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While most everyone is excited about the new jobs the facility is adding to the local economy, local emergency departments are growing concerned it may pull from their qualified ranks.
Bradley County Fire-Rescue Chief Troy Maney presented an incentive plan to the County Fire Board at their recent meeting with the hopes it might retain highly trained personnel — much of which training was paid for by the county.
"As you know, Wacker is a growing industry here and they are going to have their own fire department," Maney said. "So, as we look at the surrounding things Wacker may be doing, we see we may lose people to them, Cleveland may lose people to them and the bottom line is, we'll either lose people to Wacker or to a surrounding county that Wacker will hire."
Maney is proposing an incentive plan which will pay an extra amount per month depending on the levels of certification achieved.
Those proposed categories and amounts are:
- Hazardous materials: $50.
- Training committee: $50.
- Swift water I & II: $50.
- Urban search and rescue: $50.
- Open water diver: $25.
- Open water advanced: $25.
- Fire inspector: $50.
At the maximum under Maney's proposal, a firefighter could gain an extra $4,200 in pay per year.
There are currently no firefighters who would reach that maximum, but there are at least two who would qualify for $2,700.
Most currently fall within the $600 to $1,200 range.
"We spend a lot of money in trying to train guys. There is nothing more discouraging than to get somebody trained to the level you need and then they leave and go to another department because it pays a little more," Maney said.
"I feel like we have to do something to keep our people and to let them know that we care about them. We care about furthering their education," he continued. "Is this going to guarantee they're not going to leave us and go somewhere else? No. It's not, but at least it's going to show we're trying to help them, encourage them and support them financially in trying to retain them here."
The chief requested the board send the matter to the County Commission's finance committee for review.
If the plan was implemented immediately, the added cost would be $48,782, which Maney said was in the 2013-14 budget "because of some tight spending we tried to do" to pay that amount.
That amount was returned to the county fund balance where it would have to be transferred back to the fire budget.
"We're not asking for a tax increase. We're not asking for any more money from taxpayers. We're simply saying we can support this," Maney said. "We've tried to really tighten up on spending. We've tried to save the county money and in doing that, [have been assessing] how we can help to retain the people we've got."
He said there was a "lot of good experience in the building."
Maney noted a recent hire who kept up his training as a volunteer while waiting for the paid position to be available.
"He showed he cared and wanted to further his education," Maney said. "It helped us. Now we've hired him. He went to work and on his first day he was on a truck. That's the type of people who we're looking to hire and to keep."
He said the incentive plan may be a "small step, but a step in the right direction to try to help some of these guys."
Commissioner Ed Elkins said he was a supporter of pay-for-performance and pay-for-knowledge.
"The more experience and the more training a fireman has, the more valuable they are," Elkins said.
He made the motion for the fire board to make the requested referral to the finance committee.
Commissioner Jeff Yarber said he would support the move "wholeheartedly."
"This department has worked within its budget with due diligence," he said adding it would give more incentive to get more certification and training.
"It gives them less incentive to leave," Yarber said. "The way money is countywide you have to get creative. "This is the chief being creative — finding a way to get the firefighter's salaries up."
Elkins motion passed unanimously.
Maney also discussed an open house for the public that is being planned for November.
He said the theme would coincide with the state's theme of "Get Alarmed" which refers to houses being adequately protected with smoke alarms.
Maney said the plan is to have people sign up for the free alarms and installation help that can be provided.
Board members also got a look at the department's new command vehicle.


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2 New Club Support Co-Ordinators
The ASA North West Region are pleased to announce the appointment of 2 new officers to help and support the clubs, local associations, county associations in delivering aquatics in the region.
The new officers commenced their roles on Monday 9th June 2014.
The new officers will work in partnership with Sarah Darragh, ASA Club Development Officer, to ensure that all aquatic sports are supported with regards to Workforce Development, Swim21, Funding applications.
Jonathan Harrison email - jonathan.harrison@swimming org or 07972 831842
Areas of Expertise:-
•Formation of Club Networks
•Athlete Pathways
•Working with Partners
Club Support Area:-
•Clubs affiliated to Lancashire County WPSA
Discipline Support:-
•Water Polo
Jonathan will be an acitve presence at Diving and Water Polo Management meetings to action and support registering courses, development days etc.
Jonathan Harrison has sports development experience in a number of different sports including, tennis, badminton, football and gymnastics. In his previous role he was responsible for creating networks and linking with partners to negotiate club time to ensure a smooth athlete pathway from grass roots to elite. Through this work he has also been responsible for co-ordinating young volunteer schemes and delivering young leaders workshops. Having a fresh perspective from outside of aquatics should add some new focus and initiative within the NW clubs team.
Wendy McNeil email - firstname.lastname@example.com or 07972 831850
Areas of Expertise:-
•Disability Swimming
•Learn to Swim Programmes
•Club Structures
Club Support Area:-
•Clubs affiliatied to Cheshire County WPSA
Discipline Support:-
•Swimming including Disability Swimming
•Synchronised Swimming
•Cheshire East
Wendy McNeil has been an active member of the swimming community since completing her ASA Level 1 Assistant Teachers in 1996. Previously Regional Director for RBS for 34 years she holds a wealth of knowledge and experience within Aquatics and can offer support and expertise to swimming clubs going through transition from Voluntary to Limited Company.
Wendy is well known in the NW for her delivery of Disability Swimming, and her voluntary time is spent coaching the NW Disability Squad.

subset: commoncrawl


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Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling
Classes and Services
University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers undergraduate classes and student services on the Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling in Washington, D.C. This site is located on a military installation. Please call this location to receive information on base access. In some instances, a FERPA waiver form may be required.
Take the Baltimore/Washington Parkway (I-295) to Exit 2 (Malcolm X Avenue/Bolling AFB). Follow signs to the base. The UMUC office at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is located in the Education Center, Building 11.
Academic Advising is available Monday-Thursday from 8:00am-4:30pm and Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm. Call 202-563-3611 to schedule an appointment.
National Testing Center
UMUC's National Testing Center is open Tuesday through Friday with tests beginning at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
This location offers the following types of testing services for members of the military and the civilian community with base access:
- Placement testing for writing and math courses on a walk-in basis.
- College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) on a walk-in basis.
- DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) on a walk-in basis. Note: The public speaking exam is available by appointment only. Please call 202-561-1847 or 202-563-3611 to schedule an appointment.
- Pearson VUE, including Excelsior College Examinations (formerly Regents College or ACT/PEP), by appointment only. Schedule an appointment at pearsonvue.com/military.
- Proctored exams for students transferring from UMUC Europe or UMUC Asia.
Computer Labs
Call 202-561-1847 for information on the availability of computing facilities at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
Library Services
Librarians are available via e-mail, chat, phone and instant message. For more information and to access the online catalog, more than 125 research databases and view tutorials on how to conduct research, please visit the UMUC library online.
Security and Access
Please contact our office at 202-563-3611 for information on how to obtain base access.
Due to recent conditions of heightened security, civilian students taking UMUC classes on military bases may be required to complete a waiver in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act permitting UMUC to provide personal information (such as Social Security Number, address, and telephone number) to the military administration. You may find the FERPA waiver form online.
National Testing Center: Proper military ID is required for base access. Visitors who do not have a military ID must go to the Joint Base Anacosita-Bolling Visitor's Center. Access is only granted to visitors if they have been given authority by the Visitor's Center.
112 Brookley Ave.
Bldg. 11, Ste. 110
Washington, D.C. 20032
Get Directions


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I have a Toba Hawthorn tree in the front yard. I honestly can't remember when it was planted - it is at least 8 years old and certainly is not impressing me. It has beautiful blossoms, the leaves are not compromised by rust or disease, the trunk is getting thicker but it has hardly increased in height since it was planted. One year a spring snow storm after it had leafed out caused the loss of one major top branch and then the following spring another spring snow storm after the tree had leafed out caused it to fall forward and the back half of the root system pulled out of the ground. We dug it back into the ground and supported the tree for the next 3 years with stakes and cord. I was weeding around the base of the tree tonight and leaned on it and felt it move significantly. For such a thick trunk and for how long the tree has been planted it seems very unstable. Do Hawthorns have a very shallow root system? I'm thinking since it's not growing taller I should replace it now rather than later. Thoughts |
Follow-Up Postings:
The usual problem with wobbly trees and shrubs is root systems deformed by careless container culture at production facilities. Chances are your tree has a ball of roots at the base of the stem that are not providing adequate anchorage, part of their length being involved in going in circles or forming abrupt angles instead of gripping the soil. |
This post was edited by bboy on Sat, May 18, 13 at 14:07
- Posted by hawthorn123 none (My Page) on Sun, May 19, 13 at 18:20
Given the age of the tree can anything be done to rectify this problem or do you have to start over with a new tree? |
- Posted by hawthorn123 none (My Page) on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 20:21
I carefully dug around the base of the tree and discovered it does not have a large root system in two directions. There are large structural roots going off in the other two directions. From this I'm thinking that the uprooting in the spring storm tore off two of its major root supports that never redeveloped. Am I right in thinking that if these essential structual support roots have not been replaced they never will be and the tree will never be stable. |
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In East Hampton – Help your child get ready for high school
Press Release
East Hampton High School will hold Freshman Orientation at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 for parents of students (and the students) who will be ninth graders in the fall. The school is located at 15 North Maple St.
This is an opportunity for parents/guardians and students to learn about the high school and meet teachers, school counselors and administrators.
The orientation program is organized and run by upperclassmen. Members of the Class of 2017 will receive information on athletics, clubs and other extra curricular activities.
In addition, they will tour the school, participate in community-building activities and receive an orientation packet containing a copy of their schedule, a map of the school and their locker assignment.
The orientation component for parents is designed to provide information to help their children make a successful transition to high school. Parents will meet with administrators, guidance counselors and school staff.
The evening includes presentations by the five academic chairs who will talk about courses that incoming students select.
Questions? Call the high school during office hours at 860-365-3040.
Posted August 15, 2013 based on press materials as edited and added to by HTNP News Editor Brenda Sullivan.
Related link: (in PDF format) EHHS Bellringer newsletter http://ehhs.org/documents/high/bellringer.pdf
Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you'd like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to firstname.lastname@example.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. If you're interesting in reaching our readers with information about your business, please email firstname.lastname@example.com For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, "like" us on Facebook at HTNP News https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )


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- Flat Rate Shipping. Any Size Order! -
Kansas City Chiefs Gear
Kansas City Chiefs Mens
Kansas City Chiefs Mens Accessories
Kansas City Chiefs Mens Accessories Travel
(13 items)
Product ID: 1773131
Main Content
This item ships within one business day.
Order as many items as you like with our $6.99 flat rate shipping.
Need it faster?
Celebrate your Kansas City Chiefs fandom with this Top Handle backpack! The perfect way for someone on the go to show some of that Kansas City Chiefs pride anytime, this versatile day pack is a must-have for any fan! The stylish bag is equipped with a spacious main compartment, multiple zippered pockets, and has a sharp debossed Kansas City Chiefs logo for an awesome look!
- 100% Genuine leather
- Adjustable leather-trimmed shoulder straps
- Distressed accents
- Drawstring closure and top handle
- Multiple pockets and compartments
- Officially licensed
Chiefs Customers also liked:
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game
or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are
received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items
are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite
number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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Featured Companies
Lamboo is an engineered, high performance bamboo product that is used within architectural, structural and design applications, and is structurally superior to its wood counterparts. Lamboo products can be manufactured in both interior and exterior grade and have multiple grain patterns for a variety of aesthetically pleasing options.
Teragren products are designed and developed to rigorous quality and sustainability standards, bringing to market furniture-grade bamboo Panels, Veneer and Worktops, as well as PureForm™ Traditional and Xcora™ Strand solid and engineered bamboo flooring. All Teragren products are strictly managed and certified for superior indoor air quality, contributing to healthy home, school and work environments, and contribute to certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® rating system in one or more categories.
Architectural Products by Outwater
Construction Specialties, Inc.
Koroseal Wall Protection Systems
Masonite International Corporation


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Here are the directions for turning those freezer paper stenciled blocks into a toasty warm blankie. Of course, you are welcome to make up your own quilt pattern, too. Just a head's up, this isn't a step-by-step tutorial on how to quilt (I didn't take photos along the way and actually... this is a pretty old project, completed a couple cameras ago, so please forgive the photos ;) ... but I do have all the measurements and such that you will need to recreate the snowflake lap quilt. If you need more advice on how to quilt, check out our Quilting Basics Series or read over our Pinwheel Quilt Tutorial for help :)
Snowflake Freezer Paper Stenciled Lap Quilt... Finished size approx. 46" X 67"
Materials Needed:
Navy A - 1/2yd
Navy B - 1/2yd
Navy C - 1/2yd
White - 1 2/3yd
Med Blue - 2 2/3yd
White Fabric Paint
Stencil Brush
Freezer paper
Embroidery Floss (gold)
Embroidery Floss (med blue - opt)
Embroidery Hoop
Thread to match
Snowflake Pattern (120%)
click here for tips on enlarging
Pre-Wash Fabric (very important!) Due to the high contrast of Navy and White I also used a 1/4 cup of vinegar when washing the blues to help color set the fabric. Remove fabric promptly from the dryer to reduce/eliminate wrinkles. Iron if needed.
Cutting Directions:
Medium Blue:
Cut Two Pieces 34.5" wide by 47" long for backing
Cut 15 squares 3" x 3"
Navy (each):
Cut 2 strips 9" x 42", then trim to eight 9" x 9" squares
(you need 24 Navy 9" x 9" squares total)
Cut 2 strips 5" x 60"
Cut 2 strip 5" x 47"
Cut 7 strips 3" x 60" then trim strips to 3" x 9" (need 38)
Quilt Directions:
Stencil the Snowflake design on 12 of the Navy squares (4 of each color) following our Snowflake Stencil directions.
Assemble the quilt top following the pattern chart bellow using a 1/2" seam allowance (the stars represent the snowflakes).
Add backing and batting (you can follow the backing/batting directions from our Pinwheel Quilt pattern). You will need to sew the two pieces of medium blue together to make a backing large enough to fit (approx 68" x 47").
Use safety pins to hold the layers in place while you quilt.
Quilt around each snowflake with gold floss.
I also used a wax pencil and traced a snowflake in center of each plain navy square. (Very hard to see in photos!) I quilted the snowflake in those squares with navy thread.
I also used 6 stranded of blue embroidery floss to tie off the small medium blue squares and white floss to tie the border.
Now, grab a book, some steamy hot beverage, and snuggle under your new Snowflake Lap Quilt!
This is so pretty. I'm new to all this stuff but very excited now that I am a mom. I think this is so pretty. My birthday is in January and my themed parties were always snow. DUH! Alway, I have a huge collection of snow globes and all sorts of snowflakes. Obviously this speaks to me. or rather shouts, hehe. I'm not ready to undertake a whole quilt but I want to try this and maybe just do one in a hoop and hot glue some lace around the edge. Well, thank you for this awesome blog. My crafting skills are going to grow here I know!
Kimara at firstname.lastname@example.com
Michelle at email@example.com


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Former Intel Chief: Call Off The Drone War (And Maybe the Whole War on Terror)
August 4, 2011 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Noah Shachtman
ASPEN, Colorado Ground the U.S. drone war in Pakistan. Rethink the idea of spending billions of dollars to pursue al-Qaida. Forget chasing terrorists in Yemen and Somalia, unless the local governments are willing to join in the hunt.
Those arent the words of some human rights activist, or some far-left Congressman. Theyre from retired admiral and former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair the man who was, until recently, nominally in charge of the entire American effort to find, track, and take out terrorists. Now, hes calling for that campaign to be reconsidered, and possibly even junked.
Starting with the drone attacks. Yes, they take out some mid-level terrorists, Blair said. But theyre not strategically effective. If the drones stopped flying tomorrow, Blair told the audience at the Aspen Security Forum, its not going to lower the threat to the U.S. Al-Qaida and its allies have proven it can sustain its level of resistance to an air-only campaign, he said.
The statements wont exactly win Blair new friends in the Obama administration, which forced him out of the top intelligence job about a year after he was nominated. Not only has Obama drastically escalated the drone war thereve been 50 strikes in the first seven months of this year, almost as many as in all of 2009. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called the remotely-piloted attacks the only game in town in terms of confronting or trying to disrupt the al-Qaida leadership.
Plus, American relations with the Pakistani government are at their lowest point in years. And every time Washington tries to tip off Islamabad to a raid, it seems, the targets of the raid seem to conveniently skip town. No wonder the U.S. kept the mother of all unilateral strikes the mission to kill Osama bin Laden a secret from their erstwhile allies in Pakistan.
But Blair believes the cooperation not only with Pakistan, but also with the government in Yemen and with whatever authorities can be found in Somalia is the only way to bring some measure of peace to the worlds ungoverned spaces. We have to change in those three countries, he told the Forum (Full disclosure: Im a moderator on one of the panels here.)
The reconsideration of our relationship with these countries is only the start of the overhaul Blair has in mind, however. He noted that the U.S. intelligence and homeland security communities are spending about $80 billion a year, outside of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Yet al-Qaida and its affiliates only have about 4,000 members worldwide. Thats $20 million per terrorist per year, Blair pointed out.
You think woah, $20 million. Is that proportionate? he asked. So I think we need to relook at the strategy to get the money in the right places.
Blair mentioned that 17 Americans have been killed on U.S. soil by terrorists since 9/11 14 of them in the Ft. Hood massacre. Meanwhile, auto accidents, murders and rapes combine have killed an estimated 1.5 million people in the past decade. What is it that justifies this amount of money on this narrow problem? he asked.
Blair purposely let his own question go unanswered.
Pentagon Report Calls for Office of 'Strategic Deception'
January 28, 2010 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Noah Shachtman
The Defense Department needs to get better at lying and fooling people about its intentions. That's the conclusion from an influential Pentagon panel, the Defense Science Board (DSB), which recommends that the military and intelligence communities join in a new agency devoted to "strategic surprise/deception."
Tricking battlefield opponents has been a part of war since guys started beating each other with bones and sticks. But these days, such moves are harder to pull off, the DSB notes in a January report (.pdf) first unearthed by InsideDefense.com. "In an era of ubiquitous information access, anonymous leaks and public demands for transparency, deception operations are extraordinarily difficult. Nevertheless, successful strategic deception has in the past provided the United States with significant advantages that translated into operational and tactical success. Successful deception also minimizes U.S. vulnerabilities, while simultaneously setting conditions to surprise adversaries."
The U.S. can't wait until it's at war with a particular country or group before engaging in this strategic trickery, however. "Deception cannot succeed in wartime without developing theory and doctrine in peacetime," according to the DSB. "In order to mitigate or impart surprise, the United States should [begin] deception planning and action prior to the need for military operations."
Doing that will not only requires an "understanding the enemy culture, standing beliefs, and intelligence-gathering process and decision cycle, as well as the soundness of its operational and tactical doctrine," the DSB adds. Deception is also "reliant … on the close control of information, running agents (and double-agents) and creating stories that adversaries will readily believe."
Such wholesale obfuscation can't be done on an ad-hoc basis, or by a loose coalition of existing agencies. The DSB writes that "to be effective, a permanent standing office with strong professional intelligence and operational expertise needs to be established." I wonder: what would you call that organization? The Military Deception Agency? Or something a bit more … deceptive?
Insurgents Intercept Drone Video in King-Size Security Breach
December 17, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Noah Schachtman, Wired Magazine
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military depends on an array of drones to snoop on and stalk insurgents. Now it looks as if insurgents are tapping into those same drones' broadcasts, to see what the flying robot spies see. If true — and widespread — it's potentially one of the most serious military security breaches in years.
"U.S. military personnel in Iraq discovered the problem late last year when they apprehended a Shiite militant whose laptop contained files of intercepted drone video feeds," Wall Street Journal reports. "In July, the U.S. military found pirated drone video feeds on other militant laptops, leading some officials to conclude that militant groups trained and funded by Iran were regularly intercepting feeds."
How'd the militants manage to get access to such secret data? Basically by pointing satellite dishes up, and waiting for the drone feeds to pour in. According to the Journal, militants have exploited a weakness: The data links between the drone and the ground control station were never encrypted. Which meant that pretty much anyone could tap into the overhead surveillance that many commanders feel is America's most important advantage in its two wars. Pretty much anyone could intercept the feeds of the drones that are the focal point for the secret U.S. war in Pakistan.
Using cheap, downloadable programs like SkyGrabber, militants were apparently able to watch and record the video feed — and potentially be tipped off when U.S. and coalition forces are stalking them. The $26 software was originally designed to let users download movies and songs off of the internet. Turns out, the program lets you nab Predator drone feeds just as easily as pirated copies of The Hangover.
And here's the real scandal: Military officials have known about this potential vulnerability since the Bosnia campaign. That was over 10 years ago. And, as Declan McCullagh observes, there have been a series of government reports warning of the problem since then. But the Pentagon assumed that their adversaries in the Middle East and Central Asia wouldn't have the smarts to tap into the communications link. That's despite presentations like this 1996 doozy from Air Combat Command, which noted that that "the Predator UAV is designed to operate with unencrypted data links."
If you think militants are going to be content to just observe spy drone feeds, it's time to reconsider. "Folks are not merely going to listen/watch what we do when they intercept the feeds, but also start to conduct 'battles of persuasion'; that is, hacking with the intent to disrupt or change the content, or even 'persuade' the system to do their own bidding," Peter Singer, author of Wired for War, tells Danger Room.
This has long been the nightmare scenario within Pentagon cybersecurity circles: a hacker not looking to take down the military grid, but to exploit it for his own purposes. How does a soldier trust an order, if he doesn't know who else is listening — or who gave the order, in the first place? "For a sophisticated adversary, it's to his advantage to keep your network up and running. He can learn what you know. He can cause confusion, delay your response times — and shape your actions," one Defense Department cybersecurity official tells Danger Room.
Despite this rather massive vulnerability, drone operations show no signs of letting up. According to the Associated Press, "two suspected U.S. missile strikes, one using multiple drones, killed 17 people in a Pakistani tribal region."
Meanwhile, military officials assure are scrambling to plug the hole. "The difficulty, officials said, is that adding encryption to a network that is more than a decade old involves more than placing a new piece of equipment on individual drones," the Journal notes. "Instead, many components of the network linking the drones to their operators in the U.S., Afghanistan or Pakistan have to be upgraded to handle the changes."
So it may be quite some time before this enormous security breach is filled.
– Nathan Hodge and Noah Shachtman
Iran's Cyber Battle
June 18, 2009 by TMO · Leave a Comment
By Noah Shachtman, Wired
More and more of Iran's pro-government websites are under assault, as opposition forces launch web attacks on the Tehran regime's online propaganda arms.
What started out as an attempt to overload a small set of official sites has now expanded, network security consultant Dancho Danchev notes. News outlets like Raja News are being attacked, too. The semi-official Fars News site is currently unavailable.
"We turned our collective power and outrage into a serious weapon that we could use at our will, without ever having to feel the consequences. We practiced distributed, citizen-based warfare," writes Matthew Burton, a former U.S. intelligence analyst who joined in the online assaults, thanks to a "push-button tool that would, upon your click, immediately start bombarding 10 Web sites with requests."
But the tactic of launching these distributed denial of service, or DDOS, attacks remains hugely controversial. The author of one-web based tool, "Page Rebooter," used by opposition supporters to send massive amounts of traffic to Iranian government sites, temporarily shut the service down, citing his discomfort with using the tool "to attack other websites." Then, a few hours later, he turned on the service again, after his employers agreed to cover the costs of the additional traffic. WhereIsMyVote.info is opening up 16 Page Reboot windows simultaneously, to flood an array of government pages at once.
Other online supporters of the so-called "Green Revolution" worry about the ethics of a democracy-promotion movement inhibitting their foes' free speech. A third group is concerned that the DDOS strikes could eat up the limited amount of bandwidth available inside Iran — bandwidth being used by the opposition to spread its message by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. "Quit with the DDOS attacks — they're just slowing down Iranian traffic and making it more difficult for the protesters to Tweet," says one online activist.
But Burton — who helped bring Web 2.0 tools to the American spy community — isn't so sure. "Giving a citizenry the ability to turn the tables on its own government is, I think, what governance is all about. The public's ability to strike back is something that every government should be reminded of from time to time." Yet he admits to feeling "conflicted." about participating in the strikes, he suddenly stopped. "I don't know why, but it just felt…creepy. I was frightened by how easy it was to sow chaos from afar, safe and sound in my apartment, where I would never have to experience–or even know–the results of my actions."
Meanwhile, San Francisco technologist Austin Heap has put together a set of instructions on how to set up "proxies"—intermediary internet protocol (IP) address—that allow activists to get through the government firewall. And the Networked Culture blog has assembled for pro-democracy sympathizers a "cyberwar guide for beginners." Stop publicizing these proxies over Twitter, the site recommends. Instead, send direct messages to "@stopAhmadi or @iran09 and they will distributed them discretely [sic] to bloggers in Iran."


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The foundation for the promotion of socio-habitational change, PROCASHA is a non-profit made up of professionals from different disciplines committed to the issue of habitat in Bolivia. Initially established in August 2001 as a space for research, analysis and project development, PROCASHA aims to aid in the search for housing alternatives that will allow people from low-income backgrounds to have access to adequate housing.
To promote housing cooperatives through mutual aid and service co-operations for the socio-habitational improvement of under served communities and as alternatives to the construction of housing. To train teams that specialize in providing technical advice and management for the creation of methodologies and that facilitate the improvement of socio-habitational change and the development of actions for the design and implementation of equitable, fair and inclusive public habitational policies at all levels of the Plurinational state.
Project areas
- Socio-habitational improvements: Service cooperative
- Training: Technical Advice Teams
- Research: Issues of habitat and housing
- Creation of public housing policies
- Consulting: housing, habitat, and territorial/urban planning
- Cooperative Undertakings: linked to habitat and housing
Volunteer / Intern requirements
- Advanced Spanish
- University degree and experience in the following fields: project management, training, architecture, engineering, social work or related
- Have knowledge of housing organization and cooperatives
- Ability to work independently and in a group
- Minimum commitment of three months.


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Rego Park, NY, US
I have over 10 years of experience that includes working on a wide variety of projects, ranging from healthcare and corporate work, to retail environments, showrooms, and retail banking. The scale of the projects is diverse, from small retail stores of 800 sq. ft. to large scale projects such as Call Centers and Hospitals with sq. ft. in the thousands. I have experience working on interior fit outs as well as ground up construction projects, primarily in the US. I have worked extensively with the imperial system and have a good understanding of metric system as well, having received high school education in Russia.
Prior to joining RMJM, I have served as a designer and project manager for such architectural firms as TSC Design Associates, Nelson and Associates, and Cannon Design.
Corporate Spaces
RMJM, New York, NY, US, Senior Associate
I have joined RMJM as an Associate and was promoted within a year to a Senior Associate level. As a Senior Interior Designer I was responsible for all aspects of the project, from schematic design to construction administration as it pertains to interior construction and FF&E. I was also responsible for coordination of the drawings with different trades, implementation of ADA and building codes, coordination of way finding signage and art programs, as well as FF&E selection. I was working closely with the Managing Principal on the development of FF&E proposals, work plan projections, and marketing presentation to the potential clients. I was involved in the marketing presentation that secured extension of the HHC term contract for the company.
Featured Projects:
UPR Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Juan, PR: 283,000 SF cancer care inpatient/outpatient facility, first of its kind on the island. Includes 94 beds and 8 ORs. This project is expected to be LEED Silver. My role included selection of all the finishes, design of millwork pieces (feature as well as BOH), selection of lighting fixtures, accessories, coordination with different trades. I was the primary person to present interior finishes to the client as well as present final selections to the Puerto Rico Department of Health. I was also responsible for preparing entire bid package, including Master Specs, and two addendums.
Gouverneur Health Services, New York, NY. 340,000 SF HHC facility. The project is run by DASNY and has to adhere to very stringent budgetary constraints. My involvement included soliciting signage and art consultants for the project. I have worked closely with the client and consultant on the rebranding program, signage design, and art program.
Other projects:
West Virginia University Student Health Center and CPASS: 120,000 SF ground up construction of two interconnected buildings
University of Albany, The RNA Institute: 11,000 SF Laboratory. Fit out of the floor in the existing building
American University of Beirut: Specification of FF&E and Lab Equipment
Various Architects, New York, NY, US, Independent Consultant
Firm: Daniel Failla Architects, New York, NY
Featured Projects:
Broadcast Music Incorporated: 55,000 SF office space at 7 World Trade Center. BMI leased a floor and a half in the landmark building. My responsibility was to select all the finishes and FF&E for the high end client. The project required a trip to BMI headquarters in Nashville, TN and work with their approved furniture dealer. The project has high end detailing, finishes and special light fixtures.
Firm: Rex Heuerman Architects, New York, NY
My responsibility was to survey and develop test fits for various developers of residential apartment in Harlem, NY, as well as work on the construction drawings for the office project in the Bronx, NY
TSC Design Associates, New York, NY, US, Project Manager
I have joined TSC Design as an Interior Designer working on a number of corporate projects. My responsibilities on the corporate jobs included programming, space planning, finish and FF&E selection, working on the construction documents, as well as assisting in writing proposals. In one year, I was promoted to the Project Manager for the retail studio. My responsibility was to supervise small project teams, develop work plans, review timesheets and their adherence to allocated hours per phase, DOB submissions, Bid leveling, shop drawing reviews, invoicing, etc.
Featured Projects
Payless Showroom, New York, NY: 11,000 SF interior office fit out in a landmark building. Payless showroom was a working studio where designers developed new product. It also had a showroom space for new product display and presentations. I was in charge of the space planning, finish and furniture selection as well as construction administration and site work. This project required a trip to the Payless headquarters in Topeka, KS to present the project to the CEO for his approval and adherence to the Payless branding strategy.
Other Projects
Fortune Footwear, New York, NY – 12,000 SF interior office fit out
CitiGroup, New York, NY – 20,000 SF floor renovation
Capital One Branch, New York, NY – 4,000 SF new bank branch
See Eyewear, New York, NY – 800 SF new store
Vineyard Vines stores, Georgetown, Westport, and Boston locations – up to 5,000 SF
Polo Ralph Lauren, Austin, TX – 4,400 SF
Nelson and Associates, New York, NY, US, Designer
As an Interior Designer my responsibilities included design development, space planning, finish and furniture selections, work on construction documents, construction administration, as well as development of presentation packages for the prospective clients and marketing purposes.
Featured project:
Bank of America Call Center, East Providence, RI. 175,000 SF call center that was designed to accommodate 2000 people working in three shifts. Bank of America acquired old jewelry factory that had to be outfitted with infrastructure appropriate for the call center. The project required extensive programming and space planning to meet client's needs. Aggressive schedule required start of construction based on 30% CDs. My responsibility included working closely with the Senior Designer to develop entire interior fit out, including space planning, lighting design, finishes, FF&E, as well as trips to the project site for coordination with the GC and client representative. (Trammell Crow)
Other Projects
Slater Capital Management, New York, NY – 5,000 SF interior fit out for the high end hedge fund company
Special Situations Fund, New York, NY – 7,000 SF interior fit out for the high end hedge fund company
Office of The Appellate Defender, New York, NY – 10,000 SF interior fit out for non for profit organization
Bank of America, 40W 57st, New York, NY – office space
Bank of America, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY – office space
Cannon Design, New York, NY, US, Designer
South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside, NY – 150,000 SF new inpatient/outpatients addition. This facility included ORs, LDR and Post-Partum rooms, as well as Psychiatric ward.
Hackettstown Medical Office Building, Hackettstown, NJ – 74,000 SF outpatient facility
Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, New York, NY – LDR, Nursery and Maternity floor renovation
Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY – 70,000 SF addition and renovation


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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
Find a pet to adopt |
My name is Chloe!
Facts about Chloe
- Breed: American Shorthair
- Color: Tan Or Fawn Tabby
- Age: Young
- Sex: Female
- Hair: Short
Chloe's Info...
I am already spayed, a special needs pet, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and good with cats.
Chloe is just about the most docile, affectionate cat ever. She's about 2 years old and a total charmer. She began life being bottle fed by us and was adopted into a loving home with a young child. But her people became casualties of the recession and had to move back in with family--in Iceland. They wanted to take her, but Iceland has some of the world's toughest policies on importing pets. So the expat life was not going to work for this Brooklyn homegirl, and she came back to us to find a new home. Chloe is fine with kids, dogs and other cats. She is playful and very social with people and other cats, so we want her to go to a home with another playful cat.
Other Pets at North Brooklyn Cats
Why Adoption is a Great Option
Chloe, a Brooklyn American Shorthair cat was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a American Shorthair for sale in Brooklyn, or seeking a American Shorthair cat from a breeder in Brooklyn.
- Rescues and shelter volunteers in Brooklyn already know the personality and tendencies of their pets. This means they can match you with the right pet. That will makes it much easier transition to owning a pet for yourself and your new pet.
- On average adoption fees are much less than you'd pay a Brooklyn breeder, or pet store. Plus most often rescue pets have already been to the veterinarian for a check-up, had a round of vaccinations, and are spayed or neutered. That is a lot of savings!
- You will become a hero, and give a needy dog or cat a loving home. In fact, there are even American Shorthair breeders who help with American Shorthair rescue. One puppy or kitten adopted in Brooklyn paves the way for another one to be saved.


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Reviewed Crunchy Fried PB and J
Mar 27, 2012 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"Holy crap... absolutely amazing! The only change up I did was Strawberry preserve instead of Raspberry. Make sure you cook it on low heat or you'll burn an amazing sandwich. Also, a backup glass of milk is good to have :)"""


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Wor-Wic Community College sponsors a Career/Job Fair during the academic year, usually held in the spring. This event gives employers the opportunity to meet with potential applicants about employment and/or internships. The Job Fair is open to current students, alumni and the general public.
Employers can also schedule recruitment visits on campus throughout the academic year to meet individually with students and alumni.
Various Career Development workshops are offered by Career Services throughout the academic year. Topics include: Career Exploration/Job Search, How to Write an Effective Resume, Interviewing Skills and Negotiating a Job Offer.
For more information, contact the Career Services office at 410-334-2903 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Download/View the 2014 Job Fair Employer Profile booklet.
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"Thoughts on Thoughts" is a feature that looks at Elliotte Friedman's terrific weekly post "30 Thoughts." Justin Bourne selects his 10 favourite tidbits, and elaborates.
Last edition: P.K. Subban eyes bigger payday (from a few weeks ago, apologies on the gap)
Friedman's column, February 19th: Hockey socks and safety
In this week's opening, Elliotte Friedman makes the completely rational argument that team owners should be allowed to dictate some mandatory measures in terms of the safety of their equipment. It wouldn't be that hard to require players to wear cut-proof socks or safer goalie masks (there is no world where a guy would claim "I'd have been an NHLer had it not been for those darn cut-preventing socks"). If the arguments for safety don't appeal to the players, he makes another awfully good point: more injuries means more players getting NHL paychecks which means higher escrow which means guys make less money. Players shouldn't just want to keep themselves safe, they should want their brethren to be doing the same, as it has financial benefits.
The PA has fought the NHL to keep their freedom of choice when it comes to gear. But as @67sound said on Twitter….
Reading those pieces by @friedgehnic and @adanielwagner I always wonder why workplace safety legislation applies to every industry but sport
— 67Sound (@67sound) February 19, 2013
Well, I think @67sound is missing the point that… the um, point that… hmm. Good point, actually.
On to the thoughts.
2. There is a lot of debate as to why Vancouver forced veteran forward Manny Malhotra to sit. But a couple of sources, including one player (not Bieksa) who told me to look through Malhotra's second-last game, a 4-1 victory over Minnesota. It's been reported that there was one play where Dany Heatley, a former teammate, could have clobbered him but let up. I couldn't find that one, although I did find two other situations where Malhotra carried into dangerous spots: one comes about 30 seconds in (Clayton Stoner could have gone for the hit); the other is at approximately 13:10 of the third period (Matt Cullen). Players said Malhotra seemed unsure of himself with the puck, so he looked down at it a lot more than normal.
When I first heard about Malhotra getting the "that's enough thanks" tap, I was curious if it really was for his safety, or if he wasn't living up to the Canucks expectations and they took an opportunity to fill a hole while giving him a more noble exit then "he's just not that good anymore." It's probably a little from Column A, a little from Column B. Either way, this is going to be an interesting story to follow. Malhotra is only 32, and has always been the type of guy who stays in great physical shape. Who knows when (or if) he'll see improvement with his vision, but I could see him being out of the league for awhile, then trying to get back to the NHL. It's unfortunate it's come to this, but Canucks fans will tell you he simply isn't the player he was before the injury. Here's to hoping he gets it back.
One other quick note: I wonder if Heatley really did let up on a buddy. There aren't many I would've done it for when I played, but hockey is a small world and you get to know a lot of guys (future opponents) really well. There's been times when I've pulled back the reins after recognizing a namebar or number.
9. The other developing storyline is how Matt Duchene feels about this (Note: "this" being Ryan O'Reilly's contract situation/hold out from Colorado). The Avalanche were disappointed in him at the end of last season, so he rededicated himself. Duchene changed his diet, worked out harder than ever (partially with Sidney Crosby) and arrived with a new attitude. There is no possible way he could look at this without saying, "O'Reilly believes he's a much better player than I am." Powerful motivator.
And also, f*** him.
F*** him because our team is struggling and needs every bit of help it can get, and he's watching us fail and seeing more dollar signs instead of more desperation to come help. F*** him because I rededicated myself and worked my balls off to make this a successful season, and his personal situation is killing our year.
There has to be moment when Duchene is not just annoyed by this, but legitimately pissed he put so much into a year that's not going to bear fruit for the Avs. THAT SAID: I'm sure he understands. He's human too, and knows O'Reilly has to do what he has to do to get what he's worth, I'm just saying: people's emotions fluctuate, and there's no way there aren't moments on the plane when Duchene (and other Avs players) enter "f*** him" mode. And I assume if he suddenly shows up in the Avalanche room with a new deal (far more likely he gets dealt before that happens, in my opinion), there will be some resentment.
I think the "I should have been captain" thing from O'Reilly would irk me most if I were his teammate.
17. In Toronto, they are debating Brian Burke's best move as Maple Leafs GM. Was it getting Joffrey Lupul and Jake Gardiner from Anaheim? James van Riemsdyk from the Philadelphia Flyers? Burke's best move might turn out to be putting Dallas Eakins behind the bench for the Toronto Marlies. Eakins was not a Burke hire, he was inherited. It would have been easy to get someone else. But Burke kept him and Eakins has rewarded the organization with well-developed players.
Between hockey players, fans and media, I've so far heard zero negative words about Dallas Eakins. Nick Cotsonika wrote a nice piece about Nazem Kadri and his time with Eakins and the Marlies, and how he came to better understand defending. A lot of coaching is about techniques like the one Eakins used with Kadri (understanding defense as "offense reversed" – "how would you stop you in this situation?") these days – dealing with the egos of young talents, and trying to properly mix tough love with true teaching.
I'm concerned about the things I hear from Carlyle – stuff like responding to a reporter's question about his "unusual" lines (Colton Orr with Kadri) with something to the effect of "they may be unusual to you, but that's what makes you a reporter and me a coach" instead of just acknowledging it's unusual to play a guy who hasn't had 10 minutes of time-on-ice in a game in back-to-back games in five years with your best young player, Nazem Kadri.
What I'm saying is, I think guys like Eakins are on the rise, while coaches who think "we're not changing our roster because we won last game" are on the way out. Superstitions be damned, I'm for smart coaching like Eakins seems to provide.
18. New York Islanders GM Garth Snow said he wants to keep netminder Evgeni Nabokov and defencemen Mark Streit and Lubomir Visnovsky (Newsday's Arthur Staple reported that preliminary talks are underway with Streit). That's consistent with what the Islanders are telling other teams, at least until we see if they have staying power into April.
That's excellent news about the two defenseman. The Isles are in a constant state of "I think these forwards are good enough to be in the NHL, maybe?", so the more legitimate, veteran-but-not-ancient talents they have on the roster with them the better.
But Nabokov? I'm not so sure.
I know the Isles aren't the best team in the world, but Nabokov has looked frighteningly bad at times this year, attacking the puck and shooters like Billy Smith (who used to try to skate out at players before they picked their heads up to shoot), and finding himself so far gone that he's physically looking at his own net when the puck goes in.
His save percentage is currently at .894. He had a nice run with the Isles last season, but he was only at .913 (just below league average for said run). Prior to that he posted a .888 in 22 KHL games. He's 37. I dunno. I wouldn't be too concerned with keeping a guy who's basically replacement level at this point.
19. Another exec on Snow: "Some guys are masters of the salary cap. He is master of the salary floor." Great line — and not intended as an insult.
This is tough to deny. Combine that with the excellent contracts he's signed (Tavares, Moulson, Grabner, Okposo, Nielsen), and I suspect he's actually a pretty damn good GM.
Could you image if he were suddenly allowed to spend money and try to win? Draft high again this year, flip a few picks for actual quality players and maybe a goalie (you have enough damn prospects with Strome, Niederreiter, Reinhardt and others on the come-up), and the Isles could be a legitimately good team in a few years. Y'know…if he were suddenly allowed to spend and try to win, I mean.
21. One of the reasons the Flyers threw the GNP of a small African nation at Shea Weber, aside from the fact he's a great player, is that the New Jersey Devils exploited their lack of a right-handed defenceman in last year's playoffs. According to opponents and scouts, it remains a problem. Philadelphia added Kurtis Foster, Bruno Gervais and Luke Schenn, but is still being attacked there.
I can't believe how much I keep hearing about team needs when it comes to right-handed and left-handed defensemen. I understand it's nice to have a good mix, but outside of a situation where you like two players exactly the same amount, I can't imagine it swaying too many personnel decisions. The Nashville Predators kept Shea Weber because he's Shea Weber, other reasons be damned, and teams will – or rather should – always keep the best defensemen they can.
Honestly though, I'm hearing so much about this I'm starting to doubt myself. I'd love for a few reporters to talk to a few GMs (I lack the access, or rather, the time to get the access) and get their thoughts on just how important right and left hand defensemen are – I'm convinced they'll say they'll always take the best player they can get, and trust a few guys to play their off-side.
As always…I could be wrong on this.
22. Credit to Claude Giroux. If you're going to rip your teammates, you better lead by example. After saying, "We're not competing" following Saturday's loss in Montreal, Giroux had three points in a 7-0 win over the Islanders. Next up? Ryan Miller, who torched his fellow Buffalo Sabres on Sunday and hosts the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
Definitely, credit to Claude for that. A really good way to work yourself out of favour with a team (or "lose the room," as it's more commonly known) is to bitch at them for poor play or lack of effort, then go out and play poorly, or don't put yourself on the line.
I'm a little bit worried about Ryan Miller. He seems to be going off the rails more in interviews, he's showing his frustration more, and he's not playing well. I wonder if his teammates aren't a bit annoyed with him at this point. Mostly, I wonder if he isn't due for a fresh start somewhere. And with a season and a half left on his current contract at $6.25 mill, I bet a few teams would be willing to give him one. What say you, Buffalo? Wanna start over?
23. He may be 40, but netminder Martin Brodeur can still single-handedly destroy an opponent's forecheck. One exec who saw the Devils' 5-3 win over Philadelphia last Friday could not believe how good Brodeur was against it. "He could've had three assists … tape-to-tape passes to the other blue-line. Their defence didn't have to do anything."
I played with Nathan Lawson in college (he was with the Islanders a bit over the past couple seasons), and that dude can shoot the puck better than me (a tremendous, glowing compliment, of course). Every time a team would ice the puck while killing a penalty against us and try to change, I'd immediately bolt for the far blue, cause Lawson could get it up there in a heartbeat.
It's amazing what a difference it makes – it eliminates about three potential areas for bad turnovers along the way, and gets you back in the offensive zone quickly. A goalie who can move the puck is a gift.
25. So who was Shero watching last week in Minnesota? He attended Avalanche/Wild game the night before Pittsburgh won in Winnipeg. You know who has Penguin written all over him? Matt Cullen.
Anytime I hear that Ray Shero or Ken Holland or Mike Gillis are checking out a player, I immediately head to the fancy internet machine to check out their situation. As in, age, career, contract, and current underlying numbers (like Corsi). He's not that young (36), he's been reliable over the course of his career, his contract is a little spendy ($3.5M), and his underlying numbers aren't great, so…why would the Pens want him?
I think this is where team management – smart teams, anyway – are so far beyond the rest of us. The Pens are smart. As my friend Scott Lewis has pointed out, it's very possible that they recognize a player being misused who could be rejuvenated if given the right role, or one who just fits the mold of exactly what they're looking for. "Reliable and pretty good" might be just what they need to plug a perceived hole. If you have the top-end talent, you have to fill out the perfect supporting cast; it takes a smart GM to recognize needs and target them.
28. When San Jose Sharks centre Joe Thornton fights, it's about creating momentum and it's against an important player. He did it with Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf in 2009 and started off the 2011 Western Conference Final by asking Canucks forward Ryan Kesler if he wanted to scrap. So it wasn't unprecedented to see him go with Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews last week. You can see the Sharks' frustration after that brilliant 7-0 start. Dan Boyle, Logan Couture, Martin Havlat, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Thornton have 30 of the team's 37 goals. San Jose scored 29 goals in seven games in January; just eight in seven games in February.
All I have to say here is that A) I love when Thornton gets angry, or tries to motivate via aggression, and B) this was not one of those times.
I don't know if it stemmed from a previous game (I had heard that was the case), or if Thornton did something earlier in the game, but this is pretty clearly a case of Toews being like "this is happening" and Thornton being like "What? Wait, hold on, what's happening? …Okay, whatever, I guess."


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What is Mendeley?
Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research.
With Mendeley, you can:
- Create and manage citations of books, articles, videos, and more
- Import citations for databases and the WUSTL Classic Catalog
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- Collaborate with other researchers online
- Find relevant papers based on what you're reading
- Highlight and annotate papers and share those notes with others
- Organize using groups, tags, and filters
Consultations and Workshops
This guide is adapted with permission from the Washington University Libraries Mendeley Libguide.
Getting Started With Mendeley
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All LomoLocations
Shanty Hollow: A Relationship
(Please note, this article is in another language)Everyone has their spot. I visit mine several times a year and make sure to go at least once a season. It's a place I go to when I want to feel complete and alive. Best of all, it's a place I share with someone special.


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The Case for a Community-Based Incubator
nReduce was a virtual startup incubator. It recently closed down. In many ways, nReduce was a pioneer. It allowed would-be startup founders to join a curated online community that promised to give them a support network and a social platform while they were developing their ideas into products and companies. More importantly, nReduce brought together like-minded people who were doing the same thing, facing the same challenges.
In this respect, we should look back on nReduce not as a failed idea, but as an experiment in a space that has only just begun opening up.
One central lesson is that online incubators (if that's even the right word) are fundamentally different from physical startup incubators. Online incubators are social frameworks for founders helping each other out as they go through the same experience. They're a motivational tool, a communication platform, and a way to get very early feedback from smart people. Online incubators are not - at present - virtual farms where VCs and angel investors develop a hand-selected batch of startup candidates with funding and influence.
I believe, a true community-based online incubator can shine in this space if it knows its true strengths and doesn't aim to solve problems it's badly positioned for.
LaunchWay is an attempt at building a Ludum Dare for startups and software projects. It is not YCombinator, or Tech Stars, nor does it aim to be. It's a platform where people can incubate their ideas in a nurturing community. Mechanisms such as a karma score and weekly deadlines are designed to provide additional motivation and feedback.
Originally we planned to launch the first class in November '13 but at this point it's clear that we're going to need a bit more runway for the idea to get sufficient traction. It's our goal to form a minimally viable community of startups to form the first batch. If you want to be part of that batch, just sign up now, I'll keep you updated! :)


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Does Natural Selection Weed Out Harmful Mutations?
Posted by jlwile on March 20, 2013
It is generally assumed by evolutionists that natural selection tends to "weed out" harmful mutations. After all, if a mutation is harmful to an organism, that organism will be less fit to survive and less likely to pass on that mutation to its progeny. While this idea makes perfect sense, it is not clear how effective natural selection can be at its job.In his book Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, award-wining geneticist and young-earth creationist Dr. John C. Sanford argues that most mutations simply don't produce a strong enough effect to influence natural selection. As a result, organisms continue to build up deleterious mutations as time goes on. This leads to an erosion of the genome. As he puts it:1
While selection is essential for slowing down degeneration, no form of selection can actually halt it. I do not relish the thought, any more than I relish the thought that all people must die. The extinction of the human genome appears to be just as certain and deterministic as the extinction of stars, the death of organisms, and the heat death of the universe. (emphasis his)
While he quotes a lot of experimental research to support his findings, he has never been able to demonstrate this effect directly…until now. He obviously hasn't shown that the human genome is deteriorating, but last year he and young-earth creationist Dr. Robert W. Carter published (in a standard, peer-reviewed journal) the results of some of their research, which directly demonstrate that even when natural selection is working hard, it doesn't seem to do a good job of getting rid of harmful mutations.
Carter and Sanford looked at how the genome of the H1N1 influenza virus has changed over time. The virus genome is fairly simple – it is made up of eight RNA segments that contain a total of 13,100 nucleotide bases. These eight segments code for up to eleven distinct proteins, since there are ways (like alternative splicing) that a single segment can code for more than one protein.
Believe it or not, there are published genomes of the influenza virus dating back to 1918! Obviously, people didn't sequence the virus genome back then. However, samples of lung were taken from the frozen remains of someone who died of influenza at Brevig Mission, Alaska, in November of 1918. This sample and other preserved samples allowed scientists to sequence the genome of the virus from that time period. As the link discusses, when the 1918 virus was reconstructed based on this sequence, it was found to be much more virulent than current flu viruses. For example, mice who were exposed to the 1918 virus died, even though modern influenza viruses are not lethal to the same breed of mouse.
Why is the 1918 strain significantly more lethal? According to Carter and Sanford, it is because the virus has been accumulating mutations steadily since that time. Indeed, they show that the mutation rate of the influenza virus over time is remarkably constant. Most of those mutations are deleterious, but not so much that they can be weeded out by natural selection. As a result, the genome of the influenza virus is deteriorating, despite the natural selection that is clearly going on in the constant battle between the virus and the human immune system. They interpret their results as follows:2
We suggest that, while specific adaptive mutations commonly occur within the H1N1 virus, many more deleterious mutations are accumulating than beneficial mutations, even when there is strong selection. Consequently, H1N1 appears to have been in very gradual error catastrophe throughout its history.
In other words, even though natural selection was hard at work since 1918, it has not been strong enough to get rid of the deleterious mutations that have occurred throughout the virus's 90+ year history. Because of this, the virus is becoming weaker.
If this idea is correct, it solves a puzzle that has plagued influenza research for more than 50 years: Why hasn't any influenza outbreak in modern times matched the virulence of the 1918 pandemic? Researches have suggested that a combination of factors like herd immunity, advances in medicine, and advances in hygiene might explain this fact. In their paper, however, Carter and Sanford address each of these issues, suggesting that they have clearly played a role in the reduction of influenza virulence, but they cannot be completely responsible. Specifically, they argue that the steady decrease in virulence does not match the pattern one would expect from such factors. However, it does match the pattern expected from the accumulated mutation rate that their analysis shows.
Are Sanford and Carter correct in their contention that the influenza virus has actually gotten weaker over time? I have no idea. However, their data do seem to make a strong case for the fact that natural selection just wasn't very good at getting rid of the deleterious mutations that happened over and over again throughout the known history of the virus. I hope this kind of study can be done for other cases to see whether or not it is a general trend.
For right now, however, I will have to say that Sanford's contention that genomes deteriorate over time, despite the work of natural selection, now has even more evidence in its favor.
1. John C. Sanford, Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, Elim Publishing 2005, p. 83
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2. Robert W Carter and John C Sanford, "A new look at an old virus: patterns of mutation accumulation in the human H1N1 influenza virus since 1918″, Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling, 9:42, 2012 (Available online)
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21 Responses to "Does Natural Selection Weed Out Harmful Mutations?"-
Fascinating. It does make sense that all genomes will eventually "wear out" due to mutations, since even beneficial mutations typically involve the loss of information. I have a question though. I'm under the impression that since viruses are not alive, the only way they can change is if the cell they have infected makes an error while producing new viruses. So when we say that a virus "mutates", is that just short for "the virus is mutated by the cell", or is there actually some sort of action performed by the virus itself in this process?
Thanks for that clarification, Dr. Wile. I thought it was strange that people seemed to use active verbs with viruses so often. I guess it's just easier to describe them that way.
I would also assert that even in the greatest of cases for natural selection (namely, macroevolution), the new specimen is going to be facing new mutations thanks to the fact that macroevolution is based on mutating organisms. So not only could natural selection be poor at rooting out mutations we currently have, but it is supposed to be creating new ones all the time.
I guess, now that I reread my statement, I am slightly confusing. Allow me to restate my intention. When I mean the "greatest of cases," I mean the addition of information due to a mutation. Because new information is added, therefore that information is bound to have mutations of its own that will result in a loss of information. The new specimen, the one created from that information, therefore experiences exotic forms of mutation. I hope that makes more sense. :/
If the H1N1 virus has been degrading and becoming less virulent since 1918, shouldn't there have been even more virulent strains before 1918? If there were any, I am not aware of them. The 1918 H1N1 strain seemingly came out of nowhere. The explanation must be more complex than a simple progression from more virulent to less virulent strains.
There's a good reason why Dr. Sanford's claims in his popular press book Genetic Entropy have been virtually universally rejected by the scientific community.
That some pathogens tend to reduce their virulence over time has been known to science for decades. There are several hypotheses for why this occurs, the best supported being the Trade-Off hypothesis. A pathogen that is 100% lethal will soon have no hosts and will die out itself. One that is too weak stands the chance of the host developing effective immunity. The evolution of virulence in the pathogens is thus a balance between the costs and benefits of virulence to the pathogen. It has nothing to do with the genome of the pathogen "degrading" (whatever that means) from some mysterious "perfect" original.
The trade-off hypothesis was tested and demonstrated with malaria by Mackinnon and Read(2004) and Paul et al(2004)
Mackinnon, M; A Read (2004). "Virulence in malaria: an evolutionary viewpoint". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 359 (1446).
Paul, R; T Lafond, CDM Muller-Graf, S Nithiuthai, PT Brey, JC Koella (2004). "Experimental evaluation of the relationship between lethal or non-lethal virulence and transmission success in malaria parasite infections.". BMC Evolutionary Biology 4.
I suspect there is a reason why Dr. Sanford's claims have been rejected. However, that reason isn't based on evidence, as the evidence supports his claims.
Sanford opined that the human genome is somehow "degrading" and claimed that as a result human life spans are decreasing. However, for his primary "scientific" evidence of this he offered the supposed ages of Noah and his descendants as recorded in the Bible.
Like I said, there's a good reason why Dr. Sanford's claims have been virtually universally rejected by the scientific community.
However, as predicted in Sanford's book, as those slightly deleterious mutations build up (because natural selection cannot weed them out), the fitness of the virus decreases.
You seem to be just as confused as Sanford. The virulence of the virus does equate to its evolutionary fitness. Indeed, if a less virulent strain allows the host to live longer and gives the pathogen more time to reproduce in greater numbers and infect others the pathogen's evolutionary fitness would be increased, not decreased.
Like many well meaning YECs, Sanford is so desperate to prop up his literal Biblical beliefs he makes a total shambles out of the science. Not the first time it's happened by far, and sadly it probably won't be the last.
As Sanford and Carter show, the deleterious mutations increased, and with them, the fitness of the virus decreased.
Of course Sanford showed no such thing. He had no way to measure the evolutionary fitness of either the original strain of the more recent ones. If makes a great hand-waving story to gull untrained laymen, but that's about all it does.
Sanford's use the Bible for his "scientific" data is one of the reasons (and not the only one) he and other YECS aren't taken seriously by the scientific community. It's great for selling popular press books to the true believers but only elicits chuckles from professional researchers.
Why is the DNA of Otzi the Ice Man who lived some 5300 years ago virtually identical to the DNA of extant humans and shows no sign of being closer to some "perfect" ideal? Why were the fragments of DNA recently recovered from two 7000 year old human remains in Spain also identical to extant humans?
Sanford is well meaning but severely self-deluded by his religious views. He sees only what he wants to see, as do most YECs. Fortunately real science doesn't work from those narrow ideological restrictions.
Very cool. The first thing I thought of was how gonorrhea was so deadly at first and then slowed down to annoying. It's a good thing everything is decaying together or we'd be really sunk!
Thorton, you must not have read the paper that this OP describes, as Sanford and Carter make a very strong case that the fitness of the virus decreased with time, in perfect harmony with Sanford's genomic decay model.
LOL! They didn't do any testing of the evolutionary fitness at all. The term is only mentioned twice in the whole paper, where they claim with zero evidence the genetic changes are "tightly correlated with rapid fitness decline".
You obviously haven't read Sanford's book, either, because he doesn't use the Bible for scientific data.
LOL again! Of course he and Carter did. From the book
Sanford: "A recent paper by a mathematician and a theologian presents some fascinating data (Holladay and Watt, 2001 [Evangelical Theological Society Papers; 52nd Natl. Conf., Nashville TN]). Their paper compares the lifespan of early Biblical characters to how many years they were born after the patriarch Noah. This Biblical data (recorded thousands of years ago) clearly reveals an exponential decay curve)."
Carter even has an article on CMI defending his use of the Bible data and referencing Carl Wieland's equally scientifically vacuous claims.
I think you need to read a bit more about Otzi the Ice Man, because his DNA is quite different from modern humans.
Here is the whole article you quote-mined.
Complete mitochondrial genome of 5,000-year-old mummy yields surprise
Including "The surprise came when we found that the lineage of the Iceman did not fit any of the three known K1 clusters," Rollo said. His team has informally named the newly discovered branch on the human family tree "Ötzi's branch."
"This doesn't simply mean that Ötzi had some 'personal' mutations making him different from the others but that, in the past, there was a group—a branch of the phylogenetic tree—of men and women sharing the same mitochondrial DNA," Rollo said. "Apparently, this genetic group is no longer present. We don't know whether it is extinct or it has become extremely rare."
Nothing in there at all about Otzi having a "non-degraded" human genome. Looks like you imagined that part.
So the mitochondrial DNA indicates not nearly as much variety as we see today, because there hadn't been a lot of decay.
LOL yet again! We didn't see as much variation then as today because the human population was 1400X smaller than today (5 million v. 7 billion). It has nothing to do with any imagined "decay".
The way you can twist and cherry-pick evidence to fit your narrow pre-conceived religious notions is quite remarkable.
BTW, how do these discoveries fit in with the YEC supposed Noah's Ark timeline? Why don't we see evidence of a severe genetic bottleneck in all animal species if they all came from the lucky few who survived the Flood?
I admire your patience and civility, Dr. Wile.


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Welcome to San Francisco ISI !
International Students Inc is a Christian organization that provides hospitably to international students and scholars. San Francisco is the birth place of the United Nations and is ranking 35th out of the 100 most visited cities worldwide! We have many volunteers who are genuinely interested in your good experience while in the U.S. San Francisco is home to over twenty-five colleges and universities. Updated 12/10/14 Donate to make these services available to hundreds of students and churches each year. Donate/Invest here. Calen Thomas | Create Your Badge
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Table Talk/Game Nights is EVERY Thursday at 7:30 to 9pm. Other events found on the calendar found under "Resources" tab. See the main web site for more details. This app for your phone is from International Students Inc. it has a lot of relevant content.Read More ...
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Classic furnishings, WiFi, Nespresso® coffee maker, bedding and pillow menu, walk-in shower
This beautiful guest room, starting at approx. 20sq. m./215sq ft, features elegant furnishings and twin beds.
Stay connected with WiFi access (fee applies), enjoy a coffee from the Nespresso® coffee maker or relax in front of the flat screen TV and browse the selection of national and international channels provided. There is also an in-room mini-bar.
This classic room offers deluxe bathroom amenities, and many offer a walk-in shower as well as complimentary bathrobe and slippers. For your added comfort, the room is air-conditioned and provides the Waldorf Astoria bedding and pillow menu as well as black-out curtains.
Room Amenities List
For your Comfort
- Alarm Radio
- Bath Slippers
- Bathrobe
- Black-Out Curtains
- Complimentary Beverage
- Connecting Rooms
- Down Pillows Available
- Duvet Covers
- Lever Door Handles
- Non-Smoking
- Signature Bedding
- TV-Pay per view
- TV-Standard Network
- Thermostat (adjustable)
- Work Desk with Adjustable Lamp
For your Confidence
- Alarms - Audible
- Automatic Door Closer
- Electronic Locks
- Electronic Smoke Detector
- Safe
- Secondary Locking Device
- Wide Angle Door Viewer
For your Convenience
- Bathroom Amenities
- Coffee Maker
- Desk Level Electric Plugs
- Hairdryer
- Internet access in guest room
- Iron
- Iron/Ironing Board
- Mini Bar
- Tea/Coffee Making Facilities
- Telephone - Voice Mail


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- About 5 cups vegetable oil
- 1 pound drained marinated bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), patted dry
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup plain fine dry bread crumbs
- Equipment: a deep-fat thermometer
- Accompaniment: warm homemade or bottled spicy tomato sauce
Heat about 11/2 inches oil to 360°F in a 3 1/2-to 4-quart heavy saucepan.
Meanwhile, double-coat bocconcini by dipping in eggs, then in bread crumbs, and repeating. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper.
Working in batches of 10, lower balls into oil with a slotted spoon and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. (Return oil to 360°F between batches.)
my notes
- Calories82
- Carbohydrates2 g (1%)
- Fat6 g (10%)
- Protein4 g (7%)
- Saturated Fat2 g (10%)
- Sodium107 mg (4%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber0 g (1%)
- Monounsaturated Fat3 g
- Cholesterol25 mg (8%)
recipe featured in
recipe at a glance
type: Kid-Friendly, Quick & Easy
main ingredients: Mozzarella
cuisine: Italian American
holiday/celebration: Superbowl, New Year's Eve, Shower, Family Reunion, Oscars


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The Global Intelligence Files
On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
UNITED STATES/AMERICAS-Czech Conservative Group Criticizes US Ambassador for Support of Gay Pride March
Released on 2012-10-17 17:00 GMT
Email-ID | 2571853 |
Date | 2011-08-09 12:31:26 |
From | firstname.lastname@example.com |
To | firstname.lastname@example.com |
"Czech Conservative Group Against US Support to Gay Parade" - - CTK
headline - CTK
Monday August 8, 2011 15:32:32 GMT
Prague Pride will be held next week, culminating with a parade on Saturday
(13 August). The festival will take place in Prague for the first time.
Thirteen embassies seated in Prague on Friday backed the homosexual event.
The support action was initiated by Britain and joined by Austria,
Germany, Estonia, Spain and Sweden, among others.
"We express our solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
communities in the Czech Republic, supporting their right to use this
occasion to march together peacefully and lawfully, in order to raise
awareness of the specific issues that affect them," the embass ies said in
a joint statement.
Former Czech foreign minister Jan Kohout said similar joint statements of
Western ambassadors are unusual in the European Union but he added that in
the so-called third countries they are rather common.
D.O.S.T. addressed a letter to Eisen, resolutely protesting against
support to Prague Pride. The letter says the demands homosexuals raise to
Czech public considerably exceed mere tolerance.
The group writes that it regrets that Eisen supports pressure groups whose
ideology is similar to social engineering and Marxism-Leninism.
With respect to the legacy of President Ronald Reagan and good Czech-U.S.
relations, we cannot agree with Eisen's support to Prague Pride, D.O.S.T.
leaders say in the letter.
The group also criticises the fact that Prague Pride is held under the
auspices of Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (senior government Civic
Democrats, ODS (Civic Democratic Party)). It calls on Svoboda to withdraw
h is patronage.
The same stance was already expressed by Petr Hajek, deputy head of the
Czech Presidential Office, who also labeled homosexuality a "deviation."
The opposition Social Democrats (CSSD (Czech Social Democratic Party))
called on President Vaclav Klaus to distance himself from his aide's words
but Klaus defended Hajek.
D.O.S.T. is a group promoting Christian roots, patriotism and traditional
family and rejecting political correctness. It is headed by Ladislav
Batora, who was widely criticised for running as a candidate for the
far-right National Party in the past.
Batora was recently made the head of the personnel section of the
Education Ministry, which led to further criticism. Education Minister
Josef Dobes (junior ruling Public Affairs, VV) sharply rejected this
criticism. He said Batora is no racist but a dutiful person, a patriot and
a conservative Roman-Catholic.
Klaus also backed Batora some time ago.
( Description of Source: Prague CTK in English -- largest national news
agency; independent and fully funded from its own commercial activities)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of


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After four full days of session, the Georgia General Assembly finished its 28th legislative day Friday. With only 12 days of session left, the Capitol is full of activity as members of the legislature continue with our responsibility of completing the people's work.
Day 25 (March 7): Today was 10th Amendment Day in the Senate as we took up three bills aimed at strengthening the rights of the state of Georgia under federal law. The 10th Amendment says the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution or prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states.
I've noticed that the older we get, the more we wonder about what happened to some of those people we grew up with. I think we are curious to know how many of them are still with us ... if we won the race, so to speak, or if we should have a reunion do we need to reserve more than one table.
Isn't there enough secrecy in government? Apparently not, according to Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, who earlier in the current legislative session introduced a bill that would curtail transparency in government by allowing governmental and quasi-governmental agencies to keep certain information from the public.
A.D. Frazier is not a happy camper. My friend and former Atlanta Olympic colleague spent last summer chairing the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians, a 10-member council appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston.
Dear Editor: Thanks to the voluntary assistance of folks from Bryan County, the library at 9607 Ford Ave. in Richmond Hill has received a new coat of paint on the interior along with several other tasks being completed.
Day 20 (Feb. 28): For the second session day in a row I had a bill on the floor as I presented SB 95, legislation that I am sponsoring on behalf of the Police Chiefs Association of Georgia.
The General Assembly completed a full five days of session this week, which concluded on Friday with its 24th legislative session day. Several key pieces of legislation were debated and discussed on the House floor. The highlight this week was the passage of a solution to continue the HOPE Scholarship program and also legislation to address illegal immigration within our state.
In the midst of declining funding, it's tempting to see almost any state legislative attention to the Georgia Council for the Arts as a good thing.
Dear Editor: I was greatly dismayed to recently find out that the Baseball Committee of the Richmond Hill Recreation Association had decided to hire all of its umpires from Hinesville. In essence, they are outsourcing jobs previously held by local teenagers.
I recently came across the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association's Daily Legislative Watch and learned something quite disturbing. This legislative update contained a reference to SB 7, a bill proposed by the Insurance and Labor Committee that would essentially prevent illegal immigrants the ability to collect workers' compensation if injured or sick on the job. My question to the committee members is, "Are you trying to attract more illegal immigrants to Georgia?" Because with this bill, that is exactly the effect it will have.
State Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, touched off public outcry this month when announcing an intent to introduce legislation that would allow a form of video gambling in certain state facilities. Jekyll Island would be one of them.
On Feb. 25, I had the opportunity to attend a soccer game played by two middle schools. The game was a match between the Richmond Hill Middle School Wildcats and the team representing the Burke Middle School of Waynesboro.
John Oxendine apparently spent his last day in office as Georgia's insurance commissioner bestowing licenses on himself to sell insurance and adjust claims.
It is not easy being a househusband cum columnist. Trying to figure out where the paper towels are located at the same time I am trying to figure out where the commas go makes my brain hurt.
Editor, I've been seeing a lot more commercials for the Wounded Warrior Project on television recently, requesting that I send in my $19 per month.


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My son will be attending a new school which uses Spalding for fifth grade in the fall. When I asked what their expectations were regarding cursive at the school, I was told that it would be covered as part of their Spalding training. The woman at the office couldn't tell me if this would be a specialized style of cursive or not, and suggested I ask about it at this web site.
I have been using a book called Cursive Connections which is "a traditional style" according to its authors. Can I continue using this workbook, or is there another type of cursive he should be practicing in order to be ready for Spalding?


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No, he wasn't born in Sicily. In fact—according to a 2011 article in the Boston Globe—Doug Ferriman started out in the pizza business without even knowing how to make dough. But he learned fast, besting 120 competitors and two Italian chefs to take second place at the International Pizza Challenge later that year. Ferriman is also one of only two people to have won the International Pizza Expo's Pizza of the Year honor more than once, in 2004 and 2007, according to trade magazine Pizza Today. Finally, in the 2013 competition, Ferriman won first in the non-traditional category in the northeast region.
Today, Ferriman brings his dough tossing know-how to Crazy Dough's Pizza, which he co-owns with his wife, Melissa. Their labor-of-love-turned-small-business-success-story, which has been documented in media outlets such as the Boston Business Journal, can be explained by their commitment to quality ingredients and diverse recipes. Their chefs start with a solid pizza foundation of North Dakota flour, vine-ripened California plum tomatoes, and Wisconsin cheese. Next, they transform raw dough into three pizza types: pan-baked, rectangular sicilian pies; hearty brick-oven rounds; or their specialty fire-grilled pizzas, cooked to a crispy, smoky finish on an open-flame hickory grill.
Finally, guests can choose from a huge selection of off-the-wall toppings and signature combinations, such as cheeseburger bacon or potato bacon cheddar. The shops also attract guests with $5 Pabst Blue Ribbon pitchers, calzones, and Crazy Dough Bowls—salads whose bread-bowl exterior can be eaten or worn as a savory hat.
No one knows exactly where he came from—perhaps a sailor taking shore leave, or maybe a wayfarer exploring the colonies—but locals think they know what he's waiting for. In the 1720s, two travelers checked into The White Horse Tavern—still functioning today since 1673. One murdered the other, fleeing into the night, never to be heard from again. Ever since, visitors have seen the ghost of the slain traveler, saying that he appears to be waiting the day for his companion returns and he may take his revenge.
This is just one of the tales shared by the guides of Ghost Tours of Newport. Cloaked in flowing black dresses, billowy capes, and top hats, they lead each tour by lantern light through Newport's historic colonial district, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the United States with buildings dating back to the late 1600s. Leading guests down easily overlooked alleyways still defaced by H.P. Lovecraft's tagging phase, the guides arrive at haunted locations, such as a wrought-iron-gated colonial cemetery neighboring a church constructed in 1726. The stories behind some sightings and locations even intersect with historical figures, such as George Washington and Lizzy Borden. Guides encourage picture taking and receive submissions each week of possible spectral figures caught during a tour, which they post to Ghost Tours of Newport's Facebook albums. These images range from the impression of faces in windows to orbs, believed to represent a spirit with a fondness for bowling.
In 2011, CBS's the Early Show lauded Iggy's Doughboys and Chowder House for having the best clam chowder in America. Perhaps that?s because each batch is made with clam juice instead of water, with clams added at the very end to ensure tenderness. Or maybe it?s because owner David Gravino whips up the Manhattan-style red chowder using his mother's special recipe. Whatever the cause, the effect is a zesty stew flecked with celery, pepper, garlic, dill, and basil that people have been happy to stand in line for.
Recently celebrating their 25th anniversary, Iggy's, which has also been graced with a recent visit from Nick Jonas and Miss Universe 2012, also dishes out clam cakes, stuffed quahogs, and landlubbing entrees such as burgers and BLTs in a dining room overlooking Narragansett Bay. Housemade root beer and raspberry-lime sodas complement each meal, alongside doughboys?pastries topped with ice cream, cool whip, and powdered sugar. In addition to the main location, there?s a seasonal outpost in Narragansett proper that stays open from March until Columbus Day, the holiday which celebrates Christopher Columbus's discovery of a new world inhabited solely by fish.
When asked what inspired her to open Genie's Hookah Lounge, Farahnaz Shobeiri recalls the parties her grandfather used to host in Iran. "Whenever he had parties, he had hookah. People came to talk about family and politics and also to just enjoy themselves." Now directing her own festive space, Shobeiri hopes to not only foster a similarly laid-back, convivial atmosphere but also to share her Persian heritage with others.
On Friday and Saturday, belly dancers sway to the sounds of Middle Eastern music, and tarot-card readers divine fortunes amid thick persian rugs and plush couches heaped with pillows and tinier, plusher couches. Friends can pass around handmade Egyptian hookahs filled with coconut-shell coals and dozens of different flavors, including tobacco-free herbal molasses. The lounge also boasts a high-end air-filtration system, which means that the smell of smoke or wandering cologne salesmen never overpowers the aromas of spiced meats and fresh bread from the kitchen.
Though Genie's Hookah Lounge doesn't serve alcohol, people are welcome to bring their own wine and beer, and servers pour pure pomegranate juice and herbal teas directly into mouths via a funnel. Shobeiri hopes that the atmosphere encourages people to relax and linger over their meals. "We do everything from the heart here," she says. "Everyone comes here to be happy."
Save The Bay has held to its mission since its founding in 1970: to protect, restore, and improve the Narragansett Bay region and its coastal waters through environmental action and stewardship. Save The Bay also defends the right of the public to use the Bay, encouraging visitors to act as responsible stewards of the Bay's bounty for future generations.
Today, Save The Bay's staff and volunteers continue their work from their Bay Center that serves as the heart of operations. Its stormwater-management system contains a vegetated roof, a coastal-buffer zone, swales, and basins that can absorb and filter rainwater. Made from recycled steel and metal, the center's interior hosts an array of educational programs for adults and kids. Save The Bay also maintains an Exploration Center and Aquarium, camps, and marine-life tours aboard its 45-foot US Coast Guard?certified vessel Alletta Morris, the 27-foot vessel Swift, or the 46-foot Elizabeth Morris.
Since 2007, the team behind Historic Tours of Newport has carefully consulted literature and publications documenting Newport's heritage in its effort to chart engaging and enlightening van tours that propel passengers through more than 365 years of history. Expert guides dispense factoids about Newport's social, religious, and architectural past on 60- to 90-minute Ten Mile Ocean Drive tours, which whisk visitors past a plentitude of sites including Bellevue Avenue's 17th-century buildings and mansions, Chateau-sur-Mer's dainty gardens, and the tree stump where town loon Humphreys McCaw declared himself king. Guests eager to peek inside one of myriad mansions detailed on the tour can opt for a Majestic Mansion tour, which permits escorted entry into one of six elegant manors during Ten Mile Ocean Drive excursions. Patrons purchasing private tours can additionally elect the two-hour Newport Now tour, which explores the city's contemporary shopping malls, farmers' markets, and secret Redcoat-revivalist meeting places or custom design a tour around whatever sites and they yearn to behold.