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—-Matoro183 (Talk) 17:41, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
Hi. Just wondered, how does one put fractions in? Such as how on Platform Nine and Three Quarters it shows the 3/4 only smaller. Thanks. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 20:00, February 10, 2013 (UTC)
- Thanks :) --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 20:20, February 10, 2013 (UTC)
Limited Edition/Picture
Hi Seth. First off, nice picture.
Secondly, though, I've experienced a problem - I tried to download the "A Guide to Graphics Department" but was told it was invalid. Do you know why it might be doing so? I wanted to help more with the Limited Edition stuff, but I suppose there's other things to do.
Thanks :) --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 00:03, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
- Thanks for the suggestion, but after waiting what it says is 20 minutes, it still says "Compressed folder <whatever it said, since I can't remember>.zip is invalid", and therefore wouldn't work. Do you know anyone who might know what's going on? Thanks, and sorry to keep bothering you. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 00:21, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
- Thanks for all your help, and sorry to keep on bothering you. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 00:30, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
Limited Edition Book Set
I'm incredibly jealous that you seem to have gotten your hands on the Harry Potter Limited Edition book set. :) ★ Starstuff (Owl me!) 04:05, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
- Nevermind. I found the forum post. ★ Starstuff (Owl me!) 04:11, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
Have you got any images of files of the muggle-born registration comission?--Rodolphus (talk) 13:41, February 17, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Seth. I was on the Harry Potter Wiki Facebook page, and I noticed someone posting quite a few comments there. I know your name on here is Seth Cooper (Rick M.) and therefore wondered whether this was yours? Sorry if it bothers or offends you, I know some people like to keep their Facebooks and Wikia accounts separate. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 21:10, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
- Thanks. And sorry bout the link. Do you mind if I add you as a friend, though? --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 21:45, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
- I understand; I usually don't add people I haven't personally met, either, but I feel like I've known most of the people here better than I know half the people on my friends list. Thanks, by the way. Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 22:02, February 12, 2013 (UTC)
Re: Valentine's Day
Ah man, I was going to do it as soon as it rolled over to Valentine's Day, Wikia time. Ah well, I have a couple of other things I was planning to do, which I'll do once the time comes. So keep an eye out! ProfessorTofty (talk) 15:43, February 13, 2013 (UTC)
- I'm glad you enjoyed it. Though I must say, your work is equally worthy, and the Sneaky Lockhart is a very nice touch. ProfessorTofty (talk) 01:39, February 14, 2013 (UTC)
- Well, there was an actual poll that I added before about who people want as their Valentine. I plan to put it back up once Valentine's Day is over, at least for a little while longer, so hang tight and it'll be back. ProfessorTofty (talk) 01:52, February 14, 2013 (UTC)
So. Much. PINK! - Nick O'Demus 15:47, February 13, 2013 (UTC)
- Oh I'll show you adorable! - Nick O'Demus 16:03, February 13, 2013 (UTC)
Time to lose the Lockhart stuff, I guess, but did we maybe want to keep the Valentine's Day theme up a bit longer, or lose that too? In any case, it's probably about time we ditched the Christmas stuff and moved on to something else. ProfessorTofty (talk) 00:10, February 15, 2013 (UTC)
- Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We can keep the Valentine's Day theme a bit longer, and as for the slider, the chat is a good idea, and perhaps just anything we can think of that might be of interest. There was that new cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (U.S. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) that was just released. So perhaps we could work that into there, along with a link to the artist who did the artwork (I'm planning to create that page sometime within the next 24 hours. ProfessorTofty (talk) 00:23, February 15, 2013 (UTC)
Harry Potter Limited Edition lists Amrose Swott and "Ambrose Swott" as two different people. Should I make a separate page for "Ambrose", or assume it was a typo? --Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 17:40, February 17, 2013 (UTC)
Nice you posted that to me, too, although I don't know why. Harry granger Talk contribs 18:33, February 17, 2013 (UTC)
New Infobox Field
Great idea with the new "creator" field in the infobox! I admit, I'm a tad envious that I wasn't the one to think of it, but at least someone did :)! Although, when I saw that you'd edited Cheering Charm, I thought maybe Pottermore had released something new :). Oh well, this was almost as cool. --Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 23:21, February 17, 2013 (UTC)
Hello Seth. Sorry to bother you, but this user has been saying nothing but rudeness since he joined the wiki today - all six of his edits have been decidedly negative. And this user made a slightly inappropriate blog, although I'm happy to say that some of their other edits - all comments on said blog - were at least well-mannered. --Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 15:42, February 18, 2013 (UTC)
- I'm afraid I don't know what it was all about, but thanks for dealing with it. --Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 15:51, February 18, 2013 (UTC)
- Hi, I've just read about this blog and only wanted to say: When you go on the user page of this user and click on blog you can already read this insane blog. Sorry, but that makes me sick. Harry granger Talk contribs 16:17, February 18, 2013 (UTC)
Hi, I was wondering if it was okay for me to suggest changing the wiki-wordmark to a more modern looK (simple, one color, no gradients or border, etc.) I already made a new one. I personally think that it looks better as the current one. Thanks. -- PerryPeverell 13:24, February 20, 2013 (UTC)
- Alright, thank you! -- PerryPeverell 19:21, February 20, 2013 (UTC)
Ref Image
Hi Seth. Just wondered, where on that book about newts does it have information on the book with the really long name? Or is it the wrong image? --Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 22:38, February 24, 2013 (UTC)
Userpage History
Hi. I just wondered whether there was any way to permanently delete the history associated with one's userpage. Partly because of mean edits by anonymous users, and partly because of some of the more personal things I've put on there. Thanks. --Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 22:31, March 1, 2013 (UTC)
- If you're able to do so, sure and thanks. It's much appreciated :) -- Hunniebunn (It's unisex!) March 1, 2013 (UTC)
- Thank you :) Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 23:38, March 1, 2013 (UTC)
Unactive User.
Hi. This user has told me over Facebook that she is not going to be returning to the Harry Potter Wiki. Should I make note of such at the top of her page? And then if she changes her mind and returns, she can always take the notice off... Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 15:36, March 3, 2013 (UTC)
- That's true. 1337star being the only other user I know to become inactive during my time here (should I start calling it the "Hunniebunn Era"? No?), I took his actions as an indication as to what to do. Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 15:41, March 3, 2013 (UTC)
The Floo Network
Hi Seth. Just wondering whether you'd seen this; it states that in Moment 3 of Chapter 4, new writing called "The Floo Network" (a different one from "Floo Powder") is available. But I can't find it. Have you been able to read it? Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 20:11, March 3, 2013 (UTC)
But what of the links at the end? Sorry to pester, but usually I can read the writing just by clicking the link at the end of the chapter - with this I couldn't. Would it work differently for you, or was that another well-guarded secret of Pottermore? Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 20:24, March 3, 2013 (UTC)
- Okay, I figured it might just have been me. And I don't know, I talked to someone else (that's how I found out the link was there) and they said they could only find it the first time, and that was six hours ago. So may be it's a glitch, but hopefully they just haven't put it up yet :) Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 20:35, March 3, 2013 (UTC)
- Just a thought, though - what if it's for Chapter 14 of the third book, and they simply put it in the wrong place? It would make sense, seeing how the sketch for that chapter showed Lupin appearing in the fire. Don't forget: Elvendork! (It's unisex!) 22:22, March 3, 2013 (UTC)
Great, that you spoke for the whole community. Thank you. When I sent my birthday cake to you, in Germany it was after midnight and so the 4th March, so I thought it would be the correct time. Harry granger Talk contribs 14:07, March 4, 2013 (UTC)
- A very Harry birthday from me too! ProfessorTofty (talk) 14:39, March 4, 2013 (UTC)
- Indeed, best returns for one of many excellent editors here on our community and a kindhearted person in general!This post is not unsigned. It's just hard to see. 20:21, March 4, 2013 (UTC)
I am trying to find the user : proffertofty .But I can't, please help !
Thanks,Luna Owl 19:11, March 9, 2013 (UTC)loveowl
- I'd be suspicious of what this user wants with Tofty (considering their history).
- Also, Happy Belated Birthday! I was notified via Errol, so the delivery was a bit overdue. >_>
- Nick O'Demus 19:52, March 9, 2013 (UTC)
actors category
So recently it came out from a direct source that one of the actors we had listed for an actor in the movie was wrong (though I wish I could have seen the sources I had listed before it was deleted, because I know I wouldn't have created a page on a random hunch unless I had seen it on another website >.<) but I decided to maybe go through and double check sourcing on all our real world actors and such, when I noticed that an anon recently made some new categories within the actor real world category specifiying nationality, like "American actors real world". So two questions, is this something we should keep, and personally I think if we do, so to not be redundant, I could go through and make sure it follows a cateogory tier, so like if it's an american actor, they only have that category and not the actors category as well, what do you think?
BachLynn23 Send me an Owl! The worst failure, is the failure to try. 15:40,15/3/2013
Hi Seth. I only wondered what your opinion was on this image; I thought they did a fine job on it. And I wondered what you thought of the questions themselves? Too easy? --Hunnie Bunn 16:47, March 17, 2013 (UTC)
Sorry to bother, just wondering, but wouldn't the film be more canon than the video game for the image on this page? --Am I annoying you yet? If not, let me know when I am. 21:03, March 19, 2013 (UTC)
- Ah, I see now. I did not know that when I first did it. Sorry for the bother. --Am I annoying you yet? If not, let me know when I am. 21:15, March 19, 2013 (UTC)
Actors references
I noticed something on the article for Stuart Gibson, an actor who supposedly played Cassius Warrington. Check the reference link for the article. While most of the entries in the "Cast confirmed" list seem to be valid, it also lists "Johnpaul Castrianni" as "Yaxley", and I'm sure you remember how that one turned out. Should this be discounted as a valid reference? It may also affect other actor articles using the same reference (I haven't checked all of them yet). - Nick O'Demus 08:52, March 21, 2013 (UTC)
- I've been concerned about some of our reference links for actors for a while now. A few days ago, we were contacted by a Wikia staff member who asked that one of the actor pages be deleted because the actor had contacted them and said that he wasn't in the film. When I checked the references on the page, both of them were broken links or didn't have the info that they said they were supposed to. We have a lot of pages floating around for extras in the films and I can't help but wonder how many of them are actually valid. ProfessorTofty (talk) 16:28, March 21, 2013 (UTC)
- The information on those links must have changed, I know I wouldn't have made a page randomly without something that actually listed the harry potter film. Which brings to question, how many other sources that once said someone was on a Harry Potter film that are now changed or invalid links all together.
- BachLynn23 Send me an Owl! The worst failure, is the failure to try. 18:20,21/3/2013
- Maybe we should have a rule that any actor that can't be verified from the credits of the work in question must have at least two reference links in order to have a page here. It's just too easy for these references to go dead or be dubious sources. ProfessorTofty (talk) 19:35, March 21, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Seth. Sorry to bother you, but could you please have a quick skim over some of the active talk pages? I would do so myself, but seeing how I'm the one who made most of them... --Am I annoying you yet? If not, let me know when I am. 22:11, March 21, 2013 (UTC)
New Book Opportunities
Hey there! Have you heard of The Bone Season or WOOL? The first is a great new YA dystopian book series with some aspects along the same veins as Harry Potter (but with a few key differences), and the second is a great sci-fi book you might find interesting. You can get more information about Bone Season here and WOOL here. The publishers are offering us some books to give to avid readers active on book wikis that would be interested, and you came to mind!
It would be awesome to get a read on what you thought of the series and if we could get a great community going on wikis based on these books. The Bone Season is already getting optioned for a film even though it hasn't been published yet, so you would be getting your hands on one of the first copies, and WOOL is supposed to be really great as well! We'd love for you to read them, so if you email me your address and name, we'd be happy to send those books along.
Grace 21:47, March 27, 2013 (UTC)
Fors Suffix
Sorry to bother you, but I wondered... I was thinking of making a page for the "-fors suffix", as it is used so often throughout the video games, and even appears twice in the trading card games. I just can't think of an appropriate title, as it would look awkward in my opinion to just call it "-fors suffix". Can you think of a good name for it? Thanks, it's much appreciated. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:00, March 29, 2013 (UTC)
- Never mind, I made it... not sure how good it is. Also, I wondered your opinion on this would be? Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:08, March 31, 2013 (UTC)
The info you just removed
The lexicon uses the YL abbreviation (A year in the life) for the sources of Neville and Harry's births; can I add them in? HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 01:21, April 1, 2013 (UTC)
It wasn't harsh at all. HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 01:33, April 1, 2013 (UTC)
Re: Chat
Sure. I'm on there now. ProfessorTofty (talk) 01:24, April 1, 2013 (UTC)
Fun Wikia Project!
Hey Seth!
I wanted to let you know about an interesting initiative Wikia is rolling out. We're reaching out to a few trusted admins first about it because we'd really like to involve you guys specifically. Would you be open to working with us and other Wikia Community members in coming up with ideas for our programs? You'd be invited to join developer round-tables, co-author quizzes and other content, and maybe be invited to the Wikia offices in June (we would fly you out of course). I realize that this is intentially vague, but if you're interested and think you can be free to travel around late May - early June, and feel comfortable signing an Non-Disclosure Agreement, we can put you on our list of interested members.
We will of course let you know of more details in the future, but if you are interested, please email me at email@example.com to confirm!
Kate 20:08, April 9, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Seth. Just wondering, is Wikipedia canon? --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 22:47, April 17, 2013 (UTC)
- Well, there was an unsourced statement that gave a definition of a Switching Spell that we didn't have here: "altering only a part of some object, such as giving a human rabbit's ears". I wanted to know whether it would be acceptable to incorporate such definition into our article. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 23:03, April 17, 2013 (UTC)
- Understandable; nonetheless, the human and rabbit ears thing wouldn't be canon?
- PS: I wondered whether the first video game gave any information on the match to needle spell apart from that Morag tried to light hers, and I thought I recalled that you owned one of the games and figured I'd ask you. Then again, I suppose if there was any information on there you would already have added it long ago :) --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 23:47, April 17, 2013 (UTC)
- Okay, thanks :) --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 19:29, April 18, 2013 (UTC)
I have a question that the 'Blood Status' page didn't answer for me; or, if it did, then it just confused me more and the arguments on the comment pages are helping, either.
Since Lily has no wizarding ancestry - or at least, not within the last 100 years since neither Voldemort nor Lucius know of any ancestors for her being wizards - would this mean her child, with a muggle, if she had married one, would also be considered a Muggleborn?
Is it Muggleborn + Muggle = Muggleborn or Muggleborn + Muggle = Half-blood is what I am asking? HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 01:15, April 19, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Seth. Just wondered... why is Snape under Category:Poets? --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:35, April 21, 2013 (UTC)
- Oh, sorry, I'd forgotten about that. Thanks :) --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:59, April 21, 2013 (UTC)
Two questions.
1) No answer to this for three days. May I inquire why not?
2) There is "Avifors Spell" and "Cornflake skin spell". Though I suspect that the first is a name mentioned in some canon or other, and the second is not, may I inquire why the first is capitalized and the second is not?
And this is just a note, "practicioners" instead of "practitioners" on a few pages is a misspelling - I just hope that you haven't reverted them without checking this detail.
Thanks, MinorStoop 21:43, April 26, 2013 (UTC)
- No, you weren't harsh, just puzzling - Professor Tofty and, probably also Nick O'Demus were in a position to warn me a lot earlier today, since I noticed them editing soon after I started working. I admit, though, that I could have borrowed Queen Victoria's "We are not amused." expression, but then I should have known better than to butt in in an established wiki of this detail.
- This leads me to another question: should I notice something else that could lead to inappropriate, how do I give visibility to my questions? I'd imagine as a first hypothesis, asking you, PTofty, HunnieBunn and NO'demus. MinorStoop 22:26, April 26, 2013 (UTC)
- Probably, it'll have to be something on an user-talk page. I *did* mark the Disarming Charm note with the {{talk}} template, but it went unnoticed anyway. MinorStoop 22:58, April 26, 2013 (UTC)
I know you're busy with homework, studying and a few wikis already under your belt, but I wondered if you would accept adminship or bureaucracy on the Potter Dictionary Wiki alongside Harry granger and I. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 13:52, April 28, 2013 (UTC)
- If it's truly only that you haven't really edited all that much, no matter. Requests have already been sent to Nick O'Demus and ProfessorTofty, who have only stopped by on the request of someone from the Potter Dictionary. Harry granger and I are the only active editors on there apart from Trevor88, who we've agreed is only a last resort... So really if you want, it wouldn't be a problem. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 14:07, April 28, 2013 (UTC)
Hopefully you get this soon. This user needs to be blocked, all of his contributions have been horrible and he has been using inappropriate terms. Thanks. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 23:31, May 5, 2013 (UTC)
- Thank you Seth. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:57, May 6, 2013 (UTC)
- Sorry to bother again, but now this IP must also be blocked. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 21:23, May 8, 2013 (UTC)
My Wikia
One of Wikia's staff left a message on my talk page regarding displaying an ad for Wikia's My Wikia app service on the homepage. Personally, I have nothing against the idea, but I wanted to run it by the other admins first, just to make sure. ProfessorTofty (talk) 23:31, May 6, 2013 (UTC)
new section
Hi. I'm new here and Hunie Bun told me to ask you about how I can help out. THanks! 23:53, May 9, 2013 (UTC)
Temporary Admin
Hi, I'm Rowan, and I would like to volunteer as a temporary admin to help with this wiki.
First of all, I could change some text such as instead of "Talk page" you have "Mailbox" and a new notification appears with an owl.
Your call. Please reply on my talk page. uɐʍoɹ 23:30, May 12, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Seth. Just wondering, where are the Pottermore images from Unidentified Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures member and Third year exams from? According to my Gateway, the new chapters aren't out yet.. am I missing something? --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 23:55, May 13, 2013 (UTC)
- Oh, I thought because Slytherins got the badge the other Houses could view the chapters earlier (silly me). It seems only chapters sixteen and seventeen can be viewed on there, but they look quite good if I do say so myself. I wonder how long until the new chapters are released, do you reckon?--Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:05, May 14, 2013 (UTC)
- Never mind, found Sirius and Lupin (almost gave me a heart attack). --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 00:07, May 14, 2013 (UTC)
- The new images are excellent; nice work finding them! ProfessorTofty (talk) 00:24, May 14, 2013 (UTC)
New Images
Congrats on finding the new images (sorry I forgot to say that first). However, they seem to be faulty; chapter sixteen, moment two and chapter twenty-one, moment two have the exact same image except that chapter twenty-one lacks the chocolate frog card and a few things are moved. Therefore, I don't know if it's a good idea to be putting the images up before they're ready. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 20:23, May 14, 2013 (UTC)
- Oh, sorry... I forgot about that :S. Sorry. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 20:42, May 14, 2013 (UTC)
Just wondering.....
I was just wondering if by any chance there is an admin spot open. I would like to be an administrator if you think I'm ready. minicurls the awesome (talk) 22:59, May 15, 2013 (UTC)
Hello Seth. I just have a question that doesn't REALLY have to do with the books or movie. K as I understand it there is a 'Wizzarding World of Harry Potter' in Orlando Flo. Is there also one in England? I was under the impression that there was... --~ Lorisa! (talk) 21:44, May 22, 2013 (UTC)
Harry Potter in other countries
Hi Seth! I have not contributed to the wiki for a while, but I have seen that in some pages, such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game), information about the voice actors of the characters in other countries has been added. Moreover, pages such as Jonasz Tołopiło have been created. Do you think that is beneficial for the wiki? Are those voice actors really necessary? If so, we can create voice actor pages for every country where Harry Potter has been translated (which I believe are too many), but I don't really see a point on that. I mean, Tołopiło is part of the Harry Potter world, but we cannot create pages for every actor who has contributed to the translation of the films. I would like to know your opinion about that. Thank you, --The Evening Prophet (Owl Post) 22:11, May 23, 2013 (UTC)
Molly and Sirius's relationship.
According to something I discovered, Molly and Sirius are second cousins.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (Chapter 1: The Earthquake) published 1908, has this line: "Yes. Uncle Bill Hugson married your Uncle Henry's wife's sister; so we must be second cousins,"
If we translate this into HP language it becomes: as Molly's uncle Ignatius married Sirius's father's sister meaning that they are , by the information above, second cousins.
That, I believe, is what J.K. was going for when she mentioned the relationship between Sirius and Molly; she planned for them to be "second cousins" based on the information from Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (Chapter 1: The Earthquake).
Thoughts? HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 15:10, May 28, 2013 (UTC)
Hello, Rick M. I am an admin at the Shadowhunters' Wiki, and am also a long-time Harry Potter fan, so naturally, I also love the HP wiki. I don't edit around much as I think the wiki is already almost perfect, but I frequently visit the wiki, lurking around and reading about the series (I miss it).
Anyway, like I said, I am also an admin on another wiki about a book series, and I was wondering.. how did you ever come to decide the headings for the character's biographies? Right now, we are using the Series title and Book title format, and it's getting quite messy. We would like to adapt the "in-universe" point of view like other similar wikis, soon, but we don't know how or when to start. So yeah.. any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance! :D
redwall64 04:23, June 7, 2013 (UTC)
- I see. Yes, unfortunately, the book events don't span a year in that series. Hope we can pull it off, then. Thanks so much! I will be sure to come back to you for advice every once in a while, hehe. Thanks again :D
Creating blank pages
Hi Seth. This user --> Мидейла <-- keep creating "(name) family" pages but does not write an article about it. Furthermore, s/he creates these for people in which only one individual is known. Could you do something about it? --DCLM (talk) 06:03, June 11, 2013 (UTC)
I am surprised.
I am surprised - you did not remove my edit to the "Garrick Ollivander" page, but merely cleaned it up. Most of the time you remove them! The fact that my information remains here pleases me! HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 23:48, June 14, 2013 (UTC)
I'm not sure why 1921 was there anyway! It's the same principals as Hermione's date of birth! Thanks - I didn't think you had much against me. HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 19:20, June 15, 2013 (UTC)
Page deletion
Hey Seth, I was wondering why you deleted my page? And I would've appreciated if you would've owled me first about it. Colin687
18:05, June 16, 2013 (UTC)
Deletion of Unidentified Wizengamot members article
Seth, just a heads-up that when you deleted the article "Unidentified Wizengamot members at the disciplinary hearing of Harry Potter" you ended up creating redlinks in a number of articles, as well as a template, as well as several broken redirects. Now if the article is non-notable, I'm all for deleting it, but we need to take care of the necessary maintenance first, which includes checking "What links here" to make sure that the out-standing links to the article are cleared away before the article itself is removed. ProfessorTofty (talk) 01:12, June 21, 2013 (UTC)
- Heh, okay. No biggie, then. ProfessorTofty (talk) 01:17, June 21, 2013 (UTC)
Regulus's Date of Death
Order of the Phoenix states, explicilty "some fifteen years prior" making it 1980; I know you say that the tree - drawn by J.K. Rowling - states 1979, but there are 2 mistake on there anyway. The tree we use on the "House of Black" pages states that a) Lucretia was born in 1915 when she was actually born in 1925; it also gives Cygnus Black III's date of birth as 1929 instead of 1938. Thus, it could be wrong about Regulus too. The book, as I've said, explicitly states, "some fifteen years prior".
1995 - 15 = 1980; thus his death is 1980. HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 03:19, June 27, 2013 (UTC)
It is incompatible; for example "my parents married some 25 years ago and are celebrating their silver wedding anniversary" (I know that has nothing to do with HP, but is an example.); the "some" is merely grouping the years together. "Some fifteen years ago" explicitly states 15 years and the "some" is to group it together; he died, as the book states unequivocally, in 1980. HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 20:04, June 27, 2013 (UTC)
RE:Sealing spell
It's quite all right, no problem. I must say though that the result doesn't look at all bad. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 23:04, July 3, 2013 (UTC)
LEGO Facebook
Hi. Sorry to bother you, but I know you have Facebook and wondered if you had the LEGO Harry Potter (5-7) app/game on there. If you do, I wondered if you knew a way to copy the image of Ebublio on there, so that it could be used on here, as it is so much better than the current image. The thing is, the only way I could think of was screenshot, but that leaves a large golden lock over the image. If not, don't worry about it, but if you did know a way it would be much appreciated. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 20:02, July 5, 2013 (UTC)
- Thank you. --Hunnie Bunn (talk) 17:38, July 8, 2013 (UTC)
Hi! Thanks for the welcome. :) I'm really new here, so I do have a few questions. What are owls and how do you send them? Are there categories that you group the articles in or do you just have to seach what you're looking for? What are pages, how do I find them, and how do I follow them? Lol sorry that's a lot. xD :D Butterbeer008 (talk) 15:37, July 8, 2013 (UTC)
Hi there! i'm Blaze Fire nice too meet you The Fire Strikes 13:09, July 9, 2013 (UTC)
Insult charm images
I only thought that these images could be used, despite being fan art, as they depict the four insults. --DCLM (talk) 17:04, July 10, 2013 (UTC)
A Request for Another Wiki
Hi! I'm El Alamein, and I'm not from around this Wiki, but I'd like your expertise nonetheless. My Wiki is the Deadliest Fiction Wiki, which creates fights to the death between characters of fiction - and one I plan to host is General Grievous of Star Wars fame vs. Lord Voldemort. One of the biggest topics of debate concerning this fight is magic vs. lightsabers. Lightsabers have been proven capable of deflecting lasers from blaster rifles and also other lightsabers, so the question is whether or not Grievous could protect himself from a physical spell, say Avada Kedavra, that takes on physical properties with light and color. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could shed some light on the mysterious properties that physically make up spells in the Harry Potter universe to better assist us in our analysis. Thank you for your time. El Alamein (talk) 19:50, July 12, 2013 (UTC)
Thank you so very much for your time and information. It will be invaluable in helping determine the victor! And I will be sure to let you know how things turn out!
El Alamein (talk) 07:21, July 14, 2013 (UTC)
Can I have the talks on my talk page removed, or is that against the policy? --DCLM (talk) 21:49, July 17, 2013 (UTC)
Book appearance, Hawlish
Why did you remove the book appearance from Hawkes Hawlish?? --DCLM (talk) 13:47, July 24, 2013 (UTC)
8th potter book
What do you think about a 8th harry potter book or anothor book in the wizarding world? Write me on my wall.


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the Yucatan & Casa Hamaca
Oh my God, what did I just eat?
Monday, September 3, 2007, 05:09 PM
Cochinita Pibil and Tepezcuintle Tacos
Yesterday we were invited to share a meal with a family in the small village of Honuku. A visiting
from Queretero was in residence at the Casa Hamaca and last week Sofi (our housekeeper and cook) brought her daughter-in-law (Miñela), granddaughter (Sarahi) and the babys other grandmother (Ofelia) to the Casa Hamaca because the baby was sick. Alma, the
, worked with the baby on two or three different occasions during the week. The baby seemed to be feeling better and did not exhibit the symptoms that she previously had exhibited. When the grandmother asked how much it cost for the visits, Alma responded that there was no charge. So grandmother Ofelia invited us to a Sunday meal. Sofi, who has Sundays off, offered to come to Casa Hamaca early on Sunday and guide us to the village of Hunuku.
As I have mentioned before in these notes, I am a slow learner. And I had forgotten that when Sofi is in the back seat giving driving directions, it becomes another slap-stick episode since Sofi (who will turn 40 years old this month) doesnt know her left from her right and gives directions with hand movements only. That means that when we come to a fork in the road or a cross-road, I must remember to look in the rear-view mirror or actually turn around so that I can see better which way Sofi is gesturing all the while looking out for speeding taxis (the only way into and out of these small villages for most of the people) unused to visiting gringos on a Sunday afternoon; stray turkeys with their little ones (also unused to visiting gringos on a Sunday afternoon or any other time for that matter) looking for something to eat in the middle of the road; the
(speed bumps) that can rattle your teeth if you fail to slow down for them; the normal bicycles, tricycles and foot-traffic of the Yucatan; a sow and her piglets trotting across the road at an unmarked Hog Crossing; little children running across the little-used road without looking; Sunday drunks weaving down and across the road on their way to the next beer; dogs sleeping in the middle of the sun-warmed road or just wandering around looking for the next best place to take a nap. The small roads between villages are one lane, winding ones, with no shoulders and limited visibility since the jungle grows right to the edge of the road, overhanging it and in some places almost making a tunnel of vegetation. In other words, a normal Sunday ride in the country.
Aside from the traffic problems, add in that Sofi always travels in a taxi, by bicycle or on foot and so does not really pay attention to turn-offs and crossroads and forks and such. If she is in a taxi, the driver knows his way if she is on a bicycle or on foot, things pass by slowly enough to draw her to the correct turn. What that really means, is that Sofi often cannot remember where a turn-off is or which fork to take at a decision point.
Now dont get me wrong; Sofi is not dumb. She is uneducated in Western ways and almost illiterate in regard to books and book learning. She is suspicious and fearful of many "modern" things. If she must answer the cordless phone in the kitchen, she holds it as if it were a live, withering, poisonous snake. But she is very wise and knowledgeable in the things that are important to her and her family in normal village life. Plus she speaks two languages. It is only when she is removed from her normal village surroundings does it become apparent that her education was very different from mine. But when we are in her habitat, my ignorance becomes so frequently and so obviously apparent that good-humored laughter often greets my clumsy attempts to do or say the simplest things.
Ofelia' house
Sofi, Alma and Ofelia in the kitchen
With no mishaps, we arrived at the traditional thatched-roof house (or
, in Yucatec Mayan) of Ofelia and her family. The
was huge 8 meters by 5 meters (about 26 feet by 16.5 feet) a single room built in the ancient manner with lashed joints and palm leaf thatching. At one end was the kitchen three stones on the floor defining where the fire was; a normal-height table mostly covered with dish rack and a five gallon bucket holding drinking water; a low, round table on which to make
tortillas a mano
(by hand); and another small, low rectangular table at which meals were eaten. A series of low stools (
) were stacked along one wall of the
. Other than a couple of rickety folding chairs brought out for visitors, these
and the hammocks were the only places to sit in the entire house.
A traditional stool or
were modern ones, made from machine-sawed, wooded boards. These modern
have replaced the older, traditional style carved from a single log. Some of the older types are very simple and basic; others have more style, artistry and comfort. Many of the rooms (both guest rooms and common areas) at Casa Hamaca are furnished with traditional
As an aside, the word
is interesting. The last part of the word,
, means tree or wood or plant. No problems there. But to my ears, the Mayan words
sound exactly the same. So
translates as wooden snake or serpent or viper; while
translates as wooden hammock. Im told that the word for the stool really is
and not the other. I found that too bad since I like the idea of the word or concept for the wooden seat being that of a "wooden hammock". So, alas, the word actually translates as "wooden serpent". And the word Cancun aptly is frequently translated as "Vipers Nest" (
=Serpent or Viper plus
=Nest) a fitting description of the Sin City Cancun has become. Cancun, in my opinion, ranks right up there with Miami and Las Vegas (along with what was once called Macau in China) as world-class hedonistic magnets. But back to the small village of Hunuku.
The exposed-thatch ceiling above the fireplace was blackened with smoke. When I asked how old the house was, Don Martin, the husband, told me it was built a year before Hurricane Gilberto (1988) and survived that storm and all of the subsequent ones with no damage. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling beams. On a table at the opposite end of the
was a television, tuned to an afternoon
(soccer) game. A few simple shelves held all of the belongings of the family.
tortillas a mano
Cooking the tortillas on the
Sofi making the salsa
After we had been greeted, Ofelia stated making
tortillas a mano
on the small round table (many of the guestrooms at Casa Hamaca are furnished with these traditional tortilla tables) and then flipping the tortillas onto the
to cook. Sofi ground chilies and lime juice in a
(more or less a mortar and pestle) to make a rich and flavorful condiment for the meal to come. When Sofi was finished with the chilies, she sat at one of the small tables and separated meat from bones and placed the meat in a small bowl. No one had told us what the main course would be but I had seen a still-warm
(in-ground fire pit) in the backyard.
Cochinita pibil
? Or maybe
Relleno Negro
While we were waiting for Sofi and Ofelia to finish preparations for the meal, Don Martin and I chatted. About his
(garden) and the
(community-owned land on which any of the villagers could farm). Don Martin said that since almost 75% of the local men now work outside of the village during the week, he really had his choice of where he wanted to farm. He only cultivates about 2 hectares (about 5 five acres) at a time. He does it the traditional way. He prepares the area by first cutting down all of the shrubs and trees, letting them dry and then burning them. This re-nourishes the soil as well as gets rid of any weeds so that he can grow corn for another two or three years before he must prepare another field in the same manner.
Don Martin showing some of his antler collection
We spoke of the
(see previous notes for more on the
) and of the hurricanes (Hurricane Felix had just been upgraded to a Category 2 on its way to becoming a Category 5 hurricane) and of building houses and of copal incense (
) and of the deer in the forests and jungle. Don Martin proudly showed off his collection of deer antlers. I did not diminish his pride by telling him that the antlers he showed me would be humiliating to show in Montana or North Dakota or Minnesota or even New Jersey since they were so small, with so few points. We spoke of how cool his house was during the heat of the summer. I did my best to explain that even the coolest nights in his village were still very warm to someone from the north. That doors were not left wide open during the day, year around, in the north. That walls were thick and roofs were not thatch. That it was so cold that water turned to ice and snow. Now that was stretching things a little since that kind of experience is out of their realm of reality. I further compounded their incredulity with stories of ice fishing and driving cars and trucks out on to the ice. I believe they think that I was just telling tall tails to amuse them before dinner.
When all was ready, Alma (the
) and I were invited to eat first (after all, we were the guests of honor); when we almost finished the adults of the family (including the women) joined us to eat their meal followed by the younger members of the family when the adults were finished. There were no children other than the infant so we could not see how other children might fit into the eating hierarchy. Before we sat down, we were offered a bucket of water in which to wash our hands.
Alma and I were seated at the small round table. On the table were a stack of freshly made tortillas; two shallow bowls, each filled with a different shredded meat; and a small bowl of the chili sauce that Sofi had just made. One of the shallow bowls held
cochinita pibil
, a traditional Sunday meal in the Yucatan.
Cochinita pibil
is pork meat that has been rubbed with achiote paste, wrapped in banana leaves to keep the meat moist, and then buried in the fire pit to bake. It is, in my experience, always tender and delicious. Gringos like me are sometimes served cochinita light just the meat without the flavorful
(or fat) or the baked liver.
is traditionally served with raw chopped onions and, of course, chilies.
Alma, Don Martin, Ofelia, Sofi and Carlos seated on modern
The bowl in the center of the round table holds the mystery meat.
The other bowl held shredded meat that looked a little like chicken. The meat was mixed with chopped radish, cilantro and chili. When I asked what kind of meat this was, I was told it was
. Now that helped a lot! What was its Spanish name?
is the only name it is called they responded. How big is a
? About this high, indicating with his hands, and about this long ??? Since Don Martin was making these hand gestures over the table, I was not sure if the height was from the table to his hands or from the floor to his hands. When I asked if it were the size of a dog, he laughed and said "No smaller". Bigger than a rabbit? I asked. Oh, yes, bigger than a rabbit. Maybe up to 10 kilos or so (about 22 pounds). It only comes out at night and lives in a cave in the ground. It eats vegetables and fruits and plants and roots, Martin offered before I could ask. All I could picture was something like a muskrat. Yuck! Where did this one come from? I got it yesterday evening on the road Road kill??? I shot it with my shotgun. What good luck it was to get it for company, verdad? And, no, you cannot buy this meat at a market. It is against the law.
OK, I said to myself, I am here for the experience. If I didnt eat it, I would never know what it tasted like. After all, I ate pressed and fried guinea pig in Peru and was not the worse from the experience how much different could this be even if it were muskrat?
Oops! Another meal with no utensils. I waited for Alma to start, watching her out of the corner of my eye. Right! Now I remember. Tear a tortilla, like you would cut a pizza. Take about a quarter of the triangle-shaped tortilla and use it to grasp and hold some meat and then pop it right in your mouth.
I first tried the
since I knew I would like that. And I did...it was delicious.
Then I took a piece of the tortilla and grabbed some of the other white meat. By this time Sofi, recognizing that I was not used to eating without utensils, brought a spoon for the salsa and spoons for the meat. So I was able to add a little chili to the meat before eating. It wasnt quite like
sabor de pollo
(tastes like chicken) that even the locals use to describe some meats not usually on the dinner plate. It was, perhaps, a little like mutton (without the fat) or goat without the gamey taste that some wild meats have. So I had another. Ofelia served orange soda in plastic cups. I drank mine quickly since I saw that the flies were as interested in the soda as I was. Later I noticed that the adults covered their cups with a tortilla to keep out the flies. Tortillas were also used as napkins to clean fingers, faces and mouths.
After the meal we were given a tour of the grounds and shown a small pen with two young pigs. We were invited to help eat one of them as part of a
relleno negro
in November for their Day of the Dead observance.
Sofis husband, Carlos, had joined us for the meal by riding his bicycle from his village of Yalcoba to Hunuku. Since I was driving a minivan, I asked him if he would like to put the bike in the back and ride with us when we took Sofi home. But, of course! It took us about 10 minutes to go from Hunuku through another nameless village to Yalcoba. Carlos told us it takes him about an hour to ride the same route and Sofi added that it took her over an hour and a half to walk the same distance.
Alma treating the new bride
We went to the house of Carlos parents. Five of seven kids of Carlos and Sofi were there as well as Carlos mother and the new bride of one of Sofis sons. Alma worked with/on the grandmother as well as a couple of the kids attempting to cure their ills. She tried to determine if the new bride is pregnant yet but could not make a definite determination as yet. The bride is late, but it is still to soon to tell. We were asked if we would like some
made with fresh green corn rather than the dried corn that is usually used.
, as drunk by the Maya, is a thick mixture of water and
or ground corn. It can be comsumed warm, room-temperature or cold and it can be sweetened or spiced with cinnamon or chilies. It is a staple of the farmers while working their
. Why not? I had already put my delicate gringo stomach at risk, why not go the whole way. I always tell visitors to Mexico NOT to drink the water that is, to always drink only bottled, purified water. I was sure that the
had not been made with purified water, but I said OK. Yes, I would like to try the
. The taste was different. A cleaner, greener, fresher taste with some natural sweetness to it. We took our leave and returned to Valladolid.
The paca, paka, agouti,
Cute, isn't he?
The first thing I did upon arrival was to try to identify the strange meat
. Now I cannot pronounce that word let along spell it. After numerous failed attempts at Googling the word, an alternate spelling gave me the information that we ate a paca or an agouti, a rodent with a range from Mexico to the tip of South America that is commonly eaten. In Mexico, it called
, also spelled
while the Mayan name is
When I finally lay down in my hammock, I tried to listen to my body to see if any of the food or liquid I had ingested was going to cause me a problem. My body told me everything was OK and not to worry so I dropped off to sleep for over 10 hours. Maybe
could be marketed as a remedy for insomnia.
Quien sabé
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The Ups and Downs of Living in the Yucatan...
Saturday, August 25, 2007, 09:55 AM
What Pyramids and Cenotes Have In Common
I was born in North Dakota and raised in Montana, so I am used to being able to see a big sky and flat land. When driving through eastern North Dakota, I used to joke as we crossed an overpass that This is the highest point in North Dakota. It certainly seemed that way; you could see all the way to the unbroken horizon. Almost like being on the ocean, the expanse was so vast it seemed to go on forever. The very- low rolling hills flattened out with distance so that North Dakota seemed flat as a pancake.
When I first visited the Yucatan, I felt the same I even made the same jokes as we drove an overpass This must be the highest point in the Yucatan.
View from the summit of the main pyramid at Cobá
The view from the top of a pyramid is even more impressive. Flat. Absolutely flat! Without a hill or even a ripple. So flat that when it rains there is no down hill for the water to run, so the water sits in large puddles until it slowly drains into the earth or evaporates from the blazing sun. When walking through pre-Hispanic ruins, almost every time the very same revelation strikes me (Im a slow learner, after all). That mound over there covered with trees and shrubs and looks like a hill is NOT a hill. There are no hills here. Dah! That is an as-yet unexcavated Mayan ruin.
What go me to thinking about the flatness of the Yucatan was all of the climbing that I have recently been doing. Climbing up and then returning down; climbing down and then back up. Ive had some recent visitors that I took sightseeing. And almost all of the sights involve climbing both up and down (pyramids) or down and up (cenotes or caves) steps or stairs or ladders or ramps or paths.
The main pyramid at Cobá
Doesn't look like such a big deal, does it?
Let's add some people in to give it some perspective.
The main pyramid at Cobá with people
Pyramids are obvious. They stick up out of the ground and you can make an estimate of how high they are, how steep they are, how many steps have to be climbed (both up and then back down). Most people can make a semi-informed guesstimate, based upon past experiences, if they make it up and back down without a helicopter being called in to extract them from the top of a pyramid. The main pyramids of both Uxmal and Chichen Itza are now off-limits to climbing (and probably will remain that way). So, if you have already climbed one of them, you will have bragging rights with your grandchildren someday. If youve climbed both, you can start your bragging immediately.
But the main pyramids at both Ek Balam and Cobá are still open to climbers. The largest Ek Balam pyramid is higher than the Castillo at Chichen Itza, has a narrower width of steps than the Castillo and has no safety rope. Im not sure of the pitch of the steps, but it seems to me that Ek Balam is steeper than the Castillo as well. The lack of the safety rope (or guide rope) is not bad going up. After all, your eyes are looking directly at the steps that your feet will be on in just a few seconds.
Guide Rope at Cobá
Just before my first ascent of a pyramid, some kind soul told me to walk up (and down) in a zigzag pattern. Because the treads are generally narrower (less deep) than the code-approved steps that most of us are used to in the gringo north AND because the risers (the vertical distance between the steps) are so much higher than those to which we are accustomed, walking up or down using a zig-zag pattern allows us almost our normal gait or stride. Dont believe me? Try it.
I have asked a couple of professional archaeologists why the Maya, who are generally shorter in stature, constructed their steps in this manner. The best answer I received was this method produced the tallest structure with the least amount of stone (read: work). That made sense to me. The reason to build the structures in the first place was to re-create a mountain top where you (or the priest) could be closer to God, Dios, Chac or whom/whatever other divinity you might be searching for. The height was the main objective not the comfort level of the steps. So it made great economic sense for them to build as high as possible with the least amount of work possible. On the other hand, the steps leading to the viewing area at the main ball court at Cobá are built for people to actually use without any major strain. The risers are almost a standard height and the treads are spacious.
Coming back down from the top of a pyramid is another story. At least for me it is, and from my observations of other climbers over the years, a fair number of other people as well. At Chichen Itzas Castillo, most people just walked up, sometimes using their hands to reach up a few steps to help pull themselves up as they got closer to the top. Some people needed the guide rope to get up. Watching people come down was almost like viewing an old slapstick silent-film. Some of the younger ones ran down the steps (without the zigzag pattern), others strode majestically down, hardly ever looking at their feet. Still others cautiously advanced the same foot forward and downward, sometimes with the use of one or both hands to steady themselves. Some slide down on their butts, bump by bump. Many used the guide rope bisecting the steps. Some walked down, lightly staying in contact with the rope. Others came down backward holding on to the rope for dear-life. Yesterday I was at the main pyramid of Cobá. I had just descended and was sitting on a bench at the bottom waiting for a friend when the skies opened up with a brief, but drenching, rain shower. The stone steps suddenly became slick with the moisture and very slippery. The people caught on the steps hurried down as fast as they were able without their feet sliding out from under them. Not a good place to be caught if lightning started.
It's a long way down!
Heights do strange things to people. At Ek Balam, I watched a man, on his way back down; freeze about ten feet from the top of the pyramid. He could not move. His wife could not help him in any way. There was no guide rope to aid him. He sat there for at least 15 minutes before working up his courage enough to make his way down a few steps using a technique somewhere between the butt-sliding method and a hands-behind-the-back crab-walking one. I had to leave before he made his next move, but I am sure that it took him a long, long time to make his descent.
I watched him because I knew how close I had been many times to the same paralyzing fear. The fear starts at the bottom of the ascent because I realize then that I will have to come back down. The fear grows are I ascend. The higher I go, the greater the fear until I reach the top. Then I must go as far away as possible from any edge, preferably with my back against some solid structure. I check out the view but I cannot really enjoy it, as others seem to because all I can concentrate on is the descent. Because many of the pyramids are so steep, you cannot actually see the steps until you are very close to the edge. The lack of visual clues such as a banister or railing doesnt help either. Looking down, my stomach lurches and sweat breaks out over my entire body. There is nothing I can do about it, the fear has been there my entire life and will remain with me to my dying day. That first step down, almost always a side step, seems endless. A lifetime until my toe touches the top of that first step. The already overly high riser seems even higher than it actually is. I must stretch to reach the next step. If I look straight out, all I see is jungle. And if I look down, all I see is myself falling, bouncing, and rolling down the steps only to end up dead and spread-eagled on the ground at the base of the pyramid. Somehow I get down, vowing never to subject myself to the same humiliation again. Vowing to never again climb another pyramid, never go on the roof of my house, never even climb another ladder.
But then, I go and do it again.
Cenote Zaci in Valladolid
Balankanche Caves
The sightseeing adventures over the past few days have included three cenotes and one cave. All underground. All with long (and sometimes steep and slippery) descents. All had some sort of guide rope or handrail. Two of the cenotes and the cave (obviously, otherwise they would call it something else) had artificial lights of some kind. The third cenote was partially open to the sky and had ample natural light. Here the descents were less difficult. I often could not actually see the bottom of the stairs since they faded into darkness as well as sometimes twisted and turned around a bend. If I looked straight ahead, I was looking into a solid rock faces, sometimes inches from my eyes. I had to be careful not to bump my head on the uneven rock surface of the ceiling during the descent. And I could use my hands, both to grip the rope as well as to guide me down by following the rock walls by touch. A very tactile experience. Because of the touch I felt connected with the earth and, even though the steps were as steep (sometimes steeper) than those of a pyramid and the vertical distances were almost exactly the same (plus or minus 30 meters above ground level and below ground level I wonder if anyone has studied the relative heights of pyramids vs. cenotes as a basis for their thesis? After all, the ceiba tree has roots as deep as the branches are tall, verdad?), I did not experience the vertigo that I experience while descending a pyramid. I had the concern of slipping on moist stone steps, but not the fear of falling to the bottom.
Underground Ceremonial Site at the Balankanche Caves
In the cave where the only source of light was artificial, I experienced momentary claustrophobia, thinking of the tons of rock above my head and seeing the broken fragments of rock that had already fallen from the ceiling of the cave. How would I ever find my way out if the lights went out? I cursed myself for not bringing a pocket flashlight. And I thought of the miners in Utah and in China who, at the time this was written, were trapped in mine cave-ins, perhaps struggling for their lives at that very moment. Perhaps already dead.
And again was able to put my life and my fears in perspective.
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The toe bones connected to the foot bone ..
Friday, July 6, 2007, 06:17 PM
Theres more to dirt than meets the eye CSI in the Yucatan
A few weeks ago I touched on the rumor that my property might have been inhabited before the Spanish colonials showed up. Because of it location on a high piece of ground, there might have been a dwelling or even a more permanent site of some sort. Perhaps a clue showed up yesterday.
If youve bothered to read my previous posts, you will have read that I have found shards in many, many places in north, south and central America. And Im not the only one. I had a friend with whom I attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. During the 1960s he and his family moved to the state of Puebla in Mexico. He lived and painted there for over 9 years before returning to the US. When he returned, he told me that virtually every time someone dug a well or excavated for a house foundation they came across clay shards and figurines. He showed me a cigar box full of clay figures, heads and small animals.
A friend of mine from Argentina, knowing that I have an interest in pre-Hispanic cultures gave me a painted clay object that had been found on her familys ranch in NW Argentina. Im not at all sure what it is kind of looks like a bottle stopper to me. Perhaps that is what it was a stopper for a ceramic jug or jar.
I was in Peru, just south of Lima and still on the coast. A friend was showing me an ancient adobe city that was almost completely eroded. An archaeological dig was going on right along-side the road, at a low area. My driver stopped the car and hunkered down in the shade of the car to wait for us at least 10 meters away from the dig. I wandered over to the dig and begin to question the man in charge. Im not quite sure how I knew he was the man in charge, but he was. I was asking and he was answering in Spanish not great Spanish on either side. He looked Asian and since there are many Asians in the Lima area I just assumed he was Japanese. When I finally asked him where he was from and he replied Southern Illinois University, we both laughed and switched to English as it was more comfortable for both of us. After a brief chat, I returned to the car and as we dove off, the driver showed me what he had found in the dirt near the car. Two kernels of corn one almost black, the other yellow, both very dry. A shell. And a broken piece of bone about 4 inches long it looked to me to be a human rib bone. All of this just lying there in the dirt.
When I was a boy in Montana, I often found Indian arrowheads and traces of early European settlers.. The point being that anywhere people have been before us, they might have left traces of themselves.
Yesterday as my workers and I were sitting down to lunch, one of the workers pointed out an object sitting on the window ledge and asked me what it was. I had never seen it before. Nor had anyone else, except Sofia, the housekeeper. She said that it had been in the same place since she had been working for us. There had been a lot of changeover in the workers around the property over the past three or four months so no one said I found it and put it there.
One of the workers identified it as a tooth, but when I looked at it, I thought not. It looked more like a bone to me. A finger bone! At lunch we joked about where the object came from. Everyone showed their spread fingers to demonstrate all their fingers were intact and it was not their bone. After lunch I referenced my copy of Frank Netters Atlas of Human Anatomy. I first looked up the finger bones and then the toe bones. And there on Plate 505 was a match. The Proximal Phalange of the right big toe or the biggest bone in the big toe. Now, Im not an anatomist nor a pathologist nor a surgeon, but the match looked right to me. But Im certainly open to correction if someone can identify it.
Then the questions arose, whose toe was it? Where did it come from? How old is it? Mayan or Spanish? Did an animal bring the bone here from a burial site? Or is this the burial site itself? Did someone chop off a toe with a machete while cutting wood? Is there a tomb on the property? A relic from the Caste War?
Obviously more questions than answers. Anyone with any thoughts about this?
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Apocalypto, Mel Gibson and the Yucatan
Sunday, July 1, 2007, 10:54 AM
Last night I read a number of reviews of the film Apocalypto, directed by Mel Gibson, on iTunes. There were over 250 reviews (some of which I skimmed and some of which I read every word) of the movie. The dialogue of the movie is entirely in Yucatec Maya the language of the entire northern portion of the peninsula of Yucatan. And that is unique. The reviews ranged from it ok movie but Mel Gibson is semistic (sic) so it ruins the movie to many who said that it was the best movie of 2006. Many people commented on Mel Gibson rather than on the movie. Many took one side or the other on historical accuracy. So I felt I had to get my two cents in.
I live in Valladolid, Yucatan, less than 25 miles from the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. I eat Mayan food every day. And I hear Yucatec Mayan spoken every day. So that must make me an expert on all things Mayan, right? OK listen up!
First of all, I found a copy of the original shooting script for Apocalypto. Here it is.
The top of the Sacrificatorio is broken and ruined, but there is no doubt that it once supported an altar for those sacrifices of human victims which struck even the Spanish with horror. It was barely large enough for the altar and officiating priests, and the idol to whom the sacrifice was offered. The whole was in full view of the people at the foot.
The barbarous ministers carried up the victim entirely naked, pointed out the idol to which the sacrifice was made, that people might pay their adorations, and then extended him upon the altar. This had a convex surface, and the body of the victim lay arched, with the trunk elevated and the head and feet depressed. Four priests held the legs and arms, and another kept his head firm with a wooden instrument made in the form of a coiled serpent, so that he was prevented from making the least movement. The head priest then approached, and with a knife made of flint cut an aperture in the breast, and tore out the heart, which, yet palpitating, he offered to the sun, and then threw it at the feet of the idol.
If the victim was a prisoner of war, as soon as he was sacrificed they cut off his head to preserve the scull (sic), and threw the body down the steps, where it was taken up by the officer or soldier to whom the prisoner belonged, and carried to his house to be dressed and served up as entertainment for his friends
This was written by John L. Stephens in his book, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, Vol. II, Dover Edition, Copyright 1969, about the ruins at Santa Cruz del Quiché in Guatemala, originally written in 1840 and first published in 1841.
Secondly, I thought it was great that the film was shot in Yucatec Maya (even though most of the actors, if not all of them, had to learn their lines in Mayan). I showed the film to Sofia, a Mayan friend who only speaks Spanish with gringos like me; at home, in the streets or at the market she speaks Yucatec Maya (as do approximately one and one half million other people on the Yucatan peninsula). She had trouble understanding the movie. Im not sure if it was because the actors didnt do such a great job, if they had bad accents or if Sofia just wasnt used to hearing the Mayan language coming out of speakers.
Almost all of the people with whom I am in contact on any given day are Maya and speak Mayan. Many still live in houses like the ones shown in the village scenes. If you want to experience the Mayan culture, come on down. It still exists. The descendents of the people who built the pyramids are still alive and well.
Most of Mexico was quickly conquered by the Spanish and their Indian allies. But they never really conquered the Mayans. The last Mayan Rebellion (War of the Castes) was not officially over until 1913. And I have heard skirmishes still occurred into the 1930s. But now the Mayans are friendly and welcoming. Climbing one of their pyramids after seeing the film puts a whole new light on things. As does cutting through their jungle with a steel machete.
I cant comment on the accuracy of any part of the film except for one thing: If the sighting of the Spanish ship was supposed to be the first interaction between the Spanish and the mainland Amerindians, there was a slight problem with geography. The first recorded meeting took place in the Yucatan (in what is now the state of Quintana Roo). The Yucatan peninsula is, for the most part, flat as a pancake. There are no hills, no mountains, no rivers and no waterfalls. One would have to go a long way south to Belize or southwest to Chiapas or Guatemala to find such terrain. Far enough away so that, even if you ran really, really hard, you couldnt make it back in time to save you wife and children from drowning. Other than that, I thought everything was immensely interesting and detailed.
Bottom line: I liked the movie and I am sure that I will see it numerous times.
I gave it 5 Stars.
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What's Past is Present (Part III)
Sunday, June 17, 2007, 06:35 PM
In almost every place I have lived or traveled to, a rock was just a rock. In Montana the rock might have a bit of agate or quartz in it. In North Carolina, perhaps, a bit of mica. In Yellowstone Park there was obsidian. But basically they were just rocks. Something to skim across a pond. Or shoot with a slingshot. Or throw at a target. But, still just a rock. Without age or character or interest. A few times I accompanied my father on fieldwork in Montana where he was collecting various types of rock for a geology class. I never thought to look for fossils during these outings. Although some of the places we went later turned out to be full of interesting fossils.
Ive been around gravel pits and sand pits and rock quarries in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York and never paid any attention to the rocks themselves. Ive lived in New Hampshire and in Switzerland where rocks seem to be everywhere, but didnt notice them except when they were in my way.
The only times that rocks had any age or dynamics seemed to be places where they were still growing. Did I really mean to say, Rocks were growing? Yes, I did. In Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, in Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana and in Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, you could see the stalactites and the stalagmites growing millimeter by millimeter as drops of mineral-laden water fell from them or unto them. You couldnt actually see them grow, but you could feel them growing, you could sense the change and the growth. The other place I saw rocks growing was on the Big Island of Hawaii. We rented a small airplane to fly near the volcanoes and to see the red-hot lava falling into the ocean, instantly vaporizing water into steam and changing from liquid lava into solid stone. I had a similar experience/feeling when I explored Pompeii. I could picture the ash being compressed into stone over time.
But, for the most part, rocks were just rocks. Nothing more, nothing less.
But here in the Yucatan, things are different. Rocks are living. Rocks are growing. Rocks have spirits (Ill write about that later). And at the same time, the rocks are very old...they seem ageless. About nine years ago, I was leaning against a stone fence, separating two properties in Sierra Papacal, a small village near Merida. I was on a volunteer mission project building concrete roofs on houses of people in need and working with
Mano Amiga
. I was whipped. The day was hot, I was out of shape and I had not been drinking enough water. So I was resting and getting ready to go back to work when I happened to actually look that the stone fence on which I was resting. The stones werent huge, but they were a good size perhaps 10 to 15 kilos each (22 to 33lbs). As I looked at them closer and closer, I saw more and more seashells imbedded into the rock. Fossilized remains of long-dead sea creatures. As I looked closer, I saw that virtually every rock contained fossils of sea dwellers. I remembered enough of my high school earth science course to realize that these were probably sedimentary rocks, built up layer by layer beneath the sea, trapping the seashells and surrounding them. At some point either the sea level dropped or the land rose from the sea and the rock was exposed to air.
This exposed limestone sat patiently for thousands of years waiting for the Mayan builders to utilize the stone for their houses, their temples and their pyramids. The Mayan builders quarried, cut, dressed and carved all of their building blocks without metal tools. That blows me away. Every time I hit a limestone rock with a steel hammer and the hammer bounces off, I wonder how did the Mayans do it and how long did it take them to form all the blocks for even a small pyramid? In modern times, the rock is still quarried for foundations, for exposed-stone walls, for architectural and ornamental carvings and to make decorative tiles. Some of the bathrooms at Casa Hamaca are tiled with natural limestone tiles that expose various kinds and sizes of fossilized seashell. They are natural stone cut to the desired thickness and size and then lightly polished to remove most of the saw marks. Heres a few photos of the tile at
Casa Hamaca
; Every one of the seashells is a fossil. That's still amazing to me.
The entire northern portion of the Yucatan peninsula is a limestone shelf that once was underwater. It seems solid enough, but its not. Its dynamic and changing almost living. The geology of the Yucatan is much like that of Florida. Flat. A flat limestone crust with channels, streams and rivers running under the crust. In Florida, when the alkaline limestone becomes eaten away by the acid in the rains and the crust weakens and eventually collapses, it is called a sinkhole. It seems every year or so there is a news story about a house or an automobile getting gobbled by a quickly forming sinkhole. The same type of thing happens in the Yucatan except here they are called cenotes (but I cannot remember any cenotes gobbling up a car or a house). With the exception of a very few small lakes, there is no surface water in the northern part of the Yucatan. The cenotes were and still are the only constant water supply. They were life giving and villages and cities grew up around the cenotes since they were the source of year-round water.
There are no real lakes, no rivers, no streams in the northern Yucatan. At least on the surface there are none. But beneath the surface of the Yucatan, underneath the limestone shelf, underground rivers flow into underground lakes. The entire Yucatan is honeycombed with them, interconnecting to form a vast underground world. And the surface is riddled with cenotes. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of new cenotes currently forming as the acidic rain leaches away the alkaline limestone. Theres some great graphics on this link:
that show the stages of cenote formation. And some simple experiments with chalks that demonstrate how the rock is eaten away.
Some cenotes have a very small opening to the surface with an underground cavern considerably larger hidden underneath the surface, like the cenote at Dzitnup near Valladolid. Some of the cenotes are literally just holes in the ground. The main cenote at Chichen Itza, for instance, has vertical sides and maybe as much as 100 meters (110 yards) across, but is just hole in the ground. Still others are in the transition stage between the two previous examples like Cenote Zaci in the center of Valladolid. It has partially collapsed, but the enormous slaps of rock that once formed the ceiling of the cenote now lie scattered and shattered many feet below the surface of the ground.
And thats another place you can see the rock grow. Many of the cenotes, caves and caverns in the Yucatan have stalactites and stalagmites. They are growing drip by drip.
This morning my friend, Ponce, took me to the jungle near Valladolid to show me a cenote. He wants me to buy a piece of land on which the cenote is located. I told him that without water, land is worthless. He assured me the water was there, the cenote was there. In fact, he said there was even a second cenote much further into the jungle. We parked beside the road and grabbed our machetes. Ponce led the way into the jungle, following a distinct path that was almost hidden in places by the plant growth on either side of the path. We really needed the machetes. Ponce pointed out the plants not to touch and pointed out the ones that are good to eat. After about 1/2 hour of playing Indiana Jones, we came to an open field populated by some Brahma bulls and cows and a dozen young boys from a nearby village on their way to the cenote to swim. We joined up with the boys and continued on a much more frequently used and open path to the cenote.
The cenote is very deep; Ponce says 20 meters or almost 66 feet to the water. Its difficult for me to judge depth, but it was a long, long way down. This cenote has no name but is similar in some ways to the one at Dzitnup. There was a main opening, a hole, less than ten meters (about 33 feet) across. With the brilliance of the sun, it was hard to see into the opening, but with a little patience, waiting until the clouds covered the sun, you could see that the cenote opened up to a much larger space near the water level. It space was shaped somewhat like a mayonnaise jar with a hole the size of a quarter cut in the lid. That was the main opening to the cenote. When the sun was just right, I could see there was dry land down there at the bottom. As well as the larger opening, there was another one nearby of four or five meters (13 to 16 feet) across, but it was so overgrown with trees, shrubs and bushes, that it was impossible to determine even the shape of the opening. And then there were another five or so much smaller openings to the larger underground chamber. One of them had rocks mortared around it in a circle forming a well-like location from which to draw up water by the bucketful.
The leaning tree on the left of this photo is the one on which the boys are climbing down on the following photos. This image has been photoshoped to attempt to bring out some of the interior detail.
All of the openings allowed light to penetrate to the furthest depths and, depending on time of day, allow sunbeams to strike the surface of the water. Thats what made this cenote so beautiful and so similar to Dzitnup, the sunbeams on the water. Great flocks of a beautiful bird flew in and out of the main opening. Butterflies flittered about. Vine-like tendrils seemed suspended from the edge of the opening all the way to water level. Plants covered one side of a huge stalactite that hung down almost to the water below. Other stalactites formed bizarre shapes. The boys kept warning me not to step in one of the smaller holes or to go too close to the edge of the big one. Hey, dont worry; Im not going down there! But the boys did. There was a very large tree leaning against one edge of the largest opening. The boys scampered down it like monkeys to jump into the water. I could not see how far down the tree actually went. Perhaps it was growing from one of the dry areas at the bottom.
While we were standing there watching the boys swim, I tried to envision what I would do with this cenote if the land around it became mine. For access, I pictured a spiral staircase leading all the way to the bottom from the second largest opening. The flat terrain would allow a rough road to be cut leading to the cenote area. But thats as far as I could picture it without seeing what was at the bottom of the cenote. Could it be developed as a tourist attraction? Did it have a natural, temperature-stable cave in which to age cheese? Or wine? Or was there a hidden temple? Or a buried treasure? I knew I could not get down the tree trunk and ever get back up so maybe I will have to just send my camera and see the cenote through anothers eyes. But I think I want to know whats at the bottom of the cenote.
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Atlantikos is an online peer-reviewed journal published by graduate students in the English department at Michigan State University. It represents the most recent work by the most active graduate scholars in the field of Transatlantic Studies, broadly defined as the study of textual, cultural, and performative productions that have multiple resonances across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. We are now accepting essays written by graduate students and others in the field of Transatlantic Studies for publication in our fall 2006 and spring 2007 issues. We encourage both traditional and innovative scholarship addressing critical, cultural, and theoretical issues related to the field. Submissions to Atlantikos have included discussions of print and visual texts, cinema, history, and comparative literatures. We also welcome submissions in other fields or genres relevant to Transatlantic Studies. Please visit our website at http://www.msu.edu/~atlantik to read the current !
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Recent Projects
K-12 students receive backpacks full of needed supplies for Fall 2015!
VSCC staff and students and community members helped to collect, sort, stuff, and disperse backpacks for Sumner County children in July.
Service Learning takes to the Hill!
TNCC member institution representatives to connect with Senators and Representatives from the Senate Education Committee, House Administration and Planning Committee, and Education Instruction and Programs Committee on the TNCC Day on the Hill.
From left to right: Senator Ferrell Haile, Anna Eppstein, Terry Pickering, and Joey Olsen
The Volunteer State Community College Undergraduate Research team anchored by Emmy Davis, Nicole Gammons, and Phillip Martinez received the 1st Place Award in the Organic Chemistry Division at the 66th Annual SERMACS Meeting, 2014.
Their poster "Investigations of Green and Microscale Methods in the Synthesis of Several Flavones" summarized their work during the past eight weeks. They have worked as a group during Monday afternoons and a few times all day on Friday and Saturday.
Morningside of Gallatin Christmas Carol Event
On December 16, 2013, our Service Learning Club hosted a Christmas Carol event at Morningside of Gallatin. At this event, the residents of Morningside received entertainment, an opportunity to sing and interact with our Service Learning Club, and receive gifts and Christmas Cards that we made in our previous meeting. We were very thankful and blessed to have Jacob Young, SGA Vice President, member of the Music Club, and Service Learning Treasurer to come and play the piano for all the residents of Morningside while we sang. The Service Learning Club also had the opportunity to play charades and entertain the residents.
Service Learning Club Outreach for Safe Place for Animals
The Service Learning Club reached out to area shelter in need of assistance in its early morning preparations for the day. Safe Place for Animals is a licensed control facility and one of two facilities in the Sumner County area. They service to thousands of animals each year and have been operating since November of 2008. Our Service Learning Club members were able to identify their needs and help assist them with:
• Interacting and entertaining the animals at their facility
• Assisting with the transfer of animals from their holding areas to the recreation area
• Preparation for normal business hours
• Ensuring the animals have clean hygiene and fresh nutritional substance
• Community Service aides to meet their need for volunteers
Service Learning Club special project at Children are People, Inc.
TheService Learning Club will be involved in an effort to spruce up the facilities at Children Are People, Inc. in Gallatin, TN. The project involved cleaning and organizing the classrooms in preparation for the center's summer school program beginning July 5.
Technology Update and Summer Initiative for Shalom Zone
The Office of Service Learning at VSCC assisted community partner, the Gallatin Shalom Zone, in the update of their Life Long Learning Center, a lab providing several services including free Excel and PowerPoint classes. The update included modification of security settings, installment of updated software, and the additional setup of new computers. Our assistance has directly mobilized the organization to meet their objective to "uplift lives and revitalize the community" through high need services including free enrichment classes for children, teens, and adults.
Our office is also assisting the Gallatin Shalom Zone with the implementation of their summer initiative, "Kids Eat Here Free." This program will provide a free Kellogg's breakfast pack (cereal, milk, juice, and snack) to all children age eighteen and under, Tuesday through Friday from 8:00am-9:00am, June 6th to July 29th.
- Civil Rights Open House
If you go to a public place for lunch, do you stop and wonder if you are allowed to enter the restaurant? If you have to take public transportation, are you afraid the driver will not let you get on the bus? When you are in a public building and need a drink of water, do you search for the fountain that is labeled with your skin color? If you answered no to any of these questions, you are considered privileged.
If you cannot imagine the insanity of the above scenarios, then come check out what Professor Chanin's English class has created. It is a visual display of just a few people who fought for, and sacrificed much, to create a world of equality for all. The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee marked the turn of the times. Young college students, not unlike the ones here at Vol State, staged non-violent demonstrations to draw attention to the unfair treatment that existed throughout the nation. These demonstrations led our country to create and enforce laws of desegregation.
Why should you care about what we learned? This type of uncivilized societal behavior should never be tolerated. We should be acutely aware of what was sacrificed for our freedoms and ensure that our generation, and the next, has a tangible understanding and appreciation of being able to exercise our rights.
- Technology Update for Children Are People
Computer Information Systems Faculty Bob Berry lead a project where Vol State students provided technology update services for Children Are People, one of our community partners. As part of this project, students:
- Updated 7 desktop computers
- Loaded virus protection software
- Created login IDs for 60 CAP students
- Ran cable through the building to strengthen the wireless signal
- Guided CAP in the purchase of 15 laptops for 8th - 12th grade students
- Kids College CPR at Whitten Elementary School
Vol State students were certified in "Heartsaver" CPR through the course in Maymester under the supervision and instruction of Ron Timberlake, Certified BLS Instructor with American Heart Association. Students then shared their training with 75 5th graders at Whitten Elementary School with permission from Adam Cripps, principal and Janet Watkins, counselor.
- Let's Move Sports Camp
Clearview Park and Gallatin Civic Center partnered with the Betty Williams' Introduction to Wellness class to provide a Let's Move Sports Camp. The students from the class were given an activity to teach to the children in the Let's Move Sports camp. The included a warm-up, activity and a cool down. The camp's purpose was to teach children how to move through sports and games within these following activities:
- Basketball
- Football
- Horse Shoes
- Kickball
- Parachute Play
- Racquetball
- Relay Races
- Softball
- Swimming
- T-shirt tie dyeing
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Zumba
- Math & Science Expo
The Math and Science Expo is an annual outreach event held each spring on a Thursday afternoon in March or April. It aims to provide Vol State students with an opportunity to develop hands on learning activities to share the scientific knowledge and problem solving methods they have learned in math and science classes. This past year the theme was "Go Green!" Mathematics faculty member Le-Ellen Dayhuff served as primary contact for the Service Learning elements of this event in 2010. A wide selection of classes from the Math and Science Division participated in the most recent expo and included:
- Service Learning Around the World
Volunteer State Community College TnCIS India students are visiting with TAABAR students. An origami lesson has just occurred. Student Katie Jones is receiving a henna tattoo on her left hand, and student Gigi Beals waves at the camera after having already received her tattoo. Our students donated money, clothing, and school supplies to TAABAR. The kids always like to show off their dance moves toward the end of the event so this little guy was showing off.


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European Escapade
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The Power of Independent Thinking
C.S. Lewis on Mere Liberty and the Evils of Statism
Recorded: Saturday, August 2, 2014
David J. Theroux, founder and president of The Independent Institute and the C.S. Lewis Society of California, discusses the writings of C.S. Lewis and Lewis's views on individual liberty, natural law and statism.
The presentation was the keynote talk at the first annual conference of Christians for Liberty, that was held at St. Edwards University in Austin, TX, August 2, 2014.
Experts: David J. TherouxType: Other EventIssues: Bureaucracy and Government, Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Collectivism, Culture/ Society, Education, Family, Freedom, Government Power, Political Ideology and Philosophy, Politics, Privacy, Privatization, Property Rights, Regulation and Deregulation, Religion, Science, Taxes, Welfare
Mary L. G. Theroux on the Epic Life of Willard Garvey
Recorded: Sunday, November 17, 2013
Mary Theroux, Senior Vice President at the Independent Institute, is interviewed by Bob Weeks of WichitaLiberty TV. Mary reflects on the
accomplishments of her father's life as told in the book Willard Garvey: An Epic Life authored by Maura McEnaney.
Experts: Mary L. G. TherouxType: TelevisionIssues: Business, Culture/ Society, Free Market Economics, Housing
Maura McEnaney on Willard Garvey at Wichita Rotary Club
Recorded: Monday, October 28, 2013
Maura McEnaney, author of Willard Garvey: An Epic Life, speaks before the Rotary Club of Wichita on October 28, 2013, about her new book published by The Independent Institute's LibertyTree Press.
Experts: Maura McEnaneyType: TelevisionIssues: Business, Culture/ Society, Economic Policy, Entertainment, Family, Government Waste/Pork, Housing, Privatization, Trade
John C. Goodman at P.A.U.L. Festival 2012
Recorded: Friday, August 24, 2012
Independent Institute Research Fellow John C. Goodman addresses P.A.U.L. Festival 2012 on The Free-Market Alternative to Obamacare.
Type: TelevisionIssues: Bureaucracy and Government, Economic Policy, Free Market Economics, Government Waste/Pork, Health Care, Politics, Privatization, Public Health/ Consumer Protection, Regulation and Deregulation, Taxes
John C. Goodman on States Potentially Refusing to Implement Parts of Obamacare
Recorded: Monday, July 2, 2012
Research Fellow John C. Goodman, author of Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis, interviewed on CBN on the issue or states choosing to opt out of parts of Obamacare.
Experts: John C. GoodmanType: TelevisionIssues: Health Care, Taxes
Tabarrok on Debt and Imprisonment
Recorded: Friday, April 20, 2012
Alexander Tabarrok, Research Director at the Independent Institute, speaks with Alyona Minkovski of RT's "The Alyona Show" on increasing criminal justice fees applied to those convicted or charged of a crime and time served due to debt.
Experts: Alexander T. TabarrokType: TelevisionIssues: Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Criminal Justice/ Prisons, Culture/ Society, Taxes
Ben Powell on Campaign Style and Taxpayer Legal Fees
Recorded: Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Benjamin Powell engages with Tracy Byrnes on Fox Business Networks Freedom Watch on the style of presidential candidates and SEC legal expenses to be paid by taxpayers.
Experts: Benjamin W. PowellType: TelevisionIssues: Banking and Finance, Culture/ Society, Politics, Taxes
Benjamin Powell on the Payroll Tax Cut and Salt Regulation by the FDA
Recorded: Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Benjamin Powell engages with Judge Napolitano on Fox Business Networks Freedom Watch about the payroll tax cut and the FDA regulation of salt.
Experts: Benjamin W. PowellType: TelevisionIssues: Agriculture, Fiscal Policy/Debt, Regulation and Deregulation, Social Security, Taxes


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