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Paul D. Wilke
American Democracy and the Myth of Progress
Something I read recently got me thinking about the idea of progress again, but more narrowly in the context of our current crazy political situation. I came across a quote from H.L. Mencken that seemed, well, timely even today, a hundred years after he wrote it. Mencken was a writer who made a career in part out of parodying the mediocrity of the common man and the kind of democracy it gave us.
Here's one cynical example from a Baltimore Evening Sun article he wrote in 1920. In this case, he was writing about the challenges of winning presidential elections in America.
"As democracy is perfected, the office [of President] represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." Newspapers.com
Mencken was referencing soon-to-be president and "Numskull" (his word) Warren G. Harding. Still, I suspect many may find the quote apt today, if not downright prophetic. To be sure, Mencken was an elitist, a snob, a racist, and someone who would have howled with laughter at the so-called wisdom of the common man.
For Mencken, the common man was more Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin than anything resembling the idea of a thoughtful and engaged citizen. The average person, Mencken believed, was a dolt. Democracy was simply the act of empowering the dolts to elect other dolts to govern in a kind of "doltocracy," i.e., the rule of the dim over the dim-witted.
Is Progress Real?
Maybe this is too harsh. As a society, we have come a long way, even if it appears our democracy is run by mediocrities. Zoom out, and the progress we've made is real enough to measure, though with some important caveats. Take Steven Pinker: he is one of today's most ardent defenders of the idea that almost everything about the world we live in is better than before. And frankly, it's hard to argue with this premise.
Violence, war, and poverty are all way down. Skin color and ethnicity no longer dictate destiny as they did before. Since the nineteenth century, the ongoing rights revolution has brought historically marginalized groups into the political community as equals. Science and technology have made our lives more comfortable than ever before. The free market and the welfare state working in tandem remain the best engines we have to create wealth and distribute it more equitably.
These are good things.
This, I would argue, is measurable progress.
So we must be doing something right, even if we're governed by "morons" elected by the "collective wisdom of individual ignorance."
Here's another tell-tale sign that progress is real: look back at how poorly some customs and norms have aged. When we do this, we shake our heads in disgust. Slavery and Jim Crow, the shameful servitude of women, the extermination of the Native Americans, the barbaric treatment of non-normative sexualities: all of these are bigotries and prejudices we rightly reject today, even though all of them were once norms just about everyone blindly accepted.
Today those beliefs are condemned as not only socially reprehensible but also illegal. People now live in a time that offers opportunities to pursue self-actualization in ways that would have been impossible just a few decades ago.
And yet, for all this evidence pointing to real, tangible progress, Mencken's century-old critique still resonates with me. The American presidency continues to produce leaders from one end of the talent spectrum to the other, from inspiring leaders like Roosevelt, Reagan, and Kennedy, to...well...what we have seen recently.
We get a reflection of the values and opinions of that portion of the electorate large enough to choose a president. That's all. The lesson here is that democracies don't necessarily pick better leaders. Sometimes they pick dolts.
Therefore, defining progress in political institutions appears to be more problematic. Political progress can happen. After all, the examples of progress I listed above all needed the stamp of legislative authority to make them stick.
Yet, looking around at our current political landscape, can anyone see anything but regression? Can anyone argue that our political institutions are still progressing toward something better? Or are they breaking down under the stress of bad actors? I don't know. Mencken wouldn't be surprised. He also wrote, "Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance."
Maybe he was on to something?
You see, democracy has no telos, no point toward which it is advancing. History doesn't either. Those are fallacies, but enduring ones propagated by influential thinkers like Hegel, Marx, and Spengler, just to name a few off the top of my head. It's one thing to have faith in progress, looking back with pride at all that has been accomplished and looking forward to all that still can be.
It's quite another to think this is all inevitable, that it's part of some abstract, unstoppable historical process. It's not. Progress can be real and has been, but it is disconcertingly fragile. It's utterly dependent on real people engaging in civic activism to make change happen. But that's a slow, fitful process, and the gains often feel tiny when only viewed in isolation. Taken together, though, it all adds up to building a better government.
But keep this in mind: What we take years to carefully build up can burn down in an hour.
There's your progress.
Moreover, democracies are dynamic but also inherently unstable and require constant care and attention from the populace. The American Founders understood this. They studied failed democracies like Athens and Rome. Looking at those failures, they tried to build a better system of government that gave power to citizens while avoiding the pitfalls that ruined previous democracies.
They understood that each generation must re-negotiate the terms of the government it will live under. The American system was made to evolve with the times, giving it a degree of adaptability that previous republics simply lacked.
They also understood that human nature today is no different than when Cleon led Athens or when Hitler was Chancellor of the Weimar Republic. We're made of the exact same flawed human material, echoing Kant's lament that, "Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made."
The human weaknesses that destroyed democracies in the past still exist today. Look around, if you doubt me. American exceptionalism will not save us, so we should be on our guard. Democracy is best sustained by a populace that is engaged, informed, and invested in society's continued well-being. Otherwise, it threatens to come crashing down as fear, hatred, grievance, mistrust, and partisanship trump our better civic natures.
Taking Stock - Optimism or Pessimism
So, where are we today? I'm not sure, to be honest. I believe our political system is increasingly dysfunctional. The current populist moment is the expression of the average citizen's vague awareness of that fact. That instinct is right, even if it has been weaponized to undermine the democracy they all want to save. Unfortunately, that is the great vulnerability of all populist movements: they tend to get hijacked by opportunists skilled at leveraging discontent to scapegoat opponents and advance ideological agendas.
History shows that democracy is vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks. Demagogues divide and conquer by constant appeals to grievances, undermining the very guardrails put in place to protect democracy. Oligarchies and plutocracies eventually emerge to legislate and institutionalize their power, even if they continue using the language of freedom and liberty to justify their actions.
They know money is power, and power begets more power, which begets more money, and then more power, and so on as true freedom and liberty swirl down the toilet. Aspiring authoritarians will drape themselves in flags and patriotism as they quietly accumulate power that undermines democratic institutions.
A democracy's natural trajectory is toward having power consolidated into fewer and fewer hands. This either continues until checked by the people or until only a hollowed-out husk of democracy remains.
On the other hand, democracy's demise does not have to be our fate. While many current trends are troubling, others are reassuring. For every shuttered democracy like Orban's Hungary, Weimar Germany, Erdogan's Turkey, Putin's Russia, or Chavez's Venezuela, many others remain bastions of open, pluralistic, liberal governance.
The stable democracies of Western Europe, the Scandinavian nations, Japan, Canada, Australia, and many others come to mind as shining examples that demonstrate the still-valid theory that democracy can work, and work damn well for everyone when done right.
Progress can continue, or it can reverse. Nothing's decided. Do we take pride in our institutions and seek to make them better? Or, do we continue to elect bulldozers with nothing but contempt for the government they were elected to serve? If so, then we will end up with the government we deserve.
It's up to us to decide which way this goes.
Supplementary Materials
A short version of Pinker's argument that things are actually pretty damn good today, despite all the gloom and doom we get carpet-bombed with every day in the media. A good reality check if you're someone on the receiving end of that daily carpet bombing.
But to end on a darker note, here's a talk on how democracy dies.
Paris, France
September 2020


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In Massachusetts, every homeowner has a $125,000 homestead protection on their primary residence. This prevents creditors from forcing a homeowner to sell his or her home in order to pay a court judgment.
If the value of your home exceeds $125,000 you should sign and record a Declaration of Homestead. This will protect your home from creditors up to $500,000.
The form is available online at the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office.
It costs only $35 to record the completed document at the registry of deeds. Your lawyer should prepare the form for you and have you sign it along with all other closing documents.
If you have any questions about real estate law, please feel free to contact me at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I finally started working with the strategy map AI. I want the AI to be smart so it can match the human player on harder difficulty levels. So I think it is important that the AI can for example use the surroundings to its advantage. So I made an algorithm which detects these choke points on the map. This knowledge can be used when the AI decides which star systems to colonize so that it can then defend its area effectively by building static defences and focusing its ships on the choke points. Also, because the process looks cool it makes a nice video. 🙂


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Tag: british grand prix
British Grand Prix Preview
British Grand Prix Preview
Silverstone Circuit Lap record 1:33.401 (Mark Webber 2013) First Grand Prix 1950 Number of laps 52 Last year's winner Lewis Hamilton Last year's Grand Prix Vlog Driver quotes (F1.com): Jolyon Palmer "I'm really looking forward to racing in front of the home crowd. I love the track and it's always a special weekend at Silverstone. … Continue reading British Grand Prix Preview
British Grand Prix Guide
Formula 1 to take to the streets of London
The Press Association reported that Formula One could take over the streets of London four days before the British Grand Prix on July 12th. According to the report Lewis Hamilton would take a route past Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament. So what do I think? This is a great opportunity for Formula 1 … Continue reading Formula 1 to take to the streets of London


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Vegan & Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Scones by Bakerita
hese Gluten-Free Vegan Cranberry Orange Scones will be your new favorite vegan breakfast. This easy scone recipe is made with fresh and dried cranberries, fresh orange juice and zest, and a simple orange glaze for maximum flavor. Studded with fresh and dried cranberries, flavored with orange zest and juice, and topped with an orange glaze, these scones are tender and flaky. Made to perfection with the Silpat Perfect Pastry, Silpat Half Size, and Cook N Cool tray.


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A&M's Tra Carson could give Kevin Sumlin a first with the Aggies
Suzanne Halliburton
Texas A&M tailback Tra Carson quietly is having a nice season. Although he's overshadowed by SEC superstar backs Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette, Carson is putting up solid numbers, too.
Carson needs only 136 yards to crack 1,000 for the season. His yardage ranks seventh in the SEC and 52nd in the country.
A&M takes on Vanderbilt, Saturday, on the road, then finishes the regular season at LSU.
Here's why Carson's numbers are significant. Carson would be coach Kevin Sumlin's first 1,000-yard tailback in his A&M career.
"Tra is on pace for 1,000 yards and that's something in the SEC," Sumlin said this week.
Quarterback Johnny Manziel was the last Aggie to rush for 1,000. He did that in 2012 during his Heisman season.


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High School Baseball:
Monday, May 21, 2007
By Jerome Michaels
There's a race for the title taking place and three teams, Seneca, Bishop Eustace and Camden Catholic are all in contention of claiming the Olympic Conference National Division title. Two of those teams met at Camden Catholic where the Fighting Irish was hosting the Crusaders from Bishop Eustace and both teams had the talent to win the big games when needed. Camden Catholic would use their home field advantage and belted four home runs to defeat their opponent. The Irish never trailed in this game and won by a 12-4 margin.
Teams have taken the field all season long in search of two titles, the conference and the state titles. There are other personal accomplishments that the teams put on their agenda, but those trophies look good sitting in their school's display case. Both of these titles are a representation of a very successful season. Camden Catholic has been enjoying a winning season and they would get this game started off right by scoring two runs during their first at bat and take the early lead. The Irish's fourth inning success clearly put this game out of reach when they scored six times to take a commanding 8-1 lead. Matt Moceri would hit two home runs in this game, Dan Angelo and Matt Potts also hit homers for Camden Catholic.


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Brief Biography:
Charles Bane, Jr. is the American author of The Chapbook (Curbside Splendor ) , Love Poems ( Aldrich Press) , and Three Seasons: Writing Donald Hall ( Collection of Houghton Library, Harvard University ). He created and contributes to The Meaning Of Poetry series for The Gutenberg Project, and is a current nominee as Poet Laureate of Florida. His website is
Geosi Gyasi: How much of "love" is in your book, "Love Poems"?
Charles Bane: The idea for the book came from my agent, who thought it would have reader appeal. I wanted everything graphically about the book to be understated, which my publisher understood. That said, I enjoyed writing the collection.
Geosi Gyasi: Does a writer need special training to be able to write love poems?
Charles Bane: No, you just have to go there. There's deeply beautiful poems about love out there by very gifted poets. I think you just have to have something to say, and be secure that you can say it.
Geosi Gyasi: Roald Hoffmann, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and poet said of your book, "Love Poems" that, "it is too rare to find good poems of love in our day." Do you agree with him?
Charles Bane: I would have a few years ago, but not now. Feminists in particular are showering their collections with poems about relationships, on new terms.
Geosi Gyasi: Why the title "Love Poems"?
Charles Bane: It was all about marketing, and I follow the advice of my agent closely.
Geosi Gyasi: How did you come to write "The Chapbook"?
Charles Bane: The Chapbook was my first collection, and I learned that getting a box of your poems in the mail is up there with your first sight of Paris, first kiss, first everythings. That said, I think it's a good sign when a poet is embarrassed by earlier work, and there are several poems in the book I wish hadn't been published. As you mature, hopefully your work becomes more subtle, stronger, more ambitious. All the poems were previously published and I never put a poem into a collection that hasn't been published in more than one journal.
Geosi Gyasi: Do you have a favorite poem in your book, "The Chapbook"?
Charles Bane: I like " Come Beloved", which I think is very pure, and "My Old Soul", about the Holocaust.
Geosi Gyasi: Whom do you write for?
Charles Bane: I write for the reader I'll never meet, but who deserves the best you have.
Geosi Gyasi: Could you tell us what you do as a contributor to The Gutenberg Project?
Charles Bane: It's a history of poetry in the West, BUT I want to include those women excluded from the Canon, which in the West is all male, all white. There were female troubadours writing in the 13th century, but their work has only recently come to light. I began the series with Virgil's Georgics translated by John Dryden, because it's a masterpiece and because it's completely unread.
Geosi Gyasi: What inspired your poem, "My Old Soul"?
Charles Bane: The unconscious desire to find meaning in the Holocaust through my own poetic voice.
Geosi Gyasi: Do you what motivates you to write?
Charles Bane: I was writing very young. I had no choice at all, and I think that's true of all serious poets.
Geosi Gyasi: What is the best time to write?
Charles Bane: Anytime of day that I have lots of coffee, and quiet. I just quit smoking and it took a few months to get used to writing without cigarettes. But it was wonderful, at last, to write again
Geosi Gyasi: How did you come to write, "When Masai Raise Spearheads"?
Charles Bane: The poem is a brew of questions about science, faith and culture. I'm beginning to think all faiths are essentially the same. So the answers–the true answers— we seek about the meaning of life should be cognizant of science.
Geosi Gyasi: Do you earn a living from writing?
Charles Bane: No. I don't accept payment from journals who need money for operating costs, nor royalties from my books until they hit a certain sales mark. A small press deserves financial reward for accepting the merit of your work.
Geosi Gyasi: What is the greatest challenge you've ever faced as a writer?
Charles Bane: You have to push , push , push yourself as a writer. I wrote a poem in the persona of Saphho, and I worried it would be ridiculed. You're awfully vulnerable out there, and the definitions of sexuality, gender and relationship are all in flux. It would be a good time to play it safe. But if you play it safe creatively, you're done. The poem, "Thunder, Lightning", is, fortunately, popular.
Geosi Gyasi: Could you spend some time to talk about your poem, "My Love" as published in the Issue 2, Summer 2014 of One Throne Magazine?
Charles Bane: That's the only surviving poem from my childhood which I wrote at about twelve. The version in One Throne is incomplete, because I sent it off from memory. I like its image of sunset: " The loom removed in lowering steps", and night- time: " A hearth of sparks is overturned" I'm putting the poem in my next book.
Geosi Gyasi: How true are your "love" poems?
Charles Bane: They are as true as the effect they produce for the reader. Personally, the poem for my son is the truest, literally.
Geosi Gyasi: Who are your literary forbears?
Charles Bane: Too many: Virgil , Donne, Milton's Lycidas, but not his other works., Ezra Pound, Elizabeth Bishop, Anthony Hecht, Karl Shapiro.
Geosi Gyasi: How would you describe your "style" of writing?
Charles Bane: It's usually described as romantic, which is complimentary if you're not described as a "romantic poet", which I'm not.
Geosi Gyasi: Do you care about "imagery" when you write?
Charles Bane: No, not at all. The poem unspools from you and the images fall into place of their own accord. A poet is as much downhill skier as artist, courting disaster at the end of every line break as you hurtle towards an end that explodes into meaning.
Geosi Gyasi: What do you do when a poem you're writing is not going well for you?
Charles Bane: I write online, and put it in my drafts folder, but the majority of them will be left aside. I read that Kay Ryan throws away 80% of her work. That's huge.
Geosi Gyasi: What are you currently working on?
Charles Bane: I have a new collection coming out from Urban Farmhouse Press: "The Ends Of The Earth: Collected Poems". It will blend my previous work with about 15 or twenty new poems. My agent is seeking distribution through China Mobile.com which has millions of English- speaking readers. That's exciting.


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I cannot believe I have written this many blogs without addressing one that was about the Nurses that took care of my husband. This crazy, serious dramatic journey could have been so different if it weren't for the nurses, therapists, and patient techs.
It is a big miss for me because I have several relatives (my God daughter, nieces, friends) that are nurses and in the medical field.
First the nurses in Neuro ICU, what they go thru, the worst patients dying. Scotty spent 29 days in Neuro ICU (of course part of those days were from insurance denying him moving). I know for a fact several people passed away while we were there. What struck me the most was the nurses constantly consulting with each other about how to make Scott the most comfortable and deal with his complications to make them less and prevent others. I know they have 2 patients but their devotion to my husband was top notch. Their concern for me because I did not leave for 14 days was sincere. Their ability to instill confidence and their recommendation that I go home, led me out the door to my own bed albeit in tears.
I do not remember everyone's names but I do remember their faces. There was a male nurse working overnight who was small of stature with quick sure movements, first thing he did was clean Scotty's room and make sure everything was stocked to the max. His wife was a librarian and he was kind and sure in his knowledge. The day I have to let them put the vent in was so heart wrenching for me. When he came on duty that night he told me "Diane I know this was a big step back for Scotty but your decision is giving him a chance to live." I felt that was confirmation from God that I did make the right decision. There was the young beautiful nurse who constantly was shifting him checking and tweaking everything , personally talked to facilities to get them to turn the temperature down in the room to help with his fever.
The weekend nurse who knew I was concerned with his cleanliness, who helped me bath him around all the tubes and even massaged his scalp with one of those shampoo caps. She also woke him up on Veterans day, painstakingly lower the drug until his eyes opened. Veterans day how fitting, it was 13 days after the stroke he looked at me! He tracked her with his eyes! It was big news on the floor everyone came to see him, he watched some of the movie Green Berets and he was there alive.
The therapists who were kind and gentle and tried all manner of ways to get him moving and breathing on his own. I think I will have to give them and the patient techs their own blog.
We are forever in the debt of those dedicated nurses who never gave up on Scotty even when the outlook was grim.


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Crowder is dedicated to exemplifying quality, beginning with our employees - key to our continued success and growth. Meet some of Crowder's leaders.
Lynn L. Hansen
Chief Executive Officer Crowder Constructors Inc
Carlos W. Norris
Chief Operating Officer/ President Crowder Constructors Inc
Otis Crowder
Chairman of the Board Crowder Constructors Inc
Bill Crowder
Vice Chairman of the Board Crowder Constructors Inc
Karl Francis
Chief Financial Officer/ Vice President of Finance Crowder Constructors Inc
Claudia Dodgen
Vice President Employee Services and People Development Crowder Constructors Inc
Jody Barbee
Vice President Risk Management Crowder Constructors Inc
B.J. Christman
Vice President/Civil & Environmental Division Manager Crowder Construction Company
George Ellis
Vice President/ Heavy Civil Division Manager Crowder Construction Company
Mike Reisinger
Executive Vice President/ Division Manager Crowder Industrial Construction®
Chad Link
Vice President Crowder Energy Services
Greg Cochran
Vice President Crowder Energy Services
Lynn L. Hansen
Chief Executive Officer
Crowder Constructors Inc
Lynn Hansen became Chief Executive Officer of Crowder Constructors Inc. in June 2019, previously serving as the President and Chief Financial Officer of Crowder. Lynn began her career with Crowder, as the Vice President of Finance and Administration in 1999. Lynn has also been actively involved in operations by serving as the Division Manager of Crowder Heavy Civil along with her role as CFO. Lynn has a wealth of knowledge in strategic planning, risk management and finance. Her leadership has been integral to the growth and success of Crowder over the last two decades.
is a graduate of the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor of
Science in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant and is
active and holds leadership positions in several professional and
civic organizations including the Carolinas AGC, American Heart
Association, the McLeod Center, and her church.
Carlos W. Norris
Chief Operating Officer/ President
Crowder Constructors Inc
Carlos Norris is the Chief Operating Officer and President of Crowder Constructors Inc. and serves on its Board of Directors. He also serves as President of Crowder's operating subsidiaries. Carlos began his career with Crowder in 1994 with Crowder Construction Company's Civil & Environmental Division, serving in various leadership positions including Division Manager and President. He assumed his current role in 2015.
Carlos has extensive construction knowledge in field operations and management with over 40 years of experience in heavy civil, water/wastewater, environmental and energy projects. In this role, he has been responsible for Crowder's significant presence in the alternate delivery market for project procurement and developed a group to address renewable energy projects to answer client needs. These efforts have led to Crowder being a recognized leader in alternate delivery and renewable energy projects.
Carlos has been influential both on the local and national levels through leadership positions in the Association of General Contractors, American Waterworks Association, and the Water Environment Federation.
Otis Crowder
Chairman of the Board
Crowder Constructors Inc
Otis Crowder serves as the Chairman of the Board of Crowder Constructors Inc. and was Chief Executive Officer until June 2020. Otis joined Crowder Construction Company in 1970 as an estimator and project manager. Over the last 50 years, he has worked in nearly every facet of the Company's operation prior to becoming President of Crowder Construction Company in 1984 following his father, O.P. Crowder, one of the founders of Crowder.
Otis led a corporate reorganization in 2007, which established Crowder Constructors Inc as parent of Crowder Construction Company, Crowder Industrial Construction LLC and Crowder Energy Services LLC. Under Otis' leadership Crowder has become a diverse infrastructure contractor throughout the Southeast.
Otis is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a BS in Civil Engineering. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Charlotte Habitat for Humanity, Community Link and North Charlotte Rotary. Otis has served on many industry, professional and community organizations throughout his career.
Bill Crowder
Vice Chairman of the Board
Crowder Constructors Inc
W.T. Crowder Jr. (Bill) currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Crowder Constructors Inc. Bill joined Crowder in 1969 and has held various positions from foreman to Chief Operating Officer.
Bill's operational experience on complex infrastructure projects throughout the Southeast has earned him a reputation as an innovative problem solver, and he is often called upon by Crowder's engineer partners and clients to share his knowledge and extensive experience in the industry.
Bill has a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from UNC Charlotte and an Associate's degree from Wingate University. Bill is more than an active member of our communities. He has been honored time and time again for his industry and community work. Bill currently serves as a Trustee for Wingate University, a board member at The Memory Center, a long-time and continuing Board member of Alexander Children's Network, and an Elder in his church.
Karl Francis
Chief Financial Officer/ Vice President of Finance
Crowder Constructors Inc
Karl Francis joined Crowder in 1985 as Chief Accountant after working in public accounting. Prior to being named CFO in 2020, he held several positions at Crowder gaining extensive financial and operational experience by working closely with its operational groups. As Corporate Secretary, he is also heavily involved in the corporate governance function.
Karl is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the AICPA and NCACPA. He enjoys family time as well as playing ice hockey and squash.
Claudia Dodgen
Vice President Employee Services and People Development
Crowder Constructors Inc
Claudia Dodgen is the Vice President of Employee Services and People Development and has been with Crowder since June 2000. Her oversight ranges from HR and Benefits to Crowder YOUniversity, an integrated learning and coaching track for all Crowder employees. Claudia uses her expertise focusing on Crowder's Leader Development. Prior to joining Crowder, Claudia worked with Provant, a performance management consulting organization, and was a Co-Owner and Principal with LeadFirst & Associates, Inc, a leadership development, and change management firm.
Claudia is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and has been actively involved in advocating issues ranging from healthcare reform to employment law legislation to immigration. In 2012, she was awarded with the CAGC award for Outstanding Committee Chair as well as the Presidential Babcock Award for HR Excellence from the Charlotte-based Employers Association. Claudia has had leadership roles in several industry and community organizations. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Carolinas AGC Foundation, as a founding Board member of the NC Business Group on Health, and past Chair of The Learning Collaborative.
Jody Barbee
Vice President Risk Management
Crowder Constructors Inc
Joseph Daniel Barbee (Jody) joined Crowder in October of 2000 after working several years in the insurance industry. Jody began his career at Crowder in the Safety and Risk Management group before being named VP Risk Management in 2012.
Jody has a wealth of experience in occupational safety, litigation management, labor relations and environmental compliance. He and his team have led the effort to transform Crowder's safety culture to a nationally award-winning program.
Jody is a graduate of Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He also holds professional designations of Associate in Risk Management and Professional in Human Resources. He spends his free time coaching Little League baseball, playing golf and spending time outdoors.
B.J. Christman
Vice President/Civil & Environmental Division Manager
Crowder Construction Company
B.J. Christman serves as Vice President and Division Manager for Crowder Construction Company's Civil & Environmental Division. Since joining Crowder in 1999, B.J. has spent the past 19 years in key roles including project manager, regional operations manager, and preconstruction manager overseeing estimating and business development. During that time, he has experienced the challenges and has been part of the solutions to the changing infrastructure needs and the shift to collaborative procurement to deliver public projects. His leadership and project delivery methods have led to Crowder being a recognized leader in collaborative delivery in the water and wastewater markets in the Southeast.
B.J graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in Civil Engineering. He is a DBIA certified professional.
George Ellis
Vice President/ Heavy Civil Division Manager
Crowder Construction Company
George Ellis is Division Manager and Vice President of Crowder's Heavy Civil Division. George joined Crowder Construction Company in 2000. He has over 32 years of heavy civil construction experience in projects throughout the Southeastern United States. George has a wealth of construction experience including complex bridge and highway work, dam construction and rehabilitation, heavy marine construction, wharfs, pile driving, deep foundations, cofferdam design and construction, jetties and breakwaters, steam tunnels, intake structures, soil stabilizations, and heavy demolition. Under his leadership Crowder's Heavy Civil Division has grown from primarily a bridge builder to a diversified heavy civil general contractor throughout the southeast.
George is a Professional Engineer and is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a BS in Civil Engineering. George serves on several committees of the Carolinas AGC. George spends his free time fishing and hunting.
Mike Reisinger
Executive Vice President/ Division Manager
Crowder Industrial Construction®
Mike joined Crowder Construction Company in 1997 as a project manager. In 2002 Mike opened Crowder's office in Georgia. Mike was the Regional Manager of this office from 2002 until March 2016. During this time, Mike oversaw over $400MM in electrical, civil, and mechanical work in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. In April 2016 Mike joined Crowder Industrial Construction in Spartanburg, SC where he currently serves as Executive Vice President/Division Manager. Mike is responsible for annual revenue of $100MM+ and oversees Crowder's 400+ personnel out of Spartanburg that focus on power plant and heavy industrial construction in the Southeast. Our Industrial team has the capability to self-perform all civil, mechanical, and electrical work on projects and has completed projects up to $105MM in size. Mike spent the early part of his career in heavy civil construction on project sites coordinating all aspects of the work.
earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia
Tech. Mike is a registered Professional Engineer in GA, SC, and NC.
Chad Link
Vice President
Crowder Energy Services
Chad joined Crowder in 1999 and has served in several roles in the organization, many of which have centered around the development and construction of alternative procurement projects with a specific focus on water and wastewater treatment as well as the energy market. As Vice President of Crowder's Energy Services, he is responsible for project development, design phase technical oversight and management, and contract negotiations and execution. Chad leads Crowder's pre-construction services efforts on nearly all alternative procurement projects. Through his 22 years of experience in construction, management, and estimating, he has developed unique skills, including an understanding of design and construction processes and constructability issues.
Chad Graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Option; and a Minor in Business Management.
Greg Cochran
Vice President
Crowder Energy Services
Greg has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry. He joined Crowder in 1999 and led the development and growth of Crowder's electrical department. Greg is currently responsible for oversight of the Energy Services group including business and project development, technical oversight, and project support during construction. Greg has developed his career through focusing on the electrical, instrumentation and equipment design and construction aspects of water, wastewater, and energy construction. He has substantial knowledge and experience in mechanical and electrical systems as well as emerging energy markets.
Greg received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida. He is a licensed General, Electrical and Mechanical Contractor in several states in the southeast. Greg holds his professional registration as an Engineer in both North Carolina and Florida. Greg has provided executive and design oversight for Crowder's Solar Portfolio.


text:
I felt we were sinking.
Water penetrated ship's foundations,
Water, oily, black water,
Heavy as the earth,
While we were leaving the deck
In unresolved dispute
Descending into the underworld,
Through water and mud,
Imagining the limits of the lower deck
As the limits of a terminated world.
And nobody would look up
To keep head over water
And examine the contours of the island,
Promise of a distant land.
I felt we were sinking
Something more powerful than water lured us into wateer.
Something as old as water.
Translated: Radmila Nastić


text: IN THE NEWS I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tour of Duty, a CBS series about a US infantry squad in Vietnam, from the is now on DVD. Tour of Duty made a determined effort in every episode to depict some important aspect of the Vietnam War. Some memorable episodes include the defense of a village where all is definitely not what it seems; a "What a strange trip it's been" return to the United States on leave; racial tensions boiling over in the platoon after Martin Luther King's assassination; and a quixotic rescue effort that symbolized the unforgiving, unfair brutality of war for the infantryman and civilians alike. It's a rough ride watching this show, since the writers were unforgivingly stark in their honesty. Don't expect the stories to follow the comfortable conventions of television, including the WWII-based series like Combat! or The Rat Patrol. Since the Vietnam War is suddenly back in the news, and by necessity this blog talks a great deal about that war as an historical point of reference, I thought I'd take the chance to recommend renting or buying the series.


text:
Writing custom py3status modules
Writing custom modules for py3status is as easy as declaring a Python class. This guide will teach you how.
Importing custom modules
First of all, it is important to know that py3status will try to find your custom modules in the following locations:
which if you are used to XDG_CONFIG paths relates to:
You can also specify the modules location using
py3status -i <path to custom modules directory> in your i3
configuration file.
Example 1: The basics - Hello World!
Now let's start by looking at a simple example.
Here we start with the most basic module that just outputs a static string to the status bar.
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
Example module that says 'Hello World!'
This demonstrates how to produce a simple custom module.
class Py3status:
def hello_world(self):
return {
'full_text': 'Hello World!',
'cached_until': self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER
Running the example
Save the file as
hello_world.py in a directory that py3status will
check for modules. By default it will look in
$HOME/.i3/py3status/ or
you can specify additional directories using
--include when you run
You need to tell py3status about your new module, so in your
i3status.conf add:
order += "hello_world"
Then restart i3 by pressing
Mod +
Shift +
R. Your new module
should now show up in the status bar.
How does it work?
Py3status class tells py3status that this is a module. The module
gets loaded. py3status then calls any public methods that the class
contains to get a response. In our example there is a single method
hello_world(). Read more here: module methods.
The response
The response that a method returns must be a python
dict. It should
contain at least two key / values.
This is the text that will be displayed in the status bar.
This tells py3status how long it should consider your response valid
before it should re-run the method to get a fresh response. In our
example our response will not need to be updated so we can use the
self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER constant. This tells py3status to
consider our response always valid.
cached_until should be generated via the
self.py3.time_in() method.
This is a special object that gets injected into py3status modules. It
helps provide functionality for the module, such as the
constant. Read more about the py3.
Example 2: Configuration parameters
Allow users to supply configuration to a module.
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
Example module that says 'Hello World!' that can be customised.
This demonstrates how to use configuration parameters.
Configuration parameters:
format: Display format (default 'Hello World!')
class Py3status:
format = 'Hello World!'
def hello_world(self):
return {
'full_text': self.format,
'cached_until': self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER
This module still outputs 'Hello World' as before but now you can
customise the output using your
i3status.config for example to show
the text in French.
hello_world {
format = 'Bonjour tout le monde!'
In your module
self.format will have been set to the value supplied in
the config.
Example 3: Click events
Catch click events and perform an action.
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
Example module that handles events
This demonstrates how to use events.
class Py3status:
def __init__(self):
self.full_text = 'Click me'
def click_info(self):
return {
'full_text': self.full_text,
'cached_until': self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER
def on_click(self, event):
event will be a dict like
{'y': 13, 'x': 1737, 'button': 1, 'name': 'example', 'instance': 'first'}
button = event['button']
# update our output (self.full_text)
format_string = 'You pressed button {button}'
data = {'button': button}
self.full_text = self.py3.safe_format(format_string, data)
# Our modules update methods will get called automatically.
on_click method of a module is special and will get called when
the module is clicked on. The event parameter will be a dict that gives
information about the event.
A typical event dict will look like this:
{'y': 13, 'x': 1737, 'button': 1, 'name': 'example', 'instance': 'first'}
You should only receive events for the module clicked on, so generally we only care about the button.
__init__() method is called when our class is instantiated.
init is called before any config parameters have been set.
We use the
safe_format() method of
py3 for formatting. Read more
about the py3.
Example 4: Status string placeholders
Status string placeholders allow us to add information to formats.
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
Example module that demonstrates status string placeholders
Configuration parameters:
format: Initial format to use
(default 'Click me')
format_clicked: Display format to use when we are clicked
(default 'You pressed button {button}')
Format placeholders:
{button} The button that was pressed
class Py3status:
format = 'Click me'
format_clicked = 'You pressed button {button}'
def __init__(self):
self.button = None
def click_info(self):
if self.button:
data = {'button': self.button}
full_text = self.py3.safe_format(self.format_clicked, data)
full_text = self.format
return {
'full_text': full_text,
'cached_until': self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER
def on_click(self, event):
event will be a dict like
{'y': 13, 'x': 1737, 'button': 1, 'name': 'example', 'instance': 'first'}
self.button = event['button']
# Our modules update methods will get called automatically.
This works just like the previous example but we can now be customised. The following example assumes that our module has been saved as click_info.py.
click_info {
format = "Cliquez ici"
format_clicked = "Vous avez appuyé sur le bouton {button}"
Example 5: Using color constants
self.py3 in our module has color constants that we can access, these
allow the user to set colors easily in their config.
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
Example module that uses colors.
We generate a random number between and color it depending on its value.
Clicking on the module will update it an a new number will be chosen.
Configuration parameters:
format: Initial format to use
(default 'Number {number}')
Format placeholders:
{number} Our random number
Color options:
color_high: number is 5 or higher
color_low: number is less than 5
from random import randint
class Py3status:
format = 'Number {number}'
def random(self):
number = randint(0, 9)
full_text = self.py3.safe_format(self.format, {'number': number})
if number < 5:
color = self.py3.COLOR_LOW
color = self.py3.COLOR_HIGH
return {
'full_text': full_text,
'color': color,
'cached_until': self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER
def on_click(self, event):
# by defining on_click pressing any mouse button will refresh the
# module.
The colors can be set in the config in the module or its container or in
the general section. The following example assumes that our module has
been saved as
number.py. Although the constants are capitalized they
are defined in the config in lower case.
number {
color_high = '#FF0000'
color_low = '#00FF00'
Module methods
Py3status will call a method in a module to provide output to the i3bar. Methods that have names starting with an underscore will not be used in this way. Any methods defined as static methods will also not be used.
Output methods should provide a response dict.
Example response:
'full_text': "This text will be displayed",
'cached_until': 1470922537, # Time in seconds since the epoch
The response can include the following keys
The time (in seconds since the epoch) that the output will be classed as no longer valid and the output function will be called again.
Since version 3.1, if no
cached_until value is provided the output
will be cached for
cache_timeout seconds by default this is
60 and
can be set using the
-t or
--timeout option when running py3status.
To never expire the
self.py3.CACHE_FOREVER constant should be used.
cached_until should be generated via the
self.py3.time_in() method.
The color that the module output will be displayed in.
Used to output more than one item to i3bar from a single output method.
If this is provided then
full_text should not be.
This is the text output that will be sent to i3bar.
The index of the output. Allows composite output to identify which component of their output had an event triggered.
False no separator will be shown after the output block (requires
i3bar 4.12).
True the output will be shown as urgent in i3bar.
Special methods
Some special method are also defined.
Called just before a module is destroyed.
Called when an event is received by a module.
Called once an instance of a module has been created and the
configuration parameters have been set. This is useful for any work a
module must do before its output methods are run for the first time.
post_config_hook() introduced in version 3.1
Py3 module helper
Py3 is a special helper object that gets injected into py3status modules, providing extra functionality. A module can access it via the self.py3 instance attribute of its py3status class. For details see py3.
Whilst most modules return a simple response eg:
'full_text': <some text>,
'cached_until': <cache time>,
Sometimes it is useful to provide a more complex, composite response. A composite is made up of more than one simple response which allows for example a response that has multiple colors. Different parts of the response can also be differentiated between when a click event occurs and so allow clicking on different parts of the response to have different outcomes. The different parts of the composite will not have separators between them in the output so they will appear as a single module to the user.
The format of a composite is as follows:
'cached_until': <cache time>,
'composite': [
'full_text': <some text>,
'full_text': <some more text>,
'index': <some index>
index key in the response is used to identify the individual block
and when the modules
on_click() method is called the event will
include this. Supplied index values should be strings. If no index is
given then it will have an integer value indicating its position in the
Module data storage
Py3status allows modules to maintain state through the use of the storage functions of the Py3 helper.
Currently bool, int, float, None, unicode, dicts, lists, datetimes etc are supported. Basically anything that can be pickled. We do our best to ensure that the resulting pickles are compatible with both python versions 2 and 3.
The following helper functions are defined in the modules py3.
These functions may return
None if storage is not available as well as
some metadata such as storage creation timestamp
_ctime and last
modification timestamp
def module_function(self):
# set some storage
self.py3.storage_set('my_key', value)
# get the value or None if key not present
value = self.py3.storage_get('my_key')
Module documentation
All contributed modules should have correct documentation. This documentation is in a specific format and is used to generate user documentation.
The docstring of a module is used. The format is as follows:
- Single line description of the module followed by a single blank line.
- Longer description of the module providing more detail.
- Configuration parameters. This section describes the user settable
parameters for the module. All parameters should be listed (in
alphabetical order). default values should be given in parentheses
(default 7).
- Format placeholders. These are used for substituting values in format strings. All placeholders should be listed (in alphabetical order) and describe the output that they provide.
- Color options. These are the color options that can be provided for this module. All color options should be listed (in alphabetical order) that the module uses.
- Requires. A list of all the additional requirements for the module to work. These may be command line utilities, python libraries etc.
- Example. Example configurations for the module can be given.
- Author and license. Finally information on the modules author and a license can be provided.
Here is an example of a docstring.
Single line summary
Longer description of the module. This should help users understand the
modules purpose.
Configuration parameters:
parameter: Explanation of this parameter (default <value>)
parameter_other: This parameter has a longer explanation that continues
onto a second line so it is indented.
(default <value>)
Format placeholders:
{info} Description of the placeholder
Color options:
color_meaning: what this signifies, defaults to color_good
color_meaning2: what this signifies
program: Information about the program
python_lib: Information on the library
module { parameter = "Example" parameter_other = 7 }
@author <author>
@license <license>
Deprecation of configuration parameters
Sometimes it is necessary to deprecate configuration parameters. Modules are able to specify information about deprecation so that it can be done automatically. Deprecation information is specified in the Meta class of a py3status module using the deprecated attribute. The following types of deprecation are supported.
The deprecation types will be performed in the order here.
The parameter has been renamed. We will update the configuration to use the new name.
class Py3status:
class Meta:
deprecated = {
'rename': [
'param': 'format_available', # parameter name to be renamed
'new': 'icon_available', # the parameter that will get the value
'msg': 'obsolete parameter use `icon_available`', # message
Some formats used
{} as a placeholder this needs to be updated to a
named placeholder eg
class Py3status:
class Meta:
deprecated = {
'format_fix_unnamed_param': [
'param': 'format', # parameter to be changed
'placeholder': 'percent', # the place holder to use
'msg': '{} should not be used in format use `{percent}`', # message
We can use this to rename placeholders in format strings
class Py3status:
class Meta:
deprecated = {
'rename_placeholder': [
'placeholder': 'cpu', # old placeholder name
'new': 'cpu_usage', # new placeholder name
'format_strings': ['format'], # config settings to update
This allows us to update the format of a placeholder in format strings.
The key value pairs {placeholder: format} can be supplied as a dict in
placeholder_formats or the dict can be provided by
function the
function will be called with the current config and must return a dict.
If both are supplied then
placeholder_formats will be updated using
the dict supplied by the function.
class Py3status:
class Meta:
deprecated = {
'update_placeholder_format': [
'function': update_placeholder_format, # function returning dict
'placeholder_formats': { # dict of placeholder:format
'cpu_usage': ':.2f',
'format_strings': ['format'], # config settings to update
This allows one configuration parameter to set the value of another.
class Py3status:
class Meta:
deprecated = {
'substitute_by_value': [
'param': 'mode', # parameter to be checked for substitution
'value': 'ascii_bar', # value that will trigger the substitution
'substitute': {
'param': 'format', # parameter to be updated
'value': '{ascii_bar}', # the value that will be set
'msg': 'obsolete parameter use `format = "{ascii_bar}"`', #message
For more complex substitutions a function can be defined that will be called with the config as a parameter. This function must return a dict of key value pairs of parameters to update
class Py3status:
class Meta:
# Create a function to be called
def deprecate_function(config):
# This function must return a dict
return {'thresholds': [
(0, 'bad'),
(config.get('threshold_bad', 20), 'degraded'),
(config.get('threshold_degraded', 50), 'good'),
deprecated = {
'function': [
'function': deprecate_function, # function to be called
The parameters will be removed.
class Py3status:
class Meta:
deprecated = {
'remove': [
'param': 'threshold_bad', # name of parameter to remove
'msg': 'obsolete set using thresholds parameter', #message
Updating of configuration parameters
Sometimes it is necessary to update configuration parameters. Modules are able to specify information about updates so that it can be done automatically. Config updating information is specified in the Meta class of a py3status module using the update_config attribute. The following types of updates are supported.
This allows us to update the format of a placeholder in format strings.
The key value pairs {placeholder: format} can be supplied as a dict in
placeholder_formats or the dict can be provided by
function the
function will be called with the current config and must return a dict.
If both are supplied then
placeholder_formats will be updated using
the dict supplied by the function.
This is similar to the deprecation method but is to allow default formatting of placeholders to be set.
In a module like sysdata we have placeholders eg
{cpu_usage} this ends
up having a value something like
20.542317173377157 which is strange
as the value to use but gives the user the ability to have as much
precision as they want. A module writer may decide that they want this
displayed as
20.54 so
{cpu_usage:.2f} would do this. Having a
default format containing that just looks long/silly and the user
setting a custom format just wants to do
format = 'CPU: {cpu_usage}%'
and get expected results ie not the full precision. If they don't like
the default formatting of the number they could still do format = 'CPU:
{cpu_usage:d}%' etc.
So using this allows sensible defaults formatting and allows simple placeholders for user configurations.
class Py3status:
class Meta:
update_config = {
'update_placeholder_format': [
'placeholder_formats': { # dict of placeholder:format
'cpu_usage': ':.2f',
'format_strings': ['format'], # config settings to update
Module testing
Each module should be able to run independently for testing purposes. This is simply done by adding the following code to the bottom of your module.
if __name__ == "__main__":
Run module in test mode.
from py3status.module_test import module_test
If a specific config should be provided for the module test, this can be done as follows.
if __name__ == "__main__":
Run module in test mode.
config = {
'always_show': True,
from py3status.module_test import module_test
module_test(Py3status, config=config)
Such modules can then be tested independently by running
python /path/to/module.py.
$ python loadavg.py
[{'full_text': 'Loadavg ', 'separator': False,
'separator_block_width': 0, 'cached_until': 1538755796.0},
{'full_text': '1.87 1.73 1.87', 'color': '#9DD7FB'}]
We also can produce an output similar to i3bar output in terminal with
python /path/to/module.py --term.
$ python loadavg.py --term
Loadavg 1.41 1.61 1.82
Loadavg 1.41 1.61 1.82
Loadavg 1.41 1.61 1.82
Publishing custom modules on PyPI
You can share your custom modules and make them available for py3status users even if they are not directly part of the py3status main project!
All you have to do is to package your module and publish it to PyPI.
py3status will discover custom modules if they are installed in the same
host interpreter and if an entry_point in your package
setup.py is
entry_points={"py3status": ["module = package_name.py3status_module_name"]},
The awesome pewpew module can be taken as an example on how to do it easily:
- Module repository: https://github.com/obestwalter/py3status-pewpew
- Example setup.py: https://github.com/obestwalter/py3status-pewpew/blob/master/setup.py
We will gladly add
extra_requires pointing to your modules so that
users can require them while installing py3status. Just open an issue to
request this or propose a PR.
If you have installed py3status in a virtualenv (maybe because your custom module has dependencies that need to be available) you can also create an installable package from your module and publish it on PyPI.
To clearly identify your py3status package and for others to discover it easily
it is recommended to name the PyPI package
py3status-<your module name>.


text:
Not wishing to bury the lead, I'll begin by observing that the Warrens Street 50+ mens team — consisting of Jim Stemm, Jonathan Sumpter, and me — came in second this morning at the more-difficult-than-we-expeccted Club Championship Five-Miler. I same more difficult because a number of teammates thought, as I did, that notwithstanding the low temperature the conditions were tough.
I was not helped in being kept awake until after 1 by a circling police helicopter, search-light searching. Up at 6:10, out of the house by 6:45, and an easy drive to a parking spot on East 108th for a short walk to the start. 41 was my number, which was a surprise since this is the one race in which I've gotten a red-number in the past. I'm living off a very old time — NYRR assigns corrals by one's fastest pace in a prior race and then alphabetically within that corral — and didn't deserve to be where I was. So I stood at the rear of the corral and when then opened the red to come through was more than happy to have a number of them pass me before the start. The corrals themselves, though, are far smaller than normal, blue being a couple of hundred.
With the objective of keeping it relaxed, a number more passed me in the early going. Actually I was road kill for a lot of others for the first 2.5 miles. It was not pretty. Mile 1 took forever. As we turned north at about that 2.5 mile mark I stabilized, as is generally the case. I passed some coming home. I was running hard. Cat Hill helped because I could pick up the perceived tempo and begin the effort towards home, with the final mile slightly downhill.
I did have a bit of a scare as I approached the finish. For the first time, I started getting shaky in the legs. The finish is shortly after a left-turn onto the 103rd Street Transverse and before I made the turn I questioned whether I would make it. As I said, it was tougher than I expected. I took water at 2. I was fine afterward and in the post-race jog. I don't know what caused it.
Typically, I ran the tangents while most others ignored them. I've criticized NYRR for this in the past and it happened again. For reasons unfathomable to me, it refuses to properly set up cones/stanchions. These define the (for this direction) right-hand border of the race. In many spots where the course turns clockwise, there were huge gaps between cones so that running within the cones meant running outside the course, the latter being measured after the first 2 miles as the inside lane and the middle of the center. (In fact, in our race instructions we were told to keep the cones to our right because "that's how the course is measured". (Yes, I have brought this to the direct attention of NYRR. I was told it would be taken care of. In some races it has been. Not today. Yet it would be simple enough to have someone ride the course shortly beforehand to make sure the cones were properly and adequately set. Do I kvetch over minutia? Sure. Fundamentals like this, though, should be fundamental.
In 31:03 (81.19 AG), I was our third 50+. Unfortunately, I was also our fifth 40+ and our 10th Open. (Bearing in mind that mile 4 was long and mile 5 was short, my splits: 6:19, 6:11, 6:22, 6:23, 5:49.)
This is the only race that is set up with a men's and a women's section, the latter starting at 9. [Edit: Two people, Linda and Lara, point out that the Fitness 4-miler in September is also a split race. My recollection many of the other NYRR 4-milers were as well.] So after we finished, a bunch of us jogged to the mile mark to watch the women run. It was NYAC dominance, as expected. Same when we headed back to watch in the final half.
I showered at Mike G's place and headed to John Nelson's building for the traditional post-Club Championship party. John had reserved his building's penthouse, with spectacular views. A bit sunny, as my red-neck will attest. It was fun, with lots of talk of the old-days.
Before getting to John's, though, I stopped at NYRR's building on East 89th. I understood that old issues of Runner Magazine were available. I wanted to see them because NYRR does not have results on-line before 1987. I wanted to take a look at my results from long ago. Sadly, because of the need for space, the library was long closed. No one knew anything about where there might be issues. I hope that they weren't just tossed aside.


text:
I have found a new destination that is out of this world, space.
It took a bit of work and a lot of luck to arrange a stay in the Space Suite, Zurich. But for any space fan this is simply a dream.
On the face of it the Space Suite is just a collection of top class memorabilia and unique design. However in many ways this misses the point. Its only when you stay in the room for some time that you understand it can be so much more of an experience.
Keep the blinds closed, adjust the lighting to the preset "stars", read a space book from the collection, watch Gravity or another space move pre loaded onto the TV, order room service and simply stay in your own luxury space ship and dream the night away. In the background play the deep growl that the sound of space is through the inbuilt speakers. Marvel at the models, look to the stars in the ceiling and dream. This is an experience only some people will "get" but those that do will remember it forever.
So here we have it... a new destination Space
See the gallery under the tab Rest of the World and SPACE for photos or http://www.greattravelphotos.com/p739776456
To be clear I have no commercial link with the hotel.
The link is http://www.kamehagrandzuerich.com/zimmer-suiten/space-suite/
Space Suite


text:
Quotes about now
The world is generally so restless, that men scarcely ever think of the present time, and the instant they are now actually living, but of those in which they are to live. So that we are always in a disposition to live in future, but never to live now.
This is the real secret of life: to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now, and instead of calling it "work", realize that this is play.
I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now.
Filter by author


text:
SWEETWATER, Tenn. (WATE) — The 2-year-old who was one of four injured in a Sweetwater shooting on Tuesday died according to her family.
The arrest warrant obtained by WATE on Thursday revealed that the 2-year-old was one of those injured in the shooting. The family of the little girl say that Alayna June Butts died at 11:37 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 17.
According to the warrant, as police were responding to the Hawkins Road Residence for a call that shots were fired, dispatch advised them that a 2-year-old was shot. When police got to the scene, the Alayna Butts had already been taken by Monroe County EMS for treatment. According to police, the Alayna's mother told them that she had just gotten home from Dollar General and that her two children were in the residence with her two friends and boyfriend.
The warrant says that the Alayna's mother said she heard a vehicle pull in, and one of the men in the home told her a red pickup truck and a white car were in the driveway. When she opened the door, the warrant states that she told police that she saw four men standing outside: Lemming Huerta, Itzhui Huerta, Liu Huerta and a fourth unidentified man. According to the mother, Lemming Huerta was the driver of the pickup truck, Itzhui Huerta was the passenger of the truck, and Liu Huerta and the unknown man were in the white Nissan car.
The mother told police that with Lenning Huerta standing in front of her at the door and Itzhui Huerta standing beside the door, she saw that "everyone" had firearms out. Allegedly, Lenning Huerta demanded that the mother send out a "white" something and let them in or they would break in. The mother told police that her children were in the doorway near her.
According to the warrant, the mother said she struck Lenning Huerta and Itzhui Huerta with a metal pole multiple times and told them to leave the property, and then Lenning Huerta fired his pistol, striking the child in the head.
The mother told police that she dropped the pole and shoved the child from the doorway into her bedroom and that when she turned, more gunfire had erupted behind her. She told police that she yelled for someone to shoot back, but she was unsure who returned fire.
When police arrived, they found a man, identified as Lenning Huerta, lying dead on the porch and another man lying on the ground in front of a sports utility vehicle with what appeared to be a wound to the top of his forehead, according to the warrant. Police also said that they found two handguns laying in front of the residence.
The mother told police that she saw a man, possibly Liu Huerta or Itzhui Huerta, running toward the white car. The warrant says that the mother said her boyfriend was shot in the stomach, and one of her friends had been shot in the head.
The woman's boyfriend was taken to the hospital by another friend who was at the residence. The friend who had been shot in the head and the 2-year-old were taken to the hospital by EMS in critical condition.
According to the warrant, Liu Huerta was charged as he was acting with the others who came to the residence and was responsible for their actions. He is facing three counts of attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, reckless endangerment, attempted aggravated burglary, and aggravated assault. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said that he was arrested Wednesday evening.
EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated.


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Grizzly, ZCM laud new Govt mining agenda
GRIZZLY Mining Limited and Zambia Chamber of Mines (ZCM) have applauded the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government plans to revive the mining sector performance. Grizzly Mining lauded the new administration's quest to increase mineral production in order to reclaim Zambia's place as one of Africa's leading mining countries.
In his inaugural speech, President Hakainde Hichilema has pledged that his administration will strive to promote the expansion of the mining value chain as well as encourage mineral diversification through processing of gemstones, gold, nickel, manganese, iron, industrial and other minerals.
Grizzly Mining chief executive officer Abdoul Ba said his company wished to congratulate President Hichilema's well-deserved victory during the just ended elections. "We wish him all the best because we have seen that from the time he took over as head of state, everyone is happy and the future is promising, including ourselves. Due to Covid-19, our industry was affected alot, especially the small-scaleminers whose operations are faced with challenges," Mr Ba said. He expressed optimism that with the current administration's quest to put in place a conducive policy framework, the mining sector will definitely be revived given the right policy framework.
"We are hoping that the taxation will be dealt with so that small-holder miners operate with ease because right now, only the big players like Grizzly and Kagem are functional despite challenges,"he said. Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines of Grizzly mining's international auction of Zambia's fine gemstones which is currently underway at Wolle Park in Kitwe's Central Business District, company General Manager Caroline Sampa highlighted that with the new government in place, the country is headed for socio-economic growth. Ms Sampa bubbled with confidence that President Hichilema is the right leader needed to turn around the economic fortunes of the country because he is a veteran businessman in his own right. "We believe that from his business background, he will be able to put in place policies that will revamp the gemstone sector in particular to thrive, policies that will enable mine investors to invest even further as well as encourage other players to come on board," she noted.
ZCM president Godwin Beene said the renewed focus to promote investments in the mining industry would spur economic growth. "From the views given by President Hakainde Hichilema, in both his acceptance and inaugural statement, we are very confident that the mining sector will resume its frontal role in the economic development agenda of the new administration," Dr Beene said. He said this in a statement yesterday that the seriousness of the Government concerning the key role the mining industry would play had been reiterated in the statement on the future copper production outlook for Zambia made recently by the newly appointed Minister of Finance Situmbeko Musokotwane. He said the ZCM and its sister organization the Association of Zambia Mineral and Exploration Companies (AZMEC) make themselves available to assist the new administration in working out policies that would provide an optimal environment for mining investments. "Never in the last hundred years has there been a better time to initiate this mining project pipeline building, which is cardinal to achieving a balanced portfolio of exploration, development, operational and mature projects that will yield optimal revenue generation," Dr Beene said.


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Florida State peaking at right time heading into NCAA Championships
In a sport very much grounded in momentum, the Florida State women's golf team is peaking at the ideal time.
The Seminoles are competing in their program-record third straight NCAA Championship this weekend at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Oklahoma. And they are riding high heading into the final event of the season.
FSU enters with back-to-back second-place tournament finishes, both to teams in the top five nationally.
"I think it's the first time in the last four or five years that I really feel like we are peaking at the right time," FSU head coach Amy Bond said.
"There's a lot of confidence going into this week, which is always important. Confidence is the biggest thing. If they believe they can do it, chances are they've got a good shot."
FSU was the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, with the top six teams advancing to NCAA Finals.
The Seminoles rallied on their home course to capture a second-place finish, even pushing No. 2 overall seed Alabama before the Crimson Tide finally separated itself on the back nine of the final round.
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"We've gotten so much better throughout this year," senior Kayla Jones said.
"It's definitely a motivator to show that we can hang with the top teams in the country and there's really nobody out there to be scared of."
FSU's depth as a team was on full display at the Tallahassee Regional.
Teams are allowed to drop the worst of its five scores each round in tournament play. FSU's worst overall score across the three rounds was Jones' 2-over-par.
The Seminoles are one of only two teams across all four NCAA Regionals that had all five of its golfers finish at 2-over or better across the three rounds.
"I think it's important to note that we're not just four players deep...It's really important what the fifth man does out there," Jones said.
"I know that we can all count on each other, all trust each other because there's a lot of talent and a lot of hard work put in."
FSU also is among the most experienced teams at this stage with three seniors in Jones and sisters, Kim and Morgane Metraux. Four of its five players have previous NCAA Championship experience
"To me, that's big because they know exactly what 's going to happen day to day," Bond said.
"We're one of the only teams that actually has all that experience."
The sole freshman in the group, Kathleen Sumner, is relying on her teammates' previous experience.
"Their energy has kind of helped me," Sumner said.
"They're excited so I get excited. They're calm also so it just kind of helps me stay grounded."
The NCAA Championships are an extended tournament from what teams have been competing in all year.
It begins with three rounds of stroke play the next three days, cuts the field of 24 teams down to 15, holds another stroke-play round to cut the number of teams to eight. And then holds match play to determine a national champion.
Beginning Friday morning, FSU could be playing golf each of the next six days if it made the Match Play Final.
"It's a long week and there's lots of golf to be played," Jones said.
"We're all just ready to showcase what we've been working on because we have improved so much and we really have taken our games a long way this year."


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Security researchers reveal a significant shift in malicious tactics of the Prometei botnet, which is now capable of leveraging the "ProxyLogon" exploit for Windows Exchange servers to penetrate the targeted network and drop cryptojacking malware onto users' machines. Although the main objective is to mine Monero by exploiting the processing powers of the infected instances, the broad functionality of Prometei allows its operators to perform a variety of other highly sophisticated attacks compared to APT intrusions in its complexity.
Prometei is a multi-stage cryptojacking botnet able of targeting both Linux and Windows machines. Although it was first discovered in 2020, security researchers believe that Prometei initially emerged in 2016, covertly evolving and adding new modules since then. The main goal of the botnet is to enslave devices to the malicious network and mine Monero coins via its processing powers. To achieve this objective, Prometei maintainers apply a broad variety of malicious tools, including Mimikatz, credentials harvesting, SMB, and RDP exploits, SQL spreaders as well as other nefarious tactics powering successful propagation and further infections.
The latest version of Prometei received a significant upgrade allowing the threat to act as a stealthy backdoor with plenty of sophisticated functions. The analysis from Cybereason indicates that Prometei operators can now steal data from the targeted network, infect endpoint with second-stage malware, or even partner with ransomware gangs by selling access to the compromised infrastructure.
Although there is no much information about Prometei maintainers, security experts believe that a financially motivated Russian-speaking group might stand behind this project. Such an assumption is proved by the fact that the botnet avoids infecting users within the former Soviet Union region.
The latest version of Prometei has been equipped with a set of recently discovered Microsoft Exchange zero-day exploits (CVE-2021-26858, CVE-2021-27065), which allows authenticated hackers to write a file to any path on the vulnerable Exchange server and achieve remote code execution. According to Cybereason, botnet operators rely on these bugs to install and execute China Chopper, which further launches a PowerShell able to download Prometei payload via malicious URL.
Notably, the same Microsft Exchange vulnerabilities were actively exploited in the wild by the China-affiliated HAFNIUM APT group as well as other nation-state actors during March 2021. Although Prometei maintainers are believed to be financially motivated actors with no ties to state-sponsored hackers, the broad toolset and increasing complexity of malicious approaches put them on the list of advanced threats posing serious danger in terms of cyber-espionage, data theft, and malware delivery.
According to Cybereason, the ongoing Prometei activity is rather opportunistic and attempts to infect any unpatched instance relying on Microsoft Exchange. The list of targets includes multiple companies working in the banking, insurance, retail, and construction sectors across the US, South America, Europe, and East Asia.
Upon infection, Prometei launches its first module (zsvc.exe), responsible for achieving persistence and establishing command-and-control (C&C) communication with the attacker's server. This module has broad backdoor capabilities and controls the XMRig cryptominer installed onto the targeted PC. it might launch such commands as program execution, file opening, starting or stopping the mining process, file downloading, gathering systems information, and more. If needed, the malware operators might add more modules to power the malicious capabilities of Prometei and promote its functions far beyond simple Monero mining.
Notably, Prometei execution also launches two other malicious processes (cmd.exe and wmic.exe), which are used to perform reconnaissance and block certain IP addresses from communicating with the infected device. This is presumably done to ensure that no other miners are present on the network and all resources are at Prometei's service.
To protect your company infrastructure from Prometei botnet infections, you can download a community Sigma rule released by our keen Threat Bounty developer Kyaw Pyiyt Htet:
The rule has translations for the following platforms:
SIEM: Azure Sentinel, ArcSight, QRadar, Splunk, Graylog, Sumo Logic, ELK Stack, RSA NetWitness, Logpoint, Humio, FireEye Helix
Tactics: Defense Evasion, Credential Access
Techniques: Credential Dumping (T1003), Masquerading (T1036)
Also, to prevent possible attacks relying on Microsoft Exchange zero-days, you can download tailored detection rules available in Threat Detection Marketplace.
Rules covering CVE-2021-26858 exploit
Rules covering CVE-2021-27065 exploit
Subscribe to Threat Detection Marketplace for free to boost your cyber defense capabilities with our 100K+ detection algorithms and threat hunting queries mapped to CVE and MITRE ATT&CK® frameworks. Eager to monetize your threat hunting skills and craft your own Sigma rules? Join our Threat Bounty Program!


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In his 2002 book, Globalization and Its Discontents, Joseph Stiglitz goes over how he believes Russia's transition from "communism" to a "market economy" failed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite his mistake in stating that Russia was somehow "Marxist" in nature beforehand, it does explain how, with US assistance, the country continued to freefall to levels below what they were under the Soviet regime. The minute point I want to dissect from this, however, is his faith in then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, to have taken stronger action if he "had been confronted with the arguments".
I doubt it.
Stiglitz, correctly in my view, says,
"The West's long-term interests would have been far better served had we stayed out of close involvement with particular leaders, and provided broad-based support to democratic processes."Globalization and Its Discontents, 2017. p.g. 262
Leaders like Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, who at the time the US was more than happy to "work with", which is ironic given the aftermath of the 2016 election with Mrs Clinton. If nothing else, I admire Stiglitz's seemingly genuine concern for the betterment of humanity and his innocent faith in the "goodness" of his nation and global institutions. But while he criticises the "West" and those within the IMF and US Treasury, he does not appear to understand that what he is critiquing aren't bugs, but features within the global systems of power.
The West's long-term interests would be served well by countless variations, from tiny to massive, in foreign and economic policies. Korea would likely be a united nation if not for the US' invasion. Latin America and South East Asia would have avoided numerous tragedies, from the violent overthrow of Allende in Chile (interestingly, Stiglitz denounced Pinochet's government but loved his economic "successes") to the IMF's disastrous handling of the East Asia Crisis. The Middle East – well, one hardly needs to describe the devastation the US and its allies have wrought there.
In any case you pick around the world and throughout modern history, US involvement in it almost always falls on the side of short-term gain with no comprehension of the "long-term interests". This includes the Democrats, like Bill Clinton, who Stiglitz believes would have done the opposite, if only they'd known the stakes…
There are three issues I take with this:
- I don't buy the narrative that Clinton was unaware of what was taking place in Russia.
Russia has been a bogeyman for the US and capitalism since the Bolsheviks took power in 1917, a role that took a giant red form after World War 2 ended. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, I can't imagine the President would suddenly decide not to keep up to date on information regarding the status of Russia, particularly when the US Treasury and the International Monetary Fund (basically an arm of US foreign policy) were so heavily involved in trying to "reshape" the region.
In this scenario, Clinton knew of the deeply rooted corruption taking place and was more than happy to allow things to take their course, i.e. the transition of power from the State apparatus to the same people under a private oligarchy instead, while the poor spiralled into worse poverty. The voices of the poor were left unheeded, and Stiglitz was simply incorrect in his assessment of the President's character.
- If Clinton really was unaware of the truth and was to later find out, I don't believe he would have intervened.
At least, not strongly in the way Stiglitz imagines. Clinton's record very clearly shows he has no regard for the poor or otherwise disadvantaged. NAFTA was a corporate utopia that caused massive problems within the US and Mexico (I am unsure of how Canada was affected or involved). The Palestinians were certainly shafted in his "peace deal" involving them and Israel, which is still touted as some big success torn apart by Palestinians. His bombing of a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan based on faulty (plain wrong) intelligence resulted in quite a bit of havoc long-term.
When it comes to Russia, if Clinton was unaware of the poor's plight, I seriously doubt he would have altered much beyond what little necessary to assuage public opinion at home. Which brings us to…
- In Stiglitz's telling of the story, the implication here is that not only Treasury and the IMF acted against what Clinton would have preferred and kept him in the dark, but that the media – who very well knew the truth – were also deeply complicit in denying the President and the US population access to it.
Stiglitz appears to believe that the President is very often left out of the loop on such affairs – a telling statement on its own – but also makes a backhanded accusation against the media, perhaps without realising it. Treasury went over Clinton's head, and Stiglitz suggests if the US public had perhaps been more aware of the situation – and opposed to it, like they were with the Vietnam War – then Clinton may have investigated further himself.
Just like the Vietnam War, however, the idea that the President was unaware is absurd. But if we take this idea at face value, then not only was Clinton removed from the decision making process by Treasury, but was intentionally kept in the dark partially by the lack of public awareness due to the media. If the media was silent or supportive of changes taking place in Russia, the public would not have known too much about it. As a result, Clinton did not see the need to look into it.
Once the corruption became too obvious to keep hidden, the media did eventually give it attention – far too late to take any real action against it. So not only did the media omit the events from American audiences, but also from a clueless President by extension. That is arguably an even worse situation than if Clinton did know the truth – at least then people can draw a clear conclusion about the antagonistic role the US plays in global affairs and can work to change it. Here, however, the powerful players are entirely unaccountable as Treasury, the IMF, and the media are beyond democratic control or scrutiny.
I believe Clinton was aware, and that the media's obfuscation of Russia's corrupt failure to enter a "market economy" as espoused by the likes of Stiglitz was to ensure public opinion was either positive or non-existent. But this small exercise does highlight the power of "public" global institutions and the media, a matter that has become quite alarming with the advent of Donald Trump and the deluge of misinformation online. That it is so easily conceivable that the President could be so easily kept from such important information and decisions, one can only wonder what is being kept from us all today.
What we do know is damning enough already. And it will only get worse.
Liked this? Read Globalisation Conveniently Works When People Lose
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Those who maintain a healthy lifestyle in peace times and therefore enter a survival scenario with a healthy body will have a "nutritional reserve" available on demand. This is why survival experts work hard at maintaining good dietary habits, getting enough rest and staying in excellent shape.
Continue reading "Maintaining Good Health Before Society Collapses and SHTF"


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Not too long ago it was considered an impossible task to take the EWS Overall Title on a set of flat pedals, it was considered a necessity to use clipless pedals. There was no way anyone thought that a top 5 finish at the 2017 Cairns DH World Cup was even possible on flat pedals and a trail bike, but one man has managed to redefine the thought processes of many. Sam Hill has brought the flat pedal back into vogue and his signature Nukeproof Horizon Pedals are one bit of kit that we instantly fell in love with…..
Product: Nukeproof Horizon Flat Pedals – Sam Hill Signature edition
Available at: Off The Brakes (Aus) or Chain Reaction Cycles
We tested these pedals on everything from bike park jump trails to gnarly, technical single track; in between the race tape, on shuttle days and everyday trail rides… they performed well each and every time.
The Nitty Gritty
Designed in conjunction with Sam Hill, 5 time DH World Champion, 3 time EWS Overall World Champion and dead set Aussie pinner, the Horizon pedal is built with gravity in mind. Made from 100% alloy with a large platform, adjustable pins for added grip and shin destroying capabilities, these pedals are durable and designed to last. Each pedal spins on sealed cartridge bearings with good mud shedding ability, designed to keep water and mud out to prolong the lifespan between services.
Test Results
Australia is by and far one of the best places to test flat pedals in the super loose conditions that are on offer here. We spent the last 9 months running these pedals on a long travel enduro bike in a variety of trails networks in and around South East Queensland, Australia. We tested these pedals on everything from bike park jump trails to gnarly, technical single track; in between the race tape, on shuttle days and everyday trail rides… they performed well each and every time.
The one thing that you notice straight away is the meaty nature of the pedals, the large pins and the absolute grip that is abundant with these pedals. Don't let the large pins scare you away, some people fear large pins because they are concerned about 'pedal bite'; the reality is that you'll normally only get wounds to your shins when you lose grip, something these pedals do not lack. They are confidence inspiring, durable, sturdy, look damn good and are signed off by the man himself, Sam Hill.
The Final Word
For most of my riding life I have been on clipless pedals, only switching to flats last year to give them a try and to improve my skills. The switch was a difficult one initially and the Shimano Saint flat pedals I was using were good, however I did still find some pedal slippage and they weren't 100 percent confidence inspiring. The move onto the Nukeproof Horizon Pedals was a wise one and to be honest it is day and night. These pedals are confidence inspiring with as much traction as clipless pedals through meaty rock gardens, they stick to your feet over the biggest features and they look damn good doing it. In my opinion they are certainly a fixture on my bikes….


text: BRAND NEW Hornby R3691 00 Gauge Class 800/0 Paddington Bear in GWR Livery DCC Ready. A Very Rare Train Pack from Hornby in Mint Condition, never been used nor been taken out of the internal protective packaging. Only ever so slight tears to both small box openings(See Photos). The item "BRAND NEW Hornby R3691 00-Gauge Class 800/0 Paddington Bear LIMITED EDITION" is in sale since Monday, December 21, 2020.This item is in the category "Collectables\Model Railways & Trains\OO Gauge\Locomotives". The seller is "alilapoint" and is located in Sheffield. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Australia, United States, Bahrain, Canada, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Bolivia, Barbados, Brunei darussalam, Cayman islands, Ecuador, Egypt, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, French guiana, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Macao, Monaco, Maldives, Martinique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, Reunion, Saudi arabia, South africa, United arab emirates, Ukraine, Chile, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Qatar, Trinidad and tobago, Uruguay, Viet nam, France, Germany, Italy, Spain.


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In a Sunday tweet, Takht-Ravanchi wrote, "5 years after Adoption Day of JCPOA—& in accordance with UNSCR 2231—illegal arms restrictions on Iran are now terminated."
"As of today, Iran's arms trade needs no prior consent from UNSC," he added.
"The US tried to prevent this but it failed, as the UNSC rejected all US efforts," Iranian diplomat said.
The UN arms and travel restrictions on Iran were lifted on Sunday under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses a multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between Iran and major world powers in 2015.


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Introducing our first ever solid gold collection.
An elevated take on our distinctive style, this is luxury designed to be worn everyday and hand crafted in recycled solid 9ct and 18ct gold.
"History says fine jewellery is for occasions; we say fine jewellery is for every day.
A natural next step for us, this new collection refines some of our most iconic pieces with our signature style for luxury day in, day out."
Becky Everett, Founder & Creative Director


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I admit I was young and naive back in the late 1970s when I boarded a school bus at Queen's Park and travelled along with a shaggy group of protesters 70 kilometres east to demonstrate against the construction of the $4-billion Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. Some brought blankets to help scale the barbed-wire fence — and did that — but most of us just milled around for a few hours before leaving on the same yellow buses that had brought us.
If only we had known then the true cost of Ontario's 20th-century nuclear empire — how after paying $30 billion to finance Darlington and its kin over the next three and a half decades, Ontarians would still owe $4 billion for the job in 2014 — the protest might have been more effective. Given the foresight, no sane citizen would have bought that deal.
But hindsight is a good enough proxy today as the engineers at Ontario Power Generation rush to complete their plans to refurbish the aging, still-not-paid-for nuclear complex — with the estimated costs of that $13-billion project seeming to rise every few months like alarm bells that never stop ringing.
History is repeating itself, but it's no farce. With the Darlington refurbishment, Ontario risks another half-century or more of crippling debt to produce inherently dangerous, over-expensive electricity with ongoing waste-disposal costs calculated in molecular half-lives. It was a big mistake the first time, but can only be folly the second time around.
The impending decision on the fate of Darlington is something all Ontarians should consider as they fume over the stubborn persistence of that "Debt Retirement Charge" on their hydro bills — and the very real chance, if the Wynne government approves the new Darlington job, that their grandchildren will still be paying it.
The debt in question is the $20-billion overhang left by the breakup of Ontario Hydro in 1999, almost all of it the result of runaway nuclear costs, with Darlington responsible for the lion's share of those.
At its inception, we were told that the debt would be paid off "in a reasonable time." But it only grew as more nuclear costs emerged. All the while, Ontario ratepayers kept paying. By 2010, we had paid the proverbial $20 billion in full. But thanks to the miracle of compound interest, we still owed $15 billion to the nuclear industry.
With yet more promises in the wind of an end to the Debt Retirement Charge, the amount owing today stands at about $5 billion. So the cost of Ontario's Darlington-led nuclear folly so far is at least $30 billion — and we still owe as much as the power plant was supposed to cost in the first place. And it now needs a $13-billion tune-up — at least — to continue functioning.
There is an easy misconception that electricity costs in Ontario are rising uncontrollably because of generous incentives paid to suppliers of renewable energy. Although renewable energy is expensive to buy, the fact is that it currently accounts for less than 10 per cent of the total generating costs that show up on residential electricity bills, according to a recent study prepared for Environmental Defence by consultants Power Advisory LLC. The study predicts that share will rise to 12 per cent by 2032.
By contrast, nuclear costs know no limits. Ontario learned as much five years ago when it went to market hoping to buy two new reactors to join the current four at Darlington. The plan died when the lowest price for half as much power came in at $28 billion.
The current refurbishment only seems economic because it is being done by a Crown corporation with unlimited access to public funds. The very real chance of massive cost overruns just means more interest for the lenders. That's not an advantage enjoyed by any of the private developers currently under contract to supply more than eight gigawatts of renewable, non-hydro power in Ontario.
As a growing chorus of advocates and experts has pointed out, the obvious alternative to refurbishing Darlington is to buy relatively cheap, green hydro power from Quebec — and do it before the New Englanders, who know a bargain when they see it, claim every spare watt.
In any case, Ontarians today have no excuse for being naive about nuclear.
John Barber is a freelance journalist.


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