raw beef fillet before the serving,
marinate it with a little ginger, put it in a ladle and poach it in the
stock. Pour the meat and stock in each bowl on the noodles and herbs.
In certain
Pho restaurants, some spuncules (sea worm) are added while making the
stock to make it more tasty.
The voracious
appetites and pleasure in gastronomy of my colleagues and friends, Frederic
Baron, Franck Lafourcade, Nguyen Dinh Rao, Franck Renaud, Nguyen Thanh
Van, Nguyen Thi Kim Hai, Dang Duc Tue and Jean-François Mallet,
all helped me to realize my dream of producing this booklet. This soup,
popular and royal at the same time, remains the chief representative of
Vietnamese cuisine. It continues to develop and some grand French chefs
have already used the basis of cooking Pho to create frogs' legs soup
with fresh peppermint. It means that this cuisine is made for traveling
and for a simple pleasure, which is what I would define as gastronomy.
Bon appétit!
Didier Corlou


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In close to 15 years living full time in East Hampton, I have come to love this community. I can't think of a nicer place to live or raise a family, despite the fact that other areas might offer a more affordable lifestyle or have fewer people "from away" telling the locals what can and cannot be done. Although 15 years relegates me to being a very recent transplant, my love for our natural environment, endless beaches, and the sport of surfcasting has quickly aligned me with the traditions here and made me want to fight to keep them.
The latest attack on those traditions is an ongoing lawsuit waged by Napeague landowners to wrest a stretch of beach from control of the East Hampton Town Trustees and in turn from public use. The suit brought against both the trustees and the town board has been in the works for nearly two years, yet many of us are just hearing about it now. A judgment is coming down to the wire, and unless there's some out-of-the-box thinking and quick action, a very dangerous precedent regarding privatization of public beaches may be set.
Six months back, there were rumors about Napeague property owners complaining that beach drivers were speeding in front of their beachfront properties, coming too close to beach users. There were more complaints of noise, beach fires, and dogs walking too close to their properties. At that time I wrote a letter to The Star speaking out against beach privatization. After my letter was printed, I was contacted by News 12 Long Island and interviewed for a short TV story that also included an interview with the attorney for the Napeague property owners.
His statement "We don't have a problem with people on the beach . . . only vehicles" made me think the suit was focusing mainly on the beach driving issue. But, according to a report in the March 31 Star, the suit may now be largely a "no trespassing" issue.
Was this suit ever really about beach driving? Or was that just a ploy to distract the public from seeing the true agenda? Many now believe that the suit simply amounts to a land grab by a small group of elitists with the aim of increasing the value of their beachfront properties while disenfranchising everyone else.
Just this week we were told the Napeague suit is hinging on obscure records dating back more than 100 years, records that may or may not have validity. Everyone, including the trustees, probably assumed that Napeague was safe under the protection of the Dongan Patent, so it is indeed troubling that after 129 years it's only now coming to light that a fellow named Benson bought the disputed sand in 1882, which might mean that the trustees actually do not control this particular beach.
If there's even a chance that this is true, then it's a travesty that so little information regarding this lawsuit was made available to the beachgoing public. Because surely with more information there would have been a greater uprising earlier on in support of the trustees and other town officials to defend against the lawsuit and to protect beach access — which is for many the primary benefit of living here and, for visitors, a top attraction.
Access to our beaches accounts for millions of dollars spent by visitors in motels, restaurants, shops, gas stations, movie theaters, etc., to say nothing of all the millions spent buying houses. This is an important point, not to be glossed over. Aside from those of us born and raised here and those who have chosen to make their homes here, visiting fishermen, surfers, swimmers, joggers, sunbathers, beachcombers, and countless families enjoy our beaches and contribute to our economy.
Even though the lawsuit now seems to have moved beyond beach driving, as an avid fisherman I'd still like to speak to that specific issue. Beach drivers contribute millions of dollars to local coffers. Fanatical anglers come for 20 or more weekends out of a 34-week fishing season, bringing families and spending a few hundred dollars on each trip. Some buy over $350 worth of beach-driving permits annually and bring buddies along who also spend cash freely. And during the "fall run" fishermen from all over take lengthy vacations here, putting big bucks into the pockets of merchants. Surfers, sea kayakers, and other sports enthusiasts also need vehicle access to beaches and spend plenty of money here.
With regards to safety, after 70 years of beach driving here you'd be hard pressed to find one serious incident in which a beach driver injured a beachgoer!
East Hampton needs to take a page out of Southampton's book. People there roared like lions when someone attempted to privatize a beach, while in East Hampton, for the most part, we've been squeaking like mice.
We need to become a giant squeaky wheel if there's still time to get the grease that will let us save Napeague. Shouldn't we be asking for clarification of the issues in this case? Why not a Town Hall meeting, with plenty of advance notification so hundreds of stakeholders could ask questions with the press present? Conjecture is not good, in fact, it's dangerous, so we need to hear the facts now. How about getting the town board and the trustees together in one room so we can help both bodies act in concert. With anything less than immediate action, this nightmare of beach privatization will become a harsh reality.
Here are just a few questions that should be on the agenda at a Town Hall meeting: Has anyone besides dueling lawyers been speaking or negotiating with the plaintiffs? What is being negotiated, if anything? Is the judge siding with us so far? Can our lawyer win this precedent-setting case without negotiating? What role are the town supervisor and town board playing in this drama, and are they acting in concert with the trustees? If our attorneys can't win this suit, what other strategies might the town employ to put pressure on the plaintiffs to capitulate?
Several months back, a trustee quoted in The Star mentioned the possibility of having the disputed portion of beach condemned. Would that be a possible last-resort tactic that could serve to lower the value of the plaintiffs' properties, the threat of which might prompt them to drop their suit or make major concessions?
When a lawyer representing the plaintiffs calls for a no-trespass motion, as reported in The Star, it sounds ominously as if even beach walkers and sunbathers would be prohibited from accessing the sand above the high-water mark, so prepare to get wet!
On Napeague do we allow ourselves to be herded like sheep into restrictive, narrow, and damp areas close to parking lots? Do we encourage a nightmarish precedent that could possibly lead to the loss of additional public beaches in the near future? Wouldn't we all be ashamed of ourselves if the legacy we passed down to our children and grandchildren were to have allowed the privatization of our town's beaches?
My October letter to The Star sparked more than 80 phone calls and e-mails from not only concerned fishermen but also, amazingly, from sympathetic non-fishers and non-beach drivers who felt the tradition of riding along the beach to enjoy a family gathering, surf, or enable a disabled person to have a day on the sand was an integral part of what makes the South Fork so special.
Old Mr. Benson, who we are told may have purchased Napeague 129 years ago, has long since been dead and buried. If we could dig him up and magically get him to speak, maybe he'd say, "What kind of curmudgeon do you think I am? Of course I'll allow my neighbors to walk and drive on my beach."
In the movie version of this calamity, our lawyer would discover Benson's great-great-grandson still living here and in possession of a legal document scribbled by his great-great-granddad. Over closing music, we'd hear his dying words granting free beach access to the people. "Let them have their traditions, yes, let them walk, swim, fish, and pull their carts on the beach if that's what makes them happy."
But this is not the movie version. East Hampton is at a crossroads. Do we bury our heads in the sand, or do we draw a line in it?
It seems the very people who want there own space, came and bought some, for what the area has long stood for. The erosion of all coastal area is inevitable, and everyone wants to save there piece when the problem will cause them to lose there space. Nature has been proving recently we are no match.
I strongly believe that all the beach should be available to all. Look at Georgica Association as an example. My amateur understanding is they "own" some beach but have never prevented access. If the napeague owners want their own beach, let them create their own town complete- police and fire protection, snow removal, trash removal, school district etc. The concluding point, we are in a dangerous place when a lawsuit enables us to pick and choose what we like about where we live.
when they ask for assistance to replace their eroded beaches to save their houses, will they have to fend for themselves? Or come to the town they betray in a lawsuit?
The people who support this SUIT apparently do not care about the economic ramifications of this action. If PRIVATIZERS are allowed to place fences, gates, and boulders with a sprinkling of NO TRESPASS signs on their property....there will be no public access. WHO will come to our town then? THE town board MUST do everything in its power to work in concert with the trustees to defeat this suit. At the very least our TOWN BOARD needs to make a public statement to assure the community that they are not throwing in the towel. The safe, and uncreative politics of AVOIDANCE...will not prevent the privatization of Napeague.
This lawsuit is dangerous and stupid. Someone with common sense should step in and just say no. Where does their property end and community property begin? Does their land extend into the water? Do they own the water too? What if this were on a lake with drinking water? Could they charge for the use of their water? What if it was the drinking water of local residents? The suit is ridiculous and should be dismissed.
If the Napeague property owners succeed then the public has the right to reappraise that land at a higher value and collect back taxes. Suitable interest and penalty should apply, especially since that land hasn't paid its fair share since 1882.
I believe from reading all the blogs and the newspaper coverage (especially the ones about last weeks public meeting) that the lawsuit stems from trucks on the beach...not people. Apparently the town allows trucks here but no where else and the plaintiffs have mounted a reasonable challenge to that practice. As far as I can tell there are only a handful of town residents who actually demand the right to drive on the beach. Why should the rest of us be sacrificed in the name of the trucks? Why can't they use a parking lot or buy a permit and drive on the State Park instead? It's time for our officials to offer a settlement that preserves access on foot before its too late.
BEACHWALKER, WHY DON'T YOU DO US ALL A BIG FAVOR AND MOVE TO CALIFORNIA WHERE ALL BEACHES ARE PRIVATIZED? Beach driving here is highly regulated and practiced on all beaches...with not one serious accident ever being recorded in seventy years. Hundreds of families in our town practice and enjoy RESPONSIBLE beach driving without ever causing any problems. You are obviously one of the"KNOW IT ALL" anti-beach driving fanatics, with little regard for local traditions, nor do you care, for the families, seniors,sportsmen,frail, and disabled beach goers who require a vehicle for access purposes.NAPEAGUE is a family beach and people have been driving on that sand since the thirties...and that is the way it should remain. If you are too selfish to share the beach...please move...your rants are truly BECOMING SILLIER and MORE BORING with each self serving word.LEARN TO SHARE THE SAND WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS OR GET LOST!
I am happy to share the sand with my neighbors....but not their trucks. It is not fair to ask me to sacrafice my beach just so you can drive on it. I have been walking on this beach for 40 years and my parents long before that. The situaion with 4x4s has deteriorated dramatically over my lifetime. As a matter of fact, has anyone bothered to understand how many permits are sold and to whom? This is not about my Amagansett and East Hampton neighbors driving on the beach....this is about the Town selling permits to people from all over the east end and beyond because only East Hampton allows this activity. It is time to treat everyone and every beach equally. Insult me all you want...it will not solve this conflict.
It is not your beach. There have been many cases ajudicated in courts over many many years. The publics right to use of the beaches on the East End of Long Island has been proven.The Town may rule on times of use for the beach vehicles. The residents of these Towns have ridden on the beach for generations. We have pictures of our ancestors ridding on lthe beach in horse and wagon.And for your information driving on the beach is allowed in Southampton Town also. In fact I'll bet, when the permits of all who drive on the beach quite a few reveal names of folks whose primary resident is in NYC.
For those folks critical of a law suit I do agree. What I am referring to is the 1686 Dongan Pattent set out by the then Gov. of the NY Colony. Among othr things it says"--- all waters up to the high water mark are public waters and residents are permitted unfettered access."Now we know in all the towns along the South Shore there are areas which are difficult to access. But still, residents have a right to free use of the ocean water and the beach up to the dunes.