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Thomas & Friends
Thomas & Friends | Luke's Fun Idea | PBS (#1006)
Luke and Millie get permission to switch jobs for a day. 00:36
Thomas & Friends | Luke's Loop | PBS (#1006)
Luke gets lost at Ulfstead Castle. 00:56
Thomas & Friends | Meet Duck | PBS (#1006)
Meet Duck, the engine who does things the Great Western Way. 00:27
Thomas & Friends | Helicopter on the Line | PBS (#1006)
There's a jam at Knapford Station when Harold gets in the way. 01:04
- Watch more video from this program »
News & Announcements
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Join IPTV on September 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when Thomas, the PBS storybook engine, chugs his way to the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum in Boone. Enjoy at 25-minute ride with... more »
Series Description: Set on the imaginary island of Sodor, the series follows the adventures of Thomas, a cheeky little Tank Engine, and his friends, Edward, James, Gordon, Percy, Henry and Toby, plus Emily, the first female steam engine -- all under the watchful eye of Sir Topham Hatt, the manager of the Sodor Railway.
All Episodes
Sounds (#101)
When Thomas transports a brass band from the docks, he accidentally leaves the tuba player behind. [28 minutes]
Differences (#102)
Thomas is scared when Diesel tells him that steam engines will be scrapped for being old fashioned. [28 minutes]
Personality (#103)
James gets a new coat of paint and spends more time looking at his reflection than working. [28 minutes]
Listening (#104)
Percy runs away after he mistakenly jumps to conclusions. Gordon rescues a powerful silver engine. [28 minutes]
Surprises (#105)
The other engines keep a secret from Thomas. Emily is scared when she's given the Black Loch run. [28 minutes]
Responsibility (#106)
James and Thomas work together to collect fireworks and save Sir Topham Hatt's exciting display. [28 minutes]
Determination (#107)
Thomas & Percy compete against the bigger engines to be the cleanest engine on the Island of Sodor. [28 minutes]
Sharing (#108)
Gordon develops a strange squeak in his engine. Thomas tries to move the whole circus by himself. [28 minutes]
Patience (#109)
Thomas has to take eggs across the island. Henry doesn't feel well. Emily pulls Gordon's express. [28 minutes]
Difficulties (#110)
Thomas has to move a lot of trucks of smelly fish. Emily learns not to be rude when she needs help. [28 minutes]
Confidence (#111)
When Thomas and Emily go to the spooky smelters yard on Halloween, Arry and Bert try to scare them. [28 minutes]
Helping (#112)
James breaks down when delivering cool. Thomas rescues the medals for the Annual Sports Day. [28 minutes]
The Weather/The World Around You (#113)
Thomas arrives at the beach with fresh ice cream! Salty is upset when Thomas & Percy make fun him. [28 minutes]
Color (#201)
Percy has the job of showing a famous artist something special enough to paint on the Island. [28 minutes]
Caring/Taking Care (#202)
Thomas doesn't pay attention when doing jobs for a summer party and plays a trick on a new engine. [28 minutes]
Respect (#203)
Molly learns that empty trucks are important too. The engines tease Gordon because he is rattling. [28 minutes]
Celebration (#204)
Thomas tries to make birthday arrangements in time to impress Sir Topham Hatt and his mother. [28 minutes]
Achievement (#205)
Thomas gets lost because he didn't listen. Rheneas won't let Sharkloey help because she is clumsy. [28 minutes]
Change (#206)
Thomas helps Neville, a new engine who is being teased. Toby wonders why he's not being repainted. [28 minutes]
Night and Day (#207)
Thomas hurries to get his job done so that he can get to a carnival. The kids get trapped in a shed. [28 minutes]
Shapes (#208)
Thomas is chosen to pick up a special statue from the docks and mistakenly thinks that it is of him. [28 minutes]
Pride (#209)
Emily pretends to be queen for a day. Dennis pretends to break down so Thomas will do his work. [28 minutes]
Lost and Found (#210)
James and Thomas make try to keep their new trucks clean and Toby saves baby lamb stuck on a hill. [28 minutes]
Bravery (#211)
Thomas is terrified when Diesel tells him about the "curse of the cliffs." [28 minutes]
Loyalty (#212)
When Edward starts wheezing and leaking steam, he is afraid that Sir Topham Hatt will scrap him. [28 minutes]
Seasons (#213)
It's wintertime and the first engine to finish its jobs will get to pull the presents train! [28 minutes]
Being Reliable (#301)
Thomas accidentally spills all of the flour from James's truck. Sir Handle takes a load of apples. [28 minutes]
Connections (#302)
Thomas and Jeremy the jet plane work together to keep the Sodor Summer picnic from being ruined. [28 minutes]
Clues (#303)
Disasters strike when Percy is given the job of handing out instructions for the day. [28 minutes]
Friendship (#304)
Thomas is sent to collect a Christmas tree but accidentally gets telephone poles instead. [28 minutes]
Special Days (#305)
Gordon is given Henry's special coal. Thomas rushes too much when taking people sightseeing. [28 minutes]
Old & New (#306)
Fearless Freddie challenges Rheneas and Skarloey to a race. Thomas fixes Toby's leaky roof. [28 minutes]
Imagination (#307)
Clever Henry proves that you don't need to be strong to be useful when Farmer McColl's cows escape. [28 minutes]
Navigation (#308)
Rusty rushes the workers who are putting up direction signs along the mountain trails. [28 minutes]
Big and Small (#309)
Sharloey worries that he is a scaredy engine but then realizes all the brave things he's done. [28 minutes]
Favorite Places (#310)
Sharkloey is worried that he's a scardey engine. Thomas doesn't know why a balloon is following him. [28 minutes]
The Way I See It (#311)
Gordon is awarded for setting a record. Thomas ruins James' decorations for the football match. [28 minutes]
Strength (#312)
Thomas meets a young tank engine named Rosie, who wants to be just like him and follows him. [28 minutes]
Discovery (#313)
Rhreneas surprises Sharloey by taking his coal cars. Thomas looks for clues to a pirate treasure. [28 minutes]
Feelings (#314)
James is jealous that Edward is chosen for the railway poser. Thomas makes a delivery to the Wharf. [28 minutes]
New Friends (#401)
Thomas shows a famous storyteller the sights of Sodor so she can write a special story. [28 minutes]
Hopes and Dreams (#402)
When Spencer boasts about being faster, shiner & stronger than Thomas, he vows to prove him wrong. [28 minutes]
The Unexpected (#403)
Thomas and Rosie meet a big grumpy truck called 'Hector the Horrid' who roars at them. [28 minutes]
Believing (#404)
Percy sees some flashing lights in the sky and is convinced they are a spaceship. [28 minutes]
Sight and Sound (#405)
Thomas must take a new light bulb to the Sodor lighthouse, but hurries so he can see fireworks. [28 minutes]
Being On Time (#406)
Thomas is rewarded with a role in a magician's magic show for picking up important items. [28 minutes]
Experience (#407)
Thomas shows Billy, a new engine, how to do his jobs, but Billy won't listen to his instructions. [28 minutes]
Fun and Games (#408)
Thomas and Percy play a game of Hide and Peep while waiting for a cargo ship at the docks. [28 minutes]
Pushing and Pulling (#409)
When Thomas races Gordon up a hill, his car unfastens and hurtles down the track without him. [28 minutes]
Directions (#410)
When Diesel teases Thomas for being stinky, Thomas is determined to prove otherwise. [28 minutes]
Variety (#501)
The wise Sir Handel, brash Duncan and powerful Mighty Mac travel the railway high in the hills. [28 minutes]
Doing Your Best (#502)
The wise Sir Handel, brash Duncan and powerful Mighty Mac travel the railway high in the hills. [28 minutes]
Team Work (#503)
The wise Sir Handel, brash Duncan and powerful Mighty Mac travel the railway high in the hills. [28 minutes]
Good Friends (#504)
When Thomas is given a job that Percy would like to do, he keeps the news from Percy and avoids him. [28 minutes]
Being Careful (#505)
When a photograph is taken for a big billboard, Diesel accidentally rolls in front of the camera. [28 minutes]
Good Turns (#506)
When a big, brash engine called Hank comes to Sodor, it's Thomas' job to show him around the island. [28 minutes]
Right Tracks (#507)
Diesel challenges Thomas to race backwards around the Island of Sodor. Thomas is sure he can win! [28 minutes]
Courage (#508)
When Thomas delivers blocks for the rebuilding of the Sodor River Bridge, his brakes stop working. [28 minutes]
Presents & Prizes (#509)
It's Mr. Percival's birthday! Thomas and the narrow gauge engines deliver presents for the party. [28 minutes]
Kindness (#510)
Toby and a new steam tram named Flora are set to lead the parade for the Great Waterton festival. [28 minutes]
Pulling Together (#511)
Rosie is set to be Emily's back engine for the funfair special, but she wants to pull it on her own. [28 minutes]
Adventures (#512)
Duncan wants to give the Percival twins a birthday ride, but they are given a Hot Air Balloon. [28 minutes]
Mistakes (#513)
Thomas wants to be a hero so he goes around the track causing havoc trying to find disasters. [28 minutes]
Friends and Family (#601)
After being teased, Thomas is determined to prove to Cranky that he can carry more than light loads. [28 minutes]
Slips and Trips! (#602)
Thomas has to wear a replacement funnel while his own is being fixed and he is embarrassed about it. [28 minutes]
Working Well (#603)
Thomas races around the island while taking the famous opera singer Alicia Botti to the Town Hall. [28 minutes]
Marvelous Moments! (#604)
Thomas is asked by Farmer Trotter to collect some straw for the piglets, which are soon to be born. [28 minutes]
Best Times! (#605)
Thomas is so excited to deliver storybooks that he doesn't wait for the books to be tied in place. [28 minutes]
Giving and Sharing (#606)
When Victor has to be away from the Sodor Steam Works, Thomas is asked to take over for the day. [28 minutes]
Wild Weather (#607)
It's a rainy day and Thomas decides to have a game of splashing puddles with Rosie. [28 minutes]
Good Deeds (#608)
When Mavis does not say hello, Emily assumes she is sad and goes to the quarry to get her flowers. [28 minutes]
Out and About (#609)
Sir Topham Hatt's grandchildren fly a kite. When the wind blows it away, Thomas tries to catch it. [28 minutes]
Helping Hands (#610)
When Toby is fitted with a three chime whistle, he tries to drive slowly so he won't need to use it. [28 minutes]
Clever Ideas (#701)
Thomas is given the special job of delivering a giraffe to the Sodor Wildlife Centre. [28 minutes]
Helpful Friends (#702)
Edward wants to show Charlie that he is a really fun engine instead of concentrating on his job. [28 minutes]
Safe and Sound (#703)
Henry is so concerned about safety on Sodor that he keeps changing things that are already safe. [28 minutes]
Special Jobs (#704)
When Diesel sees James being admired with a special of pretty piglets, he wants to be admired too. [28 minutes]
Being Happy with Me (#705)
Percy tries so hard to be more like Gordon that he forgets to deliver his mail. [28 minutes]
Busy Days (#706)
When Thomas tries to do too many things, he realizes that he needs to do one thing at a time. [28 minutes]
Playing with Friends (#707)
Thomas tries to wash Scruff because he's dirty. Scruff runs off because he wants to stay scruffy. [28 minutes]
Sounds and Smells (#708)
Gordon is horrified when Sir Topham Hatt puts him in charge of Whiff's Waste Dump for the day. [28 minutes]
Listening and Learning (#709)
Thomas persuades Percy and Mavis to help shunt coal at the Docks so he can impress the Inspector. [28 minutes]
Winter Delights (#710)
Sodor. Dash, Bash and Ferdinand cause chaos on Misty Island when they try to throw a holiday party. [28 minutes]
Exciting Friends (#801)
Sir Topham Hatt welcomes Ferdinand to his railroad by letting him share Gordon's special. [28 minutes]
Kindness with Friends (#802)
Percy realizes that big things can scare little things when he tries to befriend some animals. [28 minutes]
- Fri, March 6, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Learning Together (#803)
James is asked to be the Sodor Search and Rescue Engine but is upset when Toby is asked to help him. [28 minutes]
- Thu, March 12, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Happy Engines (#804)
Edward is given the special job of being the Rescue Engine at the Sodor Search and Rescue Center. [28 minutes]
- Mon, March 23, 12:30 PM on IPTV
- Sat, March 28, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
- Sun, March 29, 9:30 AM on IPTV
Fun in the Snow (#805)
Gordon and Thomas go to Misty Island to collect logs for Farmer McColl's animal shelter. [28 minutes]
Helping Each Other (#806)
Thomas feels bad that Bertie doesn't travel on the rails so he takes Bertie on a tour of Sodor. [28 minutes]
- Fri, March 13, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Laughing Together (#807)
Belle is very excited that Toby also has a bell just like hers and wants to be friends with him. [28 minutes]
- Wed, March 11, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Slow Down! (#808)
Thomas is getting his whistle fixed at the Steam Works but rushes out before it is fixed properly. [28 minutes]
- Fri, March 20, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Special Times (#809)
It's the Winter Holidays on Sodor and Thomas is excited because that means it is party time! [28 minutes]
Being Useful (#810)
Kevin wants to be able to shunt like a Steamie so he can join in a game of Bish, Bash, Bosh. [28 minutes]
- Mon, March 16, 12:30 PM on IPTV
- Sat, March 21, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
- Sun, March 22, 9:30 AM on IPTV
Chuffing with Pride (#901)
Flynn helps put out a fire and becomes a hero even though he his wheels are wobbling very badly. [28 minutes]
- Tue, March 17, 12:30 PM on IPTV
- Sun, March 22, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
All Together Now (#902)
On Misty Island, Ol' Wheezy stopped working. Thomas wants to help and says he can fix Ol' Wheezy. [28 minutes]
- Wed, March 18, 12:30 PM on IPTV
If A Job's Worth Doing (#903)
Thomas volunteers to take the Duchess to tea, but be accidentally gets stinky garbage all over him. [28 minutes]
- Thu, March 19, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Fun on the Farm (#904)
Farmer McColl is having trouble keeping crows away. Thomas uses his whistle to scare them away. [28 minutes]
- Tue, March 24, 12:30 PM on IPTV
- Sun, March 29, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
Don't Give Up (#905)
Percy tries hard to make an rusty old organ play before he and Diesel reach the Smelter's Yard. [28 minutes]
- Thu, March 26, 12:30 PM on IPTV
A Friend In Need (#906)
A Photographer arrivesto take photographs of the engines for The Great Railways of Sodor book. [28 minutes]
Winter Surprise (#907)
Emily is asked to find Sir Topham Hatt's missing hat, but she spends too much time boasting. [28 minutes]
Communication (#908)
Spencer doesn't do a good job listening to Stafford, an electric engine who runs on batteries. [28 minutes]
- Wed, March 25, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Let It Snow (#909)
Rheneas wants to bring a Christmas tree back from Misty Island before the other engines wake up. [28 minutes]
Just Being You (#910)
Sir Topham Hatt asks Thomas to take visitors on a tour of Sodo before a welcome to Sodor party. [28 minutes]
- Mon, March 30, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Look & Listen (#1001)
Stafford realizes that running on a battery and being a quiet engine is actually really useful. [28 minutes]
Fire & Water (#1002)
Flynn and Belle are concerned when railway inspectors question if two fire engines are needed. [28 minutes]
Just Be Yourself (#1003)
After Scruff gets repainted, he decides he doesn't want to work at the dirty Waste Dump anymore. [28 minutes]
Someone to Look Up To (#1004)
Kevin is disappointed when Cranky doesn't want his help. Henry and Hiro take on some bad coal. [28 minutes]
Peace & Quiet (#1005)
Caitlin is so excited she keeps waking the other engines up. Luke finds a scared young deer. [28 minutes]
Taking Turns (#1006)
Thomas and Duck have to learn to work together when they take Harold the helicopter for repair. [28 minutes]
Watch Video From This Episode Online
Spooky Charms (#1007)
James tells Percy that there's a ghost at Ulfstead Castle. Percy thinks he has too much bad luck. [28 minutes]
Tricks and Tales (#1008)
When Bill and Ben see the new engine Conner, they pretend to be able to go faster than him. [28 minutes]
Snow Stops Play (#1009)
It's a snowy day and Thomas doesn't want to wear his snow plow, so he decides to hide it. [28 minutes]
Tinsel & Trains (#1010)
Thomas is sent to bring a sleigh for Sir Topham Hatt to ride in when he plays Santa at the fair. [28 minutes]
Sea and Sand (#1101)
Porter helps Harvey see the positive side of being both a crane and an engine after he is teased. [28 minutes]
- Fri, March 27, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Food to Go (#1102)
When the Earl gives Stephen a special job, he learns that being steady and reliable is important. [28 minutes]
- Sat, March 7, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
- Tue, March 31, 12:30 PM on IPTV
Take It Easy (#1103)
Thomas and Bertie love racing, but Thomas gets annoyed when Bertie starts winning all the time. [28 minutes]
- Sun, March 8, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
Fast and Reliable (#1104)
Old Reliable Edward - Gordon and the big engines tease Edward for being old. When Gordon sees a pair of red trousers blowing by the tracks, he mistakes them for a red danger flag and stops, becoming stuck on Gordon's Hill. Edward has to give Gordon a push. When Gordon doesn't even say thank you, so Thomas and Edward decide to teach him a lesson. Educational Objectives: accepting differences, accepting help, recognizing and utilizing individual strengths and skills, expressing thanks. Not So Slow Coaches - Annie and Clarabel are always complaining to Thomas about going too fast. Thomas likes to tease them by going too fast or too slow. When Annie and Clarabel find themselves coupled to Caitlin by mistake, they get a taste of what going fast is really like, and poor Thomas gets frightened that they might be taken to the mainland forever. Educational Objectives: following rules, apologizing, being a good friend, helping others, cooperation, expressing thanks. [28 minutes]
There's Always A Good Explanation (#1105)
The engines start to hear scary spooky noises. Salty thinks its the sound of the Flatbeds of Fear. [28 minutes]
Special Friends (#1106)
Toad's Adventure - Oliver is always telling his Toad about his adventures. Toad longs to have an adventure of his own. When Toad gets the chance to work with James, he is very excited. But James doesn't like pulling trucks and goes too fast. When a coupling snaps, Toad gets a bigger adventure than he expected! Educational Objectives: appreciating one's individual skills, expressing gratitude, taking responsibility for actions, understanding there are consequences to one's actions. Duck and the Slip Coaches - Sir Topham Hatt is concerned about getting all the summer visitors to their destinations on time. Duck tells the other engines about the slip coaches used on the Great Western Railway that could be uncoupled at stations without stopping. James relays the information to Sir Topham Hatt, claiming it's his idea, but James has never used slip coaches before and soon runs into trouble. Educational Objectives: telling the truth, being helpful, making meaningful contributions, understanding there are consequences to one's actions. [28 minutes]
Please Be Patient (#1107)
Thomas the Quarry Engine - When Thomas and Diesel are sent to collect trucks from the Ffarquhar Quarry, they argue about who should be the back engine. Diesel suggests he take the trucks with Mavis, leaving Thomas to look after the quarry until they get back. When they don't come back, Thomas gets fed up and decides to take another load of troublesome trucks on his own--and then there really is trouble! Educational Objectives: cooperation, expressing kindness, learning to be patient, telling the truth, apologizing. Duck in The Water - When Duck gets stuck on some flooded tracks, James is sent to fetch Rocky to rescue him. But James doesn't wait for Rocky to secure his crane arm, and they end up knocking down a signal before they arrive at the accident site. Without a signal to warn them, the other engines don't stop. What began as one small accident for Duck soon escalates into a much bigger one, involving several other engines! Educational Objectives: following directions, listening carefully, learning to be patient, apologizing, taking responsibility for one's actions. [28 minutes]
Signals & Alarms (#1108)
Signals Crossed - Toby is always nervous when he has to go through Knapford Junction with the big gantry signal over the track. One day Toby waits nervously for his signal to change, but it stays on red. He waits and waits, holding up other engines, but the signal doesn't change. Sir Topham Hatt is very annoyed until everybody finally realizes that the signal is broken. Educational Objectives: being helpful and kind, encouraging others, developing confidence, conquering fears, demonstrating responsibility. Thomas and the Emergency Cable - Thomas is on his branch line when a passenger pulls the emergency cable and he has to stop quickly. It turns out it's not an emergency at all--the passenger is a bird watcher who's spotted a rare bird. To make matters worse, Clarabel has a flat wheel after being dragged along with her brakes on. The next time Thomas sees the bird watcher he refuses to pick him up. But Thomas learns that that's not the right thing to do either. Educational Objectives: perspective taking, following rules, asking good questions, apologizing. [28 minutes]
Going Underground (#1109)
While doing repairs, Marion strikes something hard and insists it is the mast of a Viking ship. [28 minutes]
- Mon, March 9, 12:30 PM on IPTV
- Sat, March 14, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
Christmas Cheer! (#1110)
Victor offers Duncan a new coat of paint if he can refrain from grumbling for one whole day. [28 minutes]
Passengers (#1111)
Duncan decides to do everything he can to make a grumpy passenger stop complaining. [28 minutes]
- Tue, March 10, 12:30 PM on IPTV
- Sun, March 15, 9:00 AM on IPTV Learns
Illuminating Minds (#1112)
No Steam Without Coal - Without Coal There is a coal shortage at the Clay Pits. Timothy warns Bill and Ben to be careful and use their coal sparingly. Bill and Ben don't listen, teasing each other and Timothy, and messing about--until they run out of coal! Luckily, Timothy runs on oil, so he manages to keep going, delivering clay to the docks and bringing back coal for the tank engine twins. Educational Objectives: appreciating differences taking responsibility, apologizing, understanding there are consequences to one's actions. Toad's Bright Idea - Gator is waiting to be loaded onto a ship, but the ship is delayed. When Oliver breaks down, Gator is very happy to help. Gator heads off to get Oliver's trucks and promises to bring them back before morning. But Gator's lamp keeps going out. He decides not to stop to avoid being late. Toad doesn't think it is safe and they argue. In the end, Toad's bright idea helps Gator deliver the trucks in time. Educational Objectives: appreciating differences, paying attention, apologizing, resourceful thinking, accepting and appreciating help, apologizing. [28 minutes]
Coming Home for Christmas (#1113)
The engines must work together to clear the tracks and get all the passengers home for Christmas. [28 minutes]


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Two weeks ago, The Washington Post announced that it had hired Jennifer Rubin, the prolific and pugnacious Commentary writer, to blog on its site.
Rubin, a "recovering lawyer" and former Washington editor of Pajamas Media before moving to the flagship neoconservative magazine, will fill an admitted void at the paper as a blogging conservative, said Post editorial board editor Fred Hiatt in an e-mail interview. "Right now I have Greg Sargent's the Plum Line blogging from the left, and no one doing the equivalent thing from the right," he wrote.
Rubin has her strengths. Her work can be thought provoking and she's capable of doubling Sargent's output. "Jen has labored daily never missing a news story, never missing an op-ed column, reading everything and digesting everything and commenting on everything," wrote Commentary editor John Podhoretz in a farewell note. But her style is what most differentiates her work from the wonkish, reportorial tone of Sargent's blog.
Rubin just started at the Post last week, and judgment on her output there should be reserved until she's had a chance to establish herself. But the body of work that got her the job too often delighted in fanning the flames of an already overheated and polarized political debate.
When I asked Rubin by e-mail if the Post had asked her to tone down her rhetoric or suggested other changes to her style, she replied: "The only direction I received was to keep doing what I've always been doing."
Rubin has a penchant for relentlessly sticking political opponents with negative labels. While overblown rhetoric is certainly a feature of most opinionated blogging, the Post considers its blogging part of its entire opinion operation, and applies the same standards aimed at civil discourse.
That's why a popular liberal blogger like Glenn Greenwald—who regularly uses monikers like "warmonger"—isn't in line for a gig at the Post. Nor do liberal Post bloggers like Sargent or Ezra Klein employ terms like "warmonger" or "war criminal" (a search on their pre-Post homes didn't produce anything like that, either).
But people or ideas that drew Rubin's ire at Commentary got saddled with an extreme position—or, in the case of President Barack Obama, several.
"Obama isn't moderate, doesn't like the free market, and isn't interested in waging a robust war on Islamic fundamentalists," Rubin wrote in the fall of 2009. During the "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy, Rubin claimed that Obama's "sympathies for the Muslim World take precedence over those, such as they are, for his fellow citizens." Last year, Rubin derided Obama as "the most anti-Israel U.S. president (ever)," a judgment unequivocally repudiated by even the hawkish Israel lobby group AIPAC. Undeterred, this summer Rubin lamented, in a typically overblown overstatement, that the Israel "must figure out how (quite literally) the Jewish state is to survive the Obama presidency," insisting the following day that Israel will have to go it alone against Iran.
"When appropriate I will still label parties, groups and politicians as I see them," Rubin told me by e-mail.
"To me," Hiatt wrote in our exchange, "calling Obama an anti-Israel president, or even the most anti-Israel president ever, suggests strong views, but not necessarily inflammatory name-calling; the question is whether she backs up her charge with arguments and evidence. Whether you or I find the evidence compelling is a separate question from whether it is a legitimate position to take."
But Rubin uses her name-calling tactic exactly to declare other people's positions as illegitimate, refusing to back down or even acknowledge that her black-and-white rendering may omit mitigating details. Take the time she block-quoted Middle East analyst Daniel Levy—citing a blog called Mere Rhetoric—to attack the liberal Israeli former negotiator and veteran as an "all-star Israel-hater." (Like she often does with the phrase "peace process," Rubin also puts "liberal Zionist" in skeptical quotes, once even calling the term an "oxymoron.")
Soon thereafter, several other outlets all published a more full transcript of the quote that showed context. The blog from which Rubin drew the quote (also hostile to Levy) reprinted and addressed the fuller transcript, though the author disagreed that it changed the meaning of Levy's quote. Rubin never updated her post, but she did mention in passing that Levy's allies had responded, and dismissed it as "throw(ing) in the towel" and "conceding." Rubin cited an even more truncated passage. (One of the ironies of the contextualized quote was that Levy was defending the existence of "progressive Zionism," leaving me doubtful that Rubin even examined the context - surely she would have pounced.)
Rubin's "ultra-hawkish Greater Israel Zionism," as Tablet contributor Daniel Luban recently put it, ties into another worrisome theme in her writings: her apparent animus towards American Jews.

subset: commoncrawl


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Most "make your own" bulletin board directions I've read called for purchasing wood or cork of some sort. As you know, I'm not that big on purchasing things for my children's crafts (we make so many of them we'd be broke in no time *laugh*) so I've done one that uses newspaper instead!
We made the entire bulletin board with things we had lying around the house.
We made ours 8 1/2 x 11 but you could do a larger one.
Notes and such can be stuck to the board with push pins.
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Team Takashi are a group of students from Fujimi High School who survived the outbreak to search for their families.
Team Takashi is the protagonist group from the Highschool of the Dead that was written by Daisuke Sato and illustrated by Shouji Sato. The series first began serialization in Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age magazine in July 2006. After several of their trials, Takashi was officially asked by the members to be their leader. They are primarily made up of students and a teacher from Fujimi High School that escaped the outbreak of Them (the title given to the zombies) together.
The team first came together in Hightschool of the Dead Volume 1 CH. 2 "Escape from the Dead", and the first anime appearance was in Highschool of the Dead - Episode 2 "Escape from the Dead".
The creators referred to the roles of each of the members using the same titles of classic RPGs. Takashi is the leader, the fighters are Saeko, Rei, and Kohta; Saya is the wizard due to her knowledge, and Shizuka is the priest since she's the doctor. The title of "Team Takashi" is a fan made creation. The group is a confirmed team, but they have never been given any official title in the series. The title was given as a comparison to the "Team Grimes" from the Walking Dead that was written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Tony Moore. The names are after the groups' leaders.
In a popularity ranking held by Dragon Age magazine, four characters from Highschool of the Dead were in the top 10, and Saeko took the number one spot, Rei was number four, and Saya tied for tenth place with Kohta Hirano and Gosick character, Victorique de Blois.
Takashi Komuro is the leader of the team. Once a lazy young man who lost his childhood love to one of his own friends. He was the first to witness the attack of Them on Fujimi High School. The outbreak has brought out a drive in him that no one even knew he had. He set the goal for the group to firstly trying to escape and search for their families. Though his father is out of town for work, his mother is a teacher in an elementary school.
Rei Miyamoto is a childhood friend of Takashi and when they were little, she promised to marry him. Due to his inability to later come out and tell her how he felt, she gave up on him to date one of his friends, Hisashi Igou. Hisashi was bitten and changed into a zombie, and Takashi was the one to put Hisashi down. Her feelings for both Takashi and Hisashi have been in almost constant conflict. She is a trained fighter from the spear martial arts club. Her father is a police officer in the eastern block of Tokonosu Prefecture. She's a year older than Takashi, but she was held back due to the polotics of her father investigating a corrupt politician. The city leader had a son in Rei's school that manipulated her grade to humiliate Rei's father.
Saeko Busujima is a sophomore and the eldest of the students in the group. She is also the captain of the kendo club of the school. Her father is a master of a kendo dojo, but currently lives far away. She is the strongest among the fighters of her team, but her mature and lady-like demeanor hides a dark side. When she was 14 year-old, a man attempted to sexually assault her on the way home. She purposely let him get just close enough and used her bokken to break his shoulder, his femur, and nearly killed the man. After the outbreak she could only feel her sadistic pleasures getting worse. While she and Takashi were alone from the rest of the group, she confessed her past to him, he accepted her, and surprised her by kissing her. She stays to help Takashi's find his family and fulfill her promise to him.
Saya Takagi is another childhood friend of Takashi from when they were both very young. She's a highly intelligent girl who is a self-proclaimed genius and has the knowledge to back it up. Saya is the daughter of Soichiro and Yuriko Takagi. Her father is the leader of a Ultra-Nationalist group in Japan. She used deductive reasoning to figure out the sensory limits of Them and what attracts their attention. She experimented on Them to realize they are bodily numb, attracted to loud sounds, and almost completely blind. She originally escaped with Kohta but wanted to be with Takashi. She would later meet up with him and join with the team to find their families.
Kohta Hirano is a student from Fujimi High School was spent most of his education being betrayed and teased by others. He was chubby, wore glasses, and was considered a geek. This hardly made him popular, but no one realized just how complexy his background is. His father is a jeweler, his mother is a fashion designer,his grandfather is the captain of a passenger cruise vessel, and his grandmother is a violinist. All of them were away from home during the outbreak. When Kohta traveled to the U.S., he spent several month being trained by a former member of the Delta Force in the use of firearms. With a real gun in his hands, few are a better shot than he is.
Shizuka Marikawa was the school teacher of Fujimi High School while she was studying for her full medical license. She's an extremely voluptuary woman and is a bit scatter brained and a ditz. Though, she also has an extremely deep knowledge in biology and medicine. She stays with Team Takashi as the only one who can drive and their caretaker. They stay at her friend's, Rika Minami, home for a night and find many of her guns. They take Rika's Humvee and Shizuka is the driver.
Alice Maresato is the first member of the team to be adopted after the escape from Fujimi High School. On the night of the outbreak, she was with her father and on the run. He tried to get them shelter, but the people inside refused to take them in. Desperate to save Alice, he threatened to break the door down. Alice witnessed as the people inside stabbed her father with a knife and left her out to die. She was only saved by Takashi and Kohta, who back them up with sniper fire. She was adopted by the members and they go to great lengths to shield her from the terrors of this new world. She also works to support Kohta by giving him reloads for his rifle when needed.
Zeke is a small puppy that was adopted the same night as Alice. He did his best to try and protect Alice while she was crying alone. His animal senses works as an early warning system for the team, and he gives Alice someone to care for and always keep her company.
Asami Nakaoka is the first adult to join the team after their escape from Fujimi High School, but she wasn't much older than any of them. She's a rookie police officer who was protecting a group of survivors at the Taiei Shopping Town mega-mall as they waited for a rescue that was never coming. Her time as a member of the team for the escape was short lived. She sacrificed herself to save another person then purposely screamed out to draw the attention of Them to her This was to save the members of Team Takashi. She was trapped with no escape. Calling out to Kohta, she asked him to not let her become one of the undead. She confessed her love for him, and he fulfilled her wish by shooting her dead before they could reach her.
Kiriko Miyamoto is the mother of the team member Rei. She's a former police officer who was infamous to the local criminals. She would eventually marry Rei's father and stay at home to raise their child. She's a strong willed woman who used to be the leader of an all girl gang. During the outbreak she was staying with neighbors near her home, but they had turned against her after they let a new person into the house. After sending her out for supplies, they refused to let her back in. This is when she was found by her daughter and her friends. They told her about the evacuation at the local elementary school. She joined the team from there to escape with them and meet up with her husband.
Team Takashi was formed out of the necessity of survival. When the attack of Them first swarmed Fujimi High School, Takashi and Rei teamed up, Saya and Kohta joined forces, and Saeko rescued Shizuka. They gathered together when Saya and Kohta came under attack and they moved to the school's faculty office, where Shizuka kept her car keys. She only had a compact, but decided to take the minibus the school uses for special trips. They decided that they would need tea work to escape. First they were going to find as many survivors as they could, and move to the exit. They found a few students left alive, but the exit was swarmed by Them. Takashi was the one to volunteer to test Saya hypothesis that Them were blind and were drawn by sound. He stood into the middle and went unnoticed, and used a nearby shoe to lure them away and clear a path for the survivors. Accidentally, one of the students knocked a pole onto the railing and the sound echoed through the school. They made a mad rush for the bus but a few of their latest members were caught and died. As they got to the bus and were ready to leave, they were called out by other students who were trying to escape. This group was being led by Shido Koichi, the teacher of class 3-A. Takashi wanted to wait for them, but Rei forcefully wanted to leave them behind. Shido's group got on the minibus and were able to escape.
As they were riding along the city into town, a small revolt occurred among Takashi and a member of Shido's group, Tsunoda. Shido took this opportunity to try and take leadership of the entire group. He gave a grand speech that many were charmed by. Hearing that Shido was taking control, Rei leaped from the bus, and Shido was ready to cast aside anyone not willing to follow him. Takashi rushed out to stop her. Before he could convince her to at least ride on the bus with them at least until they reached deeper into the city, a city bus came crashing in and nearly crushed Takashi and Rei. They escaped by running into a nearby tunnel and the burning bus blocked their path. Saeko ran out and called out to Takashi. He called out and told them they would meet up again at the Eastern Police Station. Saeko got back on the minibus and Takashi with Rei took a nearby dirt bike and went their own direction.
Later on the minibus, Saeko and the rest of Team Takashi watched as Shido continued to charm the students. Saya said they were witnessing the birth of a new religion, the Order of Shido. Saya and the rest refused Shido's leadership and said they were going to part ways there. Though Shido didn't care that the students weren't going to follow him, he tried to claim Shizuka, since she was a doctor. He was scared off when Kohta fired off his nail gun across his cheek, but had missed on purpose. He covered the girls as they left the bus.
They were now without transportation and the sun was going to be setting soon. to their surprise, Takashi and Rei arrived on the street they were standing on. Shizuka had a friend who's house was nearby that they could rest, shower, and had a huge car.
Concept Name | Team Takashi |
Japanese Name: | 孝団 |
Romaji Name: | Takashi Dan |
Aliases | |
1st manga book: | Highschool of the Dead #1 |
1st anime episode: | Highschool of the Dead #2 |
1st anime movie: |


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Clerodendrum tomentosum
I didn't include this shrub in my book "Toowoomba Plants...Trees and Shrubs", despite its obvious ornamental potential. I was concerned that with use of it as a garden plant, children might poison themselves by eating the fruit.
I had come across contradictory statements - that it was poisonous, and that it was edible. I thought that the fruits smelled so foul that no children would ever be likely to put them in their mouths. A friend said that he thought they smelled like chocolate!
I still think it smells like nothing I want in my mouth, and can only suggest that you sniff some for yourselves and decide whether you think these are suitable and safe garden plants. Now is the time to do it, as the fruits are out all around the district.
Our local bushes have leaves which don't look hairy, but feel like puppy's ears, hence the name. They have showy clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers in spring, followed by these even more showy fruits.
In the bush they grow as very small trees or as scruffy shrubs. At their best, though, t they are pruned to waist height, and make neat, dense shrubs. They tend to sucker, and can regrow if cut (or burned) back to their roots.
The tuberous roots were eaten by the aborigines, which I would guess might be the origin of the "edible fruit" story. Perhaps the plant found its way onto a list, somewhere, of edible plants, and someone inferred that it was the fruits that were edible. But if anyone anywhere can set me straight on that I'd love to hear from you!
The photo at the bottom was taken at Ravensbourne in February last year, (at the entry to the track at Beutel's Lookout). It is probably in fruit there again this year.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
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Your Pop Alternative Source
Time: November 7, 2009 from 6pm to 7pm
Location: USA
City/Town: Los Angeles
Website or Map: http://www.cherrytreerecords.…
Event Type: tour
Organized By: LMFAO
Latest Activity: Nov 1, 2009
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Saturday, November 7 - Los Angeles, CA at The Wiltern (Tickets on sale 9/26)
With Space Cowboy, Far East Movement and The Paradiso Girls! Additional DJ sets by Million $ Mano.
© 2015 Created by Cherrytree.


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Monday-Thursday : 10-7 •
Friday-Saturday : 10-5
200 Lisbon St, Lewiston ME 04240 •
Mar 02, 2015 — 4:00 pm
During this program, children will be guided through art projects using varied materials and ideas. The program is presented by Jamie Silvestri, the P...read more.
Mar 03, 2015 — 10:30 am
Story Time is every Tuesday at 10:30 in the Children's Department (3rd Floor) of the Lewiston Public Library Story Time is a fun activity for child...read more.
Mar 03, 2015 — 5:00 pm
Reading is fun. Reading to an adorable (and friendly) dog is even better! PAWS to Read encourages children to practice their reading skills in ...read more.


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Regions:Dover/Somersworth -Great Bay - Rochester - Portsmouth | |
Berwick Eliot Kittery North Berwick Lebanon South Berwick York | |
Go Mobile: http://mobile.fosters.com Lebanon Fire Dept. readies annual toys for kids campaign
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
LEBANON, Maine — The Lebanon Fire Department Corporation will again hold its Annual "Toys for Lebanon Kids" campaign. |


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Ask the Life Insurance Expert
If my job changes insurance carriers, can I still get the cash value of the life insurance policy?
Group life insurance doesn't have any cash value, so there's nothing to take out of it. It simply provides life insurance coverage for the time you hold that job.
If you want life insurance with cash value, you'll have to buy a policy on your own, such as whole life or universal life.
Last updated: Feb. 14, 2013


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Kason Corp. offers the Cenri-Sifter centrifugal screener model YOB-SS, a high-capacity screener for applications where cross-contamination must be prevented. It is available in configurations for gravity-fed applications or continuous operations in-line with dilute-phase pneumatic conveying systems, with screen cylinders of Nylon monofilament woven wire, perforated plate or wedgewire screen. Dry or moist bulk solids may be fed into the feed intlet. It features a cantilevered shaft with two, externally mounted bearings between the screening chamber and motor drive.
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Germans to America, 1850-1874
About the Data
This data set contains information on approximately 2.1 million individuals who arrived in the United States between 1850 and 1874. The information was compiled from the original ship manifest schedules filed by all vessels entering United States ports in accordance with the Act of Congress of 1819. It also contains the information taken from Volumes 1 through 31 of the Germans to America series. Information from Volumes 32 through 56 is available on data set #356, "Germans to America, 1875-1888." The information here was originally edited by Ira A. Glazier and P. William Filby and published by Scholarly Resources, Inc. as a series of book volumes. Those volumes were the first extensive, indexed source of German surname immigrants ever published. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record wrote of the original book series, "Unquestionably an essential reference for both genealogists and historians." This data set makes that valuable resource even more accessible and easy to research. An important feature of this series is that it includes individuals coming to America not only from German states or territories but also from countries such as France, Switzerland or Luxembourg. You can learn a great deal of information about your German ancestor by researching with this data set. Most of the records list an immigrant's age, gender, occupation, province or country where the individual resided, village or town of origin, destination, the date of arrival, and the manifest ID number (to help you reference the original record). In addition, you may learn the name of the ship on which they traveled, the port from which they embarked on their journey, the port at which they debarked, the name of the ship's captain, and information on how they traveled to America (for example, stowaway, steerage). More About this Data SetFrom this data set, you can learn a great deal of valuable information about your immigrant ancestors. The primary fields are: Name In the first field you will find the individual's given name and surname, as well as any titles that were included in the original index. You should note that names of immigrants were often recorded as they were heard and that many immigrants could not spell their own names. Thus, spelling variations of names occur and members of the same family arriving at different times or places may be found under different spelling. You may have difficulty locating some names for the following reasons:
Age This field indicates the immigrant's age at the time of arrival. Country of Origin The third field lists the country in which the individual resided. Arrival Date This field lists the date the immigrant arrived in the United States. Destination
While many of immigrants listed in "Germans to America," settled in New York,
many went to New Orleans, Baltimore, Boston, and Philadelphia.
With this information, you should be able to determine quite a comprehensive account of your ancestor's arrival in the United States. |
© 2011 Ancestry.com |


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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Format | Reality television |
Starring | Leslie "Les" Gold Seth Gold Ashley Broad |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 96 (List of episodes) |
Production | |
Location(s) | Detroit, Michigan |
Running time | 20 min. (30 min. time slot) |
Production company(s) | RDF USA / Zodiak USA Richard Dominick Productions |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | TruTV |
Original run | August 16, 2010 – present |
External links | |
Website |
Hardcore Pawn | |
Format | Reality television |
Starring | Leslie "Les" Gold Seth Gold Ashley Broad |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 96 (List of episodes) |
Production | |
Location(s) | Detroit, Michigan |
Running time | 20 min. (30 min. time slot) |
Production company(s) | RDF USA / Zodiak USA Richard Dominick Productions |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | TruTV |
Original run | August 16, 2010 – present |
External links | |
Website |
Hardcore Pawn is an American reality television series produced by RDF USA (later Zodiak USA) and Richard Dominick Productions for truTV about the day-to-day operations of American Jewelry and Loan, a family-owned pawn shop located at 20450 Greenfield Road, between 8 Mile Road and the John C. Lodge Freeway in Detroit, Michigan.[1][2]
The series premiered on August 16, 2010,[3] delivering two million viewers, setting a record as truTV's most-watched series premiere ever.[4]
Contents |
American Jewelry and Loan is owned by Leslie "Les" Gold, the son of a pawnbroker who once owned Sam's Loans, a now-defunct pawnshop on Michigan Avenue in Detroit.[5] Les first opened American Jewelry at the Green Eight Shopping Center on 8 Mile Road in Oak Park in 1978, moving to its present location in 1993.[3].
In 2011, American Jewelry expanded to its second location when it acquired Premier Jewelry and Loan in Pontiac;[6][a] the new location was featured in the first few episodes of Hardcore Pawn's fifth season,[9] and in two episodes of the sixth season, where Seth deliberates selling the Pontiac location behind Les's back.[10][11]
Les's only son, Seth, a graduate of the University of Michigan who initially pursued a career in medicine before joining the family business, is the general manager, Les's business partner, and handles the shop's marketing.[citation needed] Seth claims that if it wasn't for him, the shop's only marketing would be "an ad in the Yellow Pages".[12] The co-manager is Les's daughter, Ashley (a college graduate from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration who, as the series debuted, returned to the shop after taking some time off for maternity leave. The sibling rivalry between her and Seth is a common element of many episodes.
On January 25, 2013 it was announced that Hardcore Pawn had been renewed for a seventh season by TruTV. The show averaged 2.6 million viewers during its sixth season.[13]
The show has been largely compared to Pawn Stars on History, but in the vein of other truTV programs (Operation Repo and All Worked Up for example), the focus is mainly on the human aspects of drama, conflicts, humor, and absurdity between the staff members and their customers, rather than the significance of the items being brought into the shop.
Because of the similarities however, Hardcore Pawn has been accused of being simply a knock-off and a capitalization on the breakout success of Pawn Stars.[14] Les has said that Hardcore Pawn is a more-realistic portrayal of a pawn shop than Pawn Stars: "There will be people from all walks of life laughing, crying and experiencing a wide range of emotions. Every item has a story. And some of these stories are incredible, whether you believe them or not... We're a Detroit-made business that represents what real pawn shops do... [catering to a] wide range of real people who need money. What you've had in the past is this stigma that pawnbrokers only dealt with drug dealers and drug addicts and thieves. Now, what truTV is showing you is the mom that has two kids at home that need food on their table, and she needs to put a roof over their heads."[3][15]
Some scenes featured in Hardcore Pawn have also been speculated to have been staged;[16] however, Les defends the show, saying that no part of the program was staged.[3]
According to Marc Juris, executive vice president and general manager of truTV, "Quite honestly, we did absolutely nothing different than we would have done whether or not the other show was on the air... We look for shows that really hit our sweet spot and when they're right for our audience is when we put them on the air." He also noted that Hardcore Pawn was in development for more than a year and two test episodes aired in December 2009. Regarding the initial identical time slot with Pawn Stars, Juris claimed the choice was because Hardcore Pawn fit well with Operation Repo. When the series' second season debuted in December 2010, the show was moved to Tuesdays at 9PM ET, often as part of an evening marathon that includes repeats of earlier episodes.[b]
Nancy DuBuc, president and general manager of History, said she couldn't speak to whether TruTV's choice is truly a coincidence. "I haven't seen [Hardcore Pawn]... There's no mistaking the power of the show that we've launched."[1]
Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale | |
Pilots | 2 | December 21, 2009 | December 21, 2009 | |
1 | 8 | August 16, 2010 | September 27, 2010 | |
2 | 8 | December 28, 2010 | February 8, 2011 | |
3 | 13 | February 15, 2011 | May 24, 2011 | |
4 | 13 | June 21, 2011 | October 4, 2011 | |
5 | 26 | November 15, 2011 | June 19, 2012 | |
6 | 26 | July 10, 2012 | February 5, 2013 | |
7 | N/A | March 26, 2013 | N/A |
As of February 5, 2013, a total of 96 episodes, including two pilots, have been broadcast.
Repeats of Hardcore Pawn are also seen on occasion on TNT.
Les Gold's autobiography, For What It's Worth: Business Wisdom from a Pawnbroker, is due to be released June 13, 2013 by Portfolio Hardcover. Les's book deals with his personal experience in establishing a successful pawn shop, and gives details on how he did it, and how anyone in any field can "think like a pawnbroker".[21]


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Inappropriate Touching
Suspect Arrested, Charged For Groping Two Women Near DePaul
Police have arrested a man suspected of groping at least two women near the DePaul University campus.
Should Camp Counselors Be Allowed To Apply Sunscreen On Kids?
On bright sunny day, should day camp counselors apply sunscreen on your child? CBS 2 viewers weighed in on Thursday.


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Illegal Charcoal Trade in Somalia: Burning away the natural resource
"Allah created trees, because animals need them as people need land – our life depend on our animals and they depend on trees" Comments by people living in the Bay region of Somalia describing the value of trees to their livelihood
Somalia, like other countries in East Africa is dependent on natural forests for fuel-wood and charcoal and over 80% of the country's energy requirement is met by wood. Hence the natural woodlands /bushes provides easily accessible, free, and relatively cheap firewood wood and charcoal to many rural and urban communities. It would seem that this dependency on natural woodlands/bushes is unlikely to change for many of these people living in developing countries.
The forests are often used as fodder and forage for livestock and provide the largest contribution to the economy. It also provides milk, food, and other animal products such as gums (mainly Frankincense) and resins which are also the third most important source of foreign exchange. Other products of the natural woodlands/bushes provide include the poles for construction of traditional Somali houses (Aqal, Mundul, Cariish), furniture milk and water containers grain-husking, grinding, utensils, farm equipment, hoes, sacks, ropes for well and harness and hedging.
Fuel-wood & Charcoal: Demand and Consumption in Somalia
Many people are alarmed at the extent as well as the rate of the disappearances of natural woods/bushes in Somalia mainly due to a) increasing demands of fuel-wood, and charcoal for local consumption but also for export to the Gulf States and Arabian Peninsula; b)increased number of livestock caused overgrazing ; c) increased demand and utilization of poles for construction purposes for local market; d) for extension of agricultural lands which caused the total clearance of natural woodlands in many parts of Somalia, especially in southern regions.
Towards the end of 1980s it became increasingly clear that charcoal demands and consumption levels were unsustainable in the face of increasing population in urban areas, particularly Capital Mogadishu and the other major towns and cities in the country. The charcoal demand for Mogadishu (capital) was estimated to be around 150,000 tonnes per year and this figure is still increasing in mid 1980s. In southern Somalia, the main species used for charcoal making is Acacia bussie (Local name 'Galool'). Other preferred species include Acacia Senegal (local name "Cadaad "). Baay and Bakool were and still are the main charcoal producing regions in Somalia, especially in the South of the country.
It is imperative to point out that before 1991, a negligible number of the people in the capital and the country used electricity and gas/kerosene for cooking. In fact the last complete energy balance available for 1986 show biomass fuels to constitute 89% of domestic energy consumption.
Table (1): Primary Energy Supplies in Somalia |
Energy | (000's Tonnes of oil equivalent) |
Crude oil | 58 |
Petroleum Production | 230 |
Primary Electricity | 3 |
Fuel-wood | 1475 |
Agricultural Residues | 40 |
Total | 1798 |
Source: Alternative Energy Sources for Urban Areas in Somalia 1990 |
To further highlight the fact that the level of demand and consumption of charcoal has and still is unsustainable, the energy planning study carried by British Forestry Project in Somalia in 1980s highlighted the following:
The rate of growth of the trees used for charcoal production is not fast enough to replace trees used to manufacturing charcoal, and hence the current use is unsustainable.
Uncontrolled exploitation of charcoal in Bay Region, which is the main charcoal producing area in Somalia cannot continue without causing hardship to the livelihood of the people living in the area and will be seriously undermined as they compete with charcoal manufacturers
Damage to the national economy will result as livestock industry are dependent upon their natural woodlands for fodder
The study reported that the charcoal producing region of Bay and Bakool regions cannot meet the demands of charcoal, especially for the people living Mogadishu.
The stock remaining in the charcoal producing regions could only meet the demand for charcoal in Mogadishu for less than two years
It was clear from the results of the energy studies that if alternative energy to charcoal use is not found in the near future, this in turn would signal disaster for Somalia as well as the people of Somali who depend on the remaining natural woodlands for their livelihood as pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.
The National Range Agency, the government department responsible for the implementation of the forestry , range and wildlife policies in collaboration with British Forestry Projects research widely publicised by organising high profile workshops in Mogadishu. Efforts were also made to draw attention to the urgent need to find alternatively source of energy e.g. Kerosene.
Threats to the natural resource base
Ironically, the outbreak of the tragic civil war in late 1990s and the total collapse of the government in early 1991, caused a large number of people to flee from the capital Mogadishu and this in turn has reduced the overall demand and consumption of charcoal especially Mogadishu and main southern towns and cities.
The situation has dramatically changed in middle of 1990 as armed militia and greedy business men began to engage illegal charcoal trade by exploiting the few remaining natural woodlands and bushes. The illegal charcoal produced were both for the domestic market as well as for exporting to the Gulf States. Kismaayo was mainly port for the illegal charcoal export, but other port cities such as Mogadishu and Marka were also sometimes used for exporting out.
There is no reliable data about the extent of the illegal charcoal trade in the country, especially in the past 15- 20 years. However fact-finding missions by the Somalia Ecological Society (SES) from in 2000 and again 2010 reported a very worrying situations in the country. Amongst other environmental problems highlighted, the illegal charcoal trade is perhaps the most serious environmental degradation facing Somali people, and SES's reports has shown that the illegal trade is out of control mainly in the south-west regions Baay, Bakool and Jubba Valley. Also, the illegal charcoal trade caused a great deal of hardship for the pastoralist/agro pastoralist living in Sanaag and Sool regions. In fact, violence broke out several times resulting casualties between charcoal burners and local communities concerned the damage to their natural resources base in main charcoal producing areas.
The earlier SES fact finding mission report of (2000) describing the illegal charcoal trade in Sanaag and Sool regions stated:
"that in the areas visited people engaged in illegal charcoal trade set up 140 different camps, which covered 200km sq, and SES mission reported to get an idea the level of trade, and the volume of charcoal going to the small port of Elayo, the mission stayed one night nearby village (Ceel Doofaar) to observe the traffic and it was reported that less than 12 hours, a total 19 lorries all carrying charcoal for export of which seven are 30 tons capacity passed through."
The recent reports from Kismaayo illustrated the vast amount charcoal (estimated to up to 4 million sacks) in the port ready for illegal export. This has confirmed what many people suspected that armed opposition group (Al–Shabaab) used the illegal charcoal trade as means to generate income for the group, pay fighters, and perhaps buy weapons. Despite the declaration by the Gulf States that charcoal from Somalia is illegal, there is no indication this announcement will result the reduction of the illegal charcoal export at least in the short term.
To sum up, the damage caused by illegal charcoal trade to the livelihood of both the current and future Somali people as well as the environment is incalculable.
There are major challenges facing the new Somali government and these include improving and maintaining security, re-building the economy, and rebuilding infrastructure and various government institutions. However, there is urgent need to address the issue of illegal charcoal trade. The importance of natural forest and woodland to the livelihood of Somali people is undisputed and the natural woodland/bushes play an important role on economic development and can improve quality of life in various ways.
Before embarking on any major initiatives, it is imperative to re-visit the previous forestry and related policies in order to ensure that the right forestry and relevant energy policies are in place. Lessons learnt from the past forestry policy imposed from the top clearly show that such policies have generally failed to secure the support of rural communities. As a result people simply ignored the guidelines and related legislations.
A great deal of effort must be made to involve, and engage local communities in any forestry policy development. The involvement of local communities will be crucial to the implementation of any policy and partnership between central, regional and local communities. However, the complete absence of central co-coordinating authority and the lack of active, engaging and influential local community groups and organization may make any policy implementation this difficult
Also, any new forestry policy must in link to the wider national development plan. Help must be sought from international organisations to co-ordinate all relevant national energy policies.
Perhaps the most important issue facing the new Somali authorities is the implementations of recommendations made by the Somali energy study report which have drawn attention to the urgent need to find alternative sources of energy (e.g. Kerosene / alternative sources energy) as current level of demand and consumption were and still are unsustainable. Any initiate to reverse the current threats of environmental degradation would likely to fail if alternative source of energy for people living in main cities and towns is not found.
Mohamoud Omer Sh Ibrahim


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Wonderfull yellow and composition, very delicate and refined, TaLins, love this one, I wish you an happy new year, good health, happiness and joy ! :))
Thank you so much Francoise, the happiest of New Years to you too my friend! Wishing you many blessings too!
Wow thank you so much Slight Clutter, Jack, Ebi, Pencil Me In, Roger, RDelean, Sylvia, and Micklyn! You are so kind!
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Welcome to the Florida SouthWestern State College Alumni Association!
Whether you are a current student at Florida SouthWestern, a recent grad or attended Edison, we welcome you to the FSW Alumni Association website.
From its start in 1962 as Edison Junior College to Florida SouthWestern State College today, we boast more than 40,000 alumni across the country and world. The Office of Alumni Relations was formed to build on the rich experiences of all our alums, to enhance student opportunities and to foster lifelong connections to the College.
This is YOUR Alumni Association. Stay Connected. Get Involved. Be Rewarded.
Become a member of the Alumni Association today!
Membership is free and it's simple to sign up. Click here to create your Member Profile today and begin discovering all the benefits of membership.
As a member of the Florida SouthWestern Alumni Association, you will be reconnected with fellow FSW and Edison alumni located throughout the country and around the world.
Your free Alumni Association membership brings you a wide range of activities and benefits, including entertaining events and travel, professional networking and mentoring, lifelong learning, scholarship and volunteer programs, and money-saving discounts. Your membership also supports Alumni Association programs for past and current students.
Lifelong Engagement
The Alumni Association provides a variety of programs and benefits to meet the needs of alumni at all ages. Current student association members take part in campus and community events as well as career support. After graduation, alumni are invited to participate in programs ranging from performing arts and sports to building dedications and anniversary galas.
Special Offers
Our community partners offer Alumni members unique services and discounts on hotel rooms, financial services, insurance, educational opportunities, and more. These offers not only save you money, but a portion of the proceeds helps support Alumni Association programs. Click here to view membership benefits and offers.
Career Services
The Alumni Association partners with Florida SouthWestern's Department of Career Services to provide a complete range of career planning and placement services. Members receive complimentary career listings through the College Central JobNet Service.


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Don't expect alfalfa acreage in California to make a strong comeback in 2012, says Norm Beach, vice president of the San Joaquin Valley Hay Growers Association (SJVHGA), in Tracy, CA. Representing growers with 40,000 acres in alfalfa production, SJVHGA is the world's largest hay marketing cooperative.
Beach recently surveyed his membership about their planting intentions for the coming crop year. "It looks like we're going to be a little on the light side for acres," says Beach, adding that, in recent years, numbers from the co-op's survey have tracked pretty closely with statewide figures. "If anything, we might be down a couple of thousand acres."
Before the survey, Beach was thinking current high hay prices might lure some acres back into production in 2012. "In the past, that was often the case. You'd see growers jumping from one crop to another, going after the crop with the best price from the year before.
"Now, though, growers have a lot of alternatives to hay that are doing well, everything from orchard crops to vegetables to row crops. There are almost too many good things out there for agriculture."
If acres do stay level or drop slightly, Beach says 2012 could be another year dominated by low supplies and high prices. "About the only thing that would change it would be a big drop in milk prices. But as long as that milk price stays where it's at, hay is going to command a high price."
To contact Beach, call 209-610-9568 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Technical Standards
The first and most basic element in providing equal access to offerings within colleges and univerities has to do with the admission policies, technical standards, and program requirements.
Ensuring that these are designed to be fair and that reasonable accommodation can be put in place as needed is critical.
Instructional Techniques
Faculty are building flexibility into their courses so students who experience health problems, family needs, work or military obligations have reasonable ways to proceed
Faculty are using technology in innovative and exciting ways and using best practices to do so:
When video is embedded online or in distance education courses, it should be captioned content and have transcripts available.
Tablets can be used to project examples during class and to record those examples for later review within Blackboard
Livescribe digital pens are used on campus in a variety of ways:
Recording pencasts as rich lecture notes
Faculty can have students take turns taking notes to share with the rest of the class
Supplemental Instruction type approaches use Livescribe during facilitated study sessions
Learning Management Tools for Faculty
Cafe sessions for faculty each semester.
AIEL ongoing workshops and open labs for faculty. AIEL Instructional Designers collaborate with DSS to assist faculty with the Universal Design of instructional materials. Learn the steps to format accessible Word, PDF and PowerPoint. Learn about captioning video content and working with interpreters in the classroom. Learn about Adaptive Release for Blackboard tests.
Blackboard offers online tutorials for how to design an accessible course.
UAA WebPros offer website reviews for improving design and accessibility of your department webpages.


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Sports / Colorado Spring Football Game
« on: May 02, 2014, 12:36:42 PM »
Took these during a workshop at the Colorado spring football game. Also got to borrow a 1D X for these, the camera is awesome.
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I love those shots with the Milky Way. I have seen some stunning photos like that, but I have never seen the Milky Way like that myself. Does it look that way to the naked eye, or is it only in the photos that it comes out.
(Sorry to post such a naive question, but I really want to learn how to do this).
Milky Way over the Delicate Arch - Arches National Park - Moab, Utah
You can see more pics from my road trip at http://www.buonophotography.com/p739655009
I can probably download it and see if it is in the meta data, but I'm lazy. What shutter speed, aperture, focal length, if you don't mind.
If I were to guess I'd say, 24mm, 1/30th shutterspeed (before star trails kick in), side flash lighting of the arch, and an iso of 3200... with grain clean up in post.


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Welcome Brayden Cole from 'A Critical Hit Productions' to the Playeressence team!
Braden is a guy I found on Youtube! His videos are almost as good as mine! LOL, J/k he's actually really good and knows his stuff. With his 100% permission, I have secured his videos on my site! So check the first one out below. Playeressence and Furious Francis views don't necessarily fall in line with Brayden Cole's.
Pretty good, sub him, and comment below.
More From Playeressence Mario Kart Double Dash Final Fantasy Vs 13 PS4 to Block Used Games 2 Wishlist on PS4? Via NFC Tech? Playeressence Original Next Generation News All the Top Gaming News Content & Shows Central, All info here For the day here3 Responses to Welcome Brayden Cole from 'A Critical Hit Productions' to the Playeressence team!
Really good video, hilarious too. I like the no nonsense attitude. One thing he's got to realize though.
BlackB0nd doesn't believe a single word that comes out of his own mouth. He's a troll, and he specifically targets Nintendo because it gets him the most views. Same thing goes for him calling people social rejects, and then replying to comments for hours on end. Hes found touchy things he can use to get himself paid. The best way to deal with him is to block/ignore him.
This seems to have affected him deep down to the core. Never seen a vid of his before, maybe this is just his presona? I personally have little to no respect for Mark Rein or Eipc for that matter anymore. Admittedly I was never a huge fan in the first place, They made a decent engine but thats about where it ends. Decent vid, very intense.
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The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9810 should satisfy BlackBerry fans with its responsive touch screen and overall specs, but for $50 more, T-Mobile customers could get the much better Bold 9900 instead.
The Asus R2H is too big to be truly ultramobile, but its relatively large screen and decent battery make it good for on-the-go Web surfing and media playing, even if the onscreen keyboard is a chore to use.
Pricing not available
Pricing not available


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Serving up all the latest food news, cool foodie products, gossip, and good deals that are fit to print!
Bananaphobia: Fear of Bananas is Real
Potassium-rich bananas can do a lot of good. But for some, eating them, or even being near them, can be traumatic. We're not talking about someone who simply chooses to pick the bananas out of his or her fruit salad. There are certain people who share a severe fear of bananas. They suffer from what is known as bananaphobia.
According to Vice magazine, phobics of bananas have such a strong reaction to seeing the yellow fruit that they cannot even walk down the produce aisle in the supermarket. Just like any other phobia arachnaphobia (fear of spiders), agoraphobia (fear of being in crowded places), and one that incites terror in many people, ophiophobia (fear of snakes) this disorder is paralyzing.
More From Delish: 15 Strange Food Phobias
How does someone become afraid of such a common food? Vice reports that it's usually triggered by a bad experience, like having been force-fed them as a child. Then the smell, the peel, and watching others eat bananas can cause stomach churning and the gag reflex, which, if left untreated, eventually escalates. Some react with panic attacks. Many cannot be in the same room as a banana.
Paula Ross was tortured as a child on the playground because of her fear of bananas. She told the Daily Mail, 'People used to chase me round the playground at school with banana peels and everyone used to laugh at me. They thought it was hilarious." Ross has since been cured by a specialist who used a psychotherapy technique called Neuro-linguistic programming on her.
More From Delish: 13 Won't-Know-It's-Healthy Recipes for Picky Eaters
Bananas are certainly not the only foods that are met with extreme phobia. Some children have a range of food fears and react with massive anxiety, crying fits, and vomiting. A study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry published in 2002 confirms that food phobias, or "food aversion," are no joking matter. "Although many specific phobias have been described in the psychopathology and treatment literatures, perhaps none has as serious health implications as the excessive and persistent fear and avoidance of chewing, swallowing, or choking on food or fluids," explains the report.
Some fears can lead to even more serious issues: "Pediatric feeding disorders in general occur in 25% of all children, and are associated with significant weight loss, medical problems, and the development of behavioral disorders such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa." This study evaluated the effectiveness of using a behavioral treatment on one 4-year-old by trying to re-introduce the foods the subject feared with positive reinforcement. Essentially the subject was afraid of choking, which led to a fear of the food. The treatment did work over time.
Does your child suffer from extreme anxiety over a particular food? Do you have any foods you fear?
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Choose the topics of most interest to you to follow under "My Headlines".
- Duke Trustees Approve New Tuition Rates
- Duke Researchers Lead Studies on Growing Role of Physician Assistants
- One Space, Many Faiths: Panel Looks at Sharing Sacred Spaces
- Duke Student and Alumna Awarded Luce Scholarships
- Engaging the Community in Ethics of Sharing Health Care Data
- Academic Leaders on the Troubled Future of Biomedical Research
- Duke Students Create Global Paths in Their Curriculum
Talk of the Campus
Celebrating Nearly 50 Years of Black History at School of Nursing
February 26, 2015Learn more about the African-American pioneers at the Duke School of Nursing [More]Featured in 'working'
Lost Property? Here's Where to Find ItMap highlights lost and found locations across Duke
Featured Series
Duke's collection of Depression-era films of small towns offer a reflection of a different time
Duke in the News
The Washington Post, Religion News Service
The Washington Post
Breitbart News
The Huffington Post
From the Gallery
Mars Mission; Reggie Love: The Week at Duke {in 60 Seconds}
Student broadcasters report on a student aiming for a one-way trip to Mars and the other news from the week at Duke.
Go to the gallery
View Videos, Slideshows & More
Noteworthy SEE ARCHIVE
Humanities & Social Sciences
The Legacy of Malcolm X
Duke faculty and visiting scholars mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X.
Humanities & Social Sciences
Careers in Non Profits for Humanities and Social Sciences PhDs
Scholars discuss what possible career paths in non-profits for new Ph.Ds.
Campus News
#Duke360 Photos
Another day, another photo showing life at Duke University, all through the 2015 year.
Events @ Duke
Mar 02 |
Mar 02 |
6:00 PMvon der Heyden Pavilion -
Mar 02 |
7:00 PMEast Duke 201 (Nelson Music Room)


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The Freakshow
Senior Member
Senior Animator
Prófessor Oak
Mike because of you i think as surgeon shen as a happy skin and somehow see a smile behind the medical mask is this normal?
jimmy the hand
Oh good, there's doctor here, ohmikegoodness, what do you think about this mole on my shoulder?
Im a NinJa
thought I would just post here because of reasons, but I was at playoffs and I saw ohmikegoodness walk by and I like kinda guy squealed (yes this is a thing) and he turned around and did an awesome, what's up dude pose, and I was like woah, this guy is cool. He then proceeded to fake fight with a rioter and break dance towards the entrance of the event. Ohmikegoodness gets my vote for coolest rioter.
I miss the mikegoodness