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All branches closed for Memorial Day, May 30th.
UK Study Links Pleasure Reading to School Success
A new study from the University of London's Institute of Education (IOE) shows that children who read for pleasure do better at school than their peers. The study is titled "Social inequalities in cognitive scores at age 16: The role of reading."
According to the study, which is reported on the IOE's website, children who read for pleasure made more progress in mathematics, vocabulary and spelling between the ages of 10 and 16 than those who rarely read. The researchers compared children from the same social backgrounds who had received the same test scores as each other at ages 5 and 10. Reading for pleasure was found to be even more important for children's cognitive development between 10 and 16 than their parents' level of education. The combined effect on children's progress of reading books often, going to the library regularly, and reading newspapers at 16 was four times greater than the advantage children gained from having a parent with a degree.
Researcher Dr. Alice Sullivan theorized "…it is likely that strong reading ability will enable children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects."
Children who were read to regularly by their parents at age 5 performed better in all three tests at age 16 than those who were not.


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Richard Gasquet looked absolutely stunned during his second round match against compatriot Gilles Simon today in Sydney. The Frenchie headcase upset Sneaky Simon 6-4, 6-4 and will meet meet another Frenchie, Jeremy Chardy, for a spot in the final four.
I wonder why Richard's so shocked. Could it be the current World No.24 can't believe he actually beat another top-tenner or that Sneaky Simon actually hit 10 double faults in the match?
I'm feeling a combo platter here.
(image via GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
PHOTO OP: Shocked Richard upsets Sneaky Simon, puts hand to mouth
Labels: photo op, Richard Gasquet, Sydney, tennis
8 comments:
Ha, Fking Classic.ReplyDelete
Gasquet is such a head case. I wish he would just sh*t or get off the pot.ReplyDelete
- johanneJanuary 14, 2009 at 1:06 PM
natch: I know how you feel. But I can't help but root for the Frenchie. He's so precious and fragile and cute. Part of me gets super irritated when he gets on a roll playing garbage tennis, but the other part just wants to mother him :)ReplyDelete
Richard frustrates me - I root for him because he has such a good game and a tremendous backhand (obvs). Plus, when he's streaking he can be brilliant.ReplyDelete
But he always falls just when you think he's going to fly. Plus, it never looks like his fitness and conditioning ever changes. He could use a bit more endurance and strength training - he doesn't look quite filled out or something.
I'm curious as to what kind of training, off-season or otherwise, Richard does.
whoa, what's up with Reeshard? He's just quietly going along...WINNING lately! I like it.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 14, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Oh Richard, I like you and I want you to win more, but how could you beat cutie Simon? Be a nice boy and only beat the players I don't like from now on, OK?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 14, 2009 at 8:29 PM
lol @ anon(1).ReplyDelete
im starting to question what kind of form simon is really in this early in the year... during the hopman cup, i initially predicted him to reach at least the QFs at the aussie open... but everyone else looks to be in much better form than he is atm... so i dunno aye
allez simon, just cmon already
The picture looks like Richard just smacked a bug and goes like:ReplyDelete
Eeeewwww, I have a bug on my hand!!!

subset: commoncrawl


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A look back on some of the Hollywood milestones that happened on Oct. 28.
1950: "The Jack Benny Program" debuted on CBS.
1956: Elvis Presley made his second appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." He sang several songs, including "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog."
1977: Steve Perry joined Journey for their first public concert together, in San Francisco.
1986: Marie Osmond married for the second time, to record producer Brian Blosil. She had divorced Steve Craig a year earlier.
1996: Actor-comedian Morey Amsterdam died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He's best known for playing Buddy Sorrell on "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
Today's Birthdays: Actress Joan Plowright is 84. Country musician Charlie Daniels is 77. Actress Jane Alexander is 74. Singer Curtis Lee is 72. Actor Dennis Franz ("NYPD Blue") is 69. Singer Wayne Fontana of Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders is 68. Actress-singer Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn) is 65. Actress Annie Potts is 61. Drummer Stephen Morris of New Order is 56. Singer-guitarist William Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain is 55. Actress Daphne Zuniga ("Melrose Place") is 51. Actress Lauren Holly is 50. "The Talk" co-host Sheryl Underwood is 50. Actress Jami Gertz is 48. Actor-comedian Andy Richter is 47. Actress Julia Roberts is 46. Fiddler Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) is 45. Singer Ben Harper is 44. Country singer Brad Paisley is 41. Actor Joaquin Phoenix is 39. Singer Justin Guarini ("American Idol") is 35. Guitarist Dave Tirio of Plain White T's is 34. Singer-rapper Frank Ocean is 26. Actor Nolan Gould ("Modern Family") is 15.


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Caring for your lips may not be as colorful as applying lipstick to them, but it is certainly an important aspect of your beauty care routine, or it should be. The lips take a beating each day as they are exposed to the elements of the environment and left to fight impurities on their own. If you want to maintain the soft, supple nature of your lips, then you need to pay attention to their needs. Your lips must remain hydrated in order to look beautiful. Avene Lip Products can assist with this hydration through formulas that have been created using exceptional ingredients, known for their skin-friendly capabilities.
For a fuller, softer set of lips, you should incorporate Avene Lip Products into your regular beauty routine in order to promote a hydrated, healthy condition. In fact, coaxing chapped lips back into shape is easy if you simply indulge in the creamy formulas found in Avene Lip Products. In no time at all, you can have plump, kissable lips once you discover the natural goodness of Thermal Spring Water infused Avene Lip Products.
Any beauty care routine worth its financial cost includes one or more lip products designed to moisturize and protect your lips from harm. While coloring your lips with lipstick, lip gel, and even, on occasion, lip glitter can be fun, this process doesn't work as well if your lips are dry, cracked, or severely dehydrated. Avene Lip Products are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, delivering emollient treatment without the added risk of creating new problems due to allergic reaction. Despite this fact, it is important to seek the opinion of a professional prior to purchasing Avene products, especially if your skin is sensitive or currently experiencing problems.
For instant relief from the dryness and flaking that chapped lips create, try the emollient formula of Avene Cold Cream Lip Balm. It helps to prevent additional cracking or flaking of your lips through an intensely moisturizing formula that hydrates your lips back to their natural condition. Offering antioxidant protection and the benefits of Thermal Spring Water, it soothes your irritated lips and softens their skin creating a more natural appearance. This product is intended for lips that are currently experiencing dryness, chafing, or flaking.
Providing long-lasting relief from the dryness, tightness, and painfulness of severely chapped lips, Avene Professional Cold Cream Lip Cream delivers its skin-soothing benefits through an ultra-creamy formula enriched with Hydrogenated Lanolin, Castor Seed Oil, Mineral Oil, Shea Butter, and other exceptional ingredients. A super-rich formula, this lip cream soothes instantly as it begins its task of softening and hydrating your lips. Take a proactive approach to your chapped lips and begin using a lip cream designed to deliver outstanding results.


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MORRISTOWN - The Indian Creek girls basketball team got off to a quick start, and then held off a second-half rally to pick up a 53-50 victory against Tri-Valley in Thursday's Ohio Division II Sectional semifinal at Union Local.
"There were things that under normal circumstances we probably wouldn't have done, but give Tri-Valley credit," Indian Creek coach Erin DeSantis said. "They're a well-coached team with some impressive shooters, and that came back to bite us for a little bit there."
The Redskins held an 18-6 advantage after one quarter led by Bre Berryman, who scored nine of her game-high 23 points in the opening eight minutes. Kiarra Kamarec tossed in six in the quarter as well.
Berryman tallied six more in the second quarter as the Redskins held a 31-21 lead at halftime. Katie Prince kept the Scotties close with eight of her team-high 17 points.
Tri-Valley used defense to cut the lead to six at 37-31 after three quarters. The Scotties held the Redskins to just six Berryman points. Prince scored six of her own on a pair 3-pointers.
"I think part of it is we wanted it so bad we tried to do everything at once rather than get the ball in bounds, bring the ball up the floor, and set up the offense," DeSantis said. "We tried to hurry, hurry, hurry. We can contribute that to Tri-Valley because they wanted it as much as we did because if you lose you're done."
Jordyn Hendershot came up big in the fourth quarter for the Scotties, scoring nine of her 13 points, but the foul shooting of Brooke Mains kept Tri-Valley at bay. The junior guard went 7 for 10 from the charity stripe in the final stanza.
The Redskins maintained a big advantage at the foul line where they shot 15 of 24 compared to Tri-Valley's 2 of 8 showing.
Kamarec joined Berryman in double-digits with 13 points for the Redskins. Mains scored eight and Bethany Davis added seven.
Indian Creek (16-5) advances to the sectional co-final to face Minerva while Tri-Valley ends the season with an 8-11 record.
"Bottom line is we've not won a sectional game in a while, and, as young as we are, to hang on and win a game like this and have the season we've had, I'm just proud of the girls," DeSantis said. "We'll regroup a little and get back to work (today) to get ready for our opponent."


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That feedback has NOTHING to do with this unit. It talks about the LCD readout and if you read about the product you'll see it has NO LCD readout.
Not to mention 1 star ratings on Amazon are normally put there by people who have no clue what they are doing.
Now, that is a MASSIVE understatement! I read the 1 Star reviews just for laughs.


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May 24, 2016
Locations for early voting in each Georgia county can be found at:
ATLANTA (AP) -- July 20, 2012
For the first time, voters statewide have the option to cast their ballot on Saturday for the 2012 primary election.
The Legislature moved this session to add a Saturday to the early voting period, which was shortened from 45 days to 21. Early voting opened July 9 and ends July 27. Voters don't have the option of voting any other Saturday before the July 31 election.
Under state law, polls must remain open between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., but local elections officials can open earlier or close later.
Georgia Secretary of State spokesman Jared Thomas says early voting has been steady, and the Saturday voting option is meant to give voters a convenient alternative to get to the polls.
Locations for early voting can be found at http://sos.ga.gov/elections/CountyContacts/AdvanceVotingDisplay.aspx .
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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As the name implies, sun spots are related to sun exposure. The medical term for these patches of discoloration is solar lentigos, and they look like brown spots on the surface of the skin. They can occur in almost any area that's exposed to sunlight and usually involve the face and the backs of the hands. It's quite common to see them on people who have spent time in the sun. It's rare to see them before the age of 50, but most people over the age of 65 have at least a few.
Sun spots are the direct result of excessive sun exposure. In fact, it's uncommon to see them on people who have consistently worn sun protection or avoided the sun altogether. With repeated sun exposure, cells called melanocytes that lie in the epidermis of the skin produce more melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, as a form of defense against the sun's damaging rays. This leads to dark spots on the surface of the skin that are made up of melanin. These spots aren't harmful or precancerous, but having them is a sign of sun damage, which is a risk factor for skin cancer and melanoma. Even though they're harmless, most people want to get rid of sun spots for cosmetic reasons.
Sun protection should be a priority since sun spots are directly related to sun exposure. It's important to wear a high-powered sunscreen that protects the skin against both UVA and UVB rays when outdoors or indoors. UVA rays can penetrate glass and cause skin damage.
Sunscreen helps to prevent new sun spots from forming, but it won't take away ones that are already present. Kojic acid is a food additive that has the additional benefit of lightening dark sun spots. It works by blocking an enzyme necessary for the production of melanin. Glycolic acid helps the kojic acid penetrate the skin better so it can more effectively fade areas of pigmentation. It also encourages sloughing of superficial cells containing pigment. As an additional benefit, it also improves skin texture by making skin feel smoother and reflect light better.
Topical retinoids, available by prescription, help to lighten sun spots over time, but it can take six months or more to see results, and some people can't tolerate them due to skin irritation and redness. Retinols are a non-prescription form of retinoid that is less potent and less likely to cause irritation. It's sometimes combined with hydroquinone, a chemical proven to fade pigmentation. These two ingredients work together in a two-pronged attack against darkly pigmented spots.
A dermatologist or esthetician can treat dark pigmentation by performing a series of glycolic acid peels. This will require several treatments to get results. Other options are laser therapy and intense pulsed light therapy, which would be performed by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Laser therapy is expensive and requires downtime for healing. Intense pulsed light therapy doesn't require downtime, but it requires 3 to 6 treatments for satisfactory results.
Sunscreen is a top priority for preventing further sun damage that can lead to sun spots. Once they've formed, a product containing kojic acid, retinol or hydroquinone in combination with glycolic acid is effective for many people. If not, there are other treatments available through a dermatologist, but they may require some recovery time.


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PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - A car was towed out of Casco Bay shortly before 7 Sunday morning after it rolled off of Widgery Wharf around 2 in the morning.
Portland Police say three people were in the 2000 Subaru Outback as it rolled toward the edge of the wharf. They were able to get out and call police to report what was happening. Police say the incident was due to driver error, mixed with high tide and rain runoff.
At low tide, the car was towed out of the water.


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|Credit Union looks ahead to another great year
|Written by Chris Lee
2011 was another solid year for Holyoke and Imperial, Neb. Community Federal Credit Unions, reported board of directors and staff to members of the local cooperative at the annual meeting Monday, Feb. 27.
Net income for the combined Holyoke and Imperial offices was $116,768.58 in 2011. That amount would be much higher but the amount that was required to remit to the National Credit Union Administration to shore up the insurance fund for this past year was $67,948.53.
The credit union's combined loan portfolio was reported at $26,112,393. Treasurer Charles Milner said 85 percent of the assests are loaned out to the Credit Union's membership.
President reports positive outlook
Holyoke Community Federal Credit Union (HCFCU) president Ron Goldenstein said even though the past couple years have been rough for the United States, HCFCU is well positioned to come through these economic times unscathed.
The financial structure of credit unions has undergone changes in the past few years, but the local credit union is adapting.
National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) insures member deposits up to $250,000. This fund has been struggling, and it is the credit unions themselves that are contributing money to shore up the NCUSIF.
Goldenstein said sub prime lending in four states in 2008 led to the instability of the NCUSIF. Financial institutions in California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada had been pretty much given free reign in real estate lending.
Loans were granted indiscriminately with little regard to whether the borrower was capable of making payments and keeping up with required taxes and insurance. Property values in these states became grossly overinflated which resulted in mortgages way beyond sustainable values. "And then, the bubble popped," Goldenstein said.
Property values drastically decreased, leading to heavy losses to financial institutions in these areas. The insurance funds for banks and credit unions were strained far beyond capacity. This resulted in bailouts to keep these insurance funds solvent.
Goldenstein forecasted the annual cost this coming year to be between $24-36,000 to keep the NCUSIF stable. "In the past three years, we have been required to contribute $184,000 to shore up the NCUSIF," Goldenstein said. The NCUSIF is once again solvent and looks to be in good shape for the foreseeable future."
Goldenstein credited the sizeable loan portfolio as the reason why Holyoke and Imperial credit unions are well positioned to make it through the current economic situation.
The 2012 budget indicates the credit unions will have approximately $170,000 net income this year—net after the required contribution of $36,000 to the NCUSIF.
Goldenstein made sure to recognize all staff members, board members, supervisory committee and volunteers who give their time to make the credit union a success.
HCFCU member Deb Dusenbury-Dorren represented the volunteer loan officers Monday night and reported they have seen a drop in loan applications. She said the combined offices had 304 loan approvals in 2011, with a total of 274 being loaned out.
Loans serviced amounted to $3,473,939.90. The loan ratio is 40 percent out on real estate and 60 percent out on vehicle, share, signature and other types of loans.
Supervisory committee chairperson Wes Holmes gave his report, noting the annual audit by Peterson & Associates found no major areas of concern. He added the federal examiner reported the credit union is in sound condition.
Current supervisory committee members are Holmes, Tom Balding, Jim Gribben, Mariane Ortner and Daniel Baney.
Board member elected
At Monday's meeting, members voted to cast a unanimous ballot to elect Garold Roberts of Holyoke to the board.
Others on the board include Laura Bittner, Steve Starkebaum, Nancy Berges and Scott Murray in Holyoke and Wanda Westfahl and Charles Milner in Imperial. Rick Krueger decided to step down this year.
Prior to the annual meeting, members enjoyed a complimentary meal catered by Bill and Kristie Pelle with the help of Challengers 4-H Club.
Members of all ages were excited to end the evening with the popular money machine.
Holyoke Enterprise March 1, 2012


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WASHINGTON – Two people were ejected from their vehicle late Wednesday night in Laurel, and part of Route 197 was shut down for several hours.
The accident occurred along Rte. 197 between Contee and Muirkirk roads near Brock Bridge Road after 11 p.m. The road was reopened just before 2:30 a.m.
Prince George's County Fire says the two people in the vehicle were taken to a local hospital with critical injuries.
No other vehicles were involved.
Apparently, the car rolled several times and came to a stop in the woods.
Follow @WTOPTraffic on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
Sure, you could grill another hot dog. Or, you could try one of these 30 recipes for foods you never knew you could cook on the grill.


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Mark Katzfey, who owns 450 acres on the south side of Three Rivers off of U.S. Highway 281 and just north of the Nueces River, said he is offering a $1,000 reward to find the poacher.
"Somebody Tuesday night (Dec. 11) spotlighted a deer from the caliche road just off School
Road and killed a buck," Katzfey said.
"And they cut his head off and let lay," he added.
Katzfey also submitted a photo of the deer's carcass, but it was too graphic to publish in the Progress.
Katzfey said it's the first time he's encountered a poacher.
Texas Parks & Wildlife Live Oak County game warden Christina Plant said she encourages landowners to call Operation Game Thief when poaching is suspected.
"It's the Crime Stoppers equivalent where a caller can anonymously give information," Plant said.
Plant also mentioned that a reward is available with tips on poachers.
"We are dependent on the eyes and ears of citizens," she said.
She added that people reporting suspected poaching also can phone the Live Oak County Sheriff's Office.
Operation Game Thief can be reached by calling 1-800-792-4263 or by going online to ogttx.com.
Texas Parks & Wildlife Live Oak County game warden Clayton Pipkin said Katzfey's case is an open investigation and at this point, no more information is available.


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Style #: 240623-01553
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The Cleaner
|Release Date: January 05, 2007
|Running Time: 91 mins.
|MPAA Rating: PG 13
|Box Office: $8,104,069.00
|Genre: Action, Comedy, Spy
Cedric The Entertainer
Lucy Liu
Nicollette Sheridan
Callum Keith Rennie
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:Jake is a seemingly regular guy who has no idea who he is after being hit over the head by mysterious assailants. When he finds himself unexpectedly entangled in a high-level government conspiracy, Jake and his pursuers begin to believe that he is an undercover agent who subconsciously holds a key piece of information that could expose an arms deal involving the CIA and FBI.


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Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - The Indianapolis Colts signed wide
receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey on Monday.
The four-year veteran had spent his entire career in Oakland and posted 41
catches for 606 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games last season.
Selected seventh overall in 2009, the Maryland product has totaled 140 catches
for 2,071 yards and 11 touchdowns in 56 games during his career.
The Sports Network


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Hello All,
is it possible to share a Tag with other Zimbra accounts? I've read the end-user documentation and seems not :(
My goal is: given a shared folder accessible to many users, I would like to "flag/tag/mark/..." a message in this folder in order to let other users know that this message has been treated for some stuff by someone else. Of couse I do not want to use the already-available "red flag", or I could use this with another color at least.
Any suggestion on how to achieve it?


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WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Marijuana and prescription drug abuse continues to be a growing problem among teens, according to a survey my Monitoring the Future.
Some experts say teens are getting mixed messages from celebrities and the legalization of marijuana.
Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, talks about how you compete with the glammed up version of drugs. See the interview above.


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Weihai - China
Property ID: 6785
Print Page
As one of the oldest hotels in Weihai, this conveniently located resort in the eastern part of Weihai International Bathing Beach is just a short walk from the seashore, and is surrounded by beautiful scenery. There is no swimming in the winter, and in summer the region has been known to experience typhoons. In addition, most people in Weihai do not speak English.Check-in Time: 14:00Check-out Time: 12:00Check-in Days: FridayImportant InformationPet Information: Animals are not permitted; could result in forfeiture of the unit and/or other penalties.Resort strictly not allow their own member exchange into their home resort.Security deposit required upon check-in at the resort.Confirmation is required upon check-in at the resort.Fees or deposits are charged for some amenities.Resort fee: Beds/Cots fee is 100 Ask resort for currency type.


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Victim of a bad economy or a house of cards?
Finance | Bankruptcy report of real estate firm shows hazard of commuting with commerce
"Victim of a bad economy or a house of cards?" Continued...
At first glance, the bankruptcy of a church-connected real estate firm may appear to be simple backwash from the real estate crash that wrecked Wall Street and the nation's economy. However, the imminent demise of Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI) has implications stretching back further, to its formation 23 years ago under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
After filing for Chapter 11 reorganization in February of 2008, the publicly held company is in the final stages of a bankruptcy whose effects have rippled through the Christian community nationwide. A few examples:
• Congregations such as Mason Memorial Church of God in Christ, Norfolk, Va. ($1 million), Linden Presbyterian (PCA) of Linden, Ala. ($600,000), and First Presbyterian (PCA) of Gadsden, Ala. ($220,000), have lost funding for emergency medical care, missions, orphanages, scholarships, and many other programs.
• Retirees say they are living in some cases on one-third less income after seeing CMI-invested bonds turn worthless. CMI dubiously invested in second mortgages 63 percent of its funds.
• Kathy Woody-Deming of Clermont, Ga., retired after a serious auto accident that killed her first husband, now must work as a job coach for a county school board after dividends stopped on the $523,000 she invested from an insurance settlement in 2005. "You put this stuff in the back of your mind and try to live day to day," the Southern Baptist church member said.
• Betty Smartt Carter of Birmingham, Ala., whose father used to work for the PCA, said about $50,000 of her children's college funds are in peril. She advocates more public discussion of CMI so others can avoid bad investments: "I wish they would come out and speak to people and give [investors] a chance to forgive them. And at least admit they made some bad decisions."
Linden Presbyterian's Ray Burge, a member of the creditors committee, has a harsher assessment. Noting the network of interlocking companies outlined in a bankruptcy court examiner's report, he said Cornerstone's demise doesn't surprise him. "Any time a company sets up with companies owning companies and dealing with themselves, it gives me the impression it's a shell game," Burge said. "You move money around and siphon a little off."
Much recent controversy stems from the mid-March report by bankruptcy examiner Pat Huddleston. It points fingers at many CMI principals, particularly former President Cecil Brooks-who died in late June-and one-time Chief Financial Officer John Ottinger Jr. Ottinger rejoined the company as interim CEO in late 2007.
"Through a tangled web of non-profit and for-profit corporations and limited liability companies, Brooks and . . . Ottinger profited from real estate development," Huddleston wrote. "Beginning with churches, they expanded in the late 1990s to senior housing facilities, single family housing and multi-family housing."
Among his charges: "Self-dealing" by the top two officers, both ordained PCA ministers, characterized Cornerstone's shift in making loans from non-profits to for-profit companies. Huddleston accused the pair of creating phony non-profits to hold some of Cornerstone's properties while appointing figurehead officers to oversee them.
Huddleston also says the officers didn't report some of their earnings in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The largest gains include $6.2 million apiece for Brooks and Ottinger from the sale of a senior housing facility in 2007.
In addition, Huddleston reports that in 2006 Brooks, Ottinger, and two other Cornerstone directors acquired a 75 percent interest in a related company for $1,000 apiece. He alleges that later each received distributions of almost $171,000, although the subsidiary never made any money.
According to court documents, more than 3,500 investors hold $142 million in Cornerstone's bonds, with the bankruptcy settlement expected to yield only between 9 percent and 36 percent on those claims.
The distribution of assets and potential lawsuits likely will stretch beyond 2009, along with investigations by Georgia and Alabama securities officials. So could arguments over whether CMI was the victim of a bad real estate market or was an unethical house of cards. In one court filing, the company attributes its problems to the downturn in real estate and credit markets, starting in 2007. It says the squeeze created a liquidity crisis that left it unable to pay bondholders in the first quarter of 2008.
A CMI director contacted by WORLD said corporate legal counsel had instructed principals to maintain a low profile. In addition to possible legal action, he faced hostility from investors. Speaking on the condition that he not be named, the director said company records estimated that Cornerstone's assets would return at least 96 percent of investors' funds before the sagging real estate market and global recession slashed that number: "There are definitely a lot of broken hearts and people who feel they were taken advantage of, but things were done in good faith," he said, noting that Cornerstone's employees cumulatively invested $2 million in the company. "I mourn the loss of resources that we had counted on for retirement."
He also points out that many investors doubled and tripled their initial holdings over the years, and he maintains that Cornerstone did not hide its method of operations nor the projects in which it invested: "People are assuming we're all Bernie Madoffs and were manipulating things for our own benefit," he said. "It's not true. The staff's profit-sharing retirement accounts were invested in Cornerstone, as were many individual and family resources."
Ottinger's attorney, John Thomson Jr., did not respond to inquiries from WORLD. However, previously he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Huddleston's report draws incorrect conclusions. Promising information will be released that will vindicate his client, Thomson pointed out that Ottinger also lost $1.4 million: "He personally regrets the losses that all of Cornerstone's investors, including he and his family, have suffered as a result of the collapse of the real estate markets and resulting collapse of Cornerstone's portfolio."
A suburban Atlanta attorney, Huddleston commented there may be information that Cornerstone didn't share with him in preparing his report. But he said he uncovered officers' self-dealing that had previously gone undetected. "Potentially, that will allow a greater recovery for the bondholders," Huddleston said. "It would support individual lawsuits against directors. Hopefully it will help folks recover more than they will from the bankruptcy [proceedings]."
Led by Brooks and Ottinger, CMI originated as the Investors Fund for Building and Development (IFBD) in late 1985. Later renamed the Presbyterian Investors Fund (PIF), it commenced operations the following spring by loaning money for church construction-under a Board of Directors elected by the PCA General Assembly in 1986, according to Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk of the PCA.
Headquartered at the denomination's offices in Atlanta, IFBD remained there until 1994, when members voted to divest the operation following an audit of the denomination. The results of that audit were never publicly released, but acting on the recommendation of its board of directors, IFBD "was ecclesiastically and legally disassociated" by the PCA, according to a statement by Taylor to WORLD.
The decision not to release the audit remains a sore point with Charles Wilson, a retired PCA minister and former chairman of Concerned Presbyterians: "When members of the general assembly tried to address these issues-particularly by asking for a copy of the [audit], they were constantly told, 'We can't release that material because someone might sue us.'"
In response to a question about the audit, Taylor provided WORLD minutes of the 1994 General Assembly deliberations. They indicate that despite overtures from at least two presbyteries to make the audit public, and complaints that about 20 companies operated under IFBD out of PCA headquarters, commissioners turned down the request on grounds that "the legal audit is protected by attorney-client privilege and its very contents may not be used against the PCA in a court of law." Taylor concurred that the terms of the audit precluded the PCA from distributing its contents beyond certain denomination officers.
At the time of disassociation, IFBD/CMI returned just over $1.3 million on investments to the PCA, according to PCA business executive assistant Tracy Lane-Hall. Those funds were part of a church-planting campaign that today has total assets of $2.1 million, she said.
Two years after going independent, Brooks and Ottinger formed Cornerstone to expand its reach beyond the denomination. That December CMI went public with a $3.7 million initial public offering and later merged with PIF.
Though the offering was minuscule in Wall Street terms, CMI's bonds-then paying 9 percent-attracted investors who liked the returns and appreciated its purpose of building churches and related facilities, such as Christian schools.
In a 2003 shareholder letter, Brooks said people regularly asked if the company was a "Ponzi scheme," named for an investment that pays illusory, above-market returns to first investors based on the infusion of cash from later investors. Emphasizing that the company had always been profitable, Brooks said, "Some do not invest because they fear the rate is a 'come on.' If it is, it is the best 'come on' I know and we have been doing it for 18 years."
However, the shift in CMI's emphasis a decade ago attracted criticism from Huddleston, who said Brooks and Ottinger unilaterally decided to start lending money to other businesses. The new deals included developments that went far beyond church construction, such as two upscale single-family home developments near Dallas. To show their risky nature, Huddleston's report cited a June 2006 email from Ottinger, which said, "This deal we are closing today is going to put us in a very precarious position financially."
According to Huddleston, CMI also spent money extravagantly on first-class and private jet travel, memberships in a championship golf course, and $250,000 sponsorships of a Dallas marathon. The extravagant spending on one subsidiary's projects left insufficient funds to finance others, forcing delays in development of several low-income housing projects, the report said.
With bankruptcy proceedings underway, the remaining question is how many investors will pursue legal remedies. Citing mismanagement, conflicts of interest, and failure to disclose material information, the examiner's report has provided ammunition: "In light of the evidence described above, the examiner believes that bondholders have valid causes of action against broker-dealers, Cornerstone directors and others."
Still, one Atlanta-area attorney doesn't think it will be that easy to recover damages. Jason Doss, who specializes in securities arbitration and class action cases, said the report shows the difficulty average investors face in trying to recover cash. He advised one client against legal action for that reason. "Everyone who sold these [bonds] is insolvent or out of business," said Doss. "They don't have any money to repay these people. I couldn't find it an economically feasible [case] and I didn't want my client to throw good money after bad."
Another issue is whether Cornerstone's previous link to the PCA will harm the denomination. In Wilson's mind, it already has. Though not an investor, the retired pastor says he agonizes over the widows and retirees who lost money and the poor witness he said company officials presented. "All this was done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," Wilson said. "Their behavior will most certainly have a negative effect upon the witness of the PCA. Both people within and without the PCA will identify the PCA with Cornerstone."
But Roger Schultz, a former PCA ruling elder who is now dean of the college of arts and sciences at Liberty University and part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, said he believes that many looked at CMI as a case where the effort of well-intentioned Christians collapsed because of a bad economy. Still, he said the case offers instruction to the church as a whole-to avoid mixing commerce too closely with Christian purposes. "The church should be committed to missions and [starting] churches," said Schultz, a specialist in U.S. religious history. "If the church starts to play by the role of a banker, it complicates that mission.


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Serena Williams loves to have a good time (right Party Watch?) and that's probably why Ebony magazine has put the 8-time Grand Slammer on the cover of their July "Fun" issue with an exclusive inside interview.
The mag styled ReRe in big hair, a fully made up mug, retro swimsuits, and heels - old style glamour at its best. Here's an excerpt from their exclusive interview with the tennis champ where she even mentions rumored boyfriend Common:
There's no match for Serena Williams on or off the court. Showing off her stellar brick-house physique, the 5-foot-9 1/2-inch tennis star and Olympic gold-hopeful hung out with EBONY magazine in Malibu, Calif., in an exclusive cover shoot. To keep her body in top condition, Serena indulges in scrumptious salads, which include feta cheese, candied walnuts and strawberries. "It's too hot in the summer to cook, so I love to grill chicken and fish," she adds.
"I also love to grill vegetables and serve them chilled." When asked about her rumored love interest, Common, Serena had this to say, "I think he's a great guy. He's obviously a great artist who is timeless and classic. You can't beat that. But I have to focus on tennis because that's my goal in life."
Check out some behind the scenes video footage of the 26-year old at the photoshoot. And, no, she keeps her marbles intact, relatively speaking, unlike some other recent videos of our beloved ReRe:
(images via ebony)


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Sustainable use of natural resources cannot be achieved unless fair access and control to natural resources are available to local people, without discrimination based on gender, class, ethnicity, age or other social variables. There is a need to empower communities and local users, recognising their rights and responsibilities, ensuring their means to sustainable livelihoods and human development. Fair and safe tenure systems for land and natural resources increase social stability and local resources users' incentives and abilities to participate in resource management decisions in effective ways.
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- Promote participatory management in Protected Areas and promote national processes that empower local communities' rights and responsibilities to fully participate in the planning, implementation and decision-making processes affecting resource management in their lands and territories.
- Support governments and nations to invest in stakeholder consultation and negotiation mechanisms and to adapt legal and institutional frameworks to allow participatory management of natural resources in and around Protected Areas.
- Promote tenure systems that support fair access to the land and to natural resources beyond gender, caste, class, ethnicity, age, or any other social discrimination, as basic foundations for achieving conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
- Promote processes that support local institutions, and strengthen local communities' secure access to, and control over, land and resources, equitable sharing, education and training, as well as full and fair participation in decision-making processes.
- Involve different stakeholders in Protected Areas by working at the local level to promote decision-making institutions and collaborative management, and building a partnership based on trust, respect and solidarity.
- Support and promote protected areas that are established and managed by indigenous peoples and traditional and local communities, and that are respectful of the local cultures.


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Left or Right, the shoe's on the wrong foot
The left and right, both share a disdain for the individual – and that is very bad for America. They both lack the understanding that prosperous people and communities come from the individual's rational self-interest; that the production, trade, private charity, and thriving community- comes from this individualism. They don't see that these shared values and the virtues practiced to attain and keep them -is | Read More »


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11/17/2011, Melbourne, Florida
Last weekend the SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association) Gam in Melbourne, Florida was in full swing. We've been members for a long time and are now holding the status of Lifetime Commodores (25+ years). It's a great cruising club of likeminded boaters. (click here for SSCA website) This year, while we traveled from our way back from the northern part of the USA, we timed it so that we would be passing through at the time of the annual general meeting and social activities. It started on Friday and ran until mid day Sunday at the Eau Gallie Civic Center. In the gymnasium there were tables for vendors of nautical stuff, just like a boat show and two large conference rooms were set aside for seminars.
What a surprise to find Jesse James, the Maxi Taxi driver, who we knew from our visit to Trinidad behind the table of the Chaguaramas Development Authority, promoting tourism for Trinidad.
Benno is hosting the "Round Table Discussion" for the areas of Venezuela and Panama.
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11/11/2011, Melbourne, Florida
Meet David and Georgia Katz. David took "Seaducktress" a 44' Diesel Duck, from East Asia all the way to Australia and then from Australia, via Hawaii to continental USA and up to Alaska and down. As you can read, Diesel Duck trollers do get around! We met up with the Katz's here in Melbourne, Florida, where they live and where David attends to his antique car collection which includes a Ford Model T Fire Engine among many other beauties. He could start an automobile museum, in fact, the place is already a showcase.
Picture of Seaducktress courtesy of George Buehler
Of course we talked about boats, especially Diesel Ducks, while the Katz's treated us to a fabulous curry shrimp dinner at their spacious home, which overlooks the ICW with our DD anchored right in front. Thank you both, we've had a great time with you and hope to meet up again.
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10/30/2011, Melbourne, Florida
Diesel Duck is parked (anchored in 8 ft) on the southeast side of the Melbourne (Florida) Causeway Bridge, protected from the North and Northeast hooley, which is blowing down the Intracoastal Waterway at 20+ knots. There are always chores to do, but today, Sunday, we decided to give it a rest. Yesterday I had made a large casserole dish of lasagna al Forno, so today and tomorrow it will be lasagna time and no cooking on my part is required. Therefore I snuggled up with a book that is with our Reader. This might not be a new thing to you, but electronic books have been creeping on board of cruising boats in the last few years. These days you will find a Kindle, a Sony Reader, a Nook, or the all famous I-Pad on almost every other boat. Yeah, there are still paperbacks being traded in cruiser hangouts, but some of these paperbacks look really bad and you wouldn't want to pick one up in fear of picking up a disease, or the selection is so limited that you already know most of them. We purchased a Sony Reader early last year after the holiday rush and have made good use of it. While cruising anywhere in USA waters or the Virgin Islands area that provide cell phone coverage, we can access the library of the Sony Reader free of charge to download a new book with the Reader device, or use our laptop computer, if we have Wifi access anywhere or in any country, to download a book from the Sony Reader Store and then transfer it to the Reader device via a USB cable. It is a terrific thing because before we bought the Reader while we traveled in foreign countries, we often ran out of reading material. There were no stores to purchase a novel in English and when we found stores that carried some, the selection was very poor and the books were expensive. I remember one time in Ushuaia, Argentina a paperback was priced 22 dollars. Now we can read what we want anywhere. An added benefit is also the light weight and slim format versus holding a book in your hands that is two inches thick. Benno is reading at the moment the complete and uncut novel from Steven King "The Stand", that has 1448 pages in tiny print (which you can enlarge if you want on the Reader.) A reader can hold more than 1000 of these books in its memory and takes no room away, think about of the space you save on a boat.
The evening view from our anchorage over to the Melbourne Causeway Bridge
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10/25/2011, Titusville, Florida
The ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) from Norfolk, Virginia to South Florida is a very beautiful part of the USA. There is so much to see and so much history to discover. Diesel Duck went down the ICW all the way to Charleston, South Carolina and anchored just off the famous Fort Sumter. click for link to Fort Sumter On Saturday, Oct. 22, in the early morning, we ventured out to sea into the Atlantic Ocean to run with the very light wind and small waves south for 29 hours to St. Augustine, Florida before going back inside into to the ICW.
While being out at sea, there is really not much to do except keeping watch for other vessels. Our autopilot steers the boat and we keep an eye on the instruments and change or plot a course if needed. So while I read my e book on a Sony reader sitting in the wheelhouse, I noticed a couple of little birds flying around our boat. These were not the type of birds that live off the sea. They looked windblown and disheveled. After trying to sit on the ropes, the dinghy and various other places, these little things started to fly up to every window and port light, looking in. I thought that was funny and kept reading my book. But to my surprise, all of a sudden we had two fluttering, chirping birdies inspecting the inside of Diesel Duck. They had managed to squeeze through the front starboard window unnoticed. I opened the door and the overhead hatches to give them a chance to fly back out. Benno shooed one of them out of the aft cabin and I went below to start preparing a couple of cordon bleu for supper. After eating our delicious meal we both made a thorough inspection to make sure the birds were gone and then we closed up the boat. I guess there are more little hiding spots onboard than we know of, because the next morning we discovered two happy, well rested, blind passengers that wanted to fly out toward shore. Later on we discovered another bird of the same variety which had crawled up underneath one of our outside propane storage tanks and the night was a very cold one. It was dead. Oh, we felt so sorry!
Dolphins love to play in the bow wave of traveling boats. They are fast swimmers and we never grow tired of watching them. There are dolphins also fishing in the ICW, but these guys were out in the Atlantic on Sunday morning.
Look at this dual dwelling. A beautiful house on the ICW's Adam Creek Canal. One owner has a John Deere tractor to do his small lawn and the other owner got himself a bigger Kubota Diesel tractor to do his side of the lawn. Or is this his and hers?
Now is this not a beautifully painted hot pink house? Bet you it belongs to an award winning Mary Kay saleslady and there is probably a pink Cadillac parked out front.
This little red boat's name was called "Toot Toot" and I thought it was cute.
A nice young couple in this little trawler waved to us while we passed them and we think they probably built her. A very nice looking boat.
A boathouse on the ICW advertising services, restaurants, B&B and displaying a big fish head.
Many bridges span the ICW. The newer high-rise fixed constructed ones, like this one are a relief, because we just pass underneath. Usually, they are 65 feet high in the middle.
However, there are still very many of the old type bascule bridges that have not enough clearance for us. We have to call the bridge tender on VHF channel 9 and request an opening. But if these bridges are on major highways or well traveled streets, they are restricted, which means they only open at certain times and we have to time our arrival and pass accordingly, or have to wait in front, announcing our intend to pass at the next opening. (Sometimes there is a stickler up there and if you arrive a couple minutes after the set time, he makes you wait another 30 minutes or a whole hour!)
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Moving south from Annapolis, our anchor came down for the night at Wicomico Creek, just south of the mighty Potomac River, which goes up to Washington from the Chesapeake. Next stop: Willoughby Bay, Benno's favored place because of all the activity across the bay with tons of Navy helicopters coming and going. If you anchor between Willoughby Bay Marina and the green marker "WR 13" you'll be able to access the Wifi signal of the interstate hotspot from the nearby Rte. 64 with a good amplified Wifi antenna like ours, the "wirie" Click here for the Wirie
While Benno's binoculars are glued to his eyes following the Navy's activities, I take a trip to the Walmart Super Center and K-Mart. You get there by walking from the public launching ramp, where you can leave your dinghy, through the underpass of Rte. 64 to Ocean View Ave. (less than a 1/4 of a mile) The No. 5 bus runs along there and takes you right to the shopping center.
The stretch from Willoughby Bay down to Norfolk and further is my husband's delight. His head was going like a submarine periscope watching all the military floating hardware along the "Navy Alley" Aircraft Carriers, more than just one, Destroyers galore including the famous "Cole"
click here for background info on the Cole
In downtown Norfolk, across the Hospital Point, the famous Battleship "Wisconsin" is docked for public display. Click here for background on the Wisconsin
After we locked through the Great Bridge lock, we spotted a squadron of "Riverine" SOC-R boats (Special Operation Craft River) of the Navy Click here for background info on the Riverine
These special forces training on the Virginia Cut Route and the Dismal Swamp Route of the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). What they do is classified, so don't ask.
At the time of this writing, DD is under anchor in front of Currituck on the Currituck Sound in 9 feet of water and picking up Wifi from the town to post this report. We are avoiding the announced 20 knots+ S/W winds for the next two days.
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10/10/2011, Chesapeake, MD
What more could we ask for? Perfect Diesel Duck weather to head south. Here we are passing the famos Thomas Point Lighthouse off Annapolis, sitting on the Thomas Point shoal in the Chesapeake Bay. After some delightful months in Maryland we dropped the mooring in Annapolis. Diesel Duck is heading out again toward sunny Florida and beyond.
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10/09/2011, Annapolis, MD
I am not doing coffee here to support the troops. Benno drained more than 2 gallons of diesel fuel out of the huge double barrel Racors. Black, yucky stuff! In the picture you see me filtering the diesel through a Melitta #4 filter. What filtered out looked like clean Ocean Spray Cranberry juice. Hey, with a diesel price of close to $ 4.00/gal this was over 8 bucks saved!
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10/09/2011, Annapolis, MD
The year 1999, when I was building the diesel fuel polishing system for our boat, a Teflon joint compound from Permatex for NPT pipe joints was the hottest ticket on the market, apparently good for everything including water and gasoline or diesel fuel. It was so easy to use, a real blessing for a pipe fitter. I used it too. It speeded up the job so nicely on the two diesel filter panels I was building for our Diesel Duck under construction back then. When we launched the Duck in May of 2005 and I pumped for the first time diesel fuel through these panels it all looked so good and that it gave me a happy feeling. Two years later, in 2007, when the first pipe joint started to weep diesel fuel, my happy feeling was getting a punch. From that time on the happy feeling received countless punches as every pipe joint started to weep and leaking and it almost turned into a flood of diesel fuel. It needed some serious fixing done.
Here in Annapolis, having access to all kinds of stuff from finest bread to good wine and all the tools a man can dream of at the building centers like "Lowe's" or "Home Depot" I was thinking of using the idle times of the few months weathering out the hurricane season here on a mooring on Weems Creek to fix this problem. I learned quickly the cure would be unscrewing every pipe joint, cleaning the thread and using yellow Teflon tape, also called yellow gas line PTFE tape to seal the joint. Hunting down this tape became a challenge. Sure, I could buy a tape at the Home Depot, but it was a no name product not showing a ULC approval number or CSA number. It was some cheap China tape. I had enough problems and did not need a future new pain in the ass. I found the real Made in USA yellow Teflon tape with all the approval numbers for professionals at "Fastenal Company" here in town.
Diesel Duck's galley became a workshop for a short time. I drained all the diesel out of these filter panels and removed the panels one at a time for the rebuild job. We salvaged the diesel, a good 2-1/2 gallons and Marlene cleaned the fuel while running the diesel through a coffee filter. It was black diesel, but it came out clean like a whistle. For cleaning the male pipe thread I gently used the wire brush wheel on an electric 6" wheel grinder. To clean the female thread I used the proper ½ inch NPT tap, in another case it was a ¼ inch NPT tap. I applied the minimum 3 wraps required for the yellow gas line PTFE tape (Teflon tape) on the male pipe threads and assembled everything.
After installing new filter cartridges, the panel got primed with the cleaned, recycled diesel fuel and put back in service. Time will tell and I keep my fingers crossed and hope the pipe joints will stay dry from now on!!
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10/08/2011, Annapolis, MD
I could not think of a better way to end our stay in Annapolis than to attend the annual Sailboat Show. Under a blue sky with brilliant sunshine that warmed the day to the upper 70th F. Benno and I mingled with thousands of boat minded enthusiasts. Looking at products we already have onboard we got the chance to talk to the experts attending the booths and found our chats very informative. The highlight of the day was when our friends, Kathy and her husband Darius, from the s/v "Breeze Hunter" out of Whitby, Ontario, where our boat was built, spotted us. They drove up from Deltaville, where their boat is at the present time. A big hello ensured with a promise to meet up again down south.
For the last time we waded into the Weems Creek to board our dinghy for the return trip to our boat. Meanwhile the Navy was training on their eights through the anchorage, bringing back memories of my youth when I participated in this sport.
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09/30/2011, Annapolis, MD
Meet Ruth and Randal Johnson who came for a visit onboard "Diesel Duck." Ruth and Randal own a 46+2 (51' LOA) Diesel Duck called: "Dora Mac" click for Dora Mac's web site which was built out of steel at Seahorse Marine Manufacturer in Zhuhai, China, unlike our "Diesel Duck", which is constructed out of aluminum, built in Canada. "Dora Mac" is a big sister ship, but very different below and on deck, however, they are both from the same designer, George Buehler.
Ruth and Randal are in their 4th year of cruising and presently, "Dora Mac" is berthed at the Karpaz Gate Marina, North Cyprus. When I read in their blog that they would be coming home for a few months to Roanoke, Virginia, we invited them to come and see us while we were still in Annapolis, Maryland. And they did. The day flew by with great conversations of interesting topics in between me cooking a hot lunch and dessert to treat our guests. We are looking forward to seeing them again, perhaps.
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09/13/2011, Annapolis, MD
I couldn't believe my eyes, but our Diesel Duck picture made it onto the back jacket of George Buehler's "The Troller Yacht Book" 2nd Edition. Wow. Inside, there are more pictures of our duck and of course of other Diesel Ducks in various sizes including nice stories written by their owners.
This book gives detailed information about choosing a design, engines, systems, outfitting and how to get a shipyard bid, among other useful ideas written in George Buehler's "lively and engagingly eccentric style." A must read for anybody thinking about ocean cruising under power and worth reading even if you still think you want a sailboat!
To order and other information, please click here
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09/09/2011, Annapolis, MD
Oh man, when it rains it pours! I did not want to be the "bad news queen" again. Benno just finished fixing the 120 VAC panel, when our freezer went on the fritz. I noticed with horror that the gauge indicated that the temperature inside the freezer had gone up, up and up, right thru the roof, very close to above freezing, although the two LED lights indicated that the compressor was charging. But it was not! Now I had to announce the bad news very diplomatically to my husband. This new dilemma did present a challenge for me and for him to fix the problem. My mind was already racing what to do about all the frozen goods that were now slowly defrosting.
After some probing and checking this and that Benno jumped the digital controller. Voila, the compressor came to live purring like a cat. It wasn't the sensor in the freezer, the actual temperature was still displayed at the readout. This meant that the problem was somewhere in the $350 digital controller and not with the compressor. After closely looking at the controller he noticed the unit had piggyback a small Potter & Brumfield relay, which turned out to be the culprit. An electronic supplier in Gaffney, SC had this relay in stock for $8.86 plus shipping. What a relief!
So now you think I managed to save all the frozen ice cream? Not! We both had to be rewarded for the stress.
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08/31/2011, Annapolis, MD
Once upon a time you smell smoke. We don't smoke, it wasn't a barbecue and it wasn't our neighbor grilling brats. "It must be coming from the outside, someone burning trash," I said. But no, "There is smoke coming out of the batteries," Marlene declared. "Oooh yeah" Missis bad news. Close enough, the smoke walled out of the lid underneath our 120V AC wall with the generator control panel, the two 120VAC distributor panels and the inverter control panel.
Hastily I switched everything off and started to nose around.
First, the top panel of the generator control came off. It was fine. Then I moved on to the larger panel in the middle. It was NOT fine. Actually, it looked bad, really bad. Cooked wires, cooked 30 Amp main breaker. What had caused this mess? It didn't take me long to find a bad crimp on a ring terminal, the one on the a black 10 AWG wire, which runs from the main breaker through a pickup coil to the main bus. Originally the panel came prewired and the bad crimp took 6 years to almost start a fire. Was it a Monday morning crimp?
Funny, Marlene is thinking this happend now with the new generator installed. She has a good point there.
The old 1 cyl. diesel gen set labored heavily and slowed down when we were using more than 18 Amp. The panel harbored already the bad crimp, but the bad crimp still managed to provide 18 Amp. Now, with the new 3 cyl. Northern Light diesel generator installed, which easily manages 30 Amp, we used sometimes the electric on demand water heater. This one drew 18 Amp when going and on top of this the watermaker was running, which drew another 12 Amp. Do your math, this is equals 30 Amp. So this bad crimp got overloaded and heated up to the point where it started to smolder.
Naturally I replaced everything new, the ring terminals, the double 30 Amp breaker and the wires. For crimping I used an onboard professional crimping tool.
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Photo of the installation.
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Here you can see the bad crimp which started to smolder.
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08/28/2011, Annapolis, MD
Although Hurricane Irene caused a lot of damage in this area, she was not as destructive as feared. However, the number of homes still without power is in the thousands and it will take several days for the cleanup crews to deal with the downed trees and power lines. Mobile cranes are busy lifting downed trees out of backyards.
We were prepared for the worst and are glad we got off easy with the highest wind gusts clocked at 42 knots at our location. Generally speaking, the wind hovered between 25 and 30 knots. Just so you know what kind of preparations I'm talking about to get prepared:
The day before the storm Benno dove on the mooring ball checking the heavy chain and swivel to make sure the mooring would be up to the punishment. While being in the water he cleaned Diesel Duck's propeller and the props of the bow thrusters. The engine cooling water inlet got an inspection and a little cleanup too.
In addition to our 5/8", 25 foot mooring pennant, we fitted an additional heavy weather 1 inch 3 stranded Nylon mooring pennant of 30 feet and an extra line to extend the shorter one.
Topside on Diesel Duck we removed both sails, folded them into neat packets and stowed them below. The flag halyard got removed as well as the two washdown hoses and the boat hook. The Caribe 9' dinghy was hoisted up and tied down on the aft deck. The 15 hp Yamaha outboard motor(2 stroke) was lifted onto the bracket at the stern rail and the gas tank tied to the mast.
With the generator running, our watermaker topped up our water tanks with fresh drinking water in case the water in the creek and bay would be contaminated during the storm and we would not be able to make any water for some time to come. Just imagine the water treatment plants of the city's of Baltimore or Annapolis would be overflowing during the storm and be dumping zillions of gallons of untreated raw sewage into the bay's water. Don't laugh, but this has happened elsewhere.
Benno cleaned both raw water strainers for our main diesel and the generator, because there is always the possibility that one would have to start the main engine and shift it into gear to assist the mooring in the extrem strong winds.
After all these preparations we sat back and relaxed with a book!
The picture was taken the morning after Irene had passed. The officials are right on the task.
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08/27/2011, Annapolis, MD
The wind is howling while the rain is pelting against our windows. So far, at 14:15 hrs it is gusting 35 kts and the Weems Creek has become choppy. Diesel Duck is dancing around on her mooring. Benno thought it prudent to let out our mooring line to the fullest in case the water level is going to rise. So while I stayed dry in the cozy wheelhouse, the captain donned his mask so he could see in the driving rain to go about the job. I felt sorry for him because the rain does hurt on your skin. But I did help him dry off!
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Picture of Benno in the rain with mask. Didn't need the snorkel!
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picture of Navy boat untangling the lines
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08/25/2011, Annapolis, MD
In anticipation of hurricane Irene the Navy has brought some of their fleet of racing sailboats into Weems Creek. There are seven Navy buoys located in this area and more Navy buoys in Luce and Clements Creeks where the rest of the fleet went.
If the Navy deems these places to be safe for their vessels, it makes us feel better. However, we are not looking forward to the approaching storm although we've endured winds of 50kts or more sometimes down in South America. As a precaution we've removed all sails.
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08/18/2011, Annapolis area
On the return trip from the Smithsonian museum we couldn't pass up a side trip to the NRA National Firearms Museum, which was located close to the highway. With about 15 galleries and over 2700 firearms the sight was a bit overwhelming for me. But for my hubby the collections were far more interesting. I have to admit though, some of the pieces were magnificent.
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08/18/2011, Annapolis area
Here is Benno bending over a table display of firearms curiosa. I thought the intricate carvings on those two ivory tusks were fantastic.
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08/18/2011, Annapolis area
Planes of every kind and size.
|SSCA Member
08/18/2011, Annapolis area
A visit to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum had us looking with amazement at the displays ranging from rockets to experimental flying machines and everything in-between. The museum is housed in a huge aviation hangar. I mean enormous, because there are masses of planes hanging from the ceiling, like a Boeing with a Concorde parked underneath. But it was not the Space Shuttle Enterprise or the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird which only captivated my interest. The cute and little ultralights like the one pictured above which was used to lead flocks of Canada Geese to new migration routes made me marvel at all the things that can fly!
Pilots averaged about 31 mph when leading the birds but flew as fast as 70 mph and as high as 4,000 feet above the ground in this. Just imagine.
"Fly Away Home" a movie you must watch tells the story.
|SSCA Member
08/04/2011, Annapolis, MD
Two weeks ago Diesel Duck arrived in Annapolis, Maryland. This charming city is located on the Chesapeake Bay. The city is host to the very popular annual boat show and claims it is the "Sailing Capital of the World" which we truly believe to be true.
On Main Street, just a short walk from the City Dock is the "Chick and Ruth's Delly" - a landmark! If you haven't eaten at Chick and Ruth's while in town, you missed out. On Wednesday mornings between 8-10 a.m. SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association) members come here for breakfast and to meet up. When Nancy & Burger ("Halekai") who chauffeured all of us in their van and Gail & Houston ("Blew Moon") and Benno and I arrived shortly after 8 O'clock, there was already a bunch of cruisers sitting upstairs behind tables weighed down with coffee, juices and plates piled with delicious creations from the famous kitchen. Wow, breakfast is offered here all day long, but if you feel like eating crab cakes for breakfast, you can have them too or anything else on the menu.
There'll be more postings to come while we are enjoying and touring this colonial style town. The United States Naval Academy is within walking distance as are the State House, St. Johns College, many historical buildings and of course lots of classy shops.
Stay tuned.
|SSCA Member
07/18/2011, Virginia
Diesel Duck has moved up to the Chesapeake Bay for the hurricane season. It is lovely here. During the daytime temperatures are in the 34 deg C range, but nights have been a lot cooler than what we were used to and the humidity is down to 40%.
White travelling partly in the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) on our way up, we got a kick out of sighting the many Osprey nests built on top the channel markers. The Osprey is a large hawk weighing between 2-4 lb but their wingspan can vary from 4.5 to 6 feet. So when they are up in the air they are quite large. Of course we had to come fairly close to the channel markers at times which upset the birds and they told us so, squawking angrily until we motored a safe distance away. Cute birds!
|SSCA Member
06/23/2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Most of the time Diesel Duck is swinging under anchor, so there is no need for a lot of fenders hanging over the side. In order not to clutter up the topside of the boat, we deflate our fenders and store them below. But even when deflated, they take up considerable cabinet space and when we do need the fenders, the pump up process (even with an electric pump) takes about half an hour and the deflating process for a set of four a whopping hour and a half.
Yesterday we treated ourselves to new inflatable/deflatable StowAway fenders that came with a free hand pump. It took about 2 minutes to inflate one of these with the hand pump and to deflate you just undo the screw and roll up the fender. There is now a lot of free space in the locker!!
|SSCA Member
06/21/2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Many, many times have we visited Ft. Lauderdale, Florida by plane, car and by boat. If you come here to soak up some sunshine there is a seven mile beach lined with hotels of every kind. If you come by boat, you'll be astounded by the 165 miles of waterway, awed by the mega yachts tied up to properties of multimillion dollar villas and delighted by the marine stores and services to yachts. It's a boater's Mecca. Lake Sylvia had been one of our favorite anchor spots for years and it was not very well known, that is ever since "Skipper Bob" put it into their publication of "Anchorages along the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). Now the word is out and this little gem of an anchorage gets more transient visitors. However, it has always been a favorite for locals to come here on the weekend for a little swim, waterskiing or just partying on the boat. To get onshore, we have to dinghy underneath one of the three very low bridges (duck your head at high tide) and motor through the canal, cross the ICW and dinghy into the canal where the gas station is located at the corner. A little further up is a public ramp, but the wall is rough. A better choice is at the end of the canal, where the Southport Raw Bar is located. They let you tie up your dinghy for $10 but this amount can be redeemed for food or drinks when you come back from your errands or shopping. By the way, their food is very good! Across from the restaurant is a Winn Dixie Supermarket, less than a quarter mile further is a Publix Supermarket and the Bluewater Charts store, plus a large ACE Hardware etc. A West Marine flagship store is just 15 min. away and will be replaced next November 2011 by a West Marine Superstore (the size of a Super Walmart) just past the famous Sailorman store on Route 84. This West Marine Superstore is going to be the largest West Marine store in the continental USA! They will be having Segway scooters for the sales people in the store. Sorry, not for the customer. Please keep this confidential, this is inside information ;-)
In the picture: Diesel Duck anchored in the evening at Lake Sylvia.
|SSCA Member
06/15/2011, Key West, Florida, USA
Key West is a tourist trap, but a nice one! Benno and I had never been here before, so after we checked into the country which turned out to be a quick and easy process thanks to the friendly officials at the airport, we played tourists and mingled with all the folks from the visiting cruise ship and other vacationers walking all over town in 90F temperatures. If you like to collect shells, but are never too successful in finding the good ones, then you need to rummage through Key West shell stores. Just about any type of shell, polished and in excellent condition is available for purchase. Many shell types for just pennies a piece. I guess it takes the fun out of the discovery, but who is to know? The greatest treasure hunter, Mel Fisher, has a store in town displaying the artifacts he found off the Florida coast. Now that we have seen how the silver coins look like at the time they are salvaged we know what to look for when we are poking our fingers in the ocean ;-) However, you can buy your treasure right in the store!
I thought the dinghy dock might give you an idea how busy the town was.
|SSCA Member


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Meet your almost naked but very shiny world no.1.
Serena Williams reclaimed the keys to the WTA Penthouse after defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in the Beijing second round. Dinara Safina paved the way for the 11-time Grand Slammer to move back in when she was stunned by Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai.
This isn't the first time ReRe has been in the buff for a mag, having gone nude for Jane magazine back in 2007.
I guess everyone (including myself) can now shut their traps about who should be the top lady baller. The deed is done. Phew.
The ESPN the Magazine "The Body Issue" hits stands on October 19.
(Photo: 850TheBuzz.com)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Shiny, happy Serena takes WTA Penthouse keys
Labels: ESPN The Magazine, media, Serena Williams, tennis
5 comments:
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2009 at 6:44 AM
Is that a real cover? Where did you get it? And why are we seeing only Rena? I'm going blind. :PReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2009 at 12:42 PM
'Tis amazing what enough baby oil and photo-shopping can accomplish. She almost looks svelt. Almost.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2009 at 3:00 PM
I see bunyons.ReplyDelete
Two of 'm.
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Dear spell check...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 7, 2009 at 1:44 AM
For the sake of consistency Serena should be critized if she doesn't win the tournament. Beat Makarova isn't a huge achievement. I'm sure Dinara would get lots of flak for becoming #1 this way.ReplyDelete
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Staff Picks
Don't forget to check out our staff picks for kids!
April 14, 2014
by Dubus, Andre III
B Dubus, Andre DUB
House of Sand and Fog is Andre Dubus III's most famous work, but his memoir, Townie, is a glittering gem worthy of your time.
Dubus tells of his growing up in a world of street violence, drugs and poverty while his famous writer father lived a starkly different life as a college professor just across the river.
Dubus grew up in small mill towns along the Merrimack River north of Boston, living in various rented houses on run down streets where bullies "roamed the neighborhood like dogs." Frequently the new kid, he spends his early school years trying to fit in, but often just gets slapped, kicked, and pushed around. His three siblings, meanwhile, mostly keep to their bedrooms. Suzanne attracts a steady stream of unsavory characters to the house for after school parties. Nicole studies obsessively. Brother Jeb holes up in his room, teaching himself classical guitar and doing artwork, his amorous middle school art teacher often in there with him.
Dubus recounts his mother's efforts to stay afloat, working long days and then coming home, opening a few cans for dinner and falling asleep in front of the TV. As a teenager he decides to get strong and starts lifting weights. He joins his high school track team and learns how to fight at a boxing club. As a muscle man he takes on anyone who looks at him funny. Every fight "was a test and the more tests I passed the further I permanently moved myself from the boy I'd been."
His ultimate test, it seems, was coming to terms with his father, who left the family when Dubus was 10 years old. His dad would pick up him and his siblings every Sunday for dinner and maybe a movie. But he maintained a distance, both physical and emotional, that seemed to fuel Dubus's drive to be somebody his father would take notice of. It is a deeply searching young man who turns to writing to try to make sense of his world. Townie is a bittersweet reflection, told in unsentimental detail, with fascinating little stories on every page.
Recommended by Coral Mackenzie-Danforth, Lawrence Library
April 7, 2014
Dog Songs: Thirty-five Dog Songs and One Essay
by Oliver, Mary
I'll confess up front to being a dog lover and a long-time fan of the poet Mary Oliver. Her latest collection pairs thirty five songs, or poems, with illustrations (by John Burgoyne) of the dogs in her life. I looked forward to this book eagerly and it did not disappoint. From the wanderings of Benjamin the hound to the exuberance of Percy the terrier to the burial of the German shepherd Luke, the poet gives voice to all the stages of dog life.
Oliver has written many collections of poetry and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. Nature, wildness and spirituality are themes she is always returning to as she does here. This book concludes with an essay called Dog Talk, and I'll quote from it: "But I want to extol not the sweetness nor the placidity of the dog, but the wilderness out of which he cannot step entirely, and from which we benefit. For wilderness is our first home too, and in our wild ride into modernity with all its concerns and problems we need also all the good attachments to that origin that we can keep or restore. Dog is one of the messengers of that rich and still magical first world."
If you have loved one dog or many you know that your journey together will bring you joy and laughs but also tears and grief as the arc of the dog's life is much shorter than our own. Reading Oliver's odes to her familiars in this collection brings it all back in her concrete images and lyrical words.
Recommended by Sue Kennedy, Irvington Library
March 31, 2014
The Days of Abandonment
by Ferrante, Elena
Elena Ferrante is a very private, illusive writer--one of Italy's finest. One of her finest novels is The Days of Abandonment which was translated into English by Ann Goldstein. Some say that Elena Ferrante is a pen name for Domenico Starnone, a male novelist. No matter the gender of the writer--in this novel the translator fluidly transports the reader into a realm of a woman's mind....the mind of Olga. Olga tells about her deep emotional responses and experiences during the days following abandonment by her husband. Olga has two children and and a dog to care for in a small Italian village while she tries to find her footing following the initial shock. It is a visceral description of the initial several days with her discomfort at times unbearable, at times comical.
"The hardest day of the ordeal of my abandonment was about to begin, but I didn't know it yet." Hint: insecticide poisoning, child with burning fever, day spent in nightgown, August heat, lock on door not working properly.....think "The Metamorphosis" by Kafka! Don't let the impending anxiety overwhelm you --you, too, at times have felt the uncomfortable heat of these human emotions. Elena Ferrante gently guides us through the stages of the abyss, she (he?) explores how to consciously cope with an ordeal. The story has a solid, stable conclusion. Olga and her children survive. She has changed, having a more realistic world view of love and parenting, and much stronger having faced the abandonment.
Recommended by Sharon McKittrick, Lawrence Library
March 24, 2014
A Flowershop in Baghdad
by Banzet, Michael
This book is the story of the greatest force for good the world has ever known: the extraordinary, ordinary men and women of the United States military.
U.S. Air Force pilot Michael Banzet tells the funny, tragic, deeply moving story of the year he was grounded in Baghdad working with British and Iraqi forces to build a modern Iraqi air force. Banzet gives eloquent, irreverent voice to one of the "invisible stories" – those never investigated or reported by the media because they are true, because they are profoundly inspiring, and because they undermine the narrative of the "ugly American" so in vogue with the sophisticated set.
In 2007 – 2008, two very different cultures were working together, learning from each other, and quite literally risking their lives to build the foundation for a modern Iraq: dedicated, desperately courageous, ordinary Iraqis, Brits, and Americans – unsung heroes all. It turned out to be the most important year of Banzet's professional life: "I've never seen the might and thunder, along with the tenderness and patience, of a military organization focused on a people before. And I got to see it from their perspective. I was truly blessed to be among those that have been at the epicenter of history in the making."
Banzet continues "… the ones who have chosen this type of service are the best this society has to offer. They may not be the smartest, best looking, richest, or best connected, but you'd be surprised by the silent quality of these people … The lowest-ranking deployed E-1 has a greater impact than all the ambassadors at all the swell parties with all the swell people."
"This book was written to share with you how I came to the startling conclusion that I am indeed a superhero … The truly amazing thing about me is that, as a product of this amazing country, I am completely ordinary. However, once I leave the borders of these United States, I start to grow in power and influence until I become someone who can do anything …"
Which he did. Which our servicemen and women do every day. This book will make you proud to be an American.
Recommended by Deborah Jones, Franklin Road Library
March 17, 2014
Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time
by Miller, Adrian
Have you ever wondered "What is soul food?" Adrian Miller, a culinary historian, takes readers along with him as he researches the history of soul food. Miller "follows the people" by looking at the migration patterns of Africans and the types of food that were eaten after they became acclimated to North America. Miller investigates why at one time soul food brought families together once a week but is now getting a bad rap as a negative representation of artery clogging, high blood pressure food. He also looks at the socio-economic reasons why certain soul food exists. Each soul food dish has a chapter that tells the story of how its' existence came into being. With chapters on chicken, catfish, cornbread, hot sauce, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and yams this book will reach into your soul with its' mouthwatering history. 22 soul food recipes are included for your cooking pleasure. Bon appetite!
--Recommended by Kim Jones, Central Library


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Worked With:
Amber Tamblyn
Birth Name: Amber Tamblyn
Born: 05/14/1983
Birth Place: Santa Monica, California, USA
Born: 05/14/1983
Birth Place: Santa Monica, California, USA
Born on May 14, 1983 in Santa Monica, CA, Tamblyn was raise by her father, Russ Tamblyn - an actor who starred in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954) and was best known for playing Riff in "West Side Story" (1961) - and her mother, Bonnie, a folk singer. At 10 years old, Tamblyn was performing the lead in "Pippi Longstockings" at the Santa Monica Alternative School House, when an agent in the audience found himself impressed with her performance. Soon she found herself starring on "General Hospital," proving not only popular with fans, but with critics as well, winning two consecutive Hollywood Reporter Young Star Awards as Best Young Actress in a Daytimes Series. Also at the... Continue Bio >>
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HOUSTON (AP) — Mattress Mack is a big Super Bowl loser.
Houston furniture store mogul Jim McIngvale is out some $7 million on the big game.
He owns the Gallery Furniture store chain. Mattress Mack promised to refund large purchases made in the two weeks before the Super Bowl if Seattle won.
Of course, Seattle won big, beating Denver 43-8.
McIngvale says his accountant is "pulling his hair out." Mattress Mack adds the loss won't be covered by insurance.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Super Bowl XLVIII
Some Super Bowl bettors scored by big on Sunday's blowout. Fans who bet the first score in the game would be a safety were paid 60-to-1. It was one of the so-called proposition bets on minor points of the game, including which team would win the coin toss.
But overall, the Las Vegas casinos were the big winners. Nevada state gaming officials say early figures show the casinos made nearly $20 million in profits.
Nevada sportsbooks have lost only twice on the Super Bowl in the past 20 years.


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See All Contributors »
I just ordered my first physical CD in about 10 years. When and what was the last CD you bought?
Btw-the reason I ordered the cd was because it was $9 and free 2day shipping using amazon prime or $10 for the download. Can't wait to get the new Jack White cd.
Eric Church - Chief last summer
Edit: the only 3 CDs i have bought in the last 7 years have been Eric Church CDs
Last edited by isuska; 04-20-2012 at 12:11 PM.
CD ROM so I can easily reload the Microsoft software I bought when it invariably crashes some day.
"There are five real good recruits in the state. We got three of them. One couldnt get into school, and the other went to (the University of) Iowa...which is about the same thing." - Coach Johnny Orr
Very rare any more, but it was BRMC Beat the Devil's Tattoo
What the **** is a CD???
I dont even know. I've bought some blu rays lately, but not a plain old CD. My laptop doesnt even have a cd drive.
Originally Posted by alarson
I dont even know. I've bought some blu rays lately, but not a plain old CD. My laptop doesnt even have a cd drive.
Does it have a DVD drive? Most will play CD's too.
It is a good CD...
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. ~ George Carlin
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year olds life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves Orcs. ~ John Rogers
Originally Posted by VeloClone
Does it have a DVD drive? Most will play CD's too.
Yes, i know this, but nope, no drive whatsoever. Wanted a thin and light laptop, and a cd\dvd drive is dead weight.
just cause im on the producers credits :)
Self proclaimed 2012 CF Newcomer of the Year
I have not owned an actual CD since -- guessing -- 2003-2004 or thereabouts. And I used to have over a thousand of them. Ripped them onto my computer and got rid of every single one of them.
I used to burn home movies onto DVD. I've stopped doing that as well since Windows 7 can stream video to every TV in my house.
Still have quite a few DVDs/blurays, however.
We are the Tide by Blind Pilot last summer. I'll buy cd's to support up and coming bands that I like.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68EIBy9Z-ew]Blind Pilot - Half Moon - YouTube[/ame]
Pretty sure it was this one, but can't remember that far back...
I don't buy music on iTunes, if I download music it's for free, occasionally I'll like an album enough to go buy it too though. Last one was Foo Fighters recent album, before that I think The White Stripes, also got the DVD for that one.
Eyes closed, head first, can't lose.
I don't buy a lot of music, but when I do, I still buy it on CD. If you look around, it's usually cheaper than an itunes download and I've always had this thing with liking to have a physical back up.
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ATLANTA -- Aimee Copeland's fight for life continues to be one of the most common Internet searches in our area. But on Thursday, we noticed a shift. People wanted to know not just about her condition, but also about the illness itself.
That's why friends and family of Aimee Copeland and Lana Kuykendall say they have openly shared their experiences with the flesh eating bacteria. They want people to know the early warning signs.
RELATED | Friends, strangers rally to help Aimee Copeland
It's alarming to some to hear of two confirmed cases in one week. Copeland came into contact with the bacteria in a river in Carrollton. Kuykendall after giving birth to her twins at Emory Midtown in Atlanta.
NBC Chief Medical Editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman says the two cases have nothing in common, except their end result. "They really have nothing to do with each other, other than they both got infections, both of the bacteria they came down with secreted toxins that caused this sort of flesh eating bacteria," said Snyderman.
Snyderman says there are a number of bacteria that can lead to necrotitis faciitis, so it's not necessarily the bacteria but the rare cases when they start to release a toxin that poses the risk. Snyderman says you'll know if it happens, because with the toxin, comes pain.
"If in the first 24, 48 hours the wound gets red, tender, looks worse and most important become phenomenally painful and the pain is disproportionate to what the wound looks like, that's the time you get right back to the hospital," said Snyderman.
Friends of both Aimee and Lana remember them talking about just those symptoms.
"She said the spot on the back of her leg was hot and very painful. Red and purple," said Janelle Alier who talked with Kuykendall before her diagnosis.
Snyderman says that's why its so important, if you do get a cut or scratch to wash it with soap and water, put an antibiotic ointment on and cover the wound. Check it twice a day. If it gets red, tender or becomes extremely painful, get to a hospital.
If you would like to help raise blood for Aimee Copeland, the South Gwinnett Rotary Club has chartered a bus to go to Augusta on Friday, where Aimee is being treated. It will leave at 8am. If you would like to go click here to register.