text:
Transition Lummi Island has been quiet of late mainly because I get bored with myself and really don't feel there is much to add to the discussion.
With three weeks to lay about I've been in a reading frenzy due, in part, to a trial subscription with Oyster (the Netflix of books) which seems to work very nicely. They have a good selection of books though not everything you would find on Kindle or iBooks.
I found myself reading these with "Transition" in mind.
Widow Walk by Gerard LaSalle makes Pacific NW history sound a lot more interesting than it did when we were force-fed a tedious view of Washington State history back in high school day. In Widow Walk we've got a pioneer couple on Whidbey Island, mentions of Bellingham, the Lummis, reef net fishing, Victoria, San Juan Island, Roche Harbor and various locations in BC. It's a fast moving tale that involves a couple of real historical figures, a psychotic Haida raider, a kidnapped five year old, a brave frontier woman and her equally brave young daughter, a clever NW Indian guide, various nefarious characters, a one-eyed grizzly bear and even George Pickett, soon to become famous at the Battle of Gettysburg. (I did not know that General Pickett was once married to an Indian maid). At one level it's a tale of disaster preparedness with fierce Northern tribes making boat raids to capture booty and slaves. The pioneers have developed early warning systems which, unfortunately, don't work in the case of this story. Government is little help and the protagonist must take it upon herself to solve the problem (with a tiny but important piece of help from Captain George Pickett). Self-reliance, grit and determination and some luck win out in the end. It's a pretty good book and will be particularly interesting to dwellers on the Salish Sea which doesn't often provide the background for many novels.
Wild Abandon by Joe Dunthorne starts out strong but loses its way in the end. It's about an intentional community in Wales that has been in business for twenty years. At the time of the book most of the characters are trying to find a way out demonstrating, I suppose, how difficult it is for even a small community with a similar philosophy and common goals to get along. Wild Abandon is the story of this unraveling but goes off in directions that cause the story to lose its arc; sort of like the community itself. Good start; poor finish. Keeping people on track is a difficult thing to do.
Bolivar: American Liberator by Marie Arana is a wild and woolly history. There are some 2600+ volumes in the Library of Congress about Simon Bolivar. I've not read a one of them. In fact, even with a BA in history and some fifty years of additional reading since graduation, this is the first book I've ever read on South American history.
Let me tell you, it's not a pretty picture: murder, torture, treachery, beheadings, flayings, rampaging ex-slaves, rabid Indians, cruel Spaniards, psychotic Creoles. And, that's on a good day. What a mess? And what a difficult story to tell.
Bolivar, of course, is the key figure, the central theme in South America's break with Spain. Spain didn't give up easy. But they finally did. One can argue that getting rid of Spain is about all that the Bolivarian revolution accomplished as South American politics remains chaotic and unstable with lots of dictators, despots and warlords. What a mean, cruel history. Novelist turned historian, Marie Arana does an admirable job of detailing Bolivar's life.
Even despots/dictators/presidents for life have a hard time getting things done.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Enough has been written about this one. With all the hoopla about "Wild" and its amazing success as a memoir, I was worried that it might be the hiking version of Eat, Pray, Love and as wretched in its self-absorption. I couldn't stand EPL and didn't finish it. Wild, on the other hand, is a surprisingly good read. There is self-absorption, though it didn't bore.
I came away from Wild thinking that if you want to get something done you just have to keep putting one foot ahead of another; keep moving forward.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Could be a description of what we face if we don't get our act together. As a book it's overrated but still quite readable. The post-apocalyptic genre is a good exercise for stretching the mind and getting motivated to be ready for an uncertain future.
And I'm halfway through Population: 485 by Michael Perry which might be the most relevant book to the subject at hand. It's a memoir of a very small mid-western told told from the POV of a volunteer EMT/fireman. Disparate people with varied backgrounds pulling together to help each other.
A little over three years ago a group of us got together informally to discuss the Transition Town Movement and how it might apple to Lummi Island. More details of that session were posted here in December of 2010.
It was essentially a brainstorming session that resulted in the following categories. There was no formal organization to put these into place; only the suggestion that these were things the island might wish to do. It was up to individuals or organizations to pick up the ball.
I thought it would be interesting to recap these categories and see what has happened in three years. I've rearranged the categories a bit to avoid being redundant in recapping where we are.
START AN ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD — "Use this for ride sharing, exchange of items, time sharing, etc."
What happened was "Nextdoor" which came along in a timely fashion. Nextdoor, supplementing Brown Betty and The Tome has provided a real time vehicle for an exchange of information, goods, skills, recommendation, gossip, etc.
SKILLS INVENTORY — "Which could include an on-line data base and a hard copy Island Yellow Pages (such as has existed in the past). Find out who knows how to do what and the kinds of equipment they have."
Nextdoor provides the format for a skills inventory and for current recommendations and testimonials.
MATERIALS EXCHANGE —"Location where surplus stuff can be dropped off and picked up."
Again, as it worked out, Nextdoor provided the perfect vehicle for not only a materials exchange but notifications for stuff needed and free items as well.
RESKILLING — "Using the skills inventory come up with a series of (workshops, classes, tutoring programs, mentoring situation) to teach a variety of subjects: gardening, food preserving, food storage, composting, beekeeping, thermal syphoning, welding, coppicing, charcoaling, fuel production, foraging, water catchment, animal husbandry, seed saving, plant breeding, etc. etc."
What happened was the Grange Country Living Series which has been able to provide workshops for a number of these topics and more.
RECRUIT YOUNG GROWERS TO THE ISLAND — "Provide assistance with land and housing. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)"
We've fallen short here with the exception of the new Willows Garden and their full time gardener. But it would still be nice to bring some some farmers to the island.
PLANT FOOD PRODUCTION TREES —"in common areas. Trust land etc."
What happened was two community orchards: one at the Curry Preserve near the Community Garden and one at the ferry parking lot. Both are maintained by volunteers and seem to be doing well.
COOPERATIVE BUYING GROUP — "To purchase food and supplies in bulk and get them to the island. Possibly to be done in coordination with a store."
Nothing specific done here that I'm aware of with the exception of the backyard chicken people who seem to bulk order on a regular basis.
EXPLORE HEALTH AND WELLNESS —"It was noted that there are groups on the island working on this."
As noted this was in process three years ago. But with the loss of two or three key players I think this committee faded away.
The last three items on the list have been addressed by our revitalized Disaster Preparedness group.
COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY — Solar powered well; hand pumps; desalination.
CENTRALIZED ISLAND PROPANE STORAGE —From an earlier suggestion in the comments.
MAKE PLANS FOR ISLAND FUEL PRODUCTION — Using crop plants
All things considered, a pretty good report card for an informal get together. Maybe we should get together again some day and see what else we should focus our attention on.
Tim and I would probably not agree on our favorite tools as Tim always seemed to favor noisy power tools whereas I tend toward quiet ones. I realize that chop saws, table saws, power drills, routers, palm sanders, etc. have their place. But, a good hand tool is a thing of beauty and often of very intelligent design, has a long history and is pleasure to work with or hold in your hand.
I made a list of some of my favorite tools of the past year and why they were important to me:
Gimlet set: Usually comes in a set of four. It's a hand drill for making a pilot hole or gaining purchase for a cup hook or hanging a picture. I read somewhere that in Colonial times entire houses were built using the gimlet. When you are making a single hole it's a lot easier to get the gimlet than to get out the power drill.
Jaw Horse: I've used this so many times in the past year. It really grips stuff so you can clamp it, glue up, saw it, carve it, sand it or do what ever. Comes with attachment that will hold logs as well as one for full sheets of plywood.
Steam juicer: Live juices are no doubt healthier than cooked and canned juices but when you have lots of apples or berries to deal with a steam juicer is a pretty handy tool which allows you to make some juice and also creates pulp that can be used for jams and jellies. It's more fun and tastier to use a cider press but I think you need a pick up truck load of apples to make the cider press worthwhile. We like pressing cider but the clean up is tedious and it's usually cold when you do the pressing and cleaning up is a cold, wet job. The steam juicer can be efficiently used for small batches, is done inside on the stove top and is easy to clean up. We made quite a few quarts of apple juice plus lots of apple butter using the steam juicer.
Aeropress coffee maker: Makes one cup of coffee at a time. You need to grind some beans and heat some water. Takes about a minute and the coffee is consistently the same with each cup. It's small, travels well and is inexpensive. Makes a better cup of coffee than a French press or Eva Solo coffee maker.
Narrow collinear hoe: Bought one after a tour of the Loganita gardens where they used this hoe to "floss" between and around plants. It's a brilliant tool which can be used with surgical precision. Perfect for the anally retentive gardener. I have two. One has a three and a half inch blade. The other has a seven inch blade. Both are narrow with long handles allowing your to hoe without bending. Both use a scraping motion like a hula hoe. But, they work better than a hula hoe. I do sharpen them from time to time.
Two wheeled wheelbarrow: Don't know why anyone uses a wheel barrow with single wheels. The argument is that you can't maneuver it into tiny spaces. I rarely have a problem navigating mine with two wheels down garden paths or in between rows. Whatever disadvantage exists is offset by the fact that they never tip over and you can move them with only one hand. One of my most important tools.
Silky pruning saw: When it's too much trouble to get the chain saw out and put on all the protective gear just grab your Silky saw and start sawing. Amazingly efficient on limbs up to six to eight inches. Great for pruning any size limb. Couldn't be without this tool. I have a spare blade on hand to replace my saw if it ever wears out.
Post puller: Just a big lever but invaluable if you have to pull any metal posts that you've use for fencing. Had to redo our orchard fences which meant pulling 48 posts. Thirty dollars well-spent. I've pulled narrow diameter wood posts well (like the ones you use to stake trees).
Kuhn Rikon knives: Amazing knives. Colorful. Inexpensive.
Carving Chisels: I've got some nice carving tools but I've found this really cheap ($17) set from Harbor Freight to be very useful for a variety of tasks. They are so cheap I bought two and don't have to worry about them like you do with expensive chisels.
I'm always interested in learning about other people's favorite tools.
Chime in please.
First thing every Monday I read James Howard Kunstler's blog. He writes essentially the same essay every week and has for years but is such a skillful and colorful writer that I still look forward the latest iteration. His thesis is easy to recap: Happy Motoring will come to an end. Suburbia is screwed because it is so auto dependent. The party is almost over. Things could get pretty bad. Young people ought to become farmers. And, we better get used to the idea of living smaller and more locally for the time when we no longer have fuel or are able to afford fuel to jump in our car and drive or fly wherever we wish to go.
I'm sympathetic to his point of view and have taken some basic steps to prepare (as in "prepper") for the economic and social disaster that might be just around the corner. That is, in fact, the continuing point of this blog—to suggest that, while we do our thing, we should give some thought to what our future might look like as individuals and as a community.
Living on an island it is a bit easier to imagine being cut off, to be forced into localism by circumstances beyond our control. As an example, if the ferry craps out we have a whole lot of problems to solve quickly and probably expensively. In the case of a general economic breakdown which more than a few commentators believe is possible, we'd need to do some real work to keep our heads above water.
One interesting thing to think about is who would have value if we were forced to go it alone. If we had to rely on ourselves and our own resources it's obvious that people who grow food, raise food, know how to forage for food or catch food would be extremely important. Anyone who has skills relating to wells, water, water systems, water purification would be in demand. A person capable of making fuel out of available material could write their own ticket. Those with construction, mechanical and engineering skills would be very busy. A bike builder or bike repair person would be a VIP. Scroungers and inventors would be very popular.
We would need medical and surgical talents as well as unconventional healing skills. Security could be an issue. Like it or not, islanders knowledgeable with weapons could be important to us. We would want to keep our fire department staffed and trained and fueled somehow. Woodcutters, bakers, home health care, nurses…I could go on about skills that would be required to maintain some semblance of comfort.
Saturday, at the Grange Country Living Series Workshop, Ann MacDonald, a voice coach and therapist took a group of us through an hour of voice work, a reminder of another important set of skills a small community would need if cut off for what ever reason. We would need, in fact demand, the ability to entertain ourselves: to sing, play, act and write.
Ann's workshop reminded me that I (and we) don't sing enough. There is a psychological obstacle for most of us to singing. We don't think we sound that good. Shockingly, with Ann's coaching the singing among the dozen or so who were there was very pleasing. We learned, for example, that it was easier to sing standing on one foot. It forced us to concentrate on balance and those balancing muscles in the core of our body, which are the muscles that actually produce the sound, rather than thinking about making a noise in our throat. It was fun. It was therapeutic. It was motivational. We ought to start now to develop a choral group on the island as one of most important things we could do to get ready for an uncertain future.
At the end of the session she sang for us sitting in a chair, relaxed and patient, letting the sound flow. It would be nice to be able to sing like she did.
Maybe we can.
"Beans are good food. They have no cholesterol and almost no fat. They are loaded with Proteins, calcium and iron. They have soluble fibre, which many people associate only with oat bran and they have omega-3 fatty acids which we tend to think of in fish oils. About the only thing that beans do not have is a good lobbying group to promote their advantages."
– Neal Barnard, M.D. Foods that fight pain.
Surprising for a vegetarian I have never been a big fan of beans. Not until I started growing my own. After reading The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe I changed up my garden planting scheme to follow her formula for growing lots of calories and protein. I was already familiar with an array of bean choices from some presentations that Krista Rome of the Backyard Bean and Grain Project had made to our Gardener's Network. Krista has reintroduced some old bean varieties in Whatcom County and sells them on her website.
Three years ago I had a good crop of shell beans (a couple of quarts) and was surprised at how satisfying they were compared to beans I had previously eaten. My guess is that the beans you buy in the store have been around so long they've lost their flavor and, more importantly, their texture as every bean I had every eaten was mealy or crunchy even with long soak times. The beans we're eating now are smooth and flavorful.
Last year I had a good bean crop going. They made it to the bloom stage when, apparently, a few hundred rabbits showed up one night and ate them to the ground. Last year—no beans. And, if I can digress, I'm starting to understand why sheep herders shoot coyotes, wolves and mountain lions. After deer rampage through your orchard, the rabbits eat all your beans and orc-like swarms of yellow jackets decimate your beehives it is probable that one will begin to feel illiberal and develop an us-against-them mentality.
This year I put poultry fencing around the bean patch and now we have a cat. We call him Little Buddy but could have named him Dexter because he is the sweetest little serial killer you've ever scratched. Buddy has kept the rabbits on the run. The poultry fence kept him from using the bean patch as a cat box.
This year we got two gallons of beans in four varieties: Ely, Saxon, Jacob's Cattle and Ireland Creek Annie. (Two gallons represents 32 entres for the two of us). Jacob's Cattle and Ireland Creek Annie are bush beans. The others are pole beans. All are quite delicious spiced up with a bit of onion, green pepper, salt and touch of Tabasco. So far I like the Saxon the best. Because beans are such an important food for the non meat eater I think I will expand the bean patch next year.
But these were not the only beans for 2013. Gary P. and I decided that we wanted to experiment with growing food for the island. We were allowed to use a 1500 sq ft plot on some other people's property. The experiment was to try and grow food with a minimal amount of work and no irrigation other than normal rain water. Interesting that we decided to do this in one of the driest years on record. Gary plowed, disked and tilled the plot with his tractor. We planted soybeans. I hoed it once a week and we were amazed that we got about 100 lbs of beans off the plot. These were the edamame variety which you steam or boil and eat from the pod. They are quite addictive and I've got about 25 lbs blanched and vacuum packed in the freezer.
"A 1/2-cup serving of shelled edamame contains only 100 calories, with 3 g of unsaturated fat and 8 g of protein. It also provides 4 g of fiber and is a good source of calcium, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Edamame doesn't contain any cholesterol and has very little sodium."
Many people complain that beans cause "digestive upset." Carol Deppe points out that if you eat beans regularly your body will adapt.
Eat enough beans and you might write a poem.
Red Beans
Next to white rice
it looks like coral
sitting next to snow
Hills of starch
The burnt sienna
of irony
Azusenas being chased by
the terra cotta feathers
of a rooster
There is a lava flow
through the smoking
white mounds
India red
spills on ivory
Ochre cannon balls
next to blanc pebbles
Red beans and milk
make burgundy wine
Violet pouring
from the eggshell
tinge of the plate.
My brother-in-law came for a visit. He brought a box of Twinkies. He offered me one. I declined, but then decided to take a bite for old time sakes. I used to love the Twinkie back in the 50′s. In fact, the Twinkie was one of my favorite snacks along with another Hostess House product—the cream filled chocolate cupcake.
The Twinkie disappeared for awhile when Hostess House took bankruptcy protection. But a financial holding company bought the Hostess House Brand and relaunched the new Twinkie this past July. The advertising on the box proclaims, "The Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever." I don't quite understand what that means. But the point is that the Twinkie is back on the shelves and people will be consuming them in large quantities.
The new Twinkie doesn't taste vey good. I may suffer from nostalgia infused memory but the Twinkie of sixty years ago was quite tasty, a rich sponge cake with vanilla filling. It was, no doubt, replete with offensive ingredients as is the new Twinkie which, I'm certain, if kept in a cool, dry place you would be able to eat one hundred years from now. The ingredients give the impression that it was conceived in a lab. It's something the Uni-bomber might have kept on hand to avoid trips to town.
Here's what's in the new Twinkie: Enriched wheat flour, sugar, corn syrup, niacin, water, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable shortening – containing one or more of the following: partially hydrogenated soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, beef fat, dextrose, whole eggs, modified corn starch, cellulose gum, whey, leavenings (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), salt, cornstarch, corn flour, corn syrupsolids, mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin, polysorbate 60, dextrin, calcium caseinate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, wheat gluten, calcium sulphate, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, yellow No. 5, red #40.
Much of our processed food is loaded up with these emulsifiers, desiccants, preservatives and colorings. And, the evidence is becoming clearer and clearer that high fructose corn syrup is the work of the Devil. One wouldn't think this kind of article from this week's Yahoo.com news would be even necessary—that soft drinks (loaded with corn syrup) make little kids aggressive. High fructose corn syrup is ubiquitous. Soft drink annual sales are $60 billion. Average number of cans consumed by males in the 12-19 age group—an astounding 868. High fructose corn syrup is no doubt responsible for the epidemic of obesity. I'm talking sloppy fat; not healthy fat. Go-to-the- doctor fat.
I understand why people eat processed food. I understand why I eat it. It's easy. Making your own food is not so easy in that it takes a lot of time. I'm reminded at how much time it does take to provide for oneself this time of year as the harvest gets heavy and we begin to put food by. Yesterday I started working on beets at 8am. Pull the beets, trim them, cull the leaves for freezing, wash the beets, boil the beets, remove the skins, cut the beets, measure the amount, make the brine, etc. etc. Finished that up about 1pm then went back to the garden and harvested about a third of our dried beans. Of course, once you pull those bean pods off the stems you have to get the beans out which took two of us another hour. Got about a gallon of beans.
There's so much to worry about: Big Brother, Fukishima radiation, climate change, economic collapse. Yet, I become more and more convinced that the only constructive thing we can really do in a positive way to change things is to grow and preserve healthy food. At least it's the only thing I can think of to do to affect change. Driving to the market today I noticed a guy down the road, a retired doc no less, spraying weeds across from his house. I doubt it was fertilizer. I expect it was Roundup. Lots of people are still spraying Roundup. It is nasty stuff and there is scientific proof to back this statement up.
It's frustrating that Roundup, corn fructose syrup, and Twinkies are more popular than beets and beans from the garden.
We live in Twinkie World.
So here's a question for you problem solvers out there: What do you do if your bees swarm and decide to land on a branch twenty feet above the ground?
I picked up the phone and called Mike M. On the island Mike gets lots of weird calls. "Could Mike come over with the bucket truck and help me catch some bees that are way up in a tree?" I asked. Pretty soon I got a call back. "Mike wants to know if he has to go up in the bucket and get the bees."
I don't blame him for not wanting to. Most people are wary of bees as bee stings do hurt a lot as both Mike and I can attest to after our adventure today. Of course, I didn't want him to go up and get the bees. I wanted to do that. Catching a swarm is a real thrill for most beekeepers. It's hard to explain why. You can stop swarms from hiving but I don't want to do that. You can get more production if you stop the swarm but I'm not into production; just into having pollinators around and making a home for the endangered honey bees. I use top bar hives and don't really do much in the way of animal husbandry. We just watch them and enjoy having them in the yard and garden.
I've not had very good luck as a beekeeper to date and am now in year three. The first package of bees didn't survive the winter. Last spring I bought two packages and changed to a Carnolian queen. Carnolians bees do better in colder weather and as the worker bees only live four to five weeks, after a very short time your hive is full of hybrid bees who are more adapted to our climate. Last July those two packages swarmed a few days apart. The first swarm landed on the tip top of a forty foot cedar trees. No chance to get them. The second hive wrapped themselves around a vine maple low enough that I could reach them with a 16′ extension ladder.
When a hive swarms the old queen takes about half the bees and skedaddles. The swarm makes its way into a ball around the queen and scouts go out to look for new real estate. They come back from their missions to report what they've found doing special bee dances that tell the hive the location, size, etc. Over a two or three day period the hive reaches a consensus on the best location, location, location and takes off for their new digs. So, the beekeeper doesn't have to be in a hurry to grab them. But, who wants to wait?
Thus, last summer I ended up with three hives. The remainder group of the hives one and two and the swarm that I scraped off the vine maple. One of the remainder hives failed to make a new queen. It died out. The other two made it through the winter but this spring, hive number one discovered that hive number two was weak and robbed their honey, causing them to starve. It is a cruel world.
(Click here for some swarm music)
I was very anxious to catch my swarm, elated when I was around to hear the swarm music (they make a tremendous noise) and very annoyed when they landed twenty feet up. It would be nice to capture a swarm with my feet on the ground. Not to bee.
Mike showed up with the bucket truck. I showed him the bee ball up in the tree and explained that I wanted to lop off all the branches around the ball, then cut the branch loose and put the bee branch in a cardboard box. Mike was going to maneuver the bucket from the ground. My first surprise was how deep and narrow that bucket was. I managed to get both legs into it and my loppers, hand pruners and pruning saw but had to balance the box on the edge of it.
Mike raised the bucket toward the branch and I tried to give hand signals because we couldn't hear each other but it's hard to signal well when you are holding a large cardboard box in one hand and loppers in the other. He got me within lopper range and I cut off a bunch of branches. But then I discovered that the ball of bees weren't wrapped as tightly around the branch as I thought and the ball was drooping down and a big wad of bees dropped off. I had to change my plan which meant holding the box under the bees and using my gloved hand to scrape them into the box. This was hard to do from the bucket and I was working too fast. I was sloppy and cloddish and clumsy and the bees were getting really pissed off and swarming all over the place. I heard Mike tell Linda, who was taking pictures to back off, that he'd been stung. I looked down to see a pile of bees in the bottom of the bucket and covering my shoes and worse, could feel them crawling up my legs under my pants (I had neglected to tuck my pant legs into my socks). Getting stung now was inevitable but also didn't matter. I scraped more bees into the box and motioned for Mike to take me down. Dude was still there. He doesn't run.
It was hard to get out of the bucket as there were bees all over the edge of it but I brushed some out of the way and hopped out. I figured bending my legs would trap the ones in my pant and sure enough the stings started as I climbed off the truck and headed toward Mike and Linda who had finally backed away. I gave into to sting panic and began to smash the girls who hadn't stung me yet.
Mike had been stung on the ear and I felt badly about that. If you are going to get stung, the face is my least favorite. On the legs it's not so bad although it always hurts.
"Sorry," I said. "That didn't go as planned. What do I owe you for a lift and a bee sting?"
"Don't worry about it," Mike said. "I'll get even with you." Can't wait for that.
He took the bucket truck and went home. I looked up the tree where it appeared there was still a good sized ball of bees. What you do after you get the swarm in the box is to put the box under the tree, hoping the queen is in the box. If she is then over time the rest of the bees will fly to the box to join their queen and then when you have most of the bees you can hive them. Last year I saw the queen in the box and knew I had her. But today I couldn't spot the queen and there were lots of bees in the air. Maybe she was still in that ball in the tree. Three hours later the ball of bees was still in the tree but there were way more bees in the box. I decided I might have her and suited up to hive them. At dark they settle down and are much less active, just working to keep the queen at the proper temperature. I had prepared one of my old hives and even left some comb in there to give them a head start.
I picked up the box which felt like it weighed at least five pounds, walked fifty yards, tipped the box and dumped the bees into the hive. Suddenly, bees were everywhere but most were in the hive. I closed it up and called it a day.
The big event for bees is the blackberry bloom which is about over so both hives have their work cut out for them having swarmed so late. They will need to lay lots of eggs and make lots of honey before winter sets in. The bees that are left in the original hive will await the maturing of a new queen. Preparing for the swarm the bees have created several swarm (queen) cells. The first one of these to hatch will kill the other unborn queens then go on a mating flight and then begin laying eggs to keep the population growing.
In a perfect world I will end up with two healthy hives that will survive winter and swarm again next summer giving me four hives and so on. That's in a perfect world. It probably won't go that smoothly. It hasn't so far.
Pray for the bees. Thanks be to Mike.
A little over a year ago The Lummi Island Grange decided to offer a series of workshops on the general subject of rural life, community education being one of the Grange missions. We called it the Country Living Series, a name we borrowed from the Hood River Grange which runs a similar program.
Most of us have arrived at the island from a city setting and there are many things we never knew, used to know or had forgotten about. Rural life, especially life on an island, is markedly different from city life. One must be more self-reliant and self-sufficient. It's important to learn how to do stuff or at least know who on the island has those skills.
In the lingo of The Transition Town Movement what we are doing is called "reskilling." The intention is to learn to do things for ourselves and our neighbors. We have forgotten basic skills. I have written before about my grandparents farm in Virginia. It was a subsistence operation where they grew their own food, milled their lumber, built their house and outbuildings, slaughtered and butchered their animals, repaired their equipment and manufactured parts. There was even a barber chair in garage because they cut their own hair as well. People of that generation knew how to do stuff.
At the heart of reskilling is the idea of localization. That is, doing as much as we can for ourselves. Personally, I was thrilled to see Chris Immer's recent Nextdoor post that he is milling lumber from Lummi Island trees and making it available for sale. If you are somewhat familiar with the island you will know that we do have people with specific skills and talents. We have people who know how to fell trees, catch fish, sail, weld, garden, sew, weave, heal, write, build boats, can and preserve, cook, throw a pot, carve, build, fix bikes and cars. There are more people that have fascinating hobbies and special musical talent. We have people who actually know what goes on inside computers. And people who can build musical instruments.
So, the whole idea of the Grange Country Living Series is to identify those people with special skills, talents and interests and try to cajole them into sharing their knowledge with the community at large.
We had a good first year and hope to do as well in the next twelve months. Here are the details:
25 workshops on 20 different subjects (5 workshops were repeated due to demand)
Over 200 people attended in total.
Highest individual attendance was 23. Lowest was 1.
Most of the workshops were presented by islanders but we did have help from the mainland for six workshops.
Subjects (not in order of presentation):
potting soil and fertilizer,backyard chickens, pruning fruit trees, seed saving (2), chainsaw safety and maintenance (2), bread and cheese, neighbor electric vehicles, cheese making (2), rag rug construction (2), bread baking (2), how to make soap, keeping mason bees, herbal gifts, backyard beans and grains, end of life preparation, eating local, kim chi, how to buy a side of beef, making wine, using nettles.
I encourage you to volunteer to share your knowledge on any subject you deem important to share. You might find that only three or four people have an interest and that's okay. It's still paying it forward and helping to educate islanders to be more self-reliant and self-sufficient.
Call or email me with ideas: firstname.lastname@example.com or 2130.
In my garden the overwintered kale (White Russian) is six feet tall and bolting, buzzing with honeybees and bumblebees. Seed pods are forming and will drop seed and new plants will pop up later in the summer. This is a form of permaculture, I suppose. I like to see the kale blooms and though some find the leaves bitter after the plant bolts, we enjoy the taste. We will save some of the seeds to make sure we can perpetuate the kale in the future. Seed saving and exchanging seeds is growing in popularity. But at the same time, it's under attack from companies that want to control the seed business.
This is really the problem with GMO. It may be years before we understand completely what the health hazards are with GMO seed, how the inserting of strange genes impacts humans and our environment, though it seems logical that, at this point, we can not know all the ramifications of messing with genetics. On the face of it, rearranging DNA sounds kind of like a Nazi war experiment to me. Distasteful at a minimum. Criminal at worst.
If this were a James Bond novel Monsanto would be the villain. A real life SMERSH.
The problem with GMO is the control issue. You can't patent my kale seed. It's not proprietary. But a genetically modified seed can be patented. Once you have the patent you can control how that seed is used and who gets to use it. If one or two companies can control the source of seed they control the food supply. They will then control the world. It is the stuff of science fiction or Ian Flemming.
It's difficult to fight back when Monsanto has the inside track in Washington D.C. with even a Supreme Court Justice, one of their former attorneys (Clarence Thomas0, in their camp. Is it surprising that Monsanto recently won a landmark case in the high court involving a farmer's "misuse" of Monsanto proprietary seed?
Our government works hand in hand with Monsanto to promote their agenda world wide. We know this thanks to Wikileaks.
Beth, the healthy home economist has provided us with four suggestions for keeping Monsanto out of our home gardens now that they control more than 40% of the vegetable seed market:
- Avoid buying from the seed companies affiliated with Monsanto. Here's a list of these seed companies: http://www.seminis.com/global/us/products/Pages/Home-Garden.aspx
- Buy from this list of companies Monsanto HASN'T bought and are not affiliated or do business with Seminis: http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/ 2012/03/06/monsanto-free-seed-companies/
- Avoid certain heirloom varieties because Monsanto now apparently owns the names. This article lists the seed varieties to avoid: http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/2012/03/17/monsanto-owned-seednames/
- Ask seed companies if they have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. Here's a list of companies that have done so: http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261
There have been some questions about Territorial Seed where a lot of us buy seed and their relationship to Monsanto's Seminis Seed Company. Here's the skinny on that:
The case of Roundup which, sadly, many Lummi Islanders still use to kill weeds, points out how unethical Monsanto actually is. People still using Roundup need to read this and the many other studies available proving that it is harmful to human and animal health. Monsanto doesn't care. They make using Roundup look like great fun and a manly activity at that.
And, finally, a brilliant essay by a young woman who has a connection to Lummi Island, granddaughter of a Lummi Island resident.
Money quote: "Our place is here, fighting Agra-Giants such as Monsanto, Dupont, and GE here on American soil by tilling it up and growing our own food."
I used to get excited about new computer apps when they hit the market but most of them ended up having limited value. This year, however, I discovered Evernote which has become my favorite application. Evernote helps me remember, document and journal things. This year I'm using it to document my garden with a combination of photo and sound files. For five years I've used a spiral binder and the results have been unsatisfactory. So, far I'm very happy with the way things are going with Evernote. Evernote allows you to tag items with as many tags as you want: "Garden 2013″, "gardening", "seeds", "garden beds", "garden journal", or whatever. The search function pulls all these notes together as in this snapshot:
Using the Cloud, Evernote syncs these notes to all my devices. Since I am blessed with an iPhone, iPad, iMac and Macbook, all these notes appear very quickly on each device. If I modify an item on one device the change is synced on all devices. So, I can use my iPhone in the garden to make a recording, describing what I have done, when I did it and where I did it, then tag it later when I sit down at the laptop. I can also access my files via Evernote's website from a third party computer.
I can add to each file as the season goes along and also include links to web pages, photos of invoice (for seed) and pics of seed packs to show the source, date packaged, etc.
I found it was awkward in the garden to find the notebook, something to write with and to figure out how to organize the material. At the end of the season I was constantly paging through the entire notebook to find what I was looking for.
A small garden can probably do this on a page or two. But as the garden gets bigger (and we've added a small orchard, some grapes, kiwis, and vegetable beds outside the main garden), it's more and more difficult to keep track of things. I can no longer rely on my vaunted memory which has now vaulted to places unknown.


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If you really loved the one who died, however, don't expect to "get over" your loss anytime soon. No one can replace the one you lost, and you can't just put on a happy face after a little while and tell yourself that everything is fine now. It isn't. It may take a long time, and there will always be little reminders, memories, and other experiences to renew your sense of loss and your tears. There's no simple solution to human sorrow. Each of us has to live through it as best we can, trying to keep the balance between a healthy sense of grief and the courage and hope to go on living the rest of our life.
You still can grow through the experience, you can learn valuable lessons and benefit from all the ways your loved ones have enriched your life. Then go on living—while keeping them in "eternal memory." Life is not meant to be easy; it is meant to be good. Sometimes it is only through experiences that push us to the limits of pain and endurance that we can feel the supportive hand of God, stand in awe before the Cross of Jesus, and begin to sense the dawn of a New Day breaking over the weathered graveyards of this sorrowful world. If we struggle with the will of God in times of grief or suffering, let us be patient. Though our vision is now veiled, we will at length recognize with crystal clarity the utter goodness of God—and we will know why things really couldn't have been any other way—when our mortal slumber is gently awakened by the divine command: "I say to you, arise."
Once we have accepted the hard fact of death and of the pain of our own bereavement, the healing can begin, hope can surface, and life can once again become joyful—perhaps with an awareness of a new and more spiritual relationship with the one who has departed. In his Letter of Consolation to the Bereaved, the Greek Archbishop Augoustinos Kantiotes writes: "Death does not break the connection between those living on earth with those who have passed on to the other world. Preserve those bonds. Commemorate those who have gone to the world of eternity."
Our whole life on earth is a journey toward death, and our death begins our eternal journey into the inexhaustible riches of the life and love of the All-holy Trinity. If we make the necessary and sustained efforts to stay on the "narrow path" that leads to eternal happiness, we have nothing to fear, for the Lord has created and redeemed us so that we can live with Him in joy forever. We must encourage our loved ones now to share the blessed vision of the Gospel, so that when death strikes we will not only grieve but will go on with hope that we are all moving in the same direction, all sharing the same glorious destiny, and that we will all be united forever in holy joy.
Laura has gone home; she has completed her earthly journey. None of us is very far behind, so let us pray for the grace and mercy of the Lord, who has created and redeemed us so that we may have everlasting life. "The Lord will protect your journeying and your homecoming, henceforth and forever" (Ps 121:8).
I would like to conclude this chapter with a few excerpts from an article included in an anthology of the works of Thomas Howard. He speaks in a straightforward yet eloquent manner of the struggles of suffering, death, and grief, and he leaves us with a profound hope in what the goodness of God is working behind the scenes.
"Someone finds he has cancer; the medical treadmill begins, with its implacable log of defeat; hope is marshaled, begins the march, is rebuffed at every juncture, flags, rouses, flags again, and is finally quietly mustered out… everyone is dragged into the maelstrom that marks the place where our experience eddies into the sea of the divine will. The whole question of prayer gapes open… And meanwhile, the surgery goes on its horrific way, and the radiation burns on, week after grim week; and suffering sets in, and the doctors hedge and dodge into the labyrinthine linoleum-and-stainless-steel bureaucracy of the hospital world, and our hearts sicken, and we try to avert our eyes from the black flag that is fluttering wildly on the horizon, mocking us.
"And the questions come stealing over us: 'Where is now their God?' 'Where is the promise of his coming?' 'He trusted in God that he would deliver him…' and so on… We look for some light. We look for some help… But only dead silence. Blank. Nothing…
"For [those whose loved ones died despite their prayers] there was no walking and leaping and praising God. No embracing and ecstatic tears of reunion. Only the silence of shrouds and sepulchers, and then the turning back, not just to the flat routines of daily life, but to the miserable duel with the tedious voices pressing in upon their exhausted imaginations with, 'Right! Now where are you? Tell us about your faith now! What'd you do wrong?'…
"But there is more. Turning again to the disclosure of God in Scripture, we seem to see that, in his economy, there is no slippage. Nothing simply disappears. No sparrow falls without his knowing (and, one might think, caring) about it. No hair on anybody's head is without its number. Oh, you say, that's only a metaphor; it's not literal. A metaphor of what, then? we might ask. Is the implication there that God doesn't keep tabs on things?
"And so we begin to think about all our prayers and vigils and fastings and abstinences, and the offices and sacraments of the Church that have gone up to the throne on behalf of the sufferer. They have, apparently, been lost in the blue. They have vanished, as no sparrow, no hair, has ever done. Hey, what about that? And we know that this is false. It is nonsense. All right then—we prayed, with much faith or with little; we searched ourselves; we fasted; we anointed and laid on hands; we kept vigil. And nothing happened.
"Did it not? What angle of vision are we speaking from? Is it not true that again and again in the biblical picture of things, the story has to be allowed to finish? Was it not the case with Lazarus' household at Bethany, and with the two en route to Emmaus? And is it not the case with the Whole Story, actually—that it must be allowed to finish, and that this is precisely what the faithful have been watching for since the beginning of time? … And is not that Finish called glorious? Does it not entail what amounts to a redoing of all that has gone wrong, and a remaking of all that is ruined, and a finding of all that has been lost in the shuffle, and an unfolding of it all in a blaze of joy and splendor?
"A finding of all that is lost? All sparrows, and all petitions and tears and vigils and fastings? Yes, all petitions and tears and vigils and fastings. 'But where are they? The thing is over and done with. He is dead. They had no effect.'
"Hadn't they? How do you know what is piling up in that great treasury kept by the Divine Love to be opened in that Day? How do you know that this death and your prayers and tears and fasts will not together be suddenly and breathtakingly displayed, before all the faithful, and before angels and archangels, and before kings and widows and prophets, as gems in that display? Oh no, don't speak of things being lost. Say rather that they are hidden—received and accepted and taken up into the secrets of the divine mysteries, to be transformed and multiplied, like everything else we offer to him—loaves and fishes, or mites, or bread and wine—and given back to you and to the one for whom you kept vigil, in the presence of the whole host of men and angels, in a hilarity of glory as unimaginable to you in your vigil as golden wings are to the worm in the chrysalis" ("On Brazen Heavens," from The Night is Far Spent).
Laura's story has not yet come to its full finish, nor has yours or mine. But when the Whole Story is finished, we will see clearly and rejoice eternally in the loving designs God has had for us from the very beginning. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1Cor. 2:9).

subset: commoncrawl


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A disused car park in Holloway will be turned into allotments under new proposals by Islington's Liberal Democrat councillors.
The car park, located off Pollard Close and Quemerford Road (N7), is currently being used by a social housing contractor as a compound for the renovation of street properties in the area. However, a decision by the council's Liberal Democrat Executive on the 3rd of July will hand the land over to the council's Greenspace department when the renovation works are complete.
Plans are now being drawn up for the car park for when the builders leave. Islington's Lib Dem leadership are keen for the concrete car park to be turned into new allotments.
Councillor Ruth Polling, who is responsible for Islington's parks and green space, said:
"At the moment this is a grey old car park, but it would make a great place for new allotments.
"In a borough as small and densely-populated as Islington we need to be innovative in finding new green spaces for residents to use. Many people here don't have private gardens, which means that our parks and allotments are really important.
"Smashing through concrete and tarmac to create new allotments and parks is one of my favourite parts of the job!"


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What does UDM mean in Media?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand UDM in the Community field in general and in the Media terminology in particular.
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"UDM." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2015. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. <http://www.abbreviations.com/term/360629>.
UDM also stands for:
- University of Detroit Mercy
- U Da Man
- Unified Dimensional Model
- Union of Democratic Mineworkers
- United Democratic Movement Party
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Official: Voter ID underwent many changes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A former policy director for Pennsylvania's Department of State defended the state's new voter identification law as a reasonable compromise that followed intense closed-door negotiations. Lawyers for plaintiffs seeking to overturn the mandatory photo ID requirement Monday questioned Rebecca Oyler about memos and e-mails describing negotiations over the legislation in late 2011. Oyler cited examples of her department suggestions that were rejected. One called for excusing residents of long-term care facilities from the photo requirement and allowing them to vote through the simpler process of absentee voting. Instead, the law allows the facilities to issue photo IDs. Still, Oyler says her department supported the final product. The law, one of the…
Royal baby boy born
LONDON (AP) – Palace: Prince William's wife, Kate, has given birth to a baby boy. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge safely delivered of a son at 4.24p.m. London time. The baby boy weighs 8 pounds 6 ounces. The infant will become third in line for the British throne after Prince Charles and William. Kate checked into a private wing at St. Mary's Hospital in central London early Monday morning. William spent the long hours of labor at her bedside. This is the couple's first child. Follow
Researchers: Gas boom displaces families
SUNBURY — As people from all over have flocked to areas of Pennsylvania for the "natural gas boom," local professors say the former residents of those areas are struggling. Economics professor Matt Rousu and sociology professor Dave Ramsaran, both of SusquehannaUniversity, have teamed up to research the Marcellus Shale industry. Ramsaran said when the workers moved to the area for work, they had to find housing in towns that had limited capacity. "One way in which they could find housing in these very small towns that have very little capacity, was to go to some landlords and offer them much more than what the locals could pay," Ramsaran said. "So, for example, we have estimated…
Selinsgrove police hiring a new officer
SELINSGROVE – The Selinsgrove Police Department is hiring a new officer to replace an officer who was on the job for 20 years. Mark Wolfberg left the police department in May to take on the job of Transportation Director in the Selinsgrove Area School District. He started with the Selinsgrove Police Department in 1983. The borough has advertised the full-time police officer position and they did receive 14 applicants. All 14 met qualifications needed for the job and they will be given a written exam in the days ahead. Borough manager Paul Williams said they are pleased there were so many applicants and they were hoping to have the position filled in early…
Burlgar flees from woman with shotgun
MILLMONT — A burglary was thwarted by an armed woman in UnionCounty. According to Milton State Police, a man came to a home along Mabel Lane in LewisTownship around 8:00a.m. Friday. The man opened the back door of the residence. He attempted to get into the home, but fled the scene after he saw a woman in the home holding a shotgun. The man is described as being dressed in all black with black gloves and a black ski mask. Anyone with information is asked to call Milton State Police at 524-2662. (Sara Bartlett) Follow
Fireman's carnival to resume in Sunbury
SUNBURY – A new carnival is coming to Sunbury. This will be the first year for the Good Will Hose Company Fireman's Carnival, Wednesday through Saturday. Dan Saxton is a member of the carnival committee. He said, "The fire department had been doing a fireman's fair as long as I can remember. We did not hold that fair this year, but the Good Will Hose Company itself is sponsoring a carnival. The Good Will used to hold carnivals many, many years ago, but they've been on a hiatus for about 30 years. We are going to try and get it started again." Saxton says the carnival will feature many attractions. He said, "We are going…
Officer returns to job after city shooting
SUNBURY — The Sunbury police officer involved in the shooting of a teen in the city last month is back on the job. The officer, who has not publicly been identified, was on leave following the June 5 incident in which 17-year-old Naheem Reams of Sunbury was shot. Sunbury Police Chief Stephen Mazzeo says it is standard practice to put an officer on leave after an incident such as this, while an investigation is ongoing. Friday, Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini announced that the officer who shot Reams was justified in doing so. In addition, it was determined that Reams will be charged as an adult for aggravated assault. (Sara Bartlett) Follow
Police investigate after body found in Sunbury
SUNBURY — A body was found in Sunbury Sunday morning and the investigation continues. Sunbury Police Chief Stephen Mazzeo tells us a homeowner called police after seeing the body in the 900 block of South Front Street in the city around 7:30a.m. Sunday. Mazzeo would not say whether it was a male or female, nor if the death was suspicious. He says, "At this time the cause of death is unknown and the incident is under investigation." An autopsy on the body has been planned. (Sara Bartlett) Follow
Ground broken for local veteran's new home
ELYSBURG — Ground was broken Saturday for an Afghanistan war veteran's new home in Elysburg. Organization Homes For Our Troops helped to break ground on Corporal David Noblit Jr's home, where he will live with his wife and son. Noblit lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan. "Life is never over, especially when you get a second chance. Take it and run with it and never give up." Homes For Our Troops is a non-profit organization that assists disabled veterans and their families by raising money, building materials and professional labor and by coordinating the process of a building a home. It is all at no cost to the veteran. Follow
Fatal ATV crash in Coal Township
COAL TOWNSHIP — A Schuylkill County man died after an accident in Coal Township Sunday. Police say John Nemeth of Gordon was driving an ATV near the Burnside Mountain just before 3:00p.m. Nemeth lost control of the vehicle, which flipped over. The investigation into the crash continues. (Sara Bartlett) Follow


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Below you will find the WHOIS informatie of the IP address 126.96.36.199.
You can use this information to identify the owner of the IP address 220.127.116.11.
Find IP Address is designed to provide you information about the given IP Address 126.96.36.199.
The whois lookup can tell you the owner of the IP Address 18.104.22.168. You can use this information to contact the owner in case of abuse or spam report.
WHOIS INFO FOR IP ADDRESS 184.108.40.206 .% This is the RIPE Database query service. % The objects are in RPSL format. % % The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions. % See http://www.ripe.net/db/support/db-terms-conditions.pdf % Note: this output has been filtered. % To receive output for a database update, use the "-B" flag. % Information related to '22.214.171.124 - 22.214.171.124' % Abuse contact for '22.214.171.124 - 220.127.116.11' is 'firstname.lastname@example.com' inetnum: 188.8.131.52 - 220.127.116.11 netname: WEBAZILLA descr: WebaZilla remarks: INFRA-AW country: NL admin-c: WZNL1-RIPE tech-c: WZNL1-RIPE status: ASSIGNED PA mnt-by: WZNET-MNT source: RIPE # Filtered role: WebaZilla RIPE Manager address: WebaZilla B.V. address: Postbus 19115 address: 3501DC Utrecht address: Netherlands phone: +31612253464 fax-no: +31303100299 abuse-mailbox: email@example.com mnt-by: WZNET-MNT admin-c: BK5536-RIPE tech-c: BK5536-RIPE tech-c: KV1670-RIPE nic-hdl: WZNL1-RIPE source: RIPE # Filtered % Information related to '18.104.22.168/18AS35415' route: 188.8.131.52/18 descr: WEBAZILLA origin: AS35415 mnt-by: WZNET-MNT source: RIPE # Filtered % This query was served by the RIPE Database Query Service version 1.70.1 (WHOIS1) | |
Tools | - Lookup information for IP address 188.8.131.52 |
- Convert 126.96.36.199 to an IPv6 address |


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Nokia N8
Price: 16GB $749. Contact: www.nokia.com.au
First, the good news: the Nokia N8 is a powerfully featured multimedia touchscreen phone, with 16GB internal memory and support for a further 32GB using removable microSD card. Connectivity includes WiFi support, so you can access the net using your home wireless network. The N8 is also one of the first mobile CHOICE has tested to support both Telstra's 850MHz NextG and Optus' 900MHz Yes G networks. As far as CHOICE is aware, the only other mobile that supports both Next G and Yes G in the same handset is Apple's iPhone 4, although Apple somewhat surprisingly doesn't seem to hightlight this feature in its promotions.
Video: Nokia N8 First Look
See the Nokia N8 in action.
Video and still-photo capture are a joy. The N8 records video (720p) at the same quality as a HD pocket camcorder and captures digital photos at up to 12 megapixels, with a level of exposure and menu control you'd find in a good entry-level compact digital camera. Switching between video and photo is easy, with basic in-camera editing allowing you to post the photo or video to a social networking site such as Facebook or YouTube directly from the phone. The social networking functionality, integrating Facebook, Twitter and email into a central area, is delivered simply and effectively on a customisable home screen.
The HDMI connectivity is a great feature – just plug a HDMI cable into the micro HDMI adapter (provided in the kit) and watch your video, photos or even PowerPoint presentation on a flat-panel TV. The N8 also has the unusual ability to copy and paste any media from the phone directly to a USB drive. Its music player works well, with simple controls and support for album cover art and all popular music formats. You can listen to music through headphones using the 3.5mm jack or wirelessly via Bluetooth 3.0 headsets. Holding the "home" button allows you to quickly toggle through the open applications, and the touchscreen's tactile feedback and QWERTY keyboard makes texting quick and effective. Free worldwide car and hiking navigation maps for downloading (not just network-sucking Google Maps) remain a big feature for the "N series" phones, and the additional tips from Lonely Planet are useful. Anyone familiar with Nokia phones will have no trouble working through the new Symbian 3 OS, as it has a very similar look and feel to the previous OS. New features, such as multi-touch selections and multiple application support, have been added to the N8. Now the bad news. The main drawbacks of the Symbian 3 OS are its relatively poor application support and lack of customisation and power to satisfy high-end smartphone users. Nokia itself has admitted as much, claiming the N8 will be the first and last Nseries phone to use this operating system (future phones will use the more robust MeeGo OS).
There's a lot to like about this phone, but Nokia is doing the N8 a disservice by attempting to market it as an alternative to Android mobiles and Apple's iPhone 4. It's a very good multimedia phone, but it's not the smartphone Messiah.
17 Dec 2014 | CHOICE finds the best Next G phone for every user and budget.
24 Feb 2011 | Our review of 18 touchscreen phones includes the Apple iPhone4 and HTC's Desire, Legend and Wildfire.
28 Nov 2014 | We review the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as well as the latest models from Sony, Nokia and Motorola.
19 Nov 2009 | CHOICE tests 55 GSM and 3G phones to find the best.
Receive FREE email updates of our latest tests, consumer news and CHOICE marketing promotions.


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Shreveport Police detectives have arrested a local man wanted for aggravated rape.
On July 17, 2010, Shreveport Police patrol officers responded to a home in the 1400 block of Madison Avenue relative to a reported rape. Upon arrival there, officers contacted an adult female victim who reported that she had been raped in the 1600 block of Patzman Street by a male suspect known to her. Detectives were notified and learned that the victim accepted a ride from the suspect and he drove her to the 1600 block of Patzman Street where he subsequently sexually assaulted her.
Investigators were able to obtain a warrant on July 23, 2010 for the arrest of the suspect, identified as 56 year old Willie B. Evans, charging him with one count of aggravated rape. Detectives arrested Evans later that same day at his home in the 1400 block of Creswell Avenue. Evans was booked into the Shreveport City Jail on one count of aggravated rape.


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The Department of Human Relations awards three scholarships specifically for MHR students. They are the (1) George Henderson Jr. Graduate Scholarship, (2) Jack Stout Scholarship, and (3) Linda Isaacs Memorial Scholarship.
These scholarships are applicable for students who are fully admitted to the University of Oklahoma Master of Human Relations program. Students must be in good academic standing and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Students must also meet the individual scholarship guidelines, complete an application form, and include any required attachments such as a resume, letters of recommendation, and/or an essay. Once all guidelines have been met, students should submit their completed application and attachments to Dr. Brenda Lloyd-Jones by e-mail.
The College of Arts and Sciences also offers scholarship opportunities!
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Links to HR Scholarship Applications
The George Henderson Jr. Graduate Scholarship (Norman Students)
Jack Stout Scholarship (Tulsa Students)
Linda Isaacs Memorial Scholarship (Tulsa Students)
Submit scholarship applications by the deadline to Dr. Brenda Lloyd-Jones.
Links to Special Recognition Awards for HR Students
Human Relations Special Recognition Instructions
Human Relations Special Recognition Application
Instructions on how to create digital signature for form. (If you are unable to do this, simply print filled out form, sign form, scan form, and electronically send to the HR committee.
All nomination forms must be electronically emailed to Dr. Jody A. Worley – firstname.lastname@example.com
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Learn more about the Norman Program
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State Siting Board Rejects Brockton Power Plant Developer's Petition to Bypass City Zoning Rules
Energy Facilities Siting Board conditionally grants Brockton Power Company's license to construct 350-megawatt plant but leaves veto power to city of Brockton
The decision marks the first time the Siting Board has denied all zoning exemptions requested by a project proponent. As a result, unless local Brockton officials decide to grant the necessary relief from municipal zoning requirements, developers of the power plant will be unable to build the facility. In deciding not to grant the exemptions, the Siting Board concluded that the proposed project's environmental and energy supply benefits do not outweigh expected local impacts. In previous cases, the EFSB has required plant developers to seek the exemptions at the local level, but said they could return to the Board if local authorities fail to provide zoning relief. In the Brockton case, the EFSB foreclosed that possibility.
"In holding that the potential energy benefits of the Brockton plant don't outweigh the potential local impacts, the Siting Board has left the final determination to local officials and upheld the home rule powers of a municipality," said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Undersecretary for Energy Ann Berwick, who chairs the Siting Board as EEA Secretary Ian Bowles' designee. "Governor Patrick and the Legislature have established an overriding public interest in the development of renewable power generation and set strict new greenhouse gas standards for the Commonwealth. The Brockton plant doesn't clear the hurdle to warrant granting a zoning exemption."
The Siting Board also imposed a number of conditions on the plant, which would apply if the city of Brockton ultimately decides that it can be built. The conditions include measures relating to conservation of water resources needed for plant operation; mitigation of visual impacts of the project ; limiting weekend construction hours; and a requirement to work with Brockton and West Bridgewater officials on routing and related safety issues associated with delivery of fuel to the plant. The decision also requires project developers to return to the Board for further review and approval if the plant is built and intends to use potable water rather than treated wastewater for its operations.
Today's decision culminates an exhaustive adjudicatory process that included 20 days of evidentiary hearings and three Siting Board meetings to discuss the case. Brockton Power Company, an affiliate of Advanced Power Services, filed a petition with the EFSB in July 2007 requesting approval to build a 350-megawatt combined-cycle duel fuel (natural gas and ultra-low sulfur diesel) electric generating plant on a vacant 13.2-acre site within Brockton's Oak Hill Way Industrial Park.
Interveners in the case included National Grid, the Taunton River Watershed Alliance, the town of West Bridgewater, the city of Brockton, Custom Blends LLC, and 26 residents of Brockton and West Bridgewater. In addition, six others were admitted to the proceeding as limited participants: Alliance Against Power Plant Location, Brockton City Councilors Linda Balzotti and Thomas Brophy, State Senator Robert Creedon, and State Representatives Geraldine Creedon and Christine E. Canavan.
The Energy Facilities Siting Board is a nine-member review board charged with ensuring a reliable energy supply for the Commonwealth with a minimum impact on the environment at the lowest possible cost. The Siting Board's primary function is to review applications to construct major energy infrastructure in Massachusetts, including large power plants, electric transmission lines, natural gas pipelines and natural gas storage facilities.


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by kentx12 » Mon Jan 12, 2004 11:01 pm
crapshooter wrote:Jivedude wrote:http://www.usastats.com/compare.htmlhttp://www.usastats.com/stat_service.htmlhttp://www.usastats.com/stat_service_why.htmlYou have to be kidding! At a cost of either $39 or $49 dollars a TEAM for a 13 team league is outrageous. It can't be THAT much better than Sportsline or TQ stats.
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The Miller Heiman Knowledge Center is packed with unique perspective and timely research you can use to improve sales performance. Browse the Knowledge Center to download articles, watch videos, listen to podcasts, read white papers and register for alerts.
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ADP success story on Strategic and Conceptual Selling roll out in Spain.
It's no longer enough to thoroughly understand the selling process. Buyer-centric selling requires that you also understand each customer's buying process and know where they are within that process at all times.
In highly commoditized industries like trucking, for example, where the basic need is to haul products from Point A to B, why wouldn't a manufacturer select the vendor who comes in at the lowest price?
Strategic Issue: How will sales organizations improve their productivity?
Companies that are serious about surviving and thriving in an environment of heavy turnover and global competition must adopt a laser-like focus to protect their most valuable assets: strategic accounts.
Sam Reese debunks seven of the most common misconceptions about world-class salespeople.
From a July 16, 2009 webcast


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Senior Research Scientist/Instructional Designer
email: Click here
Short Biography – Education – Current Projects – Selected Publications
Elizabeth (Boo) Murray applies her technical skills, mathematics background, special education experience, and clinical specialties to the development of universally-designed software.
Dr. Murray is Co-Principal Investigator for the U.S. Department of Education's Steppingstones of Technology Innovation program, " Science Writer: A Universally Designed Thinking Writer." She has also served as Co-Principal Investigator for a project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, to develop and test a prototype of a digital high school biology text containing embedded supports for student learning, in collaboration with the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas.
Before joining CAST, Dr. Murray was an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University, and Assistant Director of Occupational Therapy for the Shriver Center University Affiliated Program. During her tenure as an occupational therapist, Dr. Murray presented extensively on the effects of deficits in visual perception on academic learning in children.
Her doctoral research analyzed the relationship between visual-spatial abilities and mathematics achievement in boys with and without learning disabilities. She received training in mathematics assessment at the Learning Disorders Unit of Children's Hospital in Boston and conducted evaluations of visual-spatial and mathematics abilities of children with a variety of disabilities for 15 years. She has also worked as an elementary and special education teacher in the Philadelphia public schools.
Sc. D., Therapeutic Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA
Certificate, Occupational Therapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
M.Ed., Special Education, University of Delaware, Newark, DE,
B.S., Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Current Projects
Science Writer – an OSEP-funded project to create a technology-based writing approach to meet the challenge of supporting students (grades 6-10) with and without disabilities in the science report-writing process. The project integrates research-based writing strategies and curriculum based measurement into a flexible, technology-based writing environment.
Principled Science Assessment Designs for Students with Disabilities – a U.S. DOE-funded project in collaboration with SRI and the University of Maryland to apply the principles of UDL to the Principled Assessment Designs for Inquiry (PADI) system. The goal is to create assessments in science that more accurately reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities of students with disabilities. The project team will conduct empirical studies and develop guidelines for state departments of education and assessment developers to increase the validity of inferences from science assessment scores for all students.
Online Writing Assistance for All/ MassOne Writer – an OSEP-funded project to develop and evaluate a web-based tool that will integrate the principles of Universal Design for Learning with research-based writing strategies to support middle school students with specific learning disabilities.
Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) – an OSEP-funded Center hosted by the American Institutes for Research to support state and local education agencies in developing systems that effectively integrate instructional technology so that all students achieve high educational standards. CAST provides UDL expertise through innovative professional development, technical assistance, communities of practice, and web-based resources.
Oracle Educational Foundation Project – In collaboration with SRI, the Gateway School and the Oracle Education Foundation, CAST is supporting teachers in incorporating UDL into project-based learning.
Strategy Tutor – With funding from the Carnegie Foundation, CAST is developing a web-based strategy instructional tool that helps students with diverse learning needs read and understand websites, especially those rich with educational resources. Strategy Tutor structures the online reading experience to help students learn to evaluate material and acquire the reading-comprehension skills they need to read and learn from educational websites.
Selected Publications
Murray, B., Silver-Pacuilla, H., & Helses, F. I. (2007). Improving basic mathematics instruction: promising technology resources for students with special needs. Technology in Action , 2(5), 1-8.
Coyne, P., Ganley, P., Hall, T., Meo, G., Murray, E. A., & Gordon, D. (2006). Applying universal design for learning in the classroom. In A. Meyer, & D. Rose (Eds.), A practical reader in universal design for learning . Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
Bundy, A. C. & Murray, E. A. (2002). Sensory integration: A. Jean Ayres's theory revisited. In A. C. Bundy, S. J. Lane, & E. A. Murray (Eds.) Sensory integration: Theory and practice (2nd Ed.). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.
Henderson, A., Pehoski, C., & Murray, E. A. (2002). Visual-spatial abilities. In A. C. Bundy, S. J. Lane, & E. A. Murray (Eds.) Sensory integration: Theory and practice (2nd Ed.). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.
Anzalone, M. E., & Murray, E. A. (2002). Sensory integration and other practice theories: An integrated approach to treatment. In A. C. Bundy, S. J. Lane, & E. A. Murray (Eds.) Sensory integration: Theory and practice (2nd Ed.). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.


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Tuesday, July 24, 2012
For Information Contact:
Public Affairs
(202) 252-6933
Virginia Businessman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge
in Bribery Scheme Involving Government Contracts
Admits Paying $287,000 to Benefit Manager for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
Eleven People Have Now Pled Guilty in the Case
WASHINGTON - Larry G. Corbett, 41, a Northern Virginia businessman, pled guilty today to a federal bribery charge for his role in a scheme involving bribery, kickbacks and millions of dollars in government contracts that were awarded through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Corbett pled guilty before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. No sentencing date was set. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, along with potential fines. In addition, as part of his plea agreement, Corbett has agreed to the forfeiture of a money judgment for $290,000.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office; Rick A. Raven, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA); Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).
Eleven people have now pled guilty to federal charges for their roles in one of the most brazen corruption schemes in the history of federal contracting, including two former program managers from the Army Corps of Engineers. One program manager, Kerry F. Khan, 54, dealt extensively with Corbett. Khan pled guilty in May 2012 to charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the government's evidence, Kerry Khan received or was promised more than $26 million in payments from various contractors, including Corbett.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the government as well as the defendant, Corbett owned and controlled Core Technology LLC and Enterprise Technical Solutions, Inc., two Virginia businesses. Both firms were construction companies specializing in power and communication lines and related structures.
In or about 2008, according to the statement of offense, Khan and Corbett had discussions in which Corbett understood that there was a "pay-to-play" system in place in order for him to obtain and retain business with the Army Corps of Engineers. Khan told Corbett that he needed money to prepare for retirement and to develop property in West Virginia. He also instructed Corbett to pay money to Ananke, LLC, a shell company that was controlled by Khan.
Core Technology was a sub-contractor to Eyak Technology LLC (EyakTek), which was a major contractor used by the Army Corps of Engineers. In November 2008 and January 2009, EyakTek paid Core Technology a total of $832,701 for materials and equipment to be used by the Army Corps of Engineers. On or about Jan. 26, 2009, as directed by Khan, Corbett caused Core Technology to issue a $65,000 check to Ananke for Khan's intended benefit. This was in exchange for Khan's official assistance in directing orders to Core Technology.
Enterprise Technical Solutions, Inc., was a subcontractor to Nova Datacom, LLC, another major contractor used by the Army Corps of Engineers. From in or about May 2009 through in or about May 2011, Enterprise Technical Solutions received payments from Nova Datacom totaling about $3.8 million for work performed on Army Corps of Engineers projects.
On or about Aug. 8, 2009, as directed by Khan, Corbett caused Enterprise Technical Solutions to issue a $22,000 check to Ananke for Khan's intended benefit. In addition, on or about Dec. 22, 2010, also directed by Khan, Corbett caused Enterprise Technical Solutions to issue a $200,000 check to Ananke for Khan's intended benefit. Both payments were in exchange for Khan's official assistance in directing orders to Enterprise Technical Solutions.
Finally, beginning in or about 2010, Corbett provided home improvements to Khan's residence in Virginia, totaling about $3,000. Among other things, Corbett paid to install and maintain a sprinkler system, install cabling, and provide landscaping. Corbett intended these payments to benefit Khan and to assist him in obtaining and retaining business with the Army Corps of Engineers.
In addition to Kerry Khan, others who have pled guilty to charges include Lee Khan, Kerry Khan's son; Nazim Khan, Kerry Khan's brother; Michael A. Alexander, a former program manager with the Army Corps of Engineers; Harold F. Babb, the former director of contracts at Eyak Technology LLC (EyakTek), an Alaska Native-owned small business; Alex Cho, the former chief technology officer of Nova Datacom, LLC; Theodoros Hallas, who also worked for Nova Datacom; Robert L. McKinney, the president of Alpha Technology Group, Inc.; James Edward Miller, the owner of Big Surf Construction Management LLC, and Nick Park, a former employee of Nova Datacom who later opened his own business, Unisource Enterprise Inc. (UEI).
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin, Inspector General Gustafson, Special Agent in Charge Craig, Special Agent in Charge Raven, and Director Robey thanked those who investigated the case from the FBI's Washington Field Office; the Office of the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration; the Department of Defense's Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Contract Audit Agency; the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Army Criminal Investigation Command. They also expressed thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service for its assistance on the forfeiture matter.
They also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson and Bryan Seeley of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they expressed thanks for assistance provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Dana; Forensic Accountant Maria Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Lenisse Edloe, Shanna Hays, Taryn McLaughlin, Sarah Reis, Christopher Samson, and Nicole Wattelet, and Legal Assistants Krishawn Graham and Jessica McCormick.


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Guess what? You can be the first to write something about Central Nigeria! Share your travel knowledge...
Top Cities in Central Nigeria
Travel Tips from people who've been to Central Nigeria
Check out the concrete fishing boats...
Built with the assistance of VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas), concrete boats are used by people fishing in the Benue river to avoid being tossed into the water and attacked by hippopotami. Good tip? (0) Stay out of the freakin' river - the hippo bulls are nasty, and the schistosomiasis and Guinea Worms will infect unprotected feet and surrounding skin. Good tip? (0) Ask a travel question about Central Nigeria
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With a striking combination of curves and lines reminiscent of old-world design, Devonshire accessories provide distinctive visual impact for bath and powder rooms. A functional finishing touch to your bathroom, this towel ring keeps hand towels at the ready and coordinates perfectly with the Devonshire Collection.
Template & Symbol Downloads
To open these downloads you will need specific programs such as Autocad.


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SONGS: Danger Mouse, Jack White, Norah Jones
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi's Spaghetti Western-inspired Rome album, due out May 17, has been a painstaking five years in the making, but the duo have finally revealed the first two tracks from the album, featuring Jack White and Norah Jones.Stream both songs here.
The tracks show Rome is more than just an Ennio Morricone homage. The Jack White-fronted "Two Against One" is a mysterious ballad featuring plucky classical guitar, harpsichord, and White yelping paranoid lyrics like, "I get the feeling that it's two against one already fighting me, so what's another one?"
Jones' contribution for "Black," on the other hand, is a gorgeous slow-burner, with the singer delivering one of her sultriest vocal performances in years over organ washes and lush string orchestration.
Collectors take note: "Two Against One" and "Black" will be issued as a limited-edition vinyl release for Record Store Day on April 16.
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi's "Two Against One (Featuring Jack White)"
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi's "Black (Featuring Norah Jones)"