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From: IN%"firstname.lastname@example.com" "THOMAS L CLARK"
Subj: Dialect and eye-dialect in AMLIT
Hello List,
While in Israel this summer conducting seminars on variation in American English, I will (at the request of my hosts) give a couple of talks on the use of dialect in American Literature.
I have the usual talk about _Huckleberry Finn_, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Edward H#$%#...
I am soliciting some recommendations for short stories or sections of novels of more recent vintage: something that will demonstrate African American Vernacular English (we used to call it BEV), code-shifting in Spanish English (diglossia, perhaps), and some deomonstrations of regional dialects. Thank you for any suggestions you might have.
Thomas L. Clark
English Linguistics
University of Nevada, Las Vegas 89121-5011
We had a robust response to Thomas Clark's request for works of
fiction highlighting features of dialect and vernacular, especially
African American vernacular.
I've split them into two posts: this first one containing several short items; the second one featuring three slightly longer responses. I omitted one or two duplicate responses. Thanks to all who responded.
*The Big Mama Stories* by Shay Youngblood(Ithaca: Firebrand, 1989) for recent African American Vernacular. The stories are set in Columbus, GA, and are narrated by a child being reared by her grandmother in the public housing of a Souther city just after midcentury. Dialog is abundant.
Ken Guthrie
Jacksonville St. U.
Jacksonville, AL
Eggleston, for Hoosier, of course. However, linguistically he is perhaps more accurate than suits the regional genre, and his narratives tend to obfuscation. Interesting polemicist, of course. As to availability, I am not sure.
Adolph L. Soens
University of Notre Dame
Response to Thomas Clark's request for fiction that features dialect: "White Rat" by Gayl Jones, anthologized (among other places) in_The Granta Book of the American Short Story._Story first published in 1971. First person narrative by an unusually light-skinned black man.
Tim Springfield, English Dept.
University of Wisconsin
RE:Examples of African-American Vernacular: some of Toni Cade Bambara's stories are good (I remember one that begins, "Black people got a hummin' jones") and of course Zora Neale Hurston. Although it's not a specifically U.S. American dialect, the dialogue of Peter Mathiessen's _Far Tortuga_ is interesting.
David Fenimore
University of Nevada, Reno
As an addendum to my previous post, there's a fairly recent book by Jess Mowrycalled *Way Past Cool* that involves young kids in gangs in Oakland, CA. Lots of very contemporary teenage A-A dialect/slang.
Zora Neale Hurston's _Their Eyes Were Watching God_ is an excellent example of a polyvocal novel: the frame narrator speaks standard English, while the first-person narrator uses African-American dialect.
Patti Schroeder
Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA 19426
OFFICE: (610) 489-4111, ext. 2347
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
I would strongly recommend the novels of Ishmael Reed(especially Mumbo Jumbo and Flight to Canada). Ernest Gaines' Blood Line would also work well. Walker's The Color Purple is a direct argument for BEV over standard.[NEXT Walker] Celie's letters in BEV and Nettie's in SE.
Here are THREE more responses to the Dialect & Vernacular query. These
are slightly longer responses with a little more subject variation,
including some Asian American and Latino/a American works with dialect
and linguistic interests.
I'm sure people will have many suggestions for African-American vernacular. For Spanish-English switching, try Rudolfo Anaya's *Bless Me, Ultima*, the books of Sandra Cisneros (The House on Mango Street, A Woman Hollering Creek), a number of pieces by Gary Soto (i.e. those in Living Up the Street or A Summer Life, also a couple of young adult novels he has), and Piri Thomas' Down These Mean Streets has enough Spanish in it to have a glossary in the back. Oh, also, if you want something really contemporary there's a fairly new book just out in paperback called (I think) Running Scared, and I can't remember the author's name--I'll try to find it at home. It's about LA gang life, and there's lots of Spanish-English shifting and fairly contemporary slang.
Elise Earthman
Regarding Tomas Clark's request about vernacular in short stories . . .
You will find some excellent use of black vernacular in the works of Alice
Walker. Her collections IN LOVE AND TROUBLE and YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD
WOMAN DOWN are not only beautifully written, but are great commentary upon
some of the most serious issues confronting African American Women. For
some good examples of code shifting in Chicana literature, try Helena
Maria Viramontes's collection THE MOTHS AND OTHER STORIES. Although these
stories do not employ a large amount of vernacular, they do show code
switching, and there is an excellent introduction by Yvonne Yarbo-Bejarano
which is essential for introducing Viramontes to your students.
For an excellent source on the use of vernacular and speech and how they are important to the field of ethnic American literatures, read Bonnie TuSmith's ALL MY RELATIVES.
I hope this is helpful.
Michelle Trusty-Murphy
English Department
Bowling Green State University
Thomas Clark--I upon occasion teach linguistics as well. These are minor suggestions to your interesting query. (I'd love to hear the responses you get--they would help me teach in England this fall.) For a REAL regional dialect, get anything by Daryl Lum in Hawaii. He published with Bamboo Ridge and he, and others, have generated a fabulous pidgin literature in short stories and the like which is truly remarkable. You want short stories--but I think this would work: get the middle chapters of The Color Purple, in which part of the POINT is the difference between the somewhat flat but very "correct" written, educated dialect Nettie has learned, and the Black Vernacular (and highly poetic) language Celie speaks. The SUBJECT of her changing her speech becomes the occasion for one incredibly powerful scene in which speaking what's natural to your mind is the equivalent of love. Hope that helps. Jacque Brogan/ Notre Dame
Jacqueline Vaught Brogan
Department of English
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Here are a few final posts on the thread regarding materials
illustrative of African American and latino/a use of Dialect and
Vernacular. These 5 posts run a delightful gamut: from a recently
completed dissertation on the politics of vernacular to the assignment
of writing a vernacular Cinderella in Spanish harlem!
Another fairly recent Chicana text to use not just Spanish-English switching (with a minimum of explanation or translation, and no glossary) but also a "standard english" style that nicely captures Chicano/a rhythms and syntax is Ana Castillo's _So Far From God_. Although it's a novel, its chapters are like Cisneros's fairly independent and could be read as short stories.
Shelley Reid
University at Buffalo
A correction to my previous post--the recently published book about LA Latino gangs is *Always Running*, not *Running Scared* (my misinterpretation of the title--). Still haven't remembered the author's name.
Middle School writing project
I am The Assistant Director in a 250 student sized middle school
located in Spanish Harlem in NYC. One of the teachers began a project
with the 9th grade tracing Cinderella stories in different cultures and
languages. This evolved into a project just begun that has the kids
rewriting fairy tales using their own dialect and slang words. The
students are excited about being able to display knowledge which their
instructors do not possess.
Jennifer Lynn Campbell just completed a dissertation at Brown, part of
which focuses on the politics of using dialect and vernacular in
fiction, especially dialect spoken by working-class characters. She
argues, correctly I think, that generally the narrator or the narrative
voice speaks a middle-class standard which has the effect of distancing a
reader from the immediacy and often pain of the working-class speaker.
Thus the experience of the w/c speaker becomes a kind of "entertaintment"
rather than a challenge (I hope I'm representing her argument coherently).
I raise this not only because Campbell's work is interesting but because it places on the table the POLITICS of vernacular in a way rather different from that argued within African-American culture. I think writers like Chesnutt and Jewett, in their conscious deployment of a standard-speaking narrator, and Mike Gold, Anzia Yezierska and Sterling Brown, in their uses of a kind of vernacular, engage these issues in quite intgeresting ways. PL
New to American literature and to Zora Neale Hurston, I have just read "The Gilded Six-Bits" for the first time (yes, in the non-Heath anthology). It certainly is a good source of vernacular. What I'm wondering is how people read the highly unvernacular diction the narrator sometimes favors: ". . . dying dawn saw him hustling home around the lake where the challenging sun flung a flaming sword from east to west across the trembling water," and "The great belt on the wheel of Time slipped and eternity stood still," and "a lean moon rode the lake in a silver boat." Does Hurston do this a lot? Do the images carry much significance within the story? Might the quasi-Homeric diction function in this particular story as a lightheartedly ironic evocation of Odysseus and Penelope? Or does Hurston just favor this way of putting things sometimes?
Any insights into this, or other, aspects of Hurston's story will be appreciated.
Michael Kischner
Return to Collaborative Bibliographies Topics Page


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We've all heard of Pamplona Bull Running and La Tomatina so here's your guide to three of the lesser-known Spanish festivals...
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With some airlines tightening their belts on the limits they allow, it's vital that you pack sensibly. Here are some tips to help you.
For those of you who have decided to stay home this year, here's a list of the best rural hot spots.
There are also plenty of things to see and do in Bruges that won't cost a thing. Here's a quick run-down of some of them.
If you're looking for somewhere quirky to stay in the UK, look no further than these unique venues...
PLUS why you should hold on to your paper driving license when hiring a car abroad...
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Taiwan indie label B'in Music goes back to basics: good material, live shows
Published on Mar 6, 2013 6:11 PM
Just one month after releasing her debut CD, singer-songwriter Bai An performed at the prestigious big-scale venue Taipei Arena last month before a crowd of almost 10,000.
Many other artists before her have had to build up a body of work over several albums and years before they got a chance to step onto that stage.
She was one of five acts who performed at the concert on Feb 3. The other four who performed were big-voiced Jia Jia, kooky pop trio Cosmos People, dance-pop sextet Magic Power and singer-songwriter Yen-j.
The concert, B'in Together, is a free joint showcase for the five B'in Music acts. To enter, fans each had to buy at least two original CDs by selected B'in Music artists.
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Located between town centre and lakeside pier, this Victorian house provides a range of thoughtfully furnished bedrooms, some of which are individually themed and equipped with spa baths. Comprehensiv...More about Wanslea Guest House
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now È16.00 was È32.00
David Emanuel is very excited to offer this new stylish textured tweed dress. The pleat and belted design gives the style a contemporary sophisticated edge. This dress is perfect for this season, either for work or as occasionwear. Offered as a knee length option, this beautifully tailored dress gives great shape and ouses style.
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NeXy96 (Nemanja Kukić)
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Just a person who likes to geek around a bit :D
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The North Face Dyno Pant
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
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The North Face Dyno Pant is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen April 3, 2014 at Backcountry.com.
If you're looking for a new hiking pant, check out the best reviewed current models.


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Thumb up: Treasure Coast restaurants get word out on oyster reef program
SHELLING OUT INFORMATION: Thanks to a donation from Southern Eagle Distributing, St. Lucie County's artificial oyster reef program is providing 27,000 coasters to seven Treasure Coast restaurants that donate oyster shells to the program.
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"Among domestic cats' most notable features are their claws. Once essential tools for ancestral felines, claws were crucial when it came to climbing and hunting. However, even indoor cats today retain deep-seated instincts to scratch, claw and climb. Most cats happily demonstrate those instincts—whether they are given an appropriate place to do so or not. Cat scratchers and other cat furniture play an important role in helping customers avoid damaged couches, curtains and carpets. They…"
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" The eyes may be known as the window to the soul—but a cat's mouth is the key to good health. Poor dental health can lead to serious health problems, including heart, lung and kidney disease. "Good oral care is important for a pet's overall health," says…"
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Photo by Victor Tapia
Kaylee Strickland secures a high fly ball
near short stop and looks over to first
base March 21 during a District 11-3A
contest versus Farmersville.
Farmersville, Lovejoy dish out defeats
By David Jenkins
Staff Writer
The Lady Panthers dropped a pair of District 11-3A matchups last week.
They were defeated 8-3 at home March 21 by Farmersville and fell 4-0 at No. 2 state-ranked Lovejoy on Saturday.
"We had too many errors defensively and lack of execution on offense," head coach Craig Deputy said. "We need to work harder as the second round of district comes our way."
For the full story see the March 29 issue.


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Join us for a relaxing holiday at Gite Artiste
From $136 / night
Description from the owner
- Cottage
- 3 bedrooms
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- Sleeps 6
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Sleeps: 6
Type: CottageJoin us for a relaxing holiday at Gite Artiste
Description from the owner
Come and relax in the rolling hills of rural France and enjoy the great outdoors & stunning views which can be admired from:
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Being surrounded by farmland and sunflower fields ...Read more
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Join us for a relaxing holiday at Gite Artiste
Puylaurens, Midi-Pyrenees, France
(Property location is approximate) ?
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We are located in the Cocagne region in the South West of France - minutes from many beautiful, historical villages such as Lautrec, Puylaurens, Lavaur and Castres. The region is famous for such dishes as cassoulet, duck, charcuterie and foie gras. Enjoy eating on terraces, backyards of small restaurants, local bars or Michelin star establishments. There is a large choice of places to eat - cafés, bistros, brasseries, pizzerias, restaurants and bars - all within a short, meandering drive or bicycle journey.
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Does it support looped Midi tracks of different lengths without repeat paste?
Can logic support the looping of MIDI tracks of different length? If I want a 8 bar kick/snare loop with a 16 bar shaker track and a 32 bar hat loop can I do without repeat pasting? I don't want three 32 bar loops (after DAW repeat paste ala cubase) but rather looped MIDI tracks of different lengths. I don't want to have to determine my song length and repeat paste everything ever let alone before I lay my next track over top. Does logic provide this type of non-linear MIDI track looping?
- Asked by Murray M from Vancouver
QA Logic Studio
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1 Answer from the Community
Logic Pro is a midi drummer's dream. Yes just open up a track for each instrument and paste where you want them, drag to repeat (the circled arrow at he top of the title bar on each recorded piece) and trim them individually. You stereo mix and glue them all together on the same track if you have to, tho you do have 255 tracks if you need them!
- Answered by Rob W from Bucasia


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As a father and grandfather, I know that moms, dads, and grandparents want to do the best they can for their families. They want to work hard for a living wage that can buy groceries and put a strong roof overhead. They want to be able to give their kids an education and take them to the doctor when they're sick.
Despite working long hours or tough jobs, too many families continue to struggle to get by, or get tripped up by unexpected circumstances that are thrust upon them by chance. When that happens, we must pull our resources together—as neighbors, as a community, as a government—and give our hard working families a hand up and make sure no family is left behind.
In order to make sure no one is left behind, we have to strengthen the policies that both build up working families and tackle income inequality. That means creating an environment where families have a place to live and nutritious food to eat. Where educational opportunities exist from early childhood through college and into the workforce. Where health care is viewed as a right for all, and not just the benefit of a privileged few.
These issues hit home with me from the first moments I arrived in Emmons, West Virginia, as a VISTA worker in 1964. I saw firsthand how families struggle to succeed without our best efforts at creating a level playing field for all.
That experience in rural West Virginia not only set my moral compass, it helped me understand that we could do more to lift up working families. It's why I created and fought for federal programs that have become a lifeline for people across the country.
Friday in Charleston, I was surrounded by so many West Virginians who've championed these causes, and who've been trusted partners in my work to give all families a fair shot at a stable life.
I am so proud of all we've accomplished together. We have created and fought for federal programs that have become a lifeline for people across the country. Just a few examples of the work we've teamed up to do include:
· The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which has provided health care for more than 8 million children nationwide and 37,000 West Virginia kids;
· Medicaid, which not only provides health care for nearly a half a million West Virginians, but also nearly 20,000 jobs in the state;
· The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit, which I've consistently fought to protect and which puts more money back into working families' pockets;
· Head Start, which provides early childhood education, nutrition, and health care for 7,500 children in West Virginia and sets kids on a path to success;
· Pell Grants and other programs that make college education more affordable. Higher education leads to better-paying jobs and a more rewarding life, and is among the best investments we can make.
But, for these programs to provide the opportunities that working families need to meet their goals and leave their own legacies, they must be kept strong. CHIP must be expanded this year; we must fight off cuts to Head Start; and we must strengthen the EITC and the Child Tax Credit. And, we know we need to do more to make college more affordable.
We've accomplished a lot over the past 50 years. But history will judge us on what we do for the next 50 years. We have a lot of work to do this year, but before I leave the United States Senate, I want to be absolutely sure that we are on a path to do all we can to keep our families strong.


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Stanley Park Pitch & Putt
2099 Beach Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6G 1Z4Map
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Stanley Park Pitch & Putt is a scenic pitch and putt course within Stanley Park, located on the West End of Vancouver. Situated along English Bay, it has tree-lined fairways and manicured greens for stress-free rounds of golf. And if a small white ball ruins your stroll in the park, you can always try lawn bowling, cricket or tennis. The park is open from 8a to dusk in summers.
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South Carolina's H3508 has passed the legislature, been signed by Governor Nikki R. Haley, and has revoked local authority to build the broadband networks they need to create new jobs. Last week, we noted some of the coverage about the bill.
After reviewing the language of the bill, we are astonished at how far the Governor and the South Carolina Legislature have gone to protect AT&T's monopoly, to the detriment of the many businesses and citizens who desperately need better access to the Internet -- whether to be more productive, competitive, or just take advantage of educational opportunities.
South Carolina is near the bottom of adoption rate in the U.S. and has a higher than average number of residents living below the poverty line. Communities with fast, affordable, and reliable access to the Internet are seeing new jobs. Those stuck on slow DSL are watching jobs wither away.
We continue to be amazed at state legislatures that are prioritizing laws to make it harder to expand broadband rather than easier. The only explanation is the vast amounts of money big companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable spend in campaign contributions.
This bill is designed to prevent local governments from building next-generation networks, even when the private sector has refused to invest. It may also put an end to projects already in the works (even those that have received BTOP or BIP funding).
H3508 is not an outright ban against municipal networks, but it might as well be. South Carolina had already discouraged community broadband networks in Article 23, Chapter 9, Title 58 of its 1976 Code. This bill ramps up the unfavorable conditions to make such investments all but impossible.
Much of telecommunications is regulated by states and the federal government, which means that local governments already have to follow the same rules as companies like AT&T and Time Warner Cable. To the extent that local governments have authority, they are required by law not to favor their own network. But South Carolina has decided to impose still more regulations only on local governments if the community decides to build its own network.
It would be impolitic to advance a bill that simply says local governments cannot invest in the essential infrastructure needed for the modern economy. So these bills are instead crafted to appear reasonable while effectively demanding that communities capture a leprechaun riding a unicorn before they can build a network.
In the coverage of this bill, few have examined the "exemptions" in depth, so that is where our coverage will focus. The "exceptions" contained to the onerous provisions of this bill are nearly impossible to qualify for and provide insufficient certainty as to how long they would apply.
You've Been 'Served'
South Carolina continues to use a 1990's definition "broadband service" of 190kbps in at least one direction. Possibly the worst broadband definition we have seen. But for the purposes of this bill and defining who is "served," they have adopted the FCC's "Basic Broadband Tier 1" as a benchmark. Currently, that is at least 768kbps in at least one direction.
Some of the regulations uniquely imposed on publicly owned networks will be relaxed if the community network can obtain "unserved" designation for a specific geographic area it wishes to serve. Designation must come from the South Carolina Public Service Commission and can only be achieved in one of two ways:
1. If the county is a "persistent poverty county" (a USDA definition) AND at least 75% of the households in a 2010 census tract have either no broadband service or only access to service from a satellite provider - In rural areas, census tracts usually include large geographic areas of many census blocks, often cross county lines, and can be arbitrarily drawn, so meeting this requirement appears quite difficult. Another difficulty is that maps depicting broadband access systematically overstate coverage, often claiming some households have access when they actually cannot connect.
As 3G wireless connections (from AT&T, Verizon, or others) exceed 768kbps in one direction, we would be surprised to find multiple connecting census tracts with 90% of households lacking "broadband." Of course, a dramatically overpriced wireless service with small monthly bandwidth caps is useless for doing homework, remote education, economic development, and pretty much anything beyond email and very basic web surfing.
2. If at least 90% of the households in the county have no broadband service or only access to service from a satellite provider - Here, the requirement shifts to census blocks, which greatly tightens the requirements. Blocks are the smallest unit of census measurement, more akin to city blocks in town, but can be much larger in rural areas. Even the 2011 North Carolina bill didn't go this far, defining "unserved" as census blocks where "at least 50% of households have no broadband service or only access to satellite service."
Catharine Rice, President of SEATOA, applied some pragmatic perspective in an email to us:
Unserved areas are defined by census blocks. So you'd have to cull together tens of thousands to make a network viable, and all of them would have to qualify as unserved... So if 11% of the homes have [basic tier 1 broadband service as defined by the FCC] (not enough speed to even download a Netflix video), that Census block is 'served.'
Also the real show stopper here is that the NTIA federal broadband maps do not measure areas by households. More specifically, the NTIA rules allow this: if one home in a census block could have broadband in 7-10 business days (as determined by the carrier reporting the data), the entire Census block is considered to have broadband. So a SC community would have to do its own broadband census survey, and that aint' cheap.
Unserved areas are defined by census blocks. So you'd have to cull together tens of thousands to make a network viable, and all of them would have to qualify as unserved... So if 11% of the homes have [basic tier 1 broadband service as defined by the FCC] (not enough speed to even download a Netflix video), that Census block is 'served.'
Also the real show stopper here is that the NTIA federal broadband maps do not measure areas by households. More specifically, the NTIA rules allow this: if one home in a census block could have broadband in 7-10 business days (as determined by the carrier reporting the data), the entire Census block is considered to have broadband. So a SC community would have to do its own broadband census survey, and that aint' cheap.
Hard to Get, Easy to Lose
Even if a county is able to qualify as "unserved" and could legally pursue a municipal network for their community, the designation is easily challenged by a resident or a competitor ISP. All it takes is an objection, the opportunity for a hearing, and testimony to stop the petition for "unserved" designation. This part of the process can halt development by at least 90 days. Time can be a killer for network planning and the big telcos know that. Theoretically, AT&T can hire a "Petition Buster" to routinely file objections and use time to destroy plans for networks. This is a common tactic used by big corporations that maintain big teams of lawyers -- they prefer to spend a little to block new competition rather than a lot to compete in a competitive market.
Exception Today, Gone Tomorrow
One of the most troubling components of the new law is the time restrictions that apply to the "exceptions." New broadband networks, both publicly and privately owned, require years to build and leave the "startup" phase.
If a county is designated as "unserved," a government entity offering service is only exempt from the crippling additional regulations for one year if that area loses its "unserved" designation. Bear in mind that these unserved areas are where the business case for broadband does not exist. So if a community can somehow build a network in this area, it will quickly lose its exemption if AT&T decides to put a 3G tower up in the area.
This is not an exemption. It was an opportunity for elected officials to pretend they didn't just give AT&T an unofficial monopoly in return for generous campaign contributions. We will be very surprised to see any community proceed with a network given the uncertainty and increased advantages this legislation gives the biggest carriers (who have refused to invest in South Carolina).
The Heartland Institute is one of those organizations that will say anything its massive corporate funders want it to. It is embroiled in a scandal from the release of internal documents due to its work challenging the science behind climate change.
In the telecom space, Heartland's employees have encouraged laws to take decision-making authority away from communities in order to benefit the massive cable and DSL companies (like Heartland-funder AT&T).
They advocate for efforts like Georgia's SB 313 and South Carolina's H3508, saying:
This is why we see bills that are supposed to "level the playing field" pushed by big companies like Time Warner Cable in North Carolina last year.
If you take a gander at Heartland's telecom work, you have to wonder why the playing field needs to be leveled if they believe what they have written:
A municipal government cannot possibly hope to compete with well-capitalized broadband providers in a highly competitive market.
For those unfamiliar with Heartland, they don't use the same definitions for common words like "competitive" as the rest of us do. In Heartland's world, "competitive" means a market in which one of our funders operates regardless of how much competition exists in it.
So why do we need new legislation to make it even harder for communities to build the networks that the cable and DSL companies won't build?
The absurdity of AT&T's push to define broadband as 200kbps is so great, it boggles the imagination. We developed the graphic below to highlight just how slow 200kbps connections are.
Feel free to spread it around. Higher quality pdf below.
Many complain about gridlock in Washington, DC, but I sometimes subscribe to the cynical counter-reaction that gridlock is great. It is when the Democrats and Republicans agree that Americans should beware.
Though this may or may not be true about politics, it is certainly true when applied to two of the most hated industries in America: cable television companies and DSL companies like AT&T. When they come to agreement, you can bet that prices are going up for the rest of us.
In our coverage of AT&T's bid to limit broadband competition in South Carolina by revoking local authority to build networks for economic development, we have thus far ignored the position of the cable companies.
We took a tour through the newsletters of the South Carolina Cable Television Association over the course of 2011, which is when AT&T introduced its H.3508 bill.
Unsurprisingly, the cable companies are thrilled at the prospect of limiting competition in communities by cutting off the ability of a community to build a network when the private sector is failing to meet their needs. From the 1st Quarter newsletter [pdf]:
The SCCTA has been actively following the AT&T-backed legislation that would amend the Government-Owned Telecommunications Service Providers Act. House Bill 3508 would impose the same requirements on government-owned broadband operations that are currently imposed on telecommunications operations.
Of course, H.3508 goes far beyond applying the "same requirements." It enacts a host of requirements that only apply to public providers, which are already disadvantaged by being much smaller than companies like Time Warner Cable and AT&T. We have long ago debunked the myth of public sector advantages over the private sector.
The second quarter newsletter [pdf] identifies this bill as the highest priority of the cable association:
H3508, the AT&T backed legislation, has been our dominate piece of legislation in 2011.
Even after the bill was shelved for the year, it remained a high priority for the cable lobbyists (who, of course, need something to do while shmoozing at the capitol day in and day out) according to the 3rd quarter newsletter [pdf]:
The SC Cable Television Association will continue to work to move H3508...
And finally, in the 4th quarter [pdf], we get a sense that all that lobbying has been successful:
When session ended last year, the bill was in Senate Judiciary subcommittee (Sen. Luke Rankin – Chair, Sen. Brad Hutto & Sen. Paul Campbell). Our team of lobbyists have been working very hard meeting with members of the full Senate Judiciary Committee to move this important industry bill forward. As of writing this column, we expect new amendments dealing with Clemson's Light Rail initiative and Orangeburg County. Our team has been assured the two counties who received the broadband stimulus funds, administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service, will NOT provide service in areas that is capable of receiving other broadband services. This bill is to be heard before full Senate Judiciary and will then head to the Senate floor.
Democracy in action! We know that the private sector will not create competition by itself. In fact, the future will be less competitive as cable systems generally provide faster connections than DSL and wireless, which will compete for those who don't mind slowly surfing.
South Carolina's businesses that want to thrive in the digital economy might consider looking at the nearby job-creator-friendly broadband networks in Brisol, Virginia; Danville, Virginia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Salisbury, North Carolina; and Wilson, North Carolina. Those communities have the fastest connections in the US at the most affordable prices.
AT&T lobbyists in Georgia and South Carolina are arguing that local governments should not be allowed to build the networks that communities need, suggesting that the private sector is primed to make the necessary connections. But AT&T's CEO had a different message for investors a few weeks ago, in an earnings call on January 26:
The other is rural access lines; we have been apprehensive on moving, doing anything on rural access lines because the issue here is, do you have a broadband product for rural America?
We've all been trying to find a broadband solution that was economically viable to get out to rural America, and we're not finding one to be quite candid. The best opportunity we have is LTE.
The other is rural access lines; we have been apprehensive on moving, doing anything on rural access lines because the issue here is, do you have a broadband product for rural America?
We've all been trying to find a broadband solution that was economically viable to get out to rural America, and we're not finding one to be quite candid. The best opportunity we have is LTE.
Whoa! LTE is what you more commonly hear called 4G in mobile phone commercials. The best they can do is eventually build a wireless network that allows a user to transfer just 2GB/month. That is fine for hand-held devices but it does nothing to encourage economic development or allow residents to take advantage of remote education opportunities.
But even the CEO admits they are not bullish on LTE as the solution:
[W]e're looking at rural America and asking, what's the broadband solution? We don't have one right now.
Some may be wondering about "U-Verse" -- AT&T's super DSL that competes with cable in the wealthy neighborhoods of bigger cities. U-Verse cannot match the capacity or quality of modern cable networks but is better than older DSL technologies. But U-Verse is not coming to a rural community near you.
For those who missed the fanfare last year, AT&T's U-Verse build is done. AT&T's lobbyists have probably forgotten to tell Georgia and South Carolina Legislators that the over 20 million AT&T customers without access to U-Verse are not going to get it. But CEO Stephenson made sure investors weren't worried about AT&T continuing to invest in its wireline infrastructure:
In wireline, our U-verse build is now largely complete, so we have in place an IP video and broadband platform that reaches 30 million customer locations, which gives us significant headroom now to drive penetration.
Translation: AT&T will now focus on upselling customers in markets with U-Verse. If it doesn't run through your neighborhood already, you aren't getting it.
The rest are stuck on dial-up or DSL that AT&T's CEO has previously called obsolete (correctly). While AT&T's CEO has been honest about its inability to solve real broadband deployment gaps, AT&T's lobbyists have tried to advance a bill with the ludicrously low broadband definition of 200kbps and even more absurdly, the even slower definition of 190kbps.
The business model of AT&T and other big cable and DSL companies simply does not work in much of rural America. The question is why any state would foreclose the possibility of communities being self-reliant when major companies like AT&T candidly admit they have no solution and the best they can do is deliver an obsolete product.
State legislators need to pay more attention to what AT&T's CEO says and less what AT&T's lobbyists say.
Fast, affordable, and reliable access to the Internet is essential for communities to thrive in the digital age. Not every community wants to build a community networks and most undoubtdly won't. But that is decision they should make locally. Pending legislation in Georgia and South Carolina would take this decision out of the hands of these communities by enacting a host of new regulations on public networks that do not apply to the private sector. As in North Carolina, these bills effectively revoke local decision-making authority by creating impossible hurdles for communities that are already disadvantaged in the modern economy.
With AT&T continuing to push H.3508, a bill to further erode local authority over broadband and ensure AT&T faces no competition in areas of the state, a number of corporations have signed a letter asking the South Carolina Legislature not to chase jobs out of the state. Though the bill has not yet had a hearing this year, we have seen hearings scheduled and know that the bill is being actively considered behind the scenes.
Dear Senator McConnell and Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:
We, the private-sector companies and trade associations listed below, urge you to oppose H.3508 because these bills, on top of South Carolina's existing barrier to public communications initiatives, codified in SC Code §§ 58-9-2600 et seq., will harm both the public and private sectors, stifle economic growth, prevent the creation or retention of thousands of jobs, hamper work force development and diminish the quality of life in South Carolina. In particular, these bills will hurt the private sector in several ways: by curtailing public-private partnerships, stifling private companies that sell equipment and services to public broadband providers, and impairing educational and occupational opportunities that contribute to a skilled workforce from which businesses across the state will benefit.
The United States continues to suffer through difficult economic times. The private sector alone cannot lift the United States out of this crisis. As a result, federal and state efforts are taking place across the Nation to deploy both private and public broadband infrastructure to stimulate and support economic development and jobs, especially in economically distressed areas. For example, in South Carolina, Orangeburg and Oconee Countieshave received broadband stimulus awards to bring much-needed broadband services and capabilities to communities that the private sector has chosen not to serve adequately. H.3508, together with SC Code §§ 58-9-2600 et seq., would impose burdensome financial and regulatory requirements that will prevent public broadband providers from building the sorely needed advanced broadband infrastructure that will stimulate local businesses development, foster work force retraining, and boost employment in these economically depressed areas.
Consistent with these expressions of national unity, public entities across America, including South Carolina, are ready, willing, and able to do their share to bring affordable high-capacity broadband connectivity to all Americans. Enactment or retention of direct or effective barriers to community broadband, such as H.3508 and SC Code §§ 58-9-2600 et seq., would be counterproductive to the achievement of these goals. These measures are also inconsistent with our country's National Broadband Plan, which recommends that no new barriers be enacted and that existing barriers be removed.
We support strong, fair and open competition to ensure that users can enjoy the widest range of choices and opportunities. H.3508 is a step in the wrong direction. South Carolina should be removing barriers to public broadband initiatives rather than establishing new ones, so that high technology companies can spread and prosper into all the communities in this beautiful state. Please oppose H.3508, repeal SC Code § 58-9-2600 et seq., and reject any future measures that could significantly impair municipal broadband deployments or public-private partnerships in South Carolina.
American Public Power Association
Atlantic Engineering
Fiber to the Home Council
Southeast Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors
Telecommunications Industry Association
Utilities Telecom Counci
With AT&T again pushing a bill in South Carolina to revoke local authority to build community broadband networks, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisers has sent a letter to the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee [pdf] opposing H3508. The bill will be considered by that committee on Thursday, January 26. South Carolina already restricts local authority to build networks but this bill would essentially close off any possibility of doing so.
Dear Senator Rankin:
The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) joins the growing chorus of business, consumer, and government groups and associations in opposing H. 3508 (Government Owned Communications Service Providers). This bill will harm your state's economic growth and do little if anything to promote competition or to bring advanced communications services to the citizens of South Carolina. Hamstringing local government efforts to provide fiber networks will simply result in the further flow of millions of investment dollars to neighboring states such as Tennessee.
NATOA has long supported community broadband networks because they offer the promise of increased economic development and jobs, enhanced market competition, improved delivery of e-government services, and accelerated and affordable Internet access for all. Communities across America are ready and eager to bring the economic and social benefits of broadband access to their citizens. But private providers alone will not bring these advanced services to all parts of our country, especially to those communities that do not fit into the companies' business plans.
As a result, hundreds of cities have launched community broadband initiatives, either with private partners or on their own, and many more are now in the planning stages. Communities should be encouraged to step forward to do their part to ensure the rapid deployment of broadband to all Americans, and they should have the freedom to choose what makes the most sense for their citizens. H. 3508 will simply make it more difficult for public broadband providers from building the advanced broadband infrastructure necessary to stimulate local business development, work force retraining, and employment in economically depressed areas.
Among other things, the bill's definition of "broadband service" – 190 kilobits per second ("kbps") at least one direction – is extremely low. In its 2010 Sixth Broadband Progress Report, the Federal Communications Commission raised its decade-old minimum broadband speed threshold from services in excess of 200 kbps in both directions to services enabling actual download speeds of at least 4 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1 Mbps. But even this threshold is viewed by many as too slow to support the applications available in the marketplace today, as well as rapidly emerging technologies and applications for teleworking, distance learning, and telemedicine. Unfortunately, even with this minimum threshold speed, South Carolina, according to a recent FCC Internet Access Services report, has the fifth worst level of broadband in the United States (out of 44 states with data reporting) with only 17% of households having that level of access available.
Rather than erecting further barriers to entry, South Carolina should be encouraging community leaders to develop networks that make sense for their communities, including public-private partnerships and systems wholly owned by municipalities.
Thank you for your consideration.
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This old chap sells food for the fishes of Naini Lake at Nainital, Uttarakhand (India).
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In truth, though I like the picture, it would have had much greater impact had you bent low and took the shot upwards into his face. Having said that, I do believe you have a talent and agree that this is a good b+w image.
Nominating Constructive Critique
Hi Alakananda,
I have to agree with the above with regards to this image working in B&W and I think you have captured him very well. Personally I would have liked the highlights down a touch and the lines on his face enhancing more (see mod). I have probably overdone the mod but it will give you an idea of what I mean.
Well done Alakananda, good capture.
Take care
Nominating Constructive Critique
This could have been superb, but you have quite a few blown highlights. The contrast is quite high - is it so in the original. I suspect some over exposure, but a correct exposure would have given you a very dark face. However, lightening shadows is possible, putting detail in highlights is difficult.
Nominating Constructive Critique
Thanks Martin, Paul and Mugshotmyk. Martin the mod was helpful...in fact I too felt the lack of lines on the face, but now I know how it could have been done.
Nominating Constructive Critique
And thanks Debu for the appreciation.
Nominating Constructive Critique
This is a very nice shot except that overexposure has caused his beard and, to a lesser extent, the side of his nose, to turn into a solid block of white. I suspect that may have happened while you were adjusting the contrast after converting to black and white, since the scene doesn't seem to be particularly strongly lit. The shot would be even better if he was glancing up at the camera but it works well as you have it: I assume he's tending to his stall.
You can emphasize the lines on his face by sharpening. A general sharpening of the whole image will probably do the trick -- use unsharp mask, with radius about 0.7, clipping 0 and strength enough to have an effect but not so much that you get pixellation of his hair and haloes at high-contrast edges. If that doesn't do enough for his wrinkles, freehand select the area you want to work with, feather the selection by, say, 10 pixels and sharpen again with a higher radius, say 3 or 4. You'll probably need a much lower strength at the higher radius.
Nominating Constructive Critique
Thanks a ton Dave!
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Belle Amore' is located in Oak Ridge, a beautiful development area, just 2 miles from Broken Bow Lake. It is located on HWY 259 A on approximately 1 ½ wooded acres.
If you are looking for a honeymoon retreat, an anniversary haven, or just a weekend getaway for two, this is the perfect place for you! This cabin is ideal for the ultimate romantic getaway.
Belle Amore', downstairs, features a large romantic two sided fireplace that can be enjoyed in the living area and the bedroom. In front of the fireplace, in the bedroom, there is a stunning whirlpool tub with a waterfall faucet. From the king size bed you can enjoy the view of the fireplace and the tub, which has candles for the perfect atmosphere. The 5 ft. tile shower in the downstairs bath has glassed windows and two shower heads with a hand held sprayer. The patio door in the bedroom leads out to a large covered deck at the back where the hot tub and porch swing are located. This cabin is the supreme setting for a luxurious romantic stay.
The kitchen is fully equipped with stainless steel appliances which includes refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher. The counters are beautiful granite with a bar and bar stools.
The upstairs loft has a pool table, a bar area, sitting area and full bath. This cabin has an Italian Country theme and is designed for a couple's perfect getaway.
This trip was for my wife's birthday, but she didn't have a clue as to our destination. As far as she knew, we were going to have to camp in a mud puddle. When we pulled in to the driveway, she was shocked to find out that Belle Amore' was ours for three nights. Everything was perfect! The cabin and amenities definitely exceeded every expectation that I could have had and I wouldn't recommend a thing. We were able to spend some extra needed time to focus on us and on the reasons why we love to be with one another. Thank you very much for the opportunity to share Belle Amore'.. we will definitely be back again to see the other cabins available.
We were so excited to arrive at Belle Amore because it was a surprise trip for my husband! We were more then satisfied with everything this place has to offer!! We are so ready to go back! We Loved the cabin so much we would love to build one and retire in a place just like this one!! :)
My wife and I went to Belle Amore' for a fantastic 20-year wedding anniversary! We really enjoyed the rustic wood decor, while still having the modern conveniences of the spacious shower, full-size jacuzzi tub, big screen TV with DVD player and functional kitchen. The king-size bed was also extremely comfortable, and we had fun shooting a few rounds of pool! Highly recommended for a private couple's escape. We'll cherish the memories for years to come!
My wife and I stayed at Belle Amore for her birthday and it was great! Beautiful cabin with everything you need. We utilized everything. Pool table, TV, kitchen and supplies, fire pit, hot tub, and grill. Its definitely a luxury cabin and I would recommend it to anyone. There are cabins on either side about 50 yards away but there is a nice tree line that separates each lot. It is not far off the main highway but still feels secluded. 3 hour drive from Dallas area. Great experience. We will definitely be back!
This was definitely the nicest place we have ever been to. The place was spotless. Everything was as promised if not better. We have only been married 3 years and have a baby on the way. We are both tired school teachers in much need of some time together. This was the perfect get away. We would love to do this again!
This was the most beautiful place I have ever had the privilege of staying at. My husband and I went for a weekend getaway to rewind and reset, it was the perfect setting for that. The cabin itself is beautiful and the amenities are even better. The large jetted tub, two person shower and jacuzzi were amazing! We can't wait to come back :)
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Holiday Rate $240
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That is the highest percentage of voters they have self-identified as gay(or bi) so far. So that was roughly 6 million gay Americans who voted in this election. A fairly important demographic, for instance Asian Americans were only 3% of the electorate. Still can't be believe that 27% voted for Romney, someone who supported a constitutional amendment to keep us as second class citizens. Still that is a lower percentage of the gay vote than McCain got. Anyway, interesting to know.
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6) Low back support pillow for traveling: Fill the main compartment of a lightweight fanny-pack with bubble wrap, fill small side pockets with keys, cash, cards, meds. etc..
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text: My DH has been on paternity leave for 2 1/2 weeks now. Our DD is 3 months. He is having a very hard time adjusting. I think his main problem is having someone so dependant and needy all day long. He dosen't feel like he gets anything acomplished and gets angry and frustrated. He is particularly frustrated in the afternoons when DD is fussy and he can't fix it. I have tried to tell him that his job is taking care of DD, nothing else needs to get done, and her fussyness is normal, there is nothing he can do but try to comfort her and wait it out. But, he is feeling very isolated right now. I had a Mommmy and Me group to go to that helped me, unfortunatly there is nothing like that around here for him. I know it took me several weeks to overcome my doubts as a new mom. Any suggestions on how I can help him transition to being the great, confident dad I know he can be?


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XMPP Broken since patch?
Hi Folks,
Is anyone else not able to log into chat via XMPP? I use Pidgin and its no longer able to connect, says "service unavailable" ?
I hate using the in game chat client so Pidgin is a boon to me :(
might need to redo your settings/check your firewall, but atm no, im still connected to the xmpp service for sto/co.
Thats very odd. Nothings changed on this PC yet I get service unavailable. I'll reboot the rooter in a mo just in case my ISP is doing something whacky.
Hmmmm seems I cant enter Rooms in Pidgin but tells still come through on it OK.
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text:
AsdeqDocs Delivers Military-Grade Encryption Standards with Editing, Collaboration and Automatic Synchronization of Corporate Files on iPads and Android Tablets
AsdeqLabs Joins the McAfee Security Innovation Alliance Program; Integration to Empower Enterprises with Exceptional Security for Their Mobile Strategy
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 14, 2013
AsdeqLabs introduces its highly secure mobile content management solution for complete corporate document management on mobile devices, and announces that it has been included in the McAfee Security Innovation Alliance (SIA) Program. AsdeqLabs has many customers across business and government of its AsdeqDocs solution in Australia and is currently expanding to North America.
As a member of the McAfee Security Innovation Alliance, AsdeqLabs and McAfee will integrate their solutions to not only protect mobile devices but also provide secure access to business documents. This integration supports the AsdeqLabs strategy to change the way mobile devices are used in enterprises by enabling secure mobile access to the most up-to-date versions of documents stored on corporate networks.
The company´s flagship product, AsdeqDocs®, enables military-grade encryption standards for the distribution and synchronization of sensitive corporate documents accessed from iPad and Android tablets. AsdeqDocs offers significant benefits to enterprises, fulfilling needs not adequately met with other solutions:
- Military-Grade Security: AsdeqDocs lives within the corporate firewall and enforces the security permissions of all existing systems.
- Extensive ECM Integration: AsdeqDocs integrates with more major existing document repositories than any other solution, with access to all types of documents from tablet devices.
- Document-Level Security: AsdeqDocs replicates and enforces on the iPad all changes to document access permissions, as defined by each individual backend repository. This ensures that, up to the minute, users have access only to the documents they are permitted to see–and nothing more.
- Online and Offline: Documents are fully accessible from a secure mobile app regardless of where the user may be–online or offline–and always within a truly secure enterprise mobility platform.
- Powerful Search Features: Mobile workers can quickly browse, search and organize all corporate information both on the device and on corporate servers directly from the tablet.
- Productivity and Collaboration: Improve team productivity and collaboration with tools that make it highly secure and simple to edit, annotate, organize and share documents.
- Easy Administration: Simple to set up and fully maintainable through an intuitive Web admin interface, with detailed auditing of all users and documents.
- Truly Mobile Workforce: Designed with the sole purpose of empowering the mobile workforce, AsdeqDocs is used by security-conscious organizations across various industries, including education, government and business.
"AsdeqLabs has listened to the concerns voiced by enterprises globally and has taken an innovative and new approach completely absent from other enterprise mobile content management solutions," said Mike Nermut, founder of AsdeqLabs. "Our platform fully integrates with existing IT infrastructure, security policies and business practices and makes documents not just accessible but editable from mobile apps, whether users are online or off. As we bring our solution to the U.S. market, our partnership with McAfee is yet another way we are optimizing deployment and protection for our customers."
"We are pleased to welcome AsdeqLabs to the McAfee SIA program," said Ed Barry, vice president of the Security Innovation Alliance, McAfee. "Enterprise users are already using a wide range of mobile devices to access corporate information, and our joint solution with AsdeqLabs will enhance the security of these devices while also providing important productivity tools for business use."
McAfee Security Innovation Alliance
The McAfee Security Innovation Alliance is the foundation of a technology ecosystem designed to assemble the world´s leading security innovations. Working together, McAfee and partners like AsdeqLabs deliver solutions more comprehensive than those available from any single vendor. The Security Innovation Alliance enables McAfee customers to leverage their investments in McAfee while adding complementary capabilities not found in McAfee´s core offerings.
About AsdeqLabs
AsdeqLabs is changing the way mobile devices are used in enterprises by enabling secure mobile access to the most up-to-date versions of documents stored on corporate networks. The AsdeqDocs enterprise mobile content management solution brings military-grade encryption standards to the distribution and synchronization of sensitive corporate documents accessed from iPad and Android tablets. Founded in 2011, AsdeqLabs comprises a highly experienced team of entrepreneurs, technologists and business experts who have led some of Australia´s most successful national and international IT organizations and has deep experience in the U.K. and the U.S. More information on AsdeqLabs is online at http://asdeqlabs.com/.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/3/prweb10525437.htm


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The real Sir Alex Ferguson: memories of his ghost-writer
David Meek covered Manchester United for the Manchester Evening News from 1958 to 1995. He has ghosted the programme notes for every United manager from Sir Matt Busby through to Sir Alex Ferguson. Here he gives his personal recollections of Ferguson, who he used to meet at United's Carrington training ground each week for 26 years.
I nailed my colours to the mast three years into Sir Alex Ferguson's trophy-laden 26-year reign as manager of Manchester United.
But this was before all the silverware started to arrive. It was in fact a turbulent time, as the Reds sank into the bottom half of the table after a run of 11 league games without a win, despite spending a lot of money on players like Gary Pallister, Danny Wallace, Paul Ince, Neil Webb and Mike Phelan.
They just weren't gelling - perhaps too many new faces introduced too quickly - and the mood was captured by one unhappy fan who held up a bed sheet at Old Trafford on which he had painted: "Three years of excuses and we're still crap, ta-ra Fergie".
The knives were certainly out as United approached the third round of the FA Cup with a tricky tie at Nottingham Forest and injuries to key players.
Television commentator Jimmy Hill even said United looked like a beaten team in the warm-up.
My editor at the Manchester Evening News ran a phone-in asking readers to vote on whether Ferguson should be sacked. The result of the poll showed a majority in favour of him going and I was asked to write a story accordingly.
In fact, what I did was argue that if you deducted the votes of Manchester City fans wanting to cause mischief and you took into account the United supporters who couldn't be bothered to ring in, you were left with an overwhelming vote of confidence in Alex Ferguson.
It was all very tongue in cheek on my part and my editor wasn't best pleased, but it went into the paper before he could do anything about it. That was the moment I became a 'Fergie man', close enough to help write his programme notes for 26 years.
Early riser...
"Sir Alex is a man of confidence with an unshakeable belief in his abilities which, along with many other qualities, makes him the stand-out manager of all time.
His attention to detail and capacity for hard work are unbelievable, as I mused one day when I sat sipping a cup of tea at 7.30am in the dining room at United's Carrington training ground waiting for his arrival.
I was there as Sir Alex's 'ghost', to work with him on the column he writes in the match programme for all home fixtures. I'm used to the early starts.
He likes to get this kind of job out of the way before the real business of his day involving his coaching staff and of course the players. This morning, though, I congratulate myself on arriving before him and get ready to enjoy telling him he's late. But then I'm told by one of the other early arrivals, a cleaner, that he is already here and in the gym while he waits for me!
A few minutes later he's in the canteen with a bowl of porridge - with salt not sugar of course. He had found his work-out hard going, but then you would, wouldn't you, if you have turned 70 and been up since the crack of dawn because once awake you can't wait to start work.
This is a manager as keen to get to grips with the day as he was when he first bounced into Manchester more than 26 years ago years ago, fresh from slaying the two Glasgow monsters of Rangers and Celtic as manager of Aberdeen.
Now he can take life a little more leisurely, perhaps even get up a bit later. Though somehow I doubt it."
David Meek
It wasn't just blind loyalty, though, toadying up to the manager - more a conviction that given time he would come good. For I knew all the far-sighted work he had done behind the scenes, putting an end to the drinking culture by transferring Norman Whiteside and Paul McGrath, and totally reorganising the youth set-up which was about to deliver the enormously promising FA Youth Cup-winning team containing players like Gary Neville, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.
My support for the manager at a critical time in his career established a trust that would prove enormously helpful in 37 years covering Manchester United for my paper and, after my retirement from the Evening News, as a freelancer writing about the club, helping to set up the United museum at Old Trafford, and scripting the panels for the Munich tunnel.
Not that it protected me completely from the occasional 'hairdryer' treatment when he considered the Evening News had let him down.
For instance, I felt the full force of his anger when we printed a story about his players visiting the SAS at Hereford in a bid to toughen up their attempts to win the league title. He slaughtered me and my editor because he said we were exposing his people to retaliation from the IRA. He said he was ending his co-operation with us, although he did tell me that it was nothing personal.
That helped, because I realised he had exploded with rage because he wanted me to go back and tell the editor that on no account must we print any more stories against his wishes.
I learned then that this remarkable manager aimed to have control of not just his football club but everything else that had a bearing on its welfare. To an astonishing extent he succeeded because in addition to his anger he has a personality that can be extremely persuasive.
For a start, Ferguson has always had an air of authority about him, as Brian McClair, one of his first signings for United and now manager of the club's academy, explained to me. "I remember meeting Alex Ferguson for the first time when I was playing for Celtic and in Monaco to receive the Golden Boot award as Europe's top scorer," he said.
"He was there representing Aberdeen and after the dinner and presentations he asked me what I was going to do. I told him that I wanted to take the opportunity of being in Monte Carlo by going to the famous casino, to which he said, 'Oh no you're not, son, you are going to your bed'.
"The funny thing was that even though I didn't play for his club and he wasn't my manager, that's exactly what I did. There was just something about the man that I didn't want to argue with. He has a natural authority.
"Somehow you just accept that what he says is right. I was young, but even so, that first experience of meeting him has never left me."
But for every tale of Fergie the hard man, like the time he dropped Jim Leighton for an FA Cup final replay and broke his heart as well as his career, there are just as many instances of Alex the softie, like his unsung charity work and supporting the boys' club he played football for when he was growing up in Glasgow, along with his readiness to pay his respects to old friends, be it a leaving party or a funeral.
I doubt whether Alice, a long-time United supporter celebrating her 100th birthday in a nursing home in Leicester, will ever forget the unheralded arrival of Sir Alex to wish her many happy returns. At one point the matron rushed in to announce that the Queen's traditional telegram had arrived.
"Oh never mind the Queen," said Alice. "Alex is here!"
Equally appreciative, I'm sure, is the long-serving member of staff who doesn't drive and clearly had a problem getting to United's isolated training ground at Carrington when her husband, who used to drive her to work every day, died. Now she comes to and from work in a taxi laid on by Sir Alex.
I also experienced his concerned care. A few years ago I had bowel cancer and in addition to receiving the traditional flowers, I answered the phone at home one afternoon as I recuperated from the operation to hear a voice coming down the line: "The Scottish beast is on his way."
The manager had not forgotten his programme ghost and he came to deliver an encouraging message. "You can handle it," he said. Coming from him I found his words quite inspirational.
We all know how much Sir Alex has achieved in the game - more than any other British manager - but he has also touched the lives of so many away from the glamour of football, and these moments are also very precious.
Comment number 22. Posted by andygnon 19 May 2013 02:15
Those anti Man Utd comments won't make any difference. Fergie is the greatest there has been. You guys can only suck but you can't change the fact. If you can't take it any more, don't read his articles again. Better still, go to the golf course so you won't sorrow in his success story!
Comment number 21. Posted by Dean Smithon 19 May 2013 02:03
This comment was removed because it broke the house rules. Explain
Comment number 20. Posted by hunk4hireon 19 May 2013 01:55
Oh diddums! Is somebody forcing you to read these articles?
You see that narrow strip on the right hand side of your monitor? It's called a scroll bar. Click on it and it will move you right on by the stories which don't interest you. That way, those of us who'd like to read these things can be left in peace.
Comment number 19. Posted by Dean Smithon 19 May 2013 01:52
What? Has Alex Ferguson retired? No one told me. On no wait, the BBC website did....every day. For 3 weeks. Still, hopefully the BBC can get back to publishing less sycophantic tripe in the next few weeks. Then again they'll probably try and tell us that Red Nose Day was thought up by Fergie ......
Comment number 18. Posted by alouficaon 19 May 2013 01:47
seriously bbc we have had enough of slurgie the bully not another article
Comment number 17. Posted by Mongoletsion 19 May 2013 01:12
He might be an irritable, cantankerous, and downright objectionable git; but he's the only manager I've ever known as a Utd supporter of 20+ years, and I'll honestly never tire of reading stuff like this.
We'll cheer on Moyes at first simply because SAF told us to. Says it all about the man.
Comment number 16. Posted by wazzadownunderon 19 May 2013 00:53
Personally I don't think I will ever tire of hearing stories about Sir Alex, even though I am not a United man. He is a reminder to us all of what is possible for someone with a professional attitude, high standards and an honest work ethic.
Comment number 15. Posted by BackOfTheNeton 19 May 2013 00:52
@1 mwarsame
Maybe Mr. mwarsame can explain why he reads so much into programme notes and doesn't just get a life?
This guy has been 'ghost writing' these notes for decades, it's hardly news. Do we really expect managers to coach, manage, scout players, meet sponsors, talk to the media etc etc all by themselves?
They might get paid a lot but there's still only 24 hours in a day!
Comment number 14. Posted by Mike Duffyon 19 May 2013 00:49
For Ferguson, managing Man U was never a job or a way of making a living. lt was a passion, a 26 hours a day, eight days a week commitment to excellence.
Like Busby, Shankly, Clough and others soccer was a science incorporating man management, player development, team discipline and WINNING.
Man U fans around the world owe the man a huge vote of thanks for the pleasure he had given us.
Comment number 13. Posted by U15728086on 19 May 2013 00:32
All this user's posts have been removed. Why?
Comment number 12. Posted by TwoWardrobeson 19 May 2013 00:09
Why the hell does the BBC open these articles up to comments?! It's really boring reading the rubbish some stupid little children write. The story is enough. I don't care what the great unwashed think. Why don't you just have an email address so people can send in their feedback ... it's inappropriate to open a public forum for it.
Comment number 11. Posted by Vonvanvolon 18 May 2013 23:54
Let us move on please - this is now very boring
Comment number 10. Posted by bangslukeon 18 May 2013 23:39
hahaah Fergie was lucky to have such players as Beckham. I could have one with Beckham in my team, Fergie doesnt deserve the credit hes given
Comment number 9. Posted by GeoffreyBoycottsTeamTalkon 18 May 2013 23:35
I envy Fergie for his career: something that he was so devoted to, so successful in, and had so much glory right into his 70's. He is a huge inspiration. I will always have time to listen to what he has said. A great personality with great philosophies. Thanks Fergie.
Comment number 8. Posted by Stephenon 18 May 2013 23:35
Cue all the angry, bitter comments from all the angry, bitter people who can't accept that Fergie is a canny bloke away from the touchline, and one who has had a positive impact on many, many people. In their minds, turning up for the 100th birthday of an old lady is outweighed in the character stakes by some perceived slight against their club or favourite manager (spoken in the heat of battle).
Comment number 7. Posted by LWVPon 18 May 2013 23:32
Apparently he's retiring
Comment number 6. Posted by pal47on 18 May 2013 23:30
Sir Alex Ferguson = The GODFATHER of Football
Comment number 5. Posted by King George MCMLXXXIXon 18 May 2013 23:24
The real Sir Alex Ferguson?
Rock of Gibraltar
Comment number 4. Posted by GreenIshon 18 May 2013 23:23
#1,because you cant handle the truth! Always nice to see some old pictures of fergie,reminds me of how much of a beast he really is.
Comment number 3. Posted by Nostalgicon 18 May 2013 23:15
Psychophantic piece.
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21.01.06 - By Brian "Mick" McDonald: Following the announcement of the April 8th fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Zab Judah, I began to contemplate, once again, the status of the sport of boxing and whether or not it is collectively headed in a direction that will help elevate it to the level of popularity it once had. Coincidentally, the announcement of the aforementioned fight happened on the day of the second Morales vs. Pacquio fight, which is another fight that falls into the same category: a Pay-Per-View non-title bout amongst two "big name" fighters. Granted, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is generally considered to be the pound for pound best fighter in the world the same cannot be said about Zab Judah. With a suspect chin, questionable training habits, and general disrespectful in-ring behavior, it's clear that Judah is getting the fight because along the way he has managed to make a name for himself by showing signs of stunning technical brilliance. The Cory Spinks fight was a great example of what Judah is capable of. But, after his lackluster performance against Carlos Baldomir, getting a chance to fight Mayweather is an honor that he hasn't necessarily earned. It is the NFL equivalent to inviting the Patriots to the 2006 Super Bowl based on their past accomplishments and their status as fan favorites. Unlike the NFL, and setting all logic aside, I believe that is the type of fight that is exactly what the sport needs..
The boxing purists, of which I consider myself, will have a tendency to argue that Judah doesn't deserve this fight. But looking at the bigger picture, what's at stake here is the popularity of boxing, more so than belts or division ranking. Do the alphabet belts have any relevance to the casual fan? With the seemingly endless number of belts available at any given weight division, can the casual fan really be expected to believe that virtually every fight is a "championship match?" I rather doubt it. What does a fight like Mayweather vs. Judah say about boxing? I think it's very telling in two areas: 1) fight fans, particularly the casual fans, are not concerned with who is the champion or holds a belt; rather, they would prefer to see a bout with two fighters whom they are familiar with. 2) The need for a National Boxing Commission is mandatory if we can expect boxing to regain it's elite status as a professional sport.
Are boxing fans looking for good fights or familiar faces? Most of the people I talk boxing with, whom are primarily casual fans, often argue that Mike Tyson is the greatest fighter that ever lived. As absurd, so should I say ludicrous, as it may seem, they have continued to order his PPV's despite his downward spiral in and out of the ring. Can these same casual fans appreciate a Mayweather vs. Baldomir fight? Not only would they not pay to see it, they probably wouldn't even watch it. Of course, people like me will often ineffectively promote these fights at the office water cooler and are baffled at the inability of sports fans to appreciate the phenomenal skills of the elite pound for pound fighters like Winky Wright, Bernard Hopkins, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. When Monday comes around and we're looking to strike up a conversation about some of the particulars from the fights that took place Saturday night it's often that we, the purists, are the only ones that tuned in to watch it unfold round by round. As a professional sport, boxing obviously relies on generating excitement and the subsequent income and as a result these casual fans are a very important part of the future of boxing. The issue often becomes finding the balance between integrity and the money associated with popularity.
As fight fans, many of us acknowledge the Ring Magazine ratings as the standard. Their rating system is intelligent and mostly free of the financially persuading factors that permeate the divisions. However, when the promoters or divisions prevent the best from fighting the best, there's often times an element of speculation involved. Their system is much like the BCS rating used in NCAA Football. Although, those that follow NCAA Football will also note that many take exception to that system and it is not without it's own flaws. USC not playing Texas in 2005 for example. With boxing, the ranking should be much easier. It's simply a matter of fighters getting in the ring and either knocking out their opponent or relying on their pugilistic abilities to persuade the ring side judges to give them rounds, presumably in a fair and unbiased way.
At this time, I believe it is more important that we see fighters make more money by taking the popular matches than it is to maintain integrity within their division. In the case of the Mayweather vs. Judah fight were are not seeing the best two fighters, but that's not really important. We're seeing two exciting fighters with established reputations. A short time ago we were fortunate enough that two fighters chose to forfeit their belts so that we could see the best two fighters clash. I am referring to Antonio Tarver & Glencoffe Johnson's first fight. In that bout we were able to see the two best fighters disregard mandatory bouts for the sake of proving who was the best in the division regardless of rank. While Tarver may have lost his belts as a result of taking the fight, he did get paid and he pleased the boxing public in the process. By breaking the rules of the boxing establishment Tarver was able to strike the balance between integrity and popularity. He did more for boxing by taking that fight than he would have done by keeping his belts and fighting the mandatory contenders. Therein lies another glaring example of the point I'm trying to make. Many of the problems with the public perception of boxing can be attributed to the numerous divisions and self-serving promoters. One of the other negative results of this is that the kids are disinterested in boxing because they can make more money in other professional sports.
Do you think Tiger Woods' notoriously obsessive father would have encouraged his son to play golf if it was a sport that had a reputation of corruption and mistreating the players? Me either. It's no secret that athletic kids and their parents are more inspired by pursuing a sport that will bring them the greatest financial rewards. I'd argue that most kids will be interested in participating in a high dollar sport as opposed to something that offers status as a reward. With younger kids, soccer could be an exception. The though of drawing motivation and parental support while working towards the goal of being able to earn one of the countless belts in a given weight division just doesn't seem to ring with the same resonance as the goals with the dollar signs do. The quitter mentality that seemed to overwhelm the 2004 United States Olympics boxing team is a perfect example of the effects of a misguided perception of the reward system. More than once I recall announcer Teddy Atlas saying that some of the poor performing fighters were looking forward to turning pro and getting paid to box. Fortunately for us, Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell had integrity and honor and fought accordingly. As a result, both fighters have established more interest in the first year of their respective careers than their fellow teammates. In the long term, they will undoubtedly be rewarded for their Olympic efforts. Given the lack of talent in the Heavy Weight division, the undisputed cash-cow division in boxing, I would say that encouraging kids to pursue boxing is a very important issue for the future social status of the sport.
I guess the question ask is whether or not it is always possible to simultaneously gain both popularity and integrity in the sport. Without a National Boxing Commission, I don't believe we can effectively manage both issues simultaneously. Senator John McCain's United States Boxing Commission Act should help us restore faith in the sport, but there still has to be fights that draw interest from the casual fans of the sweet science. I believe the short term effects of having the most exciting fights, despite lack of entitlement, will reap the biggest benefit for the sport both in terms of popularity and finances. If the sport can begin to rebuild a stronger fan base, one can only hope that more public interest will result in more fans calling for the elimination of the elements that can be linked to either real or perceived corruption.
With regards to the very fight that was the elixir for this train of thought, we'll have to wait and see whether or not the fans will pay to see it. I have a feeling they will. As such, I believe this fight and fights of this nature, in the long term, are not only good for the sport of boxing they are also necessary. The simple fact that the fight announcement was on the ESPN ticker today shows early signs of above average general sports media interest.
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Mini Snowman
crafts & activities
Mini Snowman
For your privacy, Lakeshore will not be sending your information to any third party.
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This smiling snowman is easy and fun to make—complete with jaunty hat and wind-swept scarf!
This activity is appropriate for:
preschool & up / 3 years & up
You will need:
- Cut about 2" off the end of a pipe stem. The small pieces will be used to hold the "snowballs" together; the long pieces will be used for the scarf.
- Make two "snowballs" out of the white air-dry clay. One "snowball" should be slightly smaller than the other.
- Use wiggly eyes and other collage materials to create the snowman's face and hat on the smaller "snowball."
- To the larger "snowball", add buttons, Wikki Stix for arms and other fun collage materials.
- Push one end of the small pipe stem into the top-center of your snowman's body, approximately halfway down. Now take the head "snowball" and place it onto the exposed pipe stem on top of the body. Push the head and body together.
- Wrap the longer pipe stem around your snowman's neck and twist the ends to create a fun scarf.
Your snowman is finished!